Most students at St. Catherine of Siena School referred to her as a history and math teacher; however, to me, Mrs. Suchyj was much more than that. Mrs. Suchyj constantly represented the characteristics which I hope to replicate inside and outside of the classroom; simply put, she is my role model. If you ask any of my friends, I always said I didn’t like Mrs. Suchyj's classes, but that was an ongoing lie. Truthfully, I could not wait to be in her classes. Not only did Mrs. Suchyj teach me history and algebra, but she taught life lessons which have made a lifelong impact on me.

I can honestly say that Mrs. Suchyj supported me through everything. Whether it was in the classroom, at math league, or outside of school, she was there, pushing and urging me to do my best. What showed me her true determination and commitment to her students came when I was on the soccer field. There was no rule making it mandatory for her to be present there, but every game, Mrs. Suchyj was on the sideline screaming her lungs out for the team. Never missing a game for anything, Mrs. Suchyj was our number one fan. I remember when we played Nativity Prep in the playoffs, there was a penalty kick shootout, and I was the goalie. I assume from the pressure and intensity of the moment, I did not hear anyone. But then I heard Mrs. Suchyj yell, louder than ever, “Come on Chad, you got this!” We went on to win the shootout and the championship that year. But in the classroom, she did the same thing for me; pushing me to do my best and not settling for less.

Mrs. Suchyj taught more than history and math. She taught two crucial lessons. First, she emphasized the value of being persistent whether it was in the classroom, on a sports field, or in life. Mrs. Suchyj always said it was important to never give up, and her actions showed it. I can never remember a time when I saw her get frustrated and throw in the towel; rather, she would stay calm and take everything step by step until she found the solution. The other lesson was one of her favorite anecdotes which I have tried to live by every day of my life. This saying was: “Do your best and God will do the rest.” Mrs. Suchyj said that before every test and quiz and she had faith in the whole class that we would listen to her. Mrs. Suchyj was a woman of her word. No matter what it was, if she said she was going to do it, she would. If she said we could do something because we were good, she would let us. She held us to our responsibilities because she knew if she didn’t we would do whatever we wanted and would not learn how our actions can affect others and more importantly, ourselves.

In the classroom, Mrs. Suchyj was just as great of a teacher as a fan, coach, or role model. She always got kids involved in class. Mrs. Suchyj was famous for using examples with us so we understood the lesson, in oppose to standing in the front and talking the whole class. She made sure we saw the big picture and looked outside the box. Mrs. Suchyj would often times have little games that, even though we thought they were thoughtless and pointless; they taught us something. Mrs. Suchyj made class amusing and interesting. She is the funniest teacher I’ve ever had since kindergarten. She made her lessons in creative ways, and I learned a lot from her class. She made sure we didn’t just go through the motions, but we took something out of the lesson. I believe that Mrs. Suchyj is the reason I’m doing so well in math and history this year.

Yes, Mrs. Suchyj was my teacher, but ultimately, she was someone I looked up to. Eighth grade was my favorite year of school for numerous reasons. I was a part of the last graduating class of Saint Catherine of Siena, I had some of my closest friends in my class, but most importantly my teacher was my role model.