Photo of Mr.Moreno in his classroom after his return. Photo Credit: Melissa Sanchez
Although gone for quite some time, a familiar face returns to the Spartan family! Mr. Moreno is once again a teacher here at Huntington Park High School who hopes to teach his students valuable lessons.
Mr. Moreno had planned on returning to HP, but he had not expected it to turn out the way it did. Even so, he feels great to be back, and his colleagues feel the same way. Upon his return, many of the other staff members welcomed him back with open arms. They reached out to him, letting him know that if he ever needs anything, they are there to help.
“That’s a really different environment to come into than whenever you change schools. When I first moved from this school to the other school, I didn’t have the same welcome. So it’s very nice to feel welcomed back by my colleagues that I had been with before.”
He once taught here for about 2 years, from 2014 to 2016. However, he left to teach at a different school due to a difference of opinion with the administration. He continued his teaching career at a small charter called Bright Star Secondary Academy. Teaching at a different school was not the only change he experienced while he was gone. In the same workplace, he met his wife, and they have been happily together ever since.
Mr. Moreno is part of the magnet faculty and is located in room 325. He has taught a variety of subjects, such as psychology, ethnic studies, and economics. A few other courses he has taught are AP Human Geography and AP Psychology. He is currently a part of the social studies department.
Ever since he was younger, he has envisioned himself in the education field. Although he has thought about a different job before, it was nothing outside of the field. He simply finds education to be a part of him and is passionate about his career. As he aimed towards this field of work, he attended Williams College as an undergraduate, which is a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts. As for graduate school, he attended New York University in New York City.
“I hope to see my students feel like they are agents of change in their community, that they can improve their community, and that they have the power to do so.”
As a teacher, he values his students as well as their education. He hopes to teach his students the value of community and how they are a part of the community who can bring about changes for the people around them. He incorporates that value into every subject he teaches, whether it is economics, psychology, or human geography. Mr. Moreno keeps in mind how he can teach students to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of the community. That is his goal, striving to inspire students to realize they have the potential to grow and contribute to society.
Mr. Moreno comes from a working-class family and grew up in a similar environment as students here. He grew up with three siblings, an older sister and two younger brothers. Moreno is the first generation in his family to not only graduate high school but attend college as well. During 2003 and 2004, he himself attended Huntington Park High School. Interestingly, Mr. Alfaro was his Spanish teacher at the time.
Apart from school, he is a big sports fan and enjoys watching the Dodgers as well as the Lakers. Moreno even picked up golf a few years ago, which led him to contribute to the previous school he worked at. He started a golf team there and hopes to do the same here. In the upcoming spring of 2023, he hopes to have created the first golf team in Huntington Park history.
Written By Staff Writer: Melissa Sanchez