This year Oakmont’s Vikings are delighted to welcome their newest teacher, Mrs. Sandra Gallegos, who will be taking on the hearty position of Activities Director. 

After the former Associated Study Body (ASB) teacher, beloved Mr. Kentris departed from the Viking Family for a position at Westpark High School, Oakmont was on the hunt for someone to fill the role when Mrs. Gallegos, widely known as Mrs. G, came into the picture.

Mrs. G started her career in teaching after majoring in music education, studying voice, at California State Fullerton. She is currently working towards her Masters, for which she unfortunately had to take a temporary incomplete as she got COVID-19 in December of 2020.

Gallegos states that she has been teaching for nine years in Music Education as a Choir Director before this position, and that this is her first time working as an Activities Director.

Although she has no experience as an ASB teacher before, she is quite confident in her abilities to manage the position.  

When she was in the position of Choir Director at her former schools, Gallegos had to plan the choir concerts. She essentially sees this as an opportunity to plan other types of activities. 

When Gallegos was asked what drew her to the position of being Activities Director, an answer was quick to roll off her tongue. 

“When I was a choir director, I was also a class advisor,” Gallegos said. “I loved attending events.”

Gallegos loved being involved in this scene even back in her high school days, where she was Junior Class President and ASB Vice President. 

Gallegos seems to be quite passionate about Student Government, what it is, and what it can do. This passion will be a strong asset to her, as well as a refreshing move for the Viking Family. 

“Students coming to events and having school spirit is really what helps them get through high school,” Gallegos said. “School should be a home away from home.”

One way Gallegos hopes to make Oakmont feel like home is by being inclusive and welcoming, celebrating a variety of cultures. 

Although Oakmont does celebrate Heritage Month to an extent, Gallegos hopes to make it into more of a blown-out festival. 

Gallegos states that she hopes to have traditional performances like Irish dancing and Mariachi bands, as well as a wide-selection of traditional foods in a buffet like style for students to enjoy. 

She confesses that this may not be plausible in her first year, but she does hope to tackle the challenge of celebrating more ethnicities and their histories, bringing more attention to Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Whilst this may be something Gallegos hopes to incorporate into Oakmont’s culture, her main focus right now is the upcoming Homecoming dance. 

Everything within the past two years that has ensued, as well as all the obstacles in place now due to COVID-19, means there are many more difficulties present for Student Government to work through in order to pull off this dance. 

“We’re looking at a variety of options, trying to be creative, and have a beautiful dance,” Gallegos said. 

She hopes that with Homecoming, and all the other events approaching this year, that they will be able to bring some normalcy back to Oakmont life, as well as opportunities for the students to enjoy themselves. 

Gallegos views that creating a positive school environment for students really encourages engagement and spirit, which is vital in a setting like this. 

But, regarding her experience here so far, she feels that it has been such an easy transition due to the immense amount of support she has received. 

“Even though this is my first time, I have such huge support from the administration and students alike,” Gallegos said. “The ASB officers know what they’re doing.”

Over the summer, Gallegos and the Student Government officers put in many hours of work to be able to pull off events such as the Viking Voyage Days with such success. 

“I think Mrs. G is the perfect fit for Student Government,” ASB President Alyssa Schmidt said. “She brings this great energy to the class and inspires everyone around her.”

A character like Gallegos is just the refreshing energy the Oakmont campus needed to bring back some life after these years of trying times. 

Oakmont is very proud to say they have welcomed a new Viking to the family.

“Everybody is so proud of Oakmont, and I am proud to be here,” Gallegos said.