Two former students return to Fremont Middle School as teachers

School systems and buildings change over time, and educators and students come and go. It's the natural evolution of education.

But there are times when longtime teachers wonder what happened to former students.

Two veteran Fremont Middle School teachers - Sarah Yakapovich, a 13-year educator, and Kathy Salerno, who has been there 18 years - answered that question about two former students who joined their faculty this fall as seventh grade teachers.

Katie Ozimek, 25, of Round Lake, is teaching language arts, and Jacki Alberts, 22, of Mundelein, is teaching math at the Mundelein school. Both said returning to their alma mater to teach was the culmination of a dream.

"It's not normal for kids to come back and teach at a school they went to," said Yakapovich, an eighth-grade math teacher. "Jacki was a very sweet student and a great classroom participant. She took pride in her work. Everything about Jacki told me she'd be a great teacher."

Yakapovich and Alberts have stayed in touch over the years.

Alberts, a first-year teacher who attended Fremont Elementary District 79 schools, and graduated from Mundelein High School in 2014 and from Illinois State University in May, described herself as math challenged.

She said she was an average student who would get easily frustrated, but noted how Yakapovich gave her confidence in math, reassured her she understood it and encouraged her not to doubt herself.

Alberts said she kept in touch with some of her teachers over the years. Recently engaged, she had hopes of being hired by District 79 and turned down a Colorado job offer.

She said the school's "family" feel stole her heart.

Ozimek, also a Mundelein High School and ISU grad, taught in Lake Villa for three years before applying to teach at Fremont. She remembers Fremont Elementary School when it had no air conditioning and before construction of the intermediate school building. She is impressed by the school's positive changes, such as flexible work areas, technology and use of available space, as well as by the faculty's warm welcoming.

"It's cool to see the interactions and how happy people are, how long they've stayed because they truly love it here," Ozimek said.

Salerno taught both Alberts and Ozimek as students. When she learned both were being hired, she was thrilled, but a bit nervous as she didn't want to disappoint former students.

"Jacki was a very sweet student who took pride in her work and was friendly to others," Salerno said.

Ozimek, who Salerno now describes as a friend, is remembered as a good student and always happy.

"This is kind of a neat turn of events," she added.

Salerno considers Ozimek as a great classroom manager, creative and able to connect with all personalities.

"Her classroom is decorated like Harry Potter, which helps draw kids in who may not like reading," she said.

Ozimek said she has learned the world is whatever you want it to be.

"In order to meet kids' needs, we need to do what is good for them and not expect them to conform to how things were," she said. "We must constantly change to prepare them for the future, for a world that doesn't exist yet. (To do that,) we need to think outside the box - just as we expect them to do - and come up with new ideas to enable them to create those futures."

Alberts admitted it was awkward at first working with her former teachers, but said she loves working with them "because I still look up to them.

"They are the ones who made me believe in myself and gave me the confidence to achieve my goals," she said. "(As a result, I like) to create an environment that is positive for kids to learn and that will give them the confidence to succeed."