New year, new staff!

2024-2025

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Brian Ma

Brian Ma is a new P.E. teacher at Washington High School. This is his first year teaching at both Washington and in general. Mr. Ma grew up in the diverse community of San Jose, California, and went to San Jose State University as a kinesiology major. This past spring, he got his master’s degree in teaching, and he student-taught last year as well. Mr. Ma is very passionate about tennis, and in his free time he coaches tennis outside of school. He also loves to go hiking. He likes to help the community by volunteering whenever he can, and tries his best to strike a balance between his work life and his social life. He chose to teach at Washington because the school felt like home for him. “I felt like the things they had provided in the school kind of aligned with my philosophy and what I wanted to do,” said Mr. Ma. “There were a lot of resources that were accessible for me, for P.E. specifically, so it was nice that this school had a different dynamic compared to other schools.” He is teaching P.E. because he’s always been passionate about it, and is also big on sports in general. Mr. Ma is looking forward to a great year at Washington High School!

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Austin Chen

Austin Chen is a new Algebra 1 and CC3 math teacher at Washington High School. This is his first year teaching, both at Washington and in general. Mr. Chen is from Fremont, and he attended Mission San Jose High School. He went to San Jose State University for both his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree, and this past spring he got his master’s degree in teaching. He also student-taught last year. Outside of school, track & field is a very big part of Mr. Chen’s life — he did track in both high school and college, and still likes to practice his high jumps and long jumps. He’s also a big fan of hiking, K-pop, Disney shows, and binge-watching Asian dramas. Being a Fremontonian himself, Mr. Chen chose to teach at Washington because he felt it had things that his alma mater, Mission San Jose, didn’t, such as better cultural diversity and more of a balance between academics and athletics. He chose to teach Algebra 1 because it is one of the most commonly failed high school classes throughout the country, and he wants to help kids with it. “I feel like as somebody whose age is close to the students, I have a strong grip on the reins — that is, relating to their culture and personal lives. They need somebody like that to make the subject relevant to their lives.” Mr. Chen is excited for a great first year at Washington High School!

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Don Tutass

Don Tutass is a new Core Support teacher at Washington High School. He grew up in El Cerrito, California, where he spent his elementary school to high school days. He went to many local junior colleges, doing athletics and working full-time, until he got a football scholarship to Dana College in Nebraska. After that, he came back to California to get his teaching credential. Mr. Tutass loves to be active, and he enjoys outdoor activities to get the adrenaline pumping. He coaches many sports, such as football and volleyball. Mr. Tutass has always worked in education and has been a paraprofessional in special education classrooms before, and he has also worked at sports facilities like the YMCA. He decided to teach at Washington because it gave him the opportunity to explore new communities and cultures here in the Bay Area. Mr. Tutass teaches Core Support because he finds that he is able to relate well with his students and work with them. “I feel like I can communicate ideas to them that they may not always be able to interpret themselves,” he said. “I feel it’s a good fit, as I know how to communicate with the student population and give them the support they need for their academics.” Mr. Tutass is looking forward to what his first year at Washington has in store for him!

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Jenesis Isezaki

Ms. Isezaki is one of the many new staff members at Washington High School this year. This is her first year as a college and career counselor and she can’t wait to guide students throughout their high school journey. Before being a college and career counselor, Ms. Isezaki was a teacher at two different charter schools. One was located in Hayward and the other was located in Boston, Massachusetts. Both of these schools were much smaller than Washington, allowing her to experience differences at this school not only in size, but in culture. In terms of students, Ms. Isezaki described everyone here as very welcoming and kind. She resonated a lot with them since she is also from the Bay Area. She grew up in Fremont, California and went to American High School. She is glad to be able to teach in the location where she grew up. She is also excited for student events such as spirit week. She is most excited for the senior skit, specifically because she loves “Teen Beach Movie.” In terms of goals set for this school year, she says, “I really want to help seniors and just all students in general to get peace of mind. I want them to know that in the end, everything will be okay regardless of where you go after high school.” In her free time, Ms. Isezaki enjoys watching shows and movies. Her favorite is “One Piece,” particularly because of the world building and development the show goes through. She also spends lots of her time in coffee shops, where you might find her when she is not at school.

