Category: Profile

Ms. Suarez given ‘Outstanding Teacher’ award and $10,000 prize

Ms. Suarez given ‘Outstanding Teacher’ award and $10,000 prize

By Gehenna N. “I feel so honored.” That’s what science teacher Ms. Michelle Suarez said when she was nominated for and given the award called “the Carlston Outstanding Teachers Of America” award. She was nominated by a former student of hers called Celeste G. who graduated back in 2018.  This award is only given to four teachers and Ms. Suarez was the youngest teacher to win it. “I feel so humbled and intimidated,” she shared. This is because teachers who have been nominated for the award have taught at least 20 to 30 years in their

Profile: Ms. Dorantes

Profile: Ms. Dorantes

By Xiomara A.   When Ms. Maria Dorantes was younger, she had to experience one of the hardest things in her life that nobody should have experienced at such a young age. Ms. Dorantes, a Spanish teacher at CATS, shared a personal story by explaining that one of the hardest things that had impacted the most in her life was her mom’s death. She said, “at the  age of 14, right when I started high school my mom passed away.” Not only impacted her personal life but also her academic one too by her starting to act

Mr. Monteon: Advisor for the Class of 2024

Mr. Monteon: Advisor for the Class of 2024

By Heyli G. Mr. Monteon is a graphic design teacher and most students will have him for at least one year out of their four years of high school. What most people don’t know, however, is that he is the senior advisor for the class of 2024 and it’s his first time being a class advisor.   Let’s take a look at his duties and responsibilities. Mr. Monteon goes with the flow when managing the senior class of 2024. He shared that, because there is no handbook or guide for how to do this, “This is

Profile: Photography Club

Profile: Photography Club

By Hector S. Everyone has a shot at photography – that’s the mission of the first photography club at Diego Rivera. Ms. Martinez, an English Language Development teacher and journalism teacher, started the club this year with the help of EduCare. Ms. Martinez, who taught photography at a Los Angeles non-profit called Las Fotos Project before becoming a teacher at CATS, reached out to Jaime Vega, the senior site coordinator for EduCare before the school year started. She said that she became interest in photography at a young age when her parents bought her a camera.

A “bittersweet” farewell to Mr. Romo

A “bittersweet” farewell to Mr. Romo

By Journalism 2 students: Xiomara A., Heyli G., Axel G., Salvador G., Ernesto H., Gehenna N., Omar R., Hector S. After six years of being at CATS and nine years at Diego Rivera Learning Complex, Mr. Rafael Romo is leaving. Mr. Romo, who was the senior site coordinator at the complex for the ACE initiative, said it was a “really hard decision to leave.” He explained that it wasn’t something he decided overnight. “For about 2 years it’s something that I’ve wanted to look for the next step for me so that I can grow professionally

Personal essay: My trip to the Philippines

Personal essay: My trip to the Philippines

By Heyli G. Going to the Philippines with my family was a once-out-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was something I never thought would happen.                       For the first week, we went to El Nido, Palawan. Palawan is a small island that took a 1-to 2-hour airplane ride and a 5-hour van ride to get there. In Palawan, for the first day we mostly spent it in the van ride and getting settled into the hotel. For the second to fourth day, we went island hopping. In island hopping, we

Profile: Why Mr. Martinez loves to travel

Profile: Why Mr. Martinez loves to travel

By Wendy G. “I think you learn a lot more by traveling than you do anywhere else,” said Mr. Benny Martinez, a 9th-grade English teacher. Mr. Martinez has traveled all over the United States and to El Salvador. What he likes about being able to travel is that “I get to explore brand-new places” and meet new people. He says that his most memorable trip is going to Yellowstone two years ago because it was a dream of his to go. He said, “I got to see a lot of things I never got to see

Profile: Leo the skateboarder

Profile: Leo the skateboarder

By Jennifer R. Skateboarding is a culture that allows people to learn a lot about themselves by encouraging freedom and risk taking. Leo, a sophomore at CATs, recalls one of his favorite memories as a skateboarder: feeling the wind against him as he rode down a ramp for the first time. “I was introduced to it (skateboarding) by my cousin. I’ve been skating for 10, 11 years now,” he said. Growing up, Leo was inspired by famous skateboarder, Tony Hawk, who he states is his ideal skating role model. Through these inspirations, he was able to

Goodbye, Mr. Jacobson

Goodbye, Mr. Jacobson

By Jimena R. Every journey comes to an end, and for Mr. Cody Jacobson this is true with his time as a math teacher at CATS. Throughout his many years here, he has helped a lot of students with their assignments and has shared his cool soundtrack music with them, too. Mr. Jacobson left mid-semester on parental leave due to his wife giving birth to a beautiful baby boy and he returned mid-April before officially leaving on May 12. Following his short leave, Mr. Jacobson shared that “My daily routine took a second to get back into, but

Profile: Did you know Ms. Maria is a twin?

Profile: Did you know Ms. Maria is a twin?

By Karen O. Everyone knows who Ms. Maria is the campus aide at CATS. What most people don’t know about Ms. Maria, however, is that she has an identical twin sister. Ms. Maria said, “We’re the oldest, but I’m older than her for 15 minutes and her name is Ana Maria.” She continued saying, “She has her personality, I have my personality, she’s more quiet and more conservative, I’m more a people person and we’re two different people.” Ms. Maria said they both like opposite things and they are different in their own ways. While they

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