It wasn’t too long ago that Catasauqua Middle School sixth-grade math and language arts teacher James Snyder was walking the halls of the middle school as a student.

Snyder, who is a 2012 graduate of Catasauqua High School, received his bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University in middle level education. The Catasauqua Area School Board unanimously approved Snyder’s appointment as a full-time teacher this summer.

Teaching runs in Snyder’s family. Snyder said the strong family history of teaching led him to pursue a career in education.

Snyder’s mother and father are both educators in the Catasauqua Area School District. Snyder’s father, Eric, is a guidance counselor at the high school and his mother, Christine, is a third-grade teacher at Sheckler Elementary School.

“I see how my parents and my brother live, and I would want nothing more than what they have in their lives,” Snyder said.

Snyder also said the teachers who taught him also heavily influenced his career choice decision.

“Just seeing how genuinely happy and proud teachers and my family are in their lives is something I truly realized at a young age and have wanted in my own life,” he said.

According to Snyder, teaching at CMS is a “surreal” experience.

“I’m now working with faculty who taught me,” he said. “It’s actually funny, because all of them tell me to call them by their first name now, and I just can’t. But it’s definitely a dream come true.”

Snyder’s younger age, he noted, has proven to be beneficial in the classroom.

“I’m learning as much as my students are learning,” he said. “I’m learning what to do and what not to do day by day.”

Snyder’s goal for the upcoming year is to become a model teacher students want to have in the classroom.

“Not only do I want my students to learn, I want to teach them to become the best versions of themselves,” he said. “I hope in a few years I have students coming back to me thanking me for helping them and molding them into the people they are.”

So far, Snyder has enjoyed his time in the classroom and believes he is making a positive difference in the lives of his students.

“Just seeing kids have that ‘aha!’ moment and smile ear to ear, knowing you played a huge role in that smile, is just the best feeling in the world,” he said.

“I love Catasauqua. It’s truly the perfect small town to live in,” Snyder added.