Westlake High grads return to alma mater as faculty
By Kaitlyn Burkett Special to The Acorn

TRUE WARRIORS- Westlake High School teachers, left, Carly Dritz, who teaches English and AP psychology, and Christina Harrison, who teaches US history and government, are just two of several Westlake High alumni who have returned to the school as staff members. JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers

After high school, most people prefer to keep those four grueling years in the past and never return to the grounds they at the time "ruled." (Or so they thought.)

Yes, there will be the high school reunions that many attend just to see how successful the class nerds actually are, but in all, most leave their old stomping grounds behind the day they graduate.

However, Westlake High School grads fail to fall into this majority; alumni miss their alma mater so much they can't help but come back to give today's generation what their teachers gave them: the gift of knowledge.

Westlake High School has eight staff members who have extended their warrior spirit from their late teens to today. Of course, the students' initial response is, "Why- - why would you want to come back to high school after finishing it years ago?" Well, in case Westlake's Blue Ribbon reputation isn't enough, its title of 23rd best public high school in California, 200th in the nation, should explain a lot.

"When teachers complete their studentteaching requirements at various high schools, they realize what a great place Westlake is, and not only to attend, but to teach," said assistant principal Richard Urias.

Christina Harrison, Westlake's United States history and government teacher, is one of the eight alums duplicating the passion she acquired through her years at Westlake. "As a Westlake student, I never thought I would actually come back and teach. It's truly amazing where life takes you and, in my case, my old high school," said Harrison.

After graduating from Westlake, Harrison attended Georgetown University and pursued her affinity for law as a district attorney. She inched her way back to her old campus as the mock trial coach and began teaching shortly after. Harrison is coaching the school's mock trial for her eighth year along with lawyer and fellow Westlake alum, Julia Snyder.

The passion does not end there. Westlake's staff is known not only to teach, but to partake in the growth and maturation of its students.

Carly Dritz, who joined the Westlake faculty three years ago, teaches English and AP psychology and leads the Warrior cheerleaders as WHS cheer advisor.

Other students-turned-staff include Diane Blackburn, Greg Coull, Michael Leibin, Michael Lynch, Kamran Salem and Diane Scrofano. From the library to the foreign language department, former students are scattered across the campus.

"It is great having them come back because they have the perspective of where things used to be and can help continue Westlake tradition. The better you know your history, the more able you are to chart your future," said Urias.

Overall, the fact that teachers say that, as students, they would have never imagined coming back to their high school to teach allows the thought to come to mind: Which of today's warriors will return? Time will tell.

Kaitlyn Burkett is a senior at Westlake High School who writes about campus life.