Q: How are you adjusting to your new position at the high school?

A: “It’s taken a while, but I think I’m adjusting well. I’m really enjoying my time here.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona?

A: “The opportunity was there, and I wanted to find a new opportunity. It led me here.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “From kindergarten, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to help people, and I wanted to be able to instill kindness in others. That’s part of why I wanted to become a teacher.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?

A: “There’s been a bunch, and Covid was one of the biggest obstacles that I have faced in my journey. We overcame it, and we’re better because of it.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “Just do it. You won’t regret it. It’s one of the best and most rewarding careers that you will ever have.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A: “I like to watch sports, mainly football. I like to go for walks, and I like to just sit on my couch.” 

Q: What’s your teaching style like?

A: “Laid back and student-focused.” 

Q: Who was your favorite teacher and how did they impact you?

A: “One of my favorite teachers was probably my first grade teacher, and she was one of the kindest, sweetest people that I’ve ever met, and still to this day. I’m close with her, and she continues to make me want to be just like her.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?

A: “It’s much bigger. There are a lot more kids, probably about three times the size of the school I was at last. So it’s much more spread out, but it’s a lot more opportunity.”

Q: And where did you work before Altoona?

A: “I worked at Ferndale in Johnstown and then I worked at Central Cambria.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach special education?

A: “I didn’t at first, I chose math as my major. When I got out of school, it was very hard to find a job, so I went back [to school] for special education to help me get a job. Once I was a special education teacher, I fell in love with it and didn’t want to leave.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach Business Education?

A: “I’ve always been interested in business, but I needed something that wasn’t a desk job, a job where I can interact with people and be exciting. I can’t do boring desk jobs.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A: “I like to hang out with my friends, go shopping and I like to travel.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “I wanted to become a teacher because it’s new and exciting, and I want to be there for my students in any way they might need me.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A: “I’m a born and raised Central Pennsylvanian, and I saw the opening. I did some research, and I was excited about the job, had a good interview. I just automatically felt comfortable with the staff.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “Good. Some days are overwhelming, but for the most part, we’re getting a routine in place.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?  

A: “Altoona is definitely the biggest school, but there’s a lot more support that I’ve experienced. I love that the class sizes aren’t too big. The cap in my room is 24, and I like that. I can’t have more than 24 kids.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “The biggest one I faced here was getting hired the day before school started. I got the job offer Friday, and we started Monday. [With] teaching, the biggest obstacle is just trying to make it interesting and make the kids want to learn the topic.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: “My favorite teacher growing up was Mr. Kramer, and he taught math. He was just always positive and always excited. Even though math might not be the most interesting subject, he always made math fun.”

Q: Describe your teaching style? 

A: “I like to be more hands on, hopefully more throughout the year I’ll be able to do more interactive activities. It’s been a little hard since I was just thrown into the position so fast, and I was sick this week, but I like to be more hands on and do real world problems.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “Kids aren’t that scary.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach special education?

A: “I chose to teach just because I had previous experience in special education and with my family members.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A: “I love watching my kids if they’re involved in any activities.  I also love to read and to write, traveling and the beach is my happy place.”

Q:Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “Ever since I was little, I was one of those people that lined up all of my stuffed animals, pretending to be the teacher. I’ve always had a passion for it, probably since fourth grade.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A: “It was an opportunity, like the door swung open, and I took that opportunity to come here. I attended here a long time ago; I went to Roosevelt. I went to ninth grade at the old high school.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “I think I’m adjusting fairly well. I know this is a very big school, the most overwhelming I’ve ever been in, but gradually, day by day, I’m getting acclimated and used to the students and making my way around.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?  

A: “I think, in comparison, Altoona is a lot bigger, so there’s always that size component. Previous schools that I’ve worked at have been smaller. The one I came from before had fewer than 100 students and that was from kindergarten through 12th grade.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “I’m a single mom, and I have been for more than a decade. So raising my children, working, going to college, I did all that early in life, right out of high school, but then I did it again later in life, which was challenging.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: My favorite kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Shippy was just that sweet teacher that cared and loved and hugged and all of that. And then in fourth grade, Mr. Davis, I loved him. He was funny, so his personality is what was attractive in the classroom. And then when I was in high school, I took a drama class when I lived in Florida, and Mr. Witt was an amazing teacher. He just literally had everything. He was funny, he was smart, he appreciated everyone. He just had all of those qualities that you look for in a teacher.”

