This year, SCHS has welcomed many new staffers to the campus. In the following story, we learn a little bit more about Carol Freeman.

This year SCHS welcomed a new history teacher, Carol Freeman, whose career path was shaped when she was in high school.

“I tutored my friends [in high school] and made more sense than the teacher did, according to my friends,” Freeman said.

Though Freeman tutored her friends in math and science, she now teaches Economics and Advanced Placement European History at SCHS.

However, she didn’t pursue a career in history until she went to college. Freeman attempted to major in science but found that it was too much for her busy schedule.

Fortunately, the history taught in college was vastly more interesting and engaging than that of high school. This enhanced her choice to switch majors.

“Even though there were lectures, you were able to see why history was important and related to events,” Freeman said.

Freeman values the knowledge of history and current events. She brings these values into her classes by discussing current news topics with her students on a weekly basis.

Freeman recently married and moved to San Jose with her husband.

Before coming to SCHS, Freeman worked at Scotts’ Valley High School in Santa Cruz. She also taught at an International Baccalaureate school, a school system that she misses a lot.

“We would learn [in IB] less history; we would only cover 100 years, but everything would be in a lot more detail.” Freeman, said.

Freeman in comparison, now teaches roughly 500 years of European history.

An IB school, according to Freeman, gives a student a diploma of that country but also a secondary IB diploma that is accepted worldwide. She says, the IB system has become an alternative to the AP program.

Outside of the classroom, Freeman likes to read. However, it’s strictly historical fiction novels since she teaches historical non-fiction everyday.

“You get a good story, but you also learn something from it,” Freeman said.

Overall, Freeman said she is currently enjoying her time at Santa Clara. Her choice to come to SCHS from Scotts’ Valley has been “a positive change.”