Hall High School welcomes 5 new staff members for 2022-2023 school year

Hall High School in Spring Valley has five new staff members this school year: Brooklyn Long, Brooke Keegan, Lucas Schultz, Perla Andana and Lisa Ponce.

Long is the new Life Skills teacher and will be working closely with longtime teacher Jessica Strouss. This will be Long’s first year of teaching post-graduation after receiving a bachelor’s degree in special education: Learning Behavior Specialist I from Northern Illinois University. At this time, Long is not involved in any extracurricular activities at Hall but is open to the opportunity. When asked about her first impression of Hall she said, “The school’s personnel are both friendly and helpful! The school itself is clean and organized!”

Keegan, a 2016 Hall High School graduate, joins the faculty as a business teacher this school year. She graduated from Augustana College in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting/business finance then continued her education at Roosevelt University where she earned a master’s degree in business education. Keegan’s position at Hall High School is her first teaching position post-graduation and gives her the unique chance to work in the same school as her father, Tom Keegan. Brooke has joined the Hall High School volleyball coaching staff and taken over sophomore coaching responsibilities after a successful collegiate volleyball career at Augustana College. On her first impressions of Hall High School, she said, “They came from back when I was in high school. Some faces are still the same and some are different, but I am looking for the same positive experience that I had as a student here. Everyone is attentive and creates a welcoming environment.”

Schultz is a new face at Hall High School as he joins the science department. However, this is not his first position as a teacher. Prior to Hall, Schultz spent eight years teaching at Bureau Valley High School in their science department. Schultz graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augustana College, followed by a master’s degree of science in education for kinesiology and exercise physiology from Northern Illinois University, and then a teaching certificate from Aurora University. In addition to teaching, Schultz is a certified athletic trainer available to fill in as needed and the prospective science club sponsor. When asked about his first impressions of Hall High School he said “everyone has been very kind, friendly and helpful. I feel very much at home already which is a testament to the overall attitude and culture of the staff and the district. I feel honored to be a part of this staff and I look forward to a successful school year.”

Being a 2020 Hall High School graduate, Andana is a familiar face joining the faculty and staff. She joined towards the end of last school year and will continue this year as a bilingual paraprofessional. This is her first position in a school as she just recently obtained her paraprofessional certification. Her overall impression of Hall High School started back when she was a student, she said “I enjoyed my class and teachers and had a great four years!”

Ponce joins the staff as the new administrative assistant in the main office. Prior to this position, Ponce was already a familiar face around the high school as she could often be found substitute teaching. Prior to her position at Hall, she worked in sales and marketing for Marriott International. She also is a member of the John F. Kennedy school board. When asked about her first impressions of Hall, she said, “there is a great staff and amazing students!”

Hall High School extended its welcome to the new staff members.