Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

A MOMENT CAPTURED: LOVE

It is only the second day of school, but English Department Chairwoman Mitzi Tolzin is back in the swing of teaching freshman English at Valley High School. The 32-year-old is energetic and ends each class with, "Make it a great day!" as the new high schoolers shuffle out the door. "I knew when I was little I wanted to be a teacher," Tolzin said. "But then I wanted to make money; so I went into accounting, advertising, public relations. I knew pretty quickly those weren't going to make me happy; so I switched." Now, in addition to a bachelor's degree in English and education and a master's in curriculum and instruction, she is going back to school for her National Board of Professional Teaching certification. "I love learning, too," she shares with her third period class. Standing outside her classroom, Room 210, between morning classes, she helps lost students with directions. Her smiles and hugs greet familiar faces of upperclassmen who had taken her course. "I love Valley," Tolzin said. "I think we have awesome kids. You get back what you put out there with the kids."

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