By Wesley Adams and Mia Hanuska
Supportive, helpful, iconic—Assistant Principal Jennifer Halas works hard to keep Westmont running smoothly. If you’ve ever taken an AP test, you’ve likely seen her up at the front with the proctors, ensuring everything is set up properly, grabbing spare calculators for students and directing students to their seats. Along with AP tests and handling disciplinary concerns, she also manages concerns from students with the last names A-L.
While she may seem intimidating to the outside eye, Halas is actually incredibly easygoing and relatable to talk to! We were able to snag her for a quick interview about her time in high school back when she was our age.
Where did you go to high school?
I went to Presentation Highschool in San Jose. It was an all girls Catholic school, so very small— much smaller than Westmont.
What was your school’s mascot?
We were the panthers, blue and yellow
When did you graduate?
1998
What was your favorite class in high school and why?
I have three: trigonometry, psychology, and econ, in that order. I was really good at math, I liked that when you do the work, you’d get the answer and it’d either be right or wrong. Psychology ended up becoming my minor in college. I liked it because it was the study of the brain and I was always really curious about people. Econ I found interesting because you could always apply it to your life, it just kinda made sense.
What was your most challenging class and why?
Chemistry. Chemistry was horrible; I didn’t understand anything, there was a lot of memorization that didn’t make sense to me. I still don’t understand—it’s like a foreign language.
What extracurricular activities were you involved in?
I did competitive cheer outside of the high school, and that took a lot of my time. I was going to play on the basketball team, and I ended up quitting to do competitive cheer in 9th grade.
What was your favorite extracurricular activity and why?
My cheer team, which I still follow today.
Who were your favorite bands/artists/songs while in high school?
I think what was popular during that time: Blink 182, TLC, Boys to Men, Garth Brooks.
What was your favorite TV show in high school?
Beverly Hills 90210. It’s based in a high school in Beverly Hills and follows the kids through school.
What was your favorite novel?
I’ll tell you the novels I remember—English wasn’t my favorite class, but I would say (from the ones I remember): Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye, and The House on Mango Street.
What was your favorite movie while in high school?
I think Dumb & Dumber was popular, along with Clueless and Dirty Dancing.
What are your favorite memories of high school?
We were allowed to leave campus for lunch, so I would say leaving campus everyday and going to Taco Bell for lunch. We literally drove, got our tacos, and ran back because that was all we had time for.
What is your least favorite memory of high school?
They would hold the dismissal bell if the campus was a mess, so like if there was trash, and so when 2 or 2:30 came around, the principal would come on the loudspeaker and say, ‘we’re not letting you guys out, you need to go clean up the campus.’ All the parents would be waiting in front of the school, and everyday, if the bell didn’t ring, then we knew the principal would be coming on the loudspeaker. I remember that happening a lot.
What time did school start and end?
8, and we probably got out at 2:30. I took a zero period a few years, so I had to be there super early, but I would say 8 to 2:30.
What was your GPA?
3.2
Did you receive any awards?
No
How did you get to school (if you drove, what kind of car)?
When I turned 16, I had a VW Jetta, which a lot of the teenagers had.
Did you ever have to go to the dean’s or principal’s office? Why?
I did, I did get into trouble a couple times. I don’t know if I want to say why I got suspended…I’m not proud of it. Nothing horrible of course, but my school was very strict. What it was we would not suspend students for doing the same today.
Advice for highschoolers now?
Looking back, I wish someone had told me that you never know who you’re going to come across again in your life, so you don’t ever want to burn your bridges. I’ve ended up working with people I went to high school with, or our kids go to school together. Just think of the impact you’re having on one another; you want people to have a good memory of you.
You chose to pursue a career in education, so did you like school? I didn’t like school, no. I went to a very strict school where I didn’t feel like people were great mentors to me. I was discouraged from going to certain colleges because it wasn’t a good fit for me. I felt like there was a lot of discouragement, and I felt like they could’ve used that opportunity to uplift kids. I feel like our schools are better about that now. So yeah, I didn’t love school, but I’m still best friends with my friends from high school.