Many students at Rancho Cucamonga High School have at least one teacher who has helped them in their academic journeys. For Ms. Berenice Sealy and Ms. Karen Gerdes of the science department, helping students has been an important part of their teaching careers. Both Sealy and Gerdes will retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Goodbye, Ms. Gerdes!
Many students have gotten to have the experience of being in one of Gerdes’s classes. Currently, she teaches physics, honors physics, and AP Physics. Thirty-three of her teaching years have been at RCHS, while the other seven were spent at Alta Loma. She is one of the few original Cougars who started teaching when RCHS opened up.
For Gerdes, her career’s most rewarding aspect has been the experience of working with students. She’s hosted ‘Homework Hangouts’ in her classrooms after school – allowing students to come during the evenings and work on assignments.
When she first started out as a teacher, she was fueled by her love for her subjects and her passion for working with students. It was as the years went by that she realized just how rewarding connecting with kids was.
“Just that ‘aha’ moment the students have, or showing them that they can be successful in a really tough class, going to activities, and things like that,” Gerdes said. “I don’t think I realized just how much I was going to enjoy those connections.”
Outside of her physics classroom, many of Gerdes’s favorite Rancho memories have come from football games.
“Standing on the sidelines at our football games has been a lot of fun. Participating in rallies [too], particularly the few times I did a step routine with my students,” said Gerdes.
As for her retirement, she plans to travel and spend time with her family in Idaho. She also looks forward to volunteering, possibly even on Rancho’s campus.
Although her future projects are still evolving, Gerdes wants her students to know that the future is something to be enjoyed.
“It’s very important [for] money [to not be] your main focus, when choosing what you want to do in life,” said Gerdes. “Find something you’re passionate about, that you enjoy. Put your efforts into that, and realize that people are just as important as a job.”
Goodbye, Ms. Sealy!
Sealy has taught science for thirty years at RCHS and another five years at Chino High School. Most recently, Sealy has taught AP Environmental Sciences as well as Anatomy and Physiology.
Throughout her career at RCHS, Sealy said she believes the most rewarding aspects of her career have been to teach her students not only just about the environment but to get them excited about such topics. Through her classes, Sealy inspired students to pursue further knowledge in the environmental sciences, and according to Sealy, some of her former students have gone on to major in the subject or work in related fields.
Her job as a teacher has created countless memories for her and her students. Sealy spoke about her most cherished memories during her time teaching.
“I loved going on field trips. They were hard and stressful at times, but we had so much fun,” Sealy said. “I even remember one time I told my students on a field trip not to get too close to the lake, but they didn’t listen and got stuck in the mud! We had to create a human chain to drag them out, and they couldn’t retrieve their shoes afterward.”
In her retirement, Sealy said she still plans to help support and sustain the environment through volunteer work. Sealy said she plans to volunteer at the California Botanic Garden and continue to teach people to garden with her ‘Master Gardener’ title.
For Sealy, leaving RCHS is only another chapter to unfold in her life. She said it is important to continue to educate others about the environment. Sealy leaves one message for her students before she begins her retirement.
“Don’t lose hope and don’t give up,” Sealy said. “I think the most important thing is just to not stop fighting for the environment because saving the planet is not only just about saving [Earth]. The planet will be here long after we are gone. It’s about saving the people.”
Mr. Aiken’s Message
Not only have Gerdes and Sealy impacted students, they have created many memories with staff as well. RCHS Principal Mr. Azande Aikens has known both teachers for two years and has seen their impact in their classrooms.
“Ms. Sealy does AP environmental science, so when I’m in her class, I’m always learning something about the environment and seeing how her kids’ eyes light up when they learn how the different things we do can impact the environment in positive ways,” said Aikens.
Aikens also commented on the creative and fun projects that Gerdes facilitated in her classroom.
“In Mrs. Gerdes’s class, [they have] an experiment where they have an egg and a vehicle [that] goes down the ramp. The goal is to make sure that the egg is kept safe. Just seeing how she comes up with creative ideas to continue to build the interests of her students, and how many of those students go away to college and come back to visit.”
