By Talan Quinteros
When first walking into the AP Computer Science or cybersecurity class, you’d see a man by the name of Eddie Lavrov. But this isn’t just your average teacher. From Romania to Fountain Valley High School (FVHS), his path to the United States has been anything but straightforward, filled with twists that make his life story so impactful.
Lavrov left the communist country of Romania at the age of four in the mid 70s. His father, a hardworking and knowledgeable man, was determined to build a better future for his family, so he filed for refugee status despite the harassment from the country and authorities.
“My dad was followed by secret police, even beaten at times, but that only made him more determined to leave,” Lavrov said.
Because of his father’s strong effort to leave, Lavrov was able to explore new opportunities that his family had not been able to access in the past. For example, they weren’t able to access colleges or any professors in Romania, and most of his family didn’t have the schooling and freedom that Lavrov was able to have in America.
Now in America, Lavrov felt drawn to the world of technology at a young age through the computer his father owned..
“We always had a computer in the house, and I got really familiar with using it,” Lavrov said.
However, his route into the computer world wasn’t the straightest path. Initially, Lavrov was a biology major at CSUF, heading towards a pre-med pathway. As he began to take further courses and lessons, he summed up his thoughts towards them by saying, “I just didn’t care about those things.”
With doubts in his mind, he turned back to his father. Only then did Lavrov realize that he could truly go to school for something that did interest him—technology.
“[My father] was like, ‘What do you want to do?’ … And I was like, well, I don’t know, I spend a lot of time on my computer.”
Through a few connections and self-teaching, Lavrov gained a good amount of experience with networking and programming.
“I did networking at my house because [it was one of] my little hobbies.”
He worked at a few software companies where he learned about advocating for your own skills and worth. At one job, he decided to leave after realizing he was being underpaid, believing it was best to move on to a higher-paying position rather than stay somewhere he had already maxed out his potential. Ironically, after he left, his employer told him they could have offered a raise if he had simply asked.
“In the future, [I will] speak up for myself … and not just expect other people to notice that I’m doing a good job and reward that.”
At this time in his life, working with a few different companies, Lavrov met his future wife, who at the time was pursuing her degree in school counseling. She encouraged him to pursue a potential career in the teaching industry, which was one of his original motives to become a teacher. Lavrov’s future in teaching was heavily influenced by his future wife’s suggestion. Teaching allowed Lavrov to share his knowledge with others.
“I enjoy sharing the joy of computers and to have other people be able to use this tool that I know how to use and teach them,” he said. “I feel like that’s more fulfilling. I can affect more change in the world by doing that. Also, [I can] cause more change for my country, in the United States, where I can help us be more competitive with other places.”
After dabbling through a few jobs, Lavrov eventually went back to school to finish his computer science degree, along with his minor in business. He then also added his teaching credentials, with his future wife supporting him all the way through.
“It wasn’t a straight path… You never know what’ll happen. I thought I was gonna be a dentist… try some things, do things that you like… You can always change and try something else.”
Currently at FVHS, Lavrov hopes his story will inspire students.
“People who you see in life…they didn’t just go from birth to where they’re at, with just all wins…having difficulties is not a bad thing,” Lavrov said.“It’s good to overcome those difficulties so that you can rise to the occasion.”
Through his teaching and knowledge, he hopes to make an impact on future generations and increase people’s technological and mental skills.
Lavrov’s story shows what resilience and a striving to succeed can lead to in life. From a young boy in a communist country to a teacher shaping the next set of programmers and cybersecurity experts, his journey shows us that success will not always be a straight path. Sometimes, it will be the path with bumps and potholes that will teach us the most.
