In honor of Alisal’s 60th Anniversary, this is the eighth in an ongoing series of staff/alumni profiles.

Art is a language that is universal and helps students express themselves and acquire a different skill. Art teacher Andre Fernandez helps his students find a way to communicate through art.

Fernandez was born in San Francisco, but raised in Salinas, CA, from the age of five. He graduated from Alisal back in 2006. His interests were art and sports, which he participated in all four years and consisted of football, track, and wrestling. “I like playing sports. That’s what I did. I love playing sports. I love to do art,” Fernandez said. 

At a young age he discovered his passion for art. “The second grade, I entered a competition for the Disney Channel and I won. So that’s why I felt like it was my thing,” he said.

After graduating, he attended Fresno State University, majoring in art. He had to do sculpting, painting, drawing, and graphic design. He enjoyed being able to explore within the mediums because he didn’t just like painting or drawing. 

Having finished his studies at Fresno State, it was difficult for him to pursue his goal of becoming a teacher. This caused him to seek alternative options for career. “Right after I graduated from Fresno State, that’s when they started cutting all the art programs and stuff,” he said. “So I wanted to be a teacher, but there was no positions open, so I gravitated more towards like cooking and restaurant. So ideally I would like to open up my own food truck or a restaurant.”

While living in Fresno, he became a cake decorator at a bakery for 3 years. When the owners made the decision to sell the bakery, he came back to Salinas to pursue making something of his career, “I never expected to be a teacher. It just kinda happened,” he said. “When I moved back here, I was a sub for the district and I was only subbing for about a year until an art position opened, so I took an opportunity to be the next art teacher,” he said. Taking on the task of becoming the next art teacher came with difficulties, as he was a student himself taking online classes through National University for his credential. It was a difficult process and he wished he had done it differently. “I think the very first few years, it would be easier if I would’ve taken care of that first,” he said. “Then I started teaching, but trying to balance both was really hard.”

However, working with his former teachers was a new experience. His own coworker was his former art teacher, Coach Jose Gil. “There’s at least 25 teachers that I know of that were my former teachers here when I was a student here,” he said. “So when they wanted me to call them by their first name, I just find it awkward still. “Just on that, you know, respect level, I still call them by their last names.”

Fernandez teaches Art 1-2 and Art 3-4. His goal throughout his classes is for his students to be able to find something through art. “To leave with the art skill set, whether it be drawing, painting, sculpting,” he said.

His teaching skills had developed over the years since he first started teaching. “My first three years, I was quote, unquote, a cool teacher,” he said. He was able to see himself in his students which formed that comfortability for him. “I can relate to the students because I grew up in the same area, same, you know, probably the same situation,” he said.  “I wasn’t as strict with my students. But then also that also meant that students weren’t taking my class seriously, so they didn’t try as hard versus the last five years of me implementing a stronger curriculum and more like a collegiate level,” he said. 

While he used to allow his students to use their devices freely,  he started cutting phone time for his students because it became a distraction. With new rules, Fernandez only allows students to use their phones for music and for art related projects or assignments. “A text message here and there, don’t mind, but, for the most part, they should be concentrating on completing the work in class,” he said.  

Whenever it comes to projects he knows his students can exceed more and push past their ability. He motivates them by advising what to do better. “I can’t be a perfectionist, and I can’t expect my students to become perfectionists, but I can ask them to be better artists than they were in the previous days,” he said. 

His students enjoy their freedom of expression they can add in with art. “We can be creative, I feel free to share my ideas,” senior Diana Paniagua said. “One thing I enjoy about Fernandez’s teaching style is how he is always open to giving his students constructive criticism. This positively affecting the classroom dynamic because it shows the comfortability the students have with Fernandez as well as allowing them to continually improve their art pieces,” senior Alexa Becerra said.

He wants to be able to open newer classes that incorporate art. “I want to teach more,” he said. “I want to have more advanced classes here at Alisal, like AP Art, all that good stuff. But we need to have a like a bigger foundation and more students who are interested in doing it.” 

In his spare time, besides teaching, Fernandez enjoys doing art and selling cards. “I like to do art and then sell cards. Buy, sell and trade cards,” he said. The cards that he works around include Pokémon cards and sports cards. “It just started, like, around COVID because, you know, we didn’t get to go out to shop, you know, everything was closed, so just shopping online and collecting toys. And it was mostly toys, but now I do just cards.”

His dedication and love for Alisal is shown through his commute to work. Fernandez moved to Firebaugh in 2021 but remained at Alisal. “I am from Alisal. This is where I grew up. This is where I want to teach,” he said. 

Fernandez commits at least 12 hours a day to Alisal, coming to school at 6AM and getting back home around 6PM, with almost half that time in his car. “The only thing I sacrifice is my commute and my time, but I love being here at Alisal.” At times when there’s traffic or accidents, he tries to stay on the positive side coming and leaving school because he knows he can’t control what is happening.

Teaching at Alisal is a connection he has with his roots. “I was subbing here for a while and then the opportunity came. But the opportunity just to be here where I grew up is, I think, a blessing.”