Cathedral Cathedral Catholic High School overflows with fascinating faculty members, each with his or her own unique story. The new teachers of the CCHS 2017-2018 school year, no different, bring a lot to the table.

Among them are Ms. Julia Liu, Mr. Tyler Anthony, and Mrs. Melinda Berry, each having diverse backgrounds, compelling lives, and amazing experiences from their time before joining the CCHS community.

New Mandarin teacher Ms. Liu brings a wealth of knowledge about not only the language, but the Chinese culture as well.

“I was born in China, am a native Chinese speaker, and lived in Singapore for seven years,” Ms. Liu said.

Excited about starting the Mandarin program at CCHS this school year, Ms. Liu hopes the program will grow as students enjoy learning a new language never spoken or taught before on campus. Ms. Liu wants students to know her as a friendly face and welcoming source for students to ask her anything.

“Students can come to me for any questions they might have about Chinese culture,” Liu said.

Moreover, she aims to spread knowledge about her Chinese heritage and to expand the Mandarin program on campus.

While Ms. Liu made her start in China, geometry teacher Mr. Anthony began his career journey by attending the University of San Diego, which prepared him for work in a start-up Silicon Valley business.

But as often happens with first careers, it did not last long.

“The tech world really wasn’t for me,” Mr. Anthony said, regarding his decision to move to San Diego and pursue a teaching career. “I’m passionate about Catholic education and giving back to the community is important to me.”

Having educators for parents, Mr. Anthony hopes his teaching will enrich student’s lives just as his parents did for their students.

While Mr. Anthony’s was mining the Golden State for career opportunities, Mrs. Berry took an international route to gain teaching experience after her first stint working for the Diocese of San Diego at the University of San Diego High School.

Mrs. Berry, after deciding to teach out of the country with her husband, traveled to Mexico, where she learned how to speak Spanish. Shortly afterwards, she moved to Rome to teach at an international school.

Then, Mrs. Berry spent a few years teaching various courses in Italy before moving to Beijing, China.

“I thought everyone in China rode bicycles, but no one did,” Mrs. Berry said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.” 

While in China, Mrs. Berry began teaching AP Calculus. She spent six years in Beijing before becoming dissatisfied with the pollution and lifestyle, causing her to return to San Diego to live near family and to rejoin teaching at CCHS.

CCHS welcomes Ms. Liu, Mr. Anthony, and Mrs. Berry to campus with open arms. Their futures as Dons will live up to their backgrounds and experiences in life prior to teaching at San Diego’s finest Catholic school.