Coming full circle in One91 schools

Burnsville High School alums return to inspire at the schools that shaped them

There is no place like home, even for teachers. From early childhood programming to Burnsville High School, there are new teachers who have seen it all before — when they were students here. No fewer than seven BHS alumni joined District 191 this year as first-year, full-time staff members.

“I think it’s the funnest thing ever to go full circle and teach at the same elementary school that you attended,” said Amina Mohamed, a first-grade teacher at Sky Oaks Elementary.

“Being back is weird, but in a good way,” said preschool teacher Connor Hume, who attended Gideon Pond Elementary School, Nicollet Junior High School and Burnsville High School. “I’ve enjoyed my start here but it’s also surreal to be teaching in the same preschool my brothers went to.” 

“It’s crazy going from the student to the teacher in a district I grew up in,” adds Eagle Ridge Middle School sixth-grade math and social studies teacher Ryan Mokandu. “My former teachers are now my colleagues. It makes my heart happy.”

From a different perspective

While they still hold their memories of their time as students fondly, finding themselves on the opposite side of the student/teacher coin has also been eye-opening for the new teachers.

“It’s definitely interesting to see it from the flip side,” Mohamed said. “I see myself working and I ask myself if that was the same kind of work my teachers did. The kids don’t see that.”

A common thread among the new teachers is an appreciation for the overall community served by District 191, which was a huge draw in bringing them back. 

“I truly appreciate the sense of community that District 191 gave me,” said Austen Scheuneman, a Project Lead the Way teacher at Eagle Ridge Middle School. “I was able to be involved in activities and classes throughout my schooling that gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and try new things.”

Mokando described his District 191 experience as a “roller coaster.” He said he faced issues in regard to racial and social justice and became an advocate for himself and his peers. This led him to take coursework to learn about those issues and more.

“I took many different classes with AP/CIS/honors while staying involved in many activities from student council, Black Student Union, theatre, Youth Service Advisory Council, Future Teachers of America, band and choir,” he said.

“The main reason I came back to the district is easy to name. It was the wonderful times I had as a kid,” Mohamed said. “I absolutely want to pass that along to my students and keep those memories going for the next generation.”

Blazing their own trails

The pathways the teachers took to teaching are as varied as the teachers themselves.

“My family is mostly what inspired me to go into education,” Hume said. “My mom works as an early childhood coordinator in West St. Paul and got me my first job teaching preschool at a summer program in Mendota Heights after I graduated from high school.”

Mohamed — who attended Sky Oaks, Nicollet Middle School and Burnsville High School — had another reason. She always felt welcomed as a student, and said District 191’s diversity is something that drew her back and she hoped to add to that diversity in an area where she didn't see it as much as a student. 

“It was such a diverse community but I felt like that wasn’t the case with the teachers, and I felt like it was important for students to see someone who looked like them,” she said. “Sometimes when I walk down the halls or am out at the pickup line, kids come up to me and ask ‘Are you a teacher here?’ They’re impressed to see someone who looks like them.”

No place like home

All of the new teachers said that they have experienced a warm welcome on their returns, and that is something they believe distinguishes District 191 from other school districts, especially in the Twin Cities area.

“I felt welcomed right away and it has been great to see and reconnect with educators that were part of my experience growing up,” said Scheuneman. “I feel the district’s values align strongly with my personal values and being here gives me the opportunity to grow as I start my own professional journey in education.”

“I enjoy the strong community that Burnsville has,” Hume said. “I saw it firsthand growing up and now I get to see it again, this time as an educator who models that for my students.”

“I’ve always felt so welcomed,” added Mohamed. “I couldn’t imagine teaching at some place other than District 191. We’re as diverse and as different as our community. We’re all different, but we are still one big family!”