A desire to give back led these Strathroy, Ont., teachers to work at their old high school

Kathryn O'Brien remembers her time at Strathroy District Collegiate Institute (SDCI) being a great experience that gave her opportunities to pursue her passion for sports, and a place where she met some of her lifelong friends.

"Those experiences were a great way for me to feel connected with my community and get involved in that school spirit," said O'Brien, who attended the school from 1998 to 2003.

"I really enjoyed the extracurriculars that came with the school, and I was very appreciative of all the teachers who volunteered their time to coach so I could play."

With such good memories, it was a natural step for O'Brien to become a high school teacher. But the love for her community is what brought the SDCI alumna back to her old school in 2010 where she now teaches physical education and leads its athletic department. 

O'Brien is among more than a dozen former SDCI students who have returned to their alma mater as staff members. At its 150th anniversary of becoming a district school last weekend, many said the positive influence of their teachers motivated their desire to make a difference for future generations.  

"I just wanted to give back to the community that has given me so much," said former student Suzie Flegel, who has been a science teacher and guidance counsellor at the school since 2001.

Having graduated in 1993, Flegel said throughout her career, she has taught both the kids of her high school peers and now, the children of her former students. The long-term connections she's built with families over the years has been very rewarding, she added. 

"I like that small town feel and seeing the people you teach around the community," she said. "There's that longevity in connection that continues even after they leave."

The public secondary school dates back to 1861 and is presently home to around 1,250 students and 90 teachers. In 2002, SDCI moved from its original location at 96 Kittridge Street in downtown Strathroy, to its current site in the town's outskirts. 

"A lot of the same families have been around. There's new people that have come into the community and that's added another level of diversity and culture that we get to celebrate with the kids here," Flegel said. 

'Full-circle' moment

Bernadette Boersma attended the school 50 years ago. Although she found her love for teaching a little later in life, when she got a teaching position at SDCI in 2007, Boersma knew it would be her forever home, she said.

"We do have quite a number of staff who were students here and I think that says a lot for the community because obviously, that's a choice we make to come back to the school that we're most comfortable at, and where we think we can do the most good," she said.

Throughout her time teaching at SDCI, Boersma launched a hairstyling co-op program, which is still popular among present-day students, she said. Boersma loved the school community so much that despite retiring last year, she's still there as a supply teacher. 

Laura Berkmortel, a business and computer studies teacher, said she has witnessed Strathroy's significant growth and the diversity it's brought, since her time as an SDCI student in 1982. 

"When I went to school here, it was predominantly a couple cultures, and now you can certainly see some diversity," she said. "It's been a real full circle because my own kids went here too and watching them choose to attend this great school I teach at has been amazing."