Meet & Welcome The Sun's New ASB Advisor! By: Andrea Herrera
The Associated Student Body, also known as ASB, consists of a group of leaders that cater activities that involve and represent the student community. It is the heart of every school that brings liveliness to any academic setting, in DMHS—as of recently, there has been a new integration to the family ASB has established: a high-spirited physics enthusiast, robotics Advisor, and a teacher of TOK, AP, and IB courses. You might have spotted him walking around the halls with an eccentric shirt, classic corgi hat, or even chatting with a student!
Mr. Albortante, who many students know as Mr. Al—is thrilled to serve as a leader and guide for ASB to enhance and develop student leadership skills to pave the way for success. Mr. Al takes credit for his reputation among students, and his ability to get them out of their shells. Especially after being an active member of the student government throughout his high school career at Edward R. Learning Center, he noticed a rigid contrast between both school environments. Though Mr. Al has gotten along with his students in previous years, he now ought to branch out from the minute niche of physics students that he’s usually comfortable with. His determination to develop and improve his personal growth is not just admirable but the confidence he shares with his students to cater a fun environment, and successful activities to the school is significant.
Mr. Al said in an interview that he never imagined becoming a leader to a group of leaders; “I always thought that the only thing I’d ever do is physics.” It wasn’t until after he accepted the new TOK teacher position that Mr. Al knew he was capable of doing more. The new ASB Advisor added how he eventually got bored of the same routine because he wants to keep on evolving as a person—staying snagged in one position didn’t allow him to do that. The highlight of the interview was seeing how uplifting his source of motivation was—which is the students themselves, “Genuinely, I feel like the students here are simply amazing.”
So far, Mr. Al’s central goal is to find activities to get the majority of the students involved—he’s confident that the upcoming events, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Club Rush, Morp, and Harvest Fest will get students to continue to build community! As ASB is now Mr. Al’s new long-term project, he thrives to make every day more worth it; he said, “You can’t get a full understanding of a student with just one year.” Don't be shy to reach out to him, and keep up with ASB through their Instagram account @dmhs.asb!