St. Francis Welcomes an Alum in a New Role

9/23/2021

Christella Reyes '23

Anne Vogel graduated from St. Francis High School in the year 2016 and has recently come back to teach students at SFHS. She's now working alongside inspiring educators whom she has admired since she was a high school student herself. We conducted an interview with her to find out more.

What's your educational background?

Anne Vogel: I started at Sayreville in Naperville, and then obviously I went to St. Francis. Then, I went to Illinois State University to study History and Social Studies education.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

Anne Vogel: I wanted to become a teacher because of my experiences in high school. I had a good experience in high school, and a lot of the teachers helped me. I never saw myself as the best student growing up, but I had teachers who supported me, and I saw how much they could make a difference in students' lives. And I really wanted to do that, as well.

Why do you want to teach at SFHS? What classes do you currently teach?

Anne Vogel: I currently teach APUSH and U.S. History 1, and then I'll teach U.S. History 3 next semester. I will also teach a Psychology class next semester as well. So, a bunch of social studies. The reason I chose St. Francis is because of the community. It's a really good community, and I knew that in my first year teaching I'd have all the support I needed because I already knew the teachers and that I'd be in a safe place.

Are there any teachers at St. Francis who inspired you when you were a student?

Anne Vogel: Yes! My number one (she knows this since I tell her all the time) is Mrs. Kowalski. She's the primary reason why I went into teaching. A lot of inspiration also came from Mr. Harper, which is cool because I basically took a lot of his classes, so I'm honored that I got to do that.

Are there any special memories you have when you were a student at SFHS?

Anne Vogel: Yes. There's a lot. I would say Kairos and a play I did in my junior year. I liked the director, and it was just a really fun play to be part of. I would say either of those two events because they really stick out to me.

What can you contribute to our school that makes you unique?

Anne Vogel: I'm coaching lacrosse this year, so that's something I'm excited to start doing. Another contribution I can offer to this school is that I have a younger perspective. I think just being not too far removed from high school I can see things in a different perspective and I think I have the same outlook on life that a lot of the students do because I went here not so long ago.

What are you most excited for in the upcoming school year?

Anne Vogel: I'm most excited to be together with everyone. It's nice that we're finally back together, and I'm really excited to be part of community events such as Mass. I'm really excited to have everyone together.

What do you love most about the St. Francis community?

Anne Vogel: I love how close-knit and supportive it is. You always know you have a place to go. You always have a home here. You always have so many people to go to, and that's something this school has always shown me. I've worked at a lot of other schools, but I've always known I've felt at home here.

Let’s make sure to welcome Ms. Vogel this year!