Pueblo High School welcomes recent University of Arizona graduate Mr. Oliver Yizukoni as the new French teacher for the 2023-24 school year.
Yizukoni was born in Ghana, Africa, and graduated from Bolgatanga (aka “Big Boss Senior High School”). After 30 years in his native country, he came to the United States to complete his master’s degree in French and to begin a teaching career soon thereafter.
“Growing up in Ghana, I was able to learn multiple languages such as English, French, Twi, Talen, Dagbani and Grune,” said Yizukoni.
He first taught French to adults for nine years at the U of A before deciding to teach at the high school level. After four months into the school year, Yizukoni said that he loves his job, his students and has already made a commitment to stay as long as possible.
“I learned early on how much I loved teaching,” Yizukoni said. “When I was in the seventh and eighth grades, I really enjoyed helping my classmates with their work. I think I knew then how much I loved teaching.”
After several years of not having more than Spanish as a foreign language choice at Pueblo, Yizukoni said that he is glad to fill the “void”.
“I want my students to write and eventually speak fluent French,” Yizukoni said. “I wish my students the best as they learn a new language because I know how difficult it can be.”
Earlier this month, Pueblo High School seniors took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB). Some may ask what the ASVAB is and why students are required to take it. The ASVAB, although administered by the military, is a test that measures students’ strengths and weaknesses for potential future success in verbal, math, science, and technical, and spatial domains.
The ASVAB, first introduced in 1968 and adopted by all branches of the military in 1976, is used to rank the best categories for occupational and academic success in the military. This, however, does not mean that students are signing up to be in the military. The ASVAB can help with placing students in the different military branches. Here at Pueblo High School, College and Career Center director Dr. Avila is hoping that the test will help seniors further expand their career exploration. The better students’ ASVAB results are, the broader students’ career options become available.
The ASVAB is currently offered at 14,000 schools and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) nationwide. The test is offered, developed, and maintained by the Defense Department. The ASVAB has two scores. One score determines if students are eligible to join the military; students will need to score 31 to enlist; the second score, “a line score”, determines a student’s job eligibility in 10 different categories. The ASVAB also helps students with their test-taking skills by using critical thinking skills and common test skills of answering every question as they have a 25% chance of getting the answer correct.
The ASVAB helps seniors explore not only career options but also steers them in a direction they didn’t know they could have. Many Pueblo students are often lost after graduating high school. They feel lost in the sense that they feel a college or university is not an option for them. The ASVAB, however, opens new options for them as now they feel a new path has opened. Joining the military can give students a sense of belonging and accomplishing a goal for themselves and their country after completing high school.
Although, many students find it “stupid” or “useless” to take the ASVAB, requiring seniors to take the test should not make them feel that it is a punishment. Instead, students should keep an open mind about ASVAB because it offers students another opportunity for test taking skills. It opens opportunities to students considering the military and preparing these students for this path with their ASVAB results. Pueblo wants to open newer opportunities to students in career opportunities and military options.
In fact, many countries require their students to serve from one to four years, and they all require some version of a military test to place them in the corresponding branch of government. Here in the United States, the ASVAB helps students realize their strengths and weaknesses which helps them within their futures. The ASVAB also helps Pueblo’s overall “grade”; currently, Pueblo earned a “B” for the first time in its history, so students should feel the need to take the test as a duty to give back to their community.
If students are interested in taking the ASVAB, and if they missed the original testing date, there will be other opportunities to take the test in the spring. Please support your Pueblo community and yourself by taking the ASVAB. Students should see Mr. Avila or their counselor for more information.
Among the nearly two dozen new teachers and staff members joining the Pueblo High School family this year, math teacher Mr. Collin McCauley is enthusiastic about sharing his love of his subject to students.
“I’ve always been good at math—ever since I can remember,” McCauley said. “As a first-year teacher, I’m hoping to help my students reach their full potential.”
Even after just a few months at Pueblo, McCauley said that being a part of the Warrior community makes him feel at home.
“This is definitely a school with a lot of culture,” he said.
McCauley said that he was influenced by his own math teachers growing up.
“These [math] teachers were true role models in my life,” he said.
McCauley said that he is looking forward to being the head coach of Pueblo’s JV basketball team.
“With my love of sports, I want to create an environment that is safe and fun and help the team reach their full potential,” McCauley said.
He added, “I want to feel like everything I do at Pueblo is important to my students and team members.”
For the past year, Dr. Manuel Avila, Pueblo’s College and Career Readiness Coordinator, helps to ensure that students have the necessary tools to succeed after high school, no matter how grand or how modest their goals.
Coming to the U.S. from Mexico about 20 years ago, Avila decided to become a classroom teacher. After 18 years in the classroom, Avila pursued and completed a degree in law at the James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating in May 2022.
He decided to return to education and to use his training in law to make a difference in students’ lives.
“I always thought that education is the foundation of any society in all aspects,” Avila said.
One of his primary objectives is to help students properly complete their college applications and their financial aid information. He is also instrumental in helping students attend workshops and college and career fairs.
“I encourage and invite all students to visit me if they don’t have plans for their post-high school lives,” Avila said. “I would be glad to help them explore their future careers together.”
He added that students can schedule an appointment to see him on the Pueblo website—on the same page as students would schedule an appointment with their counselors. They can also view scholarships and dates/locations for college and career fairs.
Avila said, “I want to build trust first with students and to let them know that there is, indeed, a College and Career Center at Pueblo—to advocate for themselves in order to help them with successful futures.”
Pueblo High School welcomes Ms. Margaret Connors as a part of its community starting the new school year as a visual arts teacher.
Connors may be a new Warrior, but she has been teaching for 21 years, initiating her career as a private art and fitness teacher at her home studio.
She continued her teaching career at Valencia Middle School for five years.
Besides instilling her love of art to her students, Connors said that she plans to help them apply for colleges and to help them earn scholarships.
“From the very beginning [at Pueblo], I feel that this is my community, and I feel like I’m a part of it all,” Connors said. “I hope to be here for a while.”
She added, “I’ve always loved teaching, and I know that this chapter of my teaching career will be wonderful.”
Newly hired teacher, Dr. Rosario Hutchings, comes to Pueblo this school year as a curriculum service provider/teacher supporter. She will help teachers having challenges with their teaching methods and learning objectives.
Hutchings, who comes from East Los Angeles, said that she had early ambitions of becoming an electrical engineer, but her plans changed when she became an assistant teacher.
“My identity early on was to be a teacher, and I still believe that being part of education is my true calling in life,” said Hutchings.
Hutchings said that she gladly accepted this position at Pueblo because she wanted an opportunity to help teachers and to show how much she cares about the PHS community.
“I want to ensure that teachers are doing the right things regarding their curriculum and to let them know that I truly care about their roles in the classroom,” she said.
Hutchings added, “I like that Pueblo High School is in ‘the hood’,” she said, “and I say ‘hood’ with great affection. People say ‘ghetto’ and ‘hood’ like they’re a bad thing—and that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
