Social studies teachers Jeffrey Stohr and Ross Vening

How long have you known each other?

Mr. Stohr: 4 years.

How did you guys meet?

Mr. Vening: Well, when I came here, I was athletic. They made me the athletic director. He was coaching basketball, and we are in the same academic department. So actually, he was the first person who I talked to here at Dreyfoos.

What’s your favorite thing about being friends with Mr. Vening?

Mr. Stohr: Mr. Vening is very easygoing and easy to talk to. We both kind of approach teaching the same way, and we’re both pretty laid back. We like the same movies and TV shows. We both coach or have at some point. We have been eating lunch together for almost four years. We just have a lot of things in common.

What’s your favorite thing about being friends with Mr. Stohr?

Mr. Vening: Oh, he’s got the biggest movie selection [and] stories of where he’s been and what he’s done. College life, and living in the big, mean streets of Missouri.

What is something that reminds you of your friendship with Mr. Vening?

Mr. Stohr: He goes to Disney World all the time, so anytime I think about Disney, I think of him. He also sings and listens to the Bee Gees, so when I listen to them I’m reminded of him and his son. Or sometimes movies we’ve watched together.

What are three words you would use to describe Mr. Stohr?

Mr. Vening: 100 percent dedicated, and extremely knowledgeable.

What are three words you would use to describe your friendship?

Mr. Stohr: Fun, trustworthy, and reliable.

Anything else you would like to tell me about your friendship with Mr. Stohr?

Mr. Vening: There’s always that one person when you go to a new place who you just end up being connected to. Whether it’s like you’re [in] the same department or the same hall. It happened to be both of these. You just need somebody to talk to you when you first get to a place, otherwise you’re just going to be alone all the time. That’s no fun. But [Mr.Stohr] was that for me.

Communications teacher Carly Gates and English teacher Peggy Mellon

How long have you known each other?

Ms. Gates: We’ve known each other 11 years, but we’ve been friends for about 10 years.

How did you guys meet?

Ms. Mellon: She was the teacher across the hallway from me [at Seminole Ridge Community High School]. When I would have a rough day, I would go across the hall and we would share about it. We would also share lesson plans at the end of the day, on a more positive note.

Did you guys come to Dreyfoos together?

Ms. Gates: I came to Dreyfoos first. I had always wanted to get a job at Dreyfoos. After I graduated college, I applied for the same job [former communications teacher Stephen] Moore had, but I was fresh out of college, and he had experience, so he got the job over me. When a position opened, I got a job in the English department, thinking it would be easier to move into communications later. When the job opened up, [former social studies teacher] Tom West came to me and told me that I was doing well in the English department and that the school wouldn’t want to lose me there, so I should bring someone to replace me. I actually came in with my resume and Ms. Mellon’s resume.

What is your favorite part of being friends with Ms. Gates?

Ms. Mellon: She makes me want to be a better person.

Describe your favorite memory with Ms. Mellon.

Ms. Gates: I just enjoy going on adventures with her. That’s kind of what Ms. Mellon is like; everything is an adventure with her. She’s very spontaneous, and that’s something that inspires me. Because opposites attract, in my best friends I see the things I admire and wish I could be better about myself.

What three words would you use to describe your friendship with Ms. Gates?

Ms. Mellon: Spontaneous, adventurous, and relaxed

What would you say is your favorite pastime together?

Ms. Gates: We go for bike rides all the time. It’s nice to be outdoors and experience a change of scenery … That’s why when we were in Prague, the bike tour was amazing for us.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your friendship with Ms. Gates?

Ms. Mellon: I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s my BFF, and I’ll always be there for her in any way I can.

Is there anything else you would like for people to know about your friendship with Ms. Mellon?

Ms. Gates: Maybe not about my friendship but perhaps something about friendship in general. I think that the older you get, the more you realize that the love and the friendships and the relationships are all that matters.

English teachers Carmen Gallardo and Nathan Hesse

How long have you known each other?

Mr. Hesse: I think we’ve known each other since we started teaching, I believe 11 years ago, when we both taught ninth grade English.

How did you two meet?

Ms. Gallardo: I was introduced to him because when I was interviewing at Spanish River [Community High School], they said they wanted me to go observe Nathan Hesse, because ‘even though he is a first-year teacher, you can see what a first-year teacher looks like.’

What is your favorite thing about being friends with Ms. Gallardo?

Mr. Hesse: She just keeps me going. Her intensity will inspire me not to put my foot down and keep me going.

