For nearly 25 years, Shari Stuckey has been a familiar face in Hershey High School’s English Department. As a longtime English teacher at Hershey High School and adviser of the school’s National Honor Society, she’s taught and guided countless students throughout their high school careers. And after almost four decades of teaching, she’s decided that it’s finally time to retire.
The first ideas of teaching crossed her mind during her time serving as a camp counselor through various summer camps during her senior year of college. She states that she ended up loving being a counselor for high school students. “I thought they were really neat people, and I loved spending time with them. I really felt like that was my calling,” Stuckey said, “My purpose in life is to be a teacher, and to work with young people.”
Stuckey’s teaching journey began in 1987 in Oracle, Ohio, where she taught English and also unexpectedly became the school’s cheerleading coach. “I was hired as the cheerleading coach and English teacher,” Stuckey said. “If I said I wouldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t have gotten the job. And I knew nothing about cheerleading, nor had I known anything about it.”
Her first year wasn’t exactly a smooth ride, either. Stuckey explains that she felt confused and lost when she started her teaching career. “…it was really tough. I felt like I was learning on the job, and I was just barely one day ahead of the students. I didn’t know the content because I’d never taught it before. It was really, really rough.”
Over the years, her favorite memories have come from the moments when students truly connected with what she taught. “When you see that lightbulb go on, that moment when they get it, it’s so rewarding,” she said. She shared stories of helping students prepare for adult life, from applying for apartments to getting REAL IDs, and how meaningful it was to know she was making a tangible difference. “It’s little things like that, when you know you’ve helped a student in life. That’s why I teach.”
Maria Mrosowski, another English teacher who has taught alongside Stuckey for the past 10 years, said that Stuckey is a dedicated teacher, not only to her lessons, but to her students as well. “What makes Mrs. Stuckey such a special part of the school community is not simply what she does in the classroom; it is her dedication and genuine devotion to the success of her students and colleagues.”
When Stuckey talks about what she hopes her students take from her class, she doesn’t bring up essays or test scores. Instead, she focuses on character. She says that more than anything, she hopes they’ve learned to be kind, respectful, and resilient. “I hope they’ve seen how to treat people with kindness and respect,” she said. “My classes aren’t always easy, but I want them to know they can persevere and reach their goals. Not all of us are going to be good at everything,” she said, “Sometimes, you’re going to need help. I want my students to know that’s okay.” Looking back, Stuckey says it’s the connections that made all the difference. “I love what I do,” she said. “I’m really going to miss the kids, the conversations, and my colleagues. I will miss interacting with you guys.”
But after 39 years, the decision to retire didn’t come easily. Stuckey explains that she needed more flexibility, as she is now a grandparent. “I definitely want to be a good grandma. A school schedule is really, really tough to do because I have to be here Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 3 o’clock.” She expressed how she thought it wouldn’t be fair for her students and the roles she needs to fulfill as a teacher if she couldn’t concentrate her time fully while teaching. “I needed to focus on that. And it’s a really tough decision for me because I love what I do.”
After 39 years of teaching, Mrs. Stuckey will soon begin a well-earned retirement. Her time at Hershey High School has left a lasting mark on both students and staff, who will remember her not just for her lessons in English but for her kindness, patience, and support. Though her classroom will soon be empty, her impact will continue to fill the halls for years to come.
