NEW BERLIN, Wis. — Every baseball season, a Milwaukee-area math teacher splits her time between school and seating fans in the stands at American Family Field.

Chris Viste bounces from calculus to the concourse before she is off for the summer, and it all starts on Brewers’ Opening Day.

What You Need To Know

Chris Viste has been a math teacher at New Berlin West High School for more than 30 years

For nearly 10 years, she’s also been working for the Milwaukee Brewers as an usher

While teaching and being an usher are two very different jobs, she has found that both offer the opportunity to form strong bonds with the people you interact with

Viste has been able to help organize field trips for her students to Brewers games. She has also brought in statisticians who work for the Brewers to speak with students about jobs in the math field

Viste has been a math teacher at New Berlin West High School for more than 30 years. For nearly 10 of those years, she’s also been working for the Milwaukee Brewers as an usher.

“I just feel so fortunate to be able to do it,” said Viste, who typically works near Section 214 at the ballpark. “To go to the stadium every day, interact with the fans, see baseball, just be part of that atmosphere. The fact that we have a winning team and that makes the summer so enjoyable, that’s just a bonus.”

When you walk into Viste’s classroom, there are signs everywhere that she is a die-hard Brewers fan. There are bobble heads, banners and rally towels on display.

(Spectrum News 1/Megan Marshall)

Viste takes a vacation day from school to work at the ballpark on Opening Day, but she makes sure her students are well-prepared. She has been busy getting her Advanced Placement calculus class ready for an upcoming test.

“Opening Day is a holiday,” Viste said. “I’m the person who at six in the morning is texting everyone, ‘Happy Opening Day!’ I’m just super excited to be a part of that atmosphere, and we get baseball every day again, so that’s super exciting as well.”

While teaching and being an usher are two very different jobs, she has found that both offer the opportunity to form strong bonds with the people you interact with.

Brewers season ticket holder, Heidi Belongia, can affirm that. She said she looks forward to seeing Viste at games every year.

(Chris Viste)

“As far back as I can remember, she is always a welcoming face, calling everybody by name, checking in to make sure everyone is doing OK,” Belongia said. “So, it really is a little community.”

And Viste has found a way to turn what happens at the ballpark into math equations on the blackboard. She often uses baseball game statistics for lessons in class.

Viste has been able to help organize field trips for her students to Brewers games. She has also brought in statisticians who work for the Brewers to speak with students about jobs in the math field.

(Chris Viste)

“There is so much math involved, and I love making that connection for the students,” Viste said. “I think they are able to appreciate being able to see something that their math actually relates to in the real world.”

As a bonus, her side job with the Brewers has also earned her some extra credit “cool” points with her students.

“It’s cool to know that my teacher works for the Brewers, especially since I support the Brewers as well,” said Derek Gehrke, a senior at New Berlin West.

Viste will work both jobs through spring, and she carries on with the Brewers through her summer break from school.