Story by Michael Torres, Fillmore High School teacher

March 3, 2025, Sacramento, CA – A group of dedicated educators from Fillmore High School recently attended the prestigious Educating for Careers conference in Sacramento.

The team of educators who represented Fillmore High School at the conference included Randy Garcia (Assistant Principal), Amalia Granados (Counselor), Randal Kamradt (Video Production), Sal Lopez (Agriculture), Jeremy MacMahon (Robotics), Michael Torres (Art), and Adan Vega (Auto Mechanics). The conference, which is designed to equip educators with tools and strategies for preparing students for the workforce, provided these passionate professionals with invaluable insights into the latest educational trends and workforce opportunities.

The highlight of the conference came when the group had the opportunity to meet Regent of the University of California, José Hernández, a former NASA astronaut who spent 13 days aboard the Discovery space shuttle during his 2009 mission. Hernández, who grew up in a migrant farm-working family, shared his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to reaching the stars. His story, which was recently made into a film entitled A Million Miles Away, starring Michael Pena, resonated deeply with the Fillmore educators, as many of them work closely with students from similar backgrounds.

“Meeting José Hernández was truly inspiring,” said Randy Garcia, Assistant Principal at Fillmore High. “His perseverance and dedication to education are a testament to what’s possible with hard work and a passion for learning in order to reach a goal. His story will be something we share with our students to show them that no dream is too big. We’re all inspired by the idea that every student has the potential to do something great,” said Garcia. “Whether it’s in art, agriculture, robotics, or beyond, our goal is to show our students that there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”