After high school most students wouldn’t go back to be a staff member, however, there are 18 Summit alumni that came back.. The returning staff include Brent Barringer, Luc Benson, Emily Cissi, Jill Grimshaw, Eric Hill, Cristian Hilpert, Chad Jones, Logan Kramer, Krista Krebsbach, Lauren Lamar, John Mazar, Daniel Money, Grace Podjeski, Jason Schnider, Ryley Spizeo, Erin Taylor, EJ Walters, and Allie Tunnicliff.
PE teacher Jill Grimshaw, Class of 2017, is one of the 18 Rockwood Summit Alumni. Grimshaw said she always knew she was going to come back to work here since she was a student.
“I told teachers while I was a student here that I wanted to come back to be a teacher here. I always knew I wanted to come back. I adored my teachers and wanted to have this as a job,” Grimshaw said.
Softball coach, baseball coach, and Student Resource Assistant Chad Jones, Class of 1999, said his high school environment was less influenced by technology and more by communication.
“Kids and priorities are similar [to how they are now], just with a lot less technology. People actually had to talk to each other,” Jones said.
Spanish teacher Eric Hill, Class of 2004, had a similar take on the environment to Jones in high school when he was a student.
“There was far less technology in the classroom, far more homework, no social media, no Infinite Campus to search your grades, [and] no retakes. The kids got along well with each other in and out of school,” Hill said.
Grimshaw said the positive atmosphere and high school experience is what brought her back to teach here.
“[I came back to Summit to teach because] I was supported by my teachers, coaches, and friends here. I tried to be as involved as I could and cheer on as many people as I could. I played three sports all four years and was in the Student Council. Everyone has different experiences and has different talents but I was encouraged to celebrate other people’s success and it gave me such a positive experience while in high school and I wanted to bring that to my profession in life and was so excited to come back to Summit as a teacher. I had amazing teachers that are still here and now I get to work alongside them like Mrs. Perone, Coach Miller, Neil and Matusiak, Mrs. Steele, Coach Hill and so many others that gave me a ton of encouragement and inspired me to come back and teach],” Grimshaw said.
English teacher Emily Cissi said her high school experience made her want to teach at Summit.
English teacher Jennifer Perone impacted Cissi when she attended Summit and led her to the opportunity to work at Summit.
“Perone impacted me because she told me to apply and we teach a class together now. It’s cool to watch that relationship grow into something new,” Cissi said.
