Dryden trio calls it a career

DRYDEN — The trio of Sheryl Czerwinski, Kim Fleming, Teresa Garcia – all employees with the Dryden school district with a combined 93 years of service, are calling it a career.

The Tri-City Times had a chance to see what was the key to success for the ladies, as they shared their story with the newspaper.

How many years with Dryden and education for all three of you?

Czerwinski: 30 years with Dryden

Fleming: 32 years with Dryden

Garcia: 31 years with Dryden

Why Dryden?

Czerwinski: Teaching jobs were scarce when I graduated from college. I was a substitute teacher in Marine City, St. Clair, Algonac, and Richmond for a year while I searched. When Dryden showed up on the posted jobs list, I had to look up where it was. At the Homecoming assembly six weeks into my first school year here, I realized I knew half of the students! I knew I had found a great fit.

Fleming: I was vacationing in Colorado when I got the call asking me to come for an interview in Dryden. I had never heard of Dryden and had to look it up on a map. Early into my career I knew I had found my home.

Garcia: I grew up in Lapeer. I graduated from Lapeer West High School. Dryden was a good fit. I knew the area and loved that Dryden was a small district.

What subjects did you teach?

Czerwinski: All levels of English (7-12); Drama (JH and HS); SAT Prep; Senior Seminar; Freshman Seminar; Novels; Mythology

Fleming: I taught all levels of Spanish for 7 years and then had the opportunity to be the school’s counselor for the last 25 years.

Garcia: All high school science classes. Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and electives like Zoology and Anatomy and Physiology.

What grade levels?

Czerwinski: All grades: 7-12

Fleming: All grades: 7-12

Garcia: High school 9th-12th grades. A couple of junior high classes over the years.

As your careers moved along, what are some of the major changes you have seen in education, and in how students responded to the various styles of instruction?

Czerwinski: Although I appreciate the time-saving aspects of technology, it doesn’t always mean students are doing their best work. It’s easy to get distracted. There’s also been a shift in responsibility away from the students.

Fleming: In 1994, I didn’t even have a computer in my classroom. Now, each student has their own device and much of their work is completed and submitted online. Although this technology is necessary, and students have gained an entirely new skill set because of it, I feel there are other skills they are lacking because of it.

Garcia: The biggest change is the use of technology. When I started, we were recording and calculating grades by hand in a gradebook. The biggest piece of technology we had was a TV in the corner of the classroom that showed videos. Now, everything is online: grades, lessons, and entire classes. I think we will see the pendulum start to swing back in the other direction. More and more studies are showing the benefits of paper/pencil learning in the classroom.

What have been some of the highlights for each of you, through the years?

Czerwinski: My twin niece and nephew graduated from Dryden High School in 2025. I was fortunate to be able to attend all of their concerts, presentations and sporting events from preschool through 12th grade. Once they were in our building, I was able to see them every day. I even sponsored their class to help guide them through high school.

Fleming: I was fortunate to take a group of six students to Mexico and 13 students to Spain. I coached varsity track and field for seven seasons and 1 season of JV competitive cheer. I served as an advisor for the Four County Community Foundation – YAC. Finally I have formed relationships with hundreds of students, many with whom I maintain contact.

Garcia: Cedar Point trips with my physics classes, serving as Dryden Education Association President, getting updates on former students, and forming relationships with coworkers and students alike.

Obviously, with decades of dedication to the district, what is it that has kept you there?

Czerwinski: My students and my colleagues. I have built relationships with students and their families and have taught multiple “grand-students” (children of my former students). My two teacher besties and I are retiring together. I’ve formed great friendships with former students, their families, and my colleagues.

Fleming: Relationships. Some of the students I taught in the 90s are now the parents of the students I work with today. My co-workers have become my friends. I am fortunate to have worked with and will retire with two of the best educators I know.

Garcia: I think what has kept me here is the relationships I have built with students and coworkers. I am retiring with two of my very best friends. I am so lucky to have been able to share this journey with them and look forward to enjoying retirement with them.

What might be the one or two things you will miss from being in education?

Czerwinski: Working with students. They make me laugh every day, and I have learned as much from them as (I hope) they have learned from me.

Fleming: I enjoy helping people. Whether it’s completing a college application, awarding a scholarship or talking over personal matters. I will miss my students and our day-to-day interactions.

Garcia: I will miss the relationships I have built with my students and my coworkers. I love feeding my students’ curiosity and sharing my love of science with them. I will miss all the laughs, the tears, and the camaraderie that I have shared with my coworkers over the years.

