Support Staff – Page 3 – Pueblo High School

New Monitor Believes In Students’ Future

By Daniela Moreno

Pueblo High School Welcomes Monitor Rodrigo Cardenas — New Campus Monitor Rodrigo Cardenas

Mr. Rodrigo Cardenas, one of the newest additions to our Warrior Family, said he is very pleased to be working here at Pueblo as a monitor and looks forward to making a difference in our Warrior community.

Cardenas grew up in a small town in Sinaloa, Mexico, and he said that he learned to appreciate the small things in life—especially education.

“Enjoy it [education], and enjoy your high school to the fullest,” said Cardenas. “You have no idea how lucky you are to be at such a great school receiving this incredible education!”

Working in a high school has given Cardenas the ability to encourage students to not take school for granted but to take advantage of all it has to offer.

Cardenas, 22, plans to study criminology and eventually earn a degree in this field. He is going to enjoy being a monitor for as long as possible, but he does admit to having plans of grandeur.

“I didn’t want to be just another person,” said Cardenas, “I always wanted to make a difference.”

Thus far, Cardenas said that besides a few students giving him attitude, he has enjoyed his job immensely. He has been confused for a high school student himself, which he admitted can be a bit frustrating.

He added that he truly cares about Pueblo’s students and wants them, above all, to value their educational opportunities.

Cardenas said, “Our students’ minds are capable of so many great things.”

Welcome, Mr. Montaño!

By Lauren Ahern and Nayeli Sanchez

This semester, Pueblo has gained a new assistant principal, Mr. David Montaño, after Mr. Joel Bacalia accepted a position at University High School. Although the school year is half over, Montaño said that he is very excited to be a “whole part” of Pueblo in 2016.

Although Montaño was born in California, he has lived in Tucson for nearly 45 years and attended the University of Arizona, earning his degree in social studies. His professional career has been very eclectic; he has taught at Maxwell Middle School as well as Naylor (K-8) as a social studies teacher. His focus shifted to administration, which led him to Cholla High School, Palo Verde High School, Rincon High School, Secrist Middle School… and now Pueblo.

New Assistant Principal David Montaño Talking To Pueblo Students At Lunch — New Assistant Principal David Montaño talking to Pueblo students at lunch

“Oh, it’s [Pueblo] beautiful!” said Montaño. “Pueblo is such a wonderful family. Once I got here, I felt accepted, and I wasn’t nervous at all.”

Montaño’s responsibilities and duties as an assistant principal include freshman discipline (with last names beginning with “M” through “Z”), developing and improving curriculum, summer school, testing and data.

He added that his professional responsibility is to support students and especially our teachers. Above all, Montaño wholeheartedly wants to help students to believe that they can change to make the school a better place.

“We are all unique, and we should all have self-confidence. We make a difference in someone’s life,” he said.

Montaño believes that he will be at Pueblo for “a long time”, and he hopes that his legacy will be to have known in his heart that he helped students to believe that they truly can achieve their dreams.

Youth On Their Own Shelters Warriors

By Sandra Iniguez

YOTO, also known as Youth On Their Own, was established in 1986 by Ann Young at Amphitheater High School in hopes of helping homeless teens. This program was made possible with the help of local churches, local foundations and many concerned citizens in Pima County.

Today, YOTO continues to help financially unstable students who are invested in academics. Pueblo’s Learning Support Coordinator, Ms. Veronica Vironet, who has worked with YOTO for three years described the way the program has grown throughout the years.

“Today we are doing a better job of promoting the program and giving more recognition to its purpose and what it does to help students,” said Vironet.

Veronica Vironet - Learning Support Coordinator — Veronica Vironet – Learning Support Coordinator

Due to higher recognition, the program has increased in student numbers in recent years.

“This year alone [2015] there are already 22 students in the YOTO program,” said Vironet, “and applications are still coming in.”

She added that the program provides financial aid to the students who are enrolled at Pueblo. This includes a stipend for satisfactory grades [A’s and B’s] and regular daily attendance.

This stipend helps students with the money they require for paying bills and/or sports or club enrollment. Besides providing financial assistance, YOTO also offers a food pantry and access to a clothing bank.

“The only requirement that students need to verify to be in this program is to prove that they are living away from their parents through no fault of their own,” Vironet said.

She said that her door is always open in the main office and that she will walk students through the process of applying for YOTO, which is now exclusively completed on-line. (www.yoto.org)

Pueblo Welcomes SRO Berube

By Noreli Marquez

Pueblo SRO Ana Berube Tucson Police — SRO Ana Berube glad to be at Pueblo

You have probably seen her—Ms. Ana Berube, Pueblo’s new resource officer. Pueblo is one of nine schools that received a grant from the Arizona Department of Education to have a school resource officer, and if Officer Berube has her way, she will be staying for a while—at least three years, she said.

Berube, a graduate of the U of A, has a bachelor in fine arts. She worked two years in the crime scene unit and as a D.U.I. patrol officer at night for seven years.

“I witnessed a bad [car] accident which made me switch gears to become a patrol officer in D.U.I enforcement,” said Berube.
Berube no longer patrols because her sole assignment is to be a school resource officer at Pueblo High School, from Tuesday to Friday, and she is enjoying interacting with students and staff.

“I was told that Pueblo would be a horrible school and that I shouldn’t be here,” said Berube. “That negative perspective about Pueblo is way off.”

Berube does admit that her job can be a bit stressful, so she makes time to relax—and she finds that in baking. Earlier this school year, she committed to enrolling in a culinary school in Canada for two months.

Berube said, “When I returned from [culinary] school, I found my office door decorated with flowers to welcome me back—all of those negative stereotypes about Pueblo are definitely false.”