Jette Tankersley
Jette Tankersley was newly assigned to teach modified math and special education at PRHS. Tankersley said she is very passionate about her job because she sees opportunity in all students. She said she wanted to teach these two subjects because she enjoys helping people in need.
“I really care about kids, I care about education and I care about quality. I really like all students so there's not really a student I've ever had that I couldn't get along with and I just want them to know I'm here if they ever need anything,” said Tankersley.
Tankersley grew up in Lockwood, CA and she moved to Lake Nacimiento three years ago from Monterey County. Some hobbies of hers include: spending time with her dog, spending time with her husband, and visiting friends in Ventura, CA. Her inspiration was acquired from her Aunt Audrey who was also a special education teacher. Tankersley believes in the importance of helping wherever she can because growing up she had a lack of services. When she moved from her hometown, she discovered all the possibilities and it inspired her to help others.
Haley Talbert
Haley Talbert is the new English 1 teacher. She says she plans to bring life to the freshman classroom.
“I love teaching Freshmen because there is so much fresh energy, excitement, and possibility in the first year of high school,” Talbert said.
She recently moved from Orange County to San Luis Obispo and is finishing up her Master’s degree in English from Cal Poly. An interesting fact about Talbert is she is a cat mom to her three cats: Todd, Cecilia Margot, and Olivia June. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and exploring nature.
Sophia Anderson
Sophia Anderson is a new English 2 and AP Literature teacher on campus. She obtained her Master's Degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo which qualified her to become an AP teacher. Anderson moved to Paso Robles in August of 2021 from San Luis Obispo. She lived in San Luis Obispo for three years and during her time in SLO, she wrote her credentials and acquired her Master's Degree. She moved to Paso Robles to get to know the community and become involved. In Anderson's free time she enjoys hanging out with friends and going on hikes.
Anderson said her inspiration came from her English teachers in high school and her professors in college. She fell in love with literature and knew she wanted to become a teacher when she applied her knowledge in a tutoring center.
“I knew I really wanted to be a teacher after I worked in the tutoring center at Cal Poly because at first, I didn't know if I wanted to teach but it was like working with those students that made me like it a lot,” Anderson said.
Marisa Scoggins
Marisa Scoggins is a new English teacher at PRHS. Scoggins grew up in Corona, CA in Riverside County and attended UCSB. She said she considers Santa Barbara her home since she lived there for 10 years. She moved to San Luis Obispo this year and makes a commute to Paso Robles every school day. In her free time, she says she enjoys going outside and going to music shows.
Scoggins wants students to know she enjoys teaching her students more than she enjoys teaching her subject. She believes it's important to like the people she is working with and her goal is to help students get to a goal rather than just, do work.
“I teach English because I feel really strongly that if you can articulate what you want, you're better at getting it. So to me, it's really important that students know how to read, write and speak because if you can't articulate your goals, you're more likely to get hurt,” Scoggins said.
Zoe Valadez
Zoe Valadez teaches Expository Reading and Writing on campus because she believes it allows students to express themselves through the English language.
“I feel it is so important that everyone finds their voice and English is a wonderful way to do that. It allows you to explore various subjects while growing and cultivating your own thoughts and ideas; while learning to put them together, so when you go to share them you are heard, taken seriously, and open doors to different opportunities,” Valadez said.
Valadez grew up in Riverside, California, and recently moved to Paso Robles to be closer to her parents who currently live in Cambria, California. At Riverside Poly Highschool, she was a swim and water polo coach for seven seasons. When she attended high school as a student she played water polo, and she and her team were the first to win girls’ water polo CIF at her alma mater. Valadez said she enjoys reading, baking, walking her dogs, and attending sporting events in her free time.
Kolby Wagner
Kolby Wagner is a new Algebra 1 and Algebra 1A teacher. She said she has wanted to be a math teacher ever since her freshman year in high school.
“I have always loved helping people and enjoyed math,” Wagner said.
