“I knew the moment I stepped onto the campus that Park was a special place,” Cheryl Benzinger said. As two of Park’s longest-tenured faculty members, both Cheryl and Amy have taught hundreds of Park students over the years in their various roles. Cheryl was hired to teach middle school English, which she did for three years, and in 1999 she transitioned to the kindergarten classroom where she’s stayed for the past 25 years. Amy came to Park in 1999 as a substitute teacher. In the spring of 2000, she was hired as a long-term maternity leave substitute in the PreK Bungalow, and she returned to Park in 2002 as a full-time PreK teacher. Their love for Park is obvious given their long careers at the school, but what has made this experience even more meaningful to them was the opportunity to teach not only their own children but also each other’s children. “Being able to teach one's own children and family members is a gift. I know it's not something that would have happened in another school, and it's an experience I never took for granted,” Cheryl said. “The thing I cherish most about those years is knowing that I was a part of their journey towards becoming lifelong learners. Seeing them learn how to read was a magical moment for me!” she added. “It was a blessing to teach Jack, Maddie, Evan, and Noah. They each have very different personalities, so each experience was different,” Amy added. And it wasn’t just a special experience for the moms. “Going to school with my cousins and my sister was a really cool experience," senior Evan remarked. "More specifically, going to school with my sister was very cool because I had someone to look up to, and I got to see what she was doing. It was also fun to be walking around campus and running into my sister." Noah agrees. “Having my mom as my teacher was great! I don't remember much but I do remember always clinging on to her! Her being there helped me feel super comfortable and took away any nerves I had. Having my Aunt as my teacher was also great, she was always there for me.” The Benzinger and Wiese childrens' years at Park were all unique, from their sports and extracurricular participation to their favorite classes and even what they called their moms! “Jack and Maddie were both very quiet, shy students in Pre-K. It has always been a joy to watch Evan and Noah and their bond together,” said Amy. Cheryl added, “My boys' experiences of having their mom as their kindergarten teacher couldn’t have been more different. Jack was very shy about it and even called me ‘Mrs. Benzinger’ when he was in class (possibly hoping his friends wouldn’t figure out his mom was the teacher!) and Noah embraced having me close and still called me ‘Mama’ in school. The year I had Noah and Evan in class was fun. I remember them often dressing up in the same outfits so they could be twins." Noah and Evan have both been heavily involved in athletics at Park since their days in Lower School, playing soccer and basketball starting in Grade 2, and continuing with soccer through their senior year. “Athletics at Park is cool because being a smaller school you know all the athletes and almost all of us are friends with each other. Typically, if there was a game the night before, you will often hear about it in class the next day,” Evan said. The lessons learned on the field have been extremely important to their growth and development. “Learning from and idolizing the older players on the team, then transforming into that role model for the underclassmen has immensely shaped my character. It has taught me how to take advice into account, yet also how to be the one who dishes the advice out. Leading the team to back-to-back championships in my final two years as a member of the Park School student body gave me immense pride,” said Noah. As long-term faculty members and Park parents, Cheryl and Amy have seen the school through some challenges and lots of growth over their tenures, and they have unique yet well-informed perspectives on the school and the value of a Park education. Cheryl loves to keep up with recent Park grads and is continually impressed by their successes in life and the quality of the character they are upholding. Amy points to the “phenomenal education” children get here and the warm, inclusive community as distinct advantages of the school. Their children, too, have a unique perspective on the value of the school, with Noah describing Park as purposeful, flexible, and holistic. We hear often that people are drawn to Park because of the community that embraces and celebrates each person as an individual. Many of Park’s current faculty and staff have enjoyed very long careers at the school; generations of alumni families choose to send their children then grandchildren; and alumni carry their Park pride for years and years (and their love for orange and brown along with it!). But does it ever get old for families like the Wieses and the Benzingers, who work, play, and learn together on the Park campus? Was there ever any doubt that their children would attend Park PreK through Grade 12?
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