Cardozo High School is home to several programs that truly make the school shine. From dance to NJROTC to bio-med, there are many different programs that the school has to offer students through their four years. One of the programs that many students apply to get into is the journalism program. Led by Assistant Principal Beth Kierez, the journalism program is part of Cardozo’s English Department.
The Verdict is just one of the many classes that journalism students can take throughout their four years in the program. While students learn about the history of journalism and article structure in their English courses, and can learn valuable skills in their elective courses, they are also taught by several talented teachers, many whom have hands-on journalism and media experience themselves.
Ms. Gutterman—9th Grade Journalism, “The Verdict” Advisor
Also known by many of her students under her maiden name Ms. Tanney, becoming advisor for “The Verdict” was something that came naturally to Mrs. Gutterman. Before becoming a teacher, Mrs. Gutterman spent five years working as a professional journalist for several different online publications, but overall, has ten years of journalism and writing experience.
“I love writing, it is something that has always come very naturally to me. My father was a writer, and I think I get that from him,” she shared. Mrs. Gutterman worked for several entertainment and lifestyle websites in her career before deciding to go back to school to get her master’s in education.
“Going back to school was not an easy choice, but one that I knew I wanted to do. When I was working, a lot of my old high school teachers would call me up and ask me to come in and speak to their journalism students about life in the industry and how to get your feet wet, and every time I was in a classroom with those kids, I felt like I was at home,” she recalled.
Mrs. Gutterman still worked in journalism full-time while pursuing her master’s in education, and today freelances for some companies as a journalist, still. She uses her experience in the field and the industry to give students in her classroom good advice and guidance, and also feedback. “I tell all of my students, it’s so important to learn the basics early on. That will set you apart from anyone when the time comes to intern or apply for jobs. Also, read the news every day. Make sure you know what is happening in the world around you.”
Now in her fifth year of teaching and third year at Cardozo, Mrs. Gutterman says that there is nowhere else she would rather be. “I love my kids tremendously, all of them. And, even when they leave my classroom and leave Cardozo, they’ll still always be my kids.”
Ms. Biramian—Graphic Design, Yearbook Advisor
Every year in June, the senior class publishes their high school yearbook. But, a majority of kids don’t know who’s actually behind the hard work of making the yearbook. You’ll be surprised to find out that it’s none other than Mrs. Biramian. Along with being an English and ENL teacher, she works tirelessly to publish the yearbook, and also teaches the 9th grade journalism elective, graphic design.
If you have spoken to Mrs. Biramian, or even sat in a class with her, you would know how relaxing and calming it is to be around her. Her attitude in the classroom stems from why she wanted to become a teacher in the first place. “I wanted to become a teacher so kids can be safe and feel good coming to me about anything,” Mrs. Biramian shared.
“I’m from Queens, so I form a relationship with my students. I care about their mental and emotional health as well as their academic excellence,” she added. Kids need someone they can turn to as an adult figure, and she just so happens to be that person. Mrs. Biramian also graduated from Queens College. “I’m proud to be a Queens College graduate,” she exclaimed.
Becoming a graphic design teacher came from her talent with design itself. “I was always good at design; I loved creating something out of nothing and drawing. So when I started working, I took a liking to graphic design. My ideas would come to life just by working with the kids, and it takes everyone’s vision to create stuff. That is my goal with the yearbook, graphic arts, and my ELA class,” she explained.
Many would be shocked to find out that Mrs. Biramian is a first-generation Armenian citizen. Not many people know that she and Mr. Muradyan are the only teachers who come from an Armenian background. This information is actually very important because, with there being only a small community of Armenians in the school, it gives those students who are Armenian the opportunity to go visit her, so they can feel represented.
In addition, Mrs. Biramian stated that she is truly proud of the work and effort she provides to her students, whether it’s with their personal lives or some kind of project that they are doing in class. No matter what it is, she is proud to be able to help them in any way, shape, or form.
Ms. Mavromihalis—Graphic Design
Did you know the deans that you see every day roaming the halls, telling you to either get to class or put on your ID, have classes of their own? One dean that you have definitely seen or heard in the halls before is Mrs. Mavromihalis, who teaches English and graphic design in the journalism program.
