Interviews with the New Faculty

Every year we welcome new Faculty and Staff to campus here at Drew. For the 2022-23 school year Drew welcomed seven new staff members. Below, 2901 offers you the chance to get to know them through short interviews conducted by our staff.

- Jessie Atkins, Editor

Randolf Arguelles College Counselor

2901: Why did you choose Drew?

Randolf Arguelles: I chose Drew specifically because during my interview and time touring the school it made such a good impression on me. All the students were interested in something, there were no apathetic students and everyone seemed so comfortable in who they were.

2901: Where were you working before this?

RA: Before this, I was the director of a SAT and ACT test prep, tutoring, and college admissions counseling business called Elite Prep in the sunset district. When the pandemic hit and when UC schools went “test blind” that just decimated my business. So, a friend of mine told me about the job opening at Drew and so I applied and became the newest co-director of college counseling at Drew in April.

2901: What do you love about being a college counselor here at Drew? What inspired you to work with teens as a college counselor?

RA: I think that I had actually really bad college counseling, both when I was in high school and then also advising when I was in college. I do this job to make sure that other people have resources: good counseling, good advice that I didn’t receive when I was their age.

2901: What major lessons have you learned during your time as a counselor, either personally or for students?

RA: I think the biggest lesson I learned, and it took me years to really understand this, is that college admissions is stressful on the students, on the parents, on the counselors but it always ends up with a happy ending.

(Continued on Page 4)

2901: What inspired you to join your field of work?

Alona Harris Student Counselor

2901: Why did you choose Drew?

Alona Harris: I did not imagine being back in a school setting. There were a couple of reasons why I chose Drew: one was timing, and the other was that the environment appealed to me. I wanted a small school where students were engaged in their education and might have had similar experiences that I had as a teen.

2901: Where were you working before this?

AH: I recently got a degree in counseling. My job in Drew is one of my first jobs out of graduate school. Before Drew, I did internships and worked in a local private school called St. James School.

2901: What has been your favorite part of your job at Drew?

AH: My favorite part of my job was recently finding my own system to track my students I see and remembering specific information about the students. Keeping track of everything in a school setting can be difficult and setting up my own system has been fun and helpful. But my favorite part of Drew is just getting to know the students and staff, not just in the office, but also at lunch and at clubs.

AH: When I was around twenty-five, I had been wandering for a long time in terms of my career path. I decided to study ecology-evolution as an undergraduate. I then tried to work as a scientist, which led me to the environmental activist field. It was tough to get a position in that field of work. At some point, I was doing substitute teaching to make money as an undergraduate for school. But, eventually, I found that I really enjoyed certain aspects of teaching and made me want to pursue it. When I came to San Francisco, one of the things I did was go to Burning Man for the first time. I found it was a completely different experience. Burning Man made me realize my own truth: I realized that I was a healer. I loved listening to people and their experiences. I also used my passion for environmentalism, which was connected with my passion for healing.

Interview conducted by Aviva Chen-Oretsky (10).

Michael Henley Math Teacher

2901: Why did you choose Drew?

Michael Henley: I chose Drew because of the wonderful community here and because of the really neat opportuni- ties to take learning outside of the classroom with Experimental Electives and the DEALL program.

2901: Where were you working before this?

MH: Before Drew, I was teaching at University High School.

2901: What has been your favorite part of your job at Drew?

2901: What inspired you to join your field of work as a math teacher?

MH: I wanted to be a math teacher because I love math. It is so neat the way all the different parts of mathematics fit together so nicely to create some truly beautiful and elegant results and I love being able to share that with students.

2901: What is your favorite place to get lunch around Drew?

MH: I usually bring my lunch from home but City Taqueria is nice, you can’t go wrong with a California burrito, though it can be hard to teach after eating so much food!

2901: What is one tip that you would give to math students?

MH: I would tell students that learning math is like learning an instrument, anyone can do it but it takes lots of regular practice.

Interview conducted by Eva Neumann (11).

Lorca Hart Music Teacher

2901: Why did you choose this school?

Lorca Hart: The school had a wonderful feel for me when I started subbing here last year - the sense of community between teachers/staff, students, and parents and the creative spirit that is supported and nourished at Drew.

2901: Where were you working before Drew?

LH: I had been teaching virtually at UCLA in ’20-’21, as well as teaching at St. Mary’s College; teaching privately; [as well as] performing.

2901: What has been your favorite part of your job at Drew?

LH: Watching students learn and enjoy new music, and surpass their own expectations!

2901: What inspired you to join your field of work?

LH: My family has a deep love of music and my dad is a professional musician.

2901: When did you start playing music?

LH: I got a drum set when I was [eight years old] but really got serious about playing when I was in high school.

Interview conducted by Connor McSherry (11).

Ash Farrington Director of Advancement

2901: What exactly do you do at Drew?

Ash Farrington: My primary rule is philanthropy: I raise money for the school to help us continue this beautiful space we have and hire the best and brightest faculty members.

2901: Why did you come to Drew?

AF: When I read Drew’s website and I saw the vision and the mission and the branding and that We Believe in Teenagers and how we help amplify their voice, I was hooked. The thing that drew me to Drew is the way I feel after every interaction. I feel like I am growing and stretching while being here myself, personally as well as professionally.

2901: What inspired you to join your field of work?

AF: I fell into fundraising by happenstance; I was stopped on a sidewalk by a vice president of advancements at UCLA. She had overheard me ordering something at the counter in a restaurant and she said, “Have you ever considered a career in fundraising?” I was like “no, I have not,” and from there the rest was history. I can’t imagine my life now without fundraising and philanthropy. It has left an imprint on my heart.