Did you ever think – when you first started out and everything seemed “easier and safer”, that you would see the level of security there is today in the schools?

Czerwinski: Not one bit. It’s necessary, and I’m thankful for it, but I am dismayed that we need it.

Fleming: Never. I understand the need for the extra security, but it makes me sad that it’s necessary.

Garcia: I never imagined how our schools would become so locked down. I remember when the front doors remained unlocked; parents were in and out of not only the building but also our classrooms, too. I understand the need for security, but I wish there were not a need for the extra security.

Future plans after retirement?

Czerwinski: Never setting an alarm in the “4”’s again! Continuing to teach virtual courses for Ferris State University. Spend more time on the porch and in the garden. Assisting students with the college and scholarship application process on the side.

Fleming: I love to travel, so I hope to do more of that with my husband. I will likely work part time. I would love to do something creative.

Garcia: I plan on spending more time with my family. I will also probably get at least a part-time job, one that does not require me to work beyond my normal working hours!

Hobbies when not teaching?

Czerwinski: Reading, cooking, shopping, napping, gardening, Detroit Red Wings Hockey

Fleming: Baking, cooking, watching Detroit sports, playing with my dog.

Garcia: Bird watching is my main hobby when I am not teaching. I also love being out in nature.

Final thoughts?

Czerwinski: When I first came to Dryden, I thought I understood what teaching was going to be. I had my plans, my lessons, my expectations of how things would go. But somewhere along the way, between the first bell and the final curtain, I realized it was never really about any of that. It was about the people.

Dryden has a way of making things personal. It’s the relationships you build over years, sometimes decades. It’s seeing students grow up not just in your classroom, but in the hallways, on the stage, and out in the community. It’s former students coming back, very often with kids of their own, and realizing you’ve been part of something that lasts far beyond a single school year.

The drama program, especially, has been such a big part of that for me. There’s something special about the moments that happen there: the late rehearsals, the inside jokes, the nerves before opening night, and that feeling when everything finally comes together.

Some of the best learning didn’t happen at a desk. It happened under stage lights, in the middle of chaos, where students figured out confidence, teamwork, and how to trust themselves and each other. And in all of it, it wasn’t just the students who were growing.

They challenged me, kept me on my toes, and reminded me, year after year, why this work matters. They made me laugh, sometimes at exactly the right moment. They pushed me to be better. I didn’t just teach here. I grew up here, too.

I’ve also been incredibly lucky to work alongside colleagues who care deeply about this place and these kids. The kind of people who show up, day after day, and do the work that doesn’t always get noticed but makes all the difference. Being part of that has meant more to me than I can fully put into words.

So as I step away, I’m not thinking about years or even accomplishments. I’m thinking about moments. The small ones. The meaningful ones.

The ones that, at the time, didn’t seem like anything extraordinary but turned out to be everything.

Dryden has been more than a workplace. It’s been a community, a second home, and a constant source of purpose in my life.

And it has truly been an honor to be part of it.

Fleming: I spent my entire career at Dryden High School, and it’s hard to put into words just how much that time has meant to me. Every year brought a new group of students, each with their own personalities, challenges, and strengths. Being part of their lives – watching them figure things out, gain confidence, and move forward – has been incredibly fulfilling. There were plenty of tough days along the way, but even those came with lessons and moments that reminded me why I stayed. Over time, Dryden became much more than a place I worked; it felt like home.

What I’ll carry with me most are the relationships. The connections with students, the daily interactions, the small moments that turned into lasting memories -they’re what made this career so special.

I was also lucky to work alongside people who truly cared about what they did, and that made all the difference. We leaned on each other, celebrated together, and always kept students at the center of it all. Looking back, I feel grateful for every part of the experience.

Dryden will always be a place I think of with pride and appreciation.

Garcia: When I look back over my teaching career in Dryden I think it has meant far more to me than simply a job. It has been a journey that has seen me grow just as much as my students; it has allowed me to develop lifelong relationships and given me a sense of purpose. Through these relationships and experiences, I’ve had the privilege of sharing knowledge while also learning and growing myself as a leader and a mentor.

One of the most rewarding aspects has been watching students evolve into capable, confident adults, knowing that I played even a small role in their journey.

Teaching has challenged me, inspired me, and continually pushed me to become better. I hope my legacy is built not only on the lessons I have taught, but on the lives touched and futures influenced.