Wildcat staff grows with new hires

Amber Stambaugh, special education teacher, demonstrates a math problem on the board for her class.

Maddie Cox, Entertainment Editor

  Plainfield Central welcomes 19 new staff around the building.
Kyle Draghi, math teacher,
decided she wanted to become a teacher, because she was driven to help others achieve and strive for their academic and personal goals.
“My high school cross country coach and teacher had 5 team rules and one of those rules was you can always do more than what you think you can,” said Draghi.
Another teacher who joined staff this year is Amber Stambaugh. She had fallen in love with teaching special education after subbing for classes while coaching and went back to get her teaching certificate.
“I had the best teacher when I was in 7th and 8th grade.  He was so passionate in everything he did and brought with him into the classroom.  I always knew he cared about us, and that’s what I want my students to know too, that I care about them,” Stambaugh said.
Caitlin Walsh, a Plainfield Central graduate, has returned and is now in the special education department working in Vocational Education and Chemistry.
This is her first year teaching in a school, but she has worked with students off and on in a volunteer setting.
“I have adjusted well to being back at my high school and am so happy that I made the decision to be an educator. I love working with the students and staff as well,” Walsh,said.
Della Kim, a biology teacher, has been teaching for four years. She previously lived in Virginia, but decided to take a break to take care of her children. Since then she has moved to Illinois.
“High school is a unique institution where you can have that kind of influence and engagement and interaction with students, and I think that’s what I like most about it,” Kim said.
In his first full-time teaching position, Mitchell Klossing, P.E. teacher, had only subbed. During his high school years, the relationship Klossing had with his teachers shaped his high school experience, and he has since wanted to do the same for students.
“Work hard and good things will happen your direction. It may not happen tomorrow, it may not be in the next hour, it may not be in the next year, but if you work hard things will happen,” Klossing said.
All new staff photos are
available online.