EDLF student Trent Mikesell has teaching in his genetics. Both of his parents, an aunt, an uncle, and a cousin are all teachers. Mikesell said his interest in becoming a teacher began with the example of his parents.

Mikesell is currently working as a teacher on special assignment (TSA) at Springville Junior High. He fills the role of assistant principal at the school while in his second year of the McKay School Executive School Leadership (ExSL) program.

Despite his long-term interest in teaching, Mikesell decided he did not want to work in education after difficulties during his first year of student teaching. However, after volunteering at an orphanage in Peru, he realized how much he enjoyed working with children. He later got a job at a high school teaching a difficult group of students. He said this experience redirected his path to be a teacher because he saw the difference he made in the students’ lives.

Mikesell enjoys teaching seventh graders. He said some people pity him, but he replies, “I love junior high students. I think it’s definitely one of the best places to make a big difference.”

Mikesell is pursing a graduate degree at BYU to increase his ability to make a difference on a broader scale. “We have a lot of people who don’t know anything about education making important decisions, and I don’t agree with that,” he said. “I want to use my background in education to help make the important decisions that directly affect the lives of students.”