This year there are two new teachers to O’Gorman High School: Mr. Costanzo and Ms. Kokenge. This article explores a bit about their past and time now at O’Gorman. 

Mr. Costanzo began to gain an interest in art through art classes offered at his school. He wanted to become an art teacher because he “want[ed] to show beginning art students that they are more capable than they might think and to help advanced art students better express themselves with new skills and methods.” 

He started off his teaching career at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School, where he would teach Drawing and Painting for the next 11 years. He then moved to St. Joseph Academy for a year, where he taught Elementary Art. He found O’Gorman through Mr. Robey, the former art teacher at OGHS whom he is also friends with. Mr. Robey told Mr. Costanzo that he was moving to the elementary schools and that Mr. Costanzo would be a good fit to take over for him at the high school. 

Right now, he teaches Drawing and Painting I, II, III and IV at O’Gorman High School and 7th and 8th Grade Art at O’Gorman Junior High. Next semester, he will also start teaching graphic design at OGHS. His favorite part of teaching is helping students to appreciate art and notice the beauty that surrounds them. He lastly adds, “I’m happy to teach at O’Gorman and I’m looking forward to getting to know more students and teachers as the year goes on.”

Ms. Kokenge has always loved science because she has always been interested in how and why the world operates. She states that “Structure & Function has always been fascinating to me and has only strengthened my faith- nothing was created by accident, and everything has a place and purpose.”

She wanted to become a teacher because she “…[wanted] to share [her] passion for the sciences and foster curiosity and discovery so that [her] students can look at the world through the same technicolored glasses that [she does]”. 

After graduating from O’Gorman in 2020, she taught at Dell Rapids under two science teachers (who taught Anatomy, Chemistry, Forensic Science, Physical Science, and Biology) for a year and then moved back to O’Gorman to start her first year of teaching. 

She currently teaches Biology and Chemistry at OGHS. Because she went to O’Gorman not so long ago, she is very familiar with the environment at O’Gorman and has not run into any surprises. Her favorite thing about teaching has been seeing her students come out of their shells over the first few weeks. 

O’Gorman is very happy to add these two teachers to their lists of staff and talent.