Administrative Assistance
Dolly Sengelmann
Though Dolly Sengelmann started out working at McKinley Elementary School, she has also worked at Jefferson Middle School and this school year, began working at Gabrielino High School as the school secretary.
“Just like the students, I’m moving onto high school from elementary school,” Sengelmann chuckled.
Sengelmann has many tasks, from keeping time sheets to supporting the teachers by keeping the work room stocked with supplies, to helping the office manager with sub coverage.
As a mother with children in the San Gabriel Unified School District, Sengelmann has found that this is the best way to be involved.
Kathleen Ott
“I think the kids love this [school]. I think the teachers love this place, and it’s just it’s like an extension of my family.” said office manager Kathleen Ott.
Ott has been an office manager for over two decades and has seen many of the faculty get married and start their own families. They are not merely coworkers, the Gabrielino staff are like family to Ott.
Though her career at Gabrielino started out of boredom after her children moved out, it is much more than that now. Ott sincerely loves both Gabrielino and her work.
Katheryne Fuentes
Throughout quarantine, College and Career Center technician Katheryne Fuentes has processed countless online college visits and scholarship opportunities in the College and Career Center. With school back in person, Fuentes is delighted to converse with students without the barrier of digital screens.
Fuentes remarked that “last year, I would say I didn’t have anybody in here all year, but students will come in and do their homework or sit in here at lunch and just hang out, which is nice.”
Fuentes also manages the Naviance website and assists students with career guidance in tandem with the Career Technical Education counselor, Jocelyn Machado.
Melissa Jones
Melissa Jones was hired last October as an administrative assistant. Some of her major responsibilities are assisting with student files, counselors, and attendance.
Since Jones is stationed in the student center, the morning of each school day is always the busiest time for her.
Jones stated,” I like working with students. I have been a teacher for the last seven years,” Jones continued, “It is a different experience working with high schoolers compared to preschoolers.”
Despite having different responsibilities from her preschool teaching position, Jones still comes every day with a smile.
“It is nice to see something different in regards to education,” Jones intoned.
Nurse
Flor Soto-Quintero
Contact tracing, immunization checks, administering medication, and health screening are some of the few responsibilities that Gabrielino High School’s health aide, Flor Soto-Quintero, fulfills on a daily basis.
In a time of uncertainty, Quintero has assisted adamantly in limiting and detecting COVID cases at Gabrielino on top of her typical responsibilities.
Quintero has worked at Gabrielino for 17 years while studying to obtain her PhD. “I started in 2005 and was supposed to stay temporarily,” stated Quintero. “But I love working with the students and what I do. No amount of money can replace that.”
Lunch Staff
Cindy Bradshaw
Throughout her career, lunch staff Cindy Bradshaw cycled through every campus in San Gabriel Unified School District, from Coolidge Elementary School to Gabrielino High School. With 20 years of working in the district under her belt, Bradshaw finds that she still enjoys seeing students grow as individuals the most.
“I’ll see the same kid from Wilson [Elementary School] going to Jefferson [Middle School] or Gabrielino, all grown up,” said Bradshaw.
Bradshaw’s child also attended school in the district. However, after all of these years, Bradshaw strives to assist all students like they are her own children.
Cynthia Herrera
The lunch line winds endlessly down the open cafeteria. Students talk amongst themselves while they are served their meals one by one. At the front of the line are sparks of laughter as lunch server Cynthia Herrera makes jokes, spending her time making lunch enjoyable for students and staff alike.
Herrera has worked at Gabrielino High School for nine years, working towards making meals both healthy and diverse for students.
“It’s always something we’re discussing to make things better for the students,” smiled Herrera. “I love to see the kids, I enjoy interacting with students and making sure they have a nice day.”
Maria Acosta
As someone who grew up in San Gabriel and also had kids within the San Gabriel School District, taking up a job as a lunch lady at Gabrielino only seemed natural to Maria Acosta, who started 16 years ago.
“My daughter went to Wilson [Elementary School], so I figured why not?” Acosta laughed.
She finds the job enjoyable and loves interacting with the student body. To Acosta, the job is about more than merely serving lunch.
“[Lunch ladies] do care about the students and what they eat,” Acosta stressed. “I always try to get better food.”
Monet Soto
While Gabrielino High School lunch worker, Monet Soto, is new to school, her familiarity with working with food is not. Soto has worked in the food industry in many positions under restaurants prior to her being hired at Gabrielino three weeks ago.
Within this short period of time, Soto has not only adjusted to the responsibilities that come with working at a school cafeteria, but has enjoyed her transition. “It’s all new to me but I really like the people I work with,” stated Soto. “It’s different but they make it fun and a great environment to work in.”
Arocali Campos
It was last September when Arocali Campos first became a lunch lady at Gabrielino. She initially took interest in the position because she had a lot of experience in foodservice, and quickly found a home among the students and staff.
“[The job is] not as easy as it looks,” Campos noted, stating that food preparation, working the counter, and dealing with chaotic lunch lines can be a lot to manage.
However, she enjoys the job, feeling safe and welcome on campus even during the pandemic.
“It’s good work and a good environment,” praised Campos.
Catalina Esquivel
Every day, starving students race to be first in the lunch line. Once at the counter, they are handed a steaming lunch tray and are finally able to satisfy their hunger. The person working at the counter is Catalina Esquivel, one of Gabrielino High School’s cafeteria workers.
During her short shifts, serving cereal to savory salads, Esquivel prepares everything that students need, for breakfast and for lunch.
Esquivel is now in her fifth year working here at Gabrielino and is not keen on leaving anytime soon.
Her hard work and dedication to preparing meals has touched the lives of many students, even though they might not know it.
