Diamond Bar High School students will be seeing several new faces around campus this school year.

Among the new members of the Brahma staff are history teacher Anthony Poullard, Spanish teacher Brenda Zavala, speech therapist Kiara Chan, math teachers Dawn Daza and Lisa Arionus, Pathways science teacher Jasmine Silver and history teacher Joell Hurtt, English teachers Stanley Hsu and Kristine Palisoc, kinesiology teacher and football coach Kevin Argumosa, guidance office administrator Jolina McCurry—who had worked part-time at DBHS for a few years—and front office administrator Carrie Yee.

Poullard, who will be teaching World History this year in place of retired teacher George Hardison, returns as a familiar face for many students. Having been a long-term substitute for AP US history teacher Lindsay Arnold last semester, a substitute for the Walnut Unified School District for the past two years and a summer teacher for the DBHS Dedicated to Learning summer program, he is well known on the DBHS campus.

After Poullard graduated from UC Irvine with his master’s degree in education with credentials in social sciences, he juggled work as a substitute and student teacher for WVUSD and the Irvine Unified School District before becoming a teacher at DBHS.

“For me, it was very important to build relationships and rapport with the students,” Poullard said. “It was through building those relationships that I was able to understand not just who they were in the class but [also] who they were as a person.”

Having a permanent position on staff means a lot for Poullard, who was inspired to teach by his grandmother, a retired teacher who passed away a few years ago.

“There was a part of me that wanted to continue on the legacy, and for me, that was really important,” Poullard said. “There were so many people who inspired me [to become a teacher,] but if I had to choose one, it would definitely be her.”

Spanish teacher Zavala began working in the language department as a Spanish I and Spanish III teacher this year. Zavala taught Spanish at Chaparral Middle School for five years but decided to move to DBHS, since she wanted to teach more advanced Spanish.

“I like the fact that a lot of the students [I have now] I already know or I already had in middle school,” Zavala said. “It’s just very different because in middle school, you get the sixth-graders, and they’re still so little and then coming here… the students are older.”

Even before coming to the United States from Mexico when she was 14, Zavala knew she wanted to be a teacher. She attended Cal State Fullerton, where she earned her B.A. degree and teacher credential, before studying at  Whittier College for her master’s degree.

Zavala is looking forward to becoming involved in the school, such as being a part of Class Committee.

“Being here for the students and making sure that the students are learning— that’s my main goal,” Zavala said.

Speech therapist Chan will work with students on campus who have difficulties with communication.

“I’m looking forward to connecting with my students and working with the parents who have Chinese backgrounds [so] I can use my language skills to help them,” Chan said.

Chan, who speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin, came to DBHS for its reputation as a good school district.