Leslie Sandoval, ’98, MAEd ’04, is living out her calling as an educator and leader. She shows Christ’s love through her care for students and her staff, creating an inclusive environment for students to learn and thrive.
Although she loves being an educator now, when Sandoval graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 1998 with a BA in Applied Health, she planned to pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy (PT). She was inspired to pursue a PT career after teaching swim lessons in high school. “I knew I always wanted to work with kids,” she said. “I helped students with physical limitations achieve their goals. It was so much fun to work with them and see them succeed.” During her PT program, Sandoval served as a substitute teacher and found that she enjoyed teaching in the classroom.
Sandoval’s substitute teaching experience caused her to change directions. “I only applied for one teaching position,” she said. “I told myself that if I got that position, then I would go back to school.” Sandoval got the job as a middle school biology teacher, so she returned to APU for a Master’s in Education.
In her 17 years of teaching science, Sandoval became an advisor for the Associative Student Body program. “I was able to do what I really wanted, to help improve the school climate and give back to students.” With a newfound passion for leadership in education, Sandoval became an assistant principal and was then promoted to principal. She has served as principal of Grace Miller Elementary School in La Verne for the past three years.
Sandoval’s job allows her to give back to her coworkers and students. She loves the ability to support others that comes with her leadership role. “I have limitations of what I can share about religion in the public education system, but I show my faith through my actions,” she said. “I walk alongside my staff and try to support them as much as possible. I also love being there for my students and helping them have a positive education trajectory.”
Grace Miller is a Title One and early childhood intervention school. The Title One classification is for schools with a large percentage of students with socioeconomic disadvantages. Uncommon for most schools, children as young as three-years-old with Individualized Education Plans (IEP) can enroll in classes at Grace Miller.
“I’m passionate about helping children with significant needs achieve their full potential,” Sandoval said. “In the future, I would love to see more students with identified learning needs have opportunities to be in class with their peers through our inclusive learning model. I want school to be a place where students can thrive academically and socially.”
Sandoval finds her job to be extremely rewarding and enjoys seeing students meet their goals in an environment of inclusivity. She gave the example of a nonverbal student at her school who is just learning to say a few words and is treated well by other students. “When I see kids learning not only academics, but also how to treat other people with kindness and respect, those are the most rewarding moments.”
Sandoval’s dedication to her job earned her the Bonita Unified School District Management Award. Last year, she was recognized as the district wide management employee of the year. Her school also received a National Blue Ribbon Award, one of only 33 schools in the state to earn the award in 2023. Schools must be invited to apply based on state test scores that show the school is working to close the achievement gap between socioeconomically disadvantaged students and non-disadvantaged students. After being nominated, the school must continue to improve their scores for another year. Grace Miller elementary is the second school in the district and the first in La Verne to receive the award.
Sandoval continues to live out her faith through her passion for helping her coworkers and students succeed. “I keep my degrees and my cross up on my wall as an example of my faith,” she said. “If you continue to reflect and pray on your strengths, you’ll find your calling. God may guide you in ways that you didn’t expect.”