Striving Toward Equitable Communities - Employee Recognitions
Striving Toward Equitable Communities
At East Side, perhaps now more than ever, we need to strive toward Equitable Communities as we pivot toward distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does this mean? It means that we are continuing to strengthen our understanding, actions, and policies in order to continue building capacity among all staff members to ensure that equity and inclusion are essential principles of our school system.

It is incumbent on each and every one of us as employees of East Side to be committed to these principles, from myself as superintendent, to our teachers, PCIS, attendance clerks, directors, maintenance and operation, and so forth. It takes all of us to achieve success for our students! As coined by philosopher Aristotle, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which aptly describes us as a team joined together in this monumental effort.

Every month, we will be recognizing our employees in order to showcase the people behind our student success! Below are examples of our employees creating Equitable Communities at East Side Union High School District.

Thank you for all that you do!

With gratitude,
Chris D. Funk
Superintendent
Mary Guillen
Education Center - Superintendent's Office
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Trustees

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 38.5 years at the Education Center.
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is watching our leaders of tomorrow become empowered to having a voice in shaping the future.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? It is serving our community and knowing that the support we provide has positive outcomes. One event that many of us work together as a team is the annual McKinney-Vento holiday event. Working together and making a difference for many students and families is the most rewarding experience.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I am an alumna of Oak Grove High School. Go Eagles!

Kudos from the Superintendent:
"Mary is the backbone to so much that goes on at the District Office from maintaining the district website, disseminating information to stakeholders, to supporting the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent's Office. Mary does not hesitate to support anyone that needs help or makes a request and is extremely giving of her time regardless of what is on her plate." - Chris D. Funk, Superintendent  
Joe Lovato
Mt. Pleasant High School
English Teacher, English Department Chair, WASC Coordinator

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 30 years (29 years at MPHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is that it's relationship-centered and that every single day we have the opportunity to impact the trajectory of our students' lives.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I have made a difference when the conversation stops being driven by grades or school, and I find myself engaged in authentic dialogue with a young person who is excited to be thinking and sharing thoughts.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? People may not know that Mt. Pleasant is in my blood; before me, my father taught here, and this year my daughter will graduate a Cardinal. Truly, my commitment is not just to this job, but to this community.

Kudos from the Principal:
"I am recognizing Joe for his hard work and dedication to the students and staff of Mt. Pleasant. In addition to serving as Department Chair, as a member of MTSS, and as a member of the School Site Council, Joe has done an outstanding job as our WASC Coordinator. He is both liked and respected by the MP staff and community. He truly cares about our students and our school. Joe is dedicated to the work of making a difference in the lives of our students and building equitable communities at Mt. Pleasant. Thank you for all you do, and represent." - David E. Brown, Principal  
Adele Sagun
Calero High School
English Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 18.5 years (6.5 years at CHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? My favorite part of this job has always been hearing the seniors, who did not think there was an iota of a chance that they could be accepted to a four-year university, announce to me in full surprise and delight that they were admitted to four-year colleges. I love watching how their perceptions of themselves and their future change right there and then. They carry themselves a little bit differently thereafter, and it's really fulfilling to watch.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? Most kids come to Calero High School having failed academically or personally the school year prior. They are usually very unsure if they will be successful again. I know I have made a difference when they begin to show signs of confidence in themselves and trust in me.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I love almost anything with mango.

Kudos from the Principal: 
"Adele is our English department chairperson. Adele cares for her students and puts her heart into her classes to ensure her students are successful. She goes above and beyond when working with students, families and staff. We are fortunate to have her on our staff at Calero!." - Liz Gutierrez, Principal
Blasa Ozuna
Education Center
Parent and Community Involvement Specialist

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUSHD? 20+ years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I have the privilege of supporting some of our most vulnerable students and families. My favorite part of my job is collaborating with amazing school site staff, my Student Services team (more like family), and outside agencies to alleviate hardships for our families which allows our students some relief and the ability to just be students.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I am blessed to be able to truly connect with families in a way that many aren't able to during this "virtual life". We've been able to personally see gratitude on a tired parent's face or tears of appreciation and renewed hope in a family. And some days, it's as simple as someone saying, thank you for listening.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I was adopted as a child and my "first childhood" was full of many of the same obstacles and hardships as the youth I support today which is why I truly believe every student is one caring adult away from being a success story.

