By Taylor Monje-Rodriguez and Priscilla Rodarte /Staff Writer
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Photos by Priscilla Rodarte
Nine new teachers went through their first week of school as members of the Bishop Amat faculty in order to fill the positions of teachers who retired or went elsewhere.
Mrs. Isabelle Selak, the school’s new librarian, explained how she was enjoying her time at Amat.
“So far it’s good, educational and fun,” she said. “The best parts of being a librarian are getting to suggest books and introduce them to students that they wouldn’t normally read.”
New science teacher, Mr. Matthew Nasont said it’s different coming back to his alma mater.
“Walking down the halls and seeing my old locker brings back memories,” he said.
Many of Bishop Amat’s alumni over the past years have come back as educators to give their time to the students.
Mr. Nasont describes what it was like for him to once again walk through Bishop Amat as a teacher, instead of being a student.
“I was excited to see teachers that taught me before and seeing the other side of them,” he said. “Teaching in a classroom and looking across, seeing my old classroom I used to sit in, was a pretty cool experience.”
Mr. Nasont also said he was glad that he could help the freshmen feel comfortable and part of the school by explaining how he too was a freshman at Bishop Amat not too long ago.
“I can tell that the freshmen were nervous on the first day of school by the looks on their faces and by how early they came to class,” he said.
Mrs. Diane Olin, who has taught science for 28 years, said she was very excited about teaching at Amat since it has reminded her of past teaching experiences.
“I was excited to teach here because this school reminds me of a Catholic high school in Hawaii that I used to teach at,” she said.
Mrs. Olin also said it was great to see that the attitudes at Amat are great.
“Everyone is enthusiastic and excited about learning,” she said. “Everyone has great school spirit.”
When in college, Mrs. Olin studied foreign languages at Long Island University. But instead of going into that field, she decided to teach the subjects which were different from what she was trained in.
“I started out studying languages but I fell in love with biology and chemistry,” she said.
Since Mrs. Olin taught high school before, she knew what to expect of her classes and was not nervous. But she admits that she did struggle.
“I had trouble finding my way around the first day,” she said.
Mrs. Carol Busser, the new drama director, started off her first day enjoying her time at Bishop Amat surprised at how mature and respectful the students were.
“My first reaction to the school was realizing how beautiful the campus was and the students were very friendly and seemed really responsible,” she said.
Even though Mrs. Busser experienced a positive vibe from the students, she was still anxious from the night before of what was to come about the first day.
“I felt apprehensive the night before but as soon as I met the students I felt relaxed,” she said.
Before teaching at Amat, she taught at an all-girls school, but wanted a change.
“I was worried about teaching the boys,” she said. “But the boys are fun to have in class.”
Another new addition to the science and math departments is Mr. John Guerrero. He said he was glad to teach at a school that had much pride in their tradition.
“One of the reasons I came to Amat was because of the sense of pride the faculty and students show in their school,” he said. “The pride and tradition of the school sets a high standard expected of you and helps you do a better job.”
After graduating from UC Riverside, where he majored in physics, Mr. Guerrero worked at his parish doing numerous things and then came to Amat to carry out his first year of teaching.
“Since this is my first year, I think this year will be an adventure,” he said.
Each new teacher said they felt welcomed.
“I enjoy it here,” said Mrs. Olin. “This school is very nice and especially the faculty members are very welcoming and helpful.”
Also many of the new teachers described their best experiences during their first week at Bishop Amat.
“During my first drama improv class I thought the students were going to be shy, but instead they were very much outgoing and ready to perform,” Mrs. Busser said.
Overall the teachers said they were excited for the rest of the year and seemed to have an idea of what to expect.
“I am excited about the upcoming course and the educational impact I will make on students lives,” said Mr. Guerrero.