Meet Our Students & Staff

In just a few years, Sean has transformed Saratoga’s percussion program, more than doubling student participation and leading the Winter Percussion program from A Class to World Class. His students have twice competed at the WGI World Championships, placing in the top ten both times, while the concert percussion program has performed internationally in Austria and as a featured ensemble at the prestigious Midwest Clinic.

As impressive as those accomplishments are, Sean’s greatest impact can be seen in his students. He has an extraordinary ability to meet students where they are and help them discover how far they can go. Whether working with a student picking up percussion for the first time, an accomplished musician preparing for college, or one of our CBI students, Sean brings patience, high expectations, and a genuine belief in every student’s potential. He teaches much more than music - he teaches students how to practice with purpose, respond to feedback, persevere through challenges, collaborate, and pursue excellence.

Sean brings that same commitment to his colleagues and to the entire Saratoga High School music program. His preparation, creativity, energy, and willingness to step in wherever needed make those around him better. Behind the awards and extraordinary performances are hundreds of students whose confidence, musicianship, work ethic, and understanding of themselves as learners have been shaped by Sean’s influence. 

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
Engaging in school wide community events and seeing how involved parents, teachers, and students are in our area. We are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many passionate and gifted people.

What was your 1st job?
Music Teacher at Clovis West High School and Kastner Intermediate School

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
Aspire to be a better version of yourself each and every day, and don't forget to have fun while you are doing it!

What is something we might not know about you?
Before music, golf, basketball, and taekwondo were my favorite activities/sports.

Alma is a bright, compassionate, and selfless leader who consistently puts others before herself. As Senior Class President, President of the MENA Club, Vice President of Spanish Club, and a Varsity Field Hockey athlete, she is deeply involved at Saratoga High School - but her leadership is defined by service. She supports our CBI students through intramural basketball and the CBI Dance, welcomes visiting international students, and works tirelessly to make sure her classmates feel represented, included, and connected.

Much of what Alma does happens behind the scenes. She has spent months planning prom, worked over the summer on Senior Sunrise, created senior jerseys for Homecoming, and spent tutorials and weekends organizing and teaching Quad Day performances to more than 100 seniors. 

As one of her teachers shared, Alma brings thoughtful ideas to leadership and then “makes these ideas into a reality while making sure others are included and respected.” Through it all, she brings warmth, humor, humility, and a genuine desire to help her classmates create meaningful relationships and memories during their time at Saratoga. 

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I am proud to be a SHS falcon because of the schools incredibly supportive and authentic environment.I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by such kind and warm-hearted people.

Who is your hero or inspiration?
My inspiration are my parents. Their hard work ethic and support for me makes me look up to them greatly and I aspire to be as good a person as they are.

Do you have any hobbies/extracurricular activities you do outside of school? 
-camp counselor for kids
-work at the same boba shop for the past 3 years as a shift lead
-I love to go on walks with my family and dog
-Love to film tiktok dances with my friends
-Love to review new food places with my sister
-play varsity field hockey for the past 3 years
-President of MENA club
-co vice president of Spanish club
-Senior Class President
-Homecoming week dance head

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself living on the beach with 2 big dogs and a healthy loving family.

As Saratoga High School’s Registrar, Jean manages some of the school’s most detailed and essential work with incredible accuracy, professionalism, and care. Her office is often where students, families, and staff arrive with an urgent problemm, and somehow, after a few minutes with Jean, they leave reassured, smiling, and knowing everything will be okay.

Jean’s impact extends throughout both Saratoga and Los Gatos High Schools, from student records and enrollment to master scheduling, MOSAIC assignments, and countless data requests. Known for her attention to detail and willingness to help, Jean is often referred to as a real life magician and truly one of the behind-the-scenes people who keeps our schools running. 

She is also a proud Falcon who brings her enthusiasm to rallies, dress-up days, staff celebrations, and the greater Saratoga community. Congratulations, Jean, and thank you for the professionalism, consistency, warmth, and care you bring to our District every day!

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I am a proud parent of two daughters who graduated from SHS.

What was your 1st job?
I worked at Maxim Integrated Product as an Analog PMIC designer.

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
Talk less, listen more.

What is something we might not know about you?
I was born in Taiwan and immigrated to US when I was 13. I graduated from University of Hawaii with a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering, then graduated from University of California, Berkely with a Master in Electrical Engineering. I worked as a analog PMIC designer for 24 years before retire from high tech.

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
My hardworking, generous, brilliant and innovative colleagues and my equally hard-working, curious, kind, creative, and endlessly hopeful and innovative students.

What was your 1st job?
Very first job? Delivery girl for The Madison Press Connection independent newspaper.

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
What Toni Morrison told her students: "When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.”

What is something we might not know about you?
I speak four languages: English, German, Spanish, and Indonesian, and hope to spend much of the rest of my life improving my fluency in each.

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I am proud to be an SHS Falcon because of the environment the teachers strive to create in classrooms and the care shown by the staff.

Who is your hero or inspiration?
My dad

Do you have any hobbies/extracurricular activities you do outside of school? 
I have taken a couple summer programs such as Leangap, FTE, and BLI

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Hopefully I’ll be past out of college with a stable-ish job, living in New York.

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I have been a Falcon since 1994! I am proud to call this place home :)

What was your 1st job?
I worked at Kid in A Candy in downtown Los Gatos

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
If someone can't change something about themselves in 30 seconds or less you shouldn't be mentioning it
*this is something I learned for educators that I tell my student and my own kids.

