The following is part of a series of new teachers in Bourbon County schools.

Name: Gabrielle Studer

Age: 41

Title and where you will teach: Junior high social sciences teacher, Uniontown

Experience: Five years of teaching English at Fort Scott High School, two years as an instructional coach at Fort Scott Middle School.

Education: BS in sociology from MSSU, and earned a teaching license through PSU. “I worked as a social worker for several years before moving to Fort Scott in 2004.”

Family: Husband Brian and two kids, Sadie (age 7) and Callum (age 5).

Hobbies/interests:  “I enjoy traveling, reading, snow skiing and of course being with family and friends.”

How did you become an educator?

“I didn’t initially study to be an educator. For several years, I had been enjoying my work in the field of social work. But after moving to Kansas, I found that the private sector required me to have different qualifications than I had. Rather than attending school to gain a similar degree to what I already had, I decided to switch to education. Since high school, I’d always worked in some capacity with youth. It was my niche. So I thought teaching would be fun. And I was right — I love teaching secondary students.”

“I enjoy teaching because I love hanging out with teenagers. It’s just a serious bonus that I also get to teach material that I love. I could learn all day about history, archaeology, geography, literature — even grammar. As a teacher, I get to keep learning about the topics that thrill me, and I also get to hang out with teenagers, who are so much fun and always full of surprises. I can’t think of a better job. Besides getting paid to travel the world. I admit that would be better.”

What is the greatest challenge in teaching?

“For me, the greatest challenge to teaching is finding a way to interest every student. But if people are having fun together, they often find interest in whatever they’re doing together — even if it’s learning the Pythagorean theorem or diagramming sentences.”