Q: Describe your teaching style? 

A: “I present what we’re going to do for the day. I show them how to do it, and then I assign something for maybe 10-15 minutes to see understanding in the students.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education? 

A: “I would probably say to them to be sure that you’re passionate about education because it’s not an easy job. People think they have summers off, they get all these big breaks, but that doesn’t make it easier. It’s actually a very challenging but rewarding career.”

 Q : How are you adjusting to your position at the high school? 

A: “It has been a lot to take in, but I have been going day by day. It’s been a pretty easy adjustment, especially with all the great kids, and the staff members are really helping me to get there.”

Q : Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A : “I came in for a job shadow, and I was doing that for other schools too, to get a feel for what they had to offer. This [school] has a home environment to it. There’s a family orientation especially within the physical education department staff; they’re really good people to be with. That really drew me into nailing it down to a school.”

 Q : Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A:  “Playing sports, you learn to be a role model, teamwork and all that stuff. All that goes along with teaching, which is kind of funny. You need to know how to be a leader and to be in a position where you’re looked at. Being in that position all my life with softball, especially at the college level, helped me boil down what I am good at. Teaching really highlights what I am comfortable with.” 

 Q :What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “Being young. I relate to kids easily, but sometimes there is a line that is hard to navigate between being young and teaching kids who are similar to my age.” 

 Q : What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education? 

A: “Do not compare your freshman year to where you will be [later on]. When you get into school, they will be throwing you into the fire, putting you in uncomfortable situations. Any kind of education is overwhelming, but there is a lot of growth that will happen because of it.”

 Q : What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A:  “I am a pitching coach. I played softball in college, so I give pitching lessons. Then, just hanging out with my fiancé and his dogs.” 

 Q : Describe your teaching style? 

A : “I want to be relatable to kids, but I also want to be a role model, so figuring out how to do that.”

 Q : Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A : “I had a teacher in college, Mrs. Cementelli. She was wonderful. She set the tone of how I want to be perceived as a teacher. She had a really big line of respect under her name, but she knew how to relate to kids and make you comfortable.”

 Q : How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked? 

A :  “I don’t think I can compare Altoona to a lot of other places I have worked. I’ve worked in big schools before, but there is something about this place that is really special.”

 Q : Why did you choose to teach physical education? 

A: “I love sports, I love teaching and I feel like I am a natural leader, so it has all the things I enjoy in life. It is a lot of fun because I am playing sports all day.” 

Q:How are you adjusting to your position at the high school? 

A: “I think I’m adjusting pretty well. It was definitely a crazy start because it is such a big school, and I teach freshmen. It’s new for them as well. But I definitely think we’re getting into the groove of things, and I’m happy to be a part of this big community.”

Q:Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A: “The big community. I come from a very small town in the Johnstown area, and so I wanted to be able to come to a school where we had the big pep rallies and we had the big football games and the big band concerts and all of those things. I definitely feel a part of a community here, even being so large, it’s like we’re all a part of it.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a freshman in high school. That is totally not what most people’s experience is, but I fell in love with it when I was a freshman. I loved the class that I took, I loved my teacher, and I just knew that I wanted to help students learn and read and write with them always.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “Because I am a new teacher, and I’m a perfectionist,  I catch myself spending a lot of time here after school, no matter where I’m working. I think I need to get to the point where I can go home earlier and start prioritizing my self care a little bit more.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “You have to love it. You have to be sure that you love kids, and you want to be a part of it, because if you come into a class and you’re not really sure that you want to be there or that this is for you, your kids are going to know it. Kids, first and foremost, need love and care, and if you’re not willing to give that to them, or you don’t have the place in your heart, then find something else that’s better for you. But teaching is 100% a job that comes from the heart.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A: “I love running. I ran track and cross country for years, so I’m still big on that. I love to draw, and I love to paint. Primarily I love hanging out with my friends and family.  Sitting down on the couch with my whole family watching a movie would be my ideal night.”

Q: Describe your teaching style? 

A: “I’m a little bit early in my career to have a strict definition of my teaching style, but I will say that I am not the type of teacher that gives you an assignment to do independently and then kind of goes and takes a seat. I like to facilitate more than just lectures. So I like to give them something and then we can talk about it together. I walk around the room. They move around the room, talk to each other. I just like us to be able to be as involved as possible and not just independent and quiet the whole time. I like us to be up and talking.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: “My favorite teacher would be my sophomore English teacher. All of my English teachers were wonderful throughout high school, but my sophomore year teacher, she’s just the smartest person I’ve ever met. She just was so passionate about what she did. Not just about caring for kids but about making kids into intelligent people. It wasn’t just ‘Okay, we’re gonna skate in this class.’ It was like, ‘No, I want you to learn something from this and be better after the fact.’ So I appreciated that.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked? 

