This school year, Herkimer Central School District is focusing the Spotlight Q&A feature on Herkimer CSD alumni who are giving back to the school community by working in the district as teachers or staff.
Spotlight on: Brianne Bello
Library media specialist
“The chance to be part of a school community that has impacted my life in such positive ways is something that I will always be grateful for. I hope to do the same for others as what was done for me in my time here both growing up and as an adult.”
Q. What year did you graduate from Herkimer?
A. 2012
Q. What’s your favorite high school memory?
A. Having all of my friends in one place!
Q. What led you to become a teacher?
A. Coaching students right after high school really helped me realize that I would enjoy working in a school in a similar capacity. I’ve always loved libraries and reading, so a job as an LMS just made sense to me.
Q. What else have you been doing between when you graduated from Herkimer and now?
A. After graduation, I attended Herkimer College and began coaching varsity softball here at the high school in 2013. After transferring to SUNY Plattsburgh, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in gender and women’s studies in 2016. I moved back home to the valley to begin working for Upstate Cerebral Palsy full-time at their Tradewinds Education Center. In 2017, I took a job coaching modified softball at Herkimer High School also, which I’ve continued to do since. That fall, I started a full-time job as a teacher’s assistant here with plans to acquire my own master’s degree. I obtained a Master of Science in School Librarianship from the University at Buffalo in the spring of 2021. Last year, I bought my first home – which has been an adventure in itself!
Q. Did anyone from Herkimer Central School District influence you in becoming who you are today?
A. My favorite coach, who was also a teacher at Herkimer Elementary School, was Missy Lasowski. She is such a large part of why I do what I do both in our classrooms and at our athletic fields. She is greatly missed, and her influence was immeasurable.
Q. What makes you most excited or most fulfilled about working at Herkimer after previously going to school here?
A. The chance to be part of a school community that has impacted my life in such positive ways is something that I will always be grateful for. I hope to do the same for others as what was done for me in my time here both growing up and as an adult.
Q. What advice do you have for current Herkimer students?
A. Enjoy your time here! One day, you’re eating lunch with your friends and getting ready for school dances, and the next thing you know, you’re running a library.
A photo of Brianne Bello playing softball as a Herkimer high school student:
