ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: From SDSU to The Last Frontier
Kodiak, Alaska, is exceptionally different from Jordan Huff’s San Diego-area hometown of La Mesa. Kodiak is a fishing port hub, home of the largest U.S. Coast Guard base and has a privately owned rocket launch facility.
It also has a notably large brown bear population.
In terms of community though, the first-year teacher and 2024 San Diego State University alumna says that there is not much of a difference between both places — especially the classroom.
“Chaotic, crazy, fun — the kids just love you in first grade the same like in San Diego and kindergarten when I was student teaching,” Huff said. “They love you. They want to learn. They’re crazy. They have a lot of energy.”
Seeing her students grow and develop is incredibly motivating for Huff and one of the reasons why she loves teaching.
“Their progress and the joy they bring to the classroom make it all worth it,” Huff said. “Every day presents new challenges and rewards, and the opportunity to positively impact their lives keeps me excited about teaching and motivated to continue.”
Huff found herself in the small town of a little more than 5,000 residents right after graduating from SDSU’s liberal studies Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) because her husband, who is in the Coast Guard, was stationed on the small island.
There is only one school district in Kodiak, and four elementary schools make up part of it. Originally, Huff was hired at North Star Elementary but then was moved to Peterson Elementary, where she currently teaches first grade.
“When I came to Kodiak, I was a little worried, but honestly, I’ve had good experiences with parents, with the kids, with my principal, with other staff,” she said.
Huff has spent the last year dealing with much change. She is grateful, however, that her education at SDSU had given her the support and resources to prepare her for the journeys.
“I love the professors,” Huff said. “They knew I was going to be moving, so they gave me a lot of information on taking my California credential and going anywhere with it.”
Being a military wife, Huff knew that not having solid roots in one place was going to be a large part of her life. When reflecting on how much she will be on the move, Huff prefers to look at the positives.
“It was kind of nerve wracking but I kind of just pushed myself through it,” Huff said. “I want to teach so I gotta do it.”
Even though Huff misses small pleasures from the Lower 48 such as Target or a Chick-fil-A, what Kodiak lacks, it makes up for in experiences. She’s been able to mix in some quintessentially Alaskan things, such as watching dog sledding.
“The dogs were super friendly, and it was such a unique experience to see them,” Huff said. “I also had the chance to watch Alutiq dancing, which was fascinating. Learning about the Alutiiq culture and its traditions was eye-opening and made me appreciate Alaska's rich history even more.”
After the school year is over, Huff will be moving again —as her husband has received orders to move to Oklahoma. She looks forward to learning new things, new people and new cultures.
