Donna Schuessler in her empty guidance office at Eastwood High School.
Marie Thomas-Baird | Sentinel-Tribune
PEMBERVILLE — Donna Schuessler has spent her entire career at Eastwood Local Schools.
After 37 years, she’s departing this month.
“This is the only place that I’ve been,” she said. “I started here, and I’ve ended here.”
The Perkins High School graduate came to be at Eastwood while living in Bowling Green. Her husband, Mike, attended Bowling Green State University and she was looking for a job.
She was hired by Sue Wynn, principal at Eastwood Middle School, who was looking for a teacher sub.
“She made it clear I was only going to be there for one year, and I said that’s OK.”
Wynn then said she wanted to offer Schuessler a job. Within months, Schuessler got a call from Marilyn Beckman at Luckey Elementary and was offered a sixth-grade position.
Schuessler earned her teaching degree from BGSU.
She taught at Luckey for six years before that class was moved to the middle school. She didn’t want to move so she accepted a second-grade job at Luckey.
Schuessler said that her goal in life wasn’t to be a teacher, and she started her college career in the accounting program.
“I wanted to be working with numbers or money and math and things like that.”
After a year, Schuessler was having second thoughts.
She had been coaching a middle school basketball team on the side and really enjoyed working with the kids. She decided she wanted to be a teacher.
The switch to counseling came after Schuessler was approached by the Luckey counselor, who told her she should change careers since she worked so well with the little kids and helping them get through their struggles.
Schuessler said she knew she wanted to earn a master’s degree but didn’t know in what area. She took a few classes in counseling, really enjoyed it and never looked back.
In 2000, after earning a master’s degree from BGSU, she moved to the high school guidance office.
As a high school counselor, Schuessler works with scheduling and is test coordinator, and over the years found more of her time working with the mental health of students.
“The students are the best part of the job,” she said. “Getting to know the students and being part of their success, from freshman to their senior year and watching them grow, not only physically but emotionally.
“Helping them on their journey to find out what they want to do in the adult world and seeing them be successful after that and hearing from them that they’re successful has been the biggest part.”
When her students at Luckey made it to the high school, the reunion was fun, Schuessler recalled.
“When they were here it was so much fun to see them as high school students and we used to reminisce. … “I used to say you’re the same only a little bit taller.”
Schuessler always thought outside the box to determine what would work with each kid.
“I looked at each kid as their own project for me and how I was going to help that student be successful in the long run. What was good for one kid may not be the same path for the other kid.
“I know that I’ve helped kids get through some pretty rough times. … I think those are the kids I truly know I’ve made an impact on the most.”
Schuessler has seen the second generation of students come through her office, so after 37 years she decided it’s time to retire.
Schuessler said she’ll miss the kids and the relationship she has with them, watching them grow in four years.
Before school let out, she met with the junior class and told them she will miss spending their senior year with them.
“I am blessed that I was able to be at Eastwood for 37 years,” Schuessler said. “I never wanted to work any place else.”
She plans to spend time with her family, which includes her husband and two children, one in Columbus and one in Georgia.
Mike is a senior project manager at BGSU and is closing in on retirement as well, she said.
Schuessler plans to travel, including visits with the daughter in Georgia, who is having the family’s first granddaughter.
The son in Columbus is getting married and she is looking forward to spending time with him and his wife.
Her parents still live in the Sandusky area, and they can expect more visits, too.
The Schuessler home on Kelly’s Island also will see more visits, she said.
“I want to be over by the water and the beach and enjoy my time over there.”
Once Mike retires, the couple plans to spend a winter in their island home.
“We’re excited about doing that, just because it’s so different during the different seasons,” she said, adding the only way off the island in the winter is by plane.
