Mr. Berry (Theatre):
I was born in and grew up in Columbus, Ohio.
I attended Wright State University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Theatre Studies.
After college, I moved back to Columbus and in the course of three years I worked as a subsitute teacher, a freelance director, a drama teacher in an arts-integration program and ran a theatre outreach program housed in a Youth Center. All of those things led me to becoming a teacher.
After three years of working in the “real world”, I moved to Boston where I enrolled at Emerson College for graduate school; I have a Master of Arts Degree (M.A) in Theatre Education. My first teaching job out of grad school was at Shenfield High School in Brentwood, Essex, England. I was there for two years, and then moved to Houston in August of 2006 to run the theatre program at Pin Oak. I am looking forward to a fantastic year!
Mrs. Jenkins (Science): Formerly Ms. Somers
I was born in New Braunfels, TX and grew up in San Antonio, TX. I attended Texas A&M University where I earned a Bachelor of Science in both Microbiology and Political Science; I couldn’t decide on just one. More importantly (at least to my parents) was that I earned both of them in 4 years. After working in the corporate world for 5 years, I decided to become a teacher and I have never looked back. I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Public School Administration from Texas A&M.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Pin Oak and am proud to call myself a Charger. Pin Oak is such a wonderful place to work and has taught me so much (even adults learn new things). Welcome to 8A; I’m excited to have you in my science class this year and look forward to teaching all of you.
Mrs. Leahy (English):
I was born in Manhattan, NY and grew up in Houston, Texas. I went to school in Humble ISD and graduated from Kingwood High School.
While at the University of Houston, I took the liberal arts tour and eventually decided on getting a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in elementary interdisciplinary studies. My specializations are in English and art.
I’ve worked in several districts in the area (Aldine ISD, Humble ISD, and New Caney ISD) as a classroom teacher or as a substitute. I am currently working on my master’s degree in guidance counseling from Lamar University.
In all of the schools I’ve had the privilege to be a part of, Pin Oak has been the best by far! The teachers at Pin Oak are dedicated, and the students are some of the finest . It is truly inspiring to be a part of this team. I am looking forward to meeting you all on August 22. Here’s to a great year!
Mrs. Qureshi (Math):
I was born in Hollywood and grew up in Southern California. I earned my Baccalaureate from the University of California, San Diego and my Master of Science degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. My BA is in Political Science, with Minors in Biology and Chemistry. I earned my MS in Information Systems.
Prior to becoming a teacher, I was a Computer Programmer. I have always had a love of math and decided I would like to teach. Many moons ago, I returned to graduate school to become a certified math teacher. I have taught math at the middle school, high school, and community college level.
Pin Oak has a special place in my heart. My first teaching assignment was here at Pin Oak. It is my great fortune to return to Pin Oak. It really is a special place to be.
Ms. Sher (8th Grade Co-Teacher):
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and graduated from Bellaire High School. I attended the University of Texas at Austin where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and then went back for a Masters of Science in Social Work. I worked for Texas Rehabilitation Commission as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and then for a vocational training school that was an extension of Texas A & M before deciding that I really wanted to be a teacher.
I worked in Fort Bend ISD for three years where I developed the Co-Teach program at Fort Settlement Middle School and then made my way to Pin Oak. This will be my 5th year teaching at Pin Oak, and am proud to be part of the Pin Oak team.
I hope that those of you who are lucky enough to be in a Co-Teach class enjoy having two teachers – it really is an awesome opportunity! Welcome to 8A!
Mr. Wagner (History): History is all about people: what we have done and what we hope to do in the future. I hope that all 8A students will come away from their experiences in A128 with a broader knowledge of the past, of themselves and of the people and world around them. Afterall, todays students will be making history soon enough.
In terms of my own history, I was born and raised on the Jersey shore in Atlantic City (fist pump, fist pump). My family moved to the Houston area prior to high school, at which point I attended and graduated from Cy-Fair. I promptly cut town to attend The University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history. Since then, I have added a master’s degree in social studies education from UH.
During and after college, I pursued magazine journalism, but soon realized my place was in the classroom. I have now been teaching and coaching on both the middle school and high school levels for ten years and have enjoyed almost every minute of it, expecially my five years at Pin Oak.
