As the school year winds down and students and teachers make plans for summer, two teachers at Manhattan High say their last goodbyes, as they plan to retire after this school year.
Charles Thorpe has taught Spanish at MHS for four years and will be stepping away after 43 years of teaching.
“I’m happy about it, a little anxious, just because it’s still a big question mark, that’s also very exciting,” Thorpe said. “I would want all my students to know, I have enjoyed having every one of them, getting to know them. I think it was a privilege, and I will miss regular contact with young people and all of their energy.”
Throughout his teaching career Thorpe has taught various languages to people of various different backgrounds, connecting with students both in-class and through online school.
“My first job teaching was at Southeast High School in Wichita, and I taught English as a Second Language,” Thorpe said. “Then I taught German and Spanish at Kapaun Mt. Carmel [high school] in Wichita for seven years. Then I moved to K-State to teach a distance learning program. It was televised for small, rural high schools.”
Thorpe has touched the lives of so many students and will be dearly missed.
“I like to say that my job is to untie tongues to open doors, because language is key to getting to know about so much more of the world, other people and other ideas,” Thorpe said.
Thorpe’s plans after retirement seem a lot more relaxing than dealing with teenagers all day.
“I have a lot of plans for some travel,” Thorpe said. “I’ve got friends and family all over the world, and I’m hoping to go see a lot of them.”
Cristy Pruser is retiring after six years at MHS, 31 total years teaching. Pruser teaches a group of students with high-functioning autism.
“I chose this class because I wanted to help students navigate and overcome their learning difficulties by offering the right tools and support to help them tackle challenges head-on and in time, find their own ways to succeed,” Pruser said via email.
By retiring, Pruser will have more time to spend with her family and friends; however she won’t forget the impact teaching has had on her life.
“Teaching has shaped who I am,” Pruser said via email. “It’s stretched me-mentally, emotionally, and physically. Some days are exhausting, and there’s rarely a clean finish line. It’s been hard, meaningful work. It inspired me and brought me joy in ways I never expected.”
