New Teachers

New Faces in the Halls of GLSHS

The new teachers on staff in Greater Latrobe Senior High.

Abigail Allias and Grace Torrillo

September 22, 2023

Mrs. Gwynn, Spanish Teacher

Mrs. Gwynn graduated from Saint Vincent College with the goal of being a teacher. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher and for a while considered being a music teacher before she realized she couldn’t play the piano. She took a French class and discovered her love for languages. Mrs. Gwynn said that she loves creating these new relationships with her students. She also inspires them by showing her imperfections, so they realize that she doesn’t expect them to be perfect either. She knows that mistakes are a part of the learning process and she doesn’t expect her students to be flawless.

Miss Livingston, Physical Education Teacher

Miss Livingston received her undergraduate degree from Lock Haven University and then received her master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Miss Livingston loves that she gets to interact with her students and gets to be a positive and uplifting influence on them. Mis Livingston inspires and uplifts her students every day by being funny, energetic, and enthusiastic. She even brings a megaphone to class! In addition to being a physical education teacher, she also coaches the girl’s basketball team. This is her first year teaching and she said that getting used to high school students has been an adjustment. She is very grateful for the amazing students and staff.

Miss Rodgers, FACs Teacher

Miss Rodgers received her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Oakland, and then received a degree in secondary education at Pennsylvania Western University. At first, she thought she should enter a career in the medical field but decided that teaching was a better fit for her because of the powerful influence that it can have on kids every day. Mrs. Rodgers values student relationships and says that “every day is something new. It’s not like an office job when everything is the same, you never know what each new day will bring.” Miss Rodgers said that she tries to inspire students by being herself and having her style. She always tries to be positive and always smiling because it encourages students to persist. “Everyone has personal struggles that we don’t know about. It’s important to me to be positive and help people keep going.”

Mrs. Selembo, Guidance Counselor

Mrs. Selembo graduated from IUP to become a High School Guidance Counselor. At first, she thought she wanted to have a career in education, but then when she took a psychology class in college, it opened her mind to this new career. During her time as a student at IUP, she worked as an Academic Advisor and was able to see that job in action. She loves seeing her students achieve their goals. She said, “Seeing the ‘light-bulb moment’ when students begin to figure things out.” Being a Latrobe alumnus helped Mrs. Selembo adjust to a new, yet recognizable school. While the school has changed significantly since she graduated, being in a familiar place was comforting. She also said that her amazing co-workers helped to make the transition into a new environment easier and more pleasant.

About the Contributors

Abigail Allias, Staff Writer

Abigail Allias is a sophomore at Greater Latrobe Senior High School. This is her first year on the staff of The High Post. Abigail enjoys spending her free time dancing, reading, and traveling. She has been a dancer for seven years and takes classes in a variety of different genres including Lyrical, Ballet, Jazz, Pointe, Hip Hop, Modern, and Tap. When she isn’t at the dance studio, she is usually found reading a book. As an avid reader, she will read any and every kind of book. She also enjoys traveling and feels lucky to have taken many vacations with her family. Her very favorite place to visit is San Diego, California. She loves the weather and the positive, laid-back vibe of the city. Abigail also enjoys taking her dogs, Joy (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) and Ginger (a Labrador Retriever), for walks around the neighborhood each day. Abigail’s family is very important to her. She has learned from her parents what a diligent work ethic looks like and is going to carry that on to her work at The High Post. Abigail is excited to be working on The High Post as a writer since she enjoys writing, learning about current topics, and sharing her opinions. She looks forward to learning about journalism and further developing her writing skills. Her plans after high school are to further her academic career by attending college. Although she is unsure what she is going to major in, she is looking forward to figuring out what she is passionate about and what she is meant to do in the future.

Grace Torrillo, Staff Writer

Grace Torrillo is a sophomore and this is her first year on staff for the High Post. She doesn't have a specific focus for this year but looks forward to improving her writing. She took this class because she likes photography and wanted to experiment with writing. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, her current favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower because of its ability to portray life through the eyes of a troubled teenager in a haunting yet uplifting way. Grace is always listening to music and doesn’t have a favorite genre or artist. What she listens to depends on her mood of the day. Her other interests include traveling and while she's been to many places with her family, she hopes to one day go to Ireland. She’s not sure what she wants to do when she is older but she does plan on going to college. Grace really wants to go to a university where she can do a semester abroad and go to England. She really loves biology and is considering a career related to that.