THE MAGAZINE OF FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY spring 2013

Coming Full CircleBy Christina Young, Director of Alumni RelationsModel of Excellence Patricia Brown Kirsh ’70 offers a lifetime of inspiration.Pat was an Anthropology majorand Education minor at FranklinPierce. Growing up, Pat had adream of working on an archaeologicalsite, but once she began her fieldobservations in Education, Pat knew thatteaching was her future.During Pat’s student teaching days, shetaught at a small, private kindergartenin Troy, N.H., operated by FranklinPierce Education Professor MarionAustin. Pat remembers her days as astudent, staying up late in her dorm withher roommate and scrambling to createlesson plans in her junior year. Senior year,Pat was hired one day a week to teach apreschool class in Troy, and her careergrew from there. Directly after graduation,Pat secured a second grade teachingposition in Winchendon, Mass., where shetaught for 34 years. Good friend and longtimecolleague, Cheryle Delbove, saidthat the administration recognized Pat’stalents, kind demeanor, and personablenature, and after a short time Pat, waspromoted to principal.Finding the MagicThe Education Department at FranklinPierce also recognized Pat’s talents andreached out to her early in her career to askif she would take field observation studentsand student teachers into her classroom.Franklin Pierce worked with Pat to placestudents as early as their first semestersophomore year. One of Pat’s favoritememories was meeting each student andwatching the “potential teacher find themagic of the classroom,” she said. Pat feltit was similar to working with her ownstudents in the classroom. “Every childhas special gifts,” Pat said. “Helping thosereluctant learners to be ready learners andfind their special interests is one of the joysI will never forget from my teaching days.”Cheryle, who describes Pat as a quietand supportive leader, took over placingfield observation students for Pat whenshe retired in 2005. Cheryle credits Patfor making the Memorial School anintegral part of the field observation/student teacher placement process atFranklin Pierce University. “There is nobetter cheerleader for Franklin Pierce,”Cheryle said.After Pat’s “retirement,” she was asked totake a position at the University coordinatingall of the students’ placements andobservations. Pat embraced the positionand worked with the education programat Franklin Pierce to place students inElementary Education (K-8), Art Education(K-12), and Secondary (5-12)Teacher Certification.Rave ReviewsEducation students at Franklin PierceUniversity have gained a reputationfor professional competence andeffectiveness in the classroom. NancyGagnon, administrative assistant in theEducation Department, raved about hercolleague’s placement work: “Pat performsher magic with ease, and makes everythingrun smoothly. She is simply a delight towork with.”Biggest fan, husband, and fellow alum,Bruce Kirsh ’71 shared that he isproud of Pat’s commitment to theFranklin Pierce Education Departmentby volunteering her time to placeFranklin Pierce student teachers duringher 34-year career in the Winchendonschool system. “And Pat provided me withthe drive and ambition to become a betterand more focused student when we werein school together,” he added.Pat’s natural ability to inspire educationhas heavily influenced the success ofthe placement program at FranklinPierce. “I started out being a student, buthave come full circle now, working forthe education department at FranklinPierce,” she said. Pat is pleased to witnessthat the magic of the classroom is stillalive today.We thank Pat for all that she has done forthe education program and especially forthe magic she has created by working withso many students over the years. And welook forward to seeing budding teacherKirsti Joanna Bogaard embark on herprofessional teaching career!www.franklinpierce.edu 13