Reunions bring people back to their colleges and high schools, but there are typically fewer reasons for someone to go back to their old elementary school. Not so for Gillian Levin. She joined her sister and mother as an employee in Fountain Hills Unified School District this year, and she returned to her old school, McDowell Mountain Elementary School, as a kindergarten teacher.

Gillian Levin and Gianna Wilson both attended FHUSD schools from pre-k to high school graduation, and both sisters now work in the school system. Their mother, Sandra Levin, has continued to work as a teacher’s aid, special education aid, and substitute teacher for FHUSD since 2001.

“It’s funny because everyone in the town knows us,” Gillian said. “When they see me, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Gianna’s sister or Sandra’s daughter.’ It’s just funny to have that connection. I think it's awesome because I went to training with my sister and we got to be with each other, so that was a really fun start of the school year.”

Sandra started her career as an artist in New York City and supported her daughters in the performing arts. Even though Gillian is younger than her sister and just started working in the district, she’s already had a huge impact on the schools. If it weren’t for Gillian, Wilson probably would have never quit soccer and become a dancer.

“You know what, I didn’t even push them. I was looking for an activity for Gillian, and she joined a dance studio,” Sandra said. “[Gianna] would come with me and sit in the waiting room. The dance instructor said ‘Gianna, are you bored? Why don’t you come in with us?’ So, she started taking dance classes all because of Gillian.”

Wilson said one class at the age of five was enough for her to fall in love with dance. She is currently the pom team coach and dance director at both the middle and high school. Wilson was the dance director at Westwood high school before returning to revitalize the dance program at Fountain Hills in 2017.

“When I graduated in 2009, there was a full-blown huge dance program,” Wilson said. “Probably a year or two after I graduated, I don’t know what happened, the program ended and there was no dance here…Dr. [Patrick] Sweeney and Cain [Jagodzinski] wanted to bring back dance. They both reached out to me, and I had to make the decision to quit my job in Mesa and come hopefully start a program in Fountain Hills. It’s my sixth year here, and it’s been awesome.”

This past spring, Gillian graduated from Arizona State University with a dual major in early education and special education. This past spring was also the first time that Gillian joined her sister in a dance studio concert since Wilson took over the program.

Gillian has worked at Dance Connection in Scottsdale since she was 16 years old and couldn’t quite give it up after becoming a schoolteacher. Gillian still teaches four classes on Saturdays, and she teaches tap and jazz to kids younger than her kindergarten students.

“She teaches two- and three-year-olds tap dance,” Wilson said. “That’s like herding cats, and she’s so good at it. I tried that. I couldn’t do it.”

Gillian said that teaching dance helped her get interested in teaching as a career. She also admitted that she never liked school much as a student, but with a little push from her mom, she finished her degree and now intends to help students like her.

“I would say, my biggest thing, is just building confidence in the kids,” Gillian said. “Me personally, I was a very nervous child and student, so I get it when you just don’t have the confidence. I want to build their confidence and their love for learning as an educator.”

Gillian was not very nervous ahead of her first week, despite Gianna warning her sister that the first week is the toughest. Gillian had support from her fellow teachers, including her own former kindergarten teacher, Denise Matus, and Gillian knew she could go to them with anything.

Gillian has two cousins who work at schools in Scottsdale and became the fifth member in her family to pursue a career in education. Gillian said she feels like she’s in her own domain, since she’s the only one in her family who works at McDowell Mountain Elementary School.

“I love kids, so having my own classroom kind of feels surreal,” Gillian said. “I get to be with these kids every day and build relationships and connections. I plan on going to sporting events for them. I want to be a part of their life because I remember my kindergarten teacher, she went to my dance concerts. That made such an impact on me, so I want to do the same for them. I think that’s what I’m most excited for, treating them as if they’re my own kids.”