Golden Apple Recipients Reflect on Their Vocation as Diocese Honors Educators at Annual Awards Dinner

Lizabeth Miller

Kindergarten, St. Joseph School in York

“I teach the curriculum, but I also teach children to see their strengths and to persevere when things are difficult. I ask my students to practice gratitude daily and to look for joy in the ordinary, to ‘give life’ to their abilities and to their faith.”

“I try every single day to be the face of Jesus for every child in my class. To smile at them and to welcome them each morning. To listen to their stories and show them that I see them. To help them know that they are truly loved by God and by me. Teaching in a Catholic school is certainly an act of love. It is loving what we do and loving who we serve.”

Michele Stager

English teacher at Trinity High School in Camp Hill

“As my oldest sons have graduated and moved out into the world, I see firsthand the way a Catholic education has shaped them into intelligent, kind, empathetic young men. I have the same goal with all of my students: I do not want them to only be good students; I want them to be good people.”

“I firmly believe the Holy Spirit being openly welcomed in a Catholic school is what makes teaching in one so rewarding. Education is about love, and not only related to academics; it is about being a real person with and for your students and helping them grow into the person God has called them to be.”

Sara Wrightstone

Fifth-grade teacher at Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School

“Teaching in a Catholic school allows me to integrate my faith within the core subjects, allowing students to make connections with their faith and learning. I am also able to work alongside the parents, who are the primary educators in their children’s lives.”

“As an educator, I am able to teach the needed skills and promote curiosity through educational experiences. Over the past nine years, I have been blessed to see students grow and learn. Teaching has been rewarding and meaningful for me, because when I display their finished work, witness their enthusiasm for learning, or when the ‘light bulb’ turns on as they finally grasp a new concept, that’s my reward.”

Heather Hoffman

Middle School Director at York Catholic High School

“I am so blessed to be part of the York Catholic family. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to sponsor students in Confirmation, chaperone birthday parties, and attend graduation parties. I have celebrated with former students at their weddings and cried with them at the funerals of their parents and classmates. A few years ago, I was honored to become the godparent to two amazing boys whose mother is one of my former students…. I always try to be there for my students and their families.”

“God has given me so much already and He is obviously not finished with me here on earth. He has big plans for me moving forward, and I am ready for whatever He has planned.”

Katie Cole-White

Pre-K teacher at St. Joan of Arc School in Hummelstown

“I love teaching about kindness, caring, bravery, mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, peace-making, diversity and grace as we learn about Jesus.”

“We do mistakes with a smile and know we are still learning; we stop and comfort each other through sadness or insecurity; we celebrate the joys and achievements of every single child. We have incorporated the most important thing into our hearts – love for one another as God has loved us. I am proud to be the start of their educational and spiritual education. I pray each child truly knows and feels the love Christ has for them through me. I constantly strive to be that instrument.”

Nicole Martin

Theology teacher at Lancaster Catholic High School

“I continue to teach because this is my small way of building the Kingdom. This is my yes to God. I continue to teach because it matters. Far more than any fact memorized, or grade given, I hope my students will come to internalize that life is about relationships. We are invited to enter the Divine relationship through our baptism. My hope is that as they grow, authentic relationships will matter more and more to the students I have taught. That they recognize the gift of being made in the image and likeness of God, and this extends to everyone they will encounter. This is the birth Pope Francis speaks of. This is the birth of a peaceful and fruitful society.”

Terry Klugh

Principal at Lancaster Catholic High School

“I have learned leadership from the ‘ground up,’ not the ‘top down.’ Experience and grace have revealed to me that if we are to ‘Teach as Jesus did’ (and lead others to do so), then we must first start with a slight adaptation of the Golden Rule, to be the leader we want to be led by. For this to happen, listening must become a truly learned skill. I know of no better way to be truly present with someone than to be an effective listener. Listening needs to lead us to making constructive comments and giving thanks and credit to others whenever possible.”