New Staff Members

By Dylan Xie Sept. 24, 2025

Frida Castro-Lavenont,  Social Studies Department

Entering her first official year as a teacher, this has been a dream come-true moment for Castro-Lavenont. Prior to this position, she was a student teacher at Fremont High School and a substitute at Leland for a year and a half. Catro-Lavenont had already familiarized herself with the faculty during the previous summers. As an instructional assistant, she collaborated with Trevor Hart of the Special Ed Department—the faculty in the Extended School Year Program, which provides people with special needs the education they need. Now, Castro-Lavenont is looking forward to connecting with students and staff. Her favorite part of the year so far has been the school spirit and energy at the August rally. 

Tyler Katzman,  Social Studies Department

Katzman taught at the Murrieta Valley District in Riverside county as a student teacher for half a semester before switching to San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD), where he worked for two years as a substitute. This is his first year as a full-time teacher. Katzman decided to become a first year full-time teacher at Leland under the recommendation of John Muir staff and former teachers. In fact, he had previously worked with Brian Haugen—a former teacher at this school—at John Muir. As a sporty person himself, Katzman is excited to watch his students compete on the fields. Though Katzman coaches volleyball at Willow Glen, he hopes to transition and coach volleyball at this school in the coming years. Katzman hopes to become a pillar for his students to look up to and learn from with his respect-based classroom rules, helping them grow academically and character wise.

Lauren Karpinski,  Special Ed Department

Karpinski, a New York native with experience teaching abroad in Italy, joined the school due to her love for teaching. She decided upon the school because she received a good impression from her job interviewers. This year is her sixth in diverse teaching experiences across different countries and schools. Previously, she was a learning support teacher at the American International School in Rome, Italy for two years. She spent another two years as a learning support teacher at East Charter High School in Palo Alto. Outside of teaching and engaging with students, Karpinski loves to hike and travel, hoping to visit 100 countries; she has already been to 57, with her favorite country being Japan. By balancing patience with assertiveness for her students when necessary, Karpinski strives to help students achieve their academic goals and understand concepts more effectively.

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About the Contributor

Dylan Xie

Staff Writer

Dylan Xie is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. In his spare time, he likes to play soccer, work out, and hang out with friends.