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Laura Amador

Ms. Amador is the new art teacher at Washington High School. She originally taught at the Charles Armstrong school in Belmont for five years prior to Washington. As for her journey to becoming an art teacher, Ms. Amador went to Boston University for oil painting. She also had a love for art history which was her minor. From Boston, she moved to California and started working at museums. She worked at the de Young museum in San Francisco. At this museum, they started introducing tours and field trips which helped her realize she wanted to become an art teacher. Being a teacher isn’t uncommon in her family. “My mom was also a math teacher who retired as well as my grandmother,” she states. “It just feels like teaching is a huge part of my family.” Her hobbies besides art include playing soccer, cooking, traveling, and hiking with her new puppy. Some of the things she is looking forward to this school year are going to athletic events and supervising them. This is because she thinks sports are very important as she played soccer, basketball, and track growing up. She is also looking forward to seeing some music or theater performances. Ms. Amador would love to see all the talent the students here at Washington possess.

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Jungmok Yoon

Mr. Jung is the new transition counselor for Washington High School this year. However, he is currently filling in for Ms. Berino, as a counselor for students' with last names M through R. He will fulfill his position as a transition counselor next semester. He will be supporting students who may be at risk, or who are struggling at school because transitioning from middle school into high school is a big challenge. Before being a counselor, Jung used to be a math teacher for a year. But he realized that there was a lot more to supporting students that he didn't really know. So he wanted to go into the field of counseling to support students, not just academically but also socially and emotionally. His office hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, and every other Wednesdays at 8 am before school, Flex Time, lunch, and 15-30 minutes after school. Outside of school, Jung plays a lot of video games like League of Legends, Starcraft 2, and Dota. He prefers to listen to older Korean music such as ballads or anything else you would hear in a K-drama. As someone who used to be a college and career counselor, his best words of advice for seniors applying for colleges are, “Don't spread yourself too thin because you really should apply to colleges that you're genuinely interested in going to. You're just really wasting your time, paying money and spending time on something that you might not even get into or don't want to go to, even if you got accepted.”

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Alexis Nevarez

Ms. Nevarez is one of the new social studies teachers at Washington High School. She teaches Ethnic Studies, United States History, and World History. Not being a fan of math and science growing up, she decided to teach history because of how it deals with people in the real world. Growing up in Fremont, Nevarez attended Irvington High School and later went to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, from 2016 to 2021, to obtain a bachelors and masters degree. After graduating, she taught in Stockton for three years and later returned to Fremont to stay close to family. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her two chihuahua-mix dogs: Peach and Maya. Nevarez also loves listening to various audiobooks in her free time, such as One to Watch. Currently, she is reading It Happened One Summer. When it comes to music, she enjoys all genres, from rap to EDM to Pop (especially Taylor Swift). A comfort classic movie that Nevarez recommends is 13 Going on 30. Other things she likes to watch are the Great Food Truck Race and Master Chef with her husband. Now living closer to family, Nevarez often visits her husband's family for homemade Mexican food. Other times, she loves eating Japanese food at Satomi, off Stevenson.

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Connie Kadoma

Born and raised in Uganda, Connie Kadoma is a new Core Support teacher at Washington High School. Her passion for education began at an early age, when she used to do roleplays as a student and teacher. Initially guided by her father into accounting, she left Uganda in 1985 for higher education and she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Accounting from the University of Virginia after transferring from the University of Notre-Dame. However, her true calling to teaching came when she helped her own son overcome math challenges using manipulatives. This experience inspired her to support other students and led her to share her teaching techniques with his school. For many years, she worked as a parent helper, helping numerous students with diverse academic needs in the classroom to grasp math concepts in a different modality. Encouraged by her family and teachers, she pursued a career in education, obtaining multiple subject and special education credentials. After working in an investment bank in Washington, D.C. for 15 years, Kadoma relocated to Union City, CA, with her husband and two kids. It was there she discovered her passion for helping diverse learners, and she has since taught students from elementary to high school. Connie Kadoma says “I enjoy teaching core support the most because I love seeing the “aha” moments when students grasp various concepts.” Outside the classroom, Kadoma enjoys nature walks, hiking, and traveling, particularly to Hawaii. She dreams of one day teaching in an inner-city school in Hawaii. For this school year, her goal is to support students in developing resilience and a growth mindset as they tackle challenging subjects. Her goal for this school year is to support her students to finish strong in every subject they are struggling at. More importantly, she wants to ensure that students replace their attachment to their cell phones to socializing with peers.

