by Jesus Biag, co-Editor-in-Chief

St. John Bosco High School welcomes new biology and environmental science instructor, Mr. Albert Soliguen, who wants to utilize his wisdom and experience to help Bosco Braves realize their potentials.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I primarily grew up in the city of Long Beach and Garden Grove.

Q: What high school and college did you graduate from, and what was your field of study?

A: I graduated from Garden Grove High School and from California State University, Fullerton with my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees of Science in Kinesiology. I also got my single subject teaching credential in biology from National University.

Q: What inspired you to become a teacher?

A: I believe what mostly inspired me to become a teacher is my own experiences as a student in the classroom. I didn’t particularly have the best student experience, but I had great mentors and teachers who supported me and highlighted my potential which transformed me into the person I am today. Ultimately, this is what drove me to pay it forward to those in need, just as the people who have been there for me.

Q: What did you do before teaching at Bosco? Did you teach somewhere else, or do something completely different?

A: Before teaching at Bosco, I was a longtime coach for the sport of volleyball for over 10 years. I worked for Santa Ana College for over eight years with Public Safety in Health and Wellness with several different fire department agencies across Southern California.

Q: What makes Bosco different from any other school you’ve taught at before?

A: What separates Bosco from other schools is the culture, students and staff. The students are what make this campus truly alive and vibrant. The level of prestige in the classroom and the amount of knowledge, kindness and care from the staff is incomparable.

Q: What do you love the most about being a teacher?

A: What I love most about teaching is the relationships you build with students, parents and the community over time. To see their growth personally and professionally is rewarding and gratifying.

Q: How is your classroom experience different from other teachers in the Science Department?

A: I believe my classroom is different from other science teachers because I share my own experiences to students that are related to the content. I always make an effort to bring some relevance of the content to students to make it more relatable to their lives.

Q: When you aren’t teaching and lesson planning, what do you like to do in your free time?

A: During my free time, I like to spend it with my wife and my two-year-old daughter.

Q: What is your favorite book, movie and TV show?

A: My favorite book is Dune; my favorite movie is The Crow (1994); and my TV show that I currently like is Culinary Class Wars on Netflix.

Q: Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled?

A: The most interesting place I’ve traveled is the Philippines.

Q: What is your favorite genre of music?

A: My favorite genre of music is Hip-Hop.

Q: What are your favorite sports and sports teams?

A: My favorite sports are football, basketball and volleyball. My favorite teams are all from the Bay Area: the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors.

Q: When you were in school, what activities did you participate in?

A: When I was in school, I was a part of Hip-Hop club and I played basketball and volleyball.

Q: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?

A: I have one dog that I rescued that is a Border Terrier. His name is Koda.

Q: What’s your go-to comfort food or favorite meal to cook?

A: My favorite comfort food is sushi. My favorite meals to cook are BBQ and steak.

Q: How did your family and culture mold the person you are today?

A: My family and culture is very important to me because they have been the biggest support group in all the things I’ve done. They have been there with me through the highs and lows, and the one thing that has never changed was their love and support.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about your Filipino culture?

A: My favorite thing about Filipino culture is the food. Our culture is very generous, kind and hospitable.

Q: What’s something on your bucket list that you haven’t done yet?

A: One thing on my bucket list that I haven’t done yet is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?

A: My favorite quote is “You never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A: The best piece of advice that I have been given was in the form of another quote: “Fear is the thief of dreams.” With that being said, it was important for me to embrace the unknown, the failures and discomfort, because in most cases, it will end up being the right choice.

Q: Knowing that, what do you think is the biggest piece of advice you could give to your students?

A: My advice to other students is to find the good in every moment, stay present and trust the process. Everything happens for a reason, but those reasons are meant to take you somewhere and to help you grow.