At a time when many students are starting new chapters in their lives, Mrs. Danielle Kopsack is starting her new adventure too! Joining Beaver Area after teaching at Blackhawk and taking some time off, get to know Mrs. Kopsack a little better . . .

Where did you go to high school?

Blackhawk High School.

Where did you go to college?

IUP, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

How long have you been doing this particular job?

Four days now.

Is this job what you’ve always wanted to do or did your path change?

It was part of my path always, but it wasn’t the only part. I wanted to do this and I also wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I worked in a related field to this when I first got out of school, and then I stayed at home with my kids for the last, almost, 12 years. Now I’m back!

What is something you want your new students to know about you?

Not to be afraid to come to me for questions or problems.

What is your favorite part about your new job?

Probably getting to meet students again and interacting with them.

Did where or how you grew up have an impact on your occupation choice?

Probably. I really loved when I was young watching Martha Stewart in the mornings during summer. I loved watching her and seeing how a professional cooked and did different projects. So then when I got the opportunity to take FCS in school I was excited to kind of get to do that in person, like what I saw Martha doing. Then, I took all the classes and I really enjoyed it, but I didn’t really think that much of it until my teachers brought up that they thought I would be a good fit for the FCS position. They brought up that there were programs in the state if I was interested and gave me information.

What is your biggest strength that will help you at Beaver Area High School?

I would say remaining flexible and having a sense of humor to get through the hard moments.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

I think seeing students have fun with hands on material and watching them get the concept while working with the projects.

If you could teach any subject other than what you currently do, what would it be?

A novels class, like a literature and novels kind of class. Or, we had a movie class when I was teaching which would be really fun to teach. It was like classic cinema and we had to watch classic movies and do projects on them.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

Probably Mrs. Dambach. She was one of the FCS teachers that inspired me and talked to me about going into the program.

What is one thing you wish your students would take away from you and your class?

That you can still have fun while learning new and hard things. If you have a good, adventurous spirit you can get these things done!