By: Ethan H, staff writer
Right after graduating from college, history teacher Mr. Jung got his first full-time job at Galileo 21 years ago, and has continued working at the school ever since. Mr. Jung attributes his longevity at Galileo to the dedicated co-workers and kind students that motivate him everyday.
In 2001, Galileo was looking for a last-minute Social Studies teacher and called Mr. Jung, who was fresh out of college, for an interview. Since Galileo was the first school to reach out to Mr. Jung, he accepted the next day, despite not knowing a lot about Galileo. However, most of the things Mr. Jung had heard about Galileo were almost all negative, which made him a little anxious in the beginning.
Mr. Jung’s impression of the school quickly changed, however, as he felt comfortable right away. The main thing that he liked about the school was the people, which still holds true for him today. He is inspired by the dedication and innovation of his coworkers, and additionally, he also really enjoys the students. He says, “Overall, Galileo students are just plain cool. They’re kind, friendly, and very accepting of others.”
Another draw that has kept Mr. Jung at Galileo all these years is its location & the weather. He said, “Galileo is located in a beautiful part of San Francisco. The weather is usually sunny and there are many places within walking distance to eat and relax.”
In part because of his long term dedication to the school, Mr. Jung has also held the position of Social Studies Department Head for the last 10 years. Being the Department Head comes with many extra responsibilities, such as; going to more meetings, assisting administration with planning teacher schedules and classroom assignments, and being responsible for the department budget and supplies. Even with all of the extra responsibilities Mr. Jung’s main focus is still towards his classes. He says, “Despite these extra tasks, I still consider myself a classroom teacher, most of my energy is focused on that.”
Over the 21 years that Mr. Jung has worked at Galileo, he has seen many changes. Mr. Jung has seen various parts of the school being remodeled, for example the courtyard being redone, lockers being replaced, the gym being upgraded. He also noticed social changes with the emergence of social media as well as the school shifting priority to mental health.
With all the changes he has seen throughout his 21 years at Galileo, Mr. Jung has sometimes questioned whether he wanted to stay at Galileo, however he knows it is the best place for him. He says, “I’ve thought about making more money; doing an easier job. However, the grass is always greener on the other side. I know that if I leave, I’ll just end up missing Galileo.”
