HUSD NEW CLASSIFIED STAFF - Hughson Unified School District

Juan Garcia

Name: Juan Garcia

Family: I live near Hughson with my family, and we enjoy spending time together at home and

in the community.

Position in Hughson Unified: Bus Driver

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I wanted to work for Hughson schools because I enjoy being part of the community and helping students get to and from school safely every day. Being a bus driver allows me to play an important role in students’ education by making sure they start and end their school day on the right foot.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? Patience, responsibility, and focus are the most important skills for being a good bus driver. I also rely on my experience driving large vehicles and my ability to stay calm in different situations. Safety is always my top priority.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today. A role model for me has been my father. He worked hard to provide for our family and taught me the value of showing up every day and doing my best. His example shaped my work ethic and the way I approach my job today.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. We like to cook, watch sports, and sometimes take trips together. I also enjoy working on my car when I have extra time.

What is an important skill every person should have? I think everyone should have the skill of respect. Treating others with kindness and respect makes a big difference in life. I learned this from my parents, who always reminded me that the way you treat people matters.

How can parents support you in your work? Parents can support me by reminding their children to follow the bus rules and show respect to each other while riding. This helps keep everyone safe and makes the bus ride a positive experience for all students.

Daniel Gutierrez

Name: J. Daniel Gutierrez

Family: My wife, Audrey, and my son, Luca, are my reason for working hard and progressing my career.

Position in Hughson Unified: I am part of the Custodian/Grounds team.

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I wanted to start a career with a potential for growth. The smalltown setting and people of Hughson attracted me to apply here.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? I think attention to detail and pride in doing a good job applies to any job you want to succeed in.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? My manager from my first job made a big impression because she was easy to get along with, but was not afraid to correct work behavior. She was diligent and never overlooked small details.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy spending time with my wife and son, whether it be taking my son to new places, or hanging out at home watching a TV show or movie.

What is an important skill every person should have? I think attention to detail can be really useful in showing others how much you care.

How can parents support you in your work? Making sure the kids understand the importance of respect towards staff and the school grounds can go a long way in keeping our school operating efficiently and keeping it a positive environment.

Katie Ellak

Name: Katie Ellak

Family: Cody (my best friend and husband, we’ve been together 13 years), Kade (age 5 in kindergarten this year), and Jaxson (age 3 in preschool).

Position in Hughson Unified: TK Paraeducator

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I live and grew up in Hughson, as well as have two boys, one at the elementary school and one at the preschool, so it was a dream to work at the same school site as them!

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? I have my Bachelor’s Degree from Stan State, as well as worked at a non-public school with ED children, and was a substitute teacher for Hughson for the past two years. So, I’ve worked in a school setting for most of my life, and I absolutely love it and love seeing children grow and learn, and seeing when something they found difficult finally clicks for them!

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? My all-time role model is my mom. She’s one of the best people I know and was a 1st grade teacher for around 15 years, so I believe I followed in her footsteps and that’s where I learned my love for teaching and helping children, too.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy hanging out with my family, especially my two boys and husband. We love to do puzzles and games together, and take the boys to different parks and playgrounds in the area! My favorite part of my day is snuggling with them on the couch and watching their favorite show, Bluey, together.

What is an important skill every person should have? I think that the most important skill that anyone can have is kindness. It is the simplest thing, yet it has the most impact. You don’t know who is battling a hard time in private, and a kind word or conversation could possibly turn their whole day or perspective around.

How can parents support you in your work? Collaboration between staff/teachers and parents is best for the most successful outcome for the students, which is what we all want.

Bianca Mendoza

Name: Bianca Mendoza

Family: I have two amazing boys who keep me busy and bring so much joy to my life.

Position in Hughson Unified: Paraprofessional at the high school, Billy Joe Dickens.

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools?I wanted to work for Hughson schools because I enjoy being part of a supportive community and helping students grow both academically and personally. Working with kids has always been a passion of mine, and being able to make a difference in their lives motivates me every day.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? Patience, empathy, and strong communication skills are essential in my role. Being a parent has also given me a deeper understanding of how to connect with students and support their unique needs.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today. My biggest role model has been my mother. She taught me the importance of hard work, kindness, and always believing in yourself. Her encouragement shaped the way I approach both my work and my personal life.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I love hiking and exploring new places with my kids. Right now, one of my favorite spots is the Knights Ferry or Yosemite trails. Spending time outdoors with my boys gives us special moments together and helps us create lasting memories.

What is an important skill every person should have? I believe every person should have the ability to listen with empathy. I learned this skill through both parenting and working with students. It helps build trust, stronger relationships, and better communication.

How can parents support you in your work? Parents can support me by staying engaged in their child’s education, maintaining open communication with teachers and staff, and encouraging their children to always try their best. Working together as a team ensures students have the best chance to succeed.

Ariel Werner

Name: Ariel Werner

Family: My family includes myself, my husband Trevor and our three children, Aubrey, Kinzey and Weston.

Position in Hughson Unified: TKParaprofessional

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I have wanted to work for Hughson schools because I love the atmosphere of Hughson and its schools. I love the small town community and togetherness. I love that you feel like one big family. Also, a big factor was my kids going to school at Hughson schools and wanting to be close to them.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? I think just having experience working with children is important for me to do my job well. I have many years of experience in different classroom settings. I have worked with special education, deaf and hard of hearing and general education. I have also had experience with children as babies; I was a nanny/ babysitter, and I feel that has helped me watch and understand children while they are still learning and developing skills that will help them later on when they get into school. I think having experience in an array of different classroom settings and different populations has given me great skills to do my job well.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? My role model has always been my mother. She has always shown me throughout my life what it truly means to be a great mom, teacher, friend, and human being. She has always taught me how to treat people and children with respect and kindness. She has taught me how to make everyone feel included and loved. I really believe her impact on my life is why I am the person I am today.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family. My family and I’s favorite things to do together are hangout and BBQ, go to the beach, and go camping. I also love to cook and bake. Being in the kitchen is my happy place.

