Have you ever thought about teaching at your own school? Well, these two teachers have decided that working at their alma mater was something they aspired to do. Two Solon High School (SHS) graduates, Julie Moeschberger and Kaylee Kruse, have started teaching at SHS this year.

Both Moeschberger and Kruse graduated during the 2012-2013 school year. Moeschberger teaches Algebra 1 & 2 while Kruse teaches Honors Chemistry and General Biology.

Kruse completed her undergraduate at Ohio State where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. She did a masters program at Kent State and completed her student teaching at Nordonia High School. This is Kruse’s first official teaching job.

Being a teacher is not something a student immediate chooses when selecting a career. Kruse has always wanted to be a teacher but didn’t know what grade or age of students she wanted to educate

“I originally wanted to be a kindergarten teacher,” Kruse said “I didn’t know whether I wanted to be medicine and science or education. The idea of teaching my own age seemed sort of bizarre, but in college when I began to tutor students I realized that teaching an age group of people who were more interested in a subject than just the basics like younger kids was more what I wanted to pursue.”

Moeschberger went to John Carroll University and majored in math. Before coming to SHS Moeschberger student taught at Mayfield High School but got her first official teaching job at Chardon High School. At this school, she taught ninth grade Algebra 1.

While Kruse knew what subject she wanted to go into at a young age Moeschberger was still deciding what subject she was most passionate about.

“Math for me was so challenging but because I liked the challenge and it was something I focused on a lot I slowly became passionate about teaching it,” Moeschberger said.

When starting her job as an SHS Algebra teacher she immediately noticed a difference in the students.

“Solon students are very goal-driven,” Moeschberger said. “Also the school itself has many different opportunities such as the many clubs they offer.”

As a student at SHS, in the past, Moeschberger made it a point to focus on bringing the student body together.

“I would have liked to break the divide throughout the school within social groups and sports teams and help the student body see themselves as one,” Moeschberger said.

As a teacher this year, she wants to focus on bringing both the student and teacher body together just as the rest as the teachers do.

“Making the We versus Me quote more prevalent and strengthening the relationships between teachers and students is something I’ve always wanted to do at SHS since I’ve begun working here,” Moeschberger said.

Starting a new job in a new pace can be very different and even difficult at first but teaching at SHS is very familiar and similar to how Kruse assumed it would be. She’s known these teachers for years and also the students feel very similar to the days of her own high school life.

“It’s just funny because it seems like everything is kind of the same as when I went here. It might just be because I already know a lot of the teachers, but it’s kind of the same. The students also seem very similar to how it was when I was in school,” Kruse said.

Both teachers graduated 5 years ago a lot of their teachers do still work in the Solon District. As students both teachers left lasting impressions on their past teachers.

Throughout her high school years, Kruse was a very upbeat, passionate, positive and focused student.

Current SHS AP Chemistry teacher Anthony Sanson and also Kruse’s old AP Chem teacher said “There was a kind of energy she brought into the classroom as a person because of her attitude. It just made it a good atmosphere for me to teach and her to learn.”

Moeschberger was able to be focused and successful in her high school life as seen by her past teachers.

“[Mrs. Moeschberger] was very hardworking and she asked me a lot of questions and when she didn’t understand something she always made sure to ask”, said Kyler, current SHS math teacher and past high school teacher of Moeschberger.

Teaching at SHS is a new and appreciable experience for Moeschberger. She is ecstatic to be able to help students as the teachers helped her when she was a student.

“Working at Solon is even better than I thought,” Moeschberger said. “It’s amazing to be back and now being in a different light and helping students that I was once a part of and paying that forward. ”

Kruse is very thankful to Solon High School and is very glad to see teachers that she once knew when she was just figuring herself out.

“[Solon has prepared me] so well for school, and I’m lucky to be back here and learning and working with my old teachers because they’re some of the best teachers [there are],” Kruse said.