Suzy

THE GPS TIMELINE is punctuated by quite a few milestones, such as moves from Oak Street to Palmetto Street to Island Avenue. Then in 1999, the school welcomed its first sixth-grade class along with a new contingent of sixth-grade teachers. Suzy McKenna was among that cohort and has remained someone our youngest students can trust.

During her time at GPS, McKenna modeled for her students the joy of lifelong learning when she returned to college for an additional teaching certificate all while still teaching, serving as a grade-level team leader, planning the class trip to Disney World, supporting daughter Brittney during her freshman year, and being a wife to her late husband, David. “I didn’t know if I could handle it all, but I made it!”

Not only did she survive that journey, she came out better for it. Every year, Upper School students tell McKenna how much they enjoyed their Letters from Rifka project. “The girls could act out scenes, cook foods from different European countries in which the protagonist travels, create artwork, share music and dances, and choose other activities pertaining to the novel. One senior actually made a poster of the book in graphic design because she said it was her favorite novel.”

When asked to describe her career at GPS, McKenna had two words: teacher heaven. “Working with the students is by far the best part of my career,” she says. “I think of the girls as my girls and want them to feel comfortable and accepted.”

One of those GPS students was her daughter Brittney, who graduated in 2007. “Everyone knows that GPS builds incredible academic foundations. However, I am always touched by the friendships the girls make,” McKenna says. “My own daughter speaks with her GPS friends every single week! They are more like sisters than friends. I didn’t have that strong bond with classmates and absolutely love the fact that my daughter has these beautiful friends for life.”

Upon retirement, McKenna is looking forward to reading more, volunteering, traveling, and spending time with Brittney and her wife, Mary. But her leaving GPS doesn’t come without a measure of melancholy. “I have been incredibly blessed to work with many wonderful people. No matter what was going on day-to-day, I knew there were always colleagues who were willing to help me or the students. But I will definitely miss the girls.”

“ Suzy will never begin to fully grasp the number of lives that she has touched in her 24 years of service to GPS; even if she could, she would never admit it! Her talent for connecting with her Middle School English students is only matched by her humility and big heart. I first met Suzy in 2001 as my wonderful sixth-grade advisor and English teacher and am now proud to call her a revered colleague and friend. I can truly say that every piece of Suzy is GPS blue! To name a few, we will miss her nurturing spirit, open mind, and ability to make grammar fun. I am better because of the ways that Suzy has touched my life over the last 22 years, and GPS is a brighter place because of her service.”

—CASEY CALDWELL SANTOS ’08, MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR