Teachers leaving the Blackhawk nest

At La Quinta High School, Ms. Jennifer Cortez served as an English teacher and journalism teacher/adviser. She will attend graduate school this fall to pursue her master's degree. She plans on broadening her horizons, as one of her aspirations is to create a CTE program focused on journalism. She hopes that by doing this, her students will see it's okay to be hungry for more: more questions and exploration.

Dr. Jeri Phillips is retiring from LQHS after five years of teaching English. Before coming to LQHS, Phillips worked in the Morongo Unified School District for 30 years as an elementary school teacher. She plans on traveling with her husband with all the free time they’ll now have. She hopes to have taught her kids to have a good work ethic. Phillips said, “I hope that I motivated students and...

Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Jose Rios worked as a counselor at juvenile hall and saw how “empty” they were. This experience made Rios strive to find a way to teach kids to love and let them know how beautiful everyone truly is. He then started his 31-year-long journey of being a Spanish teacher and mentor. Rios hopes that he has taught his students to have a compassionate heart. He stated, “Nowadays,...

After 36 years of working with DSUSD as both a teacher and BTSA mentor, Mrs. Debra Rios will be leaving the Blackhawk family. After this year, Rios plans to travel and explore the world with her husband, Mr. Rios and her family. She also intends volunteer at hospitals and elderly homes as a way to give back to the community. Rios hopes that she has taught her kids “to be lifelong learners and to...

After completing his first year at LQHS, Mr. Bret Raven, who taught U.S. History as well as government/ economics, will be relocating from the Coachella Valley for a new teaching position closer to where he currently resides. "I've made great bonds with some of my students as far as getting them interested in history and seeing them grow as writers and as people," Raven said. "The bonds I had with...

Mr. Robert Bowman, who spent three years at LQHS, will be transferring to Indio High School as their new AP English Literature teacher. “I’ve loved my time here at LQ. It’s a wonderful school filled with wonderful people,” Bowman said. “However, at any time in life when you are presented with an opportunity that is exciting to you, you should take it. They offered me a new adventure and I...

After 17 years at La Quinta High School, APEX and Freshman Seminar teacher Ms. Deborah Myll is retiring. Myll intends to spend her retirement with her husband and her grandson. Myll enjoys piloting, scuba diving, exercising, and playing golf. Myll hopes that for every student she had the chance to meet understand what the word “integrity” truly means. Myll added, “I’ll miss watching the students...