Christina Banagas-Engelerdt (Former English teacher, Assistant Principal)
“When I was teaching, I always felt like the administration would support changes we wanted to make to help Northwood continue to grow. Now that I’m part of the administration, I’m hopeful that I am continuing that our teachers feel like they can make changes to support kids.”
Angie Olivares (Science teacher)
“When we first opened the school, there were only 30 teachers, and we were like a little family. I saw Northwood go from this little, very intimate, family-like environment to a big, thriving school.”
Pat Quigley (Computer Graphics teacher)
“It’s pretty cool to be there that long to watch all the changes that have happened. And then I helped develop, and not only just the curriculum, but the actual school itself. I designed the Howling Wolf, the original logo for the school. I helped with the mascot choices and the color choices. So it’s kind of cool that I had my little touch on the school, and its history.”
Judy Scialpi (Dance teacher)
“A huge percentage of the dancers here stick with the program in some way, shape or form. They may stray, but they work their way back because there are a lot of great opportunities here. I think all the art teachers would say that kids find a home within the school, and it really helps them to survive their high school years. It comes through the passion for the arts and the shared commitment to it.”
Leanne Lauritzen (Admin Assistant)
“I’ve always said this to people who come in: I think we have the best and most caring staff who are the smartest people, and that comes through in their teaching. I think what makes it special is the great culture, and it began 25 years ago when they wanted to have that culture of excellence.”
Becky Penrod (Math Teacher)
“I think the people set Northwood apart most of all. It’s the students, teachers, how much they care, how hard they work and just the feeling that you get here. It’s neat to see the different changes that we’ve made, the improvements and all the ideas that have come to reality.”
Dean Toohey (P.E. Teacher, Former football coach)
“Northwood doesn’t look to see what everyone else is doing. We’ve always set a pretty high bar of what we expect of our athletes and coaches, so that’s always stayed consistent over the years.”
Rob Stuart (Former baseball coach, Screen Printing teacher)
“The kindness of students towards other students has always been here with Wolfpack and clubs sets Northwood apart. Everyone is compassionate and understanding of each other’s positives and needs.”
Ernesto Medina (Plant Manager)
“For the most part, my area, my kids, they’ve always been very respectful. Picking up their trash. Nothing’s changed. I’m the only one getting older. It’s like being at home. Being one of the original members when we first opened to still being here 25 years later. It’s a pretty nice feat to accomplish. And hopefully this is the place where I end up retiring 6-7 years from now.”
Andy Sepulveda (Athletic Trainer)
“It is special to be able to say that I have been here from the start. I’ve seen Northwood grow over the years, and I absolutely love it when the athletes come back and say ‘hi’.”
