Sometimes, with a seven-hour school day followed by hours of rehearsals, a student can spend more time with their teachers than they do with their family. A teacher can either make this a grueling experience or create another family at school for their students.

Mr. Chaviano teaches choir for grades 9-12 which includes five different choirs of varying levels of difficulty. He also directs The Broadway Company which is a musical theater troupe that is known for its high skill level. Mr. C is passionate and dedicated to making his students better all-around in music and life.

I see Mr. C twice a day, once during the day for choir class, and again at the end of the day for rehearsals for The Broadway Company. Our rehearsals start during the school day and can run until five o’clock or as last as 9 o’clock at night. During these long hours, it gives him time to truly get to know us. He is always ready to listen. Over the years in high school, I’ve had some rough days, and he’s always been someone that I knew I could go to for support. Running up to him before choir class, he listens to all of my daily grievances and makes a sassy remark that is sure to cheer me up. No matter if it was issues in a class, a funny story, or the latest piece of gossip, he was always there with a comfy seat in his office and an open ear.

Mr. Chaviano always pushes his students to be better because he knows that they are better. We have long hours of Broadway rehearsals so that he can make sure that we are acing all of our dance steps and know every note of every harmony in the show. He has mastered the art of tough love and says the hard truth because we need to hear it. He sets the bar high but teaches us that we can meet it every day. When we hit the mark, he is sure to tell us how proud he is and celebrate our accomplishments with us.

He prides himself on the environment that he has created within The Broadway Company. All fifty students within it are friends who support each other through every up and down that we face in rehearsals and life outside of the theater. He creates a space where, even as each other’s greatest competition, we can see each other’s talents and work together to make each other better.

Most importantly, Mr. Chaviano always tries his best to treat us like people. If he sees an issue, he always comes to the students first. He trusts us to problem solve on our own to teach us those important life skills. He has helped me break out of my shell and become who I am today. I came into high school with very few friends and not a lot of confidence, and now I can leave with a bold attitude and knowing that I have at least one hundred other people who have my back. Thank you, Mr. Chaviano.