Mr. Steve Schels has been a teacher for 28 years. He began his teaching career 1996 and majored in history at Rutgers University.  Many students recognize him as a history and sociology teacher here at Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Through his knowledge and genuine passion for his subject and students, Mr. Schels is a great teacher to represent our school. Inspiration from his own fantastic teachers and college professors during his education is what impacted his career in a truly positive manner. I had the honor of sitting down with Mr. Schels to learn a little bit more about him and his viewpoints on certain topics. One of the first things that I established with Mr. Schels was to understand why sociology is an important subject and recognize how it affects our environment and culture in today's world.  Mr. Schels believes, “It is the type of class that can be very practical and very illuminating; meaning we get a better sense of ourselves and we get a better sense of others, including the society and culture that we live in.” However, along with teaching sociology, comes controversial topics. Many are sensitive issues, but he doesn’t think that is a reason to avoid addressing them. Instead of being fearful, Mr. Schels trusts that it can benefit students and allow them to see different perspectives and generate questions that encourage debates. He wants his students to arrive at their own conclusions by providing them with as much information as he can.