Inspirational Feature by J1 Reporter Kate Schwaller

“It’s just what I wanted to do.”

Ms. Connie Cavel was a teacher at Marian for 43 years before retiring after the 2014-2015 school year. She says she knew from a very young age that teaching was what she wanted to do with her life. “In grade school, it was always either a teacher or a nurse.” Cavel said. “I love literature, so it wasn’t a hard decision.”

Cavel is an inspiration to many of the students here at Marian. She spent a large amount of her life at the school, either as a student or a teacher, and she said she loved every second. “There was not anything that I really disliked about teaching here. It just took some getting used to, being the teacher rather than the student,” Cavel said.

Her parents instilled the value of hard work and a love of literature in her; both of which transferred over to her teaching career. “They never let grass grow under their feet. They were always moving.”

“You have to have fun with what you do, otherwise you’ll be miserable.” Cavel offers as her life advice.

 From playful pranks to helping with freshman Judges’ Booklet, Cavel certainly seemed to be having fun with her job. “Every month she brought cupcakes to celebrate birthdays. That was a lot of fun.” Junior Gracie Soll said. Ms. Cable continues to inspire as a golf coach. After they went to State, she brought them all flowers. It’s just another day in her life of inspiration.

“My favorite part of teaching here at Marian was the atmosphere. One thing that hasn’t changed has been the enthusiasm and the positive outlook students have.” From her first day as a freshman to her last day teaching at Marian, Ms. Connie Cavel was an enthusiastic and positive addition to the Marian community.