Patch caught up with Zachary Waters, 18, in May—who graduated from North County High School in June. The Pasadena resident was part of the school's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What are your plans after graduation?Zachary Waters: I plan on attending [University of Maryland Baltimore County] in the fall of this year for pre-medicine biological sciences with a minor in law. Patch: Is there a memory that stands out?Zachary: The friends I've made. I would say that would be my favorite memory. ... What I like …

Patch caught up with North County High School biology and forensic science teacher Reed Cooper in May. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Reed Cooper: Five years. All at North County. Patch: How did you decide to go into education?Cooper: I was initially a researcher at [Johns] Hopkins and I worked with graduate students and physicians and I was always teaching them techniques. So teaching kind of came natural to me. I wanted more students to go into science fields. A lot of the students that were coming in are the top, higher level…

Patch caught up with Courtney Hodges, 18, in May—who graduated from North County High School in June. The Ferndale resident was part of the school's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What are your plans after graduation?Courtney Hodges: I'm going to Towson University to study exercise science. [I want to go into] physical therapy. Patch: What extracurricular activities or sports are you involved in?Courtney: I'm in SSA—the STEM student association. I'm the STEM ambassador. I do lacrosse and key club.  Patch: …

Patch caught up with North County High School technology education teacher Nick Helbling in May. Patch stopped the Essex resident to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Nick Helbling: This is my first year [2011-2012]. Patch: How did you decide to go into education?Helbling: I had a teacher my senior year of high school, he said to me, "What are you going to do when you get out of high school?" I said, "I don't really know." I was thinking about the Marines, I was thinking about possibly being a welder. I didn't really know. And he said, "Why don't you …

Patch caught up last month with North County High School student Maria Rodriguez, 14, a rising sophomore at the school. The Glen Burnie resident is part of the school's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What do you like about going to North County?Maria Rodriguez: All of my friends go here. And I got a really nice impression before we came to all of the orientations. Everyone was really nice. Everyone was really supportive. The teachers are amazing. They teach really well and they help you out whenever you …

Patch caught up with North County High School's head of counseling and career center Kristin Krycia of Pasadena in May. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Kristin Krycia: Since 1992 ... I was an elementary school counselor for a long time. Then I moved to high school to create the state—in Virginia—the state's first [English for speakers of other languages] counseling program for non-English speaking students. Really I've been in education my whole life, but '92, technically, from graduate school. This is my first year [at North …

Patch caught up last month with North County High School student Ben Seto, 17, a rising senior at the school. The Pasadena resident is part of the school's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Patch: What school would you attend if you weren't in the STEM program? What do you like about going to North County?Ben Seto: I would go to Chesapeake. North County has a lot of diversity, especially in the STEM program because it attracts people from all over the area. Just seeing a bunch of different people that I never met before—it was …

Patch caught up with Marley Middle School technology education teacher Wayne Edwards last month. He will retire this year, according to a document from Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Wayne Edwards: 32 years. All 32 [at Marley]. Glen Burnie Patch: How did you decide to go into education?Edwards: It's kind of like fate. My mother and my aunts, they were all teachers. And I shared with my students that back in 1980, I was always told I had to go to college. So I was like, "OK, I'll go to college…

Patch caught up with Marley Middle School student Mark Novak, 13, a rising eighth-grader at the school, last month. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What do you like about Marley Middle School?Mark Novak: I think the teachers are pretty cool because they try to help you out a lot and make classes fun. Glen Burnie Patch: What is your favorite subject at school? What's something you learned recently?Mark: I'd have to say geometry is my favorite subject and it's because we learned this thing called sine and cosine recently. [It was] easy, very easy. Glen Burnie Patch: …

Patch caught up with Marley Middle School student Yelena McPheron, 13, a seventh-grader at the school, last week. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What do you like about Marley Middle School?Yelena McPheron: I like the teachers. They're really supportive and nice and patient. Glen Burnie Patch: What is your favorite subject at school? What's something you learned recently?Yelena: My favorite subject is language arts. Recently I learned about what a bandwagon is. Glen Burnie Patch: Do you participate in any extracurricular activities?Yelena: I play soccer. I just …

