TOWAMENCIN- Jami Behm has scored a lot of goals in her day. But perhaps one of her biggest goals was what she is doing right now. 

Behm spent the first 18 years of her life growing up in the North Penn community, and has spent the last 18 giving back to it as a coach and a teacher. A 1998 North Penn grad,  she started teaching at North Penn in the fall of 2002, after graduating from LaSalle University. She is now not only a veteran teacher but also the proud mom of her two kids Parker and Hunter, as she continues to be a resident of the community as both a parent and teacher. She currently teaches 10th grade American history in K-pod. Those are some seriously fulfilled goals.

Long before she was a teacher, Behm was a standout athlete at North Penn as a field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse player.  

“It was an awesome experience. I think with playing any sport at high school, you get to represent the school, be with your friends, and do something a little bit more than just your academic classes. It brings a whole new perspective to school spirit and pride,” explained Behm.

Having played and coached at North Penn, Behm understands the value of playing high school sports but also how competitive things can get in a school the size of North Penn.

“On a level of North Penn, I think it being so competitive that it prepared me for playing in college; I have a lot of my former teammates who are still my friends today.” 

The difficulty between playing sports in high school compared to college can be very drastic. Behm reflected on how that experience affected her. 

“I think the difficulty lies in understanding time management. You have a lot more on your plate in college with the sport in particular… whether it’s lifting, training, study halls, or practice schedules, it’s just planning that all out.” 

As a lacrosse player, Behm was also inducted into LaSalle University’s Hall of Fame. It was her highest accolade as an athlete. 

“It was a really cool day. With my name being up there with some of the greats that went through LaSalle, I think it says a lot about perseverance, sticking with something, and performing at a high level. It was an awesome honor; I still go back there today and keep in touch with the university and especially the lacrosse program,” said Behm. 

Behm’s last venture in lacrosse was being a girl’s coach for North Penn. 

“I coached for North Penn from 2002-2014. I loved it; it definitely was another full-time job as most coaches probably put in all the extra time. I created a lot of great friendships and I had wonderful girls on the team. Some of them were my students in my class, but I still remain close with a lot of those girls today… being one of the best teams in the state was probably one of the most memorable things for me,” said Behm. 

Recently, teaching at North Penn has become more of  family affair. Behm’s dad is a security guard at the high school and that father-daughter dynamic enhances her job. 

“I get to see him once or twice a week. He’s a substitute security guard so I don’t actually know when he’s going to be here on a daily basis unless he’s scheduled. It’s nice seeing him around: it’s a great opportunity for him, and he has a good relationship with a lot of the students. It’s fun to see him in a different light,” she said.

Behm also filled in as an assistant principal for the home office and explained how that differed from being a teacher.

“Definitely eye-opening. I think being on the other side a lot of times a teacher you see things from one perspective, but being in the office you see it from a different perspective. I’m not sure if that’s the direction I want to pursue, but I am taking classes for my administration certificate,” added Behm. 

Finally, Behm was asked about what students and staff members alike should remember her by when she retires from North Penn High School. 

“Throughout my entire career even as a student, an athlete, and a teacher- I want people to see me as just hard working… someone who was a friendly face saying “Hi” to people in the hallways is [also] something important- and being there to mentor students when they need it.”