Custodians
Raul Enriquez
After 32 years as head custodian, Raul Enriquez’ favorite part of the job remains the same: the people.
“I like my crew,” Enriquez said. “I love the kids. I like to see [students] succeed and grow.”
Being part of the San Gabriel community runs in Enriquez’ family. His mother was a teacher’s aide at McKinley Elementary and Jefferson Middle School, and his two sons graduated from Gabrielino High School.
“I’ve been here so long, I’ve seen generations,” Enriquez realized. “The first kids that were here have their kids, and they come back and say, ‘Hey, my father or my mother remembers you’. That’s a good feeling.”
Gilberto Ramirez
Gilberto Ramirez applied for his custodian job at Gabrielino in 2007. His duties consist of campus beautification and maintenance.
Students often fail to see the time and effort he and his colleagues put in cleaning each room.
“It takes an hour or two just to clean one restroom.” stated Ramirez.
Despite the difficulties, Ramirez loves his job. His favorite part is seeing the students grow.
“[I love] seeing students come back and seeing what they’ve become,” Ramirez said. “Some have become lawyers, doctors, and teachers.”
Ramirez describes himself as friendly and enjoys sharing his lighthearted jokes with students.
Michael Perretti
Michael Perretti is one of the many custodians who clean the school and can be seen working in the quad during lunchtime, offering trash cans to students so that they can conveniently throw away their napkins and containers.
“I care about the school and what it looks like, and we do hold a pretty good reputation for that,” Perretti said.
“We try to keep the school as clean as we can for the visual things that you see, instead of having trash all over the floor.”
Perretti says that his favorite part of his job is being able to go home at the end of the day.
Jesus Vasquez
Dedicated, hard-working, and passionate.
These words characterize custodian Jesus Vasquez. A custodian for six years at Gabrielino High School, Vasquez is an inspiring worker sectioned near the E building. He tackles four restrooms and various classrooms.
Initially, Vasquez was a student custodian for Gabrielino and later became a permanent worker a year after graduating high school. Vasquez worked at Roosevelt High School before coming to Gabrielino.
“He is a very good worker, always present,” stated Raul Enriquez, head custodian, “I’m glad to have him on our team.”
Frederick Littleton
One of the taller, more intimidating figures on staff, custodian Frederick Littleton is actually one of the most charismatic people at Gabrielino High School.
Keeping our school pristine since 2010, Littleton’s love of Gabrielino stems from its people. In addition to cleaning the school, Littleton shows his appreciation for students and staff through his actions. As one of his yearly traditions, Littleton has been giving gifts to three hard-working graduating seniors for the past four years. With nearly nobody knowing about this tradition, the action and lack of recognition really speak to Littleton’s character.
Carlos Torres
Carlos Torres has been working at Gabrielino for 6 years, with Gabrielino being the only school he has worked at.
Torres loves talking to students in sports during sixth period and getting to know them. In addition, he loves working around students and being around his fellow custodians.
Getting to know the students is his favorite part of his job and he requests that “students should pick up after themselves, because they usually don’t, and try to keep the restrooms clean because that’s the worst thing to clean.”
Joe Ortiz
Joe Ortiz is one of the custodians that makes sure the Gabrielino’s campus is kept clean.
Ortiz sanitizes classrooms, which is something that has become a more meticulous task during the pandemic. He also gives masks to students who need them.
Ortiz puts up posters for senior night and prepares for other school events. He said, “Sometimes we set up and kids don’t realize that we are doing it for them.” He hopes that students are able to appreciate and enjoy the benefits of classrooms that are well taken care of.
Security
Randell McNair
Security guard Randell McNair has been a part of Gabrielino since 2009, using his time to enforce school policies and ensure campus safety.
In the beginning of his career, McNair was also involved in theater at Gabrielino while working as staff.
“I played Jim in Huckleberry Finn,” he stated with a smile.
McNair’s favorite part about his job are the students and seeing them enjoy themselves.
McNair sees his younger self in students. He would like students to think of him as thoughtful and open.
“I was once your age,” Mc Nair said. “I understand where you’re coming from.”
Wes Licher
Working as a security guard since September, Wes Licher is one of the newest members on staff. Even though Licher is new, his face may be familiar to students at Gabrielino High School. As the coach of the boys freshman basketball team since 2013, “Coach Wes” has been a part of the Gabrielino family for several years now.
In fact, Licher helped coach the boys varsity basketball team to a league championship in the shortened 2020-2021 season. As a security guard, students often see Licher every morning directing traffic at the front of the school or watching school entrances during the school day.
Shalla Rubalcava
Working as a security guard for 14 years here at Gabrielino High School, Shalla Rubalcava has truly seen it all. Before the pandemic, the usual day for Rubalcava included getting to school at 7 a.m., setting up and taking down cones during the morning rush, and monitoring the school throughout the day along with the front gate to make sure school rules are being followed. Rubalcava worked in the kitchen for food service before becoming a security guard.
In her free time, Rubalcava enjoys reading books and spending time with her grandchildren, along with having fun at Disneyland.
Tech Support
William McCarthy
William McCarthy can often be found tinkering with laptops and fixing the issues students and teachers face with their technology. Having joined the Gabrielino High School staff as Site Support Technician, McCarthy has spent close to two years working closely with Gabrielino’s technology.
While best known for tech support, McCarthy is responsible for numerous jobs behind the scenes, such as keeping inventory and testing faculty software.
“It’s a lot of work for one person, I’m the only person who looks after the computers on campus,” McCarthy noted with a small chuckle. “But I love helping people, and everyone seems to appreciate when they get something fixed.”
