FACULTY FACTS

BY JANE LAM Several new faces have joined the West High community this year. Here are some fun facts about these new faculty members.

David Alexander

Computer Science

Alexander received a degree in meteorology and worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Liz Bruening

Assistant Principal

Bruening grew up on a farm in western Iowa and won competitions with her family’s sheep.

Kurtis Broeg

Special Education

Broeg has read every book written by “Kilgore Trout,” a fictional author in books written by Kurt Vonnegut.

Ryan Duwa

Special Education

Duwa thoroughly enjoys ice fishing every winter and has gone on trips to Minnesota and South Dakota.

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Karen Goering

Spanish

Goering is working on becoming a quadruple Hawkeye by having four degrees from the University of Iowa.

Scott Jespersen

Social Studies

Jespersen has had the same haircut since high school but once shaved his head for the University of Iowa Dance Marathon.

Jake Lanagan

French

Lanagan holds a Black Belt in taekwondo.

BJ Mayer

Athletic Director

While coaching basketball, Mayer’s son was born on the day between his team’s state tournament semi-final and final. He flew home for the birth and drove back that night to be with the team.

Ryan Middleton

Band

Middleton has never had a cavity or broken a bone.

John Reynolds

Industrial Technology

As a child, Reynolds once sat on Jimmy Carter’s lap because his mother was a delegate in Carter’s campaign.

PHOTOS BY SACHIKO GOTO, MCKENNA STEPHENS & RACHEL SWACK DESIGN BY HELEN ORSZULA

Ryan Lee

Student Family Advocate

If Lee wasn’t a teacher, he would be a pilot for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, a flight demonstration squad.

Mike Mettenberg

Social Studies

Mettenberg’s favorite quote is “Life’s a garden, dig it,” from the film series Joe Dirt because “sometimes you just gotta dig it.”

Neil Mulka

ELL

Mulka has met Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the hosts of the game show Wheel of Fortune, twice.

Bob Wagner

Special Education

Wagner worked in radio in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City for 10 years. He took the roles of a DJ, news announcer, sound engineer and production manager.

PROFILE

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