Everyone has a favorite teacher. One who changed their perspective, made them fall in love with a subject, or provided a shoulder to lean on. But the impact of good teachers extends far beyond the classroom.

Ms.Thorstad is one of the many new teachers on Cathedral Catholic High School’s campus this year. She previously taught at a private school in Santa Barbara and now teaches history at Cathedral. Before becoming a teacher, Thorstad pursued a career in the Navy. The experience taught her the importance of community, as the “friendships and comradery in the navy can’t be matched.”

Ever since she was in fourth grade, Thorstad had known she wanted to be a teacher. But it wasn’t until her eleventh grade history class that she found her subject. Her teacher made history engaging, and she wanted to do the same for her future students.

Thorstad strives to cultivate student interest in history and plans interactive lessons for her classes. “I try to use a lot of hands- on activities where students are able to dig into materials themselves and apply what they learned to a bigger question,” she explained. Sophomore student Tyler Gleeson agreed, noting that she is “highly interactive with the classroom and incorporates lots of group projects which helps everyone become engaged in the assignment.”

While Thorstad may be new to CCHS this year, it has long been a dream of hers to work at Cathedral. She encourages students to appreciate the education they are receiving at the hands of dedicated and engaging teachers. “Be grateful for your experience here at Cathedral, it’s a really fantastic school…and is an educational experience that can’t be mirrored anywhere else.”