Have you spotted the stylish new brunette walking through the halls this year? She might look familiar because she was a student teacher for 8th grade social studies last year, but now she has a new role in the school. Her name is Kaitlyn Kromer, and her intriguing story is sure to entertain.
Many of Kromer’s past experiences have shaped where she is today. She grew up in Cleveland, where she went to Lutheran West High School. All throughout middle and high school, Kromer was set on becoming a doctor.
“I had always wanted to be a diabetes doctor because my brother has type one diabetes.”
Things took a turn however, when Kromer went to college at Ohio University, and failed chemistry. She thought that this wasn’t quite the life for her, and decided to switch things up.
“I realized that I like English more, and I find History very fascinating, so maybe I would be an English and History teacher,” Kromer explained.
Kromer now has a bachelor’s degree in Science of Education, and is an educational aide for Federal Hocking. She follows students to classes to aid them in areas in which they struggle. She will mostly do this through IEPs, and will bring her Ipad to class to assist them.
“She was always very helpful when I had her as a student teacher last year. She could guide me through assignments I was having trouble with,” freshman Stori Childers said.
It has been an adjustment for Kromer this year now that she has a full-time job at the school. Maturing as a staff member has been a challenge for her, but she also tthinks it is nice to be getting a paycheck and using her degree.
“I have had a good experience so far, I really like working with the students and I’m happy to help anybody that needs it.”
Her friendly personality and assistance have already proved to be a great addition to the school.
Kromer’s advice to anyone wanting to become a teacher is that you have to be a realist, motivated, and realize going into it that you’re not going to be as appreciated as you should be. Although it’s not easy, she believes the challenges of being a teacher are worth it.
“It’s one of the most rewarding careers because you get to see the effect you have on students.”
Kromer is not only going to be an educational aide for FH, but is also contributing to the school by being the girls softball coach. She has a long history with softball, as she started playing in 1st grade. She continued playing all throughout middle and high school, but couldn’t finish her last season as a senior due to Covid. Her mom also played, and coached her for many years. She has coached before multiple times, and is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“I’m excited to be in charge of something meaningful.”
Outside of school, Kromer enjoys watching hockey, crocheting, and reading. She enjoys reading Victorian romance novels, and one of her favorite authors is Jane Austen. Another thing Kromer enjoys is watching movies and TV shows. She loves watching trashy reality TV shows, the Below Deck franchise being one of her favorites. On the other side of things, she also enjoys Quentin Tarantino films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Inglorious Bastards”. Although she doesn’t like horror movies, she has a tradition of watching them with her roommate every night on the week leading up to Halloween.
“Last year we watched all of the Conjuring universe movies, and this year we really want to watch The Nun.”
If you ever catch Kromer listening to music, you’d be surprised what she’s listening to. She listens to a wide range of music including Pop, Indie, Rock, and Emo. This summer she got into Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, but transitioned into a Fleetwood Mac vibe this fall. She has also always been a big fan of Noah Kahan and Hozier, and has been to several of their concerts. One of the best concerts she’s been to was a Pierce The Veil concert.
Although Kromer has been enjoying her time so far at FH, she’s not sure where she is going to end up. She graduates from OU in December and aims to become an English or History teacher, like she had originally planned. She wants to have her own classroom with her own rules, and just be her own entity in a room. She also doesn’t see herself staying in this part of Ohio.
“I really like the area where I grew up in Cleveland, so eventually I want to work in one of the suburbs around there.”
Kromer does plan on staying at FH for two to three years, but nothing is set in stone. However long she ends up staying with us, we will be glad to have her.
