Teacher Features
October 24, 2022
We often see a new influx of freshmen, but hardly even notice that with a new school year also brings new teachers, and this year there’s quite a few of them. In total, there are 20 new hires, 13 of which are teachers.
Starting off with our teacher roll call, Mr. Reynolds is one of the numerous new teachers. Former Millikan Ram, Mr. Reynolds is delighted to be back on campus.
“What I’m liking most so far is the students here,” says Reynolds, “Every day my students bring a positive energy to class.”
This holds true for him as well; he always speaks to his students in a lighthearted and upbeat manner.
Initially, Mr. Reynolds attended UC Davis Law School. After graduating, he worked for law firms, the California Department of Justice, and engaged in some independent legal work on behalf of defendants. He presently teaches Criminal and Civil Law as well as Legal Principles at Millikan.
After 20 years as an attorney, he discovered his love for teaching while part time teaching a mock trial in Orange County. After returning to school, he earned his certification to teach social science classes and was offered the opportunity to be Mrs. Frost’s student teacher last school year. Once here, he learned about the PEACE and law classes offered here, applied for an open position, and fortunately got the job.
“If students ever have any questions about legal careers, college, classes, or anything else, I’m happy to talk, even if you aren’t in my class!” Reynolds stated. He is located in room 11204.
Another teacher new to Millikan this year is Special Education teacher, Angelica (Angie) Bermudez, otherwise known to her students as Ms. B. She is currently with the MBA pathway and teaches Algebra, English, Practical Living, and Career Management. Ms. B. also has a degree as an Educational Specialist.
“Career management is my favorite course to teach because I am passionate about helping students prepare for the transition into adulthood,” says Bermudez.
She says that her classes have a focus on matching her students’ strengths and interests to their career choices, and she helps them build their resumes and prepare for job interviews.
“Although I’m a first-year teacher, I have been at Millikan since 2017 as an aide, substitute teacher, student teacher, and now a teacher,” she says.
She definitely feels welcomed to the Millikan community and expresses how “incredible and supportive” the staff is and how “the students are sweet.”
She’d also like the school to know that she enjoys hiking and tennis in her free time.
Next up is the delightful Mrs. Zimber, this French 3-4 and French 5-6 teacher is new to Millikan this year. She herself is a French native who enjoys sharing her culture and her language. She also enjoys building relationships with her students and teaching them a new language through genuine and authentic communication. So far, Mrs. Zimber’s favorite part about Millikan is the students and the goals that are set for them by the school.
“In particular the emphasis on creating a strong community of learners and Millikan’s focus on student engagement,” Zimber added.
Mrs. Zimber would describe herself as a very focused and reflective individual. She is always striving to do her best and going above and beyond to make sure that her students are fully comprehending and engaged in lessons.
Mrs. Zimber obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Francophone (french speaking) studies from CSULB (California State University, Long Beach).
Similarly to Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Zimber had another career plan prior to that of a teacher. She was an entrepreneur and to this day her husband still runs their mid-century/vintage furniture business.
“We also made containers of French mid-century furniture that we sold to designers in the Los Angeles area,” said Mrs. Zimber. She demonstrates her dedication and hard work every day by arriving on time and with a positive attitude.
Our last teacher on our new hire roll call, we have Ms. Aja (Aisa) Gampe who supports all pathways at Millikan and serves the school as one of our many psychologists.
“I chose this career path because I am passionate about providing support to people in need, whether it’s academic, behavioral, or social emotional, says Gampe, “I wanted to become the person I needed when I was younger.”
Gampe previously earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal State Fullerton in 2009 and then went on to obtain both of her master’s degrees in Educational Psychology and as an Educational Specialist from Chapman University in 2017.
She expresses how “The [other] educators here are knowledgeable and supportive and the students here have been great to work with!”
She wants to let everyone know that, “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here and happy to hold space for you.”
Ms. Gampe is also available to speak to on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the library if you ever need someone to talk to.
Next issue we’ll introduce Ms. Maconochie and Ms. Cuevas. Keep a look out for Ms. Barboza, and Ms. Good in Issue 3. Make sure to stay up to date with Corydon to see the next batch of new hires!
Cailyn Delliquadri • Nov 18, 2022 at 4:24 pm
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Feature”. I think this article is really beneficial to the Millikan community as it highlights parts of our school that we likely wouldn’t know about otherwise. This helps bring us closer together and helps these new teachers to feel like a part of our school. I also really like how you interviewed the teachers you mentioned because it adds their perspectives and helps us get to know them a little better. For example, Mr. Reynolds said he would be happy to talk to students about careers and classes. This creates more of a sense of community and more opportunities for both Millikan staff and students. This article can also help students explore classes they might want to take in the future because they can have a better understanding of the teachers who are teaching these classes and what their classes might be like. I think it would be cool to see this concept expanded on in later articles as well. The article mentioned that there were thirteen new teachers and only four of them were mentioned. I think that writing more articles about other new teachers would add to the effects this article had.