A: “It’s a lot bigger than other places that I have worked which is okay because we have a big community, and I love that. I think that Altoona is a lot bigger and a lot different, because their sense of community is extremely strong for the size of the school. You would see this type of community more in a small town school. But I think what makes it special is that it is so big, and everybody’s so united.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach English? 

A: “I chose to teach because I love kids. I love my subject that I teach. I think that my subject is important for kids to know and understand, and I want people to love it in a way that I love it because it’s not just about grammar and writing essays. It’s about human connection and telling each other stories. That’s the point of life. So I like being able to introduce that part of life to my students.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A:  “Really good. Thankfully all of the other staff here are super nice, especially people in the counseling office are great. They’ve all helped a ton with any questions I have, or anything I need, and they’ve made the adjustment really easy.”

Q: Why did you choose to become a counselor at Altoona?

A: “I have a lot of  family and friends in this area. I’m originally from Pittsburgh, but they all told me about the area. I got to come here a few times and meet people from the school, and I just loved the district. I loved how friendly and nice everyone was. I got to meet a few students, and it just seemed like a great place to be.” 

Q: Why did you decide to become a counselor?

A: “I had met a few kids that just talked about how tough it was to be in school and to not always have a support in someone that wanted to encourage them or believe that they could do well in school and then outside of school. So I wanted to be someone that kids could know believed in them and encouraged them. That’s just what led me to school counseling.” 

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?

A: “I think one of the obstacles is just that it’s new every day. Things are always changing in education, and you just have to keep up with it, and kids are always going through different things. So it’s part of what makes the job fun, but it also can be challenging, just because you never know everything. You’re always learning yourself. So it’s constantly trying to keep up with everything.” 

Q: “What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?”

A: “People say it all the time, just ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid you don’t know something. Just don’t give up on it. Every time you pursue anything, it’s going to be a little challenging. So just keep going through. It’s definitely worth it in the end. And always, always ask questions, and know that it’s all right not to know everything or be perfect and try your best.”

Q: “What do you enjoy doing outside of school?”

A: “Outside of school, I was on the swim team for 18 years. I swam. So that was obviously probably one of my favorite things to do. I also love reading.”

Q: Describe your counseling style.

A: “A lot of it is just changes. Because every kid’s different. I’m a big believer in adjusting yourself for the student because some people when they’re upset, they like to laugh, and other people when they’re upset, they like to just cry and let it out. So I’m very big on be kind and encouraging and never make someone feel bad for the way they’re feeling. I adjust myself to what the student likes best and what their personality is.” 

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: So I’m going to do college, because I was actually home schooled and my mom was my teacher. In college, I had a professor who was also my adviser, and she was really knowledgeable about everything to do with counseling, and a lot of knowledge on special education too, and how those can impact, teaching and how you have to change things just to fit those kids needs. But she was so passionate about her job. She was one of the people that didn’t look at it like a job. She was like, ‘it’s like a privilege to get to teach kids and to counsel.’ So she really impacted me.” 

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?

A: “I think it’s hard to get a place where everybody is so happy to come to school and to be present. Everyone’s mission here is so clear: help students and support them. It feels very much like a community, which I don’t think you get many of.” 

Q: Why did you choose to be a counselor? 

A: “Again, similar to what I said before, I just heard about a lot of kids that were struggling in school. And I knew I also always wanted to work with kids, so there was the perfect fit of like mixing counseling with where I saw needs and getting to work with kids as well.” 

Q: Why did you choose to teach biology?

A: “I love science, and I love teaching or sharing that knowledge with others. So my dad actually was a scientist, or is still currently, and my mom is a teacher, so I got a little bit of elements from both of them but also charted my own course with bio. So I just love science, nerding out.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?

A: “With this being my first teaching position, officially, I love, I love, I love the staff. Everyone is here to support one another. Everyone’s got that common goal in mind to support the students so everyone can succeed. When the students succeed, we all succeed. So it’s a team effort. And frankly, I think it fell into my palms nicely, and I’m glad it did. So I’m incredibly happy for this opportunity.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher and how did they impact you?

