Kimberly Parsiola has always had a knack for teaching and leading but didn’t pursue a career in education until later in her life. Now, Parsiola is a teacher and coach at The Brighton School and also introduced the LSU Coastal Roots Program there in 2017. Parsiola fondly remembers her own teachers growing up and hopes that she can be that same inspiration for her own students.
What was your favorite subject growing up?
My favorite subjects were always math and science.
What clubs or extracurricular activities were you involved in as a student?
I played high school volleyball and basketball and was recognized as an academic all-district and all-state athlete. I was in the Spanish club, Mu Alpha Theta, student council, the National Honor Society, and placed in literary rallies for algebra and chemistry.
What influenced you to go into teaching?
After working 18 years in industry and going through two layoffs, I had to figure out what would be stable and in demand. I always played school during the summers as a child where I was the teacher, and as a supervisor, I was always teaching/training new employees. I figured science teachers were always in demand and it was a natural fit for me. I fondly remember my middle and high school science teachers, Sr. Guillory and Sr. Guidroz and hoped students could be inspired by me like I was inspired by them to love science.
What is your favorite part of your daily teaching life?
Every teacher says that their favorite part is the “aha” moment when a student finally gets a concept. I agree with that. However, I just enjoy being able to playfully teach what I love to students to the point where I don’t feel like I’m working. I’m just playing all day long, stress-free. A lot of my students say that even though they dislike the subject of science or math, they enjoy my classes, and they seem to go by faster than other classes during the day.
How many years have you been teaching?
14 years
In what ways are you active in your school’s community?
I coached volleyball for four years when I first started at Brighton. I have been the Sr. Beta sponsor for the past four years and received the Educator of Excellence award from Beta for the past two years. For two years now, I have been the Esports coach for middle and high school. I’m in charge of the LSU Coastal Roots Program at Brighton, which I brought to our school in 2017.
What is something interesting about you that your students might be surprised to learn?
I was born in Okinawa, Japan, and it is on my bucket list to visit where I was born.
If you could pass along one piece of advice to your students, what would it be?
Always be true to yourself and do your best. That is all anyone can ask.
