By George Berkheimer
When a student graduates from high school, usually the last thing they want to do is return to the same halls they spent so many years working to leave.
Not so with Makayla Weyant, who returned to her Alma Mater, Chestnut Ridge, to teach the next generation of students.
Q: What is your role now at Chestnut Ridge, and what are you looking forward to this school year?
Weyant: I am a 2nd grade teacher at Chestnut Ridge Elementary school. I am responsible for educating students on various reading, math, and phonic skills, in addition to social and emotional skills. I am looking forward to meeting my first group of students and helping them reach goals and be successful both in and out of the classroom.
Q: Did you experience a boomerang effect?
Weyant: My time away was pretty brief. I was only out of the area for my four years of college, which was not even that far away. I studied Early-Level Education at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson. I’m a recent graduate, in May of 2023.
Q: Was a return to Bedford County on the radar screen for you and a location you intended to return to?
Weyant: I always told myself I was going to move south, and somewhere warm! I had intentions to move near the beach, but in the end, I realized that moving away right out of college isn’t realistic.
Q: What makes Bedford County special to you?
Weyant: I think the community is one of the best things about Bedford County. Being from a small area, I think you always have people who are very supportive of you, and they are there whenever you need them.
Q: How do you spend your free time here?
Weyant: I like being outdoors, coaching softball, and spending time with family and friends. My favorite place to go in the area outdoors is Shawnee State Park, and I enjoy going to all the small businesses in Bedford.
Q: You played collegiate softball at Mount Aloysius College, as an infielder. Where are you coaching now, and are you passing on anything you learned at the collegiate level?
Weyant: I volunteer my time as a coach for a local 14U Travel Ball organization. I hope to coach at Chestnut Ridge someday if I get the opportunity. The thing I am passing down the most to the younger generation is to enjoy the time you have being a kid and being active in athletics, because it definitely will shape you into a well a rounded individual. But also cherish the friendship and people you meet through the game as well!
Q: Do you know any other teachers who came back to serve the same school they attended? How does it feel to be back in those same hallways only a few short years later?
Weyant: Actually, funny you ask! Out of the five teachers teaching 2nd grade at my elementary school, four are Chestnut Ridge alumni. One even graduated from Chestnut Ridge with me in 2019. At first it was bizarre walking the hall as an educator, but now I wouldn’t want it any other way. Teaching with very skilled co-workers, some of whom even taught me in my elementary years, has allowed me to already have relationships prior to coming into my position. I’m thrilled that I get to share my love of teaching and give back to the school district that shaped me into the person I am today.
Q: It seems like most students just want to leave school behind when they graduate and only return for nostalgia’s sake. Was returning something you actually thought about?
Weyant: I always joked with my high school softball coach Greg Lazor about coming back after finishing school to be able coach alongside him and teach in the school district. So, the thought was there in high school.
Q: How does it feel to be on the other side now, seeing things from a different perspective?
Weyant: It’s a lot different! There are so many things that go into teaching that I don’t think students or those going into education really see until they are in the career. As a teacher you really see how many people it takes to keep the school running and functioning properly, which really goes unnoticed as a student.