Out of all the new teachers around campus, Mrs. Claire Merritt really has us hooked. After teaching Social Studies and Leadership at Eagle Peak Middle School for 9 years, she decided it was time for a “different era in history.”
When asked what she teaches and why Mrs. Merritt replied “I teach World History on gold days and Freshman advisory on purple days. I decided to become a teacher because my mom taught 5th grade, and I had many teachers in College and High School who inspired me to become a teacher.”
When we asked her opinion on her classes so far she said “I enjoy the maturity level in the older students because it makes a better teaching environment.”
Mrs. Merritt doesn’t just enjoy being a teacher. She also relishes being a mother, wife, and friend, and reading a good book! She also enjoys listening to music while memorizing the lyrics.
Mrs. Merritt played sports like tennis, soccer, track, and swimming in high school. She didn’t have many friends until her junior year of high school and she’s still close with them to this day.
Just like many of us, she did have some problems with bullies on campus but she had trusted teachers and coaches she could turn to when she needed any help.
When Mrs.Merritt was in high school she was a part of leadership in high school and can’t wait to see what that looks like at Ukiah High School, this includes Homecoming and many other events that are coming up.
Mrs. Merritt’s favorite quote comes from Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, who said“”Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
An old student of hers, 9th grader Ashlyn Donohue, said “Mrs. Merritt was always very bubbly yet she was always very attentive and hard-working and I loved having her as a teacher”.
Another student, freshman Lillian McKee, described her as “kind and a great teacher to have on campus.”
Join Ukiah High News in welcoming Mrs. Merritt for her first year on campus. If a Wildcat were to need a trusted adult, Mrs. Merritt should be your first choice— a very trusted adult on campus if you ever need anything.
Briana Goodson is a Junior and a journalist at Ukiah High School. In her free time, Briana enjoys reading books and writing. She also enjoys cheerleading and has done it for many years. She joined the journalism class because she wants to write about things that will keep her peers updated.
She was born in Ukiah California which makes writing things about her community hit close to home. Briana thinks of herself as hardworking but still knows how to show her goofy side. Not only is this Briana’s third year writing for the journalism team at Ukiah High she looks forward to writing for journalism in her Senior year for her last year.