The Spectator ● October 1, 2013
Page 8
Features New Teachers on the Block Daisy Sharaf, Junior Physics
Jennifer Leung/ The Spectator
“People always ask me why I didn’t go to Stuyvesant,” Physics teacher and native Brooklynite Daisy Sharaf said. As a teenager, Sharaf attended Murrow High School before pursuing a B.A. in Philosophy at St. John’s College and receiving her Master’s in Engineering from the University of Chicago. When asked her reasons for teaching Physics, Sharaf says that she enjoys investigating and discovering “how the world works”; her own teaching style reflects this philosophy, as she often takes things apart in class. Prior to Stuyvesant, Sharaf taught in almost every borough at multiple schools, ranging from Dewitt Clinton High School to Bard High School Early College Queens. When she’s not teaching, Sharaf’s favorite hobbies include running, rock climbing, spending time outdoors and on the Internet, and traveling. This past summer, Sharaf traveled to Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Transnistrian, and in the past has been to the Soviet Republic, Turkey, and South America. In the future, Sharaf hopes to expand her travels to West Africa, the southern tip of South America, and mainland Asia. Looking ahead, Sharaf is most excited to teach a larger curriculum outside of Regents Physics.
Sora Kim/ The Spectator
Physics teacher Daisy Sharaf taught at numerous schools in the boroughs before coming to Stuyvesant.
Anne Duncan/ The Spectator
Jonathan Cheng, Introduction to Computer Science
Biology teacher Gilbert Papagayo taught at NEST+m High School for three years before coming to Stuyvesant.
Gilbert Papagayo, Freshman Biology Biology teacher Gilbert Papagayo traveled 2,852 miles from his hometown in Seattle, Washington to New York City, but his latest move, from the New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School (NEST+m) to Stuyvesant High School, totaled just three miles. After graduating from Columbia University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Papagayo entered the New York City Teaching Fellows, through which he began his teaching career at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. After leaving LaGuardia, Papagayo taught Living Environment, Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science at NEST+m for three years. Papagayo, when asked why he teaches, said: “I really enjoy teaching, students seem to respond well to me, and I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else at this point.”
Some may recognize math teacher Jonathan Cheng from his days as a substitute teacher or as part of the Computer Service Technology staff. However, 10 years ago, Cheng didn’t think that he would be teaching mathematics and computer science as he does now in Stuyvesant. While studying for a Ph.D. in Applied Math and Statistics at Stony Brook University, Cheng did “not see the light at the end of the tunnel” and realized he was not fond of the constant research necessary to complete his Ph.D. Cheng’s advisor recommended that he pursue a career in teaching because his aptitude and love for teaching was apparent. After receiving his Master’s degree, Cheng began working as a substitute teacher at Stuyvesant, later joining the Computer Service Technology department. Cheng enjoys his new position at the front of the classroom, explaining, “It’s different, but I like it.”