‘Couldn't have a bad day with her;' Local school district mourning teacher's aide killed in crash

Yahoo

11-05-2025

A Miami Valley school district started National Teacher Appreciation Week by mourning one of their own.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 p.m., Jennifer Korleski, a Teacher's Aide at Tippecanoe Middle School, was killed in a three-vehicle crash on I-75 on May 4.
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Korleski's Mother and Sister told News Center 7's Amber Jenkins that her love for her students went beyond the classroom.
'And she fought for every one of her students. She got one out of a bad situation. And in the notebook, there was one that said, 'You were the only teacher who listened to me and helped me',' Doris Mangels, Korleski's mother, said.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 4, Korleski died in a multi-vehicle crash on I-75 in Miami County, as previously reported by News Center 7.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash, but Mangels had a message for one of the drivers involved.
'The poor guy who she struck thinks he's the one who killed her. And I want that straight, he didn't,' Mangels said.
Korleski worked in Education for five years. She had just completed her second year at Tippecanoe Middle School as a Teacher's Aide.
It was her happy place because she was able to shape young futures, according to her mother and sister.
Her family also said it was Korleski's unique spirit that made her stand out.
'You couldn't have a bad day with her. If you had a bad day, she'll brighten it up,' Mangels said.
Her students wrote notes expressing how much she meant to them and how much she'll be missed.
One student even drew a picture for her, with the hopes of giving it to her at the start of National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Korleski's family said the support from students shows the impact she had.
'I was so proud of her. I'm proud of her, but I'm even more proud, she was such an amazing person. And I'm discovering what a great person she was,' Mangels said.
When Korleski is laid to rest, her family requests that everyone wear vibrant colored clothes and to exchange bracelets.
'Her colors are picked out as crazy and wacky like her. I think she would be so sad if it was a depressing setting. We know this will be hard for people,' Stephanie Korleski, Korleski's sister, said.
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