Luis and his fiance.

Luis and his fiance, Sarah.

Luis Pascual is a Bilingual Secretary for the Early Care and Education department.

How long have you worked for ESD 112 and what does your job entail?

I have worked for the ESD for 9 months. I support Child Care Aware, Early Achievers and our Professional Development program for Early Care and Education. My job varies day to day so I’m always doing something new. One day I can be logging data, doing general office support tasks, and the next I’ll be out in the Gorge working directly with an in home child care provider. I still have a hard time explaining to friends and family what I do exactly so I always just say, “I don’t know; I haven’t gone in to work to find out yet.”

What do you like best about your job?

What I like best about my job is the fact that I get to wear so many different hats and experience so many new things, which in turn allows me to learn and grow. I’ve learned a lot in just the short time I’ve been here at the ESD and I look forward to the challenges my job brings because it means there will be a triumph, both personal and professionally. Also, I work with a pretty awesome team!

What do you find most challenging about your job?

What I find most challenging about my job is staying organized. Some days I’ll have a few projects I’m juggling, and I’ll forget about other tasks I have pending, so it’s been a challenge establishing a system that helps me stay organized.

Luis with his Saint Bernard, Julia.

Luis with his Saint Bernard, Julia.

Single? Married? Kids? Pets?

I just recently got engaged over the summer and will be getting married this upcoming spring! I do have two kids–the furry kind–not the human kind. I have a 200-pound Saint Bernard named Julia and we just got her a little brother named Banjo. He’s a Great Dane. Do any of you know if I can claim them as dependents? The amount of food they go through should count for supporting a family of 5, right?

What do you enjoy doing with your free time?

In my free time I enjoy playing drums. I play for Living Hope Church and I also play events all over with different bands. This past summer I was asked to play at a pretty big event of about three thousand people. I have also been asked to go play a Christmas Eve event in Victoria Canada this year.

I’m also a HUGE Los Angeles Lakers fan and all things basketball!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?

I would have to go with being able to manipulate time. I would basically use it every night to go back in time and tell myself not to have that third piece of pie. Maybe go back in time and win the lottery a few times as well.

If you could play one instrument you aren’t able to now, what would it be and why?

I wish I could play the electric guitar. Electric guitar players are cool; I mean you could be the weirdest person on earth but if you can rock it on the electric guitar then your cool factor just went through the roof! I also really want to do a famous Jimi Hendrix solo live.

Would you rather live in the city or the woods? Why?

I would rather live in the woods. I’ve always loved the outdoors and being able to enjoy nature. I can’t be in the city for too long before it starts to drain me.

What teacher inspired you the most? How did they?

My 8th grade teacher Mrs. Hotchkiss was the teacher that inspired me the most. She would always push me to do better and never really cut me any slack because she said, “Luis, you have the potential to be someone great…and also someone not so great, but I won’t let that happen.” I’m not sure if that was a compliment or not, but it stuck with me so I’ll take it as one. Mrs. Hotchkiss kept her word, she pushed me every day and made sure I stayed on top everything even through high school.

At what age did you become an adult?

Most people would say they became an adult at 18 or 21. For me, it was the day a friend asked me to go out, but I declined and said, “I can’t, I have to go make a payment and get to bed early for work tomorrow.” That’s the moment I realized it was all downhill from there. I was 20.

What did you want to be when you were little?

When I was little I always wanted to be a plastic surgeon. It wasn’t until I was in High School that I realized I didn’t want to be that anymore. It may have had something to do with my mom and all my aunts telling me they needed free plastic surgery when they got old.

What was your most interesting past job?

I think my most interesting past job was when I worked for an attorney’s office. I would sit in on client consultations and some of the things I heard were beyond this world, literally. It was always entertaining while working there.

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