Some things just seem to turn out the way they should.

It’s like Mike Matheny starring behind the plate for the Cardinals for five seasons and returning to manage the Cards to four consecutive postseason appearances.

Stephanie Mohr may have been destined to come to her new job this fall as principal at Career Center for Southern Illinois (formerly Beck Area Career Center) east of Hecker.  There, she replaced recently retiring, longtime principal Patti Miles in August.
Although she grew up in Waterloo, Mohr spent much time on the family farm south of Ruma and was heavily involved with horses and all things agricultural.

A 2000 graduate of Waterloo High School, Mohr pursued her interest in agriculture by heading to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. There, she studied agricultural education, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 2004. She said she also loved sciences in school, and that so much of modern agriculture is deeply scientific.

Following two years of employment with Purina at their Gray Summit, Mo., Farm, she entered education, teaching agricultural technology for seven years and sponsoring an FFA chapter at the Clyde Miller Career Academy in St. Louis.

“I knew I wanted to continue my path upward to leadership,” she told the Republic-Times recently. “So I returned to Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville to work toward a master’s degree in education administration.”
She achieved that goal in 2012 and took her skills and ambition to the East St. Louis School District, where she served as Director of Career and Technical Education.

In 2015, a number of elements seemed to coalesce.

Stephanie’s parents, Rick and Carol Schilling, both were students at Beck. Her mom focused on business skills and her dad trained as an auto mechanic. Her husband, Toby, gained his skills as a welder at Beck. Inevitably, it seems Stephanie had to wind up there, too.

“We didn’t know how we were going to replace Patti Miles when she retired,” CCSI Director Mark Stuart said. “I can’t tell you how amazing it was to find Stephanie to come in and take the leadership baton.”

As principal, Mohr is responsible for the education of some 150 students who come from schools in St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph counties for technical education, which is a more accurate description of vocational education. She also oversees the daily activities of 75 full-time students.

Asked about her new job, Mohr said, “I absolutely love it here. The students are great.  The staff members are consummate professionals and caring individuals – and they are a great team.  As a farm girl, I love the location. I look out my window and see fields, deer.”

As she walked across the campus at the former Army Nike Antiaircraft Missile Base, she spoke of her students.

“I am amazed at the number of students who are here because they really want to be,” she said. “Many simply didn’t fit at traditional schools that are more college prep oriented, and are happy to be here, using their hands and their minds to prepare for in-demand, good paying and satisfying job futures.

Mohr led a tour of the facility, past buildings where students study law enforcement, child care, health occupations, HVAC, to an area where young men and women were finishing a two-hour period preparing in auto collision repair, auto service and welding.

There, she chatted with two young men who were intently engaged in bringing an auto radio to life and balancing its output across a four-speaker sound system.

First grabbing a pair of safety glasses for herself, she peered closely at their work, asking questions and getting explanations of what they were doing.

An education leader, parent (the Mohrs have two children: Madeline, 8, and Cody, 2) and a farm girl at heart, Mohr understands the value of blending science and hard work.

This appears to be another local success story that is just turning out as it should.