Sincerely,
Cailyn Delliquadri, Grade 11
Vaughn Lawson • Nov 18, 2022 at 11:14 am
November 17, 2022
Dear Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright,
On October 24, you both wrote an article called ‘Teacher Features’ in which you described and interviewed new teachers that had begun working at Millikan high school. Personally I love the idea of checking on and interviewing new teachers as it’s a great way for students to learn more about newcomer teachers. And you’re right that mainly in the new school year kids only focus on the influx of freshmen in our school, but there are still a good number of new teachers that takeover classrooms as well. And by interviewing those said teachers you give insight not just on what the teachers enjoy about the school, but it gives insights on their teaching habits, backgrounds, and what made them want to be teachers or part of school staff in the first place. I think that it is important for most if not all students to learn about their teachers, especially for freshmen who are just starting out in a brand new school. But other than that I’m just happy to see that the new teachers are enjoying the school and that some of them are getting good recognition for their hard work in fitting into a new school environment.
Sincerely,
Vaughn Lawson, Grade 11
Metztli Lopez • Nov 18, 2022 at 10:21 am
On October 24, Arianna Garcia wrote an article titled “Teacher Features”. I absolutely loved this article. I found it incredibly valuable to get to know some of the wonderful new teachers who are having an impact on our students. I particularly took interest in the story of Mr.Reynolds, finding it inspiring that after a career in law he decided to branch out into the world of teaching. As someone who plans to study in the law field, it is encouraging to see just how broad the benefits of a law degree can be. I will most likely take him up on his offer of advice! I hope to see more of these faculty introductions as the year goes on. Additionally, I noticed that Ms.Aja was referred to as a teacher in this article. I was wondering if she teaches or if her main focus is as a phycologist as the rest of the article seems to suggest. Regardless, I would like to see some more coverage of the various mental health resources available to students. I was completely unaware that professionals were available.to talk in the library! I hope to see more of these faculty introductions as the year goes on.
Devon Fletcher • Nov 17, 2022 at 9:58 am
The article does an amazing job of introducing the new hired staff on campus. I had no idea that we had so many new teachers here at Millikan. Reading about each of them individually helps our great campus feel like such a closer community. I love the variety of staff we have, too. The support that these individuals provide for the student community in different ways is outstanding. An example being Mr Reynolds reaching out to students through the article and offering help directly for anyone. His words, “I’m happy to talk, even if you aren’t in my class!” really shows the positive energy and support our campus staff radiates. It looks as though these teachers are fitting right in and are already proud of the Millikan spirit. From my personal experience I have reason to trust in their dedication as well. I have a brother in the special needs program here at Millikan. Sending him through the Practical Living and Career Management class with Ms. B, has such an incredible benefit. Learning skills of things such as how to use a microwave are so helpful and can change lives. Having trust that he can do things that would otherwise be dangerous letting him do alone relieves loads of stress. This is a personal example of the positive change these new hires are having on not only student’s lives but entire families. Thank you for introducing these teachers and the amazing work that they do.
Sincerely,
Devon Fletcher
Lucian Rankin • Nov 17, 2022 at 9:25 am
On October 24th, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Features” Good job on the article, it was nice to read, and touched on some interesting teachers, and the photographs complemented the article well. I also like how you touched on new staff members from each corner of the school. Mr. Reynolds from a specific pathway, that being PEACE. Next, Angelica Bermudez represents the special education programs. Next Mr.s Zimber represents the language classes. Then, Finally, Ms. Aja Gampe represents the non teacher hires, as a psychologist. The four teachers represented also give the article a bit more length than the short 3 topic format, but not so long it is boring. One thing I was curious about is why there are so many new hirings in the school. Is the School up or down sizing, or is this just natural as older teachers retire? I believe a commentary of the new and leaving teachers would make for a very interesting and relevant article. I talked about this in my comment on the “New Coach Makes a Big Splash Article.” My theory is that this is due to schools like Millikan shrinking, and focused art schools like Sato or McBride growing, but I would want to hear the take on this all from the pro’s (are you guys paid? You should be) Corydon.
Madalyn Flores • Nov 16, 2022 at 1:28 pm
In the article they talk about our new Millikan staff for the 2022 school year. They mention our school welcoming a total of 20 new hires and 13 of them are teachers. Out of those 13 teachers they featured a few in this article. It allows us students to get a perspective into their life and how they have worked to become a teacher, how they found their passion for teaching, and their background information to their life in general. I love how this article gives everyone a chance to get to know some of our teachers that we may not have ourselves but could potentially have them upcoming years or even just having someone to talk to. The teachers mention being open to anyone for educational help or even personal help and I think that’s something important and could be relieving to some who are in need of a helping hand. I’m glad I came across this article because it makes me glad to see teachers sharing experience and insight in their life and becoming a great addition to our Millikan staff. Thank you for introducing these wonderful teachers to us and featuring them.
