My Mehlville Story

Each Mehlville School District staff member has their own unique story about their decision to apply to work in the district, their experience and their motivation to continue working here. We asked some incredible men and women to share their stories with you!

Alex Arcipowksi, school food technician

Alex Arcipowski has spent the past five years working as a school food technician in the cafeteria at Mehlville High School. You'll find Alex in the wrap and bowl line most days, as well as preparing tacos on Taco Tuesday. His favorite part of his job is getting to see everyone coming through the line each day and that his coworkers seem like a family to him.

View current openings in Mehlville School District.

Betsy Leeker, elementary school teacher

Betsy Leeker spent three years working as a parent educator in the Mehlville Parents As Teachers program before becoming a teacher at Wohlwend Elementary School where she has worked for the past 14 years. Her favorite part of her time in Mehlville School District has been the ability to try new things and focus on what works best at her school, like the current shift to placed-based education. She's able to teach many lessons outdoors in her own teaching style while still meeting the district standards.

View current openings in Mehlville School District.

CC Shelp, paraprofessional

After spending two decades as an early childhood teacher, CC Shelp transitioned into the business world. She realized that she missed the compassion and empathy of working in education and began working in Mehlville School District as an early childhood paraprofessional at John Cary Early Childhood Center. CC loves the relationships she builds with her students and advocating on their behalf.

View current openings in Mehlville School District.

Connor Cassity, high school teacher

Connor Cassity is in her fifth year as a math teacher at Oakville High School. After starting in Mehlville School District, she felt like she was able to quickly build connections with students, staff and the community. Even though every students won't work in a field where they do math, she likes that she's able to teach students problem-solving and interpersonal skills they can use in any career.

View all current openings in Mehlville School District.

Dana Deeken, bus driver

This is Dana Deeken's third year as a bus driver in Mehlville School District. Dana arrives at work each day, checks the bus to make sure everything is working properly, then heads out on her route to pick up Mehlville Early Childhood students. Her favorite part of her job is being with her students. She also loves that she feels supported by others in the transportation department.

Learn more about being a bus driver in Mehlville School District.

Donna Davis, custodian

Donna Davis started her career in Mehlville School District working in the cafeteria at Bernard Middle School before transitioning to a full-time position as a custodian. Donna worked as a waitress for most of her career and was drawn to Mehlville School District because of the pension and retirement. She's now the head custodian at Oakville Elementary School and says that if you do your job and work hard, there will always be an opportunity for you to advance within the district.

Learn more about being a custodian in Mehlville School District.

Dr. Julie Durham, principal

Dr. Julie Durham spent the first 14 years of her career in Mehlville School District as an elementary school teacher before transitioning into a leadership role. After a few years as an assistant principal, Julie became the principal at Hagemann Elementary School where she has worked for the past five years. A district graduate, she knew she wanted to return to Mehlville as an educator because of the impact her own teachers had on her. Julie's favorite thing about being a principal is to take the knowledge she had as a teacher and using it on a larger scale to positively impact more students and staff.

View current job openings in Mehlville School District.

Eric Heuerman, middle school teacher

Eric Heuerman, currently an industrial arts teacher at Bernard Middle School, has taught in Mehlville School District for seven years. Prior to working in education, Eric had a career as a carpenter. He likes that students are excited to do woodworking and metalworking and that he can incorporate information they're learning in other classes, like math, into what they do in his class. Eric loves the support that he receives and the family atmosphere in Mehlville School District.

View current job openings in Mehlville School District.

Lisa Gastreich, substitute teacher

Lisa Gastreich has worked for the past decade is a substitute teacher in Mehlville School District. Before her career in education, Lisa worked in sales for 20 years. She found substitute teaching when looking for a change because she didn't feel like she was making a difference each day. One of Lisa's favorite things about working as a substitute teacher is the flexibility. She's able to choose the days and locations she works. She also loves the connections she makes with the kids and feels the work she does is rewarding.

Learn more about being a substitute teacher in Mehlville School District.

Nancy Dixon, school nurse

Nancy Dixon has worked in Mehlville School District for the past 16 years. She was a substitute nurse for the first three years while she was still working full-time as an emergency room nurse. After that, she transitioned into a full-time position as the school nurse at Blades Elementary School. In her role, she provides students with their prescribed medications throughout the day and treats students for minor injuries and ailments. Her goal is to work with parents and teachers to keep students healthy and learning in class as much as possible. Nancy loves that working as a school nurse gives her a similar schedule to her children so that she can spend more time with her family.

Learn more about being an nurse in Mehlville School District.

Shaun Williams, cafeteria recess monitor

Shaun Williams says his role as a cafeteria recess monitor at Forder Elementary School is to make a positive impact on the kids he works with. He spends an hour with his students each day at lunch and recess. During that time, Shaun tries to be a role model and someone students can depend on. He loves Mehlville School District because of the camaraderie he feels with his coworkers.

Learn more about being a cafeteria recess monitor in Mehlville School District.

Wendy Williams, administrative assistant

Wendy Williams began her career in Mehlville School District as a bus driver but is now in her second year as the administrative assistant at SCOPE School. She supports SCOPE staff and students coming from Lindbergh, Affton and Bayless school districts, as well as from Mehlville High School and Oakville High School. Wendy's favorite part of her job is the students. Since her face is the first they see when they come to SCOPE, she strives to always give them a warm welcome. Wendy likes working in Mehlville School District because of the close relationships you're able to make and because leaders take your thoughts and concerns into account when making decisions.

View current openings in Mehlville School District.

Sharron Gatling, Mehlville School District bus driver

"Bus driver is one of the most important roles because we are the first person kids see each morning and the last person they see at the end of the day."

Learn more about being a bus driver in Mehlville School District and apply.

Ken John, Wohlwend Elementary School custodian

"When you work here, you get to meet a lot of people. There's a lot of opportunity for growth here and you get to work with friendly people."

Learn more about custodian openings in Mehlville School District and apply.

Nihada Sopovic, Mehlville High School food technician

"In this job, we have a lot of time off. I'm able to stay home when my kids are home and spend time with my kids."

Learn more about food technician openings in Mehlville School District and apply.

Ben McClusky, Beasley Elementary School music teacher

"It's hard to find another district with as much socioeconomic and cultural diversity as what Mehlville has. That's something that's important to me."

View certified teaching openings and apply.

Fatima Warren, Trautwein Elementary School counselor

"I applied here because Mehlville had the same core values that I did when teaching students: Giving back, service and having gratitude for what you have."

View counselor and certified teaching openings and apply.

Frederick Muthonjia, Mehlville School District system support specialist

"The thing that changed how I look at this is being able to help students. Not just with technology, but being there to support them. It's very rewarding."

View openings in our technology department and apply.

Jenn Rich, Oakville Middle School English-language arts teacher

"We have so much diversity in our student body, including families that are immigrants. That's something so special about our district that not every district has."

View certified teaching openings and apply.

Meagan Ochoa, Oakville Elementary School principal

"We may not always have the high-end of everything, but our teachers put their hearts and souls into everything, and it works for the kids. That's what I love about Mehlville."

View administrator openings and apply.

Regina Gleason, Mehlville High School English-language arts teacher

"Our teachers have a voice. I think what's best for kids is that people who are working with them can advocate for them."

View certified teaching openings and apply.

Stacey Bader, Rogers Elementary School nurse

"Working in the school setting is a great work-life balance for myself and my family. I loved hospital nursing, but working 12-hour shifts, nights and holidays was tough."

View school nurse openings and apply.