It is coming up on the time of year when many seniors will be hearing from colleges or employers on the next steps after high school. It can be stressful to start thinking about future career decisions – for both seniors and even underclassmen who get closer to graduation each year.

But gaining insight from professionals on their own experiences can be valuable inspiration! The Chronicle staff talked with several teachers at South High about what inspired their career choice, what they most value about their career choice, and what advice they would pass on to students looking ahead to the future.

Ms. Letourneau is an English teacher for 10th grade. She left her 9-5 job at an insurance company to teach English here at South High. Outside of teaching, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, camping, and connecting with nature in general

At South, she hopes that she can be the teacher that she needed when she was in high school. She says, “There is so much to love about teaching at South High. I learn a lot from my students. We have a diverse student population with unique perspectives, which helps me grow and learn. We also have a great culture and climate in terms of teachers and administration—that’s a big plus.”

For advice she has to give to students, she says, “You don’t need to figure it all out now. Don’t be blinded by the arbitrary checklists that society imparts on young people as the recipe for success. And, as Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Ms. Avellino is a 10th grade U.S History teacher who also teaches AP Human Geography for freshmen. She has been teaching for 15 years and has been teaching at South for 10 of those years.

Ms. Avellino says that her passion for teaching stemmed from her high school years: “I had a Social Studies teacher in high school that really helped me to love history.” She also integrates her own hobbies and interests in school, “I bring my love of trivia by having a fact of the day on my board as well as my love of cringey jokes! I also try to connect history to our daily lives so it helps us understand the world we live in.” 

“I love how everyday my students and my fellow teachers make me laugh,” Ms. Avellino says. “I love the culture at South and how supportive teachers are of each other.” She says that it is the main reason as to why she chose to teach at South.

When asked if she had any advice for students thinking about their future, she said this: “Work hard for your dreams because no one else is going to do the work for you!”

Mr. Hinds teaches both 9th grade World History and AP US History, and he has been teaching here for 10 years.

Mr. Hinds says that his weekends are always spent with friends and family, along with a sports game: “My weekend afternoons are always filled with getting together with friends and family, and whether we get together at someone’s house or meet out somewhere for dinner, I try to see people as much as possible. Also, I am an avid sports fan – I like to watch the Bruins, Patriots, and Liverpool FC. My wife and I like to play with our dogs in the yard, and we are expecting our first child in May!”

Mr. Hinds says that building relationships with your students is very important: “I like to talk to my students about their interests as well as mine, and Netflix and sports come up very often. For me it is basically about building relationships. I think that goes a long way when it comes to working in a school.”

He also says that working at South makes connecting to his students easy: “It sounds cheesy, but South High truly is a community. There is an incredible group of students and teachers that we have here at South who have achieved incredible things. I was hired the day before school started and I have never looked back. I am happy every day I get to be here.”

When asked about future pursuits he has some really good advice: “Advice on future pursuits is a tough one because I think it depends on each person. Some people know exactly what they want to do and to those people I would say GO FOR IT! On the other hand, some people leave high school without an exact plan and that is fine, too. Regardless, my advice either way would be to never stop bettering yourself. Never settle for a life that leaves you wanting more.”