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Check out our new stories!
Meet Miss. Viets
Meet Miss. Viets
By: Makayla Cole
Picture Provided by: Makayla Cole
This year, Odessa High School welcomed a new face to its agriculture department, Hanna Viets.
“This is not my first year teaching; this is actually my fourth year,” Viets said. “I had approximately 70 students in my FFA chapter, which is a bit smaller compared to the approximately 170 students that we have here at Odessa.”
Even though she was at a different school, Viets says that she already feels so welcome.
“Odessa has felt like home since I started here in July. Everyone has been super welcoming and kind from the start,” Viets said.
She explained that both the staff and students have made her transition smooth and enjoyable. As well as the students, add that she's a great addition to the school.
“She’s a cool teacher, she’s nice and funny, she’s smart,” said Roman Middleton, a sophomore, who has Viets for Welding 1 and 2.
Middleton said his favorite part of the class so far has been stick welding, and he enjoys how supportive and passionate she is toward her students.
“I think Mrs. Viets is a very passionate teacher with a lot of passion,” said Nora Eaton, a sophomore, who takes Ag Leadership with her.
Eaton said her favorite lesson so far has been the “Escape Leadership Island” activity.
“We got split into teams and had ten minutes to pick three leadership qualities to use to escape the island.” She said it helped her learn the importance of teamwork and communication.
Viets not only cares and watches over her kids in the classroom, but she also makes sure they succeed out of the classroom, too.
“My students so far have been super respectful and polite to me,” she said. “It’s important for me as a teacher to watch my students succeed both inside and outside of my classroom.”
Photo credits to Kory Hales
Meeting Jeff Brown
By Makayla Cole
Jeff Brown is the boys' Physical Education teacher at OHS, and head coach boys' wrestling.
Brown has been a wrestling coach and teacher for 25 years. He started teaching at Odessa High School in 2001, where he taught Physical Education and Remedial Reading.
“During those years, I also coached softball,” said Brown.
“After seven years in Odessa, I moved to Warrensburg High School, where I taught weights for 15 years and coached the middle school football and wrestling teams,” said Brown.
In 2023, he returned to Odessa and spent two years teaching middle school health before returning to the High School.
“Right where I began my teaching career 25 years ago,” said Brown.
“I’ve had the honor and privilege of teaching all my children, nieces, and nephews over the years. Jet is the only one I’ve never had as a student.” Jet Brown, junior, is Jeff Brown's son. “Still, it’s meaningful to be close by and to share the same environment,” Jeff Brown said.
When Jeff Brown came back to the high school in 2025, he got to work with a former student whom he coached, Hannah Hill, OHS art teacher.
“I coached her in softball years ago, so she has seen me as both a coach and a colleague,” said Brown
“Coach Brown was a great coach,” said Hill. “I say that he changed my life, and it sounds dramatic, but it's true. He made me realize the person that I wanted to become. He helped me believe in myself and helped me see how capable I was.”
When Hill found out that one of her new coworkers would be Brown, she felt many different emotions, starting with shock.
“I was first shocked and excited when I found out that Coach Brown and I would be working in the same district and that he was back in Odessa. When he later shared the news with me that he was going to be teaching in the building that I was in, I felt like it was too good to be true,” said Hill. “I remember feeling tears come to my eyes.”
While Brown has visited various types of buildings and met different people, it's safe to say that he has made a significant impact on many individuals. Hill is an example of that.
“I feel truly lucky to have kept in touch with Coach Brown since I graduated high school and to call him a friend and now co-worker,” said Hill
Meet Keli Beachner
By: Makayla Cole
Kelli Beachner is the high school registrar and counseling secretary.
High school registrar has a busy job managing and maintaining student records. They also oversee enrollment and withdrawals as well as coordinate transcript requests from both current students and alumni.
“I support the counselors through scheduling, communication with students, families, and staff, and by handling daily administrative tasks to ensure everything runs efficiently,” Beachner said.
As registrar and counseling secretary, her role involves balancing many daily office responsibilities to make sure the counseling center operates smoothly. Beachner has the ability to stay organized, which was a factor in hiring her.
“She was our most qualified candidate. She comes from a finance background. She worked in an insurance office and did claims. She was used to a very fast-paced environment, which is very important in the counseling center.” Julie Whitaker, OHS counselor said. “When we get close to graduation, it tends to get a little crazy here, but she has stayed calm.”
Beachner shows this qualification through how she does her job and acts with the students.
“She's very good at making sure it's accurate, which is good when it comes to credits, grades, and GPAs, so that's very helpful to know she cares as much as we do; she's super friendly and always helps kids,” Whitaker said.
Beachner's ability to manage a variety of tasks helped the counseling center during busy times.
“I’m motivated by knowing that the work I do helps keep things organized and efficient for students, families, and staff. A lot of what I do is behind the scenes, but it makes a difference in keeping students on track and making sure people have what they need,” Beachner said.
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