A: “My favorite teacher was actually a few of my science teachers. One of them was my biology teacher my sophomore year. She initially piqued my science interest. I really loved my physics teacher in high school. Can’t quite remember his name. I think it was Mr. Clemens. He was awesome over Coronavirus and kept us going through physics. I initially went for physics education, but it wasn’t my best fit, so bio was an easy backup.  But overall, it’s my mom. My mom taught me to teach so I can share her knowledge.”

Q: Describe your teaching style. 

A: “I like to say my teaching style is as hands-on as possible. I want my students to be moving around the room. I’m not as big into just note taking. Of course, that’s a component to learning. You have to know the vocab to be able to do the labs. But I really want the kids to interact with one another. I want them to ask me questions. I want them to ask each other questions. I want them to actually enjoy the learning. So if this space is fun and safe, then I think learning can be accomplished at least a little bit. So I hope that they enjoy the style.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A: “Outside of school, I’m big into exercise. I’m either walking my dog, walking, running or doing some sort of lifting or lesson planning. This is my first year, so I am getting myself prepared so that I can share everything I can with the kids when I get back from a nice, long weekend.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “It’s hard, no lie, it’s very hard, but it’s worth it because you get to touch so many lives throughout the course of your life. Even if it’s for a brief moment, hopefully, they can take some of your messages with them throughout their life and remember you as somebody who really changed their life for the better because not everyone is from the same situation. You’re going to meet a lot of people from different branches of life, and everyone deserves to have a good education and have a chance at whatever they dream in the future.”

Q: Why did you decide to be a teacher? 

A: “I think it was just natural for me.  In sixth grade, I actually wrote in my yearbook quote that I wanted to be a teacher. So I guess I set the chart. I charted the course way back in elementary school. So as an older or a wiser kid when I was younger, oldest sibling, I guess that might, might have been a little bit of the component there. But I just want to guide people through some of the most challenging parts of their life. And I think science is cool. So if I can do both at the same time, bio education is the best fit for that.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona?

A: “I was immediately, I think entranced is the right word. I went to a career fair down at Penn State and got to talk to a lot of different high schools, a lot of different districts, and I spoke to Altoona, and I remember just the warmness, the comfort of chatting with them before getting my interview here for the first time. I walked in the door here, and I immediately felt safe. I was greeted with the lovely staff, the secretaries, they were really welcoming, and they didn’t even know who I was. So I wanted to know more about the school, and in doing so, I was granted the opportunity to continue my career here, or beginning.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “Pretty well, I really enjoy it. I like all the teachers and the students so far. So it’s been really great.”

Q: Why did you choose to become a secretary at Altoona?

A: “My mom has been in the district since I was born. She’s a teacher right now at Stevens, and my sister is actually a teacher here as well. So I feel like I grew up in the district and wanted to join as well.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a secretary?

A: “It’s a really important job. Without an assistant, I feel like the principal can’t run smoothly; he has so much on his plate. So I get to do everything that isn’t as important to him.”  

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as a secretary?

A: “Just coming into a position where everything is new and learning everything. There are so many different things, so I try to make sure I get everything under my belt this first year.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue this kind of career?

A: ”Don’t be intimidated by the amount of work because it’s fun to pursue your dreams. If it’s something that you want to do then go for it.” 

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

A: I have a daughter, so I spend 90% of my time with her. She’s a year and a half, so I’m with her most of the time. When I’m not with her, and get a little bit of free time, I like to write novels.”

Q: Describe your discipline style?

A: ”I feel like my discipline style is laid back. I will help no matter what, but it comes to a point where you have to put your foot down sometimes. I have a really big caring heart, so discipline isn’t really my thing.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you?

A: “My mom. She was my second grade teacher. I feel like you don’t get a lot of teachers like her anymore. She puts 110% into every single one of her students. She made me a better person and taught me to love unconditionally. I try to help everyone and treat everyone the way I would want to be treated.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to any other place you have worked at?

A: “This is definitely the best job I have worked at, everyone helps each other out. It’s like one big family here. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone is willing to help one another. I’m not a number here. Where all my other jobs were just a number that they could replace instantly.”

Q: Why did you choose to take this route in your career?

A: I was looking for a place that I could be family based at as well. I work Monday through Friday, then I have weekends off with my daughter. This is also a better work environment. Plus, when my daughter is in high school, we will be in the same school.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school? 

