FEATURES

MATADOR FAMILY ADDS MEMBERS TO ITS RANKS

New staff share about where they’re coming from and what brought them to MVHS

BY MEGGIE CHEN, SOPHIA CHEN, CRYSTAL CHENG, MIKAYLAH DU, ANNA KAMINITZ, RIYA RAVURI, JANNAH SHERIFF, PRISHA TIWARI, SONIA VERMA, MIRA WAGNER AND MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

DOUG LERESCHE

Born in Zimbabwe, Africa, case manager and resource teacher Doug Leresche recalls how his experiences in high school shaped him into the educator he is today.

“The economy and political situation was really bad, so there were food shortages and money shortages and various issues throughout that time as well which also impacted how I look at the world,” Leresche said.

Before working in education, he worked for PASSOP, a refugee and human rights organization and with Services for Brain Injury, a nonprofit organization that consists of working with adults with disabilities. Currently, he is in the process of obtaining his teaching credential from Santa Clara County’s credential program.

Leresche appreciates his bond with students and having the ability to help them achieve more than they thought was possible. Leresche acknowledges that one of the largest challenges he has faced through his educational life is “navigating the balance between academic rigor and mental health.”

“I do think that more could be done [at MVHS] to focus on [the] well-rounded aspects of a person,” Leresche said. “Being someone who’s done sports, cultural activities and various other things my whole life, I think there’s more to life than just academics.”

PHOTO BY LIFON HUNYH | USED WITH PERMISSION

Resource literature teacher Doug Leresche helps his son drink water on a trip to Switzerland.

SAPNA BHAGWAT

PHOTO | MIRA WAGNER

Long-term French substitute Sapna Bhagwat asks her students to do a little introspection, or in French, “un peu de d’introspection.”

After spending 12 years caring for her children as a stay-at-home mother, long term substitute Sapna Bhagwat decided to return to teaching. She is filling in first semester for French teacher Sarah Finck — Bhagwat says that French is a subject that piqued her interest in school and stayed with her.

Describing her teaching career as a “natural progression,” Bhagwat started as a French tutor in India and later received her degree in French from Arizona State University.

Bhagwat has felt supported by teachers in the language department. She also finds that her mentor, Pooya Hajjarian, has provided her with “constructive feedback and wise council,” allowing her to improve in various aspects of teaching.

“I [am] just look[ing] forward to meeting new students, who are amazing,” Bhagwat said. “They’re really dedicated, engaged and motivated. I’m just really blown away by how hardworking and committed they are.”

Bhagwat mentions that she had always planned to return to teaching after her children were older. Now that one of her children is in middle school and the other is nearing the end of elementary school, she believed that this school year was an appropriate time to return.

“I hope to grow as a teacher and to delve into a lot more culture,” Bhagwat said. “[I want to do] something that goes beyond the textbook to expose my students to more Francophone culture.”

STEPHANIE BODNARUK

Art has always been a part of longterm art substitute teacher Stephanie Bodnaruk’s life. While much of her early imagination was fueled by watching what she says was an excessive amount of TV, as she got older, she was also able to find creativity in more structured art classes and activities.

“I’m not a free-spirited type [of person] who was always keeping a journal,” Bodnaruk said. “I don’t have that kind of discipline. Some people are so prolific — art just spills out of them. I was not that way.”

Growing up with immigrant parents that Bodnaruk describes as “really hard working,” Bodnaruk chose to pursue a more “practical” major in graphic design, since she didn’t believe she could make a living going the “full-on art route.”

“I was doing 3D modeling and I just thought I’d rather work with clay than be sitting at a computer and pretending like there’s clay in the screen,” Bodnaruk said. “I was trying to be practical. I was trying to make a living out of being artistic and it didn’t work ... I realized that I’d rather do something meaningful.”

Bodnaruk became a substitute teacher for grades kindergarten through 12th grade as well as a kindergarten teacher for two years at L.P. Collins Elementary School, before she decided to study studio art and received her single-subject credential to teach art. She also had the opportunity to revisit and explore 3D art after she took a ceramics class “on a whim.”

Since Bodnaruk grew up and still lives in Sunnyvale, she wanted to teach close by, and when a position opened up at MVHS, she decided to apply. “I’m looking forward to seeing students b e c o m e better artists,” Bodnaruk said. “And that I have a role in guiding them towards that, and that’s very exciting to me, to give them the opportunity to learn new things. I just look forward to seeing all the students progress.”

I HAVE A ROLE IN GUIDING THEM TOWARDS [BECOMING BETTER ARTISTS] AND THAT’S VERY EXCITING TO ME, TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNTITY TO LEARN NEW THINGS. ART TEACHER STEPHANIE BODNARUK

Long-term art substitute Stephanie Bodnaruk poses in the F106 art room. She substitutes for art teacher Jodie Johnson, who is out on maternity leave.

