By Tyler Dang | Staff Writer

   Gabrielino has seen its fair share of new teachers over the past 26 years. From back when it was just a small middle school campus, to a high school with more than a thousand students, dozens of teachers have come and gone.

   This school year brings three new teachers, each with their own unique background and history, into the fold.

   Among those teachers is special education teacher, Tara Mitchell. After moving to California a year ago, she resided in Pasadena in hopes of finding a highschool teaching position.

   As a special education teacher, Mitchell teaches students from all grade levels, helping them learn basic skills for everyday life. In addition to the general education curriculum, her students also learn social skills and even cooking. 

   “I am enjoying my time at Gab so far,” she stated, “It is a very beautiful campus.”

   Lauren Kawai is a new teacher in the math department. Although she has taught stats in the past, she currently teachers Algebra 1 and Algebra Readiness.

   Kawai is a San Gabriel Valley local, having attended Mark Keppel High School and Cal State University, Los Angeles. In fact, when she was young, she heard about Gabrielino from her cousins who were enrolled at the high school.

    “It would be nice to be there physically, but so far Gab has been nice,” Kawai sighed.

   Rounding out the trio of new teachers is Jessica Magana. After teaching Spanish temporarily at Gab last year, she has finally been hired as a full-time teacher.

   Magana has always wanted to be a teacher, stating that she always enjoyed going to school and learning new things. She added that she always wanted to continue going to school, even after college, which reflects her love of learning.

   Before coming to Gabrielino, Magana taught Spanish at Locke College Preparatory Academy in South Los Angeles. She performed her observation hours with another Spanish teacher at Gabrielino, Angela Gurrola Lucio. 

   “I loved [Gurrola Lucio’s] teaching style and how the students were willing to learn their second or third language,” Magana remarked. “Since then, I always wanted to apply to Gab.”

   She is enjoying teaching at Gabrielino and says that it is rewarding to see students learn her native language. Magana only hopes that the students learn to love it as much as she does.