A: “I’m adjusting quite well. It’s been a process, for sure. It’s a big school, lots of new faces. So that’s been quite the adjustment. But everyone here is so wonderful, and all the other teachers are just so helpful, lovely, and it made it a relatively easy process.” 

Q:Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A: “I am familiar with Altoona. I grew up in State College and graduated from Penn State. I always grew up coming to Altoona for the Disney Store whenever it still existed. The day that the Disney Store closed, I was six years old. I have this little memory of sitting at McDonald’s whenever there was a playground in the food court, crying about it. I’ve always known Altoona, and it’s relatively close to home, but it’s far enough away that I feel it is a good separation which I like.”  

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “I come from a family of teachers. Both of my parents are teachers. My grandparents are teachers. My aunt’s a teacher. Every one of my family members is a teacher. When I was growing up, I was like, ‘I’m not going to do what they do, I’m going to be different.’ I started college in a different major. I wanted to do education public policy, which is more like the political side of education, but when I was in those classes, I really just wanted to be in the classroom with kids and doing all that good stuff. I think that as a teacher you have a lot of power and opportunity to make a change in the world and to really get to know students, make connections and have those relationships is really important. I didn’t always love school, especially in high school, it’s not an easy time in anyone’s life; there’s a lot going on. I’m determined to make school less of a ‘I have to do this’ versus ‘I want to do this’, especially in English class, which I think is a place where people can either learn to love reading or hate reading, and they never want to pick up a book again. I really want to help cultivate that love of literature.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “There are always obstacles whenever it comes to student behavior. I am a young teacher, so a lot of students struggle to see me as an authority figure. That’s been a challenge for sure, but I’ve been able to overcome that challenge. Getting to know my students, letting my students get to know me, and those sorts of things. Planning is a big obstacle, there’s so much planning and grading. So balancing that and also still trying to have a life outside of school is definitely an obstacle.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “I would say, make sure you know what you’re going into, make sure you are aware of what is happening in the world of education today and all the changes and everything that it constantly goes through because it is a profession that is always evolving. We’re learning more about what helps people most. You have to be comfortable with that, and you have to genuinely enjoy being around people. I remember having teachers in school that it just seemed like they were there because they had to be there, not because they wanted to be there. And that’s never fun for anyone. So make sure you are prepared and wanting to be in the role that you are going to be in. If you’re just going into it because you love kids, or you babysat once, and you’re like, ‘I can do this,’ It’s very different. I would just advise you to be aware of that and also get into a classroom whenever you can. If there are opportunities to volunteer, take those.” 

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A:  “I really enjoy reading outside of school. I like curling up on the couch with a good book and a Dunkin refresher. Specifically, it needs to be mango pineapple, or I don’t want it. I just love to try to unwind. I’m a big movie goer. I love going to the movie theater. I will go see the same movie several times in theaters. I will pay to see it every time. I have seen “Spider – Man: No Way Home” 12 times in the movie theaters. I love going to the movie theater, and I love being outside. I like hammocking and hiking. I’m sad the season is starting to get colder because that means less of that for me. I don’t love the cold weather, but anytime that I get to just enjoy and unwind and relax, that’s ideal free time for me.” 

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: “My favorite teacher was my sixth grade teacher. At my school, you had the same teacher all day, except for math and for social studies. Her name was Mrs. Squire, and I loved the way that she was so invested in our well being, not just in terms of grades, but she actually cared about us as people which I think can be rare unfortunately. She really took time to help me find books that interested me. I wasn’t a big reader until middle school. I’ve never loved reading more than in sixth grade. Whenever I had her as a teacher, we would just read all class and she would conference with us, which is very similar to the reading workshop model that we’re using this year. She just inspired me in that way.” 

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked? 

A: “Last year, I was at Penns Valley Area High School with junior high specifically. I was teaching eighth grade. It’s much bigger here than Penns Valley. Penns Valley is like three hallways, it’s one building for both the junior and senior high. It’s much smaller. And everyone knows everyone. I knew all of the eighth graders, and I don’t even know all of the 11th graders here, which makes me a little sad, but it’s definitely different in terms of size. There’s still the same sense of community and school pride, especially when it comes to athletics, especially wrestling; it’s common in both places.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach? 

