New teachers at Clark

Erebuni Ohanian, the new English teacher at Clark Magnet High, plans to use new technology applications in her classroom, including Read Theory, a site that helps with students’ vocabulary and grammar. Although this site has never been used on the Clark campus before, it is having a great response with the students. This site’s unique approach to each student matches them with their own level...

Ever since she was little, Yeran Paronikyan, Clark’s new art teacher, enjoyed art and graphic design. “I knew when I was little I wanted to do something related to art. I love the concept and beauty of art,” she said. She enjoys painting in her spare time and loves to dance for fun. Paronikyan attended National University in California for her master’s degree in education. She also attende...

Natasha Krupnak, one of the new teachers on campus at Clark, currently teaches biology for sophomores. “She’s a very nice teacher and makes biology class fun,” said sophomore Anna Feddersen. Krupnak’s adventure to becoming a teacher began when she graduated from Rancho Cucamonga High School. After that, she attended Cal State San Bernardino where she completed her bachelor’s degree in bi...

After working in the animation industry for 30 years, animation teacher Joseph Orrantia took over for his good friend of 20 years, John Over, as a Tech Lit and Computer Animation teacher. Although Orrantia doesn’t have any teaching experience, he has loads of experience working in animation. Over and Orrantia have a lot of history together, as Orrantia worked as Over’s storyboard artist for...

Tinky Schmit was one of nine teachers to join the Clark family this year, becoming the new special education teacher. Tinky first got into teaching during her undergraduate studies at UCLA, where she participated in an intern program where she assisted a teacher who taught special education. This teacher became her inspiration, and she began pursuing teaching as a career. While earning her teac...

Lilit Vartanian, Clark’s new US History and Economics teacher, is one of the nine new teachers hired this year. This is not her first year teaching. Before she taught for nine years in two different charter schools. Vartanian also has subbed at Clark Magnet, so this is not her first time teaching at Clark. “I subbed at Clark many years ago, and so I knew the culture of the school,” Vartanian ...

After two of Clark’s only Chemistry and AP Biology teachers retired last year, a need for a new face in the science department was fulfilled when Hrant Yahiayan joined the Clark’s staff. “It feels like home here,” Yahiayan said as he described his transition from teaching at Marshall High School to Clark Magnet High School. Yahiayan was very familiar with Clark from a young age since h...

Clark’s new Spanish teacher, Esther Witler, hasn’t always been a teacher. She said that she first started working as an administrative assistant with the County of Los Angeles. Witler said that she also worked at the for the Los Angeles County Fire Department where she was the Spanish-speaking liaison with the media. “My teaching journey has been great,” Witler said in reference to her 15...