EHS Welcomes New Teachers To Staff This Year

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School welcomed eight new teachers to its staff this year, including special education teachers Sandra Collier-Geiser and Christy Kelso, Ag teacher Kathryn Comish, math teacher Kelli Davis, and credit recovery specialist Christopher Jordan.

Collier-Geiser is in her 18th year of teaching and comes to District #7 from the Chicagoland area, moving downstate with her husband of 32 years, Stephen, and her 94-year-old mom, to be near her only child, Stephanie, and her husband Nickolas.

Collier-Geiser has experience teaching in various special education positions in K-12, including co-teaching, resource, self-contained, and MTSS. She spent the last five years teaching general education science in middle school.

“Teaching is something I always wanted to do,” she said. “I worked in automotive finance as a Credit Analyst and Dealer Services Manager for 10 years with Ford Motor and Volkswagen of America. When my company went through organizational restructure I was offered a position in Tennessee. I didn’t want to uproot our family so, I decided to take a severance package and go back to school to become a teacher.”

Although new to District #7, she says the teachers and staff are friendly and welcoming and the students have been respectful, inclusive and a joy to work with.

“It’s a treat to work in the community in which I live and in a district with such a great reputation for academics.”

When she’s not in the classroom, Collier-Geiser loves to travel with her husband and experience other cultures. The couple has traveled and made friends all over the world, including places like Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain, Morocco, and South Africa.

Kelso became licensed in special education three years ago when her children graduated high school. Her career began by teaching at a private school/daycare as a preschool teacher when she was 19. Kelso has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Science and a minor in Special Education and a master's degree in Special Education with a minor in Adaptive Behavior. Kelso is also three-quarters of the way through her Board Certified Behavior Analysis Certification.

She became a teacher because she did not have the best experiences with public education.

“Like many students, I felt marginalized and misunderstood. It turned out that I have ADHD, but they did not really know much about it back then. I became a teacher to help students and to show them that only you can define who you are. Labels do define who we become and with every disability, there is a gift, but sometimes we need help to see our gifts.”

Kelso came to District #7 from south Texas to be closer to her grandchildren. Her daughter married and moved up here five years ago and has two boys. When her son then decided to move up here as well, the decision to join them was an easy one.

Kelso said her students are the best part of being in District #7.

“Every one of my students is uniquely amazing! I also love the staff here. Being new not only to the district, but the state has been a learning curve. My mentor, co-teachers, and really all of the staff have been extremely supportive.”

When she’s not in the classroom, Kelso enjoys glass blowing, painting, reading, gaming, puzzles, and anything science-related – although her most favorite activity is playing with her grandsons.

Comish is in her first year of teaching after serving as a substitute teacher in the Highland School District for the last five years. She has two bachelor's degrees from the University of Missouri Columbia in Agriculture and Agriculture Education and a Masters of Agriculture from Clemson University.

“I decided to become a teacher at this particular time because of the need for more Ag teachers in the state of Illinois.”

Thus far, she’s enjoyed the flexibility and freedom to use the FFA bus and access to a greenhouse for hands-on learning.

Comish and her husband live in Highland. The couple has three adult children and one sophomore in high school.

When she’s not in the classroom, Comish enjoys crafting, creating, painting, bargain hunting, and collecting plants.

Davis is in her 14th year of teaching and is making her second stint at EHS after spending one year at Hazelwood East High School (Mo). She has also taught at Putnam County High School (Ill.) for seven years and Hickory High School (Va.) for one year, while her first go-around with EHS spanned 2014-19.

Teaching is a second career for Davis, who has an electrical engineering degree from Ohio University and spent six years as a business consultant traveling the US.

“I wanted to be home more for my own children and I wanted to inspire young women into STEM careers so I returned to school at the University of Minnesota to obtain my teaching credentials,” she said. Then while working at EHS, she earned her Master of Mathematics degree from SIUE.

Davis is enjoying her fellow teachers and the culture of the school, as well as the fact that she gets to teach in the school where her own children attend.

Davis and her husband have been married for 23 years this December and have three children: Jacob, who is 20 and currently attending Iowa State studying Chemical Engineering; Evie who is a junior at EHS and an active member of the Thespian Troup; and Lilli who is a freshman and also actively involved in Drama Club.

When she’s not in the classroom, Davis enjoys walking her dogs and taking advantage of the great bike paths in the area. She also enjoys spending time with family and cherishes every moment with them, knowing her children will soon be out on their own.

Jordan has 12 years of experience in teaching and holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois and a master’s degree from SIUE.

He said he became a teacher to help students learn and grow.

The Thing Jordan enjoys most about District #7 is “the goal they have to influence our students in a positive way.”

Jordan and his wife, Hope, of 11 years, have a nine-year-old daughter Cora.

When he’s not in the classroom, Jordan can be found doing a lot of work with wrestling and watching his daughter in her activities.

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