Future Educator Brings Life Lesson to Classroom

Just because someone appears to move through life with ease doesn’t mean they’ve had it easy.

Kendall Hirte, 20, a class of 2025 St. Louis Community College student, is passionate about teaching young children this concept. She even made it the subject of her Wildwood honors program final project, a K-12 curriculum entitled “Everyone Has a Story.”

When Hirte crosses the stage at STLCC’s Commencement Ceremony in Chaifetz Arena to accept her associate of arts in teaching (AAT), she’ll be closing a significant chapter of her personal story while another one begins.

Looking ahead to that moment and back on her STLCC experience, Hirte said: “It’s really bittersweet. I built a good community here at Wildwood. I have friends and professors I really, really like. And I love the honors program. But I'm also excited because I’m halfway to being a teacher in a classroom now. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Hirte was selected as the winner of the Community College President’s Scholarship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). The award covers tuition and fees for Hirte’s next two years, as she transfers to UMSL in the fall to pursue a degree in education.

Finding Her Path

Hirte’s educational path wasn’t always so clear. “I'm a first-generation college student,” she said. “So, the college decision process was difficult because I didn't know what to expect. My parents helped me where they could, but obviously they didn't know the full process of applying for colleges. I did it mainly on my own. And I wasn't really sure what I wanted to study at the time. I ended up landing on STLCC-Wildwood because it's close to home and I was on the A+ scholarship, so that was a big factor in deciding.

In her first year at STLCC, she stuck to general studies and explored the idea of pursuing a medical career. However, after taking some science courses, she decided that wasn’t a good fit for her. For many people, Hirte included, finding a professional path comes along with finding oneself.

This realization struck like a lightning bolt last spring. On Good Friday, she and her parents were driving to church. No one spoke. Hirte was looking at her phone, scrolling through options for her bachelor’s degree. She stopped when she landed on education.

“I was like, well, I love helping people and mentoring those younger than me,” Hirte said. “I love learning and I’m passionate about showing others how fun learning can be. How did I not think of that?”

After climbing out of the car in the parking lot, Hirte and her parents walked toward the church.

“Mom,” Hirte said, “what if I became a teacher?”

“Kendall,” her mother replied, “I’ve been saying that since you were 5 years old!”

“That was my aha moment,” Hirte recalled. “Since then, I have never doubted it.”

Where Students Learn to be Teachers

Hirte’s first stop on her new path was to meet with student success advisor Liz Morningstar, PhD, to help her make the transition from general studies to teacher education. “She gave me all the classes I needed, talked to me about the program, how it would transfer over,” Hirte said. “She's been really helpful.”

Her next stop was Wildwood’s testing center, where she tested out of some required classes to help speed her along the elementary education track.

“I really want to make a difference for kids with disabilities and chronic illnesses,” Hirte said. “You know, school is not easy for a lot of them. There’s a lot of flaws in the system. I might not be able to fix the entire system because I’m one person, but there are steps I can take to help those kids. I’ve been able to brainstorm some things like that in the honors program here, and I have a lot of support around that.”

One of Hirte’s biggest supporters has been Nikki Hassanzadeh, EdD, assistant professor of education and teacher education program coordinator. “I believe STLCC was the right fit for Kendall because of the intimate and personalized approach the College offers its students,” said Hassanzadeh. “The teaching program is focused on a partnership between the student and the professor, helping to make this journey both meaningful and supportive of the student’s future. I think Kendall found this here.”

A Natural in The Classroom

Recently, Hirte stood at the front of a classroom filled with fellow students, friends, and family—gathered to support her and cheer her on during her final honors presentation. Dressed in a crisp white T-shirt, navy slacks, and comfortable white sneakers, she struck the perfect balance of casual and professional, appearing confident and at ease. She presented the curriculum she designed to help K–12 schools support chronically ill children, featuring interactive lessons, games and a storybook she authored herself.

“Who can give me an example of an invisible disability?” Hirte asked during one lesson.

A few hands went up. Hirte called on a young man in the first row. “Diabetes,” he said. “You can’t tell from looking at them if someone has diabetes.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Hirte said. “And sometimes a person with diabetes might wear an insulin pump on their arm or another part of their body,” she added, turning to the white board behind her to put diabetes under the category “invisible disability.”

By the end of the lesson, each of three categories—visible disability, invisible disability, and dynamic disability—had been discussed, with a list underneath the heading. You can guess which category had the longest list.

The point of the lesson is one that Hirte understands from personal experience. In high school, she was diagnosed with two chronic illnesses—colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Many times, she had to go to class when she wasn’t feeling her best. “Some days, I’d be really dizzy just walking to class. Other days, getting food in my system was a challenge because my colitis can make it really hard to eat,” Hirte said.

Hirte credits understanding high school teachers and college professors with inspiring her to reach her full potential despite the challenges she faced. “Now, I aspire to be that guiding light and create meaningful change in public education as a third-grade teacher,” she wrote in her Community College President’s Scholarship application.

A First-Generation Graduate

A large cheering section with multiple generations of Hirte’s family will be on hand at Chaifetz Arena to celebrate her graduation on Sunday.

“I hope my husband and I can keep it together,” said Hirte’s mom, Gabriella. “He’s as emotional as I am whenever we talk about all the things she’s doing, and all the great things that she’s going to do.”

“It’s everything a parent wants,” Gabriella continued. “You know, when you have children, you want them to be something, you want them to grow up and do something. You want them to have the opportunities that you didn’t have.”