I grew up in Euclid and attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through 12th grade: St. Felicitas from Kindergarten through 8th grade and Lake Catholic for high school. I even attended Mercyhurst College, a private Catholic institution. My parents, both educators, valued Catholic education and instilled those values in our family. However, despite our choice to attend private schools, my parents consistently supported every Euclid school levy. As a teenager, I once asked why they would support schools their own children didn’t attend. Their response left a lasting impact: they believed that strong communities support their schools, and investing in public education benefits everyone. That lesson has stayed with me to this day.
In 2009, my husband and I moved to Wickliffe because it was a close-knit community that valued its schools. Initially, we planned to send our future children to private schools, simply because that’s what we knew. However, when I began teaching in public schools and we welcomed our first child, Jacob, in 2011, our perspective shifted.
Jacob’s journey has been anything but typical. After experiencing a stroke during brain surgery to remove a tumor, he began receiving therapy services through Help Me Grow. When it came time to transition him to preschool, Wickliffe’s program offered continued therapy support. Despite this, I still planned to enroll him at Mater Dei. After attending an open house there, I was impressed by the warm and welcoming environment. However, I quickly realized that they lacked the support services Jacob required. Wickliffe, on the other hand, had the resources to meet his needs.
While "school choice" is a wonderful concept in theory, the reality is that many families don’t have true options. Some families cannot afford private school tuition, while others have children who require services only public schools can provide. Wickliffe could not deny Jacob entry or exclude him based on his performance — public school was not just our best option, it was our only option. My parents' belief in supporting public schools suddenly felt even more significant.
With this newfound appreciation, I committed myself to doing everything I could to support our district. I began attending PTO events and school board meetings. When Jacob was in first grade, I ran for the school board to help ensure our schools remained strong and provided every student with the resources they needed to succeed.
Sixteen years later, I’m still confident in our decision to move to Wickliffe and enroll our children in its schools. Jacob is now in 8th grade. Despite ongoing academic challenges, he thrives with the support he receives. He has participated in the school play, middle school basketball, swim team, track, and other activities where he has been embraced by peers and staff alike. His friends know him well and support him despite his physical differences. The school consistently emphasizes his strengths while encouraging him to achieve his personal best.
Our daughter, now in 6th grade, was identified as gifted. While she is vastly different from her older brother, Wickliffe has managed to meet her academic needs as well. Thanks to the new campus, she’s able to take classes in the upper school as a lower school student, ensuring she is both challenged and supported.
Our youngest child, Max, is in 3rd grade. Despite missing traditional preschool during COVID, he excelled, testing as "accelerated" on his first attempt at the 3rd Grade Ohio State Reading Test. This achievement reflects the dedication of Wickliffe’s teachers, who worked tirelessly to close learning gaps caused by pandemic disruptions.
All three of my children are remarkably different in their personalities, strengths, and challenges, yet Wickliffe City Schools has successfully met each of their individual needs.
As someone who attended private school, has been a public school teacher for 18 years, and has served on the school board for 8 years, I understand the complexities of education. I also know that 90% of students in our country attend public schools. We chose Wickliffe because of its strong sense of community — a place where families support one another and invest in their schools. While school funding remains a challenging issue, one thing is clear: the most "Wickliffe" thing we can do is stand together to support our schools. We can’t wait for politicians in Columbus to fix funding; it’s our responsibility to continue the tradition of caring for the next generation by ensuring they receive the same wonderful opportunities that define Wickliffe’s legacy. This is a true testament to our “Generations of Pride,” NOW is the time to show our support for this generation.