Because of a Summit Teacher

There were so many excellent teachers at Summit! The ones who most stand out to me 40 years after graduating are: Mr. Pettit, who set me up for success in math at NCSSM; Mr. Wood, and especially our weather unit; Dr. Adams, whose excellent Latin instruction I credit for my later aptitude for learning other languages, and whose RAP groups should serve as a model for all schools; Mrs. Turner, who taught me how to diagram a sentence; Mrs. Ritter, who was always so nurturing of our creativity; Mr. Wilcox, who had such a gentle way of teaching writing and was taken from us far too soon; Mrs. Bologna, who I remember for math lab puzzles, programming in TI Logo and saving it on a cassette tape, and teaching Base 4 with a game; and Mrs. Rejeski for her 6th grade math challenge problems that could earn us points toward an eventual Coke from the teacher’s lounge. Boy, was that motivating!

I had the most incredible teachers at Summit, including Ms. Moss, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Shaw, Mr. Shaver, Mr. and Mrs. Helm, Mr. Terry, Mr. Felten, and, of course, the 9th-grade team. All of these teachers left a long-lasting impact on me and my desire to learn. I can’t thank all of them and Summit enough!

Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Felton, Dr. Patrick, along with so many more, helped me grow as a learner, and I’m so grateful for the hard work they put in to each one of their students!

 My gift is in honor of Ms. Turner!

Thank you so much to Mrs. Rejeski - my first-ever teacher at Summit. There’s truly no one like her, and I’ll spend my whole life trying to fix my handwriting to be as perfect as hers! Additionally, thank you to Ms. Way, who was just the funniest and best English teacher and really helped my creativity thrive as a writer. I loved our daily vocabulary words in class!

Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Shores, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Teague, Mr. Wood, Mrs. Mabe, Mr. Carlton, and Ms. Kenan-Herrmann all helped foster my love of learning. They all prepared me well to thrive in high school, college, and law school, and beyond.

In honor of Sandra Adams

My gift is in honor of Mrs. Malcolm -  2nd grade.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Storeri.

My gift is in honor of Cara Byrum.

Mrs. Teague and Mrs. Hopkins shaped the way I look at everything- thank you!

It’s impossible to pick one teacher, but some of my best memories come from classes with Mrs. Beachum, Mrs. Hynman, Mrs. Hunter, Mrs. Denning, Mrs. Harrell, Mr. Heidtmann, and Mr. Turner.

I have too many teachers to choose from! They were all so wonderful. Some of my favorites that come to mind are Mr. Felten, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Hemby, and Mrs. Reynolds.

Mrs. Ritter was among my favorites; she made me feel like I could do anything and introduced so many mediums of art.

Doug Lewis- because I had him and so many other great teachers and he hired most of them!

Far too many to choose from! Thank you to my 9th-grade crew for helping me grow into the confident woman I am today. A special thank you to Mr. Calhoun for pushing young artists to go beyond their limits.

I had too many great teachers to single out just one.

Mr. Terry! He instilled the curiosity and drive to learn that I still have today.

I have many, but I loved Mrs. Capps, my 4th-grade teacher. She gave the best hugs!!

In honor of Mrs. Harrell, Mr. V, Mrs. Heidtmann, Senora Flores de Valgaz, Mrs. Wild, Mrs. Heath, Mr. Petronzio, and Mr. Jenkins.

In honor of Mr. Turner and Mrs. Emmerich.

Mrs. Denning was the first teacher I had at Summit, and she made me feel so welcome and at home, especially as a new student in third grade. She’s the best!

In honor of Ms. Chapman, Mrs. Giljames, Mrs. Heath, and Mr. Petronzio.

In honor of Ms. Rief, Mrs. Giljames, and Mr. Petronzio.

In honor of Mrs. Cromwell, Mr. Jenkins, Mrs. Harrell, Mr. Petronzio, Mrs. Heath, and Mrs. Heidtmann.

Elizabeth Rief has made a world of difference.

