KATIE MANG Austintown Fitch High School
KATIE MANGAustintown Fitch High School
AUSTINTOWN -- Katie Mang's dad and her fourth-grade teacher inspired her to seek a degree in teaching.
"I've always wanted to be a teacher," said Mang, a graduating senior at Fitch High School. "My dad wanted to be a teacher but wasn't." Instead, he went to work in a factory. "So, he told me to be a teacher," she said.
Thinking about the influence her fourth-grade teacher had on her life further fueled Mang's desire to be a teacher, preferably in a junior high school, she said. "I think I could be a positive influence. ...
"I don't want to teach high school because I wouldn't want to teach me. We think we know everything," Mang said. "And I wouldn't want to teach little kids because you can't take your eyes off them all day."
The family factor: Although she briefly considered becoming a pharmaceutical sales representative, Mang said, "I don't want to be gone all the time." Having a family is very important to her, and if she has children, she wants to be able to spend time with them.
It's nice to be home during the holidays and for the summer, she said. Teachers' salaries had little or no influence on Mang's decision. "I just want to be happy," she said. "I don't really care about money."