José Melgoza Returns to the American Studies Classroom

Before he was our inimitable Upper School Director, José Melgoza was a long-time member of the history department, in which he taught AP United States History and, with Laura Marion, created the American Studies course. It was a delight to welcome him back into the American Studies classroom on September 30th.

Easily slipping back into his teaching role, he spoke to the students about FDR, the New Deal, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of the course unit on Land and Environment. He began his presentation by asking the students to think about connections between the Roaring Twenties and the present day, and then walked them through the federal government’s uniting of labor assistance, environmental conservation, and economic recovery.

The students found Mr. Melgoza’s presentation compelling and thought-provoking, and asked numerous perspicacious questions. They were intrigued by his references to World War II, and thus gave Marion and Kristen Osborne-Bartucca, the other American Studies instructor, exciting fodder for future discussions. The easy rapport and intellectual communion between the students and Mr. Melgoza served as a potent reminder of why Poly is lucky to have an Upper School Director whose prior role was as a beloved teacher.