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Chelsea Bustos

Chelsea Bustos is a new English 10 honors teacher at Washington High School. Born and raised in the Philippines, Bustos’s journey into teaching was shaped by the educators who believed in her and supported her through challenging times. Inspired by their guidance, Bustos now strives to create that same supportive environment for her students, especially those who, like her, are of the same background and may feel like they don’t belong. This year marks Chelsea Bustos’s first as an official full-time teacher, but she brings a wealth of experience to the classroom. She completed her student teaching at Albany Unified, where she worked primarily with freshmen. Additionally, she gained hands-on experience as a substitute and paraprofessional in the New Haven Unified School District, the same district where she attended school, graduating from James Logan High School. Bustos also earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC Berkeley, giving her a strong academic foundation. Bustos loves working with freshmen and enjoys building relationships with her students while making a positive impact on their educational journey. A unique part of her teaching approach is her enthusiasm for creating class slides, a time-consuming task she finds deeply satisfying. Her students would describe her as a food lover, as she shared her favorite restaurants, dessert places, and boba spots with them on the first day of school—creating an instant bond. Outside of school, Bustos enjoys trying new local restaurants and supporting small businesses. She is also passionate about traveling and aims to visit a new destination every summer with her partner. Chelsea Bustos says “Since it's my first year, I definitely just want to finish the school year ALIVE. Literally to just survive and for my students to have a memorable experience in my class, one that they will remember even after decades.”

Arya Khadilkar

Arya Khadilkar is a current senior at Washington High School and she has lived in Fremont her entire life. This is her second year working on The Hatchet and she is currently taking on the role as one of the Arts and Entertainment editors. Arya enjoys setting out around school and interviewing students and faculty members. When she’s not working on articles, you can see Arya dancing as Captain of Washington High School’s Bollywood dance team, working on DECA projects, editing videos, or reading books in her room. In the future, Arya hopes to achieve her goals of going to a college which she enjoys and studying business law.

Arjun Mathur

Arjun Mathur is a sophomore at Washington High School. He was born and raised in Fremont. This is his second year on the Hatchet, and this year, he’s one of the Features editors. He is the publicity director of Washington Speech and Debate, the secretary of Photography Club, and a member of the track and field team. Outside of school, Arjun enjoys writing, listening to music, photography, biking, and discovering more about the city he lives in. He is the founder of the Mission Peak Lookout, an online, student-run newspaper for Fremont. In the future, Arjun aspires to attend UC Berkeley, but he’s not sure about what he’ll major in yet.

Eunice Yang

Eunice Yang is a senior at Washington High School and grew up in Fremont. She may be new to journalism but is interested in writing articles highlighting Fremont's diverse community in the features section of The Hatchet. In her free time, Eunice crochets and knits while watching her favorite T.V. show Brooklyn 99. She even enjoys baking muffins and cookies for her family and friends. When it comes to future plans, Eunice wants to be a nurse to continue making her community a better place.

Muhammad Afzal

Muhammad Afzal is a current junior at Washington High School. He was born in Pakistan and moved to Fremont at the age of 7, and has lived here ever since. This is his first year at the Hatchet where he hopes to learn how to effectively conduct interviews and explore different writing styles. He is also a part of WHS DECA and Debate. Outside of school oriented things, the things he enjoys doing the most are spending time with family and friends, going out, spending time with animals (mostly cats), exploring nature, and sleeping. He hopes to attend a Top 5 UC school but is not fully sure about what he wants to major in.