After graduating from Northwestern University with her bachelor’s in sociology in 2024, Mansueto High School alum Aileen Galeana wasn’t sure whether to pursue her teaching license or try something new. She’d heard a lot of “negativity” about being a teacher and wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted anymore. But then one of her teachers from Mansueto, Ms. Ramos, reached out.

“Ms. Ramos swooped in and saved me from doubt and fear to officially start my teaching career,” Galeana said.

She said she’s always felt connected to the Mansueto community, so it was a no-brainer to come back. She began teaching 12th-grade calculus in April and will return to teach 10th-grade geometry this year. Read more about her journey and how her first semester at Mansueto went:

Can you share some of your favorite memories from your time as a student here?

One of my favorite memories from my time as a student here was receiving the resilience award my first year. Ms. Weldon, my English teacher, said the kindest words, with the rest of my teachers following. It was a really hard year, yet my teachers made sure I succeeded and supported me through everything I was going through. That day, they celebrated my accomplishments despite outside factors, which told me I would be in good hands for the next three years of high school.

Were there any teachers who had a major impact on you during your time as a student?

Ms. Weldon made a huge impact on me during my time here as a student. She was my English teacher my first year, and she remained almost like my counselor the rest of the years… We shared an experience: My dad passed my freshman year of high school, and I was a wreck. I only took two days off from school, and I was back the next week like nothing happened. She pulled me aside during second period, where she assured me that all my teachers would exempt me from work that week in order to cope and grieve. She then told me her dad passed away when she was my age, and I immediately broke down crying.

There was something so reassuring about having someone who had gone through something similar. In that moment, I felt seen and cared for. She became my go-to person for almost everything. She would advocate for me when I wasn’t feeling my best, and she guided me in other classes as well…. Having a teacher like her made me think about a career in education because I knew I wanted to be a resource to support students who were in my situation as well. I wish I could talk about every teacher I ever had, but we would be here forever.

What did your path look like after graduating high school?

After graduating high school, I knew I wanted to end up with a career that I loved. I want to come into work every day happy and excited. Teaching, my dream since I was 5, and nursing were both at the top of my mind when I graduated high school. I fell for the trap of being pre-med freshman year and starting off with a biology major because that was the most popular and deemed you to be “smarter.” Though not impossible, I had a very hard time in college. The classes were ten times harder than any IB class I took, and it pretty much consumed my life that first year. I opted out of the pre-med track after the first year and started working towards pre-law and or social services. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to be some sort of educator, and if I hadn’t fallen into such a closed mindset early on, I probably would have started sooner. I was really lost during college, and I am 99.9% sure it was because I did not follow through with my original plans of teaching or nursing.

Throughout my college years, I was pushed away from teaching because of negative connotations surrounding this career. “Why do you want to work with kids all day?”, “You don’t get paid enough,” “You work outside normal hours.” It honestly felt so demeaning, to say the least, and I felt so defeated every time I advocated for a career in teaching. But I knew I was drawn to this career for a reason. I started looking into alternative teaching pathways after college graduation because I was never able to get it out of my head. Call me superstitious, but the week I found myself looking for alternative teaching licenses, my mom pulled out a picture of me playing teacher when I was like 10 with my little cousins, and I knew I was making the right decision. My path was made clear a little later than I hoped, but better late than never.

I am forever grateful for the opportunities to work at Noble as they made the path easy to follow.

What was it like walking back through the doors, not as a student, but as a teacher?

I was terrified. This was my first teaching position, so coming back to my old high school was crazy. I knew Mansueto had great teachers and how high the standards are for teaching here. All the teachers here are amazing, so I had to step it up. It was a little weird to see my old teachers and have them be my coworkers. All of them said you can call me by my first name, and I said why would I do that? After being here for a while it became a little more normal, but it definitely felt funny the first couple of days. I was really excited to come back because of the people here. The environment was super welcoming and everyone offered their support on my first day.

How did your experiences as a student at this school influence you now as a teacher?

My experiences as a student heavily influenced the way I am as a teacher. I think Mansueto was a very strict school when I was a student, and it drove a wedge in the relationship between students and their work. I used to hate taking the pre-SAT or interim tests because the language and environment around them were really scary… Going to class was also nerve-wracking because we were scared of being called on and our answers being wrong. Most of us would not ask questions and would start to look for outside resources instead of going to teachers directly.

I was excited to come back because the relationship kids have with the school now is so much healthier than when I was a student. I wanted to create a safe space for my students to ask questions and enjoy the work I would give them… I wanted them to feel comfortable in not knowing the answer because that is why they are in school.

As a new teacher, what have been some of your favorite moments?

No moment tops the face of my students every time they would understand something. That “ahh” moment they get is always the best part of the job. Apart from that, one of my favorite moments was during Teacher Appreciation Week. That week, I was really contemplating how well I was doing as a teacher and if my kids were learning anything at all. I had several students congratulate me that week, but I will never forget a gift that some of my students made me. It was a little pink box with a little calculus formula flag on top. Attached was a letter summing up how much they enjoy my class and how much they have learned since I got there. I would’ve been in a puddle of happy tears if it weren’t for their company. I knew I wanted to continue my teaching career at that moment. Whatever doubt I had was gone, and the only thing left was my wanting to grow as a teacher. I will never forget that.

Have you had any “full circle” moments since returning?

I think my full circle moment was the first time I walked in as a teacher. For the longest time, I felt really sad about everything that happened at the end of my senior year. I worked really hard for four years when we were unfortunately hit with COVID, and everything was cancelled. Two weeks off seemed nice, then it turned into a month, then cancelled completely. For the longest time, I was really upset. We didn’t get a graduation, prom, yearbook, or even a last time to be with our classmates. When I walked back in, I realized I felt like that for so long because part of me knew I had to keep a connection with the school in order to come back. I never pictured myself coming back to work here, but I guess it was up to older me to recognize that. 

Mansueto always felt like a safe space to me, and I am glad my brother got to have a full experience here. I have kids coming up to me now for college advice, school advice—anything—and it reminds me of when I was here. Mansueto has always done a good job at making sure their students are taken care of, and I am extremely happy to be a part of it. That full circle comes to life every day I walk in and get to see my students.