Page 8 March 11, 2021 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Sports from page 3
Robin Espinoza from front page
mother prepare classroom bulletin boards and
materials for her students during the weekend.
As she got older, she chipped in to help her
Mom grade spelling tests. A time where,
Espinoza said, she “developed a great love
for the classroom and El Segundo.”
Post graduating from Mira Costa, Robin
matriculated to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,
where she attained her degree in Social
Studies, and in the following year, secured
her teacher’s credential.
A return to El Segundo beckoned Espinoza:
She soon landed a job teaching 8th
grade U.S. History and English at the El
Segundo Middle School. “A dream job,”
she called it. “I had never worked so hard
in my life,” she said, calling her tenure at
the ESMS “challenging, but I loved it.” She
relished the school culture and interactions
with the Middle Schoolers and helped lead
six excursions for 8th graders to Washington,
D.C., for the always-popular ESUSD civicminded
whirlwind tour of the Capitol and
other historical environs.
During her tenure at the ESMS, Espinoza
served as an ESTA Teacher’s representative,
PTA Liaison, Mentor Teacher, and Campus
Orientation Provider. In 2002, Espinoza was
selected as teacher of the year by her fellow
teachers. “I still feel proud of that” accolade,
she said. Which was a fitting tribute from
her peers: her mother was also a teacher
of the year recipient.
Espinoza said things were progressing
nicely at the Middle School, and in 2006,
nudged by a colleague, she joined a program
that led to her attaining a master’s degree
in Educational Leadership from Cal State
Northridge. Espinoza felt that nabbing the
master’s degree could not hurt her career
opportunities “down the road,” she said.
Little did she know that a “down the road”
job offering would soon arise. The position
as Assistant Principal opened-up at Center
Street School, and Espinoza, at age 29, took
the job. It was, she said, “an opportunity she
couldn’t pass up,” at least that is what (others)
told her as they gave her another “push” to
apply for the CSS administrative opening.
But climbing the rungs of the educational
employment ladder is not necessarily for
everyone. Espinoza said that she felt “intense
pressure” working as a school-site
administrator, asunder from her classroom
instructing background and too far away
from the daily interaction with students.
After two years, she yearned to return to
the four walls of the classroom environs.
Number one on her educational wish-list
was a return to the ESMS, but that was a
non-starter; her teaching position had been
filled for a couple of years.
But the high school had an open job opportunity,
so Espinoza headed west, down
the street a few blocks, and began teaching
history, as well as, over the years, Career
Explorations, Geography, and sundry other
courses. She said her biggest career change
came in 2009 when at-the-time ESHS Principal
Jim Garza asked her to assume the
role of Activities Director. A second “dream
job?” Robin thought about the requirements
of her possible new position: “You mean
the (position) that creates all the fun for the
students?” While ESUSD students all receive
a top-flight education, Espinoza related, it
is the extra-curricular activities, like sports,
clubs, dances, homecoming, pep rallies, etc.,
that, she believes, makes the high school
experience memorable. Not necessarily the
Tuesday morning PowerPoint presentation
by a very well-meaning instructor. Espinoza
relishes her part in “creating memorable
activities for the students.”
Espinoza has been instrumental in establishing
new traditions at ESHS, including
the Senior Walk, where students don their
graduation cap and gown in June, and stroll
through their elementary school campuses
at CSS and RSS, and can portray what is
possible for young learners if they apply
themselves to their studies.
Espinoza calls the Senior Walk an emotional
moment, as graduating high school
students re-visit their elementary campuses.
“I have seen Mom’s and Dad’s cry at that
event,” she related.
Ella Tichy is a recent ESHS student and
ASB president who benefited greatly from
her relationship with Espinoza. “I met Mrs.
Espinoza (better known to her students as
“Espi”) in 2016 when I was in eighth grade,”
Tichy emailed. “In that simple moment, I had
no idea she would become someone I would
get to spend every afternoon and sometimes
weekend with. She is someone who serves
not only as an educator but also as a mentor
and good friend.
“As our activities director, she guided us to
create the best environment for the collective
student body,” Tichy continued. “What was
most impactful for me as a student is how
she emphasized learning about more than
just planning spirit weeks and dances; we
would often do activities that would teach
us more about our own learning styles, what
it means to be a leader, and the ways we
could be better human beings. Few teachers
do this, so I will always be grateful that I
got to have her as one of them.”.
“Her most influential trait is her selflessness.
In every situation, she chooses to think
about others before herself. She sees value
in making people’s day in such simple ways.
Such as decorating a staff member’s office
for a birthday, sending thank you notes,
taking the time to ask her students about
their weekends, or saving me a banana taffy
because she knows they are my favorite!”
Espinoza currently teaches two virtual classes.
As mentioned previously, the Leadership
Chairperson helps shepherd the preparations
prior to the mandated WASC visit, which is
a key accreditation that school District’s and
individual schools seek.
When Espinoza is not directing, teaching,
or leading her charges at ESHS, she enjoys
keeping fit, and is a voracious reader, which
allows her to take a break, and “completely
check-out and chill-out, and do absolutely
nothing.” Espinoza said her reading tastes
tend towards fiction. “Take me away,” she
said. “I don’t want to read about real things.”
