Teachers

Laszlo Berzsenyi

I was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA, to Hungarian immigrants. I attended Mater Dei High School and graduated with the class of 1989. I went on to Cal State Long Beach, where I received my B.S. in Marketing. I continued with my education at Cal State Long Beach and obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Marketing. I worked in the private sector for Holiday Inn and later Marriott Hotels before working for the Huntington Beach Union High School District office in Human Resources. While working for the HBUHSD, I went back to school to obtain my California Teaching Credential at National University. While finishing my student teaching, I was offered a job at Hillview High School. I have been with Hillview and TUSD since 1999. In my spare time, I travel extensively both domestically and internationally. I am also an avid car enthusiast with a small collection including a vintage 1967 Convertible Camaro, a Range Rover, and a Maserati Quattroporte S. Finally, I LOVE to cook, especially ethnic foods.

Marlene Beisel

I am proud to have been an educator in the Tustin Unified School District for the past 21 years. I spent 10 years teaching at Nelson Elementary School and most recently taught at Utt Middle School before joining the Hillview High School family.  I received my B.A. In Communications from the University of Arizona and earned my teaching credential from National University. I am also currently working toward a master's degree in religious studies.  Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and for the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of serving as a TUSD induction mentor to new teachers. I truly enjoy supporting both students and fellow educators and helping them grow and succeed.  Outside of the classroom, I enjoy working out and golfing. I am also the proud mom of two sons, ages 19 and 22. After 21 years in Tustin Unified, I am excited to begin this new chapter and to happy to be a part of the Hillview family. 

Bertha Cardoza

My name is Bertha Cardoza. I was raised in Santa Ana, California. I've been teaching at Hillview High School for 6 years. I teach Art, Ceramics, Computer Graphics, Leadership, and Yearbook. I received my BA in Graphic Design from Cal Poly and my teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach. My hobbies are traveling, scuba, snorkeling, hiking, and creating art.

Sarah Chop

I was raised in Tustin and attended Arroyo Elementary, Hewes Middle School, and Foothill High School. I went on to earn my BA in Mathematics and my teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton. I have a Master's in Educational Technology. I taught math for 12 years at Santa Fe High School and Whittier High School before coming to Hillview. I live in Tustin with my husband and three kids. We enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, biking, hiking, swimming, and baseball. We also enjoy traveling and spending time with our friends and family. 

Heather Combest

I was raised in Santa Ana, California by my parents with my older sister and twin brother.  Tustin Schools gave me a home for 13 years, and I graduated from Foothill High School.  I attended Irvine Valley College and California State University, Fullerton for my bachelor’s degree, Chapman University for my teaching credentials, and back to CSUF for my master’s degree.  Once again, TUSD gave me a home for the last 30 years.  I was a teacher at Lamber Elementary School for six years, a teacher at Columbus Tustin Middle School for 5 years, and have been teaching at Hillview since 2008.  Hillview, by far, has been my favorite assignment. My husband and I have been married for over 30 years and live locally.  We love traveling domestically and internationally, and our favorite trip so far has been to England and Scotland.  I am an avid reader, swimmer, and baker. 

Jason Edgmond

My name is Jason Edgmond. I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. I have proudly served as a teacher for 16 years. I have taught in the Tustin School District for three years; I am starting my second year at Hillview High School. I received a Master of Science Degree in 2005. I love spending time with my family, traveling, and being outdoors. Teaching is a gift, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do so at Hillview High School.

Erik Eidenmuller

Hello, my name is Mr. Eidenmuller, and I have been a proud member of the Hillview faculty since 2006. Over the years, I have had the privilege of teaching Geography, World History, and U.S. History. I currently teach American Government, Economics, and Personal Finance.

I am a product of the Tustin Unified School District, having attended Arroyo, Hewes, and Foothill. After high school, I earned my A.A. from Santiago Canyon College and a B.A. in History from California State University. I later completed my Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Administration at National University.

Outside the classroom, I am a devoted husband and father of two boys. My family and I enjoy spending time outdoors and value our faith, family, and friendships.

In my classroom, I strive to create an environment where students feel empowered to explore their own beliefs while learning to respectfully engage with perspectives that may differ from their own. I emphasize the importance of free speech and encourage open, thoughtful dialogue. Our class motto is: “Try not to offend, and try harder not to be offended.”

 

Gregory Jennings

I have been a full-time teacher in the Tustin Unified School District for 15 years, but I have worked in the school district since 1984. I coached lower-level baseball at both Foothill and Tustin High Schools for 13 years, and I was an Instructional Aide at Hewes Middle School for 7 years before teaching. I attended Tustin Unified schools myself (Arroyo, Hewes, and Foothill) before receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine, and a Teaching Credential from National University. I taught Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 at Tustin High School for 14 years until leaving THS to teach Geometry at Hillview High School in 2011-2012. I was also the head baseball coach at Tustin High for 12 years, and I continue to coach youth sports at Orange Little League and in the Tustin Pop Warner football program.

Zachary Johnson

Mr. Johnson is a 7th-year teacher from Los Angeles, CA. Mr. Johnson grew up in the San Fernando Valley and moved to Orange County when he was 21 years old. He went to the University of Arizona for his Bachelor of Science in Geography and Regional Development and later finished his teaching credential at National University in Costa Mesa, CA. Mr. Johnson also his Masters Degree from Concordia University, Irvine.  Mr. Johnson has been married since March 2020 and lives in Orange County with his wife, two kids, and beagle. He coaches basketball in his free time at the youth and high school levels.   Mr. Johnson teaches Media Literacy and US History and is excited for another awesome year at Hillview!

Ivan Ramirez

Mr. Ramirez is in his 15th year teaching at Hillview High School. He graduated from Tustin High School in 2000. After studying at Santa Ana College, he attended UC Santa Barbara, where he played on the men's baseball team. Afterwards, he completed his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from UC Irvine in 2007, followed by his Special Education Teaching Credential and Master's in Education from Azusa Pacific University. Mr. Ramirez is happily married with 2 children. He spends most of his free time coaching youth baseball in Santa Ana. 

Kristine Wetzel

I received my B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and my teaching credential from National University. In 1993, I began my career in Tustin Unified teaching RSP at Columbus Tustin Middle School; then I went on to teach seventh grade core and founded the AVID Program there as well. In 2007, I joined the team at Hillview High School, where I currently teach English 3 and IVC Dual Enrollment. I'm active in the non-profit sector as well; I serve on the Board of Directors for Schools First Credit Union and am the co-founder of the McKenna Claire Foundation for pediatric brain cancer.