As the new school year has freshly begun, a fleet of fresh faces fills the school. The first faces to welcome each student in their classes are the teachers, and this reality is no different for new teacher Rowan Pugh. While it’s her first year here at North, her smiling face has greeted students for the past two years, with the goal in mind to prepare students for the future.

“I became a teacher because I really like helping people,” Pugh said. “I think the best way we can help people is by guiding them. I think teaching is a profession that lends itself to providing people with the tools they need to help themselves at any time.”

Part of how Pugh helps her students as a teacher is by providing them with the resources they need to select what sorts of clubs or activities to be a part of. As a member of StuCo, DECA, FBLA, Newspaper and Yearbook, Pugh had an opportunity to explore the different groups and help push her students in the right direction. 

“I’ve worked with a variety of students,” Pugh said. “Having that background knowledge to pull from can help with being able to suggest clubs they might like or I can pull in different lessons to attract a wide variety of learners.”

Pugh encourages her students to reach for the goals that they want to accomplish. She found herself learning valuable skills for this in college, such as questioning everything she’s told, making sure the research she finds is accurate and reflecting on her days and how they went. 

“I feel that Ms. Pugh is a very ecstatic teacher and she loves to teach,” Lucas Neuschwander, a senior in her English class said. “I feel like she’s grown passionate about helping students pursue a brighter future for themselves. And she’s done a pretty good job.”

Pugh strives to have a great day every day, she keeps a good perspective and reads inspirational quotes to keep her mindset positive. However, she understands that not every day is going to go well and that her students also struggle with having bad days.

“I think having a bad day comes with the connotation that we’re weak, but everyone has a bad day,” Pugh said. “That’s okay because that’s what humans do. So just knowing that it takes strength to say, I need help.”