Positivity. That would be the best word to describe Mr. Koonce.

You may know him as the purple shirt guy since he typically wears purple shirts on Thursdays.

The little things like these are the things that keep Mr. Koonce going. 

Mr. Koonce is an AP Environmental Science and Forensics teacher at Prior Lake High School. He’s always had a love for science, especially forensics.

Koonce went to Burnsville High School and had a very different college experience than an average student. He went to 7 different colleges, but most of his time was spent at Metropolitan State University and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. However, he originally saw himself as an administrator, not a teacher.

While in college, Koonce volunteered for the boys and girls club. He had to do a certain amount of hours of tutoring for one of the classes he was in. He took a lot of inspiration from the teacher who taught this class.

“Just the way he ran the class and how caring he was, that’s one of the things I wanted to take away,” Koonce said. “He was a big influence on me wanting to be a teacher. He was also the first teacher of color that I had so that was pretty eye opening to me.”

Koonce has also taken inspiration from participating in his community and giving back. 

“I want to be close to the community I grew up in and make it a better place,” Mr. Koonce said. 

At PLHS, Mr. Koonce is also part of a group of teachers called the Coalition of Teachers of Color. 

“It’s kind of nice to be able to get together with other teachers of color and just talk about different things,” Koonce said. 

Koonce wants to be a good role model for his students and make a difference in their lives. He does this by joking with the students and putting smiles on their faces.

“I like being able to make jokes with him, and I think that’s a really cool thing,” said Ellie Reckmeyer, a senior in Mr. Koonce’s class.

Koonce tries to have a joke or small riddle on the board everyday. He also wants to be able to be a person the students can look up to and influence in a positive way. 

“When it comes to impact, I just want to be a positive influence for some kids because I know that some kids don’t get that,” Koonce said. “If I can be that for those people, to me, that’s a success.”

Koonce finds joy in being able to help the students by not only teaching them but also being there for them.

“He really cares about the class, and he really tries to make connections with us one on one,” said Kyza Duevel, another senior in Mr. Koonce’s class. “I enjoy the class, and he’s a very good teacher. He helps me understand when I have questions.”

Mr. Koonce has a passion for teaching, and it’s obvious when you’re in the classroom.

“I think he really cares about what he teaches, and it shows. It makes science more interesting to learn,” Ellie said.