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With the new school year comes new friends, new challenges, new uncertainties, and new staff. Every year NS loses amazing people, but there are always new additions to the staff. This year we have many new teachers and other staff members.
AUSTIN ISON
As a returned alumnus, Austin Ison has had the goal of coming back to NS to teach accounting to the students. This year he has the opportunity to fulfill that goal. In addition to being NS’s new accounting teacher, he is also an assistant volleyball coach.
“I think every teacher’s first year is a little bit challenging,” Ison said, “but it’s already been very rewarding.”
Ison is enthusiastic to see students continue to make progress in their learning throughout the rest of the school year. Although this is Ison’s first year teaching a course, he was a TA in Cami Hathaway’s room last year and has helped coach volleyball for five years. Ison is hoping to help get boys volleyball sanctioned in Utah and start a boys volleyball team at NS.
TARRA BLACKHURST
The newest front office secretary, Tarra Blackhurst is a returned NS alumna.
“I’m a Hawk, 1994,” Blackhurst said.
Blackhurst was a student at NS from 1990 to 1994. She went through her high school years with her twin sister. After high school, Blackhurst went to UVSC (now UVU) to get her associate’s degree.
Before Blackhurst came to NS as the front office secretary she had already been a secretary for Moroni Elementary for twelve years. Black- hurst admits that there were things about her old job that she is going to miss, but that she is still excited for the opportunity to work at NS
EUGENE BLAKLEY
One of the most recent positions here at NS is held by Eugene Blakley as a custodian/ community service coordinator.
Part of the reasoning behind this position is that NS has tried to get students to do things like clean the school before, but the people in charge were unable to focus on the student because these people had other responsibilities.
“A lot of times the students were just wandering aimlessly,” Blakley said, “but now we are more focused on it and can help them more versus past years. It wasn’t working so great. It’s just going to give them more of a concrete system.”
Blakley’s goal is to help the students in community service. He is very excited to work with these people and is hoping for an amazing year.
ALEX BAILEY
As our brand new language arts teacher Alex Bailey is a Hawk through and through. Bailey attended NS high school and was once NS’s English Sterling Scholar. She later came back to do her student teaching among the freshmen at NS. After she received her degree Bailey came to NS to teach speech and de- bate.
“I tried to be involved in a lot of stuff,” Bailey said. “I played three different sports, I did journalism my senior year, I did Sterling Scholar.”
As a student at NS, Bailey tried to put herself out there and get out of her comfort zone. She enjoyed meeting new people through her many activities. Being a part of Sterling Scholar and journalism helped her to decide to become an English teacher.
“I’m just really glad to be here,” Bailey said. “I really enjoy teaching. I just really enjoy being around the students. I’m really grateful for the other teachers. They’ve been really helpful, guiding me and leading me along so I really appreciate them.”
FELIPE GONZALEZ
This year NS added the new position of a Hispanic community liaison to our staff; this position is being filled by Felipe Gonzalez.
Gonzalez currently lives with his husband.
He grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and he attended Catholic school in Chile. Gonzalez considers himself a geek.
“I’m very geeky, so I love nurse stuff and technology,” Gonzalez said. “I also like reading. I’m not so much into fantasy reading. I like books that kind of teach you stuff.”
Gonzalez is a web designer as well as our Hispanic community liaison. He enjoys quiet time to himself, but also enjoys being around people and socializing. Gonzalez is an amazing learner always looking to read materials that will teach him something new.
“Right now, getting to know some of the students and their challenges, I hope they can learn to be smart,” Gonzalez said.
TRAVIS PATTEN
The latest staff addition to our special education program is Travis Patten. Patten works with students with mild or moderate learning dis- abilities. Patten’s desire to teach stems from his own experiences in schoool.
“I was in special ed myself,” Patten said, “which is why I love teaching special ed right now because I remember the feeling of I’m stupid because I need extra help. I felt dumb because I couldn’t keep up with the rest of the class, and so I had to work really hard. In fact, at one point I gave up.”
As a high school student, Patten did almost give up and pretty much dropped out of school. However, Patten worked really hard his senior year and was able to graduate on time, which led to things like joining a college ballroom dancing group and performing in Australia. He’s excited to be here now.
“I’m really grateful to work here. I’m really happy,” Patten said, “for some reason it just felt right, like the place to be. The students here are just amazing, and I really look forward to trying to help them to graduate.”
