Social Studies Teacher Linda Estlund’s life journey comes full circle.
photo by Manny Perez
It wasn’t until five years ago that Linda Estlund found her calling in education, a change in career that took flight in an opposite direction of the one she had before.
Estlund had undergone an unexpected career change when she stopped working for the marketing and advertising department for Delta Airlines – where she worked for 15 years – to pursue a career in teaching high school.
“The airline industry was hurting and I moved a lot,” said Estlund. “I lived in San Diego, New York and Atlanta. When Delta put me in Denver, 9/11 happened and instead of moving again I decided to stay in Denver.” Working with Delta Airlines allowed Estlund to see the world. She traveled more than 50 times out of the country, jumping hemispheres and time zones when her job needed her to. “I’ve been all over South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe,” said Estlund. “The travel was amazing. It was the highlight of my life. It helped me see the world in a whole different light which lead me to broadening my horizons.”
Growing up, Estlund had always displayed her versatility, while deciding to immerse herself in the arts. In high school she was involved in the jazz band and theater, even becoming a music major for a year in college. “I stopped playing piano because, as a music major having to play the piano so much, I started not to like it anymore. It stopped being fun,” she said.
Hard work and independence were always held up as ideals in the Estlund household. “I always say I lived the first half of my life as my dad and the second half as my mom,” said Estlund, whose father was a salesman and whose mother was a teacher. “They taught me very good morals about tolerance and accepting people for who they are.”
As an adult, Estlund kept up all of those high morals she learned from her parents. As a sponsor of TJ’s Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA), she hopes to educate both students and adults about tolerance and help to eliminate any ignorance or discrimination. “When I was young my uncle was gay, so I learned from a very young age about discrimination,” said Estlund. “As a young person I was very involved in theater and I heard a lot of students struggling with their sexual identity. They didn’t have a GSA when I was in high school, so I was happy to be a part of that and help stop the ignorance.”
At TJ Estlund also acts as the Student Council sponsor. “They kind of have things under control, but I’m there if they need me. They take care of the dances, and they organized the student forums discussing controversial issues, giving voice to the student body.” Estlund also teaches psychology, geography, and the newly introduced Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology. “Geography’s great to teach because I’ve done so much traveling and I get to share my stories. Psychology is an interesting subject; it teaches about relationships and human nature.”
During her free time Estlund finds relaxation in the outdoors, and is a proud member of the Happy Hikers Club. “I love nature so I just wanted to get up in the mountains more often,” said Estlund, who also enjoys photography and considers herself an amateur photographer. “In 10 years I see myself as a stronger more learned teacher. Older, wiser and still having fun,” Estlund said smiling.
