Why SPSV Feels Like Home
Christina Walker is known for coaching the SPSV Men and Women’s Golf teams to league and section championships since 2015 and last year’s Girls Basketball league and section titles, but the SPSV experience on campus vs. the course or court is equally important. We caught up with Coach Walker to find out why she considers SPSV home.
Can you describe your educational background and how you came to SPSV as a student and then again as a teacher?
I consider my educational background to be very diverse. I attended a mix of public, private Christian, and charter schools for elementary and middle school. I attended MIT Middle School in Vallejo the first year it opened. In 9th grade, I attended Jesse Bethel High School, and then finally, I transferred over to SPSV in my 10th-grade year.
I felt a special connection to SPSV because I had been running around this campus since I was two years old. My brothers attended school here and played on the basketball team, and my sister in law (SPSV faculty member, Mrs. Nadine Walker) has been teaching and coaching here for 20 years. Nadine had picked me up for basketball camps, practices, and games since the 5th grade. I know that has not changed since day one because the people on this campus genuinely care about the well-being of their community. I have felt loved and protected on this campus from the minute I arrived both as a student and a faculty member.
Where did you go after SPSV, and how did you come to find your way back?
I began my college career at a private historically black college, Hampton University in Virginia; however, while attending their Summer Bridge Program, I realized it was not home for me. The women’s golf coach at Cal State East Bay expressed interest, and I was able to transfer with a golf scholarship where I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. After undergrad, I attend the Golf Academy of America, where I received an AA degree. Then I enrolled in Concordia Irvine, where I earned two masters degrees in Coaching and Athletic Administration and Exercise Science.
To be honest, teaching kind of fell in my lap. I had a friend studying to take the CBEST and talked me into taking it with her, and I passed. The following week I started working as a substitute teacher for a 7th-grade English class in Vallejo. As the school year ended, I learned about an English department opportunity here at SPSV, which sounded perfect because I had already been coaching up here for years. Everything worked out as it was meant to be.
What is it about SPSV that makes it feel like home?
I have attended many diverse schools throughout my educational background, and I feel more cared for than here at SPSV than anywhere else. From the custodial crew to the principal, people on our campus genuinely care about their community and well-being. I also think that safety is more important than ever for high school students during these challenging times. I also believe the amount of time our teachers are willing to give their students and helping them succeed is unsurpassed. I am inspired by our teachers who go above and beyond for students and care about their success, not just in the classroom but in life.
