Kali Walton

Wendling smiles in front of the periodic table behind her desk. Wendling enjoyed her picture being taken, and this is her first article. She was very excited.

As of 2024 at Hollis Brookline High School (HBHS), almost all of the Science Department is new teachers; even some being their very first year teaching, like Mariana Wendling. Wendling, fresh out of Fitchburg State University, is ready to take on her first year teaching here at HBHS. Wendling is a new face this year and has made quite an impact on the Science Department. Wendling is loved among the staff and is bringing a breath of fresh air with her organizational strategies and even just her teaching style alone. Wendling is a valuable asset to HBHS and the new Science Department. 

Although people may underestimate new teachers, Wendling is very excited for this upcoming year and has the support of the whole Science Department on her side. Wendling chose to pursue the newly introduced Chemistry Education major at Fitchburg State University and was the first ever to graduate with the degree. She decided to choose HBHS as her place of work because it’s the closest commute to her. She has always wanted to teach, but the decision for her was what grade, what level and what class. 

Leading up to her decision to work here, the head of the Science Department Rodney Clark had a lot of positive things to say about Wendling, including explaining her interview process, and how she proved herself to be the best candidate for the job. “She’s very poised for such a young person, and she has a lot of great ideas about things that she wants to bring to our school,” said Clark. 

To Wendling, setting goals for her first year is crucial and her most important goal was about surviving. “I definitely set a goal to survive, but definitely building connections, especially with my freshman and just getting involved with the school,” said Wendling.

Taking pride in her degree, Wendling is more than qualified for her position. “I was in the ‘Chemistry Education Major.’ They made a special system just for me because I was the only and first one to graduate with said Chemistry Education Degree,” said Wendling.

To her students, Wendling has made an impact on them by motivating them with candy. Many students, like Jenna O’Connor ‘26, think that “The games are good, like after you finish your work.” The only improvement suggested by her students was to, “Get more candy!” said Megan Eckman ‘26.

To accomplish her goal of getting involved in the school, you can see Wendling helping with Hollis Brookline’s fall musical production of Little Shop of Horrors!