Aug. 30, 2016
hwchronicle.com/news
News A7
Laffite Lamberto-Egan: Math
Jennifer Cardillo: Dean
By Kelly Gourrier
By Maddy Daum
Laffite Lamberto-Egan, who recently earned his doctorate, became a new member of the mathematics department this year. He will be teaching Advanced Placement Statistics, Introduction to Calculus Honors and Topics in Calculus and Statistics. “[I will bring] an excitement for math. I love teaching, and I love math,” Lamberto-Egan said. “I’m really excited to get involved in lots of clubs that happen on campus.” Lamberto-Egan competed on the Brown University Chess Club, captained the Brown men’s ultimate frisbee team and was a member of the Mezcla Latin Dance Troupe. Lamberto-Egan is fluent in Italian and Spanish and has studied in Bologna, Italy, and La Coruna, Spain.
Jen Cardillo has joined the dean office after 25 years of working in the education system, replacing upper school Dean Kyle Graham. Cardillo studied history and English at Harvard University and John Burroughs High School. She worked at Phillips Academy as a teaching fellow and at Thayer Academy as a dean and teacher. Before coming to Harvard-Westlake, she worked at Concord Academy in Massachusetts for 19 years as an English teacher and director of admissions and financial aid. She also worked on the community and equity program, which worked to plan events for students to support religious, gender and race based affinity groups on campus. “We were really trying to think about the experience of students at school and we are also thinking about larger issues in the world and how to
KELLY GOURRIER/CHRONICLE
“I haven’t been the official teacher of classes larger than 15 students in a while, so I may have to learn as I go and change as I see fit,” LambertoEgan said. “My goals are to successfully transmit my joy of learning to the students, to get involved with some of the clubs on campus and just to become a working member of the Harvard-Westlake community.”
Travis Fife: Debate By Sam Ko Travis Fife is coaching the debate team full time and is teaching middle school debate classes this year. Fife debated himself starting at the end of his sophomore year and continued through the last two years of high school. “My parents said that I needed to do an extracurricular activity, and I knew the debate teacher at my school,” he said. “I liked him quite a bit, so I joined the team and went to my first tournament at the end of my sophomore year.” Fife graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in philosophy in June but had already been coaching debate at HarvardWestlake as a part-time coach for the past three years. Fife is especially looking
Gonzalez promoted to department head MADDY DAUM/CHRONICLE
help students become good activists for causes they care about,” Cardillo said. She then made the transition into college counseling, for the past four years. “That was one of the easiest transitions in my career,” Cardillo said. “I loved admissions work. I think the only thing I didn’t love about it was that my relationships with my students was so short term.” Cardillo said college counseling allowed her to assess the compatibility between student and institution, while still maintaining the aspects of her previous positions.
Jenna Dillon-Gasparino: English By Sofia Heller
SAM KO/CHRONICLE
forward to teaching the nondebate students in the middle school debate classes. “I’m excited to teach kids who have no experience with debate and also to get to know people at Harvard Westlake more,” he said. Students who know Fife said they are happy to have him as an official coach. “[Fife] is super helpful at tournaments and great to be around. I’m so excited he’s officially going to be a teacher,” debater Lauren Morganbesser ’19 said.
Woo Young Sim: Math
Jenna Dillon-Gasparino is teaching English III: Living America as a part-time teacher this year, leading two class periods. Dillon-Gasparino said she was eager to meet her students and hopes she can help them express their individuality. “I think it’s really important to find your own voice,” Dillon-Gasparino said. “In literature it’s so great because you’re reading all of these other voices, but the real intention is that you’re reading all of these voices in order to develop your own authentic self.” Dillon-Gasparino taught at Santa Monica High School for
SOFIA HELLER/CHRONICLE
11 years. Dillon-Gasparino believes that joining the school community will help her as a teacher. “I feel like there’s a sense of support where people are excited about revealing new things to you and helping nurture growth for students and for teachers,” Dillon-Gasparino said.
Veronica Cherry: Spanish By Alison Oh
By Alexandra So Woo Sim is teaching Algebra II Honors, Algebra II with Analysis and Precalculus at the Upper School. “Looking at the type of institutions that are both great for students and as a place to work for, you can’t do better than Harvard-Westlake,” Sim said. Before teaching at the school, Sim taught calculus at the University of California, Santa Barbara after earning his master’s degree in mathematics from there. Sim has
in brief
ALEXANDRA SO/CHRONICLE
also spent the previous four summers in his native South Korea teaching various math classes, as well as AP, ACT and SAT preparation courses. Sim said that he is excited to get to know the students at the school and transition into a high school atmosphere.
New world languages teacher Veronica Cherry is teaching Spanish III and Spanish III Honors, replacing former Spanish teacher Margot Riemer. Cherry has been working as a Spanish teacher for two decades at a mix of public and private schools. “Before I came here I taught for 15 years at Hutchison School and before that I taught in public schools,” Cherry said. Cherry said she was interested in working at Harvard-
ALISON OH/CHRONICLE
Westlake because of its reputation for rigorous academics. “I just want to have a chance to get used to the routines of Harvard-Westlake,” Cherry said. “I’m excited to get to know my students and be able to help them wherever I can, whether it’s in Spanish or outside the classroom.”
Scott Phillips: Debate
Kattie Xu: Chinese
By Ryan Kim
By Vishan Chaudhary
Scott Phillips has joined the debate team coaching staff this year, working specifically with high schoolers on the team. Phillips will coach students after school at practices and travel with the team to tournaments on the weekends. Phillips has experience teaching and coaching debate at the Meadows School in Las Vegas. Phillips was first interested in debate in middle school when he was required to take either computer typing or debate. “Typing just seemed kind of boring to me, so I went with debate and I loved it,” Phillips
Kattie Xu has joined the upper school Chinese department and is teaching AP Chinese after spending four years at a Los Angeles Unified School District school. “I like teaching to a different diversity of students,” Xu said. “Before I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles , I taught at a public school in Downtown Los Angeles. Most students had no experience in Chinese but we taught them culture and global issues.” Xu grew up in China and earned her bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang University of Technology before going to graduate school at UCLA
RYAN KIM/CHRONICLE
said. Phillips was drawn to Harvard-Westlake’s great reputation and its academic rigor, he said. Phillips said he is excited to be a part of the prestigious debate program. “So far it seems like an amazing place to work,” Phillips said.
History teacher Greg Gonzalez was promoted to head of the upper school history department after 11 years of teaching. His responsibilities include organizing and planning the curriculum as well as training new teachers. As the medium for communications between teachers and administration, he also makes decisions on behalf of the department including the creation of new classes. He has already introduced a new research course on the Holocaust to be led by history teacher Larry Klein. “I will be coaching an allstar team,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve got some incredible colleagues and I am very excited for the upcoming year.” —Claire Keller
Essex becomes new benefits administrator
Yutopia Essex has joined the upper school as the new benefits administrator. In her new position, Essex will be in charge of self-insured medical plans, the school’s flexible spending account, the student accident plan and worker compensation. Los Angeles born Essex grew up in Cincinnati. She returned to Los Angeles seven years ago to pursue her dream career in acting. Prior to working at Harvard-Westlake, Essex was head of human resources at Mama Shelter, a hotel in Hollywood. Seeking a better way to manage her job and her personal life, Essex accepted a job at Harvard-Westlake. “[This position offered] more of a work-life balance, I think,” she said. Essex said she was first attracted to the school because of its extensive curriculum. “I’ve never seen a highschool that has such an amazing curriculum,” Essex said. “It’s really more like a college, so that was really exciting.” Essex said she is happy to be in a learning environment. “I’m really inspired by Harvard-Westlake and the type of education it provides, so I was really excited to come on board as the benefits administrator,” Essex said. “Anything that anyone needs, I’m here for them.” —Kitty Luo
Prefect Council sends Homecoming notice
VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE
and earning her Single Subject Teaching Credential from Loyola Marymount University. Xu knew she wanted to be a teacher since she had many family members that were also teachers. “My mother, my grandfather, my aunts and uncles, they were all teachers,” Xu said. “In China, we respect teachers, like doctors and lawyers, so I wanted to be a teacher as well.”
The Prefect Council announced Aug. 24 to upper school students that the date for homecoming formal will be Oct. 8. Students said they are excited about attending the school dance. “Last year I was playing in an out-of-state soccer tournament the day of homecoming, and somehow managed to make it back in time for the dance,” Bridget Stokdyk ’18 said. “I had a really good time and I am looking forward to it again this year.” —Cameron Stokes and Kendall Dees