Macey Gronenthal (2010)
March 2nd, 2010
- Lakeview High School
- Columbus, NE
It is without reservation that I recommend Macey Gronenthal for the TEEN TRUTH Difference Maker Award. I have had the pleasure of knowing Macey for three years, as her science teacher. From the start, what has impressed me most about Macey is her ability to be friends with anyone and to include all members of her class, no matter who they are. In formal situations like lab groups, Macey is able to work well with anyone I pair her with. More importantly, in informal situations before and after class and around school, I observe Macey including other students who are usually ignored or made fun of by other students. She does this in a way that amazes me every time. Instead of making it look like she is leaving the main group to engage the “outsider,” she manages to seamlessly bring that student into the main group and make them feel included. She meets people where they are at and doesn’t expect them to be anything they are not. She does this all without making it a big deal, and not expecting anything in return.
One specific example was Macey’s friendship with a girl in a small science class last year. The other girl had some specific learning and behavioral issues that made it hard for her to make friends at school. In class, Macey would ask her about her day and actually listen to her answers and joke around with the student in ways that made her feel included but not picked on. Even outside of class at lunch time when Macey had other friends around to socialize with, she would talk to the other student and even do seemingly simple things like acknowledging her in the hallways. It seems like such a little thing, but it meant a lot to that student and it is representative of how Macey treats everyone.
Macey makes a difference and touches lives not by large, grandiose gestures that are going to gain a lot of attention, but by small, daily interactions with everyone she meets. These are the kind of actions that truly make a difference in people’s lives.
Submitted by Nicole Miller, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology: Lakeview High School, Columbus, Nebraska