New math teacher Jennifer Riepl says she really loves to connect with children academically as well as personally.

“I work really well with kids who struggle,” Riepl said.

Riepl says she really loves to help kids one-on-one and this love for teaching all started in a faraway place that many wouldn’t expect.

Riepl was first teaching in Africa for two years in the American school of Yaoundé.

“I did my first two years of teaching in Africa and set up the special-ed program at the American school of Yaoundé,” Riepl said.

Jennifer Riepl set up a program to help special needs children in Africa in just two years of teaching there.

Riepl said she was nervous to come back to a high school and then wanted a walkthrough of the school to make sure the job was right for her.

“I asked if I could do a walkthrough before I accepted the position, I came and I met the people and the teachers, the kids amazed me. Just the feeling of this is a family, everybody was really supportive and excited to have me on board, that’s what I was looking for,” Riepl said.

Riepl says she really felt a part of a huge family full of supportive staff and students. She says she really found what she was looking for and fell in love with Puyallup High School.

Bio; Riepl said that her nickname is the “Grim Riepl”.  Riepl says that she has heard her last name pronounced incorrectly in numerous ways, so she thought that her best hint to get her name right is that her last name rhymes with people. Jennifer Riepl attended Eastern Washington University for college. Also, Riepl grew up in Spokane Washington.