PALCS Teacher Spotlight – Mr. Yund
PALCS Teacher Spotlight Yund. We recently had the opportunity to speak to PALCS Middle School History teacher, Mr. Nick Yund who has been working at PALCS since 2014. Before working as, a Middle School History Teacher, Mr. Yund was our 9th grade Academic Advisor.
Our Academic Advisors are mainly responsible for providing educational guidance and assistance to students who may be struggling academically with their grades as well as assisting students in recommending the appropriate courses. Mr. Yund explained, “this was a tough job, but it enabled me to apply for the Middle School History teaching position that opened up the following summer.” This year is his fourth year teaching 7th and 8th grade History.
Mr. Yund was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Middle Level Education- Social Studies with a History Dual major from La Roche College. During his summer breaks through college he enjoyed working at a daycare close to his home. Mr. Yund’s certifications include, Instructional 1: Grades 4-6 (all subjects), Social Studies 7-12, and Citizenship 7-12. In the next five years Mr. Yund would like to obtain a Master’s Degree in something important such as Slam Poetry, The Rich History of Dutch Textiles, or maybe a Principal Certification.
Before Joining PALCS
After graduating high school Nick joined the Army where he spent 4 years driving tanks and he was deployed to Iraq twice. He told us, “driving the tanks was awesome, but I always had a passion for children.” When he got out of the Army he was an EMT until finally PALCS became his first professional job after leaving the service.
What He Likes About PALCS
“PALCS provided me with the opportunity to get my foot in the door at a school and then quickly move into a teaching position. I was able to begin my career, buy a house, and start a family all thanks to PALCS.”
When we asked Mr. Yund what his favorite thing [about working for PALCS] is, he answered with; “My favorite part about my job is building relationships and changing lives. I love History. I think it’s a very important subject to teach.” He adds, “I love getting to know my students, taking history and applying it to their lives helps these kids make good decisions in and outside of the classroom, it’s my passion, I love it.”
Mr. Yund also loves live lessons with his students. He loves getting to see the students, talking to them about history or current events, learning about their lives and generally trying to be a positive impact on each of them.
In His Free Time
In Mr. Yund’s free time, he enjoys doing dad stuff with his energetic 3-year-old son: “My hide and seek skills are improving and my Playdoh game is strong.” Also he enjoys doing new projects around his house, but when nobody is around, you can find Mr. Yund painting model tanks. “I build them, paint them, weather them, and then admire my supreme modeling skills.” Lastly, on a chilly rainy day, Mr. Yund will be bundled up on his couch reading his favorite sci-fi novels about lasers and aliens that want to destroy mankind. Mr. Yund also has a pet turtle named Cuff that he received on his 9th birthday! Mr. Yund says, “he is living in my dad’s basement still going strong at about 25 years old.”
We would like to thank Mr. Yund for taking the time to speak with us and sharing his story! What a wonderful asset and educator Mr. Yund has been to the PALCS community. We are so proud and honored to have him on our team!
