HR High Five Podcast
2025-26 SEASON
October 2025 - TECH TO THE FUTURE!
This month’s episode is titled “Tech to the Future!” and we are so excited to feature stories about how technology is being infused in the work around HSD in creative and new ways. From Smart Boards to video conferencing to employee timeclocks, technology is no longer just a tool, but we’ve seen it become foundational to how students learn, teachers instruct, and schools operate. Let’s get ready to hear from three amazing guests today who are examples of how HSD is working to advance the use of technology!
Episode Host: Hannah Huenergardt, Human Resources Supervisor
Featured staff:
- Derek Brown
- Jessie Nies
- Griseldo Nunez
What ways does tech make your job easier?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
September 2025 - Welcome Back!
We are starting off the 2025-26 podcast season with an episode that explores the many ways we welcome people into HSD and launch the start of the year! Being a welcoming community is an important part of who we are as HSD employees. From the onboarding process with staff, inviting new students to our schools, and uniquely supporting the families of Hillsboro we strive to create a welcoming environment for all!
Episode Host: Kona Lew-Williams, Human Resources Officer
Featured staff:
- Katie Thomas
- Peggy Messenger
- Sarah Cole
How do you help build a welcoming environment in your role?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
2024-25 SEASON
JUNE 2025 - HSD IN ONE WORD (2025)
This is the final episode of our 2024-25 podcast season, and we are ending the school year by sharing a collection of answers from our guests responding to the prompt “In one word, what does HSD mean to you?”
We hope that this episode will inspire you to contemplate what HSD means to you too!
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
May 2025 - Family Matters
We’re bringing you a great episode this month that we’re calling “Family Matters”. This isn’t going to be all about the beloved 90’s sitcom, but we are going to be hearing from three different sets of family members who all work in HSD!
Episode Host: Kona Lew-Williams, Human Resources Officer
Featured staff:
- Karly and Helen Gutierrez
- Rebecca Garcia, Mindy Paulson, and Gloria Hernandez
- Stefany Moreno and Diana Alanis
Do you have family members that work at HSD? How do you balance personal and professional relationships?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
April 2025 - Oak Street Campus
Click here to listen
This month’s episode is all about Oak Street Campus. You will hear conversations with two staff members who support the alternative learning environment that is provided at this HSD location. OSC provides students with unique resources, career exploration opportunities, college preparation, and more! We are excited to focus on, and learn more about the services and programs offered at OSC.
Episode Host: Hannah Huenergardt, HR Supervisor
Featured staff:
Sho Shigeoka — TOSA, Oak Street Campus
Jem Wong — TOSA, Oak Street Campus
Have any questions or stories to share about Oak Street Campus?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
MARCH 2025 - Starting Bright and Early!
We are thrilled to present this episode entirely in Spanish! Today we are taking a behind the scenes look at how HSD supports a bright and early start for childhood education. Early childhood learning is a broad term for programs that support the development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs. At HSD this is the focus of our preschool programs and we will be hearing from three Education Liaisons who work in this area. We are excited to share about the accomplishments happening inside our preschools and the staff who strategically support them.
Episode Host: Yaquelyn Vazquez Burgos
Featured staff:
Maria Sandoval Cornejo — Education Liaison, Office for School Performance
Monica Sandoval Cornejo — Education Liaison, Office for School Performance
Elia Tellez — Education Liaison, Office for School Performance
Have a question about Early Learning?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
FEBRUARY 2025 - IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES
In this episode we will be concentrating on the topic of “play time” and you will hear stories from three employees who will share more about the work they are doing to support this aspect of education that is provided in our district. We are excited to bring these stories to our listeners and hope that you learn something new about the fun and games going on around HSD that help our students thrive!
Episode Host: Kristina Gantt
Featured staff:
- Jelana Canfield — Education Liaison, Office of School Performance
- William Wenzloff — Supervisor - Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Department
- Rian Petrick — Director of Extracurricular Services and Athletics, Facilities Department
What are some ways that you promote play in your role?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
JANUARY 2025 - HSD AFTER DARK
In this episode we hear all about the work that goes on behind the scenes to support our district at night! These great staff work around the clock, literally, to keep the district running smoothly. Let’s take a look into what happens around the district after dark and celebrate the accomplishments of our employees who fulfill the duties of these unique positions!
Episode Host: Jany Jovel
Featured staff:
- TJ Ferrill — District Security Patrol Monitor
- Scott Cole — Night Custodian, South Meadows Middle School
Want to give a shout out to your after-hours staff?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
DECember 2024 - Don’t take it for GRANTed
In this episode we hear from employees who have creatively utilized grant funding to support their work at HSD.
Did you know that HSD manages around 150 grants in an average year?
There are many interesting ways that these resources provide for services throughout our district and we definitely don’t take it for granted. We are excited to share stories about what can be achieved for our staff and students using grants!
