“You are absolutely capable of creating the life you can’t stop thinking about :)”

That’s what students see on the back whiteboard in new social science teacher Marcus Reveles’ classroom. With the LED lights running along the ceiling and American wartime posters pinned on the cabinets, Reveles said the mantra adds a personal touch to his yet unfinished classroom.  

“I love that quote,” said Reveles, a Sunny Hills Class of 2018 alumnus. “It’s not from someone, it’s just something that I read one day when I was driving by a billboard, and it really resonated with me; now sometimes I look at it, and it puts a smile on my face.” 

Following his quote, the SH graduate said he has been working toward achieving the dream that he couldn’t stop thinking about since he was a sophomore in high school: life as a teacher. 

HISTORY OF THE STUDENT LANCER

While working toward this dream, Reveles said he participated in theater at Sunny Hills, performing in musicals and plays and working on the technical aspects backstage. 

“I met really good people and friends I’m still very tight with [through theater],” he said. “I was heavily involved in the COFA [Conservatory of Fine Arts] side of Sunny Hills, which I loved.” 

But when he arrived at Sunny Hills from Whittier after his parents’ divorce, Reveles said he felt clueless and lost as the eldest child in an immigrant household. Despite the obstacles, the new social science teacher said he became the first in his family to attend college. 

“I do what I do to make my family proud,” Reveles said. “My family has done a lot and has sacrificed a lot to give me opportunities that they didn’t have when they were my age, and I felt a lot of pressure not to take that for granted and not to disappoint.”

He said that pressure gave him the motivation to be a better version of himself every day, and he is grateful that he can be a resource to guide his younger relatives through the hurdles he once faced. 

“With my experience being a first-generation college student, I hope my family doesn’t have to struggle as much as I did, and that I can give [my younger siblings] tips that I didn’t have at home,” the history teacher said. “I owe it to everyone who’s supported me all the way up here

HIS AGE OF EXPLORATION 

Out of the seven colleges that he was accepted into, Reveles said he chose California State University, Fullerton [CSUF] to enroll in 2019 for its strong teaching credential program.

Reveles said CSUF’s course is a one-year program that is comparably rigorous because of its short time frame. He said he thinks the demanding curriculum is what got him acclimated to the teaching environment. 

“Being a first-year teacher, it’s a lot coming at you; it’s very fast paced, so I think the CSUF program got me prepared for that kind of pace,” he said. “I have 180 new students and their learning styles that I have to get to know and figure out how I’m going to teach them.” 

Reveles graduated with a major in history with double minors in math and American history. He said his positive experience with his previous SH history teachers, such as David Wilde, influenced his decision regarding his major. 

“I’ve had very good history teachers growing up, and they really made it a point that I understand history is more than just facts, dates and people,” Reveles said. “They made me realize that I feel more whole and complete when I feel like I understand other people and their cultures and experiences.” 

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2023, he earned his social science teaching credential at CSUF the following year. 

In 2023, Reveles spent his first semester of the education program student teaching at Oxford Academy. Then he moved on to Buena Park High School during his second semester in Spring 2024 and assisted in an eleventh-grade U.S. History class. 

“It was a challenge for sure… but my mentor teacher really made me feel capable and confident and ready for a teaching career, so I really enjoyed it,” he said. 

Following his student teaching, Reveles substitute taught for the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD], even taking a four-month teaching job at La Habra High School from December to March of 2025.

Soon after, he was offered a one-month substitute job for the Advanced Placement [AP] Computer Science and Esports adviser Sonya Joyce despite having no prior coding experience, after she injured her leg during the last month of school in May. 

“It was a different experience being out of my discipline, but it was great because I got to practice making connections with my kids and making them feel welcome and safe,” he said. 

ONCE A LANCER, ALWAYS A LANCER 

When three SH social science teachers — Robert Bradburn, Greg Del Crognale and Jeff Gordon — retired last spring, Sunny Hills released applications for teaching openings in May, while he was still a substitute for Joyce. Reveles said he discovered an opportunity to apply for a full-time job through his colleagues, who texted him an Edjoin link to the application.

To apply, the aspiring teacher said he had eagerly collected letters of recommendation, undergone testing for bacterial infections, written his cover letter and submitted his application in May. He heard back not long after submission, and his interview took place in the last week of school. 

Principal Craig Weinreich said out of over 200 teachers in the social science pool looking to work at Sunny Hills, Reveles stood out with his energetic interview. 

“He’s somebody that gets involved wherever he is, and you can tell that from him,” Weinreich said. “That enthusiasm, that energy and that desire to want to be good at what he does and help his students was really apparent.” 

This fall, Reveles was hired as a social science teacher and teaches World History for periods 2, 3, 4 and 6 and Government for periods 1 and 5, and he said that he has already created bonds with his students. 

Freshman Merritt Dale said he can see himself growing from once hating history to looking forward to his World History class every day. 

“He makes what he teaches us interesting, which a lot of teachers don’t know how to do,” Dale said. “He understands us and he tries to be a really upbeat and energetic teacher, and he wants to be with us so that we can understand what he’s talking about.”

Senior Abigail Venya said Reveles’ young age doesn’t take away from the respect she and her classmates have for him. 

“I think he’s a great teacher because even though he’s probably one of the youngest teachers on campus, he’s very assertive and a good leader for the class, while also building a connection with him and the material that we’re learning,” she said. 

Starting his first year with excitement, the new teacher said the next step for him is to continue developing himself to improve at his job. 

“I would love to stay here for my whole career… and I really don’t have a game plan after this,” Reveles said. “My plan is to teach, and until that changes, I love to be where I am.”