Conducted by Ryan Armstrong

Transcribed by Deven Irwin

F- Mr. Frattini

R- Ryan Armstrong

R- How many years have you been teaching at Pinole?

F- I have been teaching for two years but I’m getting the hang of things.

R- What was your high school experience like?

F- It was pretty normal I guess, I didn’t really apply myself as much as I should have and by the time my senior year came I didn’t know what to do but I was always interested in history.

R- What college did you go to and how did it go?

F- At first I went to community college at Diablo Valley College and transferred to UC Santa Cruz.

R- What was your experience like at both of them?

F- Diablo Valley College was really boring and I stayed at home so I didn’t really get the whole experience of living on campus but UC Santa Cruz was awesome and I had the best times there.

R- How did you get into history and what made you become a teacher?

F- I always liked history and so when I went to college I got a major in European History but after I graduated I couldn’t find anything to do with it. So they asked if I wanted to be a teacher and I initially did not want to be a teacher but I still wanted to use my history degree and not go back to grad school because I didn’t want to go back in debt. So I thought more about teaching and it was something that I got to do that I liked that involved history. So now here I am and it has been pretty cool so far.

R- What is some advice you can give to those that are applying for college?

F- Well, first I would say that you should find somewhere you are comfortable with and not just go anywhere. Another piece of advice I would say is plan out more of your future because you’re only about 16-17 years old when planning but it will definitely pan out in the long run and it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. Life sneaks up quickly and it’s good to be prepared instead of not having a plan at all.