The new school year brought many new things, including teachers. This year we welcomed five new staff members into the Lakeview community!

Sara Dager-Smith is one of our many new faces and even a returning Bulldog! Dager-Smith earned her high school degree at Lakeview High then moved forward to Youngstown State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Science Education. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education at Montclair State University where she received her master’s degree in Environmental science.

Dager-Smith has quite a bit of experience with education. She taught in New Jersey as an Adjunct Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Kean University teaching Earth and Environmental Science and a few other courses. When she moved back to Ohio she picked up teaching as soon as possible and taught biology for three years at Niles McKinley High School.

Dager-Smith is looking forward to catching up with everyone in the Lakeview community including staff and students. She told us that she’s not looking forward, “to planning and preparing four, new-for-me, classes in one year. It’s going to be a lot of work but hopefully we can all learn a lot and have some fun along the way!” With a jam-packed year, she hopes to help out with Homecoming and make it to a few Lakeview sporting events and concerts. When Dager-Smith has a moment away from planning and grading, she enjoys being with her husband and two kids, baking, exploring nature, and playing games.

Since Dager-Smith has returned back to her roots of being a Bulldog we asked her what it was like to be a Bulldog and she answered, “It means so much to me to be a Bulldog again! I am very thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to come back and contribute to a community that shaped me into so much of the person I am.”

She thinks Lakeview students are getting closer to a normal environment and said, “so far, so good!” She gave her first week of teaching a five out of five!

It’s exciting to welcome new members to Lakeview and we’re excited to see how Dager-Smith enjoys her first year back at Lakeview!