If students are taking chemistry, they’re lucky enough to have Mrs. Colangelo as their instructor.  This intelligent, kind-hearted educator takes on a mom-like role, caring for the needs of her students above and beyond the world of periodic tables and lab experiments.

Mrs. Colangelo was born to teach. While she was going through elementary, middle, and high school, she would “teach” the kids on her bus route home; Colangelo says that she would give them little tests and quizzes on the long ride in hopes that she would teach them something. When Colangelo got into college, she first thought that she was going to be a pharmacist, but she soon realized that she didn’t want to sit behind a counter all her life and give up the fact that she also loved biology; she then made the very brave decision to become a teacher. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and became a very successful teacher.

Her first teaching job was at a small school down in Cincinnati, Ohio. Soon after leaving the small school, she went to a larger school down in Ohio. After teaching there for 12 years, she came to our small town when her husband’s company brought them up to Michigan, which meant living closer to family and her husband’s beloved hunting and fishing spots in Canada. She said that she made her husband drive around the town before she decided to apply for the job. She said that she fell in love with our little town because it reminded her of where she went to school.

Mrs.Colangelo had three children of her own who she loves with all her heart. She lives in a 108-year-old house that has two grand staircases and 9-foot ceilings. She has been teaching for 37 years, and she still loves to teach kids.

 Students were thrilled to comment on the impact Mrs. Colangelo makes on each of them. Junior Logan Lamb says, “Mrs. Colangelo is one of my favorite teachers. She has helped me succeed in so many different ways. She is super nice, and if I had the chance to have her again I would not pass it up.”  Many students go on to take higher-level chemistry courses knowing how supportive she is. 

Another junior Mariell Bommarito adds that Mrs. Colangelo taught her that  “it doesn’t matter how slow you go, only if you keep going,” which is excellent advice for any student. 

One staff member Ms. Fields said that “Mrs. Colangelo continuously goes out of her way to make everyone she comes in contact with feel welcomed and loved.”   Many of us here at CHS would agree that her support makes a difference for all of us.