As we turn the corner into the second semester of the 25-26 school year here at St. Charles West, we have four teachers entering their final semester of teaching. One of those teachers is chemistry teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Mueller. You may have seen her teaching a chemistry lesson or helping out with a lab, impacting each student she teaches.
Mrs. Mueller went to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where she got her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She used this degree to work as a chemical engineer in an oil refinery, where she worked for over 10 years. In addition to her chemical engineering degree, Mrs. Mueller also attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), where she got her teaching certificate. Since then, Mrs. Mueller has been teaching for 28 years, teaching a wide variety of classes such as honors chemistry, AP chemistry, physical science, and PLTW principles of engineering. She started her teaching career at Duchesne high school where she taught from 2000-2007, before transferring over to SCW where she has been teaching chemistry for the last 18 years.
With retirement comes lots of free time. Mrs. Mueller said she is, “looking forward to spending more time with my children and grandchildren and visiting the beach when it is cold in St. Charles.” She also plans to pursue more hobbies, like hiking and improving her golf game.
While retirement is exciting, Mrs. Mueller says there is a lot she will miss about SCW. Mrs. Mueller said the thing that she will miss the most about SCW are the students. “I have had the honor of teaching so many smart, talented young people over the years,” Mrs. Mueller said. Not only will Mrs. Mueller miss the students here at SCW she will also miss the teachers. Mrs. Mueller said that, “[my] favorite thing about West is the teachers I have worked with over the years!”
Not only does Mrs. Mueller love her students, but her students love her too. Sophomore Alexa Branson says, “I love having Mrs. Mueller as my teacher because you can tell she loves teaching and she teaches chemistry in a way that’s fun and makes me want to come to class every day. It makes me sad she’s leaving because I want her as my AP Chem teacher.”
It takes a lot to be a teacher. From keeping track of papers to having patience on a hard day, motivation and passion have to come from somewhere. One piece of advice Mrs. Mueller would give to young teachers is, “To find the subject you are passionate about. It makes teaching much more fun!”
Mrs. Mueller has affected nearly every aspect of SCW and has made a huge impact on our school. From the students to the staff, Mrs. Mueller will be deeply missed here at SCW. We wish you the best in retirement Mrs. Mueller!
