A lifetime of lessons ... Mary Kay Chawgo celebrates 50 years in education

Mary Kay Chawgo's daughter and son, Rebecca and Jeremy, were present to celebrate their mother's accomplishment of teaching in the classroom for 50 years. The Chawgos also are pictured with Mrs. Hintz's kindergarten students.   For five decades, Mary Kay Chawgo has been more than a teacher in the Breese community. She has been a mentor, a role model, a familiar face and an important part of the lives of generations of students and families.
    Celebrating 50 years of teaching is a remarkable milestone, but for Chawgo, the accomplishment represents much more than a number. It represents thousands of students, school days, countless lessons, special moments in the classroom and the opportunity to watch young people grow and develop into the adults they would become.
Mary Kay Chawgo celebrates 50 years in education, treating kindergarten students to a guest reading.    Teaching has always been about people, and Chawgo’s 50-year career has allowed her to make an impact on students from throughout the Breese area. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to teach multiple generations of local families, creating a connection between the classroom and the community that extends well beyond the school building.
    Recently, Chawgo was recognized for 50 years in education in a fitting way — by returning to where her teaching journey began and reading a book to Mrs. Susie Hintz's kindergarten students at District 12 in Beckemeyer.
    Chawgo began her career in teaching in the fall of 1976 as a volunteer teacher at District 12 in Breese.
    For students, a good teacher can make a lasting difference. It may be a lesson that sparks an interest, encouragement given at just the right time, or simply having someone believe in them. Those moments can stay with a student for years.
    That lasting influence is one of the greatest legacies of a career such as Chawgo’s teaching the Bombers and the Bobcats for generations.
    Fifty years in education also means witnessing tremendous change. Classrooms, technology, teaching methods and the world around students have evolved considerably since Chawgo began her career. Through all of those changes, however, the most important part of teaching has remained the same — helping students learn, encouraging them to succeed and preparing them for the future.
    She also taught her first full-time position one year at St. Paul in Highland in 1990 before coming back to teaching at her first home at District 12 in Breese and Beckemeyer.
    Her longevity also is a reflection of the strong relationship between schools and the Breese community. In a community where generations often grow up together, educators frequently become familiar and trusted members of local families. Teachers don’t simply teach subjects; they become part of the fabric of the community.
    Chawgo’s 50 years of service are a testament to that connection.
    She retired from full-time teaching in May of 2013 and continued to teach the youth as a substitute teacher until recently.
    Throughout her career, there have undoubtedly been challenging days, busy school years and moments when the demands of education required patience and perseverance. Yet reaching the half-century mark demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the profession and to the students who have walked through her classroom doors.
    For the many former students who have crossed paths with Chawgo, her influence is likely remembered in different ways. Some may remember a particular lesson, others a conversation or a word of encouragement and even writing books about her cat Sergeant and the cats’ adventures. What they share is the experience of having a teacher who dedicated a significant portion of her life to helping young people.
    As Mary Kay Chawgo celebrates 50 years of teaching, the Breese community has an opportunity to celebrate her not only for the years she has given to education, but also for the lives she has touched along the way.
    Fifty years is a remarkable achievement. More importantly, it is a legacy — built one student, one classroom and one school year at a time.
    For five decades, Mary Kay Chawgo has helped teach the children of the community. Her greatest lesson may ultimately be the example she has set through a lifetime of dedication, service and commitment to education.