KEARNS, Utah — Yevgeny Pevzner never wanted to be a teacher. His dream was to become a nurse.
The 50-year-old West Valley City resident said even his college lab professor told him, "You’re just not good at this," referring to his laboratory and teaching skills.
But it wasn’t until Pevzner left the U.S. to work in the Peace Corps that a spark ignited inside him to dedicate his life to helping students through food.
“I taught in Africa for three years,” he said. In Africa, Pevzner would buy his students food and snacks as an act of kindness that he still does to this day for his students at Kearns Junior High School.
For the last 24 years, Pevzner has been a science teacher at the school; his first teaching job after leaving the Peace Corps.
“That's where [Africa], the inspiration came to buy food, because I knew people would walk miles and miles. Sometimes they would never eat anything,” Pevzner said. “I think I overcharged all my credit cards during those three years.”
Food first and why it matters for students
Kearns Junior High is a Title I school, which means it qualifies for federal funding to assist students in need. But Pevzner noticed the federal assistance didn’t cover all his students’ needs, so since arriving he has been purchasing extra snacks with his own money for his students. Granola bars, Pop-Tarts, ramen and fruit are a supplement to what his students can already get through the school's pantry.
“When you are hungry you’re preoccupied thinking, ‘Where I'm going to eat?’” Pevzner said. “Who cares about science or math or English; if your brain is telling you, ‘I want something, I want something.’ I know when I'm hungry I don't focus, so I'm sure it's worse for the kid who doesn't know how to process when is the next time I’m going to eat.
“Yes, they get breakfast, they get lunch, but they may not get dinner. We should never assume that kids get food. That's why I love our school because we have a pantry where kids can get meals for the weekend. And we're getting a new freezer which is going to have frozen food.”
'He goes above and beyond'
Kearns Junior High assistant principal Elvis Fonguh says giving snacks to students is only one part of Pevzner’s impact at the school.
“He goes above and beyond,” Fonguh said. “He connects with his students very well. And you talk about giving snacks. He does a lot more than that. He is an advocate for those students and because of that, the students, they like him, they want to be in his class and they're doing good in his classes. You can see the results.
"He's an awesome teacher.”
Pevzner shies away from taking any credit. He says his work ethic and success as a teacher were born out of sacrifice nearly 35 years ago when his parents immigrated to the United States from Belarus, which was under Soviet rule until 1991.
“My parents had good jobs back in Belarus,” he shared. “We didn’t have to leave. But they sacrificed a lot for us to be here just so we didn’t have to join the army. Our chances of survival were little.”
'A good deed that will continue'
Pevzner is also on the sidelines as a soccer coach several days a week. He says the extra gig helps him purchase what he needs for his students. He notes that while his good deed is costly at times, the financial burden is not a problem and Pevzner has no plans of stopping.
“If eventually financially I cannot do it, I won't do it. But right now I feel I'm comfortable where I am both professionally financially, where I am in my life.
“And I just want to say a lot of teachers do this. I don't feel anything special, honestly. And yes, I do spend a lot of money, but I know a lot of teachers do, too. So I just wish parents would, if you can, help.”
