Jill Hoheisel, Special Education at Healy
Hello! I’m Jill Hoheisel, one of five Special Education teachers at the high school. In addition, I teach the elementary Extended School Year (ESY) during the summer months, oversee the Pierz Alternative Program (PAP), chaperone many of the extracurricular activities after school, and assist with the concession stands.
I was raised in the Hillman area on a family dairy farm. Growing up on the farm with my three sisters and brother, my Mom and Dad pushed us to work hard. Together we shared many responsibilities including milking cows before and after school, feeding calves, baling hay, and picking rocks. I’m grateful not only for the childhood memories that this time left me with, but for the lifelong lessons that were instilled in me. Growing up on the family farm taught me the importance of family, working together, respect, faith, and the true meaning of hard work. Little did I know at the time, I would later apply all of these skills to a career where my education once started!
I attended and graduated from Pierz Healy High School. While attending high school, I participated in basketball, Student Council, yearbook, band, and pep band. When I was a junior on the basketball team, we were the first girls team to make it to state and bring home a 3rd place trophy. It was so exciting!
I went on to further my education at St. Cloud State University to become a Elementary Education Teacher. While living in the dorms, a group of my friends decided to volunteer at a Special Olympics Track Meet held at SCSU. After that event, I knew that I wanted to change my degree to Special Education. The following two years of school, I attended many of my classes at night so that I could work as a paraprofessional during the day at several elementary schools in the area. I discovered I loved working with small groups of individuals and seeing the smiles on their faces when they were successful! After graduating from SCSU, I accepted a position with the St. Cloud School District. I taught at several schools, however the majority of my time was spent teaching at Talahi Elementary. I was with the St. Cloud District for six years before I decided to return home and accept a position here in Pierz. I’m now in my 20th year with the Pierz district and I can still say that the Pierz Community is one of the best! When I first came back, the first thing that I recognized was how polite Pierz students truly are. We probably don’t always appreciate and realize this until we experience life away from Pierz. We are very fortunate!
I continue to live in the Hillman area on my husband’s family farm. Brad and I have been married for almost 27 years and have six healthy kids, five girls and one boy. Brad is a bus driver for the Pierz District, farms and cuts a lot of wood on the side. Kylee is our oldest daughter and is an RN at the Little Falls Hospital. Mariah is a Dental Hygienist at Falls Court in Little Falls. Megan is also a Dental Hygienist at Winegar Dental in Brainerd. Megan was our first to get married and we are excited to add another boy to our family, Scott Herold. Scott is a School Counselor at the Sauk Rapids Middle School. Nicole “Nikki” is attending Minnesota State University Moorhead and will graduate at the end of December with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. Bryce is a Senior here at Healy High School and will attend CLC- Staples to become a Diesel Mechanic next fall. Last but not least, Madison “Madi” is a sophomore here at Pierz.
In school and out of school, I love spending time with my family, friends, and colleagues. Some of my favorite pastimes include going for walks or runs with my family, sitting by a pool, visiting, and participating or attending various sporting events. My future goals and dreams will definitely also involve kids. I would love to spend time rocking babies in a hospital and hopefully watching my own grandkids.
I was raised in the Hillman area on a family dairy farm. Growing up on the farm with my three sisters and brother, my Mom and Dad pushed us to work hard. Together we shared many responsibilities including milking cows before and after school, feeding calves, baling hay, and picking rocks. I’m grateful not only for the childhood memories that this time left me with, but for the lifelong lessons that were instilled in me. Growing up on the family farm taught me the importance of family, working together, respect, faith, and the true meaning of hard work. Little did I know at the time, I would later apply all of these skills to a career where my education once started!
I attended and graduated from Pierz Healy High School. While attending high school, I participated in basketball, Student Council, yearbook, band, and pep band. When I was a junior on the basketball team, we were the first girls team to make it to state and bring home a 3rd place trophy. It was so exciting!
I went on to further my education at St. Cloud State University to become a Elementary Education Teacher. While living in the dorms, a group of my friends decided to volunteer at a Special Olympics Track Meet held at SCSU. After that event, I knew that I wanted to change my degree to Special Education. The following two years of school, I attended many of my classes at night so that I could work as a paraprofessional during the day at several elementary schools in the area. I discovered I loved working with small groups of individuals and seeing the smiles on their faces when they were successful! After graduating from SCSU, I accepted a position with the St. Cloud School District. I taught at several schools, however the majority of my time was spent teaching at Talahi Elementary. I was with the St. Cloud District for six years before I decided to return home and accept a position here in Pierz. I’m now in my 20th year with the Pierz district and I can still say that the Pierz Community is one of the best! When I first came back, the first thing that I recognized was how polite Pierz students truly are. We probably don’t always appreciate and realize this until we experience life away from Pierz. We are very fortunate!
I continue to live in the Hillman area on my husband’s family farm. Brad and I have been married for almost 27 years and have six healthy kids, five girls and one boy. Brad is a bus driver for the Pierz District, farms and cuts a lot of wood on the side. Kylee is our oldest daughter and is an RN at the Little Falls Hospital. Mariah is a Dental Hygienist at Falls Court in Little Falls. Megan is also a Dental Hygienist at Winegar Dental in Brainerd. Megan was our first to get married and we are excited to add another boy to our family, Scott Herold. Scott is a School Counselor at the Sauk Rapids Middle School. Nicole “Nikki” is attending Minnesota State University Moorhead and will graduate at the end of December with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. Bryce is a Senior here at Healy High School and will attend CLC- Staples to become a Diesel Mechanic next fall. Last but not least, Madison “Madi” is a sophomore here at Pierz.
In school and out of school, I love spending time with my family, friends, and colleagues. Some of my favorite pastimes include going for walks or runs with my family, sitting by a pool, visiting, and participating or attending various sporting events. My future goals and dreams will definitely also involve kids. I would love to spend time rocking babies in a hospital and hopefully watching my own grandkids.
