At St. Thomas University, we are committed to the success of our students inside and outside of the classroom. Our College to Career series will feature and celebrate STU Bobcats and their internship and first job experiences. Get to know STU Bobcat, Kelli Kosydor, and about her first job experience as a teacher and head volleyball coach!
- Name: Kelli Kosydor
- Major: Criminal Justice (bachelor’s & master’s)
- Graduation Year: I earned my undergraduate degree in 2017 and my graduate degree in 2018.
- Where do your work and what is your title? I am a teacher and head volleyball coach at Monsignor Edward Pace High School.
- How did you find out about your job and secure it? Pace High School was looking for a new Women’s Volleyball Head Coach and a friend of mine let me know. I immediately called the Assistant Director and let him know that I was interested. I had always heard great things about Pace and especially their athletic programs. Tom Duffin (Pace AD) called me for an interview and we spoke about how we both wanted women’s volleyball to be successful at Pace and we agreed that I could make it happen! On top of becoming the head coach I was able to become a full-time teacher at Pace.
- What does a day at work look like? A typical day at work begins with planning for my day when I arrive at school at 7:15 a.m.. Classes begin at 8 a.m. and consist of teaching English and HOPE classes all day until 2:30 p.m. Our HOPE class stands for Hope Education through Physical Education. I teach them life skills such as healthy habits, CPR/First Aid, Budgeting, Nutrition, etc. After school, I become a coach and run practices, weight training, or conditioning for the day!
- What’s your favorite part about your job? EVERYTHING! I LOVE my job. They say you don’t work a day in your life if you love what you do. And I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. My students put a smile on my face each and every day. I also work with some amazing educators that have a passion for what they do and they’ve welcomed me to Pace with open arms. My principal, Ana Garcia is a true leader and has done and will continue to do an amazing job as our incredible leader at Pace High School.
- What challenges have you faced at your first job and how have you overcome them? A few challenges that I have faced have been adapting to a high school environment. I previously taught part-time at an elementary school while pursuing my master’s degree, so high school was a brand-new experience for me. Also, taking over the volleyball team was nerve-wracking at first. I was hoping the girls would welcome me and trust in my system. Luckily, they did and I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to coach. Overall, the students at Pace made my transition very easy. They are brilliant, motivated, and on a path to greatness.
- How does your job connect back to your coursework and extracurricular activities at STU? Even though my job looks a little different than I expected it to be in college, I cannot thank STU enough for everything it taught me. I expected to be working in Criminal Justice reform and even though I still have a big interest in that field, I am very happy teaching! Each one of my professors at STU taught me resilience and gave me a multitude of skills I needed for life after graduation. And a special thanks to my STU volleyball coaches. They have molded me into the coach and woman I am today and I have learned so many things from them. Hard work, dedication, commitment, and toughness just to name a few.
- What advice do you have for Bobcats that are starting the job hunt? My biggest piece of advice would be to keep your options open and never doubt yourself. Dream big and find a job that you LOVE doing. It may take a while, but once you find the perfect job there’s no better feeling in the world.
- Describe your job in a GIF?
Learn more about how Career Services can help you find the right internship or job for you!
Interested in sharing your internship or first job experience with STU News? Reach out to Michelle Tulande at mtulande@stu.edu.
