Aces of Trades: Veteran teacher Kim Lutz is dedicated to Marion Harding High School
Every now and then, someone extraordinarily dedicated comes along.
“As a kid, we were always outside playing,” recalled Kim Lutz. “I played softball and did a lot of swimming at my grandmother’s pool. I was involved in dance and baton twirling. I remember always liking school. In high school, I was in band and chorus and played tennis. I had a part-time job in high school and all through college. I dreamed of opening my own dance studio one day. So I guess I always thought I would do some form of teaching.”
Today, Lutz is a veteran math teacher of 37 years at Harding High School, as well as the school’s current math department chair.
“The Harding community and Marion community have been very good to me,” she said. “I’ve been involved in many activities over the years — cheerleading coach, assistant tennis coach, Harding faculty club chairman, Harding craft show co-coordinator, math department chairman, chaperoning hundreds of events and field trips, and I was even on the U.S. Open Commission when Marion hosted the U.S. Open Drum Corps Show many years ago.”
“Plus,” she added, “my love of teaching has allowed me to be a personal tutor for hundreds of kids and adults outside of the traditional classroom. I’ve also taught math for eight years at Marion Technical College. Recently, in the last four years, I’ve been offered the unique challenge of being a personalized learning coach for teachers.”
Lutz grew up in Oakdale, PA, which is a small town southwest of Pittsburgh. “Yes, I am a Steeler fan,” she noted. She graduated from West Allegheny High School in 1982, Muskingum College in 1986 with a major in mathematics, then earned a master’s in curriculum and development from Ashland University in 1992.
“I originally went to college to be a doctor but quickly realized I didn’t like science that much," she said. "About halfway through college, I focused on math and my advisor wanted me to be an actuary, but I didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day. I had a very influential high school math teacher for three years and also another math professor in college was a big influence, so my interest became ‘being like them.’”
Harding was her first teaching job.
“My principal at the time, Vaughn Williams, and my college advisor were best friends in college,” she noted. “So my name was given to Mr. Williams, who called me on the phone and asked me to come for an interview. My first classroom was on wheels because we had to travel share rooms and we didn’t have a phone or a computer. The band needed a dance team and twirler instructor, so it seemed a perfect fit. I never opened a studio, but I fulfilled that dream as the dance team instructor for 10 years and later on as the musical choreographer for three years.”
“Kim Lutz is an incredibly dedicated educator and always goes above and beyond what is asked of her,” assessed Jackie Strasser, the special education department lead and transition coordinator at Harding. “During the pandemic when the schools were closed down, Kim helped to build almost 100 desks for students who needed a ‘space’ to work at home and complete their virtual learning. She has been an amazing mentor and friend to me and has helped shape me into the educator I am today. She’s a cheerleader for the students and the staff at Harding!”
“I love helping anybody be the best version of themselves,” Lutz responded. “I love when students finally ‘get it.’ I love being a resource for teachers and helping them to dream big.”
“I’m thrilled my life’s path brought me to Marion,” she added. “I’ve worked with so many wonderful people who are life-long friends. I raised my family here and both of my daughters proudly graduated from Harding High School.”
“Harding and Marion have so many opportunities for students to be successful,” Lutz concluded. “At this point in my career, I just want to be able to give back as much as I can. I’m so thankful I’ve been able to spend 37-plus years being of service to Harding and the Marion community.”
For more information, log on marioncityschools.org.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at news@marionstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Aces of Trades: Lutz devoted to Marion Harding students
