Title: Faculty, General Education
Highest degree and school: MA, English, University of Toledo
Teaching at SDI since: 2014
Kristine Benard teaches English Composition. She earned her MA in English from the University of Toledo, and has since spent over 20 years in higher education as an instructor and administrator. She started at SDI doing consulting and curriculum development work before becoming a faculty member. She also teaches courses for several other colleges and works full-time at a small college in Youngstown, OH. Before she discovered her passion for teaching, Kris worked for the City of Cleveland as a writer for the Mayor’s Office.
Kris says her favorite part of teaching at SDI is learning from her students: “When I started, I knew very little about the firearms industry. Thanks to the research project in my class, I have learned so much about the industry and have a new respect for firearms.” She enjoys teaching English particularly because in addition to honing skills to become a better writer, the research project in SDI’s curriculum allows students to focus that writing on their career field; “There is nothing more exciting to see students write about what they love and learn something new in the process.”
Mom to one grown son and three cats, Kris lives in the suburbs of Cleveland with her husband, a 21-year veteran of the US Army. She says her favorite thing to do is to take road trips, especially in the spring and fall, and describes her perfect day as involving family, cats, books, and coffee: “No schedule, just relaxation!” She also enjoys baking and would love to take classes to learn to bake like a pro.