New Staff Shares Their High School Experience

Teachers are often remembered for what happens in their classrooms, but their stories began long before they ever stepped behind a desk. Before becoming part of Unionville’s staff, they were once students themselves. They joined activities, went to dances, stressed over homework, and struggled to discover themselves. Now, they have the opportunity to share those experiences and advice with a new generation of students.

Ms. Roxanne Kester, now a security guard at Unionville, remembers high school as her favorite time. She earned A’s and B’s, always sitting down to get homework done before letting herself have fun. Her favorite part of high school, she recalls, was making friends through dances, football games, and other activities. To keep in touch, she would use a pager to share short messages and let her friends know where she was. Outside of school, she cheered and bowled, but never got involved in school clubs. Looking back, she believes that joining a club would have made her experience better. “I wish I would have gotten more involved,” Ms. Kester said.

Ms. Lillian Liga, a long-term substitute teaching environmental science and biology, found her love for science through her own high school biology teacher. She described herself as “nerdy” while taking a few AP classes and constantly studying. She also worked at an ice cream shop. However, her closest friends came from the marching band and color guard. Band gave her a community and a confidence that she never had before. She kept on marching throughout college. While she has no regrets from high school, she sometimes wonders what it would have been like to try something like theatre.

Even as a kid playing “school” with her sister and cousins, Ms. Kristy Adamidis knew she wanted to teach. Now as a special education teacher at Unionville, she remembers high school as a time for huge personal growth. As a self-described “social butterfly,” she was chatty but always completed her work. A few of her former teachers still recall her as the most talkative student in class. She made varsity cheer as a freshman, a highlight she still remembers, and cheered all four years. Additionally, she was chosen for the homecoming court, served as class secretary all four years, and was a member of the National Honor Society. Throughout high school, she believes that she made it the best that she could. “I would not change that journey,” Ms. Adamidis reflected.

Their advice, in the end, comes down to getting involved and being kind. Ms. Kester tells students to take school seriously and make time to socialize. Ms. Liga urges students to “reinvent [themselves]” and “try something new, [and] don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because everyone else is going through it, too." And Ms. Adamidis’s advice is simple: “Be kind to others, but most importantly, be kind to yourself.”