Wagner is originally from Orange County and moved to Paso Robles in 2020. She studied abroad in Italy for a year when she was in college and throughout her studies, she learned how to speak Italian. In high school and college, she learned how to speak Spanish for 5 years. Previously, she taught middle school math at Sequoia Middle School and high school math at Pacific Palisades High School. In her free time, she enjoys embroidering, cross-stitch, paddleboarding, and surfing.
Chris Lopez
Chris Lopez is a new PE 2 and PE 1 teacher at PRHS. Lopez grew up in Dinuba, CA, and went on to play college basketball at Reedley college. He graduated from Fresno State with a Bachelors’s Degree in Kinesiology. Lopez came to Paso Robles and began teaching at Lewis Middle School. He said in his free time, he enjoys reading books, playing video games, traveling, and playing basketball.
Codie Wilshusen
Codie Wilshusen teaches physical education and beginning dance at PRHS. Wilshusen is a bearcat alumnus and graduated from PRHS in 2017 then attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. She graduated from Cal Poly in June of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. Wilshusen started back at school to work towards a Masters of Art in Education and her teaching credentials. Outside of teaching, she said she enjoys pole vaulting and attending track meets. Some hobbies of Wilshusens include coaching track and field, cheer, and gymnastics. She said she enjoys sports, spending time at the lake with friends and family, and taking vacations to tropical and historic locations. She is looking forward to helping all her students reach their fitness goals and encourage them to exercise outside of class.
“Being physically fit is a huge passion of mine and I really enjoy getting to share that with others and help them learn how to live a healthy and active lifestyle,” Wilshusen said.
Erica Diaz
Erica Diaz is newly assigned to be an ARC room teacher. She recently moved to San Luis Obispo County and is loving the area. Diaz is a former history teacher. She said history has always been a passion of hers but becoming an ARC room teacher brings her much excitement. She said she is ready for the adventure because she wants to be the support for students in need.
“I really enjoy working with students who sometimes need extra support and guidance,” Diaz said.
A few hobbies of hers include traveling, reading, and being outdoors. She said she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dog Evy.
Joseph Sanchez
Joseph Sanchez was newly appointed to be a teacher of the building trades in the CTE department. Previously he was a special education teacher at PRHS since 2018. Before Sanchez became a teacher he was a construction worker for 13 years. He always wanted to become a teacher so he began by taking classes at Cuesta and then transferred to Cal Ply to obtain his degree in Liberal Studies and a Credential in Special Education and Masters in Education. Sanchez said he enjoyed teaching special education but finds excitement in using his past work experiences to mentor students who are interested in the building trades.
Sanchez grew up in Cayucos, CA, and attended high school at Coast Union. He has been married for 10 years, he has two children and another on the way and on his weekends he enjoys going to the beach or going to the golf course.
Janice Bryant
Cesar Barajas
Cesar Barajas was appointed to be the new EL counselor. Job duties of his include: teaching students how to overcome challenges, teaching students positive coping skills, teaching students about graduation requirements, ways of getting into college, and possible career choices. Barajas hopes to prepare students for success.
“I teach these skills to prepare students to be successful in high school and after graduating high school,” Barajas said.
Barajas is a first-generation college student and his parents immigrated from Mexico to give his family of six a better life. A few hobbies of his include: hiking, going to the gym, traveling, going to concerts, and reading self-development books.
Christopher Phillips
Christopher Phillips is a first-year teacher of freshman reading, US history, and directive studies or study halls classes at PRHS and. These positions were assigned to him because he doesn't have a specific subject he was assigned to but he spreads himself out to help wherever he can.
Phillips was born and raised in King City and he makes an hour commute from King City to Paso Robles every day. In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach, going outdoors and enjoys waiting and playing sports, and doing activities with my family. His inspiration to become a teacher came from his dad who was also a teacher.
“I just have been around education my whole life and it was something that I really enjoyed watching, as I was growing up,” Phillips said.
Credits:
Serenity Wulfing