Mr. Albert started working in the high school media center this year, marking his 30th year in education. Although his role is new, he’s been a part of the Westwood district for decades. He began teaching in 1996 when the school was still a junior-senior high school, instructing eighth-grade English. As a Westwood student himself, he described the moment as a “pretty cool” full-circle moment.
Before moving to his current position, Mr. Albert served as an assistant principal at the middle school, a role he held since 2019. He said the new environment feels like a “whole new job” and enjoys seeing students he knew from his days at the middle school. He’s also been working hard to restore the media center’s book collections.
Before he began teaching, Mr. Albert worked in sound engineering, where he recorded and mixed commercials and music. He even produced a children’s album titled “Rhythm and Melodies: Animal Fantastic”, for which Mr. Peña played several drum tracks. While he loved the creative side of sound production, the unpredictability led him towards a more stable career. He earned an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and went on to earn two master’s degrees from Long Island University.
Outside of work, Mr. Albert still works with music. He plays the trumpet, guitar, and enjoys writing his own songs. Recently, he’s taken on car repair projects. It started with brake replacements, and quickly escalated to full suspension swaps. He also loves watching TV. Most notably, “The Boys” was a show he appreciates for its unique and complex storytelling.