After 13 years as a math teacher and business, entrepreneurship and math (BEAM) program coordinator, Cristina Florea will be leaving Gunn for St. Francis, where she will be in charge of organizing their new business program and design thinking curriculum.

At St. Francis, Florea is excited to have the chance to shape the school’s new business program through an administrative role. “[I look forward to] being allowed to use my imagination and create what I think education should be like,” she said.

However, Florea will miss Gunn, where she’s worked for 13 years. “I love the students and the parents and how supportive they’ve been of what I do with both math and BEAM,” she said. “And then I am forever grateful to the math department at Gunn, because they’ve helped me grow as a teacher and have been really amazing role models forwhat a teacher should be like.”

Despite the fact that Florea will be leaving the math department, Gunn will continue to partner with the BEAM non-profit and teach the BEAM curriculum to students. “I just won’t be physically at Gunn doing BEAM,” Florea said. “But in addition to my role over at St. Francis, I will still be on the board and be one of the leaders in the BEAM program nonprofit.”

As she moves on to new adventures, Florea hopes that students will continue to advocate for changes they wish to see. “I think [students] just need to believe in themselves a little bit more, and not be afraid to speak up—not be afraid to advocate for themselves and really show the school and the community the amazing things they are capable of doing,” she said.