Knox High School brings in three former students to teach the next generation

 

KNOX, Ind.—Knox High School has a history of bringing in former students to teach the next generation of learners.

As the 2019-2020 school year kicked off on Monday, three new, but also old, faces were seen walking the halls. 

Dusty Minix along with brother and sister duo Nicole and Curtis Scherer have returned to their former high school to give back what their own cherished teachers were able to instill in them.

Nicole always knew she wanted to become a teacher, and for her, coming back to her old high school was the perfect choice to launch her career.

“I came back to Knox because I feel like the time and the effort and the dedication that they put into me, to make me the person and the student that I am, I really wanted to come back and give that back to them and the students in the community,” Nicole, an English teacher, said.

Minix says the community played a big role in his decision to return.

“The community here is all really well tight knit and we help each other out,” Minix, a Social Studies teacher, said.

“I still remember the teachers that had an impact on me and made me want to have a similar impact on the students I’m going to teach,” Curtis, a Math teacher, said.

All three stepped to the front of the classroom for the first time this week, with a helping hand from every other teacher in the school.

But this isn't the first time that former Knox students have returned to teach. Elisabeth Amore and Carole Duran, both Knox graduates, are returning to their teaching roles this year, this time, ready to help the next group succeed. 

“Being back in the same classroom that I actually had class in is kind of like a trip back down memory lane but I wouldn’t feel as comfortable anywhere else,” Duran, a Math teacher, said.

Knox High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff says that current Knox teachers make new teachers feel welcome in the big ways, especially as a lot of them were in fact once students at Knox schools.

“When 25 teachers at Knox call you and say you’re going to be just fine, they come in with a very positive attitude knowing they have support from across the school,” Dr. Ratliff said.

Dr. Ratliff hopes that these new teachers will be role models for younger students, and a reminder that home is a good place to come back and work.

“I am thrilled by the high school students reactions to my new teachers because they remember them when they were on the basketball court, they remember them when they were on track, or, they remember them when they were in our plays so part of that is they’re still trying to figure out how to say you were my hero in middle school and now you’re here teaching for us,” Dr. Ratliff said.