In the footsteps of teachers honored with the achievement earlier in the school year, Downey High presented Mr. Young of the science department and Mr. Nevarez of the social studies department with Teacher of the Month for the month of May.

While they work with different disciplines, both individuals teach AP classes, Nevarez with AP American Government and Young with AP Biology. Aimee Nunez, 11, is taking AP Biology this year and believes the experience was made that much better because of Young’s guidance.

“Mr. Young is always willing to help people out. He’ll always have his classroom open before school or after school or even during lunch,” Nunez said. “He’s really open about helping you out and understanding the topics.”

In addition to teaching upperclassmen, Young taught biology to freshmen before adopting the curriculum Collegeboard offers. Junior and two-time student of Young’s, Alexia Antillon commends Young’s teachings in both instances of her biology classes.

“Mr. Young made biology a fun subject, especially with the rigorous demands of an AP class,” Antillon said. “I had him freshmen year for biology, too, so it was fun to build upon my knowledge in junior year.”

Nevarez’ educating prowess is also conveyed through his ability to teach two classes: AP Government and Introduction to Law. Karla Quintos, 12, appreciates the passion Nevarez puts into the lessons he teaches in preparation for the AP Government exam in May.

“I’ve had an interest in public policy for some time,” Quintos said. “His class was a great lesson in what it means to vote and constitute a government, especially in today’s crazy world. He definitely made me feel confident in my exam [May 11].”

In all, Downey’s faculty and student body came to the conclusion that the honor of teacher of the month should be split between both teachers.