Teachers are the foundation of schools. They are given the task to empower the lives of their students and amplify the student’s ambition for a better future. It especially helps when there are teachers that put in their effort into teaching. Not only is teaching just simply handing out lessons and assignments but the connection made with the students is what matters. So it is a shame when a teacher with immense school pride and an overall positive attitude retires.
Sheri D´Ambrose has been a teacher here in Addison Trail for 36 years. Her Blazer legacy dates back even earlier when she was a student at ATHS that has gone onto state-level gymnastics and won in ´78 and ´79. (You could even see her achievement as a student in the gymnastics room too!)
After high school, she went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana with a full-ride scholarship thanks to her persistence and ambition in gymnastics.
¨It was my goal always to get a college scholarship for gymnastics and I trained really, really hard to do that. I was lucky enough to go to Indiana full-ride for gymnastics.¨
When D´Ambrose trained under Fred Dennis, legendary Gymnastics coach, she was inspired to do the same for students, here at Addison Trail. She wanted to come back to Addison Trail and coach gymnastics with Mr. Dennis.
In 1985, when she went back to Addison Trail she started off as a Physical Education teacher, Gymnastics coach, and Cheerleading coach. Then later through the years, she would stop coaching sports and be involved with Addison Trail in a way that involves more students and affects them too.
¨I didn’t want to just teach and leave, I wanted to still be able to make a difference. So I thought Booster [club] and [student] Council is where I truly found my passion and I´m working with my Special ed students. I thought it might be better to have a class where some of them might feel more comfortable together. So I´ve been teaching that class since 1992. I felt really lucky to teach that class because in all the years I taught, I know for certain that they taught me more than I taught them,¨ she said.
D´Ambrose has been known to express a large amount of school pride. She even brought up that her principal at the time made a remark on how she ¨bleeds Blazer blue¨. She tries to make every day a meaningful day. She tries to give back that pride to the students. Not only to students but to the people she has worked with. Physical Education teacher, Robert Schader has expressed his thoughts on how D´Ambroses´s impact on the work environment.
¨Mrs D has been a pillar of Addison Trail High School for the past 30 plus years. She has had many roles during her time here teacher, mentor, advocate, school spirit enthusiast, and friend to list a few. She has always put the students of this school first and has done everything she can to get all students involved. She bleeds blazer blue and will be impossible to replace.¨
-Robert Schader, Physical Ed. teahcer
Even after the school year ends, she plans to take a break during the summer and use that time to figure what she wants to do. She still has the energy to want to make a change. Especially here in Addison as she likes the town and the people in it. She has even mentioned how she likes to run into students in such places as grocery stores, banks, or restaurants. It is very commendable to keep on with your dream.
Anthony Perez is a First-Timer Senior in the AT Torch Staff. He chose to take part in the Torch to improve as a writer and to get out of his comfort zone. He decided that was the best choice as he loves the work because he views it as challenging yet fun.