TOWAMENCIN-Few teachers can jump into a class in the middle of a semester with only a week to prepare, but Senor Joseph Carl has more than conquered this obstacle. In wake of Senor Alba’s extended absence, Senor Carl has taken over some of his classes and other Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 courses.

Carl and his two sisters grew up locally in Orland and attended  La Salle High School where his interest in Spanish was peaked by his favorite Spanish teacher Mr. Blanco, a Cuban refugee.

“He made the language come to life outside the book,” Carl said with admiration. “He shared his experiences of being a refugee and why the language meant so much to him.”

Carl credits his love for the language and eventual career choice to this favorite teacher  and hopes to foster in his students a similar love for Spanish. After high school, Carl attended the University of Delaware where inspiration from his past concreted his decision to pursue a career in Spanish education.

Following college he moved to Pacific Beach in San Diego, and he loved everything about it. While there, he worked at a place called S.A.P. and ventured in many new things including cooking for a little while. After his time in the sun and surf, Carl moved back to this area to work at Gwynedd Mercy Elementary School. The atmosphere enthralled Carl and he spent many years showing young kids that there is more to Spanish than Dora the Explorer.

Carl loved his job at Gwynedd Mercy so much that the only thing that could tear him away was an opportunity to teach in Costa Rica. Carl enthusiastically accepted the offer and in the spring of 2011, he moved to there to teach the Costa Rican natives English at Intel and HP. Once Carl had enough of the heat, he moved back to Pennsylvania ultimately landing him back in the classroom there at North Penn.

Today Carl is devoted to training for marathons and has already run in two major races–the Lake Placid Marathon and the O.D. Marathon in Cape Cod. Additionally, he loves music, especially classics like Tom Petty, Bob Marley, and the Beatles, and he enjoys watching movies like Godfather 2. Although Senor Carl may only be here a short time, he has made the transition seamlessly, and hopefully North Penn will make the switch just as effortlessly.