Whether guiding students through the intricacies of pre-calculus, organizing school assemblies or mentoring her advisees, Upper School Mathematics Teacher Celeste Gonzalez has made a lasting impact on the Poly community over the past five years.
During her time at Poly, Gonzalez brought clarity and compassion to the classroom. She guided students through several of Poly’s rigorous math classes, including Advanced Algebra and Pre-Calculus (AAPC), Functions, Trigonometry, and Advanced Algebra (FTAA) and Statistics in Action.
Gonzalez reflected, “The realization students have when they really understand something and just feel that fulfillment makes me really happy.”
“Ms. Gonzalez’s constant support, both within and beyond the classroom, reflects an underlying patience infused throughout her teaching style,” said sophomore Mia Chang, a student in Gonzalez’s AAPC class. “She cares about each one of her students, and that is evident within the genuine effort she embraces in every class.”
“Some of my favorite memories with Gonzalez were the ‘Ted Talks we’d have about both work and personal life,” shared Upper School Mathematics Teacher Manuel Davila. These conversations, filled with honesty and heart, demonstrate the empathy and understanding Gonzalez brings to her relationships at Poly.
Beyond academics, Gonzalez has played a vital role in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program. As a faculty advisor for the Latines Unides affinity group, she has helped to organize the annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, empowering students and fostering cultural pride.
“I have a really deep care for social justice work and really ensuring that everyone has accessible education that is open to various different ways of thinking about math,” Gonzalez explained.
Next year, Gonzalez plans to start working towards her dissertation at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The Poly community wishes her the best as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.
For three years, Upper School History Teacher Norman Frazier has been an invaluable member of the Poly community, bringing his passion for teaching to Perspectives on Modern World History, African-American History, International Relations, City of Angels and the rhetoric and Jumpstart programs.
“One of my favorite parts of being a history teacher is working with tenth graders on their research papers… It’s really fun to see the students get quite passionate about their topic,” shared Frazier. “As a teacher, I really enjoy helping students have a better understanding of the world around them … I’m able to support them in learning that everything has a history, and that’s something that’s really important to me.”
Frazier has also supported students in his role as the coordinator of Poly’s public speaking program, which encompasses Debate, Moot Court, and Mock Trial. “Mr. Frazier travels with us in person, going to different states, and spends a lot of his time on the weekends just supporting the team,” noted sophomore debater Kara Kang, “He gave a lot to the extracurricular activities such as Moot Court [and] debate for years.”
“Giving students the chance to go and compete and do well, seeing the enjoyment of the gift from that is really, really satisfying,” Frazier added, “Poly has not only a close community on campus, but also among the greater Pasadena area [and] among alumni. Poly students really care and love for one another, and that’s really beautiful to see.”
At the end of this school year, Frazier will return to the East Coast to finish his PhD in Modern European History at Brown University. As he continues onward, the Poly community extends their gratitude to Frazier for his contributions and wishes him the best on his educational journey.
Upper School Science Teacher Victoria Gresbach departs from the Poly community after two productive years of teaching freshman Integrated Science and sophomore Chemistry.
Gresbach has become a beloved presence in the Upper School community, known for her dedication and engaging approach to teaching.
Freshman Abe Coher, a student in her Integrated Science class this year, stated, “Ms. Gresbach was an amazing teacher who helped me understand scientific concepts, and she was very kind to a multitude of students. I believe that she did a great job of not only teaching us, but also directing us in our scientific journeys.”
“She’s such a good teacher, and she takes her job so seriously,” added sophomore Tara Parsa, a member of Gresbach’s Chemistry class. “She cares so much about her students, and she always gives personal examples to make sure that we understand.”
Gresbach provided an environment in the classroom setting that fostered inclusivity and passion, encouraging students to think beyond topics discussed in class and ask real-world questions.
“I feel when teaching ninth and tenth grade, the goal is to try to get [them] to be curious, and when that happens, it’s really fun to see,” Gresbach said, “I really enjoy when my previous students come to visit me as I like feeling that I get to be a part of [their] lives at Poly and not just in the classroom.”
The Poly community will miss Gresbach’s kindhearted and committed spirit as she embarks on a new chapter.
After a year of teaching Upper School Mandarin II classes, Upper School World Languages Teacher Cheyanne Yao will bid Poly farewell this June.
Yao wore many hats before coming to Poly, including teaching, novel writing, and filmmaking. She has lived in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco, among other cities.
“Three years ago I decided not to come back to school any more, but I did because I missed some students in my previous school in San Francisco,” Yao explained.
This year, she has brought her enthusiasm for teaching to freshmen, sophomores, and Juniors in the Mandarin II program as well as helping to organize the annual Lunar New Year celebration.
“In my Mandarin class, people came in with various levels of knowledge,” shared freshman Ben Brady. “She definitely tried to adapt, and she was always very flexible.”
“She’s a very genuine person… she’s always willing to help out in any way,” shared Upper School World Languages Teacher Lois Chung, Yao’s colleague in the Mandarin department. “We’re a good team in the sense that we have differences and complement each other to make the program stronger.”
In the future, Yao hopes to travel while she writes a new novel, which she says will be written from a male perspective and feature dark humor.
Yao described her writing process, sharing, “When I’m writing, I change my whole energy. Every day all my cells are active, I know I am living.” She added, “When I’m traveling, my mind is full of my plots or language.”
The Poly community wishes her well on all of her future endeavors.
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