Passionate in her work, Mrs. Ariana Sandoval is a new face here at CSHS. A woman with a beautiful voice and vivacious personality, she deserves to be recognized. The choir program here at CSHS has struggled for some time now, and her goal as the new choir director is to rebuild our program pretty much from the ground up. No one is better suited for the job.
Regardless of being new here, Sandoval has no trouble giving it to you straight. With the goal of pushing her students to be their very best, she isn’t one who sugarcoats. In the classroom she pushes them to their limits.
“My strengths are leading, encouraging, and being able to work with others. My weaknesses are a lack of organization skills, and struggling to keep up with technology, lol,” she said.
Despite these minor weaknesses, she still manages to elevate students to their fullest potential.
According to Sandoval ,“the person I look up to most is Jesus. As I have gotten older, I realized that we need to strive to be as close to his example of humanity as possible.”
A woman true of her faith, she holds herself to this standard. “Everyday I get up and try again.”
She is inspired by the beauty of the earth, the facial expressions on her students’ faces when they sing with their whole heart, and knowing that no matter what happens, there is always something good in the world.
Being sure of her purpose, Sandoval said, “Two gifts that I am honored to have been blessed with are the ability to sing very well and the ability to lead and inspire. I believe that God wanted me to do exactly this. He wanted me to reach out and inspire others to be better than they ever thought possible and to love without judgment.”
She didn’t choose the choir director’s life, it chose her. She was destined to do this. Personally, she thinks there is nothing better than seeing a singer’s journey and being a part of it.
Having been in choir for six years now, Alexa Navarro knows firsthand what a challenge students can be for her choir director.
“How do you have the patience to deal with students?”
“I have a lot of patience because losing my temper won’t heal and it won’t sprout goodness. My students deserve love and all that comes with it. The advice they don’t want to hear, the push to be better, the grace I show and have shown many over the years and so much more. I want to make them feel wanted and accepted for who they are and patience is a must on that journey,” Sandoval said.
Any mindset such as this one is one Navarro admires.
Having a good mindset will help you get through all of life’s turmoil. We all have times when we have struggled, and this year hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for Sandoval.
“It hasn’t been easy, but I just keep telling myself to take it one day at a time, the storm won’t last forever.”
Sandoval’s love for music and love for teaching are the things that motivate her to keep moving forward. She loves her students and wants nothing more than to see them succeed. Not only in their musical career, but in the classroom as well.
“I wish that everyone really understood how much time, patience, creativity, discipline, grit, and determination it takes (yes all of that) to be a successful musician. The students I teach remember way more than just how to sing. They take what they learn and use it to be great members of our society,” she said.
If Sandoval had to choose one word to describe herself, she would choose the word loving.
“I am constantly wanting to make sure everyone around me feels seen.”
This is something she truly excels at. Her warm personality makes you feel safe and that’s something not all people can do. She wants to be known for spreading joy.
“I want people to feel joy and love when they are around me.”
And that we do. She is a ray of sunshine, an inspiring mentor, and such a strong person. Navarr0 hopes to continue her singing journey with Sandoval, and hope that she enjoys being a part of our choir family.