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PALOS VERDES HIGH SCHOOL - ISSUE 1, VOLUME 27 - OCTOBER 7, 2022
Who’s New? Introducing New Administration, Counselors, Staff Members
By Luka Ardon and Chloe Choi centerspread editors
As an already beloved member of the Sea King family, Dane Hill needs no introduction. From PVHS student to soccer coach to history and AVID teacher, he is now taking on a new role: Associate Principal. Before this year, he was both a teacher and the AVID coordinator. Hill believes his experience as the AVID coordinator set him up perfectly for the promotion to an administrative role. Fulfilling all of these roles, Hill has proven to be one of the most influential figures on this campus.
Jason Ito is our second new Associate Principal. He has never shied away from being the leader of a group. In high school, he was the captain of the football team and ASB president. He believes the reason he taught and coached for a long time was because of his heart for serving. Ito also works well in a team. Now, with Principal Trista Ramirez and co-Associate Principal Hill, Ito hopes to build relationships with students and make PVHS an inclusive, welcoming place for all.
Ashley Hughes isn’t completely new; she joined the PVHS staff as a teacher mid-last year and has enjoyed her time here at PVHS with her students. She graduated from Peninsula High School and had to adjust from learning in a regular schedule to teaching in a block schedule. After graduation, Hughes went to college to be a nurse. She decided it wasn’t for her and started coaching, where she realized that her passion was working with kids. Her goal here is to help students reach their full potential.
Kimberly Gill, former counselor at Rancho Del Mar High School, is PVHS’s new A-C counselor. Gill loves working with kids in an accessible environment. Gill’s number one piece of advice to students is “don’t freak out” when faced with a problem. She believes that “life is a series of problem solving activities.” Gill recommends students to relax then try and solve their problems in creative ways. As a counselor, Gill hopes to see as many students as possible to help guide them through school to shape them into better people, not just better students.
Annie Yu is Chinese-American, originally from the Bay Area, who has been a counselor for three years. Yu enjoys being a counselor because there’s a lot of relationship building with a variety of students and staff. “Just from working with my coworkers, my counseling team and the administration, [I feel that] it’s a very collaborative space that I really like,” she said. Yu’s short term goal is to become acquainted with the school community and systems, while her long term goal is to establish relationships with students and parents of all types at school.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Donna Wanner received her BS in computer science and began her career working for a software company. She quickly realized that working in front of a computer all day was taking a toll on her, and subsequently decided to take a risk and pursue a teaching credential. She decided to work at PVHS because she loved the school’s reviews and the close proximity to the ocean. Wanner’s long-term goals are to help students achieve their academic goals and to sponsor a couple of clubs to contribute to PVHS’s vibrant school community.
Stanford Admissions Officer Sheds Light on Admissions Process By Amber Chen editor-in-chief “I think we’re doing students a disservice if we admit students who say, like ‘I didn’t sleep at all this week in order to get [my application done].’ If we hear that, I think that’s almost a red flag… We would definitely be contributing to the problem if we were advocating for students to lose sleep and sacrifice all these things,” Stanford admissions officer Rielly Wieners said. “Balancing mental health and schoolwork is so important. We want students to come to Stanford, or go [to
whichever school], and be happy and able to engage in the community, instead of just working all the time.” Just like the students writing their college essays, the admissions counselors on the other side of the application process are thoughtful, multifaceted people as well. With silver piercings and sleeves of tattoos, Wieners (she/ they) presents a different image than whom most students picture when they hear the word “admissions officer.” Beyond her outward appearance, Wieners also introduces a distinctive perspective to Stanford’s undergraduate admissions office. “I was [a] first generation, low-income [student] myself,”
Wieners said. “I was an athlete— I played softball— so I was leaning towards coaching. I also have always loved writing, so I was hoping to write, or do communication in some way, maybe journalism. No one really goes into admissions thinking, ‘this is definitely something I want to do.’ It’s just a way to apply different skills.” Wieners first became interested in working as an admissions counselor after hearing from a friend employed at Amherst College’s admissions office, consequently realizing that it would be an impactful way to “reach diverse groups of students and push back oppressive social structures.”
See page 5 for more exclusive information from Stanford Admissions!