After teaching AP World History and AP Psychology for fifteen years, Angela Johanek has been promoted to the Magnet Coordinator.
“I had no idea, the job was not yet open [at the end of last year],” Johanek said.
The position was previously held by Matt Wichman, but he resigned after moving out of Omaha. Once Wichman resigned, the job needed to be filled quickly.
“[Being selected] felt awesome,” Johanek said. “It’s something that I’ve really wanted to do and it’s something that I feel very strongly and passionately about, so I’m glad I get the chance to let Benson shine a little bit.”
Johanek has already started to help Benson shine a little bit more and her plans for this year have the potential to help improve Benson and its reputation in the district.
“The magnet coordinator is a jack of all trades, we’re a little bit of everything,” Johanek said. “I think the biggest goal is to make sure that the presentation of Benson inside and outside of the school is positive.”
The school year for Johanek started off strong with her bringing the idea of welcoming the incoming freshmen as they walked into the school on their first day. She organized for the cheer team and drama club officers to stand in the North hallway and hold up signs as they entered the building to make them feel more welcome and excited to be here.
Two of the marching band’s drum line members, junior Cannon Dunwoody and freshman Sara Sexton stood outside and played drum cadences for the freshmen.
Johanek has a 100 day goal to start the year along with a few other things she hopes to accomplish. That changes every day according to her and she has been taking it day by day.
Her hope is to change the way we feel about ourselves within Benson, so she plans to bring in more student leadership and more student accountability.
“I think that will also help get us out into the community as well,” Johanek said.
She hopes that it will be the students representing Benson and its community more so that the community will see us more for the better.
Students should be looking out for more ways to get involved this year as well as the following years. Her hopes are that more students will interact with Benson and their own academies.
Johanek would like to plan more field trips and bring more individuals into the building to help the students in their academies. She also wants the students of Benson to have more activities to be involved that aren’t necessarily about school but involves school.
Johanek’s plans for Benson are clear and are already starting to be put in action. She has stepped up to the plate and has big plans for the students, the school and the community.
The students of Benson will have many more ways to get involved and work with their academies and hopefully enjoy getting this experience. Johanek wants this school to be about the students and have students represent it and have more responsibility in what they do.
She wants there to be more student leaders and have more opportunities to prepare for the next step.
With her as the magnet coordinator her goals will set Benson out to be a school that’s all about its students and their wants and needs.
Johanek is excited to be Benson’s magnet coordinator and with her plans and goals the students should be excited to have her.
With the changes Johanek has already made to improve Benson, the rest of the school year is highly anticipated by students and staff.