Nolina Beauchamp attended CVHS from 1993 to 1997. While at CVHS, she focused almost exclusively on academics and graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She then went on to attend UC Irvine as a Regents Scholar. While at UCI, she minored in education and earned Bachelor’s degrees in English and Criminology. She had no plans to actually use the Criminology degree, though for a brief time she did think about becoming a lawyer until she realized they generally wear suits every day. After graduating from college in 2002, she returned to UCI to earn her teaching credential. Because UCI did not yet have enough of her money, she returned again for a Master’s Degree in English, which she obtained in 2009. Nolina has been gainfully employed as a high school English teacher since 2004, much to the delight of many of her students, and the dismay of a few others. She enjoys making her students actually read the books she assigns and then write essays that critically examine the themes in those books. She is active in her local teachers’ union, and is a passionate advocate for social justice and equality. In her free time, she volunteers at a therapeutic horseback riding facility. Her hobbies include cross stitching, going to Disneyland, and taking road trips.