Growing up you frequently experience having a buddy of some kind, whether it was fourth grade buddies in elementary school, 8th grade mentors in middle school, or linkcrew leaders freshman year. The buddy system isn’t just used towards young kids, UAHS teachers experience something very similar. Upper Arlington school’s Peer Assistance Specialist Kristin Bugnitz, works with new staff members to make sure they feel comfortable and welcomed. Bugnitz explains that teachers use a system very similar to the well known “buddy system.”
“There is a general district mentor… [which means] we will pair you with someone who works in your building… they would reach out to you over the summer to welcome you, answer questions… and they hopefully will be able to attend the two day new staff orientation with [their buddy],” Bugnitz said.
Throughout the year the buddies will stay in touch with check ups to ensure support. More than 12 new staff members are at the high school this year, and it’s important students and teachers learn more about them. Get to know four of the new teachers as they share a little about themselves.
New language arts teacher Maxwell Orr grew up in Pickerington and first started teaching in Marysville. Growing up, Orr was a very involved student.
“I ran cross country, and I was the captain of the wrestling team and the president of the German club,” Orr said. “I worked part time at Kroger…I took AP classes and did two sports, so that accounted for pretty much all of my time.”
As an adult, Orr has found new ways to stay active outside the classroom.
“I play disc golf almost every weekend at courses all over central Ohio,” Orr said.
Since joining the district of Upper Arlington, Orr has had a positive experience.
“The students, frankly, have been fantastic, really polite, great communicators and extremely compliant,” Orr said. “Most importantly my colleagues here have been overwhelmingly supportive and very helpful.”
Brittany Bryan, a new science teacher at UAHS, surprisingly didn’t like science in high school. Instead, she enjoyed other activities such as sports.
“I played tennis, doubles with my friend, and I also played volleyball and softball,” Bryan said. “The Wii came out when I was in high school, so we would play ‘Just Dance’ all the time.”
Now, instead of playing sports, Bryan enjoys reading.
“So far I’ve read 45 books this year,” Bryan said. “I am [in] book clubs with my friends.”
As hard as it was to leave her old school, Bryan enjoys UAHS so much she described it like a movie.
“All my students are very kind and respectful and I just enjoy coming to work everyday, I really really like it here,” Bryan said.
New science teacher Emma Zglinicki really enjoys teaching at UAHS. She previously taught in Cleveland at an all girls school for three years. When Zglinicki was in high school she earned her IB diploma and did ballet for sport. Not only was Zglinicki a student athlete but she enjoyed baking.
“I had a baking business when I was in grad school, so I made cakes out of my house,” Zglinicki said. Her baking business became a staple in her life after she made the cover of a Westerville magazine.
“My students at my last school, one time they asked me, ‘what’s baking bad’ because that was the [name of] the magazine,” Zglinicki said.
Zglinicki never saw herself as a teacher but when college gave her the opportunity to teach at a preschool she found an interest to teach science. Teaching at UAHS has been nothing but a positive experience for Zglinicki.
“[The high school] is great, definitely much bigger. I like all the kids, and it’s different teaching just girls to boys and girls,” Zglinicki said.
Eneko Dillenberger, a first year science teacher, grew up not far from UA and graduated from Dublin Jerome. If Dillenberger wasn’t a science teacher, he would instead be interested in teaching orchestra as he has been involved since childhood.
“I’ve played the violin since I was two and a half, so I was a part of the chamber orchestra. I didn’t do much sports, I was more of a book worm,” Dillenberger said.
Dillenberger recently graduated and high school was very similar for him, but he still noticed a few differences since becoming a teacher.
“I think that there’s more of a push for students’ well-being than there used to be when I was in school,” Dillenberger said. “Especially in this building, teachers and counselors are keeping good tabs on how students are doing emotionally.”
Dillenberger doesn’t just enjoy the violin, but recently has spent more time outside.
“[This past summer] I did a whole bunch of hiking and climbing. I was all over Ohio… [at] Hocking Hills [and in middle] of nowhere Ohio to go camping,” Dillenberger said.
Teaching at UAHS has made the hard work Dillenberger put in college seem worth it.
“[The high school] is amazing, it’s the dream job, I am very happy,” Dillenberger said. “In 30 something years I would hope to retire from UA, that’s my goal.”
