School of Education Alumnus Kevin Squires is a Chemistry and Biology Teacher and School Board Vice-President

Meet Kevin Squires '19

Job Title & Employer: High school chemistry and biology teacher, Franklin Regional School District
Major/Program: Secondary Education-M.Ed.
Hometown: West Mifflin, Pa. / West Mifflin Area High School
Now Living In: West Mifflin, Pa.
Hobbies & Interests: Science, reading, music and watching superhero movies/television shows

"Between coursework emphasizing teacher leadership, special education, technology, 21st century teaching and professors who shared their breadth of experience in the field as teachers and administrators, Point Park not only prepared me as a teacher but made me well-versed and comfortable discussing so many topics relevant to the inner workings of a school."

Kevin Squires '19

Update: Kevin Squires is vice-president of the West Mifflin School Board.

You recently secured a place on the November ballot for West Mifflin School Board. What motivated you to run?

Growing up in West Mifflin and graduating from the district, I have always been passionate about making sure the needs of students were being met. In completing my master’s degree at Point Park, I saw and learned about so many different things - good and bad - at schools across the area that I realized I was blind to noticing in my own education. Running for school board allows me to give back to my hometown and ideally elevate the good things happening in our school district while working to eliminate the bad ones.

What have you been up to since graduating from Point Park?

After student teaching in December 2019, I taught AP chemistry, honors chemistry and general chemistry at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School. I also had a first-author publication in Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease on research I conducted as a laboratory specialist at the University of Pittsburgh in their Division of Infectious Diseases while earning my degree at Point Park. I am now wrapping up a full year teaching biology and chemistry classes at Franklin Regional High School.

What did you like about the School of Education faculty and coursework?

I loved that I could work full-time while taking courses online, in the evening or on Saturdays. The flexibility was extremely appealing to me.

The faculty all took the time to get to know me and facilitated great discussions during class about all the elements that go into effective teaching, such as classroom management, differentiated instruction and lesson designing.

The opportunities for learning outside of a traditional, lecture-based, brick-and-mortar setting were incredibly valuable. Field observations, class trips to different types of school settings and meeting with teachers and principals were additional elements to the courses that made the content connect with the real world so much better. The program created a great blend of philosophical and practical education.

How did the master's program make you career-ready?

Point Park’s Master of Education program gave me incredibly valuable insight into how school districts function and the issues they face. Between coursework emphasizing teacher leadership, special education, technology, 21st century teaching and professors who shared their breadth of experience in the field as teachers and administrators, Point Park not only prepared me as a teacher but made me well-versed and comfortable discussing so many topics relevant to the inner workings of a school.