As the new school year begins, Royals might have noticed a few new faces joining the Rosary community for the first time. One of the new teachers for the 2025-2026 school year is Ms. Luna; she is a new English teacher and a long-term substitute teacher for Mrs. Langenwalter, who is on maternity leave this fall. She is teaching Honors English I, English III and AP English Language and Composition. Let’s take some time to learn more about Ms. Luna.
Q: Where did you attend college?
A: I actually went to two colleges. I started at Long Beach City College to get my GE (General Education Degree). I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. Once I got my credits, I transferred to Cal State Long Beach. I was there for about two years, and then I went back for my teaching credential program.
Q: Did you always want to be a teacher? If not, what made you change your mind?
A: Actually, no. I saw myself going the teaching route, but I wasn’t 100 percent sure. I wanted to go into fashion merchandising; that was pretty interesting. I was really into sewing, and I wanted to do something with fashion. I went to Long Beach City for that reason. I took a fashion merchandising class. My professor, who was a designer at Tilly’s, was very transparent and told our class that if we were not 100 percent in it, it would be very hard to find a job in fashion. So, my “plan B” was to go into English in general and go into either journalism or writing. Once I became a tutor at Long Beach City, I said, “I for sure want to be a teacher.” I was really fond of helping students organize their writing skills and seeing their growth. Going from fashion merchandising to English was a big flip.
Q: Why did you initially decide to pursue a career in fashion merchandising?
A: I liked sewing. I was very fond of going to FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). I did a tour there during my junior year of high school, and I really wanted to go. It was very expensive, though, and I was kind of 50/50. I did have a lot of experience with sewing. I did my own designing and made my own dresses. That was really fun, but in reality, I said, “I don’t think that’s for me.”
Q: What is your favorite subject or favorite book to teach to your students?
A: I love to teach English in general. I haven’t taught it yet, but I would love to teach “The Great Gatsby.” I really fell in love with English and with analyzing texts while reading “The Great Gatsby” my junior year of high school, so I’m excited to teach that. Something else that I love teaching is “Romeo and Juliet.” I’ve taught that three times back-to-back. I love seeing my students get involved. I love to see them act out some scenes in any type of play. It sticks in their heads a lot more when they act it out.
Q: What advice would you give to students, especially those that might be hoping to pursue a career in teaching or English?
A: I would say to take it day-by-day. I would stick with a subject that you’re very fond of. If you’re very patient and are good with the “littles,” then you can also choose to teach the elementary level, and from there, decide if you want to do the high school level, which is a different study. I would say to get a lot of advice from your teachers about going into teaching because it sounds like it’s pretty simple, but going into it, I didn’t realize how many steps it takes to get your teaching degree.
Q: What have your favorite parts about the Rosary experience been?
A: My favorite part so far is the bond the students have with their classmates, even if they don’t know each other. It’s great to see the interactions during classes and class discussions and how the students are more willing to participate and not being afraid to have the wrong answer. I think that makes teaching a lot easier, and it makes it more memorable as well.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies or pastimes?
A: I enjoy cooking. I feel like cooking has become a new hobby for myself to experiment. My “go-to,” especially in the wintertime or fall, is baking. I love baking.
Q: What is your favorite thing to cook or bake?
A: For baking, I would say cookies. I love making cookies from scratch. For cooking, I would say roasting some salmon in the air-fryer or in the oven. I think I have perfected that recipe. From there, I make a bowl out of it.
Q: Are there any authors, novels, short stories, essays or poems that you love or that inspire you?
A: I don’t have one in particular. I don’t mind re-teaching some of the old classics, like “Romeo and Juliet.” Some of the classics still relate to today’s society, and I like to see the different perspectives on the world in previous time periods.
Let’s all gather together this fall to give Ms. Luna a Royal welcome into the Rosary sisterhood.