Patch caught up with Glen Burnie High School music teacher Anthony Pinder in December. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Anthony Pinder: 26 years. I've been at Glen Burnie High School for 21 years. My first two years I was in Dorchester County and taught kindergarten through eighth grade. My second two years were in [Prince George's County] and I taught high school band. And I taught one year in York, PA. Glen Burnie Patch: How did you decide to go into education?Pinder: In high school, I had a passion for two things. One passion …

Patch caught up with Glen Burnie High School student Jennifer Wonsever, 17, a senior at the school, in December. The Severn resident and secretary of Glen Burnie High's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter spoke about the many community service projects the group has been involved with this year and what life is like at the school. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What do you like about being part of the National Honor Society?Jennifer Wonsever: I like it because it's an easy way to get into community service. It's hard to find and organize all the things we do on …

Patch caught up with fourth-grade teacher Laura Senchak in January at Richard Henry Lee. I stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Laura Senchak: This is my eighth year that I've been down here teaching in Maryland. In Pennsylvania I substituted for, like, two years. I had long-term sub jobs and went in on a daily basis to substitute. Glen Burnie Patch: What made you decide to become a teacher?Senchak: I just always liked working with kids. Just liking to teach them and just to see that they learn something, it just really motivated me to want…

Patch caught up with fourth-grader Sarah Naples, 9, during her lunch break in January at Richard Henry Lee Elementary School. I stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What is your favorite thing about school?Sarah Naples: My favorite part about school is learning math because when I'm around math I just get so happy. I love multiplication. That's my favorite thing in the world. Glen Burnie Patch: What's something that you learned recently?Sarah: Well, I thought learning fractions was pretty cool because you get to add the numerators. And it's actually kind of fun just adding …

Patch caught up with reading resource teacher Shelly Agnes in December after George Cromwell Elementary's second annual gingerbread-house making event. Patch stopped to ask her Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Shelly Agnes: I've been in education for 20 years. This is my first year [back] at George Cromwell. I started teaching here and came back this year. Glen Burnie Patch: Why teach at the elementary level?Agnes: I just like the younger students—and teaching kids how to read. Glen Burnie Patch: How did you decide to become a teacher?Agnes: I started as …

Patch caught up with Glen Burnie High School student Alaina Aragon, 17, a senior at the school, in December. The Severn resident and treasurer of Glen Burnie High's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter spoke about the many community service projects the group has been involved with this year and what life is like at the school. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What do you like about being part of the National Honor Society?Alaina Aragon: I like the fact that the community does so much for us. We all come together ... and we probably wouldn't come together if we were…

Patch caught up with fifth-grader Coale McKenzie, 11, in December after George Cromwell Elementary's second annual gingerbread-house making event. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What is your favorite thing about school?Coale McKenzie: I like that you get a lot of extra help if you need it. I like the school in general. I think it's fun to learn things. Glen Burnie Patch: What's something you learned recently that was hard or easy to learn?Coale: We learned fractions and finding the lowest common denominator. That was hard. I thought it was cool learning about …

Patch caught up with Marley Elementary School physical education teacher Amy Mueller last December during her lunch break. Patch stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been teaching?Amy Mueller: I've been teaching since 2002. All of them have been at Marley. Glen Burnie Patch: What made you decide to become a teacher?Mueller: I needed a job where I'd be moving and I know it's important to show [children] how moving can be fun. Glen Burnie Patch: How did you choose to teach at the elementary level?Mueller: They're not afraid to try new things and be silly. And …

Patch caught up with Marley Elementary School fifth-grader Juan Zavala, 10, as he ate lunch with Principal Nina Lattimore in December after being named a Good Citizen for the month of November. Teachers select two students each month who are recognized for positive attitude, respectfulness and stellar behavior with their classmates and themselves. Patch stopped him to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: What is your favorite thing about school?Juan Zavala: I like math and PE. In math, we learn a lot and in PE we get our body moving. Glen Burnie Patch: What is something you learned recently…

Patch caught up with fifth-grade teacher Kim Wilcox last month at Richard Henry Lee. I stopped her to ask Five Questions. Glen Burnie Patch: How long have you been in education?Kim Wilcox: This is my 11th year and my fifth year at Richard Henry Lee. [I taught] at Crofton Elementary. I've taught fourth and fifth grade at both schools. Glen Burnie Patch: What made you decide to become a teacher?Wilcox: I had some really great elementary school teachers in third through fifth grade. Just really energetic, motivated teachers. And I really liked them and I really like working with students, so I …