Gabe Kiefel Comes Full Circle

WAITSBURG - They say "what goes around comes around," and in the case of Gabe Kiefel's association with Waitsburg schools that sentiment certainly rings true. This year, Kiefel will begin the first job of his teaching career in not only the same building, but the very same classroom where he attended preschool as a four-year-old. Kiefel has been hired to fill the part-time sixth grade language arts and math position at Preston Hall.

Kiefel moved to Waitsburg when his dad, Michael, accepted a position teaching English at Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) and says he loved the freedom that he and his four siblings experienced growing up here.

"In many ways I feel like I'm still growing up. I've learned a lot, and continue to learn, from the role models around town," he said. "Many of the organizations: the Lions, American Legion and Auxiliary, Commercial Club, PEO, Booster Club and others provide such support and opportunity for our community. I have visited those organizations with my cap in my hand and have always been met with amazing generosity. I hope to repay much of this generosity in the future."

Kiefel concluded a very active high school career by graduating as class salutatorian in 2005. In high school he played football, basketball, baseball and track, making first team all-conference and first team all-state in football. He made it to State competition twice each in basketball (where he won the state sportsmanship award) and track. He served as ASB president and as an officer in many other clubs, including the LEO club, which he co-founded with Bradley Huffman.

"I love seeing that club continue to be active in the community," he said.

Today, Kiefel lives with his wife of six years, Jessica (Huxoll), and their two children, Liam and Audrey, in the home they are remodeling, directly across the street from Preston Hall. "I sure can't complain about the commute!" he said with a smile. Jessica works as a nurse at the Walla Walla Clinic Women's Center, as Clinic Nursing Instructor for Walla Walla Community College and as an on-call nurse for the recovery center at St. Mary's Medical Center.

"Most of all she's an amazing mother and I'm lucky to share this chaotic life with her," Kiefel said.

The road to teaching has taken several turns for the young man who graduated with the intent to become a physical therapist. Kiefel attended WWCC for two years on the WWCC Foundation Scholarship. He then received a Gateway Scholarship and transferred to Whitman College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. But work experience as a rehab tech. and working alongside a physical therapist left him disillusioned about the path he'd chosen. In 2010 he left his rehab. tech. position to work as a night security officer at Whitman College.

Oddly enough, late night interactions with Whitman students set him in an entirely new direction. "I enjoyed helping students work out ideas in the wee hours of the night so I decided to start my masters and become a teacher," Kiefel said. "I've spent the last couple of years being a security officer by night and a graduate student by day." In April, Kiefel completed his Master of Arts in Education with a focus on Secondary Education through the University of Phoenix.

Kiefel said that having a parent who is a teacher was definitely in- fluential. "I grew up in my dad's classroom. At the dinner table, in the car, on the court, in the swimming pool . . . my dad has never been able to stifle his natural instincts as a teacher, nor would I ever want him to. I didn't realize how unique it was to be discussing George Bernard Shaw, Ralph Waldo Emerson or Flannery O'Connor at the dinner table until much later in life." Kiefel's mom, Kristie, also spent many years working as a para professional in the Waitsburg schools.

Kiefel looks forward to playing a positive role in the lives of his student and hopes to play off of their natural excitement and energy. "Not all of it is exciting, but a lot of it can be," he said.

Kiefel admitted that he is "a little intimidated" to work alongside his former teachers. "I have great relationships with them, but when I look back at what I put some of them through, it makes me think that I need to make it up to them," he said.

"I really lucked out," said Kiefel when asked if this was the first position he'd applied for. (It was.) "I couldn't imagine a better school district to work for."

In another coincidence, Kiefel said he received the offer of his position on the very day that his dad taught his last class before retiring. Yes, what goes around, really does come around.