“Brace yourselves Valley West, for a chemical maestro that is set to make waves in the halls of academia. Mr. Gulich, the enigmatic savent of science, is poised to transform the chemistry classroom into a stage for experimentation,” said science teacher Mrs. Granahan.

In February of 2024 the Wyoming Valley West High School hired a new chemistry teacher to fill in for Mr. Placek after he retired. Mr. Gulich is the newest addition to the high school science department. He started as a student teacher for Mrs. Granahan’s anatomy classes at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. The science department is excited to have a new teacher for future students to enjoy.

Gulich has been interested in science since he was in elementary school. “I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t interested in something related to science,” he said.

Some of his more fond memories from elementary school had to do with science and using scientific principles. “I can remember doing simple experiments like germinating seeds as early as the 3rd grade.”

As a student, Gulich enjoyed flipping through science textbooks to look at pictures and diagrams. When he got to high school, he was excited to take science courses. “I remember being so excited to pick my own classes. I could create cartoon-like explosions in chemistry class.”

Gulich became interested in pursuing a science career when he was a senior in a biology class. He was inspired by a few of his own high school teachers as well. “These teachers created an environment of comfort while also making learning easy and fun for the students.”

Gulich remembers the start of his career at WVW fondly. “I have so many favorite moments from my time as a student teacher, but two stick out for me.”

During the skeletal system lesson, Gulich dramatically ripped the head off of Fred, the classroom skeleton. “Seeing some of the reactions from my students was priceless. I think they got about as much enjoyment as I did out of the act.” The students seemed satisfied with having Gulich as a student teacher for their anatomy classes.

“Mr. Gulich first entered the high school hallways as an anatomy all-star, student teaching for my anatomy classes. He plans to shatter the monotony of traditional instruction, replacing it with a kaleidoscope of hands-on experiments and explosive demonstrations,” said Mrs. Granahan.

Both the students and faculty are prepared to see Mr. Gulich’s potential as a new chemistry teacher. On behalf of the high school science department, “We are excited to have a new teacher join us. Welcome to the WVW Science Department!”