Kudos from the Director:
"Blasa is passionate about supporting our most vulnerable youth and their families. She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to meeting students and families wherever they are; as a result, Blasa has been able to reconnect countless students and families with support and services that they may have in the past declined." - Dr. Chaun Powell, Director of Student Services
William Brown
Piedmont Hills High School
English and Journalism Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUSHD/PHHS? 21 years in ESUHSD and at PHHS.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I love the interactions with the students and getting to watch them grow as students and humans.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I've made an academic difference when students are able to share original ideas about literature with their peers. The awareness of more significance differences, however, come years down the road when students come back and share my impact on their lives.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I was a competitive fencer for about ten years, and coached fencing for almost 25 years.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Long ago, I had the pleasure of co-teaching the AVID elective with Will, so I know first hand how passionate he is about teaching and how dedicated he is to our students. Will is very equity minded, even going as far to volunteer to take the Grading for Equity course on top of everything else that he is doing right now. He is a strong voice in IST, 504, and IEP meetings and is consistently looking for ways to support his students through distance learning. He has figured out how to teach journalism virtually and has made sure that PHHS is still putting out our school newspaper. See the latest issue here: The Legend Vol 55, Issue 3, January 2021." - Ginny Davis, Principal
Abby Carson
Independence High School
Special Education Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Independence High School? 2 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I love most about my job is the small but powerful interactions that I get to have with students on a daily basis where I learn about them, their families, and their communities. I am a firm believer that building meaningful relationships with students is the foundation of a strong, inclusive education system.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I have made a difference when I hear a student laugh, see them smile, or experience them saying something positive about class or school, because those are indicators that a student is comfortable with me and my classroom.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something most people don't know about me is that I enjoy country line dancing, and I will be the first in line to go back to dancing in groups when it is safe to do so!

Kudos from the Principal:
“As a new teacher, Ms. Carson has been able to build strong relationships with her students and staff, working to make her classroom inclusive and inviting for all. She has also jumped in as a soccer coach for our students and as a member of School Site Council. Her positivity is apparent and she takes great pride in supporting her students both in and out of the classroom.” - Bjorn Berg, Principal 
Nathan Anderson
Oak Grove High School
Physical Education Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Oak Grove High School? 5 years (3 years OGHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? Developing relationships with students from different cultures and working in a great department.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? When the phones stay in their bags or pockets for the entire class period during a PE class. :).
  4. What is your "why" for being a teacher? I've been blessed to have so many mentors, coaches and teachers in life, and I feel that I have an obligation and duty to pass on a love for learning and leading a healthy lifestyle to our students.
  5. What about working at Oak Grove brings you the most joy? Working with and learning from Coach Huck, Coach Young, Coach Seward and Michael McCoy.  
  6. What is something that people may not know about you? I majored in History at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kudos from the Principal:
“Nate Anderson’s friendly demeanor and his drive to help others makes him a valued member of the Oak Grove team. Nate works tirelessly to provide opportunities that benefit our students and our community. One such example is hosting a free bike repair event in partnership with Turning Wheels for Kids, where over forty families were able to get their bikes repaired. Additionally, Nate has worked with organizations to have over 100 bikes donated to our students and their younger siblings, with some being donated to the district to distribute at the McKinney Vento Holiday event. Since Nate started at Oak Grove, he has worked hard to ensure our campus was viewed in the most positive way possible, and that our entire student population was supported in and out of the classroom. Nate, thank you for everything you do for our students and our community! - Martha Brazil, Principal 
Natali Zepeda
Education Center
Parent and Community Involvement Specialist

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 1 year.
  2. What do you like most about your job? The thing I love most about my job is supporting our most vulnerable families and students by connecting them to resources in our community. I like to help build and provide a bridge between CBO's and or school staff to facilitate families and students' needs. Most of all I love working in an environment that has so many dedicated people that will go above and beyond to support our student community. We truly make a difference everyday by the work we put in and that is priceless to me.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I'm making a difference with the work I do by receiving feedback from my students, their families and the school site staff reassuring me that they are in a better place today than they were before they started working with me. I also know my work in making a difference on the lives of those I work with because their hardship situations have improved for the better.   
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something people might now really know about me is that working at the ESUHSD was always a dream of mine since I was about 17 years old working in a non-profit supporting non-graduate students and families. I am a very passionate, hard working person who really wants to leave a positive mark in this world. Making every effort I can to help change someone's life for the best.

Kudos from the Director:
“Natali has a heart for the community and the families she serves. Natali not only provides information about resources, but she continuously walks side by side with students and their families through the process of accessing these supports and resources. Her heart, passion and patience has resulted in finding housing, food and shelter for several families during the pandemic." - Dr. Chaun Powell, Director of Student Services 
Evergreen Valley High School
Academic Counselors

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
Counselors: Laura Solof, JD Do, Rani Kang, Liya Bromberg, Xuan Nguyen, Heidi Boyd, Noemi Huitron

How many years have you worked at/for ESUHSD/EVHS?
  • Laura: This is year ... 17!! (10 years at EVHS).
  • JD: This is my 6th year with ESUHSD (2 years at EVHS).
  • Rani: 2 years.
  • Liya: 7 years.
  • Xuan: 6 years. 
  • Heidi: 30 years (1.5 years at EVHS).
  • Noemi: 6 years (2 years at EVHS).

