Septer Duang sits in Mrs. Sorgenfrei's room as he subs for her class on Tuesday, September 3.
Hastings High alumnus Septer Duang is back in Hastings, this time as a substitute throughout the district.
Duang plans to substitute as many days as he can during the school year at different schools. He wants to get back into education and pursue it as a full-time career after switching his major from education to human sciences before graduating from UNL.
“I’d like to sub as many days as I can. I like Hastings High. It’s where I graduated, so it feels comfortable,” Duang said. “I haven’t done middle school yet, but I’ve subbed at a couple elementaries.”
Taking classes on education in college and being in the classroom during college is where Duang’s interest in subbing first began.
“I got a minor in education; I did a lot of student teaching and practicums and stuff like that when I was in college. So those are some of the experiences that gave me the interest to be a sub, and I just felt like subbing in for a school that I went to just makes it that much of a better experience,” Duang said.
Duang grew up in Hastings after moving to Hastings from South Sudan when he was around seven.
“Just being a former student here and growing up in Hastings is kind of really the connection I have with (Hastings). And just always a fan of Hastings High, even when I was in Lincoln and I would hear Hastings made it to state and stuff like that, if I had the time I would definitely try to go to support them,” Duang said.
Duang has enjoyed seeing some of the people who are at Hastings High from when he was at the high school, including former teachers.
“Coming back and subbing at like, Hastings High, it’s like, ‘Hey, I get to see some of my former teachers,’ and they’re still here teaching,” Duang said. “So it’s just crazy to see that there was a point in time I was sitting in the desk, and now I’m on the other side, taking attendance and instructing the class and stuff.”
After graduating from Hastings High in 2012, Duang attended Central Community College in Columbus where he played basketball for two years. Duang transferred to UNL after deciding to not continue playing basketball in college because of how much time it takes to be involved in college athletics.
“So I actually took a couple years off at the school in general when I first moved to Lincoln. That’s why it took me about, like, what, seven years to finish my bachelor’s (degree). So in that time, I took a couple years off, and then I decided, ‘Hey, maybe I do want to finish my school, I do want to finish my education,’” Duang said. “Because I say sometimes it is necessary for students to, I’m not going to say every single time, but at times it’s okay to give yourself, like a year off, or two, to figure out what you want to do. If you’re just taking classes to take classes, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is something I don’t have passion for. This is something that I don’t like.’ No matter what you’re going to be burnt out and… bored and you’re going to be kind of over it.”
In order to graduate two years earlier, Duang switched his major from education to human sciences.
“I actually was going to be a teacher in college, but I decided that I just switched my major at the last second because it was going to take longer at the university,” Duang said. “It’s like, you have to go into Teachers College, which is like an additional two more years. And then after that, I just decided that I didn’t want to be in college for two more years, you know, so I switched my major so that I can graduate sooner.”
After graduating from UNL, Duang decided to move to LA and worked as a personal trainer.
“The other part was just helping them achieve a healthier lifestyle. Many people were out of shape and they wanted to get in shape for whatever reason, or they just have had really bad habits for such a long time, so we got to break some of those,” Duang said. “And it felt good when they got to achieve some of their goals, and getting back in shape. And so I think it was just a good feeling because you can never put a price on your health. And so I feel like me being able to be there and assist the few individuals that I worked with was a calling to kind of give that.”
The thing Duang would say all of the jobs he has had have in common is helping others.
“I would say probably being able to help others (is what all of my jobs have in common),” Duang said. “Because I think when I’m teaching, I’m helping. When I’m coaching, I’m helping. And when I’m training, I’m helping. It’s just a sense of being able to help others, I think that’s what ties that all together.”
