Every year, Solon High School (SHS) gets new freshmen, but this year SHS also got new teachers, following the retirements and resignations of former SHS teachers. SHS has four new teachers in the English, Social Studies and Science departments. The teachers range in experience, from first year teaching to veterans, but agreed that they are ready to take on the new school year.

English Department

There are two new hires in the English department. Laura Lagania, who taught middle school in Georgia, and Sophia Viglione, who taught at Reynoldsburg High School near Columbus. Lagania is teaching ninth and tenth grade English, the new advisor for GirlUp and is a new freshman volleyball coach for SHS. Viglione is teaching 11 grade English and Film Studies.

Lagania, who is a native to North Royalton, moved to Georgia to obtain her master’s degree in English education. Lagania moved back to Ohio to be closer to her family.

Lagania expressed how she thought English is an important subject for students, not just because they learn how to write and use grammar rules, but because students learn to connect literary problems back to their everyday lives.

“Teaching English specifically, I like to have real world conversations with kids,” Lagania said. “I feel like English is a really good way to do that because when you’re talking about things that happen in a story, you’re talking about characters, it’s stuff that is relevant that you can relate directly to what happens in your life.”

Viglione, who is a native of Parma, had been looking to move back to Northeast Ohio from the Columbus area to be closer to her family.

Viglione stated that she was surprised by the work ethic of Solon students. In comparison to her school in the Columbus area, she believes that Solon students have a strong work ethic that is uncommon to most other schools.

“[Solon] students are interested in their education and focused,” Viglione said. “[Solon] is a really good place to learn. People, I think, don’t know how good they have it.”

Social Studies Department

Becca Smith transferred from Solon Middle School to teach US history and economics. During her time at the middle school, Smith was a special education teacher.

Smith expressed how she wanted to be a social studies teacher for years, but there were no available opportunities.

“I got my undergrad in social studies education, and I got my master’s degree in special education,” Smith said. “It was very difficult to find a social studies job when I graduated, so I decided to go into special [education] in the Solon district, and then hopefully once a job opened up in social studies, I [would] move on to that, but I liked both a lot.”

Smith stated that she is enjoying the changes that have come with her new teaching position. When teaching special education, Smith only worked with small groups of students throughout the entire day and school year, whereas now, Smith works with around 100 students every day. Smith learned that she also prefers working with high school age students.

“It is way better,” said Smith. “They know how to make their Google Classrooms on their own, they know how to get documents on their own, they’re way more independent.”

Science Department

There is one new hire in the science department. Joe Bubonics graduated from the University of Dayton and this is his first year teaching. This year, Bubonics will be teaching Forensic Science. Bubonics is also a football coach at Solon Middle School.

Bubonics is a 2017 graduate of Solon High School. His parents, Edward and Sue Bubonics, are seventh grade math and physical education teachers at Solon Middle School, respectively. Solon High School’s new teachers for the 2022-2023 School Year

“There are a lot of familiar faces around here,” Bubonics said. “I’m living here, my parents live here, my brother goes here. It was a great opportunity to get into a great district [like] Solon is. [Solon] takes education very seriously.”

The teachers expressed that they are all enjoying the new school year and looking forward to new experiences.