A: “I decided to teach because I believe that education is a way to make a real difference in our world; I think that we learn empathy and how to be a good person and all of these great things in school, especially in English class. When you’re reading different perspectives and different time periods and having discussions with people and learning how to have conversations with people. Which I think is a very underrated skill, especially in our current technological landscape where a lot of people are just talking to Chat GPT all the time. I think that that’s something that is important to me. It’s also a family business.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “Pretty well, everybody’s been super great. Everyone’s been helpful. So it’s been a pretty smooth adjustment. I have resources everywhere, and the kids have been awesome.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach here at Altoona?

A: “So I did my student teaching here, and whenever I was student teaching here, I just fell in love with the school. I enjoyed all the awesome resources that everybody has in such a big school, I enjoyed getting out of that small town feel and being a part of something bigger.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

A: “For the kids, honestly, being able to make an impact in people’s lives is a big thing for me, I just want to be able to give the students the same experience in high school that I had with my wonderful teachers.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?

A: “Trying to be my best every day. Some days you have tough days, and you know you have to be able to get through that, get out of bed each day. Know your purpose and know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “Just follow your heart. If you have that calling, go for it. Everybody has a different path for a different reason, but just do whatever makes you happy. If you have that burning desire to do something, do it.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A: “I love spending time with my friends and family, watching Penn State and the Steelers, golfing and being a big fan of doing some fishing.”

Q: What is your teaching style?

A: “Student led, giving students as much voice as possible. If something’s not working, then allow them to voice their opinion and give input all the time.”

Q: Who’s your favorite teacher and how did they impact you?

A: “Probably my football coach in high school, Mr. Baron. He just always had lots of energy. He was excited and passionate about what he did every day and came to school with tons of energy ready for the day. So that’s awesome.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to the other places you’ve worked?

A: “Considering Altoona is the only place I’ve had to experience that, I guess from my high school, just the size, the sheer number of kids, is the biggest thing. Also, the resources you guys have, so many awesome resources. The gym, weight room, the media room that you guys have, the auditorium; it’s awesome. So the resources and the size for sure.”

Q: Why did you decide to teach English?

A: “I like that there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s not just set in stone.  It’s open for interpretation all the time. And so, each day, if a student comes in with a different idea or a different opinion on a certain topic or a text that we read, I can constantly adapt what I’m thinking and constantly learn. I’m learning just as much from them as they’re learning from me. And I love that.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A:”I think I’m adjusting well. Everybody’s been really welcoming and helpful, and that’s always a plus whenever you start a new job.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona?

A: “I really always look for progressiveness, like the technology and what they’re doing. And I always take a look at the mission and the vision statement when I choose to work somewhere, and what Altoona is doing aligns really well with my philosophy of education and what I like to see in the classroom.”

Q: “Why did you choose to be a teacher?”

A: “My dad was a teacher. He taught shop for 39 years, so I grew up in the shop. I saw how he served his students and their families, and I wanted to do the same.”

Q: “What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?”

A: “College, getting my degree, I had to work hard for that. And I think that if you want something, that you work hard for it. So that’s really, I think, my only obstacle.”

Q: “What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?”

A: “I think your heart has to really be in it. We really need a strong reason. I’m here as a teacher to serve my students and the families in the school district. And I think that if you want to be a teacher, you have to be all in.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing out of school?

A: “I love to read, I love to take walks and I spend time with my family.”

Q: Describe your teaching style.

A: “One thing I don’t like to do is just stand up and lecture, lecture, lecture. So my teaching style is more student centered, so I’d like to see the students working, and I like to do a lot of collaboration in the classroom and walking around and helping them and making sure that they understand.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher, and how did they impact you?

A: “My favorite teacher was my junior trigonometry teacher. She was just excited about math, and she was fantastic at bringing out what we could do in the classroom. And I think that that just really inspired me to want to go into teaching math.”

Q: “How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?”

A: “I’ve always worked at really small school districts, so this is rather large for me, but it has been great so far, even though it’s a bigger district.”

Q: “Is the reason you picked to teach math because of your father?”

A: “No. Actually, I was going to go to school to be an English teacher. And I hate to say this so English teachers just hold your ears for a second. But I really like writing and reading and doing all the things, but I didn’t want to grade all those papers this long. You know, back in the day, we did term papers and all kinds of stuff, and so that was really one thing that I really enjoyed, too. But I liked math and it challenged me, so I thought that I would choose to teach math.”

Q : What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A : ¨I enjoy hanging out with family friends, and I have two cats and a dog.¨

Q : Why did you decide to become a nurse?

