New CCS English teacher also a Mother of the Year honoree

Erin Konecky is a new face with a ready smile at Chase County Schools this year.
Konecky is teaching sophomore and junior English classes and a photography class.
She is also the advisor for the yearbook.
While in school, Konecky had dreams of pursuing a career as an on-air reporter.
She attended Doane University in Crete receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2004 in mass communications.
“About halfway through college though, I started to change my mind about the direction of my career,” Konecky said.
She had a number of different jobs throughout her school years and after, including working for a radio station and selling cars, she said, but none of them felt right.
“My mom was a teacher and told me she thought I would be a good teacher,” she added.
She returned to school at the Lincoln campus of Doane University to acquire some required English classes.
From 2006-2010, Konecky enrolled in graduate studies in curriculum and instruction. During that time she received her teaching certification in 2008 for English and Language Arts grades 7-12.
She had found her calling and went on to teach at Prague Public Schools, Doane College in Crete and most recently, Waverly School District 145 before coming to CCS.
“When I was in high school I was so bored by the repetitiveness in the classroom,” said Konecky.
“I wanted to shake things up a bit as a teacher,” she added.
She said she believes students learn best from who they like and respect.
“I want to be that person,” she said.
No stranger to personal loss
For the last six years or so, Konecky said she has focused on mental health and trauma and how to support students who might be going through it.
“My own experience with grief and trauma, especially while in school, has changed how I look at how kids focus and learn at school. I know how hard it is to learn during times of trauma,” Konecky said.
She maintains an awareness not only with all of her students, but those who are troubled so she can keep in personal communication with them and their needs, she said.
“I like giving written affirmations and encouragement through cards or emails for those students who might need it,” she added.
Just one of her losses that led her to finding a way to help others was the loss of a son in 2017 who only lived 96 minutes after birth, said Konecky.
She was awarded Nebraska Mother of the Year by Gov. Ricketts in 2019 in recognition of her determination to make something good out of her own experience of loss.
In partnership with the Governor’s office, Konecky created a new program to send condolence cards to parents who have experienced the loss of a newborn.
Gov. Ricketts noted her courage, empathy and community spirit and the admirable way in which she turned personal tragedy into an opportunity to extend care and compassion to others.
A special surprise
In 1990, when Konecky was just a child, her family was in a bad car accident near Lewellen when they were hit by a drunk driver.
Konecky was placed in an ambulance in serious condition, and EMS personnel were not sure she would continue breathing on the way to the hospital.
They asked an RN who was on scene to ride with her in case she stopped breathing.
Fast forward to her first day of school at CCS—Konecky was approached by Angie Paisley, CCS school nurse, who introduced herself as the nurse who rode with her to the hospital all those years ago.
“It was the coolest thing ever,” Konecky said.
Konecky was raised on a farm in Brule with five other siblings. She and her husband, 10-year-old biological son, two adopted siblings, ages four and six, and their angel-son who passed away after birth, moved to Imperial last summer, buying a house just outside of Imperial, she said.
She said she loves to read and share her books with her students.
“I joined a book club in town—I’ve always wanted to join a book club,” she smiled.