There were so many remarkable teachers at Summit - from Jim Pettit to Laura Turner and Pat Capps, I was surrounded by teachers who challenged and encouraged me from kindergarten to 9th grade!

My gift is in memory of David Stoeri.

In honor of Julie Giljames.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Walpole.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Felten.

My mom, Bebe Krewson. She taught math to all of my friends, and she enjoys teaching. My mom taught for 42 years, in all, 22 years at Summit School. She is a role model to all of us and was the best teacher/ is the best mom.

Mrs. Heidtmann taught me what academic excellence was and made me passionate about learning.

In honor of Mrs. Byrum, Mr. Fansler, Mr. Felten, Mrs. Shaw, and the entire 2019 9th-grade team.

My gift is in honor of Henry Heidtmann.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Petronzio.

My gift is in honor of Mrs. Allen. 

 Summit teachers rule, and Mr. V is the G.O.A.T.

Thank you Mrs. Johnson, for always believing in me!

In honor of Ms. Moss, Mrs. Krewson, Mr. Carlton, Ms. Tudor, Mrs. Welch (Mom), SFDV, Mr. Felten, Billy Stoltz, and more!

Dr. Sandra Adams inspired me to be a teacher because she saw in me what I was unable to see in myself. I wanted to be that kind of person for my own students.

Bebe Krewson was kind and her class was so fun.

Too many favorites to count! I loved learning sentence diagramming from Ms. Elizabeth Peters; I loved learning math from Mr. Pettit; and I loved the school plays produced by Mrs. Kerr! I could go on and on!

My gift is in honor of Delores Flores De Valgaz.

My gift is in honor of Xiaolin Dai.

In honor of Mrs. Welch, SFDV, Mr. Mihalko, Ms. Way, Ms. Turner, Thadeus, Ms. Tudor, and many more.

My gift is in honor of Bill Carr. 

Mr. Jenkins let me be myself and always kept class fun.

My gift is in honor of Coach Mihalko.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Lewis.

My gift is in honor of Mrs. Heath.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Felten.

It’s a tie between Mr. Musser, Mrs. Alfaro, Mr. Felten, and Mrs. Heath

Coach Allen continues to be a mentor and friend. I can not thank him enough for the impact he has had on my life.

My gift is in honor of Mr. V.

My gift is in honor of Coach Mihalko.

My gift is in honor of Mrs. Meredith Welch.

My gift is in honor of Mr. Musser.

Too many, Mrs. Adams, Coach Mike, and Mrs. Fowler all played significant roles in my development at Summit. Grateful to my classmates who joined me after the Summit at EHS.

All of my teachers inspired learning and transformed my life. 

Ms. Beachum, Mrs. Alfaro, Mrs. Heath, Ms. Turner, and so many others helped me to love learning and become the person I am today!! THANK YOU!!!!

I had so many wonderful teachers at Summit, but some favorites were Jess Alfaro, Stefani Shaw, and Julie Giljames

Too many to count! Some that come to mind: Mrs. Rejeski, Ms. Folan, Mrs. Shaw, Mr. Stoeri, Mrs. Emmerich, Mr. Felten, Mr. Petronzio, Mr. Morelli, Ms. Way, AND THE WHOLE 9th GRADE TEAM!! Mrs. Giljames, Mrs. Stabolitis, Mrs. Welch, Mrs. and Ms. Flores de Valgaz (mom and daughter!!)

In honor of: Mrs. Teague always kept us laughing (and kept us in line) with her hand puppet, Agnes. She let Agnes come home with me sometimes and my mom made new gowns for her to add to her puppet-y wardrobe. My heart was always with Mrs. Ritter, the art teacher, and I followed my creative dreams because she helped them take root when I was young.

Amy Lawrence is very funny, helpful, kind-hearted, and encouraging. She always pivots to each child’s needs to make sure they are learning the material. She tells lots of interesting stories and makes learning fun. She welcomes everyone with warm smiles and hugs. She is the one teacher who made me want to become a teacher.