She lives in town with her husband of nearly
sixteen years, Chuck, and son Charlie, a
4th grader at RSS, and Grace, currently a
7th grader.
Espinoza likens the current El Segundo
environment to the way things used to be
in her hometown of Manhattan Beach “in
the 70’s and 80’s,” citing the close-knit
community. She feels that the high school
is a “special piece of the town, people rally
around the high school. I am right where I
am meant to be,” she said.
Espinoza is obviously dedicated to her
career in education. And she credits that
to her upbringing. She related how her
mother, who retired from teaching in 2010,
had a Charlotte’s Web mural “created/painted
in her honor by her amazing friend and
former teacher Janet Read, and we installed
a bench near that mural on the most beautiful
grassy knoll behind the building. The
inscription on the bench reads, ‘Books are
my friends, who never fail me.’ Like mother,
like daughter.
“My Mom’s final students graduated in
2019, and we shared many of the same
students over the years,” she said. “I am her
legacy in the classroom, and I try to live up
to her legacy every day. I really value the
relationship that I have with my students, and,
as they graduate, staying in touch with them,
celebrating their milestones and successes.”
One would assume that Cathy Teitelbaum
would be justifiably proud of her daughter’s
accomplishments. •
Espinoza at graduation with 2017 ASB President Alex Nilsson.
his staff with long-time assistants who have
been with the program for years that includes
Jason Parker, Joey Boulder, Darren Glotz,
Jeff Puffer, Paul Kiser and Bobby Brackman.
The Eagles graduated the bulk of their offense,
but a key component returns. Junior
quarterback Conor Hochberg will guide the
offense after a spectacular sophomore season;
he tossed 10 TDs and had a QB rating of 107.
You can certainly see his leadership skills in
practice as he directs the offense. He can read
the defense and check down to another target
with a strong arm to stretch the field.
The running game won’t have a featured back
as they’ve had but rather a shared responsibility
between three juniors. Matt Higginbotham,
Conrad Bernstein and Mason Kahn should
carry the load. The receivers Hochberg will
look for will be a couple of seniors with good
hands and speed. James Pearson and Matt
Kusserow can come up with big plays. Tight
end junior Sam Pachuta has steadily gotten
better in practice and should be counted on
with his high football IQ.
It’s no secret that to have a successful offense;
it starts with the linemen up front. The
Eagles will lean on three-year starter Benny
Villa, two-year starters Wyatt Coulter, as well
as, Alex Everard and juniors Duke Sanders
and Damian Garcia. Coach Green believes
the offense will be as successful as the line
is. “We’re a little undersized, but their passion
and understanding of our complex offense will
give them the opportunity to succeed,” he said.
The defense has kept the Eagles in plenty
of games over the past several seasons. The
defense was once one of the stingiest defensive
units in the South Bay. Coach Wagner may have
to rely on sheer stamina since many players
may be playing on offense too. Aiden Pagel
looks to anchor a defense that lost six starters.
Linebackers Justin Gil and Matt Higginbotham
and defensive end James Pearson and tackle
Duke Sanders return as the team’s top starters.
Wyatt Coulter should see plenty of action on the
line while outside linebacker Jason McGowan
will be counted on to stop the edges.
The secondary could be a question mark
but with plenty of upside in talent. Matt
Kusserow, juniors Leo Matsuoka, Conrad
Bernstein, Tommy O’Keefe and sophomore
Brent Abitante have all shown the promise
of a strong secondary.
The modified five-game Pioneer League
season schedule starts next Friday night, March
19, at 7 p.m. The Eagles will open up against
defending CIF champion South Torrance on
the road.
The rest of the schedule has the Eagles at
North Torrance on Friday, March 26 and host
Torrance on April 2, at West Torrance on April
9, and end the season at home on April 16
against Lawndale; all games are slated for a 7
p.m. kickoff. Fan attendance has not officially
been determined, but school officials will abide
by the appropriate county protocol.
Water Polo Season to Start
The water polo season is about to begin, but
don’t blink, or you’re liable to miss it. Both
the boys and girls teams will play a ten-game
schedule that begins today at the Aquatics
Center against South Torrance at 3 p.m. The
boys and girls teams will play back-to-back
games and squeeze their season in nine days,
with the final game against Santa Monica on
Saturday, March 20. The boy’s game starts at
2 p.m., followed by the girl’s game at 3 p.m.
Garrell and Ortiz
Lead Eagles to XC Win
For the second consecutive week, Will Garrell
outpaced the opposition to lead the Eagles to
victory. His winning time of 15:37 was nearly
a minute better than the first North Torrance
Saxon. Marcus Ortiz finished second and equaled
his personal best in 16:29. Luca Romero, Nasai
Rivas and Luke Harrell finished fourth, fifth
and sixth overall, respectfully.
On the girl’s side the Lady Eagles had no
seniors in the race and Tyler Matlosz finished
second. Erin Rifkin’s steady pace was overcome
by Saxon sophomore Megan Martin at the end
and finished fifth. Freshman phenom Vinyet
Lapuente finished seventh and shaved another
thirty seconds off her best time. •
James Pearson could be one of the Eagle’s top offensive threats