English teacher Lynne Renick is retiring this year, and even though she has been teaching for a total of 36 years, there’s never a moment when she doesn’t love her job.

“My students teach me so much, especially how to laugh, to enjoy life right now in the moment,” Renick said.

While Renick has been teaching for a very long time, she understands the importance of continuing to learn along with her students.

Renick’s daughter, Kerri, who graduated last year, played a role in Renick’s continuation at Free State.

“The fun part for me was seeing my daughter go through school while I was here,” Renick said. “I could see events from her point of view and from the teacher perspective.”

Renick has only taught at Free State for three years, but she’s learned valuable lessons in her time here.

“A larger school and a vast number of students give more opportunities for involvement…” Renick said. “[However], it also lets kids get lost [and] fall through the cracks.”

Renick has decided to retire now while she still loves her job.

“I wanted to retire when I still enjoyed what I was doing,” Renick said. “I still like my students… I still wake up each day and look forward to coming to work.”

While Renick will have lots of free time now, she’s still not sure what her retirement plans are. However, she’s looking forward whatever adventures await.

As for Renick’s successor, he or she will have big shoes to fill. Renick advises her replacement to push students to strive for excellence.

“[Always] keep the bar high,” Renick said. “Kids will [continue to] come up to it.”