Mrs. Koch

A little bit about me...
I have lived in Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Dakota, and now I am chilled, I mean thrilled, to call Minnesota my home.  Growing up all over the south provided many cultural and spiritually diverse opportunities. I attended 11 different K-12 schools as well as four colleges (University of Southern Mississippi, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Augustana College, and University of Sioux Falls.)
My husband, Brian Koch works for Wells Fargo Bank as a broker in the Private Client Services division in downtown Mankato.
I have three children:  Kari is a sophomore at the University of Sioux Falls studying theater and communications, Charlie is a 9th grader at Loyola, and Charlotte is a 7th grader at Loyola.
Buddy, a Cocker Spaniel & Bichon Fries mix, is our comical dog.
I love to walk Buddy, bike ride, bake breads, read, go to Christian rock concerts, watch old 80's & 90's sitcoms and movies, and travel to different towns to shop, eat and enjoy downtown areas.
Teaching at Loyola is an honor, and I enjoy getting to know many students, their families, and the great staff at Loyola!

What led me to teaching high school religion at Loyola High School?
I have been teaching in Catholic Schools since 2003.
My teaching career started with homeschooling my oldest daughter for one year.  I loved the time we spent together, and felt called to teach others.
I taught kindergarten for 8 years at Holy Spirit Elementary School in the Sioux Falls Catholic Schools system.  This fostered a love for teaching the Catholic faith.
At St. George Catholic Church in Hartford, SD, I taught religious education for 8 years, and helped with the high school religion program for 3 years.
Vacation Bible School was non-existent at our parish, so with the help of others, we resurrected a much needed program that brought together the talents of our parish youth and adults to nourish the children in their faith.  I directed VBS for 5 years and assisted with the Totus Tuus program for 1st-12th graders.
Parenting has taught me a lot about high school and teenagers!   This helps me relate with students and their families.
In 2010-2011, I was blessed to teach Freshman & Sophomore Religion at Loyola High School.

Education Background
Attended: Augustana College, University of Sioux Falls.
Degree: B.A. in Elementary Education, Masters as a K-12 Reading Specialist with an emphasis in Writing

"Don't let anyone think less of you because you are YOUNG. Be an example to all believers in what you TEACH, in the way you LIVE, in your LOVE, your FAITH, and your PURITY." 1 Timothy 4:12