What is something we might not know about you?
I was the Showcase Showdown winner on the Price is Right!

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I love that the school offers so many pathways to success, and the community is so supportive of the learning and activities that go on here. I also value the extraordinary level of dedication of the teachers, admin team, and support staff. Those are the constants I've seen in my 27 years on staff. It's an amazingly good high school, and kids are lucky to go here.

What was your 1st job?
I worked as a dishwasher and cook at my dad's breakfast restaurant starting shortly after high school and continued working there throughout college.

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

What is something we might not know about you?
In high school, I played on the baseball team for three years and was the captain of the team in my senior year. The dedication and hard work I learned from playing sports as a kid taught me about what is needed to be successful in other areas of life.

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I am proud to be an SHS Falcon because of how inclusive the school community is, and how I am always supported by the staff and my friends. I've learned how to become a better person and leader from the people I've surrounded myself with at SHS.

Who is your hero or inspiration?
My inspiration is my brother because he approaches every challenge head on, with a smile, and the motivation to work as hard as possible.

Do you have any hobbies/extracurricular activities you do outside of school? 
I am an actor, director, and VP for the SHS Drama Program, one of ten CA state thespian officers, president of Democracy Matters Club, one of 8 officers for Indian Cultural Awareness Club, Co-President of Slime Club, and I am a volunteer for SNAPKids, a program focused on on teaching neurodivergent and differently-abled students how to swim.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I see myself studying Civil Rights Law and working on a political team trying to make progressive change on social issues that I am passionate about, while living in New York City!

About Nila:
Nila is an exceptional student and leader who brings positive energy, humor, and genuine joy to classrooms and across the Saratoga campus. She is deeply involved in student life as President of Democracy Matters, Co-President of Indian Cultural Awareness, Co-President of Slime Club, Vice President of Drama Club, a Board Member of the Anti-Racism Task Force, and one of only ten California State Thespian Officers. 

Beyond campus, she volunteers with SNAPkids teaching neurodivergent and differently able students how to swim, reflecting her commitment to inclusion and service. Nila balances an impressive AP course load while keeping learning in perspective, thriving academically and as a dynamic contributor to discussions, labs, and group work - always with her signature high energy, big smile, and witty sense of humor. 

Whether she’s leading major events like Bombay in the Bay, writing for Quad Day, supporting Speak Up for Change week, or creating a memorable experience for our guests from New Taipei by showing them how to make slime, Nila consistently goes above and beyond to make Saratoga a welcoming, inclusive, and fun place for everyone.

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
All the kindness and support I've been shown since my arrival has made me proud to be a SHS Falcon.

What was your 1st job?
Helping my Dad shoe horses as a teenager .

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
Be kind to others and treat them the way you would like to be treated. 

What is something we might not know about you?
I love to cook, garden and fish.

About Joseph "Sep":
Sep takes genuine pride in everything he does, approaching each task - whether a major project or a small, often unnoticed detail - with enthusiasm, professionalism, and a great sense of humor. Sep understands that the “little wins” matter and that they build toward big results for his Falcon Family. 

During Saratoga’s Plant Supervisor’s paternity leave in November and December, Sep stepped up in a significant way, coordinating with contractors, managing Akita Box requests, and responding to unexpected needs with reliability and professionalism. He consistently seeks to grow his skills, knowing that continuous learning strengthens both his own contributions and the entire teams. 

Sep represents the facilities department exceptionally well at Saratoga and with community events, ensuring every detail is handled with care and hospitality. If you call his name on the radio, there’s a good chance he’s already on his way before you finish the sentence. He is always willing to pause what he’s working on to happily jump in and support someone else. Not reluctantly. Not halfway. Fully engaged and ready to help. It’s almost like he collects “assists” the way some people collect trophies. 

What makes you proud to be a SHS Falcon?
I feel very fortunate to be able to work at Saratoga High School. Our school is defined by hardworking students, a collaborative staff committed to excellence, and a deeply supportive community. Being part of this ecosystem is inspiring, both personally and professionally.

What was your 1st job?
My first job was teaching physics and chemistry in San Diego.

What are your words of wisdom to live by?
Rather than carrying the weight of things beyond my control, I’ve learned to channel my energy into the actions I can take. This shift in perspective doesn't just make me happier; it allows me to show up more fully and use my time to make a meaningful impact.

What is something we might not know about you?
While I grew up in Oregon, my childhood Christmases were spent in Cupertino visiting my grandmother. My brothers and I loved trading Oregon winters for t-shirt weather and daily visits to Linda Vista Park. It still feels surreal to me to now be working so close to the neighborhood where those memories were made.

About Mr. Welander:
Matt Welander represents the very best of what it means to be an educator at Saratoga High School. A thoughtful and principled leader, he elevates the STEM and science departments through collaboration, integrity, and quiet, steady leadership while empowering colleagues at all experience levels. 

A cornerstone of the STEM program, Matt has mentored multiple AP Physics teachers, built and sustained exemplary AP Physics 1, 2, and C curricula, and provided essential support during the pandemic and beyond. His legendary organization, calm expertise, and tireless work ethic set a standard for the campus, while his clear, student-centered instruction makes challenging concepts accessible and engaging, earning him deep appreciation from students year after year. 

His classroom is a destination for visiting educators - including recent guests from New Taipei Municipal Bei Da High School - and his contributions extend beyond the classroom through support of Physics Olympiad, Regeneron applicants, MSET robotics, letters of recommendation, and his leadership as STEM Department Chair.