Cheer coach Katie Mendenhall and choir director Aaron Bryan replaced Josh Tosland as the campus leadership advisers for this year. The change occurred after Tosland stepped down to focus on coaching basketball and the administration’s restructuring of the leadership program.

Principal Jon Endicott feels the administration made the right choice in choosing Mendenhall and Bryan.

“We chose them because they understood the changes we are trying to make this year,” Endicott said. “We felt that they would also be a team that could change this campus. Bryan is involved in worship team already, so that made us feel he could handle the task. Mendenhall is the cheer coach and she brings a great deal of enthusiasm to the class and school.”

The leadership class plans the pep rallies, the annual Night of the Stars (NOTS) formal and Sadie Hawkins. Mendenhall anticipates fun helping students with events.

“I’m looking forward to teaching leadership because it is going to be nice to know students that are not on my cheer teams,” Mendenhall said. “Watching the students plan the events is also going to be exciting.”

The theme and emphasis this year is service and worship. The leadership class will plan service projects not only for their class, but for the entire school.

Mendenhall has spent the past 20 years on campus, attending kindergarten through high school. She participated in cheer from seventh grade until graduation, and became the head cheer coach seven years ago. She met her husband, Jeff, alumnus and football player, while in high school.

“I have been at this school for a long time,” Mendenhall said, “and feel like I have never left. I am here after school and now that I am teaching, I am here during the day too. I feel right at home.”

Bryan has been the choir teacher for five years and also directs the worship team. He spends every summer living in Los Angeles continuing to work on his master’s degree at California State University, Los Angeles in order to enhance his musical skills.

Despite the inexperience of the new advisers, leadership members as well as administration believe they will bring fresh new ideas to the class.

“They are very energetic and exciting,” sophomore Bree Ainley, cheerleader and leadership member, said. “We are a little nervous though because they are new to teaching Bible and they are also brand new people in the class, but this is going to be a great year. They have good ideas that I?m looking forward to incorporating.”

As Bryan and Mendenhall maintain other positions, the void between Bible lessons, choreography and sight-reading sessions becomes clear.

“It is kind of weird having our cheer coach as a Bible teacher, too,” Ainley said, “because I see her differently at cheer and she sees me differently. It is kind of weird because I’m used to being able to call her by her name and I find myself having to catch myself before I say ‘Katie’.”

Varsity football player Julio Ibarra, ’10, feels that the year will be groundbreaking for the class.

“I think that they make a great team and work well together,” Ibarra said. “Mrs. Mendenhall has great ideas for the year and is very organized. Mr. Bryan is bringing us to a new level on our spirituality and it really makes the class fun.”

Not only are there new leadership teachers, but also a new Spanish teacher, Maria Adame, along with math teacher,Jane Gillespie, English teacher, Brianne Vogt and high school secretary, Michelle Regnerus.

For more information, e-mail Katie Mendenhall or Aaron Bryan.