On the prowl for a new science teacher, our school scanned more than 70 applicants before deciding on the newest staff member, Mr. Robert Dorchak. Though he has the responsibility of filling in for former teacher Ms. Rachel Kanowsky, who left to pursue a charter school position in Natomas, Dorchak said he is adjusting pretty well to the new atmosphere.

“I heard a lot of nice things about Whitney High School and decided to switch [from Inderkum High School in Sacramento]. There are a lot of things that make Whitney different, and that is what makes Whitney unique,” Dorchak said.  

While in college, Dorchak switched paths from his first choice of becoming an engineer, instead earning his credentials in multiple subjects, including science, social science, and health.

“[Engineering] wasn’t the right fit, so I sort of fell into teaching. I hope to remain a science teacher until I retire. I have about 33 more years to go!” Dorchak said.

Teaching biology and geology in his second home, E14, Dorchak said his transition into the tightly knit science department has been as smooth as possible.

To help ease his transition, as Ms. Laura Brun said, the science department met with Mr. Dorchak “On articulation day Mondays and before school, to give him the opportunity to plan lessons with them.”

“I love the people I work with,” Dorchak said.

Outside of the classroom, Dorchak’s prior experiences of working as a personal trainer and a baseball camp counselor made him the best candidate to take over coaching baseball, a job previously held by Mr. Bret Hunter.

“Coach Dorchak is going to take the baseball team to a whole new level this year. I was coaching two sports and that was too much on my plate. It was really hard on my family since I have a young son, and having to come home at 8 for 10 months out of the year just wasn’t working,” Mr. Bret Hunter said, “I’ve heard great things about [Dorchak] from [the baseball community], so I know he’ll be a great fit.”

The science department and baseball team  cannot wait to see all of Dorchak’s eight years of experience from various schools, including Cottonwood Middle School, Inderkum, and La Quinta shine through both inside and outside the classroom.

“You can tell that he loves being a teacher and he fits in perfectly here. The science department is tremendously excited to have him. He was the obvious choice for this position.” said Ms. Brun

By KAVYA PATHAK and ILAF ESUF