This September, many new staff members were welcomed to the LHS community, including two familiar faces excited to continue their careers and return to the town they grew up in. Meet Mr. Matthew Renz and Mr. Michael Cerbelli as they reflect on their journeys that brought them back to the place where it all began.
Mr. Matthew Renz
Guidance Counselor Matthew Renz graduated from LHS in 2018 and continued his academic journey at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury. There, he earned both his undergraduate degree in psychology and graduate degree in school counseling. Renz always knew that he wanted to be a guidance counselor. Before coming to LHS, he worked as a counselor in a Manhattan school, a teaching assistant in Wantagh, a leave replacement in East Rockaway, and a teacher aid in Long Beach. “Working at so many different schools, I really had a good experience engaging with a diverse student population of all different ages,” Renz said.
Although he is grateful for the opportunities he has had, Renz expressed his enthusiasm to finally join the LHS staff. “I always thought that in the perfect situation, coming back to Lynbrook would be my number-one goal. So, when the position opened up, I was really excited.” His experience as a student was a positive one, sharing that his peers, friends, and teachers “helped me to become the educator that I am today.”
Renz takes pride in being a member of the Lynbrook community. Growing up, he enjoyed the sense of connection shared within the town and school district and can appreciate it even more as an adult. “After working in other schools, I can see that having that community aspect is unique to Lynbrook,” he noted. From his first day at the kindergarten center to the end of his senior year, Renz said he “bled green and gold,” participating in wrestling, lacrosse, football, and several clubs and organizations with intense school spirit. “With encouragement from the support system and teachers, I really took advantage of what Lynbrook had to offer,” he added.
Renz’s fondest memory as a student was participating in Class Night. He reflected on this special experience with a smile: “It was really all these groups coming together. The unique thing that I always loved about Class Night is that it didn’t matter if you were an athlete, an artist, or a musician, everyone was excited about Class Night and getting involved to help their grade.” He joked that, at any other school, it would have been difficult to get the entire offensive line of a football team to participate in a boy’s dance.
Mr. Michael Cerbelli
Although Social Studies Teacher Michael Cerbelli had not planned to become a teacher, he could not be happier with his career today. Graduating from LHS in 2016 and later from Molloy University, his initial intention was to enlist in the Marine Corps, which he was unable to follow through with for medical reasons. He gave credit to his parents for inspiring him to become a history teacher; although he was still unsure of what he wanted to be, he knew that he had always loved history. “I remember my parents saying to me, ‘Your face lights up when you talk about [history], so maybe you should go into education.’ That’s when I made the decision,” he explained. Cerbelli teaches global history classes for freshmen and juniors.
This year is his first year as a teacher, but Cerbelli has been reunited with LHS for several years now. He initially returned in 2021 to complete his student teaching under social studies teacher John Cornicello and former teacher Laura McCarthy. He felt both challenged and inspired by them, which helped him improve as a teacher. “I thought it would be pretty cool to come back to Lynbrook for my student teaching,” Cerbelli remarked. “[A]lthough it was stressful in some moments, it was a really good experience,” he added. Cerbelli credited Cornicello with aiding him in learning how to teach good-quality lessons with confidence.
Like Renz, Cerebelli was very involved as a high school student. He was a member of the football team and a respected name in the music department for all four years, playing for both jazz band and marching band as a drummer. His favorite LHS memory was the music department’s trip to Disney World, which he attended as a freshman. “That trip was memorable, mostly because we got to perform on Main Street in Disney. Also, being a freshman from [North Middle School], it was a chance to get to know all the kids from South Middle School better,” he commented. Cerebelli looks back on his experience as a student at LHS with fondness. “When I went to LHS, all the teachers were super nice and encouraging, and some of them made a pretty big difference in my life. So, I hope to do the same for my students,” Cerbelli remarked.
