Sidney Sanchez

Spring 2025 Initial Student Teaching Placement: Firebaugh High School

Fall 2025 Final Student Teaching Placement: Golden Valley High School

Sidney Sanchez’s story is deeply rooted in agriculture and family. Her family immigrated from Mexico and worked in the fields to make a living. Growing up, Sidney’s family raised goats and poultry, giving her early hands-on experience with animals and sparking her love for agriculture.

She attended Pacheco High School in Los Banos, where she was active in FFA all four years. Through competitions, conferences, and leadership events, she gained confidence, leadership skills, and a passion for agricultural education. Those experiences inspired her to pursue a career as an agriculture teacher.
Sidney began her college journey at Merced College, where she earned three associate degrees in Animal Science, General Agriculture, and Agricultural Business. She then transferred to California State University, Fresno, where she completed her Bachelor's in Agricultural Education – Teacher Preparation with an emphasis in Animal Science. During her time at Fresno State, she was an active member of Sigma Alpha Sorority, served on the FFA Field Day Committee, worked as a tutor with the California Teaching Fellows Foundation, and gained industry experience as a fruit evaluator for POM Wonderful during the 2024 harvest season.

Her student teaching began at Firebaugh High School, where she taught Agriculture Food and Natural Resources. She is now completing her final placement at Golden Valley High School in Merced, where she is teaching Animal Anatomy & Physiology, Ag Biology, and units in Floral, Ag Chemistry, and Shop Skills.
Sidney’s goal is to teach animal science and agricultural science courses at the high school level. She hopes to create a classroom that is engaging, welcoming, and student-centered.

Outside of teaching, she enjoys traveling, journaling, and spending time with her friends and family. She is also a proud blood donor with the Red Cross, recently reaching her one-gallon milestone. As a proud Mexican American and first-generation college graduate, Sidney is the first on her mother’s side to earn a degree. She takes pride in her family’s hard work and sacrifices and hopes to be the kind of teacher who shows students that with perseverance and support, they can achieve their goals too.