7 Things You Didn’t Know About Christine Cortez

A 2021 San Diego State University alumna, Christine Cortez recently became a full-time undergraduate advisor in our Office for Student Success (OSS). Find out more about Christine in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff! 

1. Christine is a movie lover. When she first saw the movie FX (1986) as a kid, she became obsessed with films, movies, TV shows and the making of them. It should be no surprise that many of her elective courses in college were film related.
   
   
2. Christine is a COE alumna. She graduated from SDSU’s Postsecondary Educational Leadership in Student Affairs program in May 2021. During her program she joined the OSS team, serving as a graduate assistant. 
   
   
3. Christine has a large family. Her 7 sisters and 1 brother ensured there was never a dull moment growing up! 
   
   
4. Christine has seen many Broadway shows. She grew up in New York City and her high school took students to see many Broadway shows and participate in Q&A’s after the production. Her most memorable Q&A was with Woody Harrelson in the Rainmaker. He was so kind that he stayed longer to shake hands and hug the students in the audience. 
   
   
5. Christine spends her free time cooking. Trying out new recipes that she finds on Pinterest is a favorite hobby — even though they aren’t always a hit with her husband and daughter. She even makes her own sofrito despite it being difficult to find some of the ingredients in San Diego. 
   
   
6. Christine is a former high school teacher. Before joining higher education, she was an English and Special Education teacher in a high school in the Bronx. 
   
   
7. Christine loves the 90s. Her playlist consists of mostly 90s hip-hop, R&B, Pop, and house music. While she can enjoy other decades of music, she insists the 90’s remains the best! 
   
   

How Christine Cortez is making a difference in the College of Education: 

“Deciding to join the education field was so incredibly important to me — especially since we are in need of teachers, counselors, administrators, etc. from diverse backgrounds. I want to ensure that when a student decides education is the career path for them, they have the tools to navigate this space to achieve their goals. As an Undergraduate Advisor, I am able to help students figure out what path they want to take and what steps are involved along the way. This requires strong relationship building with students so they feel welcomed and supported. By creating education plans that map out all of their goals — major requirements, minors, post-graduate prerequisites, etc. — and providing valuable resources I make sure students are successful. As a former teacher and college counselor, I can share my experiences to help guide and validate their experiences.”