Lion's Tale
Ms. Wierzbowski to leave NHSFriday, June 08, 2012 By Kieren Tebben
When thinking of one of the most helpful and caring people at our school, Ms. Wierzbowski’s name is definitely one that comes to mind. As a guidance counselor for students with last names that begin with L-Z, Ms. Wierzbowski has had the opportunity to know about half of the student population, and has really taken the time to get to know each one. Her office always feels very welcoming, as does her warm personality. I can still remember freshman year being called to her office just so she could see how I was doing as a new student. Ms. Wierzbowski took time out of her day to make sure every new student was adjusting well to the new environment, and I will never forget that kind gesture. Not only is she warm and kind, Ms. Wierzbowski is an extremely experienced and knowledgeable woman who can answer any question about high school schedules or college a student can think of. An extremely dedicated member of the NHS faculty, Ms. Wierzbowski was an advisor for both National Honor Society and Peer Leadership during her 12 years at New Hope. Few faculty members take on the responsibility of not only one but two student organizations and her ability to balance both and being a guidance counselor shows a tremendous amount of loyalty and skill. In a recent interview, Ms. Wierzbowski reminisced about her years at New Hope and what she is moving on to. Q: What made you want to be a guidance counselor? A: I had a very good mentor, Ms. Hanselman, who was the counselor here for many years. So when I started here in 2000, Ms. Hanselman was one of the people who took me under her wing and through her friendship I learned about what you do in the Guidance Office and I thought it would be a really good fit for me. Q: When was your first year at New Hope and how did it go? A: My first year was 2000 as a biology teacher and I was 22 and just out of college, just finished my student teaching. It was difficult to be a first year teacher right out of college, but I had some great role models here at the school so that really helped me become successful at teaching. Q: What are you moving on to from New Hope? A: I am moving to California. Q: What will you miss most about our school? A: I will miss the students the most. Working here has given me a fresh perspective as to what it must be like to be an adolescent and it’s just my honor to work with so many wonderful young people. Q: Are there any last things you would like to say? A: Just thank you for everyone’s support and I’ll miss everyone and keep everyone in my thoughts. I would like to congratulate the seniors as they move on from New Hope and wish them the best of luck. Ms. Wierzbowski will be sorely missed next year by everyone, not just the latter half of the alphabet. The Lion’s Tale staff and myself wish her the best of luck wherever her life takes her. I would like to thank her personally and on behalf of the student body for doing her best to make our high school career easier in any way she could. |