New Staff Members Where!?
This year, Moreau Catholic is joined by five new members including Ed Varga, Michael Serrania, Eric Walser, Connor Jacobs and lastly Raymond Leitheiser. All members of the new staff make differences through their many diverse departments and skill sets. I was able to sit down with four of them and ask them questions. Let’s get into what all of the responses are.
Ed Varga
Mr. Ed Varga, born in 1968 lived in Orange County then moved to the Bay. Attending Mater Dei High School and joining the band. Afterward he would attend Cal State Fullerton. He got a bachelor’s degree in fine art at Fullerton. Then he would get his master’s degree in theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.
Once out of school he became a Franciscan brother for a few years. Shortly after he felt that being a brother wasn’t his path he met his wife Ms.Varga,our receptionist here at Moreau. For a short while, he also worked at Saint Joseph’s as vice principal and religion instructor. Calling for a career change,he went back into corporate for twenty-five years.
Back in the classroom once more,he is teaching Social Justice, morality and will teach Church History. So far, he teaches three Social Justice classes and one morality class. He is quite familiar with the community since his kids Lukas and Juliet attended Moreau.
Mr. Ed Varga states that he is a, “Long time listener, first time caller.” He wasn’t looking to teach full time, only ever substituting here last summer. However, somewhere along that path his spark for teaching has reignited. “My true vocation is teaching,”Mr. Ed Varga declared.
Before the end of the year, he wants to establish a good curriculum for his classes. Mr. Ed Varga wants to teach his students how to think about ideas but not what to think about said ideas.
With his skills in the religious field he is attempting to get a confirmation program up and running. Finally,a fun fact about Mr. Ed Varga is that he has a dog, a big German Shepard mix.
Raymond Leitheiser
Mr. Raymond Leitheiser is thirty years old and was born in the Bay Area. He then spent a few years in Wisconsin. Mr. Leitheiser attended James Logan Highschool and graduated in 2014. Next, he attended Cal State East Bay earning a degree in math. With his degree, he taught in Newark Memorial High school in the math department. Here at Moreau he has a similar role,with him teaching in the math department.
Mr. Leitheiser is teaching five class periods: two AP Calculus AB, one regular calculus, and two Algebra One. As quoted by Mr. Leithiser, “ The community is great, the kids are really sweet.” He also mentions how willing the community is to help him whenever necessary.
Over other schools he chose Moreau for two reasons: his father-in-law attended here, graduating in 1981 and it is close to home. He didn’t choose Logan because of student enrollment. Mr. Leitheiser quoted that, “With less students, less teachers are needed.”
His student is creating a Radio Club and Mr. Raymond Leitheiser is going to be the club’s overseer.
By the end of the year, he wants to build connections with students with hopes that his students will become lifelong scholars. Wanting them to progress through life in a smooth way and making an impact that his students will carry into college and life in general.
Eric Walser
Mr. Eric Walser is 53 years old, born in Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to Southern California in 2000 and then moved to Switzerland in 2007. Lastly, he moved back to California in 2022. Mr. Walser attended Gilman high school in Baltimore, then attended the University of Colorado. Back in Gilman, he was part of the band.
Always interested in music, he started his first band when he was thirteen years old and continued to play until he left for Switzerland. For a few years, he taught in a science department in Santa Monica. During the fifteen years in Switzerland, he also worked in a science department.
He continues his science teachings at Moreau. The sciences he teaches include biology, Environmental Science, and Biotech. Three of his class periods are Environmental science with the latter subjects only having a class each. Has been in the teaching field for a long time, working at various types of schools: private, public, boarding, day, and others.
Moreau was his first pick because he wanted to work at a religious school. Additionally, he was attracted to the ideals and diversity we have here at Moreau. He loves the fact that there isn’t a lot of judgement, and the environment is very lighthearted and accepting of other faiths. He feels at home with the school ideals and appreciates that there isn’t any bullying from the students. Lastly, his main goal is to challenge his students without overwhelming them.
Michael Serrañia
Senor Serrania is forty eight years old, born in Santa Clara, California. He lived in San Jose when he was younger. And is now living in Morgan Hill, California. He attended Bellarmine College prep in San Jose. Afterward, he attended Loyola Merrimount for a year then transferred to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, earning a degree in finance.
Before arriving here, he spent four years at Sacred Heart Nativity School in San Jose as the principal. Sacred Heart Nativity School is a Catholic middle school that gives Latin children the opportunity to attend Catholic high school. Prior to being a principal, he also worked as a Spanish teacher for fifteen years at Bellarmine College Prep.
Here at Moreau, he teaches one Spanish Two class, and four Spanish Three classes. And loves working with students and helping them succeed in different ways. Senor Serrania spoke Spanish growing up. Passing on the tradition he taught his three kids Spanish at young ages. Allowing his kids the ability to talk to Spanish speaking family members.
Senor Serrania felt Moreau could be the place he calls home due to the Catholic sense at Moreau. At the end of the day, he hopes to improve the students’ fluency and usage of Spanish outside the classroom. Lastly, he discussed his hopes that the students will continue learning Spanish in college.