Joshua Engberg spends time in H20 and Na, but not while teaching Chemistry in the classroom.

Engberg grew up in the Santa Cruz county with a love for surfing.

Engberg said, “In high school we had a surfing club that would compete in about four contests with other schools around the state.”

After high school, Engberg attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and began a major in science. However, Engberg did not immediately find his love for teaching. “I thought I wanted to be a dentist or an optometrist,” said Engberg.

Shortly after working for a summer camp, Engberg realized his passion for teaching. He then changed his major to physical sciences and later received teaching credentials at San Jose State University.

Engberg was offered his first official teaching position in 2000 at Carlmont High School. “It was a really exciting time. The school was a lot smaller, about 1,700 students and most of the buildings were brand new,” said Engberg.

Although Carlmont has grown and changed, Engberg’s love for nature has not. Today, Engberg continues to pursue his passion for surfing. He said, “I surf about one or two times every week.”

Engberg said, “I also have about six different types of surfboards and a whole shed full of wet suits and other surfing gear.”

In addition to his love for surfing, Engberg brings the same energy to the classroom.

Former student of Engberg’s, junior Andrew Wach said, “He always related chemistry to real life circumstances which made it more fun to learn. The whole class loved to hear about his funny surfing stories.”

Outside of surfing and teaching, Engberg also loves other outdoor activities. He said, “I also love mountain biking and hiking.”

Engberg currently shares his passions with his two children: “Now that I have kids I take them bodyboarding at Pacifica and we love riding bikes around the neighborhood.”

Although Carlmont’s student body is enormous, Engberg’s witty sense of humour and affective teaching makes the rounds. “Even though I have never had him as a teacher, I’ve heard he is really funny, nice, and an awesome Chemistry teacher,” said junior Neeshae Wain.

Engberg loves working at Carlmont as well as teaching it’s many students.

“I love how Carlmont offers so many different opportunities for every type of student,” said Engberg.