Mary Cholko joined The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) family as a math teacher in 2006 and transitioned to the role of Assistant Principal in 2013.   In 2018, she returned to teaching Math at LACHSA to increase her work/life balance and spend more time with her young children.  Ms. Cholko is and will forever more be a teacher!

Prior to joining the LACHSA faculty she served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the United States Air Force. During her time in the Air Force, Ms. Cholko was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Her time in the military provided her a strong foundation in logistical management, organization and leadership training.

Ms. Cholko taught at LACHSA from 2006-2008 as an Algebra I, Geometry and Math Intervention teacher.  Her department consisted of Mr. Nick Abruzzo (current LACHSA Assistant Principal) and the one and only Dallas Russel.  She was so blessed to be brought into a teaching community that truly valued supporting young artists (See "Fame High"... sorry for all the homework, Ruby!  I was just learning how to teach).  

During the 2008-2009 school year, Ms. Cholko left LACHSA and headed east to support her wife, Lauren, in her pursuit of her Doctorate. She taught for one year at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Public Charter School (APR) outside of Boston, Massachusetts and sponged all the history she could in one year around New England. During her year at APR, Ms. Cholko taught 8th grade math, implemented an in depth intervention plan for struggling students and served as an adviser for 12 students.

Upon returning to the Los Angeles area in the fall of 2009, Ms. Cholko resumed teaching Algebra I and Geometry at LACHSA from 2009-2011, Geometry and Earth Science for the 2011-2012 school year and was an instructor for Geometry and Technology Inters for the 2012-2013 school year.  She was instrumental in helping LACHSA move into our VERY OWN and current building on the campus of CSULA.

In 2013, Ms. Cholko took on the role of Assistant Principal of Educational Technology and was a a full time member of the LACHSA Administration team.  From 2013 until 2018, she continued to be an administrator at LACHSA, working mostly with the Student Support, Counseling and Special Education teams.  

In the Fall of 2018 she returned to the classroom to maintain a better work-life balance with her young children and in turn realized teaching is where she belongs.  Ms. Cholko currently teaches Honors Algebra II and Algebra II at LACHSA.  Her years as an administrator at LACHSA have given her a great appreciation for the day to day life of the busy LACHSA student.   She continues to be a strong advocate for the students to maintaining a school/life/arts balance and works to support her students in any way that she can.

Ms. Cholko was born and raised in South Pasadena, CA. She earned a Bachelors of Science in Geography from the United States Air Force Academy where she was a member of the Divison 1 womens soccer team.  She has also earned a MEd in Secondary Education with an emphasis on mathematics from the University of Phoenix, and an MEd in Educational Administration from California State University Los Angeles.  She holds clear credentials in Fundamental Math, Geosciences and Administration. 

She lives in Pasadena with her wife, Lauren, and their two children Taylor (7) and Jaxen (4).  Taylor's current dream is to model LACHSA designs in the spring LACHSA fashion show.  Jaxen is just happy the pandemic is over, as many of us are.  He finds joy being outside, swinging a bat and kicking a ball.