Why Teaching? — I love teaching because I love working with children. I love helping them to reach their goals and realize just how incredible they are. God has blessed each of us with unique talents and gifts and I like helping a child to find theirs and nurture them. Every child should feel successful while at school and it is my passion and mission to do all that I can to make that possible. I like a challenge and I will dig deep, research like crazy, and allow God to guide me until I can help a child experience success and joy at school.
What Have You Learned at AHS? — While working at AHS, I have learned to never delay the whisperings of the spirit. It has been a humbling and also very rewarding experience to feel the Lord’s hand guiding me and helping me to meet the needs of my students. I have also come to better understand that all things denote there is a God. God cares about the smallest details of our lives and I see that every day as I strive to teach “one by one.”
Curriculum Highlight — I love the celebrations that we have in connection with the literature that we read. Students love to experience the activities and field trips that occur with such celebrations and it creates a desire in them to continue to keep learning and exploring new things from both the past and present.
Favorite Subject to Teach — My favorite subject to teach is math. I love taking difficult concepts and breaking them down piece by piece to create concrete understanding for a child.
Education — Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, Brigham Young University
Family — In November 2016, I married a handsome Brazilian soccer enthusiast named Ivan. He helps me to see the positive in every situation and keeps me laughing daily. The two of us love the outdoors and sports. We also enjoy cooking together and spending time with our families. We have two nieces and two nephews that we adore. We love to travel and enjoy celebrating every holiday.
Hobbies — I love watching sports, especially soccer when my husband is the man at the goal. I love all things crafty and I guess you could say I am one of those Pinterest fanatics. I enjoy decorating and have a passion for flowers and floral work. Traveling is my favorite, and I enjoy returning time after time to some of my favorite cities: San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. I also love hiking and find great joy seeing wildlife and waterfalls while doing so. I have a business management degree, in addition to my teaching degree, and enjoyed my time working as an accountant and office manager at a jeweler before becoming a teacher. I have a passion for rocks and enjoy the rock-hounding adventures I go on with my father. Health and fitness are at the forefront of my life. I love educating myself on natural remedies and enjoy a new workout jam.
“I hope to leave a legacy of love. First and foremost, I want every child I teach to know that I love them. I also want them to know that their Father in Heaven loves them and that the Savior loves them. I want my students to love the teachings of the gospel. And I want them to learn to love learning. When we are filled with love, we are lifted to a higher plane of life and experience true joy and happiness, of which there is no better feeling.”
— Mrs. Figueiredo
What Life Experience prepared you to teach at AHS?
It was while serving a mission in Nauvoo, Illinois and Dallas, Texas that I came to realize my passion for teaching. I cherish all the memories from my mission, but there is one in particular that stands out every time I think about my time spent serving. I was in the middle of a lonely road talking to a middle aged woman when she asked me why I cared to let her know about my message. I shared with her that it wasn’t my message that I wanted to share; it was the Lord’s message. The more I talked to this woman, the clearer it was to me that the Lord’s message is the most important message one could receive and in fact it is a message that everyone needs. The gospel message is the most crucial message to have/share in our day and I love that at AHS, we can share it freely. Math and reading are necessary and important for success, but the gospel message brings about salvation. How amazing it is to have both at AHS!
Furthermore, I feel blessed to have been able to serve on a youth congressional board while in high school. This opportunity afforded me several opportunities to travel to Washington, D.C., where I gained a strong love and appreciation of the Founding Fathers. I grew to love our nation’s capital while serving there and was blessed to return many times to work as a nanny for several months at a time. Each time I was there, I was able to expand my knowledge of the history of our great country.