This 2025–2026 school year, the high school is welcoming several new faces to the teaching staff. As the new school year gets rolling, these additions to the Shorewood High School community will set the stage for a year of discovery, connection, and most of all, growth.

Mike Mohammad (Chemistry, PLTW, Physics, and Biology?)

Mike Mohammad specializes in Chemistry, Physics, and Project Lead The Way (PLTW), educating an extensive spectrum of students from 9th through 12th grade.

Mohammad contributes a wealth of experience as a teacher with decades of experience in other school districts

“I taught for 20 years at Brookfield Central High School,” Mohammad said.

Although Mohammad initially intended to teach English, after studying in college realized the experience many students have been missing. He chose to switch subjects, hoping to give students a new experience with science.

 “I want to bring that experience to high school students who can finally see what science really is,” Mohammad said. “It’s not just sitting and memorizing terms and writing down stuff for hours, it’s much more than that.”

For Mohammad, the unparalleled parts of teaching are the interactions he fosters. 

“Not spending time in front of the class, but spending time on projects and applying one-on-one and group work [is important].” Mohammad said. “I love when students are able to work with groups and actually be able to hear them, hear their thoughts and thinking.”

Upon arriving at Shorewood High School, Mohammad has expressed his fascination with the school’s open-campus culture. 

“There are tons of coffee shops around,” Mohammad said. “The fact that people can actually go and sit outside and have lunch [is interesting]. I love that people get to just be themselves.” 

Furthermore, Mohammad appreciates the strong bond that Shorewood cultivates and the general support for education. 

“I really love the community ‘feel’ at Shorewood,” Mohammad said. “Now that I’m here, I can feel it more and more.”

McKenzie King (AP Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Biology?)

Mr. Mohammad is not the only new member of the science department. The department also welcomed McKenzie King, specializing in biology and human anatomy.

“Before I was a teacher, I worked in research science at Vanderbilt University,” King said. “When I realized that wasn’t really my ‘thing’, I switched and attended Marquette University for my master’s in education.”

King’s teaching career has included Carmen Southeast Charter School, Rufus King High School, and now Shorewood. 

“I live in Shorewood, so it was a unique opportunity,” King said. “I’ve heard great things about the community in general.”

This year, King is teaching Anatomy and Physiology, as well as AP Biology. However, student progress is one highlight of her job, in addition to the interesting subject matter.

“My favorite part about teaching is watching the ‘aha!’ moments and providing opportunities for people who are really jazzed about what we’re learning,” King said. “Seeing students excited is what I love the most.”

King’s strong affection for the study of biology stems from both her personal interests and pure curiosity. 

“I have an extreme bias for science,” King said. “Who doesn’t want to learn about themselves and human anatomy? For Advanced classes, I’m just a giant nerd —that’s why I love it.”

King is still beginning to discover the intricacies of Shorewood’s culture, but she is looking forward to learning more about the community.

“It feels very close-knit, which is really awesome, but I feel like I’m late to the scene because there’s so many things that I am observing. Like Atwater versus Lake Bluff? What’s that about? I don’t get the inside joke quite yet. But, I’m excited to absorb [it all].” King said. 

Jennifer Sleyster (Spanish I, II, III, and IV)

While the science department is ushering in fresh leadership, the world language department is also embracing newcomers. This year, Jennifer Sleyster joins Shorewood staff to teach Spanish I, II, III, and IV. Sleyster stumbled upon her passion for Spanish through the AFS program.

“When I was 16, I went abroad and lived in Costa Rica with a family through an AFS program,” Sleyster said. “Studying abroad, I learned to love the language and the culture. I knew I wanted to continue studying Spanish. That experience drove my entire path.”

Sleyster’s path to the teaching profession was not immediate. 

“I started working in the corporate world. I did mortgages. I also worked for the Nielsen Television Ratings. I was also traveling all over the United States during that time. I really enjoyed that, but I got married and had a family.” Sleyster said. “I told my mom I felt like I really overlooked teaching. It’s a great way to give back and share what I’ve learned and my experiences with others that can do the same.”

Since making the switch in her career, Sleyster has spent more than a decade teaching, including at Lutheran High School Association in Franklin while also completing her master’s degree at Concordia University. Now at Shorewood, Sleyster is highly eager to collaborate with inspired learners. 

“Shorewood is one of the top five schools in Wisconsin,” Sleyster said. “It’s highly rated and I feel like my experiences are better served with students that are motivated and excited to learn.” 

From Costa Rica to Shorewood, Sleyster’s passion for Spanish has come full circle. 

“It just feels like the right place to be.” Sleyster said.

Kat Harrison (Altered Media, Design Foundations, and Digital Photography)

The arts department isn’t without new faces this year either, with new graphic arts teacher Kat Harrison joining the team. This year, Harrison is teaching Design Foundations, Altered Media, and Digital Photography.

Harrison’s teaching path spans several states and several years of experience, but she has always been passionate about art and student connections.

“[When] COVID hit, and I decided to get my master’s in education. I…became a full-time teacher in upstate New York for three years. I followed my partner to Milwaukee and landed a job at Franklin High School for a part-time position, or a half-year position while someone was on maternity leave, which was my intro into Wisconsin teaching and got my Wisconsin certification.”

Harrison’s decision to teach at Shorewood was crystal clear, mainly due to the district’s strong reputation for quality. “People’s eyes get wider when you mention Shorewood [School District],” Harrison said. “Even before I moved here, people told me it was a great district—and now that I’m here, I believe that.”

Harrison’s biggest inspiration to pursue teaching travels back to high school, as she hopes to provide students the same positive experience teachers gave her.

“My biggest inspiration was my high school art teacher,” Harrison said. “One day he was having a bad day…and I looked at him and I said, ‘I’m going to be an art teacher’. And he looked at me and said, ‘You’d be a great art teacher.’ From then on, I just continued down that path.”

For Harrison, the classroom is a space where magic becomes reality. For art especially, Harrison can see students’ ideas come to life.

“Connections, people, the students. Seeing a spark in the art room is exciting, but just getting to know how other humans are and how they’re able to be creative is exciting,” Harrison said.

Harrison’s decision to focus on high school was deliberate. She felt drawn to the sense of self that comes with the older age range.

“High school brains are just amazing. Students are capable, fun, and full of personality. It’s fun to see where you head when you leave, and to maybe be the person who inspires you to take a creative path.