This year, Borger High School is proud to have hired six teachers who are BHS graduates. All of these teachers have been students while DeDe Conaway and/or Matt Ammerman have been principals at the high school. Five of the six new teachers responded to a Q&A.
Following are their responses:
Bethany Johnstone
What year did you graduate?
I graduated from Borger High School in 2011.
What do you teach? What do you coach?
I am teaching high school P.E., I am the head volleyball coach and I will be the assistant coach for the girls soccer team.
Highlight a fond memory or two that you have from high school.
Traveling and competing for multiple athletic teams for Borger High are when most of my favorite memories happened: beating Pampa my senior year to advance us to the next round of the volleyball playoffs, staying at the condemned hotel in Jacksboro, experiencing teachers and fellow classmates cheer for the athletic teams, etc. Another fond memory I have is of when the school band would walk through the halls to signal when a pep rally was about to happen.
What motivated you to become a teacher?
During college, I coached club volleyball to raise money for rent/tuition/food/etc. When I graduated college, I became an executive news producer at a television news station and the hours only allowed for me to do sporadic lessons for local high schoolers instead of coaching club like I had been doing. After almost two years of that, I had a light-bulb moment. I realized that the only time I really felt happy was when I was teaching someone something, like training new employees and teaching different skills to volleyball players. So, I decided to leave the news industry and start a path toward what fulfilled me more.
Tell us about how you feel being back at BHS.
I feel a sense of pride. I walked the halls, I competed in Tex Hanna Gym; knowing that I’m part of Borger High School’s history and knowing that I am getting to teach students that are in the process of putting their own stamp on Borger High’s history, is amazing.
How have things changed?
By the time I got to my senior year, I had already taken almost all of the classes and Pre-AP classes that Borger High offered. When my mom asked the school if I could take more college-based courses, she was told no. So, I only had four classes my senior year. One of those classes was P.E. (even though I was in athletics) and one of the other classes was a math I had already aced. I chose to do that instead of retaking another class because math was my favorite subject, which meant I’d be less likely to get bored. Now, Borger High students can graduate with their associate degrees before they even graduate high school. Another huge change is that ninth graders no longer have off-campus lunch and have their own wing. Also, Borger now has eight periods instead of seven.
What are you most excited about for this year?
I’m just extremely excited to experience Borger High School from a different perspective. Seeing how everything works “behind closed doors” will allow me to appreciate my high school experiences more, because now I’ll be able to understand the how’s, why’s and how much effort went into making everything come to fruition.
Ryne Onsurez
What year did you graduate?
Graduated in 2016.
What do you teach? What do you coach?
I teach Algebra II, both regular and honors.
Highlight a fond memory or two that you have from high school.
A fond memory would probably be ending Bushland’s 43 game district winning streak, and another would be the address to the students I did on the first day of senior year, and having people coming to me afterwards saying I made them cry because I opened up and made everyone feel like family and they felt the same way.
What motivated you to become a teacher?
My motivation came from my desire of helping others both inside and outside of the classroom in growing up and trying to help students understand a difficult concept such as math, while making it more enjoyable for them instead of it giving them anxiety.
Tell us about how you feel being back at BHS.
It feels a little weird being back so young because I had a lot of teachers that are still here, so I have to figure out what to call them. But, this is my home and I am proud of it, so I enjoy being back.
The entire high school is under construction, brand new football field and facilities, but still the same Borger High School.
What are you most excited about for this year?
I’m most excited being back home with family and friends and with students I have known since they were younger, and to try to change the mindset in math by making it easily accessible to the students.
Just proud to be back as a Bulldog and hopefully can make a positive impact.
Kyla Myers
What year did you graduate?
2014.
What do you teach? What do you coach?
Kindergarten PE/ freshman girls basketball and assistant softball
Highlight a fond memory or two that you have from high school.
One of my favorite memories is my junior year softball season. Our team was incredibly close, and win or lose, we were always having a blast. Another great memory of mine is football season. I absolutely loved pep rallies. I was a part of choir, and we sang the school song in the hallways of BHS every Friday. I simply loved the Friday night lights and cheering for our boys in the student section.
What motivated you to become a teacher?
I have always loved working with kids and I had a couple of teachers/ coaches that really changed my life. I knew I could get in a few certain classrooms along with the softball field every day and have a teacher/ coach that believed in me more than I believed in myself. I worked in student ministry every summer that I was in college and I absolutely loved it. Those kids changed my life and it really gave me confirmation that I wanted to be a teacher/coach. I want kids to feel like they have a safe place around me. I most definitely had that at BHS.
Tell us about how you feel being back at BHS.
It is very exciting. Although I am at Paul Belton during the day, I love being around high school sports again in the afternoon. Just walking in the gym, or hearing the band play “Roll on to Victory,” so many great memories come flooding back and I feel so proud to be back.
How have things changed?
Personally, I know I have grown and changed as a person since I have graduated. When it comes to the school and sport, there are a lot of different teachers/ coaches, but a lot is still the same.
What are you most excited about for this year?
I am so excited to return to the softball field. I played all four years under Coach Watkins, and now I am going to get to coach with him. Softball was a huge highlight of my high school days, and to be able to return is just a huge blessing.
Anything else you can think of?
I am so grateful to be back. Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.
Miles McKinney
What year did you graduate?
2012
What do you teach? What do you coach?
Algebra 2/engineering math and football/wrestling/track
Highlight a fond memory or two that you have from high school.
Winning district three years in a row and going to regionals in football.
What motivated you to become a teacher?
I saw the impact my wife was making on children through teaching and wanted to join her, speaking into students life where I know I could’ve used it at their age.
Tell us about how you feel being back at BHS.
Very strange, yet it feels right. I never thought I would be back in Borger, certainly not teaching and coach but here I am. I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else anywhere else.
How have things changed?
Things have changed quite a bit. Obviously on the outside everything is changing with the renovation but it’s also different on the inside. The students are a little bit different than they were when I was here. Not in a bad way at all, I just cannot assume they’re going to think or do things in the same way my peers and I did when we were here
What are you most excited about for this year?
I am most excited to make a positive impact on students life’s that will improve who they are for the rest of their life.
Charles Rosebrugh
What year did you graduate?
I graduated in 2015
What do you teach? What do you coach?
I teach agriculture. I will be coaching some career development events and leadership development events.
Highlight a fond memory or two that you have from high school.
One memory that I will always remember is standing at the football game talking to Mrs. Conaway about going to school to be an Ag teacher while hoping to come back and teach at Borger High School.
What motivated you to become a teacher?
While I attended Borger High School, I always had a passion for helping the students out with FFA. One day I ran across a quote that I still go by today, “Be who you needed when you were younger.” Unknown. I think this quote is really what made me strive to become a teacher.
Tell us about how you feel being back at BHS?
It is an honor being back in the hometown where I grew up.
How have things changed?
The new remodel on the school is amazing. Borger has the greatest community that pushes for to have the best environment for the students to learn.
What are you most excited about for this year?
I am most excited about being able to work with students to achieve their goals. There is nothing better than seeing a student be successful in any of the activities that they set out to achieve.