By: Tziyona Gheblikian (11th Grade)
This week, the Warrior Word sat down with Mr. P for a second time to catch up after two years since his first interview. Get to know him better as he tells us interesting facts about himself, like his hobbies, travels, and favorite food.
Tziyona Gheblikian: Where were you born and raised?
Mr. P: I was born in Athens, Greece, but I was actually raised in Rhode Island.
TG: That’s awesome! So how long have you been working here for?
Mr. P: I’ve been working here at Hebrew Academy for three years now.
TG: And what’s your favorite thing about Hebrew Academy?
Mr. P: I think my favorite thing and my least favorite thing are both the same. My favorite thing is how small it is, and how everyone knows each other. It’s a very tight-knit community. But on the other hand, sometimes a family may create their own set of challenges because everyone knows what everyone’s doing and are in each other’s business.
TG: What would you say is the hardest part about your job?
Mr. P: The hardest part usually is balancing the expectations that parents have with those of the capabilities and needs of the students. Very often, parents may have a much different idea of what they want from their child; what they want their child to experience or to get out of the school. Whereas when I speak with a student, I may have a totally different picture. So that’s often the challenge: balancing those two.
TG: So what’s the best part of your job?
Mr. P: My favorite part, especially now after three years, is seeing the development of the students and getting the sense that I was maybe a part of that in some small way to help them along. Seeing how far they’ve come in the last three years is really fulfilling and very exciting because of all the potential they have.
TG: What are your hobbies?
Mr. P: I love food, so I love to cook. I also like to travel. I ride a motorcycle, and I enjoy that a lot. And I also like exercising and martial arts.
TG: Where would you say is the most exotic place you’ve traveled to?
Mr. P: I think Japan would be the most exotic, but it doesn’t compare with the travels some of the students have gone to. I like talking about it with them and kind of seeing things from their eyes and getting ideas about maybe the next place I want to travel to.
TG: What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Mr. P: I don’t have a favorite thing. My favorite thing to do is to cook for friends, and I try to cater it to what they would enjoy. So it’s not so much the food itself, it’s the experience of preparing something for people that you care about and that hopefully will appreciate it, and you get to share it and have a nice conversation to go along with it.
TG: But do you have a specific favorite food?
Mr. P: My favorite food is pizza because it’s very versatile and it’s easy. Very often I’ll make it at home, I’ll make the dough and everything else, and my kids enjoy it.
TG: How many kids do you have?
Mr. P: I’ve got two girls.
TG: If you could use three words to describe yourself, what would they be?
Mr. P: Loyal, stubborn, and open-minded.
TG: What’s your favorite genre of music?
Mr. P: Oh, it would be late 80s and 90s; what was considered alternative music, kind of post-punk. That’s what I grew up with, and that’s what has influenced me the most. I still find that it expresses me the best.
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