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Introducing Our New Maranatha Faculty
We are continuing our Minutegram series highlighting the newest faculty and staff to join our school community.
In this article, Maranatha High School would like to introduce a few more individuals who joined our faculty this year. We are delighted to have them join our mission to shape the hearts and minds of our students.
Serene Babikian ‘16: Ms. Babikian is not only a recent Maranatha graduate, but she is also one of the newest faculty members to the Science Department teaching Biology to freshman students. Ms. Babikian said, “I felt I was led to come back to Maranatha because of the Christ-centered environment that I was blessed to be a part of when I was a student. I am extremely grateful to be back here where I can apply my knowledge of science by teaching students Biology. My goals are to be a mentor to my students, make student academics stronger, and to promote Maranatha to the broader community.”
Nathan Spear: Mr. Spear is a new faculty member in the Science Department where he teaches Physics and AP Physics to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Mr. Spear said, “I studied Physics in college and this teaching position at Maranatha was one of the first ones I found. I love working in a Christian environment where I know my coworkers are praying for me and invested in my success.” Mr. Spear is focused on diving into the mission of Maranatha and helping the students in their academic and extracurricular journeys. He continued, “I strongly believe that students learn as much outside the classroom as they do inside the classroom, and I hope to get involved in coaching or similar things going forward, whether that's in volleyball, basketball, theater, or music.”
Miguel Almena: Mr. Almena is the new Computer-Aided Design faculty member for the Visual Arts Department where he teaches all grade levels. Mr. Almena said, “Prior to coming to Maranatha, I was a lead educator at Pasadena Unified School District spearheading the district-wide 3D Printing Program. We were the first district to implement rapid prototyping at scale and train educators on how to integrate it into cross-curricular projects. Through God's hand, I was called to Maranatha to carry on the vision to unleash students' God-given creativity for the purposes of serving others for massive impact.” For Mr. Almena, coming to join Maranatha ultimately came down to the heart of the community. He continued, “Oftentimes when we work in an environment that is not community focused or even united under a common vision the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 sums up Maranatha well in that we have a common vision and joy for the work we do, and so I gladly accepted God's call to serve our families, students, and community during this season of my life.”