What is an important skill every person should have? I think an important skill everyone should have is communication. Communication is so important in many aspects of life, whether it’s with relationships or in the workplace. I have learned that in personal experiences, communication is key to being able to work seamlessly or to work through any mishaps.

How can parents support you in your work? Parents can support me in my work by giving me any important facts or information that would be helpful for me to know about their child. They can also help me by communicating any questions or concerns with the teacher or me.

Jazmin Sargenti

Name: Jazmin Sargenti

Family: I have a husband, Buddy, a daughter, Izabella, 11, and a son named Buck, 9

Position in Hughson Unified: Bilingual Paraeducator

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I like the close-knit community and the welcoming environment. I’ve always heard great things about this school district.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? English was my second language. I learned English when I began elementary school in Los Angeles. I understand the obstacles of navigating a new language at school. I have also worked in a dual-language immersion school in the past, and my children are currently enrolled in a dual-immersion program.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? My father was the most compassionate person. He would regularly bring homeless families over for the holidays to join us. He taught me to always help others in need because you never know what they are going through.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy reading and hanging out with my sisters. I also love going camping with my family and our two dogs.

What is an important skill every person should have? Accountability. I learned from my parents that I need to be accountable for my own actions and not to blame others for decisions that I made.

How can parents support you in your work? Parents can reach out to us if there is an event or situation at home that their child is having trouble working through. There are life changes that affect the kids in a negative way, and we cannot provide the proper support if we aren’t aware of them.

Matthew Gonzales

Name: Matthew Gonzales

Position: Campus Supervisor

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? Over the past decade, I’ve been blessed to be part of the coaching staff of the football team. Not only have I fallen in love with my players, but as an alumnus, I’ve grown to love this school and its traditions. I’ve always loved Hughson, and I’ve always known being a Husky is where I’m happiest.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? As far as experience, I think coaching plays a great part in doing my job well. I’ve built a lot of good bonds with the kids to the point where we can get along and be cool with each other, yet I can still get the respect from them when I need to be more assertive and real with them.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? A person who has had a major impact on my life is actually now a coworker of mine and someone who taught me when I was in school: Mr. Bland. He taught me a lot about patience and really caring about his students/kids, especially when kids have hardships and are dealing with stuff outside of school. Making sure they have a safe place and someone to talk to.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? In my free time, I have two sides to me. I love being extroverted and being outside doing stuff like fishing, camping, snowboarding, going to the beach, coaching football (obviously), and going to sporting events and concerts as well. I do have an introverted side, where I just wanna kick back, stay in, relax, maybe watch some movies, shows, and listen to some music. Extroverted or introverted, if I’m spending time with family or friends, that will always make me happy.

What is an important skill every person should have? How or from whom did you learn it? An important skill everyone should have is patience and understanding. I wouldn’t say I learned it from one single person; everyone has played a part in my life, and I’ve watched, listened, and retained what I can. Going through a lot of experiences, I’d say just life in general is where I learned it.

How can parents support you in your work? Mentally, they already help me in so many ways. I love having conversations and having them as my people to vent to. They’ll always be there for me for all my highs and lows and give me advice when I need it. Support just comes with the job of being a parent, and I’m thankful for it.

Lisa Singh

Name: Lisa Singh

Family: I’ve been married for 20 years to my husband, Raj. We have three children- Taylor, Ava and Evan. We also have two energetic grandsons, Roman and Jaxon.

Position in Hughson Unified: ELD Para at Hughson High School

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I love the small-town community environment.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? I have two AAs from MJC: one in Criminal Justice and the other in Social Sciences.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? What did he/she do that made a difference? My mother was a Special Education Teacher, watching her make a difference in her students' lives and helping shape their future into brighter possibilities, inspired me to follow in her footsteps.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy spending time and traveling with my family, watching my children in their sports and activities, and reading whenever I can find a quiet moment.

What is an important skill every person should have? I think understanding that we all have different strengths and struggles. These things make us uniquely us. Being able to work and collaborate with each other is a valuable skill I learned from my mother.

How can parents support you in your work? Parents can help support our children by monitoring their students' grades and missing work.

Juliana Gouveia

Name: Juliana Gouveia

Family: Married to my husband Mark, 16 years this October. We have three children: Jonah (11), Annabelle (8), and Abigail (6)

Position in Hughson Unified: Cafeteria Monitor at Hughson Elementary School

Why did you want to work for Hughson schools? I love the small-town community. It seems like a great place to work; everyone is so welcoming and kind.

What education/experience/life skills are important to do your job well? I enjoy working with children; I have an upbeat and positive attitude; and I try my best every day.

Share about a role model who made an impact on your life and where you are today? My dad was creative, worked hard, and never complained. He always encouraged me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I love thrift store shopping and finding good deals! I enjoy reading, being outdoors, and spending time with my family. We go to local libraries, parks, and church, playing games together. Our latest games we love are Piggy Piggy, Uno and Life. We go to Sonora often to visit family, and I love the mountains!

What is an important skill every person should have? How or from whom did you learn it? Every person should have integrity and be kind. A great skill is to be open to meeting new people, inviting others in, and being friendly and hospitable. We all need each other.