 Mary Johnson… honestly, where do I even start? I was NOT the easiest kid back in the day. I had severe ADHD, endless energy, and was definitely what most people would have considered “a lot.” I had Mary in 3rd grade, and while I believe she technically started as the assistant teacher, she eventually took over our class when our main teacher went on maternity leave. Mary changed my life in more ways than I could probably ever fully explain. Of course she taught me school subjects, but more importantly, she taught me something about myself. She made me realize that being “extra” wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, and that there are people in this world who can see through the chaos, understand you, believe in you, and still help guide you to become the best version of yourself. Looking back now, I truly believe I would be a different person today if it weren’t for her. She made me feel seen at a time when I probably felt misunderstood more often than not, and that kind of impact stays with a person forever. What makes it even more special is that I’ve stayed in touch with her over the years, and she is still the same kind, patient, wonderful person she was back then. I genuinely hope every child, whether they’re struggling like I was or not, gets to have a “Mary Johnson” at some point in their life. Teachers like her don’t just teach lessons in a classroom… they change lives.

Kay Fowler- She challenged me to grow and think beyond Summit. She and Summit were foundational, and I would not be the individual that I am today without that. Thank you, Kay and Summit.

My gift is in honor of Rains Paden '95. She is a wonderful teacher and daughter.

Laura Turner, I had her for English in 7th and again in 9th grade. She was one of the most supportive and challenging teachers I had throughout my education

They were all amazing! 

My gift is in honor of Capers Carlton and Jim Pettit.

In honor of Sandra Adams! 

Mrs. Sneeden. This is a totally unfair question because how can you choose just one? But she always made me feel comfortable in class when I was embarrassed that I had an eye patch and glasses on in Kindergarten.

I am an introvert. School was overwhelming at first. Mrs. Moss took me under her wing and helped me feel comfortable. Staying at Summit through 9th grade gave me the time and space to find my voice, realize my talents, and explore a whole realm of learning academics to the arts. Summit gave me wonderful memories and lifelong friends. Along with Mrs. Moss, there are many others that helped me along the way. Mrs. Miller was my favorite classroom teacher. Mr. Wilcox brought adjectives to life. Dr. Adams taught me how to handle hard subjects. Mrs. Hopkins instilled a love of music. Mrs. Ritter helped us create such beautiful art. Mr. Pettit helped me better understand math. Mrs. Turner fine tuned my writing skills. Mrs. Malcom made stories come to life and perhaps is the reason why my night stand has a pile of books on it! Mrs. Kerr was tough, but really taught me how to speak/sing/dance in front of others.

Edna Green changed my heart and confidence as a student forever! She saw my potential and pushed me to do my best!

My gift is in honor of Madame Miranda.

My gift is in honor of Mrs. Giljames. 

There are so many - I can't choose any one, and there isn't enough space to list them all - and I can name every one of my Summit teachers....

Mr. Wilcox was the best! 

My gift is in honor of: Ms Allen, Ms Shores, Ms May, Mrs Kerr, Ms Hopkins, Mr Walpole, Ms Teague, Mr Wilcox, Ms Pounds, Mrs Goode, Ms Calloway, Mr Petit, Mme Miranda, Mrs Alice Cleland, Mr Carr, Ms Adams, Mrs Rust

Tom Seaver! The best science teacher, Boy Scout leader and long time friend.

Jerry Johnson, 6th grade. Extraordinary. Ignited my interest in mythology. Led to Latin with Louise Futrell and Sandra Adams. Mr. Johnson taught perspective drawing outside 6th gr curriculum. A classmate became an architect.

In honor of Mr. Wilcox and Mrs. Browning.

Ms. Albertson made algebra so much easier to understand. Forever grateful for her and her passion for teaching.

“Summit was a truly special place for me. I owe so much of my scholastic success, lasting friendships, and sense of self-confidence to this remarkable school. Some of my most meaningful memories were formed through music and drama—spaces where I felt encouraged to take risks, express myself, and grow. The teachers who guided me didn’t just educate; they inspired me, believed in me, and helped shape who I am today. I will always be grateful for my time at Summit.”