Stepping into the Mata’door’

Meet the new staff!

Physical Education: Eric Delgado

Q: Why did you decide to become a PE teacher? 

A: “After high school, I got into coaching and one of my old coaches was coaching at a high school at the time. He gave me a job, and from there, I coached the freshman and sophomores and then moved on to junior varsity. In the beginning, I really enjoyed being able to teach the students, and working at that time there were high school students. It was really satisfying, and it really put a smile on my face. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a teacher and looked into physical education.” 

Q: What do you wish for your students to take away from your class? 

A: “I want my students to learn how to be life-long learners and my goal is to motivate students. I really want them to get moving, especially after last year during the pandemic. Students were online and physical education was really tough to teach online, so coming back I am finding ways to motivate students to get them moving.”

Q: If you could have a superpower, which one would it be? Why?

A: “I think I would want teleportation because I don’t live around here so it would just make my life a little bit easier if I can teleport from home or to school and vice versa. I also feel like I could maybe stay a little bit longer at the school than having to try to rush home and deal with traffic.”

English as a Second Language Instructional Assistant: Amy Eranay

Q: We know that English as a Second Language (ESL) students often have a hard time learning English, and it can be a difficult process to teach them. How do you stay motivated throughout this process?

A: “Motivation is hard. For students, I think letting them be able to express their frustration, work with others who speak the same language, and work together to learn as a team is important.” 

Q: When students feel disappointed and want to give up, how do you motivate your students?

A: “I remind them of their goals, why they are doing this. I also talk with them about the benefits of learning another language to help them now and in the future. I think helping students find the resources can aid them in getting stronger on their own. Once you learn the language, you also learn the culture.”

Q: What is one goal you have in teaching ESL students beyond teaching them to be proficient in English as a language?

A: “I hope that they also preserve their first language. I hope they regard their first language’s culture and history as important as English and its culture. For my students, I want them to not forget what they have been before and bring their own identity to the classroom and join in with the English language. The more they know, the stronger and better they can become.”

College Adviser: Jennifer Gomez

Q: Why did you choose to be a college adviser?

A: “I chose to be a college adviser because in high school, I wasn’t aware of all my options and everybody else around me knew what they were doing. I was lost half the time. When I found out about this position, and I read the job description, I decided to take on the offer because I wanted to be the person I wish I had in high school.”

Q: How have your interactions been with students and staff so far?

A: “I love interacting with students. I love interacting with staff. Since I am an alumnus, the staff have welcomed me back, giving me a warm welcome, opening their doors to me, and they’ve offered their support. In terms of interacting with students, I love when they come to me and go, ‘Miss, I’m lost,’ and I pull up all these websites and tell them, ‘This is what you can do.’ Then, when students leave and they’re like, ‘Thank you, you helped me a lot,’ it’s very rewarding.”

Q: What is one place you want to travel to and why?

A: “I feel like everyone says this but Hawai’i. I can’t travel outside the country, so Hawai’i or maybe a road trip to San Diego. I love the beach, and Hawai’i is beachy and tropical; I feel like I would be living my best life there. I’ve seen pictures, and people who’ve gone there have told me it’s beautiful, both the weather and the water.”

Assistant Principal of Student Support Services: Rene Regalado

Q: What do you like the most about San Gabriel High School?

A: “I really like the administrative team. The principal and the other assistant principals are very knowledgeable, they have a great attitude, and I really like their vision for the school. The majority of students seem to be down-to-earth, very humble, and wanting to just do well in school.”

Q: What kind of impact would you like to have on students?

A: “I would definitely like to have an impact where I’m influencing students to make positive decisions and students feel supported by our office. This office, from what I know, has the reputation of being where you come when you get in trouble. I want to change that perspective and that image to where students can come here when they need support and they need information, resources, and guidance. Ms. Mejia and I really want to make it so that they see this as a positive place to come get help and support versus this awful place where you only go when you’re in trouble.”

Q: What is something that is on your bucket list?

A: “Definitely going to a soccer game in Madrid, Spain. I’m a real big soccer fan and a fan of Real Madrid. So I would really like to go to Madrid, go to a game and experience what it’s like because they’re one of the top teams in the world, experience a little bit of the culture, a little bit of the sport, and just go to Europe to visit.”