What do you like most about your job?
  • Laura: I enjoy problem-solving, so getting to work with students through all sorts of academic, career and college planning, and personal issues is simultaneously challenging, entertaining, and rewarding.  Never a dull moment! 
  • JD: I love interacting with students and parents in person and inspiring students to achieve their fullest potential and helping parents understand social-emotional and academic challenges and resolutions for their students. 
  • Rani: That I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life every single day.
  • Liya: Seeing students graduate! Working with students throughout the years and then witnessing the culmination of all of their hard work is always such a powerful and emotional experience.  
  • Xuan: I truly LOVE LOVE LOVE working with students from all walks of life and getting to annoy Dr. Solof.
  • Heidi: What I like most about my job is that every day is different. As a counselor, I am always working on 4-5 projects at a time and the tasks are constantly changing depending on what time of year it is, so I am never bored.
  • Noemi: I love helping others and being a school counselor helps me do what I love. Helping students and families is what I like most about my job. 

How do you know when you have made a difference?
  • Laura: My favorite way is when students who struggled to make it to graduation message me after saying they're enjoying and doing well in college or their career and understand how all that effort they put in was worth it. Counselors love hearing from students after they graduate about how they're doing good things and being successful out in the world!
  • JD: I know I made a difference when students are able to graduate and pursue their own definition of success. I also know I made a difference when students recognize me outside of school and happily say hello =). 
  • Rani: When students, parents and staff leave any conversation with me with more clarity and hope for whatever it is they hope to accomplish. This is also a tough question because sometimes we don't hear about how we have impacted a student even if we did. My hope is that someday, at any point in my students' lives they are thinking , "Because of you Mrs. Kang, I didn't give up".
  • Liya: I know I have made a difference when students come back after they have graduated to tell me that I had a positive impact on them. 
  • Xuan: I think it's when I can help students choose a career (especially if they decide to become an educator), when they voluntarily check-in with me during office hours or come visit during their college breaks, being told that they found their passion, and making them laugh during stressful times is when I know I've made a difference.
  • Heidi: I know I've made a difference when I hear parents say that, before coming to EVHS, they were worried that they wouldn't get as much counselor support as a private school and that they have been pleasantly surprised with how quickly their questions and concerns are addressed here at EVHS. I also love to witness when struggling students, or those who are first in their family to graduate, walk the stage and later attend a community college or a university.
  • Noemi: Students and families validate when I've made a difference or helped them in some way. I also get validation when alumni contact me to tell me their success story. It's always exciting to see students succeed! 

What is something that people may not know about you?
  • Laura: Born, raided, and love all things NY, except winters. Moved to CA because I wanted to work in a high school that looked like the one on 90210.  
  • JD: I was a very shy person and did not talk a lot since I was little till College
  • Rani: That I am of Mexican and Punjabi descent, I think it's pretty unique!
  • Liya: I can play the piano.
  • Xuan: A few years ago I had a full on conversation with Colin Kapernick about organic eggs at Safeway and had no clue he was the quarterback for the 49ers. I'm also obsessed with boba and all things KonMari :) 
  • Heidi: Most people don't know that I speak a little German, lived in Japan for a few years as a child, and I love all things water related: swimming, snorkeling, water parks, boating, tubing, etc.
  • Noemi: I am shy and talkative introvert (shy and introvert are not the same thing!)

Kudos from the Principal:
"At Evergreen Valley, the academic counselors are absolutely essential towards making all students feel like they belong and can be successful at EVHS. They not only help ensure our students are set up for success academically, they also work to support our students social-emotionally as well. I am so touched when I hear from students how much they value their relationship with their counselor and how much of an impact they've had on their students' lives. What is particularly impressive about our counseling department is just how adaptable they have been during distance learning. The counselors have held several webinars and other Zoom sessions for students and parents. These sessions have attracted thousands of attendees and through each of them, the counselors have patiently answered every question and helped to alleviate student and parent anxiety. I know I speak for the entire EVHS community when I say we are so thankful for our counselors!." - Kyle Kleckner, Principal   

Top row (left to right): Laura Solof, JD Do, Rani Kang, Liya Bromberg
Bottom row (left to right): Xuan Nguyen, Heidi Boyd, Noemi Huitron
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If you have positive stories about teachers, staff, students and exciting events at your site, we'd like to know about it. Email Linda Ornelas at [email protected].