About the Teacher

First and foremost: Hello! My name is Tracy Calimquim (a.k.a. Mr. Cal) and I am a teacher at Raymond J. Fisher Middle School located in Los Gatos, CA. One of the roles I take very seriously in my life is my role as an educator. Ever since I decided to take on education as a career path, I have never ceased to grow in the profession.

I had first decided to become a teacher because of my job as a tutor for the high-school class Advancement Via Individual Determination (A.V.I.D.) at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA. In that class, I tutored some amazing kids, but there was one in particular who finally found success in his geometry class, which he attributed to my tutoring sessions. His demand to me: "You need to be a teacher!" Students tend to have a great wisdom about them at times, and this was one of those cases.

I completed my K-12 education in San Diego public schools: Valencia Park Elementary, Daniel Boone Elementary, Eastlake Elementary, Rancho Del Rey Middle, and Eastlake High, obtaining my high school diploma in June 2003. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in June 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in Law & Society and the Study of Religion. I had that incident with my student described above during my 4th year at UCSD in the midst of applying for law school. I dropped all of that to pursue my career in teaching, adhering to the wisdom that kid bestowed upon me that day.

I received my Single-Subject Teaching Credential in Foundation-Level Mathematics with a supplementary in Government & Civics in 2008 from San Diego State University (SDSU). I also completed my graduate work at SDSU, emphasizing in the field of counseling. I received my Master of Science in Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling along with my Pupil Personnel Services Credential in May 2011.

When the opportunity presented itself for me to come to Los Gatos and to Fisher Middle School, I was a bit hesitant to leave what I considered home for my entire life. I obviously answered the door before the knocking disappeared. I couldn't be happier with the decision I made. I feel honored and lucky to be part of an amazing staff and community. I do miss those California burritos from San Diego though. Look it up when you get a chance!

On my free time, I like to be active in nature, play video games or read a book curled up in my favorite chair, travel the world, and volunteer my time when & where I can. My favorite volunteer work occurred during the summers of 2008-2012 when I flew out to Haiti to assist in medical and educational services in villages located in Hinche. My memories there opened my eyes to the significance that perspective and empathy have in living a fully-experienced & fully-examined life.

There's more about me than can fit on this page, but what I'm really driving at is that I am indeed a person with a past, present, and future with interests, hobbies, fears, failures, and goals...just like you. I am not some unapproachable entity. I have the privilege to educate and be a part of adolescents' lives on a daily basis, and there really is no other place I'd rather be than genuinely experiencing every second of it!