Renaissance Man: Mr. Quiroz - Teacher, Designer, and more!

Today we interviewed one of San Miguel High School's science teachers, Mr. Quiroz. I have him for science class and he is a fantastic teacher. He helps a lot at the school in many ways: not only does he help students stay focused, he also helps us when we don't understand the subject or our homework. 

He is also one of the Co-creators of the Robotics Team. Last year, he helped one of our winning students go to the World Championship, which was in Texas.  Because he always says “money should not stop your dreams from becoming a reality,” he helps us raise money so we can go to the tournaments and be more involved in every step of the team.

On top of all this - he applied his creative talents to work on a book illustrated by Giada Gallo-Quiroz (his wife). As the book's designer, we asked him some questions to learn more about how this project came about.

Read on!

What inspired you to work on this book?

As the designer for this book, I used software to lay out the entire book cover to cover and had to work with the printer to make sure that the book was printed and bound correctly. I hadn’t done a project as large as this before. I always enjoy working with my wife on projects. My wife did the illustrations using an iPad Air. It was quite a process, and I provided technical support for her to make high-quality illustrations with a watercolor feel. I made the composites so the images and the coloring looked correct to the author and artist.

What type of impact are you looking for, for readers?

The author belongs to a group on the East Coast that aims to conserve the ponds and the ecosystems that surround them. The Red Lily Pond in Craigville is a real place that the pond in the story is named after. Some of the proceeds from sales of the book will support the Red Lily Pond Project. The website for the organization, Red Lily Pond Project Association, Inc. is redlilypond.org.

What made you want to publish this book and is there any audience that it targets?

There are many ways to help conserve our environment, and this book will hopefully help be a part of raising awareness. The audience for this book is aimed at young readers (we have a coloring page, a how-to-draw page, and a glossary). The characters in the book are all native species of that particular area. Future stories will explore more about the things that people can do to help our environment.

Do you recommend it to kids only or is it for all people?

I think it is definitely a kid's book, but it is one the adults can enjoy too. Not only does the book highlight some environmental issues that ponds are facing, but also how kids can socially interact with each other.

In the future what are you hoping to see that was inspired by this book?

I hope to see more stories. The author has been working hard on developing the different characters.

The next book is also named after a character whose middle initial is B, designating it as the second book.  It would be cool to branch out to bigger projects, too!

Thank you for your time and talents, Mr. Quiroz!

...And read Mr. Quiroz's #TeacherTuesday profile!

I went to the University of Arizona and studied Mechanical Engineering and Art and ended up with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art with an Emphasis in Computer Animation (and a Minor in Mechanical Engineering). In fact, I taught an upper level animation class at the U of A for a year once I graduated (almost never happens)!

When I decided to become a teacher, I enrolled in the accelerated graduate program at the University of Arizona then called Teach for Tucson. I earned my Master’s in Education in Teaching and Teacher Education. I am certified to teach mathematics and physics, which is pretty much awesome.
Just recently, I graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s degree in Physics through the Natural Sciences department. Awesome raised to the power of awesome!

I teach conceptual physics with freshmen. We work together to become better scientists and critical thinkers through our time together. I am co-founder and co-mentor of the two most successful San Miguel teams on campus: Team Viper and Venom competitive robotics teams. We just learned what Power Play is all about at the First Tech Challenge Kickoff on September 10! It’s going to be a great season!

I enjoy real world problem solving and will throw myself into a problem to help get an answer quickly and efficiently. I help staff, teachers and students with their technology issues. I am the creator of What The Fiziks? YouTube channel, and am slowly but surely working on videos that can be used to help learn physics anywhere. I enjoy time with my family, photography, droning, drawing, painting miniatures, Rainbow Six Siege and other video games, long walks with my dog, and digital art as well. 

San Miguel High School has really allowed me to explore many facets of myself in education. For example, I co-founded the STEM activity period and club, Tinkerbotics, in 2016. Since then, we have created two robotics teams, a rocketry team, and several drone enthusiasts, and a myriad of 3D printer technicians.  SMHS really has fuelled my passions which allows me to provide even more opportunities for students that would otherwise not be there. I love SMHS!