Stanton Lamar is a junior at New Hanover High School. He said he found the courage to stay in journalism classes, and ultimately become the yearbook’s sports editor because of one teacher: Kylee Maarschalk.
“I feel like Ms. Maarschalk really just helped me find a passion in that, which helped a lot. I mean, I feel like if it would have been a different teacher, I doubt I would have stayed in the class at all,” Lamar said.
Ana Silvalarios is another one of her students.
“If she notices you're down, like I have tendencies to be out a lot, and like she checks up on you. I like that student-and-teacher communication,” she said.
Silvalarios also mentioned that Julio Rodriguez, a Spanish-speaking educator, who also teaches Latin and French at New Hanover, helped her navigate through grade-level requirements, which she greatly appreciated.
Emma Beke also recognizes the caring spirit that Ms. Maarschalk carries with her.
“I would say she just creates such a positive environment whenever we walk in the room; it's always a joyful vibe. And I always look forward to it every single day,” Beke said.
Maria Fernanda Barriga-Mateos is a New Hanover senior going to UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media next fall. She said Ms. Maarschalk appreciates who she is as a person.
“She says this quote or saying that, like, ‘I see you and I respect you as the way you are’ or something along those words. And I think she values like every single one of her students,” she said.
Next year, Maria Sullivan is joining Fernanda Barriga-Mateos at UNC’s Hussman School. She's also appreciative of her teacher, who helped her get there.
“She's just the type of teacher that supports all of us so wholeheartedly; she will come to our outside-of-school events. When I got into Chapel Hill, and I got a scholarship, she was one of the first people I told because she wrote my recommendation, and she's really seen us go from being just like sophomores or younger kids in the school to people who are about to graduate, and like, have a real adult life,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan added she and the other journalism students are so grateful for teachers like Ms. Maarschalk.
“Our yearbook crew right now, I mean, I'm so proud of us, we're going to a lot of amazing schools next year. And we made a really great book this year. And a lot of our achievements made both in and outside of the classroom could not have been done without her, so I'm super thankful for her,” she said.
And there are other adults working inside New Hanover High to make it a welcoming place for students.
Myonna Harry is a senior. She said she credits Communities in Schools student support specialist Sylvia Jabaley with helping her with her academic success. And this support started during her freshman year.
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“I was really new to the school, but it's like, as soon as I met her, it's like, ‘Wow, I'm here’, and she welcomed me with open arms,” Harry said.
Ms. Jabaley was even there for Harry during one of the toughest parts of her life. Harry lost her best friend to suicide that first year of high school.
“She took her time to make a group to make sure we all knew that we had someone here for us, and we didn't have to be sad or feel alone, because we lost her,” she said.
And Jabaley continued to help her throughout her four years at Hanover.
“She's helped me get into college. She's helped me excel with all my grades. In the beginning, when I lost my best friend, my GPA dropped drastically to a 1.8 GPA. My GPA now is at 3.1 with the help of Ms. Jabaley; she got me into my dream school.”
That school is North Carolina Central University where she plans to major in psychology — and minor in social work.
Note: If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, call 988.