Mrs. Mavromihalis always knew while growing up that she would most likely become a teacher, and what actually motivated her to become one was because of her very own high school experience. While she was in high school, she was able to receive so many great opportunities, like exchange trips, where she was truly able to enjoy herself, which led her to want students today to experience the same things she was able to.
However, this may come as a shocker to some. Mrs. Mavromihalis original plan was not to become a dean and an English teacher. Her original plan was to become a drama teacher, as in college she majored in theater. Things still turned out for the best, though, and she loves what she ended up teaching to this day.
Out in the halls, you may find Mrs. Mavromihalis to be strict, but in class, she is a fair teacher who just wants the best for her students. A teaching strategy she always goes by is to lead by example, and in return, she will constantly tell her classes, “If you don’t know, go to the pro,” she shared, which is something she always wants her students to follow so they can always strive to do their best.
Ms. Choit—9th Grade Journalism
As the school year begins, everyone is excited and nervous to find out who their new teachers will be. Many of them may receive Ms. Choit, an English, ENL, and journalism teacher here at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. Ms. Choit has been teaching here for 4 years so far. Her career in teaching was influenced by her mom, who she looked up to the most. “My mom was also a teacher, and she taught for many years at an elementary school,” Ms. Choit shared.
Although she is part of the program, Ms. Choit wasn’t originally a journalist. Her journalism experience comes from the Cardozo program and working with her coworkers. “I was originally an English teacher, so a lot of my journalism experience came from working in the journalism program and learning from my colleagues, which has been pretty nice,” she shared. In her free time, she likes to read books.
Ms. Choit likes to set her students up for success, not only in school but also in the world beyond that. When asked about why she enjoys teaching, she quickly responded, “I really like that it’s a real world application. It’s not just practicing writing an essay for school or for college, I mean those skills are still wonderful and incredibly valuable, but being able to actually apply a piece of writing that you would use on the job experience and in the real world, I think that’s really valuable.”
Ms. Bifano—10th Grade Journalism
If you are in the journalism program, 10th grade English/Journalism means you will have a seat in Ms. Bifano’s class. Ms. Bifano is an English teacher who is known by her students for her calm personality. She has been a teacher for 18 years, with most of her time being spent at The High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, where she taught for 13 years. This is her sixth year teaching in Cardozo High School.
In college, Ms. Bifano studied journalism and English Education. As a journalist, she worked in the Maire Claire Magazine, as well as the popular Cosmopolitan Magazine. She switched careers to teaching as she preferred the classroom environment over a desk job, sharing“…I actually missed being in the classroom after my student teaching experience.”
Ms. Bifano is passionate about teaching journalism, as it fuses her favorite subjects together: teaching and reporting. As she reflects on her career in journalism, she says the field has changed a lot due to social media. Although people have opportunities to share unique stories, she Bifano acknowledges, “anyone can report a story and most of the time they are fabricated.”
As a teacher, Ms. Bifano hopes to encourage students to pursue journalism. She believes that it is an important job that can provide unique experiences and present different viewpoints. “The world is constantly changing and there is so much to explore.” Ms. Bifano believes reporting does not only have to be reporting on recent mainstream news. Journalists can explore a variety of news reporting such as investigative journalism, musical journalism, and photojournalism.
Ms. Siebuhr—Public Relations & Advertising
Many children dream of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but Ms. Siebuhr always knew she wanted to become a teacher. When she was young, Ms. Siebuhr was a hardworking student who loved reading and writing. Later on, when it came to choosing what she wanted to do in life, she debated between becoming a teacher or a coach. Ultimately, she ended up choosing to become an English teacher. Ms. Siebuhr currently teaches freshman and junior English classes, along with the 10th grade journalism elective: Public Relations and Advertising.
As with any career, teaching has its challenges. “One of the biggest challenges teachers face is trying to get students interested in what we are learning,” she shared. However, Ms. Siebuhr is up for that task.
