Helicopter pilot. Construction worker. Bath and Body Works Aficionado. Who were Archmere’s faculty before they came to Claymont?
After Archmere’s recent Career Day, many students feel overwhelmed by the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Adults often tell teenagers that they must decide what they want to be when they get older to get on the right track in college and be prepared to jumpstart their professional lives after graduating. However, many adults fail to mention that your first career choice doesn’t always end up being your last.
Specifically, within Archmere’s faculty, many teachers had completely different career paths before teaching here. From navy pilots to dolphin trainers, Archmere’s teaching staff is made up of a wide variety of people from different backgrounds that many students are unaware of.
Mr. Robert Nowaczyk, Director of Student Life and history teacher, may seem like a permanent fixture in Archmere’s faculty roster, but what many don’t know is that he used to be a construction worker. From summers in high school through the years after college, Mr. Nowaczyk spent his days repairing homes damaged by fire or water while joking around with his friends on the job sites. “We got to learn new things and different kinds of crafts,” Mr Nowaczyk noted. “I also got to drive the dump truck. That was always a lot of fun.”
From the math department, Mrs. Lynne Fowler has a fascinating background as a helicopter pilot in the US Navy. She joined the Navy after graduating college and worked mainly on aircraft carriers that traveled all around the world on different missions. One of Mrs. Fowler’s favorite memories from being a naval pilot was the night flights that she would often do from the aircraft carrier. “You could see all of the stars and ships on the water,” she mentioned, adding “I also loved watching the jets coming in from far away.”
Mr. Nowaczyk and Mrs. Fowler are certainly not the only two teachers who had unique jobs before Archmere. Biology teacher Mrs. DW, for example, worked as a dolphin trainer at the Baltimore Aquarium in Maryland years after she graduated from college. Mrs. Duke from the English department used to be an actress. Mr. Hannagan, history teacher and track coach, even worked at the Bath and Body Works store in the Christiana Mall years ago while he was teaching at Archmere.
Throughout all of their different careers, both past and present, one thing all of the teachers seem to agree on is that they enjoy the excitement of not knowing exactly what each day will bring. Mr. Nowaczyk reflected, “That’s what made being a construction worker a fun job. We did so many different things.” In her interview, Mrs. Fowler expressed a very similar sentiment. “I don’t think I would do very well in a job where everything was the same,” she remarked. “All the careers I’ve had involve doing something different and being challenged every day.”
Overall, the Archmere faculty is made up of a diverse group of individuals who all add something special to our learning experience. Their knowledge and experiences from past jobs shaped them into the role models they serve as today. Whether they sold soaps or built houses for a living, the teachers at Archmere serve as excellent examples for all students who want to start thinking about their own careers.