EDDY MEDAL

Walking anywhere from five to nine miles daily as he works around campus, Facilities Manager Eddy Medal describes himself as the “handyman of the school site.” His job entails managing the employees who maintain the physical appearance and function of the campus, including custodial, landscape and building maintenance.

His first week working on campus was during the 2020 graduation ceremonies, and Medal said he had to “learn real fast and hit the ground running” but was proud he was able to quickly adjust to the new environment.

Born in Santa Clara and raised in Milpitas, Medal previously worked at Santa Clara University, where he worked on landscaping and irrigation before shifting into facilities management. His job continued to expand from there as he took on more roles and gained familiarity with the campus.

“At my previous job, I changed the whole campus with my two hands, and I would like to do the same here,” Medal said. “I take a lot of pride in my work, [and] my employees and I hope that I can have that same relationship here at Monta Vista.”

Medal enjoys the hands-on aspect of his work from his time as a mechanic, but has learned to rely on his team of employees as a manager.

“I found my calling because I like to fix things — I’m a mechanic by trade,” Medal said. “So when things are broken, I just like to fix them and the work isn’t really work. A lot of people veer away from work, where I want to dive into it.”

Medal notes the contrast between the higher education he wasn’t able to access due to his socioeconomic status growing up, and his work in Education now.

“[Education has] always been important to me, it just wasn’t available to me,” Medal said. “So working in a college setting, it was nice to see kids given the opportunity I didn’t have in my childhood. [My career] wasn’t [an], ‘I wanted to do this in life.’ It was just given to me, it got dropped in my lap and it’s been really good for me. I came over here and I was like, ‘This is what I need to do, this is what I was meant to do.’”

[MY CAREER] WASN’T [AN] ‘I WANTED TO DO THIS IN LIFE.’ IT WAS JUST GIVEN TO ME. THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO DO, THIS IS WHAT I WAS MEANT TO DO. FACILITIES MANAGER EDDY MEDAL

Facilities Manager Eddy Medal (left) works on construction behind the D building.

LISA MCCAHILL

On her first day, special education teacher Lisa McCahill complained about her windowless classroom — a contrast from the beach and hiking trails near her home in Capitola. That night, she ordered a huge mural of a colorful sunrise over the beach and decorated her classroom with it, several plants and string lights — and a drawing from her 10-year-old daughter on the whiteboard.

Both her newly decorated classroom and the welcoming nature of the staff helped McCahill feel comfortable at MVHS after 15 years of teaching special education at Saratoga High School. Although she originally wanted to be a veterinarian, McCahill’s experience in tutoring students with special needs stuck with her throughout the years.

“I love working with [special needs] students,” McCahill said. “A lot of them have very different kinds of needs, but personality wise they make me laugh — they’re genuinely good people. They’re kind of developmentally immature, and so they don’t have that desire to lie. They’re just pure, innocent people, and so they make you see that in everyone else, and want to be like that.”

Because Asians make up a high percentage of the MVHS demographic, McCahill worried about whether she could correctly pronounce the names of all her students and their parents. But once she saw the “faces and personalities” of her students, the name association and their pronounciation came more easily.

“I love teaching — I like creating my lessons and presenting and having fun in the classroom,” McCahill said. “I love the people that I work with. Altogether it’s a very positive environment, so I enjoy coming to work.” Special education teacher Lisa McCahill assists a student in her classroom.

PHOTO | MEGGIE CHEN

DEREK LU

PHOTO | MEGGIE CHEN

From his time as a student at Lynbrook High School, Lu remembers feeling unable to express himself due to the school’s heavy emphasis on STEM and the limited options for literature courses. This confinement that Lu experienced over the years ultimately fueled him to pursue a career in teaching literature.

Lu was offered two jobs, one in south San Francisco and the one he currently holds here at MVHS and CHS; he notes that the school in south San Francisco is more socioeconomically and racially diverse and had a greater need for socialjustice-oriented teachers. Despite these facts, Lu still felt he would be better suited to FUHSD.

“This is actually my first teaching job, so I’m not only new to Monta Vista [but] I’m new to teaching as a profession, and it really is like serendipity that I ended up back in my old district,” Lu said. “I ended up choosing Monta Vista because I felt like even though this is a well-funded district, there’s still a need for passionate teachers. I also felt like growing up in San Jose, I could relate to these students and be the English teacher that I never had before.”

Lu shares that the community has been his favorite part of his experience at MVHS, especially the students who have the tenacity to work hard in class.

“I see a lot of myself in these kids,” Lu said. “And if I can even sway a handful of kids to become English majors, I consider that a job well done.” FEATURES | OCTOBER 2021 19

JOSH KUO

During his first few years at MVHS, math teacher Josh Kuo was surprised by the lack of golf carts — in his previous district, there were staff members who patrolled the campus looking for students who weren’t attending class. Kuo notes that he has hardly seen students at MVHS ditching class and finds they are more motivated.

