There was once a student who felt apologetic for her introvertedness.
The teacher emailed her saying that she didn’t need to apologize or change at all. She just needed to be herself.
Years after the student graduated, she visited her teacher. After a conversation about life, the student pulled out a crumpled piece of paper just as she was leaving,
“I carry your email with me and I read it on days when I’m having a hard time,” said the student.
This is just one instance where Cal High AP Psychology and iQuest teacher Sarah Eddings has impacted the lives of her students.
Using the skills from her diverse experiences and astounding qualifications, Eddings has been teaching at Cal for more than six years, contributing to the school community by working diligently in multiple committees. She also was awarded the California High School Teacher of the Year for the 2023-24 school year and currently is the social studies curriculum leader.
Before becoming a teacher, Eddings worked as an attorney. After wrapping up her career in law, she became an active volunteer at her kids’ school. Through volunteering, she landed a job as a substitute for a teacher on leave and discovered her passion for teaching.
“I’ve liked [my other jobs]. I enjoy them. They’re productive,” Eddings said. “But this, I love people your age. I think they’re all so interesting and cool.”
After coming to this realization, Eddings enrolled at Brandman University to earn her teaching credential. She became a certified teacher in 2018, when she started working at Cal.
School psychologist Wendy Whilite has worked with Eddings and describes her as creative and student focused.
“She’s an asset to Cal High because of her excellent teaching strategies and the way that she is just always here, always present for her students,” Whilite said.
Raleigh Thompson, a senior in Eddings’ AP Psychology class, also described Eddings as being very supportive.
“She’s a really helpful and thoughtful person,” Thompson said. “She creates a very positive learning environment.”
Eddings started her journey studying clinical psychology at Tufts University in Medford, Mass, in May 1994. That August she interned at Mclean Hospital as a senior clinical research technician, working in the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program.
She worked in that field of clinical psychology for a few years. She also was as a researcher at a mental hospital at the National Institute of Health Studies, working with people who had PTSD, bipolar disorder and substance use disorders.
Through her experience, she helped co-author multiple research papers on topics of mental health. For example, she published a paper in 1998 that focused on women with posttraumatic stress disorder and substance dependence.
Using the skills she gained in her years learning and practicing psychology, Eddings is able to bring valuable knowledge to her AP Psychology class.
“It’s just wonderful when there’s a connection between your professional background and what you teach,” Eddings said.
Senior Paloma Jackson Kimball said Eddings’ AP Psych class is very enjoyable.
“We do a lot of activities and she always has very interesting examples and stories,” Kimball said. “That’s really how we learn, through different stories that she shares and interesting presentations, group work activities.”
Kimball mentioned how Eddings sharing her personal stories encourages the class to share their own experiences as well.
After working in the psychology field for a few years, Eddings decided to switch careers. She earned her juris doctor degree from Berkeley Law at the University of California, Berkeley in May 2002, becoming a litigation attorney for the Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe law firm. She also worked as a comments editor on the California Law Review.
She connected her past experience as a research analyst and research technician by publishing papers concerning the law. One of her publications was selected to be in the California Law Review. In fact, a court’s analysis on a case was based on the reasoning included in Eddings’ article.
“That was very gratifying,” Eddings said.
Though her law career was exciting and taught her important life lessons, she didn’t believe it to be her true passion.
“I was really good at it, but I’m a nurturer, and I went into litigation, which is all about conflict,” Eddings said.
Eddings said her mission was always a helping role, and being a teacher was the perfect way for her to assist others. Eddings started at Dougherty Valley High School as a student teacher before a long-term teaching position opened at Cal, where she subbed for a semester.
“Once I got into it, I just couldn’t believe how much I loved it,” Eddings said. “If I’m having a bad day, I can’t wait to get to work because I know that my mood will lift as soon as I’m in the classroom.”
Eddings incorporates the lessons she has learned through her experiences into classes like iQuest. One of the first activities her students focused on in iQuest was developing mission statements and goals relating to what they ultimately want to achieve.
“Something I’m always telling my students in iQuest is that life isn’t always linear,” Eddings said. “Kids right now are spending a lot of time trying to figure out what college to get into, and they’re spending less time figuring out what they want to be, and that’s a real struggle.”
Eddings believes that if she had received some kind of guidance similar to the one iQuest provides students, she would’ve found her passion of teaching earlier in life.
“[Eddings] cares a lot about her students and makes sure that we succeed,” junior Aya Delaware said. “She wants the best for us, and gives us a lot of opportunities to improve our grades and have the best shot at doing well in assessments.”
The students expressed how the learning space was a bright environment of growth, positivity, and encouragement.
“Grades are important, but the learning that comes with it is crucial,” Eddings said. “For me, it’s all about the person. I can have a kid that’s not really trying in class, but if they’re interested and they’re kind humans, I’m really happy to have them here.”
Eddings has had her fair share of career paths. Throughout her journey, she has and continues to help people because, as she puts it, she is a nurturer. This is why she is so passionate about teaching and helping youth find their way in life.
“It’s OK to change or learn more about yourself,” Eddings said. “Switch up what you do, because I don’t regret any of that.”

This story was originally published on The Californian on December 13, 2024.