PERSONAL STATEMENTS
SUSAN O. ODHNER (Mrs. Gregory Odhner)
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my professional
life would go as it did. After marrying and having children,
I decided to go back to college and finish my degree. My
goal was to go on to law school and become an attorney.
After completing my degree at Bryn Athyn College,
I worked full-time at Glencairn Museum. I loved it there.
The environment was lovely and the Glencairn team was
just great. I had the opportunity to teach school groups
there, and I realized then where I was headed.
My teaching career started in 1998 at the Academy of the New Church
Girls School. My first year I was very part time. I taught a course called
Choices, was the Social Director, and the head girls soccer coach and I loved
everything I did. The following year I became full time and went on to teach
also The Formative Years, Early European History, Local and Church History
and American Literature.
I had the privilege of teaching for eight years as a full-time member of the
Girls School faculty and loved my job. I felt that I was making a difference in
the lives of teenagers and worked to help them become good, solid citizens
ready to take on what life put in front of them.
In 2007 Margaret Gladish was retiring and I decided to apply for the job
of Girls School Principal and was chosen to fill that role. This position is not
for the faint of heart, but is rewarding and satisfying and I have not regretted
one day of my tenure.
My goal from the beginning was to help our girls know that the Lord is
there for them, that they could have a working relationship with Him and that
He is there to guide and care for them in all they do. This goal made all of the
difficult moments – and there were many of them – bearable.
Every day was something new and I enjoyed the challenge. My faculty is a
wonderful group of strong, caring women and I will miss them as I head into
retirement.
We have done many important things to make our school better in the
last nine years:
• We became a Gurian Model School – for the Girls and Boys Schools –
one of only two in the Philadelphia area and 2000 world-wide. We love
their approach to gender-based education and it goe s well with our
theological beliefs that men and women are different.
• We have a committee of Girls School faculty members, retired faculty,
community members and clergy who are working together to help
275