12 Feature
www.thesmokesignal.org
New Teacher FEATURE
By Anjali Kanthilal, Vivian Jair, Anna Zeng Staff Writers
The Smoke Signal
Friday, September 28, 2012
Nina LaRosa: (Honors English 9 & Honors English 11)
Tanya Roundy: (English 11 and Drama)
Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself. Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself. Nina LaRosa: I am a proud San Francisco native from an Tanya Roundy: I am married with six chilItalian American family. I currently live in Oakland. For high dren. I have a Bachelors Degree in English and school, I went to San Francisco’s Saint Ignatius College Preparatoa Masters Degree in Education. I have lived in ry, a private Jesuit school. I attended Cal (Berkeley) for college—go Utah, Southern California, Wyoming, Idaho, Golden Bear Pride! American Literature, which I am teaching along Utah and now Northern California. with ninth grade Honors English, is my favorite subject.
This year, MSJ welcomes five new teachers to the SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? school staff. The Smoke Signal interviewed each of SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? TR: I hope that I can bring some energy and these teachers for exclusive details on their perNL: I told my students that by the end of the year I hoped they would life to the theatre program to build it back up. I also sonal lives, as well as their opinions on their become better critical thinkers and writers. As for me, I want to get through the hope to share knowledge with and learn from my teaching careers. year with grace, patience, and integrity. I want to show my students the best of students so that we both grow and become better myself and the curriculum. people for society. In addition, we bid Mrs. Sugden and
Mrs. Kwon farewell as they part with SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or things to do in your free time? SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or NL: I enjoy swimming, hiking, and cooking. I recently went rock climbing as well, alMSJ, their legacies as influential things you do in your free time? though I ended up injuring my shoulder. I also enjoy going to the Farmer’s Market and makcoaches, mentors and friends TR: What’s free time? When I have a moment to ing food with what I find. Of course, I love having made their mark on our breathe though, I like to play the piano, write music, to read, but so do most English teachers school forevermore. We wish Don Hui: poetry and other texts. [laughs]. This actually might be a bit suryou the best of luck, Mrs. (Ceramics & Digital Imaging) prising, but I really like science as well. I Kwon and Mrs. Sugden! Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about yourself. SS: Do you have any previous work experience? could probably pass the chemistry tests (Information on their Don Hui: I graduated from MSJ in 2003. I’ve TR: This is beginning my seventh year teaching from MSJ—of course, I’d have to study replacements were been coaching volleyball at MSJ for six years. I attended and before that I worked as a Teacher’s assistant, though! I also love Giants baseball games not available.) Ohlone College before transferring to San Jose State Uniand Cal football games, as well as visiting CNA/Ward Clerk in a hospital, a substitute teacher, versity to finish my B.A. in Fine Arts. Afterward, I finished my dad in Sonoma. I absolutely adore my and housekeeping in a hospital. little black cat, Matteo—his name means my teaching credential in Art at Cal State East Bay. I used to Matthew in Italian—who is my first furry cut hair for a living in high school. SS: What do you like about teaching? pet! Thanks to him, I now feel like I unTR: I love that moment when a student “gets it” derstand the whole world of animals. SS: What do you hope to accomplish at MSJ? or when I get a really cool insight from a student and DH: I hope to develop other skills in MSJ students outside of acaI “get it” in a new way that I never thought of before. demia, such as social, physical, creative, and life skills. Unfortunately, SS: What do you like about teaching? many MSJ students often feel pressured to take unnecessarily heavy acaNL: I really like that every day and evdemic loads at the detriment of developing other aforementioned skills in ery year, things are different. Each day the school. I understand that pressure. I’ve been there before. My goal is to teach activities and subjects change, while each my students to pursue excellence in ALL areas, whether it be academics, sports, year the students are new. It helps keep Tanya hobbies, social skills, etc. Not being “naturally gifted” in an area is not an excuse to things fresh. Also, I don’t have to sit behind give up or be satisfied with failure. Roundy a desk and can actually choose what we do each day. On top of that, even though my SS: Do you have any interesting hobArshiya Sultana: students sometimes frustrate me, interactbies or things you do in your free time? (Biology and Integrated Science) ing with teenagers every day is unpredictDH: I play volleyball in adult leagues able and exciting! Smoke Signal: Tell us a little about and sometimes travel to other states yourself. and countries for tournaments. I play Arshiya Sultana: I grew up in India, the drums and guitar for my Christian where I obtained my Masters in BiolNina LaRosa church. Ironically, I don’t draw and paint James ogy. I immigrated to the Bay Area and nearly as much as I play volleyball, write, Nation: decided to become a teacher! I’m overplay music, cook, coach, or work out. Bejoyed about teaching Biology and Inteing an artist is an approach to life, not (US History grated Science this year! necessarily creating images. and World History) SS: What do you hope to accomSS: What do you like about teaching? Smoke Signal: plish at MSJ? DH: I enjoy the atmosphere of sharTell us a little about AS: I want to instill in my students ing ideas, exploring new skills, making yourself ? appreciation and understanding of scimistakes and learning from them, and JN: I have been teachence, and I want them to share the most importantly, learning about life. ing for about 45 years. 22 ½ wonder and passion I experience with Plus, sometimes it’s more fun hanging of them were over at Robertbiology. That’s what I think will make a out with kids than it is with adults! (The son Opportunity. I’m married. I truly successful year. live in San Francisco. My wife is key word is “sometimes.”) I particularly Swedish, so I spend my summers in enjoy working with high school stuSS: Do you have any interesting Sweden. And I have a dog that I like a dents because they are old enough to hobbies or things you do in your free lot. I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, have wisdom, but not yet old enough to time? and hitchhiking all over the world. make wise choices consistently. I want AS: I enjoy reading, chess, and to be there and help them make wiser playing badminton. SS: What do you hope to accomplish choices without having to always learn at MSJ? the hard way. SS: What do you like about teachJN: I hope to get Mission students to ing? think about things that they might not AS: I love teaching especially otherwise think about. I want to explore when it comes to interacting with the ideas that are slightly outside the mainDon Hui students. Sharing the learning journey stream because my view of the world is with them and witnessing the spark of slightly out of the mainstream. And I understanding are treasured feelings I don’t think students here get a lot of that always look forward to seeing in class. necessarily. I just want to see people be successful.
SS: Do you have any interesting hobbies or things you do in your free time? JN: Not really. I like music. I work on my house every summer, so that’s a bit of a hobby for me. SS: What do you like about teaching? JN: I like the challenge. I like the young students, most of the time. I like having the opportunity to help move this culture in a good direction. I don’t think things are going well, but a great place to start changing the future are the young guys.
Arshiya Sultana
James Nation photos by vivian jair, anjali kanthilal, supriya yelimeli, anna zeng