The high school has undergone many changes in the past year. One large change was the departure of many staff members.This year, the school has welcomed many new faces to fill in the missing spots. The new faculty consists of the new vice principal, Mr. Justin Turpin, and the new guidance counselor, Ms. Hope Bennett. The rest of the new staff includes Ms. Becca Pessler, Mr. Brenden Wiatrak, Ms. Abigayle Pritchard, Ms. Michelle Keith and Ms. Marissa Timko. All of the new faculty members have the common goal to make this school a better place. 

 “My primary goal is to get to know the students as much as I can, and see the students in action. Building relationships with the students is the number one goal that I have this year,” Turpin said. 

With all of these new staff members, many students do not know much about how they got here. For example, Timko, the new special education teacher, graduated from Robert Morris University, where she learned to succeed in teaching. Timko has a background of eight years of teaching, with four years teaching at Freedom. Timko started teaching at Freedom in the middle school for three years, until she had the opportunity to advance to the high school for her fourth year. 

Bennett, the guidance counselor, began her education journey at Youngstown State University and received her Bachelors in physical education. She later went to Slippery Rock University, where she received her Masters in counseling. Bennett started off as a substitute teacher at Beaver Falls, where she formed strong bonds with some of her students. She believes that the education she received, and her experience as a substitute teacher, has prepared her for this upcoming year. 

Keith, the personal finance teacher, also has a lot of experience prior to teaching at Freedom. Not only did she graduate from Freedom, but she was very involved in this community. For example, she was a member of Print Media Workshop and was the Editor-In-Chief of the Shawnee Yearbook.

“I am super excited for this school year… I am excited to be back and teach the next generation of freedom students,” Keith said.

Each member of the new staff also has many unique qualities that are a mystery to many students. Pessler, the math teacher, is skilled in playing the guitar and enjoys playing many of her favorite songs. Along with Pessler, Wiatrak, the business and technology teacher, has a love for music and enjoys playing guitar in his free time. Turpin, similarly, has a love for music and has a lot of history as a band director. Pritchard, the learning support teacher, spends her time dancing for fun. Most teachers have a talent that correlates with music, which shows that the faculty is creative. Fortunately, Freedom’s returning staff is optimistic about the new staff. 

“I’m excited for the young staff that we have. They are energetic and they seem capable of helping us elevate our program here at Freedom,” Dr. Brian Wargo said.