“I was one of those graduating seniors who wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after high school,” Mansfield said. “So, what did I do? I followed my best friend to college who was a year older than me and followed in her footsteps. She was a physical education major, so I was too. It didn’t take too long to realize that being a gym teacher was not for me. So, I followed my own path in the field of special education and elementary education and eventually got my master’s degree in elementary education.”

She added that her friend currently owns a successful dance studio in Fredonia.

“We both followed different paths but are successful in our own fields,” Mansfield said. “It just goes to show you, follow your own path.”

Mansfield was hired as a substitute at Pine Valley in 1998, becoming a full time teacher in 2007 after her children were in school. She spent 11 years teaching kindergarten after starting in the special education department.

“I am currently in my fifth year as a second grade teacher,” Mansfield said. “I loved my time in kindergarten, but I am really enjoying the independence of this age group.”

Mansfield said some of her favorite parts of teaching are the memories she has made and the “intangible rewards.” “The funny things the kids say; the stories they tell; the hugs in hallways from previous students; attending graduation parties; the keepsakes I’ll treasure for years,” Mansfield said. “The best part has been seeing my kindergarten students graduate and being asked to attend their graduation parties and seeing some of the end of the school year gifts I had given my students 12 years prior.”

Mansfield said teaching is both a rewarding and challenging experience. Teachers help students learn and grow, but they do much more.

“Teachers not only have to help students learn the curriculum and prepare them for the future, but teachers can also wear many other hats,” she said. “Sometimes we are counselors, therapists, nurses, detectives, trainers, janitors, entertainers, tech wizards, artists, social workers, advocates, advisors, leaders, disciplinarians, and cheerleaders, to name a few. I don’t know many teachers that wouldn’t appreciate a hug at the end of a long day.”

Additionally Mansfield said teachers are the backbone of society and schools are the center of their community. She said teachers are role models for students and that they can inspire them to become responsible and caring citizens.

Before teaching at Pine Valley, Mansfield taught computer science at St. Bernadette’s in Orchard Park for seven years.

“We had cutting edge technology with Apple computers with 64-128K memory, monochrome monitors and a dot matrix printer,” Mansfield said. “It’s funny when I look back and see all the advances in technology.”

Mansfield’s goals for the year include helping students recover from Covid.

“My goals this year are to try to help my students gain back some of the momentum they might have lost during the COVID years,” Mansfield said. “This is the last class that had to experience the mandates with masking and remote learning, so not all students came into second grade at grade level. My hope is that through good teaching strategies, consistency and lots of hard work we can help these students reach their potential and be prepared for third grade.”

Besides teaching, Mansfield enjoys walking with the family’s three dogs near their family dairy farm. Her husband also graduated from Pine Valley in 1982, and their children graduated in 2014 and 2018 after what she said were many successful years at Pine Valley.

The family has also recently taken in some foreign exchange students.

“For the first time we have taken in two foreign exchange students from Germany and Belgium,” she said. “They will stay with us for a full academic school year. It is interesting to hear the boys talk about the differences between our languages, lifestyles and schools. They were impressed by the number of electives offered to the students and enjoyed playing their first high school team sport, soccer. It should be an interesting year for all of us.”

She also had some advice for younger students.

“My advice to junior high students — get involved early in athletics, clubs, musicals or any activity you really like,” she said. “This will help you become a more well-rounded student and it also teaches you to be organized and prioritize your work.”