The path to becoming a teacher is always interesting whether they went to college knowing they would be a teacher, or if this is where life has led them to. Some teachers come here to coach a sport and teach on the side. Others have a deep passion for a particular subject and want to share that knowledge with students, while some may have discovered their calling later in life after a career in a completely different field.
Mr. Kevin Schott, a first year teacher at Colonial Forge, teaches Virginia and U.S. History, and U.S. Government. He played baseball at Gannon University, a D2 college in Erie, Pennsylvania.
“While pursuing my baseball career was a huge passion of mine, I realized that my true calling was in education. I loved the team environment, the challenge, and the mentorship in sports, but I found that my passion for helping others, especially young people, outweighed my desire to continue in professional sports,” Mr. Schott said.
Mr. Schott wanted to start teaching because he was inspired by his dad, who was an English teacher and basketball coach.
“I grew up watching the impact that my dad had on his students and players. This is what inspired me to want to be a teacher when I grew up,” Mr. Schott said.
Majoring in secondary education, Mr. Schott knew he wanted to be a teacher from the get-go.
“I wanted to make an impact on others, and help other people be the best that they can be. I felt ready to be done with my playing career, and gave the game of baseball all that I could give. By the time I graduated, I knew it was time for a new chapter in my life,” Mr. Schott said.
Mr. Adam Spinelli has been teaching at Colonial Forge for 16 years. He is also the head coach of the Colonial Forge Boys Soccer team.
“Before I became a teacher, I was a soccer coach at Montana State. Coaching at Montana State helped me gain experience on how to coach at a high school level. While I enjoyed Montana State, I felt drawn to education, and I decided to shift my focus toward teaching to make a more direct impact on students’ lives,” Mr. Spinelli said.
Mr. Spinelli didn’t come here just to teach but to also help kids on and off the field.
“Coaching allows me to build relationships with students outside the classroom and help them grow not only as athletes but as individuals. It’s incredibly rewarding to see students develop both on and off the field,” Mr. Spinelli said.
Throughout his coaching career here at Colonial Forge he has gained some important knowledge.
“Coaching high school soccer combines my passion for the sport with my love for mentoring and guiding young people. Soccer taught me valuable life lessons—like teamwork, discipline, and resilience—that I wanted to pass on to the next generation,” Mr. Spinelli said.
In the end, teachers became teachers not just through their knowledge, but through their passion for inspiring and shaping the future, one student at a time.
