AHS teacher Miss Pavicic realizes her dreams

Mary Pat Pavicic, in her tenth year of teaching at Aurora High School, is one of those teachers who never seems to lose her passion for the profession. Regardless of what might be going on, she always has an enthusiastic demeanor and a smile on her face.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Pavicic explored several avenues before discovering her love for education. “As I considered many majors while pursuing my degree, I considered a broad range of careers including medicine, science research, law, business, and education.”

“With every new class I took, a new passion blossomed and I was convinced I needed to change my major and pursue it,” said Pavicic. “I didn't know it at the time, but my passion was not tied to the content but to the learning in and of itself. This passion to learn motivated me to want to teach, and in doing so my passion for teaching became reciprocal with my passion for learning.”

Ultimately, she found outstanding success in the field, earning a B.S. in Biology from John Carroll University, a M.A. in Life Science Education from Ursuline College, and a M.Ed. in Education Leadership from the American College of Education. Having grown up in Euclid, Ohio, Pavicic wanted to stay in Northeast Ohio to be near her family. When an opportunity arose in Aurora, she felt immediately at home.

“When I went on my interview, I immediately connected with Mrs. Cech, the administrators, and the overall philosophy of the school, and I knew in my heart Aurora was where I belonged,” said Pavicic. Ten years later, the biology and environmental science teacher still feels fulfilled by her career. “My favorite part of teaching is the kids; the course is irrelevant. If my license allowed, I would teach anything.”

Certainly, Pavicic emulates the teaching style of her second grade teacher Sister Lois, whom she describes as “incredibly kind, energetic, and highly committed to our school and all of us as individuals.”

Pavicic said, “She treated us with respect, not just as ‘little kids,’ and thus had a very powerful impact on me. I still vividly remember the lesson she taught us on racism and how that made me feel; a teacher who can make you feel is most certainly a great one. In fact, I wanted to be a nun because of her!”

Aside from her passion for teaching, Pavicic is an avid runner. Although she always loved jogging, her start as a runner came in 2008 when another AHS teacher motivated her to run a half marathon.

“I loved the challenge and overall experience, and have been running ever since,” said Pavicic. “I was able to learn how to transform from a jogger to a "competitive" runner (although it still much more of a hobby for me) and have had some of the most incredible life experiences because of it.”

When she’s not running or teaching, Pavicic spends time with her family. She loves playing with her nephews and nieces, eating good food, and enjoying their company.

Asked to which era she would go if time travel was possible, Pavicic gave a touching response: “Any time period that would give me the opportunity to spend time with my grandmother. She was an incredible person and is one of my greatest role models. She passed away when I was five years old, and I would love to see who she was, have the chance to speak with her, and be able to learn from her in person.”

Fall is Pavicic’s all-time favorite season, but she loves each of them, exclaiming, “It’s as if we can travel to different biomes for free!”

Indeed, Pavicic enthusiastically broadens her horizons with international trips. This past summer, she traveled abroad to Europe and met with a tour group consisting of individuals from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Canada, and the United States.

“Although I did not know anyone prior to this trip, I immediately made connections with others and greatly enjoyed sharing this experience with strangers who turned into friends,” said Pavicic.

The group traveled to England, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France.

Pavicic said, “It was a powerful, transformative life experience for me. Not only did I gain tremendously from all of the countries by which we traveled, but I built international connections with my travel companions that have ignited my passion to develop more connections.”

If she could travel anywhere in the world, she’d go to the Holy Land. This summer, she plans to explore Eastern Europe and hopes to participate in Teachers for Global Classroom in 2017-2018.