Suminski: From the Classroom to Administation

After teaching at Milford for ten years, Mrs. Suminski has taken a change of pace and new role in the school. Beginning in September, Suminski became the newest assistant principal, working alongside the other assistant principal, Mr. Dziobak. “I want to do something bigger, bigger than just in my classroom,” said Suminski, talking about how becoming an administrator was always part of her plan. She refers to having a wider spread impact on the student body than just day to day interactions of being a teacher.

After briefly considering quitting education and becoming a nurse 10 years ago, Suminski was transferred to Milford, where she taught adult living, child development and interior design. Sumkinski mentions how the transfer to Milford had a large impact on why she stayed in the profession. Suminski said, “ I started working here and opportunities started opening up in leadership type roles and it sparked a passion for influencing the school on a larger scale.”

Before becoming assistant principal, she was involved in a program through Oakland Schools called “Aspiring Principals,” which helps teachers become leaders and move onto the administrative level. For a short period of time, she was interim Dean of Students. After assistant principal Seth Tabo left, the position was later terminated. She was also interim assistant principal for a short period before Dziobak and helped to cover former assistant principal Michelle Butlers’ duties during a leave of absence. In the midst of the pandemic, the jobs that she was performing in the school changed to adjust.

In the past two years, Milford has experienced a decrease in the student population ultimately causing a decrease in administration. Principal Kevin McKenna and former assistant principal Michelle Butler had been heavily caught up on dealing with quarantines and CDC restrictions. This meant that the office was filled with COVID-related work instead of other Milford experiences. “Now that we’re inching back towards normal, we get to focus on Milford High School more and make some of those improvements and changes that were pushed aside when COVID took over everything,” she said. Suminski expresses how exciting and relieving this time is after how stressful the past two years have been.  The beginning of her new position was spent in the chaos of  Covid-19, but now there is time for her to truly connect with the student body in the way that she has wanted to since she decided to become an administrator.

Suminski is spoken of highly throughout Milford High School. Juniors at the school, Audrey Verkerke and Abbie Openshaw, took interior design their freshman year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on the time spent in class Verkerke said, “She’s the teacher at Milford that if I ever needed help I’d go to her, it was my comfort room and she was like a mom in a way.” They spoke about all the laughs and smiles that were exchanged daily with Suminski all while learning in a way that was meaningful and positive. Those interactions are what Suminski says she misses most about no longer being a teacher. On occasion, she has helped students with scheduling or behavioral issues. However, most of her time is now focused on working with Mr. Dziobak on helping students and Milford as a whole.

Milford High school has allowed Suminski to grow as an educator through opportunities and experiences that were presented to her.  “I was given opportunities to develop professional relationships with a lot of people who were just as passionate as I am and was able to collaborate with some amazing educators and leaders,” she said.