A :¨I have always enjoyed helping people, and I figured nursing was a good way to give back and just continue to help people throughout life.¨

Q : How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A : ¨I think pretty well. It can be overwhelming at times, but for the most part, it’s pretty enjoyable.¨

Q : How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?

A : ¨I think definitely the volume of students that you take care of is definitely a lot more. That’s definitely a big thing.¨

Q : What obstacles have you faced in your journey as a nurse?

A : ¨Just learning how the nurses here do things versus other places.¨

Q : What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career as a nurse?

A : “Nursing is definitely very hard at first. Once you get through nursing school though, and decide which path you want to take, I think it becomes a little bit easier. I would definitely encourage anybody to become a nurse who is thinking about it.¨

Q : What is your nursing background and experience working in school settings?

A : ¨I’ve been a nurse for 10 years now. I’ve worked in different schools for an agency within the past few years. So I do have experience with younger kids, older kids and every age in between.¨

Q : What’s a typical day like for you at school?

A : ¨We come in, we start by getting our day ready with water for the students, and then it gets hectic around the morning time and then around lunchtime.¨

Q : How long have you been working as a nurse?

A : ¨I’ve been a nurse for 10 years now.¨

Q : What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

¨Just being able to help others.¨

Q: Why did you choose to teach special education?

A: “I always wanted to be a teacher, and I always knew that this was the area I wanted to teach in.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? 

A: “I coach a wrestling club, I hang out at my girlfriend’s horse barn and I play Xbox.”

Q: What is it like coaching a wrestling club?

A: “It’s called … wrestling club.  It’s K through 12. It’s my fourth year doing it, and it’s based out of Chestnut Ridge, Pennsylvania, but I have my own location of it in Tyrone that I coach on Monday, Wednesdays. It’s a side gig.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

A: “I just like influencing the younger generation and helping them learn from my mistakes. And just give them a little bump so maybe they don’t make the same mistakes as I did or other people. Just always trying to better the future, so trying to just help out and influence all the kids.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona? 

A: “I went here, and I have family here. I live with my girlfriend here, so I’m not really going anywhere. And it’s a good place. They’ve got all those resources you need for academics, athletics, it doesn’t really matter.  It’s just a good place to be, and a lot of job opportunities. So that’s why I came back.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “It was definitely a little overwhelming at first, but take it one day at a time, and it goes pretty smooth.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?  

A: “So I’ve only  worked in education in Altoona. I’ve worked as a long term sub before in junior high, but from what I’ve heard, because I’ve had friends that sub, who student taught in other districts, just the daily organization of this place compared to others is pretty top tier.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator? 

A: “Basically just sticking on my path. I always knew I wanted to help kids, whether it was coaching, wrestling or teaching, but beginning of college I was undecided. So I feel like a lot of it was kind of finding what I really wanted to do, and finding out who I really am, and it just led me to this point.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher? How did they impact you? 

A: “My favorite teacher, she’s here, Mrs. Tippett-Wertz, Heather Tippett-Wertz. She was my favorite teacher, and she just made school entertaining.  I was an athlete here, but I really didn’t like school, and I didn’t do the best. I had her senior year, and she just made it enjoyable for me. I looked forward to coming, and after that year, that’s when I really started to take school more seriously and not hate it as much. And then I ended up getting my college degree. So that was definitely pivotal. She was definitely a pivotal person in my academic career.”

Q: Describe your teaching style? 

A: “I think just being understanding but also just being direct. I like to be pretty personable with the kids too. I get some of them, they come from different backgrounds, and some days they don’t want to be here,  and there’s days maybe I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to get out of bed some days. I’m able to find some common ground. Like ‘Hey man, we got to do this. I know it kind of stinks, but how can we make it to where it’s not so grueling and miserable, we can get through this.’ I try to just be compassionate and understanding as a teacher, because you never know what anyone’s going through, and they never know what you’re going through. So I feel it’s always good to just treat them how you would like someone to treat you and just try to get through the day.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education? 

A: “I would say, just get out there. And it doesn’t need to be teaching or anything, but get out there and go work with kids. Whether you’re an athlete, go coach some kids, whatever it is, interact with the younger generation. I’m not saying we have to, there’s definitely teachers that don’t communicate well with the younger generation. That’s fine. That’s how they do things. But I think going forward you must establish a good relationship, you’ve got to understand the younger generation. Evolve with them, because it’s always going to change. I was in high school 10 years ago, and we were different than the teachers, but now, like kids now, they’re different than we were. So it’s always changing. Keep your youthful spirit about it, and be able to connect with kids as best you can.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school?

