By: Nicole Cstari, staff reporter
Mr. Robert Nisonoff is not only a teacher and war veteran, but a friend to many students. From an outside perspective Mr. Nisonoff seems like an average guy with a fairly average life, but once you look deeper than the surface it really hits you that every single person has a story that matters. “My service in the Marines taught me what I could endure, and at times it was amazing. ” He went on to say “It’s all about the service and giving back.” Before his service, his dream was to be a professional football player, but after getting injured he was forced to to join and serve. He admitted the decision to be a spur of the moment, but it’s not one he regrets. “One of my favorite memories I would have to say was going to the New Orleans with the guys.” He continued “Yes, I had to endure some extreme things, but I would never go back in time to take back my service, it’s something I’m proud of.”
Aside from teaching, Mr. Nisonoff is a music enthusiast. Music is his way of coping and getting rid of the stress life forces us to face. His band “Minor Issues” has been creating music for around four years now, and it’s his main source of happiness. I then went on to ask his inspirations and he answered “John Lennon is definitely a huge inspiration of mine because of his great music and morals.”
Mr. Nisonoff grew up in Brooklyn. With his mother being from Venezuela and father being Jewish there was a lot of diversity growing up. It was all love in his childhood home, but with a harmonious twinge of discipline. His younger sister Madeline was not only a sister, but an outlet for him. They stuck together and gave each other the reassurance siblings should always give. “Life can get hard,” Nisonoff confessed. “But having hope and a loving background really helped me through the hard times.”