Mullan School District welcomes its newest staff members

The Mullan School District has welcomed two new teachers to their staff, but neither of them are new to the area.

Dr. Heather Branstetter and Ben Clark have accepted the positions of counselor and Jr/Sr high math respectively and both are excited to be in Mullan.

Clark had spent the previous three school years working at Wallace Jr/Sr High School, teaching math there, but thought that he would enjoy the individual attention he could give each student that comes with the smaller class sizes.

“The staff and students here are great,” Clark said. “I think it’s going to be a great fit here.”

In administrative role of counselor, Branstetter has found a means for her to continue working with students in a way that she had found very rewarding.

“Since I have moved back I had been doing behavioral intervention work for Pinehurst Elementary,” Branstetter said. “Most of them were dealing with things like trauma or substance abuse, but I really enjoyed working with the kids.”

Branstetter then heard about the opening at MHS and threw her name into the hat after some motivation from principal Don Kotschevar.

“I put some feelers out about the job,” Branstetter said, “and Don followed up and told me that he really thought I should apply.”

Kotschevar is always excited for new people to be a part of Mullan and these two are no different.

“I’m excited for us to have them,” Kotschevar said. “I think they are going to be excellent for us.”

For Branstetter, a Wallace graduate, the most difficult part of working in Mullan might be cheering against her alma mater.

“I do like the color purple,” Branstetter said with a coy smile.

Maybe it won’t be difficult.