Interview conducted by Lucida Chen (9).

(Continued from Page 1) 2901: What are the most important tips you would give for students applying to colleges?

RA: I think, and this really aligns with the mission and message at Drew, to “you do you” and just be the best version of yourself that you can be. There’s no magic formula to gain admission to selective colleges and universities. Instead, find out what you love, in and out of the classroom, and then pursue it with passion and be your authentic self.

2901: What other options or paths in life are open to students who do not wish to pursue a college education? Are you, as a college counselor, able to help students to pursue these other paths for their future?

RA: Options like tech companies, Google for example, is pioneering applying for jobs by passing skills tests instead of showing them your college diploma. They give you a set of tasks and if you can complete those tasks then you’re qualified for that job. So that would be the province of teachers rather than college counselors to give students the skills necessary to do well in that new environment of skills and standards testing. However, we definitely help students with community college. For many students, community college is the way to go right out of high school.

Interview conducted by Jessie Atkins (11).

Jim Nickovich Social Studies Teacher

2901: Where did you work or what did you do before joining the Drew community?

Jim Nickovich: Before joining Drew I worked at Jefferson High School as an English teacher, and later a humanities teacher. I also worked as an attorney.

2901: What led you to joining the Drew community?

JN: I appreciated the emphasis on student and experiential learning, the school gave off an all around good vibe.

2901: What do you like most about Drew’s campus or location?

JN: Well, I think that it is in a wonderful area of San Francisco, and that our campus offers great natural lighting.

2901: What is your favorite thing about working at Drew?

JN: The people. Here at Drew we have a really strong community of great students, faculty, and staff members.

2901: What inspired you to become a History/Humanities teacher?

JN: I was just really interested in learning more about different people, and humanities was a great way of achieving that.

2901: What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a history or social studies teacher?”

JN: I would say that it is really important to strengthen your writing skills, and to make sure that you have both strong oral and critical thinking skills.

2901: How do you enjoy spending your time outside of school?

JN: I am a referee in my daughter’s soccer league, and I enjoy watching old films.

Interview conducted by Asa Vaziri (9).

Crossword

Connor McSherry

Across

1. 2,000 pounds, or a lot.

4. The largest possible portion.

7. Barren and dry.

9. To tell a mistruth.

10. Pitched wood hit with mallets.

12. The Offspring’s fourth album “_-nay on the Hombre.”

13. A duck.

14. Inverse of old.

16. A signal from the gods regarding the future.

18. The City of Angels, abbr.

20. Rulers of Egypt and Syria in the late Middle Ages early Renaissance, plr.

23. “_ for an _, tooth for a tooth.”

24. Jonathan Larson’s adaptation of La Bohème.

25. Negation prefix.

26. Homegoing author _ Gyasi.

Down

1. A cab.

2. A family of Antelope, sng.

3. Zero in soccer.

4. To get _ well with.

5. A one-dimensional shape stretching for infinity.

6. City in the north of England, sans S.

8. To perform.

11. A rooster’s mate.

14. Country at the Southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula.

15. “E Pluribus Unum,” Out of many, _.

16. 16 foretells itself.

17. Like the clinic or the dressing.

18. Actress Headey of Game of Thrones.

19. Nick and Nora’s pet.

21. Sumerian city-state.

22. Device used to open a lock.

Nelson Maxwell

Assistant Athletic Director and Varsity Girls Basketball Coach

2901: Why did you choose Drew?

Nelson Maxwell: I already had a connection with Drew because I was an assistant coach for the JV girls basketball team. I had a connection here and I knew the culture so felt like it would be a good fit here, already having a relationship with the school, stepping right in to make an impact.

2901: What did you see in this experience that drew you into Drew?

NM: Yeah, no matter winning or losing we always had a culture of encouraging each other, high spirits, excitement about the games. I love that, there’s enthusiasm to learn so I thought it would be great to be a part of that.

2901: Where were you working before this?

NM: I was working for a consulting firm called Detecon International in the city and also was coaching basketball for Bay City Basketball.

2901: What has been your favorite part about working at Drew?

NM: Obviously working with the students, love students coming into the office, obviously love working with [Athletic Director] Drew Heath, working with him and all the faculty honestly, having a good relationship with everyone.

2901: Who would you say is your favorite faculty member except Drew?

NM: [Assistant Director of Admissions] Michael [Shin] is my guy! He’s also my New to Drew faculty member so he’s kinda like my point of contact.

2901: You said you worked at a consulting firm before this, so what inspired you to change your field?

NM: I grew up a student athlete, played college athletics, so I think I was just ready to get back around sports, especially basketball. I was ready to be back in that environment full time; I was really missing it and finding a way to connect to it.

2901: Where did you play college basketball?

NM: I played 2 years at Cleveland State University and I played 2 years at Mercyhurst University of Pennsylvania.

2901: What would you rate your experience as a college basketball player?

NM: It was amazing! It’s such a special time. Once you look back on it you realize how special it was even though you’re going through it it feels really hard and daunting. It’s an amazing time of life and I encourage any high school athletes to play college sports.

2901: How did you come to love sports?

NM: I think growing up being around sports was an easy way to build friendships so I grew to sports and built so many friendships over the years and lifelong friendships it’s something that drew me to sports.

2901: What is your message to the Drew school?

NM: That’s a hard question! Keep the spirit, keep fighting, and let’s have a great year.

Interview conducted by Peter Moon (11).