By Sydney Cook
Erin McDaniel, a La Cueva High School graduate who returned here to teach, sat down to talk about her life and career choices. McDaniel graduated from La Cueva in 2001 with a passion for science. She said her love for science comes from her high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Emery, with whom she “clicked.”
McDaniel played soccer and ran track at La Cueva, which earned her multiple athletic scholarships. She also had a high enough GPA to qualify for a large number of academic scholarships. As a result of these achievements, there were many college options for her, but she ultimately chose Texas Tech University, due to the school's athletic record and academic programs.
After two years at Texas Tech, McDaniel transferred to the University of New Mexico. She spent three years there before eventually graduating with dual undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and statistics.
While at UNM, McDaniel worked as a student-intern at Sandia Labs and coached youth soccer camps regularly. She was asked about the most challenging things she learned during her college jobs, she said, “I think no matter what you do, learning to prioritize and manage your time is probably the most important thing you can learn how to do… and also interpersonal relationships and communication.”
After college, McDaniel did more extraordinary things. McDaniel moved to California to work at the world-renowned research institute at the University of California-Santa Barbara, where she studied ecology. McDaniel not only studied at UCSB, she worked as their events manager as well.
McDaniel also continued to widen her experience in athletics. She trained and eventually became a triathlete for Team USA and competed in the 2014 World Championships. McDaniel then worked as a personal trainer for over 10 years. Additionally, she is a wife with three children, one of whom, sophomore Nora McDaniel, attends La Cueva.
After juggling many jobs, McDaniel ultimately found balance between work and home. She came back to La Cueva to teach biology and chemistry after settling down.
Why did she come back to teach? “Teaching was sort of a new idea for me,” she said. “I decided to become a teacher partially because it’s a flexible schedule (but also) I like to help people, I like working with kids, and I love science. Teaching felt like a good combination of all of those things''.
McDaniel certainly carries a lot of knowledge, and the way she teaches shows that. She remarked that she often catches herself using her coaching voice in the classroom and that she uses her prior job experiences to communicate with each and every one of her students. Through all of her accomplishments, she confessed that she still does not have a straightforward path to life.
“Life happens when you’re busy making plans,” she joked.