Category: Meet The Staff

Dr. Avila: Preparing Students For The ‘Real World’

By Ariana Garcia & Leia Ortega

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.”

Ms. Connors Gets ‘Artsy’ At Pueblo

By Saul Arias & Aubrey Garcia

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.”

Welcome, Dr. Rosario Hutchings, To The ‘Hood’

By Natalie Salazar & Alicia Santa Cruz

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.”

Mr. Peek, Welcome To Pueblo!

By Estevan Alvarado & Adam Bonillas

Mr. Erik Peek joins Pueblo High School this 2023-24 school year as the new Earth and Space science teacher.

This will be Peek’s first year as an official teacher. Before being a classroom educator, he was a geologist, organizing papers and rock specimens. He was also an outdoor educator for troubled high school and middle school students.

“I just wanted to travel and take photos, and that eventually lead me here,” said Peek.

After four years of travel and photography, Peek began his studies at the University of Arizona to earn his Master’s in education—focusing on science. In one year, he earned his education degree.

“It’s never too late to change your mind about something,” Peek said. “Everybody should pursue what makes him or her happy, and for now, I’m very happy.”

Peek hopes to commit to being a PHS teacher for years to come, and he said that he is very impressed with all the different programs available for students.

“I am at least going to be here for two more years,” Peek said. “I would love to teach other subjects at Pueblo—maybe even photography. For now, I’m loving science.”

Ms. Ramirez Strikes Again: Becoming An Author

By Alexis Vargas

As a mother of two sons, a beloved teacher, and owner of Calle Coffee, Ms. Celisa Ramirez is now fulfilling her dream of being an author.

She said that her book is about grief and a certain club, and one enters this worst club in the world.

“When I was 17 years old, the day before my senior year of high school started, my mom unexpectedly passed away,” Ramirez said.

Since her loss, Ramirez has been moved to help those enduring a similar hardship in their life because it is what she feels she needed to do during that time.

“My new goal is to have my book written by the 20th anniversary of my mother’s death,” Ramirez said. “I’ve written part of it, but I still have to have my nana, who is a published author, read it because she’s my peer editor.”

Ramirez said that her students have been her biggest inspiration and a constant motivation to continue working on the project.

Over her years as a teacher, Ramirez said that she loves offering advice to her students who are lacking the confidence to begin their own aspirations.

Ramirez said, “You can be more than one thing. All the parts of you matter, even the parts that you are not very proud of. What happened to me wasn’t anything I wanted to happen, but I’m trying to make something positive from my own traumatic experiences.”

New Dean At PHS Receives ‘Big’ Welcome

By Jonathan Redondo

The 2023-24 school year is definitely a school year of “new hires” at PHS. One of the more than two dozen new faces to grace our campus is our new Dean of Students, Mr. Simon Arriola.

Coming from Austin, Tex., Arriola is bringing “big” plans from the state where everything is bigger. He oversees all disciplinary actions at Pueblo, focusing on keeping students productive and maintaining order on campus.

“If you aren’t in trouble, there’s a good chance you don’t know me,” Arriola said half-jokingly.

Arriola said his first impressions at Pueblo were positive.

“It was clear from my first few days at Pueblo that this great school has many diligent students, and they have multiple opportunities to be successful,” he said. “The sheer number of students hoping to graduate and move on in their next chapter of life is very impressive.”

He added that the College Preparatory Academy is one example of offering students big opportunities for success.

“I already feel like a Warrior,” Arriola said. “I’m excited about helping students strive for excellence and success.”