A new member to the English staff is Alyssa Fasolo. Fasolo now teaches English 10 and Academic English 10 this year.

Fasolo attended AAHS, graduating in 2015 and then moved onto Juniata College where she graduated four years later, majoring in secondary English education and minoring in professional writing.

As an alum, the high school has contributed to Fasolo’s passion for English and her desire to teach. 

“I wanted to return to Altoona because I had some great experiences in the district when I was a student here, and I want to help make that possible for today’s students. It has been such a great opportunity for me to be able to work with some of the teachers who left such a great impact on me as a student. The high school provides so many opportunities for students to get involved in something they are passionate about, whether that is academics, athletics, the arts, or clubs. For both students and new teachers like myself, everyone here has been so helpful and so welcoming,” Fasolo said.

“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. I had so many amazing teachers and coaches when I was a student in the Altoona Area School District who I looked up to so much. My grandfather, Mel Frye, is also a former teacher at Roosevelt Junior High School, and he is another reason I was inspired to become a teacher myself,” Fasolo said. 

Fasolo hopes to give that same passion and desire to her students as well.

“…I have always loved to read and write, and as a student, English was always my favorite class in school. I wanted to become an English teacher to help students find that same passion for reading and writing and to help them develop the skills they will need for whatever it is they go on to do in life,” Fasolo said. 

Although this isn’t what Fasolo imagined her first year of teaching would look like, she stays hopeful with her online classes, trying her best to make the virtual experience engaging. 

“Teaching and managing classes online is definitely a different experience and comes with a unique set of challenges. I’m thankful to still be able to connect with students virtually, but I am definitely looking forward to the day when we can all be back in the building together…I try to create lessons that are engaging and that students can relate to. English provides so many opportunities for students to express themselves and have their voices heard, and I think it is important to give them these opportunities,” Fasolo said.

Yet with online learning comes new challenges. Fasolo realizes that online classes don’t always equate to physical ones, but the struggle she feels is one that all teachers during this time share and because of that shared struggle, many students and teachers have helped Fasolo.

“The biggest challenge has been adapting to a new school while also not being in the building in person. In person, it is easy to go next door to ask someone a question, but it’s much more difficult when we are all working from home. Fortunately, everyone has been extremely helpful in answering questions and pointing me in the right direction any time I need anything. It has also been a challenge to form connections with students when we don’t see them face to face every day. A lot of the time, we are just talking to a name on a screen. However, many students have been wonderful about communicating online and participating in live lessons, and that has helped tremendously,” Fasolo said.

Before Altoona, Fasolo had many experiences with teaching, working in various educational environments and schools. Fasolo completed her student teaching in an eighth grade ELA classroom at Mount Union Area Junior High School. After graduating college, she taught for one year at Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School. At Bishop Guilfoyle she taught seventh grade ELA, eighth grade ELA, senior British and World Literature and Public Speaking/Journalism.

With the ongoing pandemic, most students and teachers are looking forward to their interests and hobbies once the pandemic subsides. For Fasolo, some of those interests and loves come from her experiences with Altoona when she was in high school.

“When I was a student at Altoona, I played both volleyball and softball. Now, I am a coach for both of these sports in the district. Outside of school, I spend a lot of my time at the softball field, especially in the summer, where I coach, umpire, and give pitching lessons for the Keystone Girls Softball League. I also spend a lot of time at Point of Fitness gym, where I love to take classes with my mom, my sister, and my friends. I am a huge Disney fanatic, and Disney World is my favorite place to go. I also love to take trips to the beach with my family and friends,” Fasolo said.