People come and go, get hired and get fired. But the most impacting goodbye at Libertyville High School can be seen when a staff member retires, leaving a group of people they have influenced and motivated as they move onto the next stage of their life.
This year, Mr. Steve Rochon, a transition coordinator, and Mrs. Thelma Krupp, a German teacher and International Languages department supervisor, are retiring.
Mr. Rochon has worked at LHS for 29 years as a math and science teacher for special education students, a volleyball coach, and a transition coordinator.
“It simply feels like the right time to move into something else. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done here but it very much feels like my time here has come to an end. I have other things to do,” said Mr. Rochon.
Mr. Rochon plans on learning French and visiting Quebec; his family has lived in North America since 1657 and Mr. Rochon recently discovered that he has roots in Quebec.
“In order to go back to that part of the continent and explore my roots, I need to have a respectable ability to speak the language. I can’t just go in as an American who speaks slower and louder to the French speakers… so that’s kind of a matter of respect,” Mr. Rochon said.
Mr. Rochon also plans on continuing to coach the Lake Forest High school women’s volleyball team; he is the head coach currently and has held the position since 2011.
“I would like the opportunity to build a program again. I was the first boys volleyball coach here for the boys volleyball program and I was the first women’s volleyball coach at Vernon Hills and built that program,” Mr. Rochon said.
Mrs. Krupp has been working at LHS for 25 years, and has been teaching for 33 years. She has worked as a department supervisor for International Languages since 2000, taught all levels of German, and taught Freshman Literature and Comp. in the English department. She was also co-chair on the NCA team for five years, which was the school improvement committee, ran German Club for 10 years and assisted with state testing (PSAE) for two years.
“I just love teaching German language, literature and culture and even German grammar, and the same for English literature and grammar,” Mrs. Krupp said.
In her retirement, Mrs. Krupp plans on visiting Hawaii, Scotland, Germany and Italy. She also might find another job.
“I think of myself as being very young so I’m going to start on my second life and my second career,” Mrs. Krupp said.
Although she is excited for what is going to come, Mrs. Krupp is also sad to leave many of her friends at LHS behind.
“It just seemed like a good time in my life to change course and to do some things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. And I had my required time in with the state and my department is in a good stage in terms of transitioning into new educational leader… but I’ll miss the people,” Mrs. Krupp said.
