The Student Staff Support Department welcomed a new colleague, Geutchina Letang, to Malden High School. Letang actually went to school at Malden High and had already “seen familiar faces” in her short time there. From her first week, Letang had already started “building relationships with the staff and students as well.” For her personally, the environment at Malden High is “great and comfortable” and she enjoyed it very much. Letang “loves” meeting new staff and seeing her old teachers. She is eager to meet more new people and build more connections with different students and faculty members when the opportunity arises.
The department was specifically looking for females because everyone else in this department was a male, which is part of the reason she took the job. At first, while taking this job she “[did not] know what she was in for,” but she realized it was all about “connecting with other people and keeping kids safe.” For her, this job [is not] about “busting kids” but making sure they get the education that is provided for them and making sure they are getting to class where they should be. Working this job means she does not really have a set place where she stays so she is always “running around” and busy.
Previous to this job, she worked as a security guard. She continues to work as a teacher for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program and this is her fifth year. She has run into a couple of students here at Malden High School, from that program. Letang is also attending UMass Boston for her third year studying anthropology. She is looking forward to her third service at UMass serving with different organizations in Chicago.
One of the reasons she does this is to “step out of [her] comfort zone” and get out of her “bubble”. She anticipates to “expand [her] to other cultures” and learn from different individuals. In her free time, she enjoys going out to eat phò, a Vietnamese soup with her friends.
Chris Mastrangelo, Principal of Malden High School, thought of the “world” of Letang. Considering she graduated Malden High school in 2017, she knew the school fairly well which was a bonus. He finds her to be confident, smart and strong. Since she speaks two languages she really “helps with the diversity” of the school. He is looking forward to hopefully bringing her back here as a teacher soon. Having her here is a “great opportunity” for more kids to have a teacher to connect with. In his opinion she just “fits” right into the role and is truly thrilled to have her.
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