The staff of Conway Springs High School has changed with three new teachers. One of the new members is Kelli Ast, who teaches business. She is a former student from CSHS who graduated in 2001. Ast said she has always wanted to be a teacher, having an interest in the career since childhood.

“My mom was a teacher, and I liked the lifestyle growing up,” she said.

Teaching runs in Ast’s family. Her mother, Suzanne Koester, and sister, Kim Shobe, are both teachers as well. As she followed the footsteps of her mother and sister, she began her teaching career four years ago. Similar to her family, Ast started by working with younger children. However, after working with the younger students, Ast realized she wanted to work with older students instead.

“I started with substituting for elementary,” Ast said. “Then, I realized I liked working with more independent students, so high school suited me better.”

As a teacher, Ast said she has goals of connecting with students. During high school, she was involved in sports and school activities. With her experience in those activities, she believes she can understand what her students are going through. She said that through this experience and connection, she hopes to have an impact on students’ lives and help them any way she can.

“I want to touch lives by preparing students for the future,” Ast said, “Not only in business, but in general for anything they need for their future.”