Meet The New Teachers (#1): Mrs. Martinez & Mrs. Houle

 Meet the New Teachers: Part 1

By: Angelica Buncio ‘22

This year, Mercy has a lot of new awesome faces on campus. Not just the freshmen, but also many transfer students. Additionally, Mercy has gained a handful of new amazing teachers who we are so lucky to have. Over the next few weeks, we will be getting to know the new teachers here at Mercy. Kicking us off this week we have Mrs. Houle, who teaches English 1 and 4, Health & Wellness, and Yearbook as well as Mrs. Martinez who teaches Spanish 2, 3, and 4! We asked them…

Mrs. Martinez

1. Where did you grow up?  “I grew up in the South of Spain, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in a beautiful city called Almeria.”

2. Why did you decide to come and teach here at Mercy? “Mercy is similar to the one [school] I attended when I was a child: only girls, Catholic, and rigorous in following the standards. A friend of mine told me that Mercy is the best school in the Bay Area!”

3. What is your top goal for this school year? “Safety for my family and my students.”

4. What are some hobbies you have? “I love playing the guitar and piano. I also enjoy playing tennis. And Interior design is my passion!”

5. If you were stuck on a deserted island, which another staff member would you want with you and why? “As a new teacher, I don't know my coworkers very much. But I would choose someone with a great sense of humor.”

Mrs. Houle

1. Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles and I moved to San Francisco when I was 18.  L.A. is in my heart...but S.F. is my soul!”

2. Why did you decide to come and teach here at Mercy?

“As my daughter, Matea was looking at high schools last year, I found myself so impressed by all that Mercy has to offer.  After we attended the open house I was talking to her about all of the wonderful things in Mercy's community, curriculum, and campus...I realized I wanted to work there!  It turned out there was an opening so I applied and I'm so happy it worked out.”

3. What is your top goal for this school year?

“My top goal for the year as a new teacher to Mercy is to learn as much as possible about the culture of Mercy and how I can best serve the community.  I want to also be sure to do my best to give the students in my classes a great academic and social experience even in distance learning.”

4. What are some hobbies you have?

“I'm pretty sure I have too many hobbies...I love to read, draw, listen to music, and watch movies.  I'm obsessed with true crime and all it reveals about psychology and human nature.  My crafts are all driven by textiles: I embroider, knit, crochet, and sew.  It's a lot...right now I mostly spend my time planning lessons and binging "Dexter" on Netflix!”

5. If you were stuck on a deserted island, which another staff member would you want with you and why?

“Desert island staff member???  This one is tough...I think I'll take my fellow new teacher, Ms. Hyman.  She's been a true buddy in sharing all the newness this year and I think our shared cynical sense of humor would get us through on a desert island.”