Esther Wojcicki
Born 1941 · Age 84
American journalist and educator; founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program; vice chair/advisor at Creative Commons; author of Moonshots in Education and How to Raise Successful People; influential educator in Silicon Valley.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in New York City
Esther Denise Hochman (later Wojcicki) was born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrant parents.
Family moved to Southern California (approx.)
Her family relocated from New York City to Southern California sometime after her birth (text notes move; exact year not specified). Year estimated.
High school valedictorian (estimated year)
She was valedictorian of her high school class (year not provided; estimated around typical graduation age).
Graduated UC Berkeley (B.A. in English & Political Science) (estimated)
She attended UC Berkeley and graduated with a B.A. in English and political science. Exact graduation year not given; estimated.
Married Stanley Wojcicki
Esther Hochman married Stanford physics professor Stanley Wojcicki on January 4, 1962.
Earned secondary teaching credential & M.J. from UC Berkeley (estimated)
She received a secondary teaching credential and a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley (exact years not specified; estimated).
M.A. in French & French history from the Sorbonne (estimated)
She earned an M.A. in French and French history from the University of Paris (Sorbonne). Year estimated; original text provides degree but not year.
Received secondary school administrative credential (estimated)
She holds a secondary school administrative credential (year not specified; date estimated).
Founded Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program
Started a journalism/media program at Palo Alto High School — program began with ~20 students and grew substantially over the following decades.
Joined Palo Alto High School as journalism & English teacher
Began teaching journalism and English at Palo Alto High School; tenure at Paly lasted from 1984 to 2020.
Northern California Journalism Teacher of the Year
Named 1990 Northern California Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Mentored Lisa Brennan-Jobs at Palo Alto High School (approx.)
Mentored Lisa Brennan-Jobs (Steve Jobs' daughter) while she attended Palo Alto High School; exact years of mentorship are not specified (date estimated).
Named California Teacher of the Year
Selected as the California Teacher of the Year in 2002 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
M.A. in Educational Technology from San Jose State (estimated)
She holds an M.A. in educational technology from San Jose State University. The source lists the degree but not the year; year is estimated.
Served as Vice Chair / Advisor at Creative Commons (ongoing role)
Serves/served as vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council and was active on the Creative Commons board; she has also been reported to serve as Chair at times (exact chair dates not always specified).
Joined Creative Commons board / advisory (joined board)
Joined the Creative Commons board (text cites a 2008 announcement). Later served as vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council.
Awarded CSPA Gold Key
Received the Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for outstanding devotion to scholastic press.
Co-founded / helped found Google Teacher Academy (approx.)
She was one of the leaders involved in setting up the Google Teacher Academy and worked on tools used in Google Classroom; specific founding dates not given (year estimated).
Consultant / collaborator with Google, Hewlett, Carnegie (ongoing)
Worked with Google (Google Teacher Academy, Google Classroom tools), Hewlett Foundation (Open Education Curriculum), and Carnegie Foundation (as a Scholar). Specific contract years not listed; involvement spanned multiple years.
Honorary doctorate from Palo Alto University
Received an honorary doctorate from Palo Alto University.
Published Moonshots in Education
Published Moonshots in Education: Launching Blended Learning in the Classroom (Pacific Research Institute, 2015).
Honorary doctorate from Rhode Island School of Design (reported)
Reported to hold an honorary doctorate from Rhode Island School of Design (citation in source was needed; included as reported).
Founded Journalistic Learning Initiative at University of Oregon
Founded the Journalistic Learning Initiative at the University of Oregon School of Communications and School of Education.
Named MY HERO Project Global Educator of the Year
MY HERO Project awarded Esther Wojcicki with the 2016 Global Educator Award for her visionary teaching methods and educational philosophy.
Appointed / served on multiple boards (Developmental Studies Center, Alliance for Excellent Education, Newseum, Freedom Forum, Exploratorium, Learning Matters)
Served on/chaired boards and advisory councils: Developmental Studies Center, Alliance for Excellent Education, Newseum, Freedom Forum, Exploratorium, Learning Matters (chaired), THNK advisory board, etc. Exact appointment years vary; many roles active by mid-2010s.
Received other CSPA recognition (Gold Key / Charles R. O’Malley Award previously)
In addition to Gold Key (2009) and Platinum Key (reported 2016), sources note she is a recipient of the CSPA Charles R. O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching (year not specified in sources).
JEA Lifetime Achievement Award (reported)
MY HERO noted she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Journalism Education Association (the MY HERO text referenced a January award; specific year not provided in source—reported here as mid-2010s).
Awarded CSPA Platinum Key (centennial award) (reported)
Reportedly honored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association with their Platinum Key Award (MY HERO references a March centennial Platinum Key award).
Founded Moonshots in Education Movement (MiE)
Launched the Moonshots in Education Movement (MiE) to promote blended learning and a 'moonshot' approach to classroom innovation.
Donated Student Reporter Award & contributed to MY HERO
Donated the Student Reporter Award at the MY HERO International Film Festival and contributed editorially (MY HERO site notes ongoing support).
Founded WOJ.Education and GlobalMoonshotsinEducation.org (reported)
Listed as founder of WOJ.Education and CEO of GlobalMoonshotsinEducation.org (dates not precisely given; included as active around 2017 onward).
Featured in short documentary 'WOJ!' (producer credit: Jeanne Meyers & Wendy Milette) (reported)
A short documentary about Esther (WOJ!) featuring interviews at Palo Alto High School was produced; sources reference the film and promotional materials (exact release year not always specified).
Named Chief Learning Officer for Explore Planet3 (reported)
Listed as Chief Learning Officer for Explore Planet3, an exploration-based science platform for middle school students (source lists role; exact appointment date not specified).
Recognized as influential mentor to many notable students (ongoing)
Many former students became notable (e.g., Lisa Brennan-Jobs, James Franco, Jeremy Lin, CEOs and entrepreneurs). Recognition grows over time; year listed as ongoing recognition.
Global recognition & expansion of her teaching philosophy (TRICK) via book and talks
Her TRICK parenting/education philosophy (Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, Kindness) and 'The Woj Way' gained international traction via the 2019 bestseller and speaking/consulting work.
Published How to Raise Successful People
Published How to Raise Successful People (May 2019). The parenting book presents her TRICK philosophy; reported published in 31 languages.
Interview on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour
Discussed her life and How to Raise Successful People on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour (May 2, 2019 episode).
45-year secondary teaching career milestone (reported)
Sources cite a 45-year secondary school teaching career (rounding across roles and years of service).
Program growth milestone (Media Arts program scaled)
Palo Alto High School Media Arts program grew from ~20 students in 1984 to one of the largest in the nation — cited figures include ~600 students, five additional journalism teachers, and nine award-winning publications (growth realized over decades; milestone recorded by sources around mid-late 2010s).
Announced retirement from Palo Alto High School
Campanile article (June 2, 2020) announced her retirement; she taught at Palo Alto High School from 1984 to 2020.
Death of husband Stanley Wojcicki
Her husband, Stanford physics professor Stanley Wojcicki (married 1962), died in 2023 (date reported).
Death of daughter Susan Wojcicki (reported in text)
Text source lists daughter Susan (former CEO of YouTube) as deceased in 2024. (This is reported in the provided text.)
Spoke at TechEmotion Summit — 'The test of time' fireside chat
Scheduled to speak at the TechEmotion Summit on May 29, 2025, in a fireside chat titled 'The test of time: a new perspective on the Silicon Valley ecosystem.'
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