Makenzie Negri
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve been given about teaching?
A: So, probably when I was student teaching outside Pittsburgh in Leechburg Area School District, my co-op teacher said to me that teaching is a marathon, not a sprint. And every day that you come into the classroom, you need to give it your best and try your hardest for the kids.
Q: What made you choose to teach at AAHS?
A: Before I taught at the junior high, I actually taught at West York Area School District, and I taught high school. I absolutely loved it. I knew that eventually in my career, I wanted to make my way back to the high school level.
Q: When was the moment you realized you wanted to be a teacher?
A: When I was a kid. I wanted to be a nurse… And when I was a senior in high school, I was doing community service for Mr. Aboud at the time. I saw what teaching was like behind the scenes, and that’s when I knew I was like, “You know what, maybe nursing isn’t for me, maybe I’m going to be a teacher instead.”
Q: What is your favorite part of teaching so far? Why?
A: I would say connecting with all the students. I would consider myself a very social person. So you know, that’s great, and I love to see the success of students.
Q:Who inspired you to become a teacher?
A: I would say Mr. Bollinger. I remember in junior high he would come to my basketball games. He was invested. He cared about me and my success.
Q: What college did you go to?
A: I went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 2015. I recently graduated with my master’s degree from Wilson College in 2021.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: I love to travel to Walt Disney World; that’s my favorite place on the planet. [My husband and I] like to watch football, especially Penn State and the Steelers.
Q: Why did you choose the subject that you are teaching?
A: I love American history. I was lucky enough to teach that at the junior high for six years, but I prefer modern American history.
Q: As a student, I know I tend to get nervous for the first weeks of school. As a teacher in a new school, do you feel that sense of nervousness you once felt as a student?
A: Yes. The day before the first in-service, I couldn’t sleep. I was going to be in a new school with all new faculty and students. I was used to teaching eighth graders that were only 12 or 13 years old, to now working with tenth graders who are 15 maybe even turning 16. It was a big jump, so I was nervous.
Q: Is there something you would want to do during your teaching career?
A: I’m a big musical theater junkie. I never had the opportunity to participate in musical theater at the high school level because I was always doing track. So at some point in my career I would love to help out with a production.