Alumni return as teachers and administrators

WINTER HAVEN | After 24 years in the public school system, Jennifer Insua returned to her alma mater of St. Joseph Catholic School as a teacher and now, principal. Accompanying her on staff are four other alumni who credit the school’s “family atmosphere” and Catholic values as their reason for returning.

“I believe our alumni return to teach in Catholic education because of the faith formation they received as students,” shared Erika Wikstrom, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “Our schools instill the importance of servant leadership and community fellowship. We see this across our diocese. It’s truly a reflection of the beauty and ministry of our Catholic Church.”

Insua attended St. Joseph from 1976 to 1984. Her parents sent all five siblings to school there. She attended first- through eighth-grade, then attended public school. At the time, St. Joseph had one class per grade, nuns served as principal and teachers, and specials like art and music took place monthly. Today, the school boasts two classes per grade, except for second grade, which has three. There is also Pre K-3 and Pre-K 4. Specials are weekly, and the school now has a gymnasium.

Although the school community has grown, the fundamental principle that drives its mission remains the same: “to foster a diverse community of disciples empowered through a rigorous and inclusive Catholic education rooted in Gospel values and service to others.”

“I remember it being very personalized learning. The teachers helped you out with whatever you needed,” Insua said. “Going to Mass was instilled in me. That was a beautiful thing to be able to do. And coming back, I just, I knew that God was calling me.”

St. Joseph Catholic School, Winter Haven, Principal Jennifer Insua attended the school from first to eighth grade. (COURTESY)

“I had been praying for several years about what God wanted me to do, whether He wanted me to stay in public schools or just leave teaching altogether. I wasn’t sure,” she recalled. “I went to Mass one day and I’d been really, really praying. I opened up the bulletin, and it said, ‘fourth grade teacher needed’ and that’s what I’d been teaching in the public schools.” It was a sign. She applied and got the job. “God had a plan for me to be a part of this community, and it was like coming home when I got back here. It was always such a family atmosphere to start with. It was just like, ‘Welcome back. You’re where you need to be,’” she said.

That was 10 years ago, and she finds there is still a close relationship between the school, the church and the priests serving there. She said, at its heart is “our Catholic faith. It was so strong in me then, and it’s so strong here now, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see… Our number one mission is to get our kids to heaven and have them be saints. We have high expectations for both the faith and for academics.”

She noted the fact she works with four other alumni says a lot about the family, faith-filled atmosphere that draws people back.

One of those teachers is Ricci Keown. Her family moved to Winter Haven in 1985, and sent her to St. Joseph for fifth through eighth grade. She too recalled the “family atmosphere and always looking to create a bigger family.” She said she learned to look for the work of the Holy Spirit, in and out of religious settings. She recalled, “finding the Holy Spirit in the most random places and being super excited.”

Going on to a large public high school, she said meeting people of different backgrounds and finding moments to help someone or receive help were Spirit led experiences.

When she had her own children, she sent all three to St. Joseph.

“There was a little bit of, ‘I went here, so I knew it would turn out great,’ I guess. But I also knew what kind of people they would become.” It is still a place where faith is important, and the community looks out for one another.

In her professional career, she spent six years at public schools before going to work at St. Joseph. “I love the family involvement that we have here and obviously the faith-based part of it. And then I just love the fact that we get to pray with the kids all the time,” she said. She teaches kindergarten and recognizes parents have many choices today about where they will send their children to school — charter schools, magnet schools, public schools. “But I do think a Catholic school offers a well-rounded education that nurtures the whole child and doesn’t just focus on pushing the academics or pushing to pass a test,” she said.

The school requires parents complete service hours and both Insua and Keown believe having the parents on campus imbues that sense of family and living out the faith.

“We are all called to be saints,” Keown said. “Living your life in that way and teaching kids to live their lives in a way that one day they could possibly be a saint matters.”

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic staff, November 21, 2025