Julie Melsness, a staple of the high school community for many years, is retiring this year.

  She was a joyful Spanish teacher who was beloved for her ability of explaining complex concepts with simplicity and for her approachable nature. She has faithfully taught for 33 years total, 29 of which were dedicated to the students at Sterling High School.

  Her tenure as teacher may be over, but she will continue to grow and learn, with some of the things she wants to do after she retires being: volunteering for Saint Mary’s church, learning how to play the piano, learning Italian, and spending more time with her family. 

  Her favorite memories from teaching revolved around her students having fun, which would mostly happen during “speaking presentations” where students would stand up and practice speaking Spanish words in front of the class. Students enjoyed doing this activity because of the nature of practicing a skill with a group of other people who are equally invested in it. 

  The reason she chose to become a teacher in the first place was because when she was a student at S.H.S., she greatly admired her Spanish teachers and enjoyed her Spanish classes so much that she decided to become a Spanish teacher so that she could bring that same joy to other students in the future. The other main reason she became a teacher is that students who shared her class would often ask her for help because she was so well versed in Spanish and she realized that she both had a talent and enjoyed teaching people. 

  When asked what her greatest strength as a teacher was, she said, “I guess it would be patience, being patient.” Her students can attest to this, as no matter what, she is willing to help them understand a difficult word or verb phrase. 

  Melsness’s impact on S.H.S. is not likely to be forgotten, and we wish her well in her retirement.