New Faculty and Staff Join the Spartan Ranks at OLCHS

Each school year brings with it new faculty and staff.  Some are familiar faces with new positions and some are brand new to the building. This school year Oak Lawn Community High School welcomed six new members to its staff: Matt Arthur, TJ Zuzga, Bob Habersat, Erin Lee, Abdullah Hasan and Gloria Barrera.

Both Matt Arthur and TJ Zuzga return to OLCHS this year with different titles.  Matt Arthur returns as a special education teacher after two years as an instructional aide in the special ed department. Matt also continues his work this year as head sophomore football coach and head junior varsity wrestling coach. Matt quotes Yoda as his motto: “Do or do not.  There is no try.”  TJ Zuzga, former full-time substitute, is now a science teacher.  TJ will continue his role as head boys and girls swimming coach and Relay for Life volunteer. What most people don’t know about TJ is that his first career was in business and he worked as a HR Rep and Benefits Analyst for five years prior to starting his degree in Biology.

Bob Habersat teaches music technology, piano, and men's choir.  He also leads two electric guitar ensembles after school, a men's a cappella choir, a jazz choir, and a jazz ensemble.  Bob attended Elmhurst College where he studied Music Education and Jazz Studies with a double primary in guitar and voice.  Bob said, "Mastery is being able to do something as many times as you want without having to think about it and without making any mistakes."

Abdullah Hasan teaches bilingual Arabic courses in the following subject areas: Biology Concepts, Algebra, U.S. History, and Language and Cultures.  Abdullah taught law, world literature and AP English for the last eight years in the Chicago Public School system.

Gloria Barrera joins the school as the new school nurse. Gloria earned her BSN from St. Xavier University and graduated from Olivet Nazarene with her MSN degree this year. “I look forward to serving the community of Oak Lawn for years to come as OLCHS’ school nurse and am committed to providing exceptional nursing care to students of district 229.”

Erin Lee, school social worker, has been a social worker for ten years and is also a licensed clinical social worker.  Prior to OLCHS, she worked at Southwest Elementary in Evergreen Park. Erin said, “I am very happy to be back at the high school level and look forward to working closely with the great students and staff of OLCHS this year.”