On Aug. 12, San Gabriel High students were ushered into the 2025-2026 school year. Some clutched schedules with unfamiliar teachers, while others stepped knowingly into classrooms with familiar faces. In E114, Mr. Saucedo steps into his class for the first time—as a brand-new English/ESL teacher and Speech and Debate coach. It is not Saucedo’s first rodeo, having taught English at Lawndale High School previously.
“Every student needs to know how to read critically and write with the ability to express their opinion. The whole reason why I wanted to teach English specifically is because students learn more about the world by the things they read, and express who they are by the things they write. Every day we’re going to read things—a tweet, news, —text to a friend [etc.], and in the end, to be a functional human, you need to have those things down,” Saucedo said. Saucedo’s educational goals focus far more than simply “teaching English,” but having students truly understand the ideas, motifs, and parallels within it. This is demonstrated by his favorite books to teach—Animal Farm, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 are all modern classics that relate deeply to the modern world.
“A book that really changed my perspective on Animal Farm by George Orwell. I read that when I was a senior in high school when a specific [2016] presidential election was happening, and even though that book was written in a different time period entirely, I felt that a lot of things in it correlated with the news and what I was experiencing. That book’s ability to make connections with me and awaken their inner mindset is something I hope that students also relate and experience,” Saucedo said. Saucedo loves science fiction in particular: a genre that he believes to be outlandishly relevant. Understanding literature, to him, is the core of understanding more about ourselves, our society, and our world. He admits,“When a student is able to comprehend a complicated text, I literally get chills on my body. It’s a weird feeling.”
For most, Saucedo is an English teacher, but for others, he is the newly installed advisor of the school’s speech and debate team—replacing [Andy] Le. In his first year, he is no doubt still adjusting to the quirks of the team. “Coming into it, I didn’t know much about it, but I have learned through the students and Ms. Wilkerson that it’s very elaborate and intense. I’m trying to figure out the events, the relationships with the students, and the class/club dynamic,” Saucedo admits.
Saucedo has his own experience with public speaking. “As a kid, I hated public speaking because I would get a really stiff neck, but now I feel like it’s second nature—I don’t feel any nerves,” Saucedo said. “I feel that teenagers don’t like to speak to other people, but as an adult, it’s something you’ll have to often do.”
Saucedo is drawn in not just by the school, but also by the San Gabriel Valley’s vibrant culture, food, and history. “I honestly have never been in the city of Alhambra, and I thought it would be interesting to work in a different area,” Saucedo said. “There’s a lot to learn, not just from the area but from the people and history as well.”
Although new, Saucedo is excited to dive into the school culture, with over a dozen sports and 70+ clubs. He hopes to learn more about the environment, what the students are interested in, and even the Community Schools program.
“I want students to remember the environment of the room. I want them to remember that they were able to take risks in their learning, [and] that they did learn in a way that was comfortable and welcoming to them,” Saucedo responded, when asked about what he’d like students to remember.
Students and faculty can find Mr. Saucedo in E114 to drop by and say hello (or bonjour, because he’s 80% fluent in French).