“I try to make connections to my students whenever I can to make what they are learning interesting to them. I also try to explain why what we are doing is important so that they can understand the importance of what we are doing out in the real world,” she explained.
When it comes to what she enjoys about her career as a teacher, she shared, “I love watching my students grow as learners, especially when I get students back in 11th grade that I had in 9th.” Watching her students growth and progress is one of the reasons Ms. Siebuhr doesn’t regret her decision to become a teacher.
When she’s not working, Ms. Siebuhr likes to spend a lot of time with her family, friends, and her dog Doom. Her family loves hosting pizza and game nights. In addition, she likes to bake and craft whenever she can.
Ms. Eshaghian—Public Relations & Advertising
Have you ever wondered what goes through a teacher’s mind when they’re our age? Sometimes, looking back, many teachers can’t believe they ended up where they are today. “If you had told me in high school that I was gonna be a teacher, I would’ve thought you had lost your mind,” English and journalism teacher, Ms. Eshaghian, shared. “It was the furthest thing from–I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew I didn’t wanna teach.”
Sometimes life is unexpected and this was the case for Ms. Eshaghian, clearly. “I kinda landed in PR [public relations]. I never planned on being in public relations. It was like a job that was offered…To be honest, I went into everything without a plan…I didn’t have a particular plan of what I wanted to do.” Although things were unexpected for her, Ms. Eshaghian has had quite a successful career both in PR and now as an educator at Cardozo. She has been a teacher at Cardozo since 1998.
Becoming part of the journalism program was an easy fit for her, as well, because she has a media background. “I’m teaching Public Relations. and Advertising since I started in public relations before I became a teacher…so I have professional experience.” She was happy that she was asked to teach the course, be part of the journalism program, and try her hands at something new.
She enjoys getting to know her students, and expressed that having a class who is eager to learn makes her enjoy teaching. She wants her students to leave her classroom with, “knowledge, experience, and a little bit of curiosity.”
She proceeded with saying a good teacher comes with, “Liking kids, patience, a sense of humor, and knowing your subject.” However, she shared that a good teacher likes her kids first, before anything.
“I think also I became a different teacher when I had kids and I became a different teacher when my kids became high school aged. I started to see it kinda through their perspective and running it through their eyes… you have to evolve as a teacher.”
Mr. Rivers—11th Grade Journalism
When thinking about a teacher, you don’t really think about who they are personally and the fact that they overcame steps and went through the process to become who they are now. Many teachers are not as into their job as others and may come off as strict and not understanding, but Mr Rivers is the total opposite. Mr Rivers is a teacher that will always be there for support and give you advice when are confused. He is very inspiring for students by maintaining a positive attitude.
Mr. Rivers originally got into journalism after being inspired by a sports broadcaster, Stephan A Smith. “When I saw how people were commenting on sports for example basketball when I hear the commentators speaking on it or I hear sports reporters analyzing the basketball games, it made me interested because anybody that knows sports knows the commentators make it more exciting to watch,” he shared.
After deciding to go back to school for his masters degree, Mr. Rivers decided to try English education. He ended up liking it a lot, meeting a ton of intelligent colleagues and peers, and ended up receiving a call to teach at Cardozo. He now works as an English teacher and a journalism teacher here.
When it comes to the journalism industry, Mr. Rivers said one of the biggest challenges that people face is the skill of writing. “Writing for journalism is completely different than regular writing, so if you’re not accustomed to that style it can be very hard to get use to,” he explained.
For those who are looking to branch out into the field of journalism, Mr. Rivers advised, “Stay organized and be prepared to work.”
Ms. Esmail—11th Grade Journalism, St. John’s Journalism
Ms.Esmail, is an English and journalism teacher at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, who loves entertaining her students with her beautiful singing and spectacular dance moves, all while loving Brad Pitt.
Ms. Esmail attended St. John’s University, but transferred to Queens College when realizing St. John’s didn’t have a journalism program. She shared that she has always loved journalism. She’s been doing it since high school. She even wrote for her own school paper. “I was a sports editor for my school paper, I knew nothing about sports, but lucky for me, I had a lot of people who would help me like the captain of the basketball team. He would sit with me, I remember his name: Charlie Gomez,” she recalled.
