Whether she’s in the classroom, coaching athletes, or at home with her kids she looks for fun in everything. Mrs. Kelly Sullivan has been a teacher for 22 years, coaches multiple sports and is a mother of four.
Sullivan has been a member of the Marist faculty for 14 years and is a teacher in the science department.
“As soon as I walked into the place I knew that it was the kind of place I wanted to teach at,” says Sullivan.
Her students are what make it fun for her.
“My students make me laugh. I enjoy teaching. I enjoy my students,” says Sullivan.
Her favorite memory of teaching is hard to narrow down, however her favorite feeling is not.
“The best feeling is when you see kids’ faces go from a look of confusion to a look of understanding. The light bulb turns on and they suddenly have confidence,” says Sullivan.
Mrs. Sullivan is also the head coach of the girls’ swim, wrestling, and track and field teams.
“Coaching is a great way to get to know kids. I like to compete; it’s fun,” says Sullivan.
She knew she wanted to coach at Marist once she started working here.
“I think kids have a really good attitude. They join teams for the right reasons. They’re excited to be on a team. They’re excited to perform. They’re excited to be Marist,” she says.
Sullivan started coaching swimming about ten years ago.
“My oldest daughter was gonna be a freshman and she has been a swimmer her whole life, and they needed a coach,” she says.
Sullivan grew up in a wrestling family so coaching that when the opportunity came up made sense.
“It’s a sport I grew up around my entire life, it’s a sport I wish was available to me growing up,” says Sullivan.
Girls wrestling is a new and growing sport that Sullivan is proud to be a part of here at Marist.
“My girls, my team, have that same Marist wrestling tradition and culture because it is a strong and valuable family that’s here at this school,” says Sullivan.
As for her family at home, Sullivan is a mother of four: three girls and one boy.
“I just really like my kids,” says Sullivan.
Finding a balance between teaching, coaching and being a mom is something Sullivan has had to figure out very well.
“Part of the balance came from my kids being so active as I was. I coached them so that helped,” Sullivan says.
Fellow science teacher Mrs. Giacobbe is a close friend of Sullivan and looks to her for anything.
“Currently we are incredibly close. I lean on her for a lot of help both in the classroom and outside,” says Giacobbe. “She always comes with wonderful advice that is non-judgmental, non biased, and I feel very comfortable talking to her.”
Her coworkers and students describe her personality as joyful and outgoing.
“She is optimistic, she is always willing to help, she’s hysterical, she is empathetic and always on the students’ side,” says Giacobbe.