Kuo’s career journey began in high school, when he tutored math to struggling students. He then tutored throughout college at a local tutoring center, HS2 Academy, and received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at UC Davis. Kuo then obtained his secondary Education and Teaching degree from San Jose State University.

Kuo spent four years at Live Oak High School before teaching for three years at MVHS. He then spent the 20202021 school year at Lynbrook High School before returning to MVHS for his ninth year as a teacher this year. After spending a year at LHS, Kuo mentions that the transition was quite smooth. During his time as a teacher, Kuo believes the most important thing he learned was how to build relationships with both students and staff.

“It’s about growing together,” Kuo said. “It’s not a lot about teaching the methods — it’s about teaching the thinking. The dynamic [and] the atmosphere in the classroom is what keeps me in this industry. People ask me if I love math, [and] I [say], ‘I don’t love math. Math is just a tool for me.’ And they’re like, ‘Well, why do you teach math?’ It’s because I love the teaching experience.”

He hopes that after a tough two years due to COVID-19, things will return to normal and run smoothly. “We have a lot of things that people take for granted, but we are very lucky to have all the resources around this community.”

PHOTO | PRISHA TIWARI

Math teacher Josh Kuo poses in his D103 classroom.

BROOKLYN SYLVE

PHOTO | MIKAYLAH DU

Health Clerk Brooklyn Sylve engages in conversation with another staff member in the nurse’s office.

On weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon, she’s assisting the nurse at MVHS. From 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., she’s nannying three kids. As soon as she gets home at 6 p.m., she starts reading assigned chapters and completing online assignments from her college professors. Then, on weekends from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., she’s working as an EMT in a critical care unit.

Health clerk Brooklyn Sylve is no stranger to a busy schedule — all throughout high school, she experimented with countless jobs including babysitting. She says those job experiences sparked the realization that she wanted to work with kids and pushed her to apply for the position of health clerk at MVHS.

“I realized that [working with kids] was something that I wanted to do, but I’m also an EMT and I enjoy the medical aspect of medicine and the human body,” Sylve said. “I wanted a job that involved the two … and this was a great way for me.”

Sylve originally planned to become a nurse, but explains that her exposure and awareness about the profession caused her to rethink her previous goal.

“Since the pandemic hit, I’ve talked to a lot of nurses and they told me about so [many] negative things and it’s been discouraging,” Sylve said. “I love medicine … but with this pandemic, it just made me think a lot.”

Sylve’s new goal is to run a daycare out of her home, but keeps her previous dream as an option.

“I love working with kids, so that’s my long term goal, but I am also going to school for nursing so if I do decide, I’ll already have my bachelor’s in something,” Sylve said. “Hopefully in the future, if not working at a daycare, [I’ll be] working at a school or somewhere where I could impact a child’s life.”

GRACE CHUANG

During summer, on one of her family’s occasional trips to Half Moon Bay, Food Service Assistant Grace Chuang, her husband and two daughters surveyed the harbor full of boats to purchase fish. She saw a fisherman’s sign listing “squid” and bought the last one; when they returned home, her husband cleaned, sliced and prepared sashimi. Formerly a stay-at-home mom for 15 years, Chuang cherishes the time she gets to spend with her family.

In 1996, she finished her education in Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S. to pursue a master’s degree at California State University Long Beach. Chuang moved to the Bay Area in 2000, hoping to find a company that would allow her to obtain citizenship. After six years, she had her first child and quit her job at Semiconductor Design Service company to care for her family.

Chuang made sure to stay active in her children’s lives at school. Two years ago while volunteering, she noticed another parent working in the food service at Cupertino Union School District, so Chuang applied for on-call jobs as a Cafeteria Assistant. After hearing of a job opening at FUHSD, she applied and was selected to start working at one of the three cashier stands in the MVHS cafeteria — a job that also includes helping clean kitchen surfaces, washing dishes, organizing and storing deliveries and restocking utensil carts.

When not working, Chuang balances her responsibilities at home and allocates time in her schedule to relax and watch TV shows. Her family also spends time hiking and sightseeing at local parks. After choosing not to work for over a decade, Chuang has a myriad of reasons for returning to work. “Money,” Chuang said. “Exercise, and to try to make friends. Being a mommy [who] stay[ed] at home, the only thing I know is [my] kids coming back [from school] and [watching the] Internet. [By working as a Food Service Assistant,] I know how the school [is] running, how to serve kids, … watch out for the kids, that’s why I try to do the food service job.”

PHOTO | MATTHEW YOSHIMOTO

At one of the three cashier stands in the cafeteria at MVHS, Food Service Assistant Grace Chuang waits for the next student to scan their student ID to get the school lunch.

I KNOW HOW THE SCHOOL [IS] RUNNING, HOW TO SERVE KIDS, ...WATCH OUT FOR THE KIDS. THAT’S WHY I TRY TO DO THE FOOD SERVICE JOB. FOOD SERVICE ASSISTANT GRACE CHUNG