Staff Profile: Mr. Whitlock

Photo by Logan Ray

You might see Mr. Whitlock around school, rocking his thrifted “performative male” clothing and sipping matcha. He’s the new 9th grade counselor for the class of 2029, and hopes to continue counseling for a very long time. As a senior in high school, he had a great college counselor named Mr. Kim (who worked at ERHS for some time), who sparked his passion in helping others, especially ones who have less guidance and support. After majoring in communications at CSUN, he decided to follow his passion and get his master’s degree in school counseling from USC, graduating in May 2023.

Growing up as an only child in downtown LA, Mr. Whitlock attended Esperanza Elementary, John H Liechty Middle School, and Belmont High (which are all LAUSD schools). He lived in a low-income community, and was grateful to have a great college counselor to help him navigate his education. This led him to pursue counseling, as he wants to make a difference in his community and guide teenagers through this confusing time in their lives. He believes that education is power and the key to success, coming from his disadvantaged childhood environment with education being the only escape.

As he is still relatively young, Mr Whitlock is still into video games, particularly sports games and war games (like Fortnite and Call of Duty). Other than that, he pays close attention to his wardrobe, having thrifted most of his clothes. He also likes to listen to live music, his favorite music artists being Drake and Justin Bieber, and his favorite band being Brockhampton. Other than video games, thrifting, and concerts, Mr. Whitlock likes to go to the golf range and spend time with his family and friends outside of everything else.

Though he is colorblind, Mr. Whitlock says his favorite color is navy blue because he can still see different shades and finds navy blue to be particularly beautiful. His favorite type of food is Mexican, loving street tacos, but Italian food comes as a close second, with his favorite Italian food being good pasta. Eventually he would like to try escargot and caviar, as they’re really expensive and not common for most people, and he wants to have the experience of trying food that isn’t as accessible. Though he hasn’t ever had any pets, Mr. Whitlock likes cats, since his girlfriend has a cat named Miso. 

His dream travel destination is Tokyo, Japan, as he is really into fashion, and workwear clothing brands like Dickies and Carhartt are heavily used in Tokyo. However, in Eagle Rock, his favorite places are Trader Joe’s and Pete’s Blue Chip Burgers. While still new to the Eagle Rock community, he says that Trader Joe’s is a safe location to get groceries, especially on a budget, and Pete’s is a good diner that was referred to him by the staff.

As the schedule-fixing wizard for the class of 2029, Mr Whitlock’s care for his students is matched by his sharp style. So, if you ever see him around in his thrifted “performative male” outfits, make sure to say hi!