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Local News
The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016
maldenblueandgold.com
Left to right: Kwong’s outfit progressions through six school days. Photos by Jesaias Benitez.
A Fashion Icon...A Math Teacher...A Leader... A Friend...Katy Kwong.
Jesaias Benitez Reporter
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or more than thirty years, Katy Kwong has been teaching at Malden High School. Along with English teacher Beverly Nyman, Kwong will be retiring from MHS this year. Growing up, Kwong always wanted to be a teacher. “When [she] was very young, one of [her] aunts was an elementary teacher in Hong Kong and [she] would follow her, helping her grade papers after school.” After moving to Malden, Massachusetts, Kwong discovered that the city had a bilingual program which reintroduced her to teaching. Kwong decided to follow a career in technology and engineering. Having found a passion for teaching, Kwong went back to college to receive her master’s degree in education, came back, and hasn’t left since. “[She] felt teaching was always [her] calling, even now...[she] feels like [she] is constantly teaching something new.¨ Teaching for thirty-three years, Kwong ¨feels like it’s time to move on because [she] feels like she isn’t growing or contributing as much as [she] used to [when she first started].” Throughout the years, Kwong shared her best experiences during her time here at MHS was ¨each day and each year [there’s] a new challenge and there is no particular year or class she favored the most over the thirty years.¨ The most enjoyable part of MHS that Kwong favors was that ¨it is [her] hometown so [she] feels like [she] came back to contribute a piece of [herself] in the community and [she] is glad to see the community grow...A piece [she] loves is working with certain colleagues because they are the only ones who could understand what she could go through and they would only understand because family members might not know what a teacher goes through daily.¨ As far as she could remember,
From top to bottom, left to right: Kwong taking a selfie in Greece on the Tornado Travelers trip in February 2016. Photo by Ryan Gallagher. Kwong’s yearbook photo from 2003. Photo by Jesaias Benitez. Kwong taking another selfie in Greece. Kwong riding a donkey in Greece. Photos by Ryan Gallagher.
¨when [Kwong] first arrived to MHS, [she would get involved] being a student assistant to Mrs. Marquado. Back then, she was the secretary for the athletics department.” As Kwong explained, she helped out during the school year and during the summer. Former and current student, junior Sanaa Bazzat explains how ¨[she] likes that [there] is no end,” and that “[her students] can always keep on going and challenging [themselves].” Last year, [Bazzat] “took two classes, foundations of algebra, algebra 2, and school-tocareer.¨ When asked what she thinks of Kwong’s outfits, Bazzat explains that ¨her outfits brings out her personality.¨ Cara Joyce, a math teacher at MHS and the leader of the math department explains how, “[Kwong] brought a strong voice which is important and a lot of knowledge in high state testing expectations.” Kwong was very “helpful in giving her expertise and input with the state testing”. Something Joyce shares along with other staff members is that “[she] will miss [Kwong’s] personality at meetings” and how much Kwong “cares about the kids...She is seen as a tough teacher, but she has a warm heart”. For next year, Joyce hopes that “[Kwong] gets some time to relax.” As the year starts to come to an end, Kwong is very emotional saying ¨the memories have been emotional and speaking to [her] colleagues about her retirement makes her sad.¨ Kwong also shared that the city of Malden was the first place she came to in 1979. Although she has come back from college, she emphasizes that ¨the routine [from today] is similar [to the one back then].” She explains how ¨she spends more time [at MHS] than at home...[Hoping] to [get involved] by interpreting at MHS and leading the Tornado Travelers Club to China.” Kwong is sure to be missed as she begins a new journey outside of Malden High School.