New Staff Spotlight: Albana Smith, Biology & Physical Science Teacher 🔬
“I went to Flanagan High School. After graduation, I attended Lincoln Land Community College and played volleyball there for two years while getting my associate degree. From there, I went to Millikin University and continued to play volleyball while getting my Bachelor’s in Biology Education. In recent years I also went back to get my Master’s in Biology Education from the University of Illinois. This is my fifteenth year teaching and I have also coached volleyball on and off.”
“Prior to teaching at Seneca, I was at Henry-Senachwine High School for twelve years and Flanagan-Cornell High School for the last two years. Over the past fourteen years I have taught many different classes, including Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Forensic Science, Dual-Credit Biology, Microbiology, and Environmental Science. I spent six years coaching volleyball at Henry, including four years as head coach and two at the JV level. Last year, I was the varsity head coach at Flanagan before coming here. When it works out with our kids’ schedules, I’d be interested in getting involved in coaching again.”
“My husband Brent (SHS’s new Mathematics Teacher) and I moved into town this summer. Our oldest son, Nolan, is in 6th Grade at SGS South Campus. Then our twins, Dylan and Owen, are currently in 4th Grade at North Campus. Nolan is starting to get very involved in baseball, flag-football, and basketball. The twins just started playing in a 4th Grade basketball league through Seneca. They are excited about wrestling next year once they get to 5th Grade.”
“Different teachers and coaches in high school and college made me start thinking about the education route. I thought it was a job I could go to every day where I would really enjoy what I was doing. Being able to interact with kids and potentially coach, I just saw it as something that would be more exciting and interactive than other potential jobs on a day-to-day basis.”
“My first impressions of Seneca have been very positive. Across the board, everyone is very welcoming and friendly. The transition has gone easier than what I thought it would, even at the grade schools with our kids too, because students and staff have helped our family transition into a new school. I feel like Seneca is the perfect size because students are ingrained in the school’s culture. If a school is too big, students might find it harder to get involved. Whereas if it is too small, then there are not enough activities to choose from.”
“In my first year, I hope to become more integrated into the school culture. I hope to build more relationships with all students and colleagues within the building. I also hope to get more involved with our extra-curriculars as the years go on. In the classroom, I hope to create a really positive environment that students enjoy coming to. If they don’t already, I hope that I can instill a love for science in students.”