Elizabeth Sendil

After working various jobs within the scientific engineering field, Elizabeth Sendil entered a new era of her career last May as a Biology and Environmental Science teacher at Burlingame.

As a result of her father’s work as a nuclear engineer, Sendil was introduced to the intriguing world of science from a young age. Following in his footsteps, she knew she was destined for a career in science.

“[Science] explains the world in a way that makes logical sense.” Sendil said. “When you understand the pieces, then you can put them together in different ways to solve new problems or to understand the problem in a different way.” 

Sendil attended San Francisco State University, where she majored in chemistry and received her teaching credentials. Following graduation, she worked as a chemical engineer in Silicon Valley making microchips, eventually collaborating with engineers at well-known corporations such as Intel and Motorola to manage temperature control systems.

Mainly, Sendil enjoys science because there is always a question to be answered.

“I like the aspect of digging into the whys in ways that aren’t obvious,” Sendil said. “You can’t really see but you know, what is this particular thing happening? How does it happen?” 

Now that her teaching career has begun, Sendil is excited to watch her students grow and learn. She hopes to take a new approach to teaching and wants to change the stigma that surrounds learning, especially science.

“I love it when students come to me and say, ‘I’ve never felt capable in a science class before and I feel capable in yours,” Sendil said. “It’s just really amazing. I feel like I’m making small steps towards changing the kind of ethos of science and education.”