Teaching health, wellness and physical activity to the students of St. Francis Xavier Elementary School is a career that pleasantly surprised Mindy Giambrone.

For the past 11 years, Giambrone has taught physical education to pre-K through sixth grade students and health to first through sixth grade students at the Catholic school.

With a degree in exercise physiology from the University of Southern Mississippi, Giambrone never saw herself teaching, but the occupation does run in her family. She said her mother and brother both taught in Vicksburg Public Schools and her father was a preacher.

“It’s not what I intended to do when I left from Southern. I never dreamed it,” she said. “I think with the combination of the preaching and teaching, this has just been a great fit for me.”

Giabrone attended Vicksburg Catholic Schools, and her daughter was a student there when she began teaching.

“I have a love for the school,” she said. “It’s been extremely rewarding.”

Teaching at St. Francis Xavier is Giambrone’s first job in education after working in other jobs over the years.

“I worked in physical therapy. I was an executive director of a YMCA in Alabama. I worked for a work recovery center doing impairment ratings and getting people back to work, and then my husband and I moved back to Vicksburg to be near family,” she said.

At that time Giambrone spent most of her time at home with her daughter but also worked part-time teaching physical education at Jacob’s Ladder and Montessori Christian Academy.

“I love the kids, and I have a passion for the exercise and health part of it,” she said. “With my background in wellness, I feel like that gave me a different perspective. Gave me a learning curve too.”

While working as a teacher, Giambrone earned her teaching certificate through Alcorn State University.

“That was good too though. You really do need that basis,” she said.

She hopes her students learn from and use what she has taught them about nutrition, wellness and health throughout their life.

“Maybe I’ve instilled a little bit of the basic principles of wellness but also maybe a love for running, or for swimming, basketball or tennis. Something they can take with them and continue,” she said. “That part is extremely rewarding, to actually see what I’m teaching make a difference.”

An avid runner, Giambrone said she encourages her students to run in all local races, especially the school’s own Spooky Sprint scheduled this year for Oct. 22. She helps coordinate the yearly run where participants are encouraged to wear their Halloween costume and there are carnival games afterward. Registration is now open online through the school’s website.

“We’d love to see 1,000 participants,” she said.