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May 2009 - Newly Adopted School District Policies

Kristy Kropa is the Lackawanna Trail Alumnus of the Month for May 2009

It has been six years since I graduated from Lackawanna Trail, and I am a full time teacher at Montrose High School. I often think back on my time spent at Trail and feel appreciation for not only the academic lessons I learned but the life lessons instilled in me as a student at Lackawanna Trail.

I came to Lackawanna Trail in seventh grade from Elk Lake. As a seventh grader I was enrolled in honors classes and played field hockey and basketball. I continued in the honors program throughout my academic career at Trail. In eighth grade I joined the track and field team, which I also continued throughout my years at Trail.

I currently teach Special Education at Montrose Area School District. I first became interested in special education when I would visit Mrs. Spott’s, my high school field hockey coach, room to talk about field hockey. I became interested in teaching students with disabilities, because of her class. I began spending study halls helping the students in Mrs. Spott’s class. She always looked like she had so much fun, and since I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life I decided that special education looked like a promising career choice. I ultimately decided that teaching special education was the career path I would take, and I have Mrs. Spott to thank for that. One more thing I have to thank Mrs. Spott for is field hockey.

I knew I wanted to play field hockey in college, however I didn’t know what Division to go or where. After talking to Division I coaches I decided Division I athletics was not going to be what I wanted. Not only were the field hockey programs at the Division I level not what I was looking for in a college athletic career, but almost none Division I schools I was looking at had the special education degree I wanted. Halfway through my senior field hockey season I was still undecided where I was going to go to college and at that point had not applied anywhere. Mr. Revta was my study hall teacher second mod during the fall semester of my senior year. He cornered me the one day asking what I was going to do with my life after high school. I told him I really didn’t know and hadn’t put much thought into it lately. He literally took me right down to Guidance and into the conference room and started quizzing me on where I might want to go to school in state. I had not really done any research so I just started throwing out names of colleges I knew in Pennsylvania. Mr. Revta shot down quite a few of my suggestions saying he knew I wouldn’t like it there or they don’t have field hockey. Finally he suggested Bloomsburg University. He said he knew the coach and would give me a recommendation; however right then and there he made me call Jan Hutchinson, head field hockey coach at Bloomsburg University and express my interest in the school and field hockey program. By the end of November 2002 I had applied to Bloomsburg University and gave my verbal committment to play field hockey. In January 2003 I signed with Bloomsburg University and was accepted early. I know that the two National Championships I have from Bloomsburg University wouldn’t have even been possible if it weren’t for the coaching I received from Mrs. Spott or if Mr. Revta didn’t make me become serious about my future that day in study hall. I owe them both such a debt of gratitude for helping my dreams become a reality both academically and athletically.

Lackawanna Trail also taught me a very valuable life lesson the fall of my junior year; my house at Saddle Lake had caught fire the morning of October 23rd. When the day finally ended my family had lost everything we owned, didn’t have a place to live, and my puppy had died in the fire. The community at Lackawanna Trail that fall taught me the importance of giving. The Hayduks gave us a roof over our head, countless fundraisers to help us get back on our feet, and a brand new puppy from my dear field hockey coach Mrs. Spott. I learned the importance of giving that year. I knew before hand it was the right thing to do; however after being the recipient of so many people’s kindness, I have lived it not only in theory but in practice, too.

Between what my parents have taught me and what I learned from administrators, teachers, and coaches at Lackawanna Trail I have the tools to succeed. I am now a teacher and coach, and I use what I learned at Trail almost daily in my career. The academic lesson, athletic lessons, and life lessons I received from Lackawanna Trail from seventh grade to twelfth grade are undeniably a huge part of who I am today.