Every high school has its own circle of life. Students come and go, day after day, year after year. But an often forgotten part of that circle is the educators. Every year, PHS loses some stellar teachers. However, they are replaced by superstars.
Last year, PHS experienced the exit of FACS teacher Mrs. Paige Culwell and industrial arts teacher Mr. Tyle Myers. While they will be missed, PHS is excited for our new teachers. And the feeling is reciprocated.
“It’s the most welcoming district I’ve ever been in,” FACS teacher Mrs. Trysa Damiano. “So really, it’s the co-workers that I’ve had. Little things like, they come and introduce themselves to me. They come check out my classroom. Everyone’s really helpful. So the people in the district are really, really good.”
Preparing for a new school year is not only for students, but it’s also for new teachers, too. Mr. Carlson, the industrial arts teacher, and Mrs. Damiano, the FACS teacher are excited to meet new faces here at PHS. They are really thrilled to get to know the community and begin another adventure with students and staff here in Powell, WY.
“The community has been really welcoming, really friendly,” Carlson said. “Kids here at the high school have been awesome so far.”
Powell is always a great place to have a fresh start. For many teachers, it is full of great opportunities.
“I went to Alaska,” Damiano said. “I lived in the bush, like very isolated. We decided it wasn’t for us, me and my husband, we wanted to come to Wyoming, and there was nothing open in the Big Horn Basin at the time that I could teach. So Rock Springs had the FACS position open, and I went for it. The plan was to get back here and be in Lovell, Powell, or Cowley.”
Damiono wasn’t the only one to have been looking for a job somewhere in Wyoming. Carlson also had been looking for something to open up.
“I was a teacher in Douglas for 10 years,” Carlson said. “I taught English for seven years there, and then I switched to industrial arts, welding, and wood shop, which is like a weird switch as a teacher, but here I am. So I’ve taught this for 4 years, and we kind of just; my wife and I just really liked the Big Horn Basin area for outdoor stuff.”
The basin is something that attracted both teachers to the area. Damiano has had lots of experiences in the basin, being born in Lovell.
“I did student teaching in social studies in Cowley,” said Damiano. “Okay, so I had Middle School. Then I went to Alaska, where I taught English sixth through 12th grade, then I went to Rock Springs, where that’s when I started culinary, child development, and FACS.”
Both teachers started in different areas than they are currently teaching. Coincidentally, both teachers started out teaching English.
“When I was in college, I got an English degree, just an English degree, because for a little bit of time, I thought I might want to go to law school,” Carlson said. “My dad is a lawyer, and he talked me out of that, thankfully, because I don’t think I would be very happy as a lawyer.”
They both feel that they have found their calling. However, it is no coincidence that they ended up here.
“This has basically been, like, a goal is to be here,” Damiano said. “It’s just, I don’t know, kind of higher caliber.”