A: “There’s a bit of a learning curve because where I came from, things were done one way, so I’m trying to figure out how things are done here. I’m starting to figure it out pretty well. I’m not perfect. I’m going to make mistakes, but I have a lot of help here, and lots of people helping me out, telling me, helping me fix it.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach at Altoona?

A: “I really like seeing all the opportunities that you guys have as students with your astronomy class. You’ve got really nice facilities for your swimming pool. You guys have a lot of opportunities, and I really want to be a part of that.”

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

A: “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always liked to share my knowledge with other people. Things that they don’t know, that I know, and it’s nice to be able to. I was never perfect, and I always like to learn and to show and make them like to learn to become a better overall person.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?

A: “It’s a new surprise every day. You never know what to expect, and you always have to adapt. It’s never the same thing every day, so it’s always a surprise.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “Have tons of patience, and be yourself. For me, it was hard too. I always thought that they wanted me to be a certain way, and it was hard until I learned I needed to incorporate my own personality. So a lot of it is to be yourself and learn what best fits your personality.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A: “I don’t have a lot of time, but I have a stepdaughter. I like to watch her play volleyball and play softball. I like to golf. I like to garden. That’s probably about it.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher, and how did they impact you?

A: “I’ve had a lot of favorite teachers. When I was in college, I had a teacher, his name was Brad Merritt, and he was a history teacher, and he was wild. I don’t know how else to put it. He was all over the place. He was very good at explaining things and teaching and demonstrating, and you never knew what he was going to do. So that was big for me. I never knew what to expect with him.”

Q: How did that teacher impact you?

A: “He made me realize that it was okay to be weird. I’ve had teachers in the past who are very stern, you do this, you do this, you do this, and not to say that that’s wrong because that’s how some people are, but that’s not the kind of person I am. I like to be weird and do different things, and when I saw that out of him and how impactful it was with the kids, I realized that there’s not one specific way to be a teacher. There’s a whole bunch of different things you could do, personality wise, to help you be an effective teacher.”

Q: How does Altoona compare to other places you’ve worked?

A: “This school is a little bit bigger. You guys have a lot more opportunities, so you have a lot of different things to do, whereas where I was before, there wasn’t. They didn’t have opportunities, like an astronomy club or your morning news. The principal did the announcements, and we said the pledge. I like how it’s more student centered than just the principal getting on the announcements and saying the news.”

Q: Why did you choose to teach math?

A: “Math was always something that came easy to me, and it wasn’t until I was in high school I realized kids really struggled with math, and it was something that I felt I could explain it and realize that not all kids are like me. If I can help them to be more successful at math, then that’s what I want to do. Because math is a tough subject, and if I can find a way to make it easier for kids, that’s what I want to do.”

Q: How are you adjusting to your position at the high school? 

A: “I’m adjusting well, a lot of the staff here at Altoona have been helping me out. I’m a social studies major, but I’m currently working in special education. It’s definitely an adjustment. We have a lot of great staff to help me out.

Q: Why did you become a teacher?

A: “I chose to become a teacher because I’ve always loved the idea of teaching along with coaching. I come from a family of a lot of teachers, so I’ve always been around it.”

Q: What obstacles have you faced in your journey as an educator?

A: “The biggest obstacle I’ve faced is finding work that students find engaging. With so much technology, it’s hard to find things that are new or improved, so you have to really focus on what the students are looking for and finding work that students actually want to do, and that’s not just busy work.”

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “I would say, definitely go for it. A lot of people nowadays don’t get into education, mostly for the low pay and the high amount of work you have to go for. But it pays off in so many other aspects.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

A: “Outside of school, I do a lot of coaching the seventh grade Altoona football team, so that keeps me busy.”

Q: Describe your teaching style.

A: “My teaching style has always been conversational. That’s I think the students engage with that the best.”

Q: Who was your favorite teacher and how did they impact you?

A: “My favorite teacher was Mrs. Palilla, my mother, and she impacted me because she made me fall in love with teaching.” 

Q: What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career in education?

A: “I would say, definitely go for it. A lot of people nowadays don’t get into education, mostly for the low pay and the high amount of work you have to go for. But you know, it pays off in so many other aspects.”