Episode Host: Hannah Huenergardt
Featured staff:
- Krista Hanson — Community Transition Services
- Amiya Larrance — English Learner Specialist, Liberty High School
- Alice Kelly — Special Education Assistant, Liberty High School
Are you interested in applying for a Hillsboro Schools Foundation Grant?
Applications open January 1, 2025. Find out more information at https://hsfonline.org/apply-for-grants/
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
november 2024 - Internal Pathways (Part 2)
This is the second of two episodes focused on discovering internal growth pathways for employees at HSD.
Employee growth is a broad topic and it can include participation in degree programs that help elevate you to new positions and access to funding opportunities to support your goals, but it can also encompass unique employee directed initiatives.
You will hear stories about those resources and the creative ways that HSD partners with employees to dream big and achieve new levels of success!
Episode Host: Kim Bayer
Featured staff:
- Linda Chan — Elementary Resource Special, Reedville Elementary School
- Bianca Rodriguez — Counselor, Eastwood Elementary School
Are you on an Internal Pathways journey?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
October 2024 - Internal Pathways (Part 1)
The next two episodes will be focused on discovering internal growth pathways for employees at HSD.
Employee growth is a broad topic and it can include participation in degree programs that help elevate you to new positions and access to funding opportunities to support your goals, but it can also encompass unique employee directed initiatives.
You will hear stories about those resources and the creative ways that HSD partners with employees to dream big and achieve new levels of success!
Episode Host: Kim Bayer
Featured staff:
- Ashley Irwin — Administrative Support 3, Student Services
- Martha Rodriguez Siordia — Director of Human Resources
Are you on an Internal Pathways journey?
Share your questions and experiences here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
September 2024 - New Beginnings
We are kicking off the 24/25 school year season today with the topic of “new beginnings”. We are excited to share insight and stories that encourage you all as we start a new school year, new positions, and new relationships with each other.
Episode Host: Kona Lew-Williams
Featured staff:
- Jeremy Corwin — Principal, J.W. Poynter Middle School
- Ivana Garcia Prado — Executive Assistant, Office of the Superintendent
- Manuel Vasquez Vasquez — Language Arts Teacher - Dual Language, Hillsboro High School
What has helped you in a new beginning?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
Archived Episodes
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HSD HR High Five Podcast Episode 11 - Hope in the Workplace
In this episode we are diving into the topic of “hope in the workplace” where we will share stories from our guests about how this topic impacts the different work being done around HSD. We HOPE you enjoy it!
Featured staff:
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- Lisa Erickson — Public Safety Chief
- Jessica Servin — Family Engagement Specialist
- Brenda Chavez Tapia — Education Liaison
- Brandon Hernandez Roman — Education Liaison
What ways do hope and hopelessness come into play in your role?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
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HSD HR High Five Podcast Episode 10 - Winter Wellness
In this episode we are diving into the topic of “winter wellness” where we will be hearing from three guests about their experiences supporting students and staff with resources for mental health and overall wellness.
Featured staff:
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- Daphne Fisk — Employee Benefits Supervisor
- Ruben Garcia-Puga — Student Support Wellness Counselor
- Jennifer Cary — Coordinator of Mental and Behavioral Health
Do you have any winter wellness tips or rituals to get you through the season?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
HSD HR High Five Podcast Episode 9 - Thanking and Appreciating our Staff
In this episode we are diving into the topic of “thanking and appreciating our staff.” As you listen to what our guests have to share, we hope you can identify ways that you like to be appreciated and ways that you can express thankfulness to those you work with too!
Featured staff:
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- David Nieslanik — Executive Director of High Schools
- Megan Nace — Director of Technology Services
- Juliet Hong — Principal, West Union Elementary
What are some ways that you like to show appreciation or be appreciated?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
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HSD HR High Five Podcast Episode 8 - One Day at a Time
In this episode we will be taking a journey with our guests as they describe what a typical day looks like for their work and the ways they approach things “one day at a time”. As you hear their stories we hope you learn something new about the work being done around HSD to support our community!
Featured staff:
- Nathan De Pinto — Fiscal Planning Specialist
- Saideh Haghighi Khochkhou — Operations Officer
- Sebastian (Antonio) Hernandez Viera — Language Liaison
How do you take your job one day at a time?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
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HSD HR High Five Podcast Episode 7 - Starting Off Well
Whether it’s setting up a classroom or making sure the school buses are in tip-top shape, there are many ways that we work to ensure the school year has a great start for our students and families.
In this episode we will be hearing about how some of our employees prepare to start a new school year.
Featured staff:
- Miguel Garcia — Bus Driver
- Kevin Hertel — Evergreen MS Principal
- Teresa Portinga — Patterson ES 1st/2nd Grade Teacher
What ways do you start the school year?
Share your thoughts here HR High Five Podcast Feedback.
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