Life often takes us down unexpected paths. This is true for Brynn Kleist, who began a journey to become a forensic scientist but ended up becoming an educator for at-risk and non-traditional students.
Growing up in La Porte, Kleist spent her freshman and sophomore years at La Porte High School before transferring to Indiana Academy in Muncie for her junior and senior years. After high school, she began to pursue a degree in forensic science at Purdue University West Lafayette. However, it wasn't long before she realized that forensic science was not her true calling.
With the need to choose a new career path, Kleist turned to her mom for advice.
“When I decided that forensic science wasn’t for me, I started considering other options,” said Kleist. “My mom suggested I become a teacher. She planted that seed, and it grew from there.”
Her mother's suggestion resonated with her, as Kleist had always enjoyed being around children throughout her life. She realized that becoming a teacher would be a perfect fit for her and decided to transfer to Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) to pursue a degree in elementary education.
Kleist completed her degree during a fall semester, resulting in a December graduation. This created a challenge for her to find a teaching position in the middle of the school year.
“When I went to school for my elementary education degree, my intent was to teach kindergarten after graduation,” Kleist said. “Since I graduated in December, there weren’t many teaching positions available mid-school year. My mom, who worked for the county, mentioned an opening at the juvenile center. I applied, got the job, and spent my first year there working with the students on the units.”
A year later, a teaching position opened up, and Kleist jumped at the opportunity. Throughout her 10 years working at the La Porte County Juvenile Services Center, she worked her way up to eventually become the Education Coordinator.
Though working at the juvenile center wasn’t where Kleist initially envisioned herself working, it became a pivotal workplace for her.
“I fell in love with working with at-risk kids—those who have a lot going on and need someone who understands and doesn’t look down on them or reprimand them,” Kleist said. “They need someone who works around whatever they’re dealing with at home, in school, or elsewhere.”
After a decade of working at the juvenile center, Kleist started to feel that she needed to find a job with more career advancement opportunities. When she learned about a position at the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) in the La Porte Community School Corporation and noticed the similarity in the programs used there and at the juvenile center, she decided to take the chance and apply.
For the past three years, Kleist has served as the Coordinator of Online Learning at the VLA. In this role, she supervises both the VLA and the homeschool program.
“My main duty is to monitor students and assist them with their online classes in the VLA lab,” Kleist siad. “My primary responsibility is to help these students get the credits they need to catch up or graduate. My second responsibility is monitoring our homeschool students. Currently, we have about 30 kids enrolled in our online homeschool program. My job is to monitor their progress, ensure they’re logging in, and act as the liaison between students, parents, and our online programs, helping with any issues that arise.”
Working with non-traditional students has brought Kleist great fulfillment. This is a passion that began during her time at the juvenile center.
“My favorite part of my job is working with the students,” said Kleist. “I have a lot of experience working with non-traditional, alternative education students—kids who don’t thrive in a traditional environment. I did this at the juvenile center and brought that experience here. It’s about working with kids who need a different type of learning and nurturing.”
The VLA brings a profound impact on students’ outlook on graduation. Kleist observes firsthand how the program transforms their attitudes, opening up new possibilities and helping them see a brighter future.
“Many kids come in doubting their ability to graduate on time or succeed in school,” Kleist said. “This program opens up new possibilities for them. Over the last three years, several students who weren’t expected to graduate on time have put in the effort and succeeded. The calm, quiet, small group environment here works for them because they don’t have to deal with the chaos of crowded classrooms, hallways, or cafeterias.”
Beyond her professional life, Kleist is a dedicated mother of eight, with four children still living at home. She spends much of her free time taking her kids to wrestling, swimming, football, or softball practices and games. Alongside of this, she has begun a new academic journey, pursuing a PhD in educational administration online through Ball State University.