By Micah Gill, Staff Writer,
and Sarah Soroudi, Editor-in-Chief
New math teacher Mrs. Gina Fuller came out of retirement to join the Shalhevet faculty this year, after filling in as a substitute when Mrs. Katya Malikov injured her wrist last spring. Now she’s teaching Algebra 2 and Geometry to freshmen and sophomores.
But previously, she taught for nine years at Milken Community Jewish High School — a Shalhevet rival – where her husband, Dr. Roger Fuller, is Upper School principal.
“I would never have agreed to teach here this year if the students and teachers had not made me feel so at home last year when I subbed here,” Mrs. Fuller said. “It was a fabulous seven days and I wanted to join you all this year.”
How do Shalhevet and Milken compare?
“Both Milken and Shalhevet are Jewish so the value systems are similar,” Mrs. Fuller told The Boiling Point. “The main difference is probably the size and therefore the closer ties with everyone at Shalhevet.
“The dress code and being more Orthodox makes Shalhevet more of a family as well,” she added. “The educational values are similar but Shalhevet is a more inclusive environment.”
Born and raised in Maine, Mrs. Fuller attended high school in her hometown and eventually earned a Masters degree in math from the University of Maine. She was the head of the math department in a school there for 30 years.
She and her husband are not the only educators in their family. Their son is athletic director and an assistant principal of Maine’s largest high school, and their daughter is Assistant Head of School at Viewpoint High School in Calabasas.
“Teaching is my passion,” Mrs. Fuller said. “I enjoy it wherever I am. Teaching is about making connections with students, and that is something I would try to do even if I was at the North Pole or in the middle if a jungle in Africa.”
Sophomore Laly Chriki was among those happy she’s back.
“Coming out of an unstable year last year with three separate math teachers, I couldn’t be more excited to start a new year with Mrs. Fuller,” Laly said.
Mrs. Fuller said she could not be more excited to be a part of our community.
“I still have strong ties at Milken but I am really enjoying being at Shalhevet!”
As she walked out of the interview, she said, “It’s hard to believe that a bunch of 9th graders brought me out or retirement, huh?”
