When Dinazia Yarger gets home after a day of teaching, one of the things she enjoys the most is having dance parties with her three boys. 

In her past, Yarger took eight years of Indian classical dance. But her hobbies don’t stop there. Yarger also loves cooking, traveling, watching Netflix and going to the park to read. 

“Those are some ways for me to destress and spend time with my family,” Yarger said. 

This is Yarger’s first year at Elk Grove after previously teaching at Streamwood High School. Her experience and passion for languages and different cultures is one of the many different interests she brings to the EG community.

Yarger speaks seven languages and said she hopes to create a club at Elk Grove where students learn about other cultures and traditions.

“I want to get to know my students and where they want to be,” Yarger said. “I want to build that personal connection with my students.”

This school year, Yarger is teaching all freshman courses, specifically written and oral communication and ESL 3.

Since Yarger has arrived at EG, she has noticed the students’ desire to learn and how nicely they treat others. Yarger also said she can’t stress enough that she can’t wait to see the students’ smiles once the mask mandates are no longer needed.

“The students are very nice, genuine, honest, they care and are respectful,” Yarger said. 

Throughout the school day, Yarger enjoys taking her students outside of her large classrooms to the courtyard to read. 

Yarger also gave thanks to the following EGHS staff members for helping her during the transition to the new school: Mecca Sadler, Lindsay Bucciarelli, Alissa Prendergast, Laura Bjankini, Kristen Lesniak, Sandra Lee, and others. 

“They have already become like a second family to me,” Yarger said.