Adrienne Mancilla: Math and Sports Statistics newest teacher

Mrs. Mancilla's room decor (The Puma Prensa / Keira Eicken)

By Keira Eicken, staff writer

With the flow of new teachers, Adrienne Mancilla was recently welcomed to Maria Carrillo High School in the 2025-2026 school year. Although she is new to the world of high school teaching, her love for math is rooted deep in her history. 

Mancilla grew up playing school with her cousins, passing out faux assignments and teaching her limited knowledge of addition. This fun game later developed into a passion and pursuit. 

She started as a substitute teacher, but quickly became a student teacher at Piner High School. Mancilla expressed how much fun Piner was, and how her “experience was great.” A year later, Mancilla became an official staff member of Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS), and was asked to teach freshman math.

When asked about her first impression of MCHS, she expressed that she “hadn’t heard much, but [she] knew the math department was well organized” which was a refreshing insight even with the chaos of budget cuts in the past year. Speaking of the chaos, Mancilla expressed how, at Piner, she’d felt the worry of surrounding teachers after Amy Wiese, MCHS’s principal, was initially removed. This empathy throughout the district highlights how much Mancilla cares. 

During her time teaching, Mancilla acquired a single subject teaching credential in Mathematics, meaning that is the only subject she currently teaches. Apart from Math 1, she teaches Sports Statistics. A big difference between her Math 1 class and Sports Statistics class is the maturity levels. Mancilla notices the freshmen are still learning how to navigate homework and the campus, while the juniors in Sports Statistics are aware of their surroundings. The recent work of the Sports Statistics class is displayed on Mancilla’s windows.

Apart from the everyday hustle, the personal connection and reason why she became a teacher connects with how she “feels like math has a bad reputation,” and “students often feel like they can’t do [math].” Something admirable about Mancilla is how she strives to see her students succeed. She described her favorite sound being the ‘ah!’ when students figure out a new problem. Mancilla also noted how students often wonder where math will be applied in the future, but she believes everybody uses logical thinking and problem solving in their everyday lives.

Being someone who enjoys learning, Mancilla encourages students to ask questions and strive to overcome challenges both in the classroom and in daily life. “You can't learn if you aren’t confused sometimes, one of the most important things as a student and person is growing,” she says. Mancilla helps with math tutoring, open Tuesdays and Thursdays where she enjoys one-on-one time with students.

In the future, Mancilla sees herself sticking with math, but would like to get involved with the theatre department or cross country and track. She is an inspiring example of following your dreams and working hard. Mancilla says her “door is always open.”