Welcome! My name is Azucena de la Cruz and I am your AP Psychology, Psychology, or Forensic Psychology teacher.  I have been teaching at Elsinore High School for the past 13 years and I absolutely love it!  Prior to EHS I was a Social Studies teacher at Terra Cotta Middle School for 5 years and in total I have been a teacher for LEUSD for 18 years.  I was also a basketball coach for many years at EHS and I also coached at the collegiate level as well.  In my free time I enjoy reading, going to the beach, basketball, hiking, fitness, hip hop music, crafting, and hanging out with friends and family. 

EHS holds a special place in my heart as I am alum just like you will be in the near future.  It's fun to teach where I went to school and be around my old teachers like Mr. Rett and Mrs. Coogan!  I graduated in 2001 and then went to college at the University of Redlands, a top 10 private liberal arts university, from 2001-2005.  I graduated Magna Cum Laude with Bachelor of Arts Degree in History with minors in Spanish and Social Science in 2005.  I loved it so much at Redlands that I decided to complete my California Teaching Credential in History-Social Science in 2006 and my Master of Arts Degree in Education in 2011 from there as well.  My tie to the University of Redlands continues to this day because I am still very close to my college buddies.  My experience at Redlands was one of the best times of my life.  

As a teacher I believe in academic rigor, the development of critical thinking skills, and the importance of hard work.  I want you to question what you may know about human behavior, examine it, and use what you learn this year in AP Psychology/Psychology/Forensic Psychology to not only understand yourself but also to, most importantly, understand and be empathetic toward others.  I look forward to getting to know you as a student and helping you on your academic journey here at EHS.  My ultimate goal is to prepare you for life after high school whether that be attending a 4 year college/university, a community college, a vocational school, the military, or the workforce.  I'm looking forward to a great school year with you!  Go Tigers!