Hershey High School math teacher, John Walizer, will retire from full time teaching this year after 33 years of teaching high school and middle school math. 26 of those years have been at HHS, where he taught Geometry, Algebra, Advanced Calculus, and his favorite subject, AP Calculus BC. 

“Calc BC is like coaching a sport because of all the extra work and preparation it takes to get ready for the AP test. It’s like the Super Bowl,” said Walizer.

As Hershey’s only AP Calculus BC teacher, he has been a valuable asset for students’ test preparation. “He truly knew what he was doing, and he knew what was going to be on the AP test, which helped us prepare for exactly what we were going to see,” said Lydia McMullen, a senior and a former BC Calculus student. 

Mr. Walizer became a teacher after realizing the importance of a teachers’ influence on their students. “The most influential people in my childhood were teachers. My teachers always came out to my games or wrestling matches, so they were very special people in my life,” said Walizer. 

His hope going forward is for more people to find the importance of teaching, especially in areas in need. “To those going into teaching, you are going to impact someone as a teacher and that’s extremely special and important to understand the impact you can have on kids,” said Walizer.

His influence at HHS revolved around his dedication to his students. Every morning for the past 26 years he has been at the school by 6 A.M. to be an available tutoring resource for those who need help in any math course, not just calculus. Throughout his teaching career, he has never called in sick. “He always offered great guidance and encouraged us to ask questions,” said Lauren Kim, a former Advanced Calculus student of Walizers. 

His future plans include moving to State College and getting married. Although Mr. Walizer is retiring from formal teaching, he will continue to tutor local college students and find a simpler job to occupy his time. 

For those that haven’t had the opportunity to take his class, he teaches lessons greater than those straight from the calculus textbook. He offers students guidance on their future plans by encouraging students to follow their passions. “If what you are very good at is what you like to do, then you will be very happy in life,” said Walizer.