About Me

Hello! My name is Derek Buitron and I currently teach middle school humanities at High Tech Middle Mesa. I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, California by my wonderful mother and older brother and stayed local for my undergraduate career at UC, San Diego. Aside from education and teaching, some of my passions are sports, music, and Star Wars! Growing up, I played multiple sports ranging from soccer, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse. As a student I enjoyed getting involved in many things such as student government, drama and musical theater, as well as clubs such as Ecology club, Business club, and Chess club! As an adult, I found my passion for social justice when I began working towards my Ethnic Studies degree at UC, San Diego. It wasn't until the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that I found an opportunity to become an Academic Coach at High Tech Middle Mesa. This was a pivotal moment for me because it showed me how difficult yet empowering and gratifying being an educator could be. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher and continue affecting the lives of the young people in my community.