“He would sit with me and explain to me what terminology to use, when I wrote my stories, and then I went to Queens College and St. John’s, I wrote for the papers there. So it’s just always been in me, I love it,” she expressed.
After college, Ms. Esmail worked for both Fox and CBS News. She worked her way up at Fox, starting as a production assistant, having to get coffee orders, to eventually landing a position in production herself. When she left Fox, she was a regional producer.
Ms. Esmail started her teaching career while student teaching at Forest Hills High School. When she started, she fell in love with teaching and the students. “I loved Forest Hills High sShool, I taught 12th grade and I remember my kids, all of them, they were adorable, they were great, we actually met up one time for ice cream after they graduated. I love them, they were so sweet, they were the best,” she shared. Before she could start working at Forest Hills High School, Bayside High School hired her. She worked at Bayside High School as an English and journalism teacher before coming to Cardozo.
When sharing advice for her students, Ms. Esmail shared, “Don’t give up, keep pushing, and keep doing what you need to do, don’t settle for ‘I’m not going to make it’ and this is for any field, if you want it: do it.” She also advised students to put themselves out there. “You can’t be scared to ask the questions everybody else is afraid of asking, you have to just ask. And sometimes people will answer, and sometimes they won’t, but at least you put your foot at the door, don’t be afraid.”
Mr. Kroll—Broadcast Journalism
Mr. Kroll is a new addition to the journalism program this year, spearheading the department’s new Broadcast Journalism course. Mr. Kroll also teaches 11th grade English with ENL students, as he is a dual licensed English teacher at Cardozo.
Now in his 11th year of teaching, Mr. Kroll didn’t start his teaching career right away after college. “I went into construction after high school. I was a carpenter for about seven years and I realized I didn’t want to do that, so I went back to college and studied English. I just loved reading and writing and talking about books,” he shared. Mr. Kroll wanted to share his passion for reading and writing with students, so he became a teacher.
Making connections with his students is very important to Mr. Kroll, and he shared he can relate to some of their struggles, as he remembers what it’s like to be a high school student. He also strives to connect his content in class to student’s lives to keep them more informed and interested. For example, he shared, “The book we’re reading, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ there’s relationships in there, there are problems, drama, and I’m always like, have you been in a bad relationship or you know do you know someone who lies a lot?”
“Try to connect the text on a personal level because literature isn’t just written for older people, these texts are universal and should be read by everyone,” he expressed.
Along with construction, Mr. Kroll also worked in production and journalism prior to teaching. He even shared that he got to work on an interview with the creator of the popular website, Craigslist. He’s excited to take the experience he has and bring it into the Broadcast Journalism course. Keep an eye out for their YouTube channel coming soon!
Mr. Torem—Interactive Media, Film Production, Senior Advisor
Many know him as the senior advisor, or Mr. T, but Mr. Torem is way more than that. Currently teaching Interactive Media, Film Production, and English, Mr. Torem is an asset to the journalism program at Cardozo High School. You may find him selling tickets to senior events, fundraising for his students, or filming funny reels with kids; whatever he’s up to, Mr. Torem is doing it with a smile.
Many may not know that Mr. Torem is a Cardozo Alumni. He enjoys working with students here at Cardozo because they’re all interesting and he’s never bored. One of his favorite things about teaching English and journalism is getting to know his students through their writing. The best part about his job is, “getting to read everyones work and everyone’s style,” he shared.
Some of his favorite lessons to teach in film production happen to be one man interviews and angles for filming. It takes a lot of work to not only teach, but also be the senior class advisor, as well. Mr. Torem is the man behind all of the senior activities, such as dances, trips, and even the prom. He works alongside Mr. Biramian to get the senior yearbook out, as well.
Outside of the classroom, many would be shocked to know that at home, Mr. Torem is a self-proclaimed chef and can really throw down on the grill. But, he says he’s not the world’s best dancer, so don’t ask him to partake in any dance battles anytime soon.