Welcome New Bulldogs! - 2020

My name is Paul Emerson, and I am a first-year School Counselor here at RB. I love working with adolescents, and the role of a School Counselor allows me to get to know students on a personal and academic level. Building relationships over four years with students and playing a role in their well-being throughout high school is a fantastic way to make a living! I came to RB after six years as a Counselor at Carmel Catholic High School, a private school in Mundelein, IL. I wanted to work at Riverside Brookfield because of the incredible students and families here, and the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with an outstanding team of educators within Student Services. Outside of school, I am a huge sports fan, rooting for the Cubs, Bears, and Indiana Hoosiers! I live in the area with my spouse Cassandra, our 5-year-old daughter Mia, and 2-year-old son Bennett. I look forward to continuing to engage with the wonderful Bulldog community!

I am an Academic Support Teacher here at RB. I will also be assuming the role of the Assistant Coach of the boys varsity basketball team. In my spare time, I enjoy reading health articles and mentoring/helping the youth. I received an MS degree in sports leadership from Northeastern University in Boston MA, and a BS degree in Business Administrations, Finance from Eastern Connecticut State University in CT. My goal here at RB is to help as many students achieve their educational goals as I can.

Matthew Loeb is a versatile musician and music educator teaching at Riverside Brookfield High School. Currently, at RBHS, he directs the Chamber and String Orchestras, co-directs the symphonic band and wind ensemble, and teaches the music portion of RBHS’s fine arts survey course. Performing professionally from a young age, as a high school student Loeb performed beside trombonist Joey Sellers and acted as guest soloist for Maynard Ferguson and the Big Bop Nouveau. Principally a pianist, he has also performed with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and as an onboard showband musician and headliner accompanist for Carnival Cruise Lines. During his contract aboard the cruise ship Carnival Pride, Loeb regularly arranged big band charts and contributed to the score of Carnival Pride’s Las Vegas Style Review shows. Before joining RBHS, Loeb served as a high school band and choir director in the Chicagoland area, and worked as a freelance musician, educator, music arranger, and piano technician. In addition to teaching at RBHS, Loeb collaborates with the Benedictine University School of Music, codirects the Cantores Community Choir of Downers Grove, is a regular pianist for the Illinois Music Education Association, serves as associate director of music at Hinsdale United Methodist Church, and directs the HUMC Community Jazz Ensemble. Loeb holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Northern Illinois University, as well as a Master of Music in Music Education from DePaul University where he also studied with renowned jazz pianist Jim Trompeter.

I am Brad Vojcak, I currently teach special education, and I am a varsity football coach here at RB. I recently completed my master’s degree from National Louis University and I am very excited to be teaching here this year. I chose to teach because I enjoy working with our staff and students to create a positive learning environment.

Hi, Bulldogs. My name is Kathy Brush and this year at RB I am teaching Geometry for the math department and co-teaching Geometry for the special ed department. For fun and stress relief, I enjoy biking, swimming, running, playing tennis, and walking my dog. I also love spending time with my family. We've played a lot of Dutch Blitz over the past six months. I attended North Park University for my bachelor's degree in math and earned a master's in school counseling from Northeastern Illinois University. In addition to teaching at the high school level, I spent several years teaching computer programming in the corporate world. I teach because I love working with high school students. I want to help students develop a growth mindset, especially when it comes to math.

My name is Cara Weinberg and I am one of the new deans. I am so excited to be a part of the RB family! My husband and I (and our dog Mack!) live in Chicago. In our spare time we like to travel, kayak, and hike. I earned my BA from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, my MA from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and my second MA from Concordia University. I am looking forward to getting to know our amazing students and families and to spending time at extra curricular events!

John Dorhauer, is a composer, educator, and performer from Chicago. Dorhauer teaches AP Music Theory at RBHS, and he also teaches at Elmhurst University, Spirito! Singers, and Glenbard East High School. Honors for Dorhauer’s writing include first prizes in International Contemporary Ensemble’s “The Listening Room” Contest and Young Composer Competitions from Fifth House Ensemble and Orion Ensemble. A five-time recipient of ASCAP Plus Awards, John’s music has been recorded/performed by Fifth House Ensemble, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Latitude 49, members of eighth blackbird and International Contemporary Ensemble, the Elmhurst College Percussion Ensemble, and his own composers’ jazz big band, Heisenberg Uncertainty Players (huplayers.com). This year, John has received two grants: a 3Arts Arts for Illinois Relief Fund grant for COVID-19 related support, and an Illinois Arts Council Agency Artist Project Grant for post-production work on a recent HUP album. HUP currently holds monthly residencies at Phyllis’ Musical Inn and Chicago Magic Lounge, and in 2020 they released an album of John’s original music called Gradient. Other recent projects for HUP include performances at Fulton Street Collective’s Jazz Record Art Collective Series featuring John’s arrangements of The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy albums in their entirety, and HUP the 3rd, which features John’s arrangements of selected movements from the third symphonies of Mahler, Brahms, and Beethoven.

My name is Janira Marquez and I am one of the social workers here at RB. I'm a former Bulldog and I couldn't be happier to call RB my home away from home again. I'm a licensed cosmetologist and makeup artist and love everything about making people look and feel their best both inside and out. I honestly have the best of both worlds with my careers. I received my BSW from Concordia University Chicago with a minor in Education and my Master's degree from Aurora University specializing in School Social Work, Healthcare, and Gerontology. I love being a social worker and making real connections with my students and their families and giving them the support they need while in school and out in the real world.

Currently, at RB, I work as one of the academic support teachers. My main interest is music, as I have been playing the guitar for almost twenty years. I also happen to be a former student from RB, having graduated in 2013. For my undergrad, I studied at Berklee College of Music and graduated in 2018 and now I will be pursuing a master's in music education. On the side, I also play in two bands called "The Rain Drop Collector" and "Heavy Metal Horns" while teaching guitar lessons as well. I have wanted to pursue teaching because I have always enjoyed helping people, especially when it comes to understanding the ins and outs of music.