The Preuss School UC San Diego encourages building strong communities to make the school stronger and together. The emotions that go through students as they meet new students happen as well to teachers when meeting other teachers.

Mr. Arana and Mr. Arias have been friends for almost 4 years since they first met in August of 2019. They attended the same education graduate program at UC San Diego, but Mr. Arana happened to have gone through the program a year before Mr. Arias. Mr. Arana gravitated quickly to Mr. Arias, which led him to the realization that he was very intelligent and appreciated good conversations, which he found rare.

“I am lucky to have met Mr. Arias—and unlucky not to have met him sooner,” Mr. Arana shared.

The two share many of the same interests, including combat sports, athletics, and often films.

“We bond over rejection of allegiance to party or political base and movement, and we enjoy sharing intuitions that guide our decisions and beliefs.” Said Mr. Arana

The two love joking over corridos (dances) that they believe are funny, which they have developed a well-supplied armory of inside jokes. Mr. Arias and Mr. Arana do believe it’s their sense of humor that simply made an adhesive connection between them. They both admire how they each know how to be a friend and enjoy having lunch at Primos taco shop. Their favorite moments together are when they have their conversations.

“He knows how to be a friend,” Mr. Arana continues, “I think that is something many don’t realize is actually an exercise that requires a lot of practice to achieve good form.”

Another friendship on campus is Mrs. Chovy and Dr. Weber who have been friends for about 8 years.

Mrs. Chovy believed Dr. Weber was “a little dorky-looking, with a good heart and a strong sense of himself.”

When the two debate over casual things outside of school, Dr. Weber knows that Chovy’s always right, unless it’s math, to which, Dr. Weber is usually right.

“It’s annoying how he never makes mistakes!” shared Mrs. Chovy.

The two bond over making snarky jokes about everyone they know (including themselves), trying to make the other person jealous when they travel to beautiful places on vacations, and teaching teenagers to believe in themselves.

They both feel comfortable with each other and were able to step out of their professional positions as teachers and communicate with each other in personal aspects. The two are able to express their strengths to one another and their growth.

“I have had many jobs in life,” Mrs. Chovy expresses, “I have never known a leader that is so generous, accepting, and able to create a comfortable environment where people feel safe enough to be themselves, yet still take risks and grow.”

The two deeply appreciate their friendship and feel dependent on each other when difficult times come in their personal lives, including during COVID-19. A few of their favorite memories together are walking up hills in San Francisco, texting about “the belt” from the SF taxi, long talks about the meaning of life during COVID-19, and enjoying their conversations with Ms. Kandy, as well.