Alexis Hooper • Nov 16, 2022 at 1:23 pm
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled, “Teacher Features.” The article mentions how some of the new teachers at Millikan are making an impact in their classrooms. It also talks about the background of these teachers and how they eventually made it to teaching at Millikan. For instance, Mr. Reynolds worked twenty years as an attorney and the other teachers have earned degrees that seem very interesting. This includes Bachelor of Arts in French, Bachelor’s in psychology, and an educational specialist. The fact that there is a diversity within the staff at Millikan proves that you don’t have to be limited to one area of study to pursue something you’re passionate about. Another idea in the article is that all of the teachers seem to be having a great time at Millikan. It is noted that Ms. B explains that she definitely feels welcomed in the Millikan community and everyone has been so supportive and sweet. This is very nice to hear because it is hard transferring to another school or job. You can have nice people and then you have people who don’t have as good a personality. As someone who is on the introverted side, I have definitely experienced the struggle of going somewhere where you hardly know anyone or people are just judgmental. Hearing that Millikan has been a positive and friendly place to these new teachers is very nice to take note of and I hope that they continue to have a great school year. Thank you so much for giving these teachers the spotlight they deserve because I’m sure that they’ve earned it. I’m looking forward to hearing about more new Millikan teachers and staff in the future!
Ashley Tem • Nov 16, 2022 at 11:32 am
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Features.” It was an informative and interesting article introducing a handful of the new teachers at Millikan. The article gave an insight into their lives and classes. I didn’t realize how many new teachers were brought to Millikan this year and reading the article was a great way to learn about each of them. I don’t have any classes with any new teachers this year but getting to read this article made me feel like I knew every one of the teachers mentioned. It was nice getting to learn about the teachers’ backgrounds and hobbies. I was quite surprised when I learned that Mr. Reynolds went to UC Davis law school but after twenty years as an attorney found his love for teaching. I found it quite inspiring and made me feel at ease. Learning about his background made me realize that even if I don’t find the right job for me early on I know that it is possible to change professions. Not only did Mr. Reynolds have a career change, but so did Mrs. Zimber. Learning about her change in professions was not the only remarkable fact I learned but, I was even more surprised when I learned she is a French native. I found it so great to learn about all these different teachers and I can’t wait to learn about the rest. I’m looking forward to Issue three to learn about Ms. Maconochie, Ms. Cuevas, Ms. Barboza, and Ms. Good.
Trey Culwell • Nov 16, 2022 at 9:41 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Features”. This article talks about new teachers that just started teaching here at Millikan this year and talks about how these teachers are already making a big difference in the lives of the students’ lives. This article really explains how these new teachers are making an impact. I really like all the examples of new teachers that you stated in your article. I like how this article describes the multiple new teachers that work here at Millikan now and how it goes into depth on why they like teaching. This really shows that teachers are here to care for and help all the students develop academically and as a person. I like how you talked about Mr. Reynolds backstory on how he was an attorney and the mock trial made him realize what he was truly passionate about. The photo that you put of Mr. Reynolds teaching one of his classes is a cool feature you added to the article and same with all the other photos of the teachers. This was a really interesting article and thank you for writing about the new teachers here at Millikan.
Mia Iovine • Nov 16, 2022 at 9:36 am
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Features.” The article gives the students an introduction to new teachers at Millikan High School and a chance for the teachers to share some fun facts about themselves. Prior to this article, I had only met Mrs. Zimber, who is one of my current teachers. I think that this article was a great opportunity to introduce the new teachers. Now, if a teacher asks if I can bring something to one of these new teacher’s classrooms, I have a better chance of putting a face to the name. I also really enjoyed learning fun facts about my current teacher. I think it is so cool that Mrs. Zimber has a vintage furniture company and I might have never known that without this article. Overall, I loved this article and believe that it should be a recurring segment. Every year we can be introduced to the new teachers, creating a more connected environment around the school instead of only knowing the fraction of Millikan teachers that we are in the classroom with. Thank you so much for this amazing article!
Mia Iovine • Nov 16, 2022 at 9:29 am
On October 24, Arianna Garcia and Sophie Bright wrote an article titled “Teacher Features.” The article gives the students an introduction to new teachers at Millikan High School and a chance for the teachers to share some fun facts about themselves. Prior to this article, I had only met Mrs. Zimber, who is one of my current teachers. I think that this article was a great opportunity to introduce the new teachers. Now, if a teacher asks if I can bring something to one of these new teacher’s classrooms, I have a better chance of putting a face to the name. I also really enjoyed learning fun facts about my current teacher. I think it is so cool that Mrs. Zimber has a vintage furniture company and I might have never known that without this article. Overall, I loved this article and believe that it should be a recurring segment. Every year we can be introduced to the new teachers, creating a more connected environment around the school instead of only knowing the fraction of Millikan teachers that we are in the classroom with. Thank you so much for this amazing article!