Due to Jordana {Siebert} Kaiser accepting a new job in Sanger Unified for the 2013-’14 school year, FC found itself in need of a new social studies teacher. Alumna Kori Friesen accepted the position with pleasure.

As Kaiser was preparing to embark on her new journey, Friesen sat in all history classes to learn the ropes, the last week Kaiser was teaching. Friesen will be taking over the world history, US history, Advanced Placement (AP) US history and AP European history.

Friesen brings to the position a masters in education, a love of history and experience as a business woman. She also has a photography business on the side that she has had for a number of years. Friesen will balance her photography business with her new teaching position. She will also be incorporating photography into a few of her classes this year.

Sophomore, Allie Breedlove voiced her keen interest in the AP US class she is taking this year with Friesen.

“She said we’re going to be using photography with our class, so that’s going to be interesting,” Breedlove said. “I’m excited to see what that’s about.”

Principal Todd Bennett was excited to have the opportunity to ask Friesen to join the academic department. Friesen had been a substitute for the school many times before, and to Bennett, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“I really liked the way she interacted with the kids,” Bennett said. “I liked the way that she had their attention, and she just had a knack for teaching. When the school year started, Mrs. Kaiser came in and told me that she had accepted another job in Sanger, so I started interviewing people for the social studies job. Mrs. Friesen was substituting at the time for Mr. Stobbe, and I said, ‘Kori would you like a position here full-time, lets talk about it.’ So I came in here and gave her an interview, and things just worked out well.”

Friesen’s students are very pleased with the way the school year is going so far. Trevor Trevino, ’16, states his enthusiasm for the world history class.

“I’m excited because history is one of my favorite subjects,” Trevino said. “I just think we’re going to have a lot of fun in that class, especially if we pay attention and focus. I don’t know if she’s going to be a hard teacher or not, but we’ll just have to be patient and see.”

With Friesen working here full time, she believes that managing her time is key. Friesen has kids enrolled to FC as well and wants to keep her home life separate from her work.

“Boundaries. You have to have boundaries,” Friesen said. “Obviously, right now because I’m taking on a new class without preparation, it’s a key concept. I could be here all day, all night, I could camp out, but at some point you have to put boundaries on that, because if you don’t have balance then something is always sacrificing.”

When she goes home she is a cooking dinner, playing with her kids and doing chores mom. When her children go to bed, she catches up on all of her school work. She get’s up at five in the morning to do her workouts because she does not want to give up her health for her work.

Friesen is excited to get to know the students and to learn about them individually, and as a whole student body. Since being a substitute here at the school many times before, she is already quite comfortable with the students and the way that the school flows, it helps to make a smooth transition.

“So I just have to make sure that I balance my time,” Friesen said. “I have to keep boundaries on things that are not important, and things that are. My biggest goal for the year would be to teach history through the lens of a Godly perspective.”

The author can be reached via Twitter: @kathrynnnnnD. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more features, read the Sept. 6 article, Walk ‘n’ Role benefits disabled community, organization.