What is your favorite thing about being friends with Mr. Hesse?

Ms. Gallardo: There’s too many to list, but the fact that he’s been with me my whole teaching journey. I think the most awesome part is that we managed to come to Dreyfoos together, and I think that fate just worked out. I interviewed first, and during the interview I kept referencing things, saying, “Nate and I do this,” naturally talking about the both of us instead of just myself, because I couldn’t imagine work life without him.

What three words would you use to describe Ms. Gallardo?

Mr. Hesse: Intense, passionate and caring

What is your favorite memory with Mr. Hesse?

Ms. Gallardo: I don’t know if it’s my favorite, but it’s one I didn’t realize would become so important to me. I have a picture from our first ever graduation in 2008, and it was our first year teaching. We felt so lucky to be there, and even though we still do, the more you do it the more you realize the magnitude of what you’re doing.

What three words would you use to describe your friendship with Ms. Gallardo?

Mr. Hesse: Brother, sister, and steadfast.

What three words would you use to describe Mr. Hesse?

Ms. Gallardo: Funny, detail-oriented, wonderful.

How did work contribute to your friendship with each other?

Mr. Hesse: I mean, we wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for teaching. We both ended up having the same summer job together, which then led me to working with her son over the summer. And now I have her other son in class here today. So we’ve just really gotten to know each other..

Anything else you would like people to know about your friendship?

Ms. Gallardo: It’s like if a chihuahua and a St. Bernard were friends. He’s very patient and I’m grateful.

Foreign language teacher Tom Ruth and science dean Stephen Anand

How long have you known each other?

Mr. Ruth: We’ve known each other almost 20 years. But our friendship was sort of gradual, like I knew him and we did a few things. And then when we started coaching together, we became really good friends. And that was probably 14 or 15 years ago.

What reminds you of your friendship with Mr.Ruth?

Mr. Anand: Soccer reminds me of my friendship with Mr. Ruth because that’s kind of how we started our friendship. Languages, and the love of languages too. Sports in general, because he can talk to anybody about it. He’ll pick up on somebody wearing sports memorabilia and just make a beeline for them and start talking. General happiness reminds me of Mr. Ruth because he’s probably one of the happiest people I know.

What is something that reminds you of your friendship with Mr. Anand?

Mr. Ruth: Well, he taught me how to fix cars. So every time I fix or work on my car, I’m thankful to how he gave me the confidence and then showed me the basics, things like that. But also just doing fun, crazy stuff. He pushes you to do things.

Describe your favorite memory with Mr. Anand.

Mr. Ruth: It’s more of a series of memories of working together and probably soccer trips, riding the bus together, interacting with kids, and each other helping coach each other’s teams. And, you know,
those are my favorite memories. And also just, you know, he helped me a lot with my kids. And now I see him with young kids.

Describe your favorite memory with Mr. Ruth.

Mr. Anand: We’ve got so many memories. One of my most recent favorite memories with Mr. Ruth is skydiving with his daughter and one of her friends that graduated from here not so long ago. We all jumped out of a plane at the end of the winter holiday.

What three words would you use to describe Mr. Anand?

Mr. Ruth: A Renaissance man, MacGyver, and wild man.

What is your favorite part of being friends with Mr. Ruth?

Mr. Anand: He’s such a deeply caring individual. I aspire to be more like Mr.Ruth because he’s got such a deep level of caring for everything. He’s very well rounded in his Renaissance man kind of persona, and I hope to one day know a few more things like Mr. Ruth does. He knows he’s got so many fun facts. He’s an awesome dude to learn from.

What are three words you would use to describe your friendship with Mr. Anand?

Mr. Ruth: Social, intellectual, and loyal.

Is there anything else you would like for people to know about your friendship with Mr. Ruth?

Mr. Anand: Just how much I appreciate him. I guess maybe that’s not [an easy sentiment to convey], but I appreciate my friendship with him, and the fact that he’s taught me so much about parenting, teaching, [and] keeping that adventurous spirit alive says how much that friendship means to me.

Is there anything else you would like for people to know about your friendship with Mr. Anand?

Mr. Ruth: I’m just grateful for it. Steve is such a good friend that he’s met my friends and he’s become a good friend of my childhood friends. It’s rare that that happens in work, you know, so it’s awesome.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH MR. ANAND AND MR. RUTH SKYDIVE TOGETHER:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-UKvu5GaARUdblTxFrQDs_Lz33T4obTo