After dedicating 20 years at Algonquin, math teacher Eileen Cronin is ready to retire and move on to the next chapter of her life and enjoy the perks of having time to travel and spend time with family.
After two decades filled with fond memories of teaching, advising clubs and watching her own children graduate from Algonquin, Cronin is excited for the change coming with retirement. Although her exciting travel plans inch closer, she will miss connecting and building relationships with students through her classes and clubs.
“There are too many [memories] to think of,” Cronin said. “I have a lot of favorite memories here.”
Cronin has taught Individual Math, Geometry, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 at multiple different levels, but her favorite class to teach has been Algebra 2.
“I love juniors,” Cronin said. “I love that they get their license, they go to prom, they have jobs and they start becoming little adults. It’s fun to watch them blossom into an adult during junior year when they have real life responsibilities.”
Cronin’s teaching journey started when she wanted to spend as much time with her kids as possible. She previously worked at Grafton Middle School as a math teacher before finding an open position at Algonquin.
“I decided that I would study to become a high school teacher,” Cronin said. “There were openings at Algonquin and I got the job.”
Cronin brings a lot to the school community, but English teacher Emily Philbin will remember her personality the most.
“[Cronin has] a lot of math knowledge, a little bit of sass and a long career,” Philbin said.
Cronin is the adviser of the Community Action Program and previously coached the Varsity Math Team. However, her most fulfilling role has been being adviser to the National Honor Society (NHS).
“I really enjoyed [advising] National Honor Society,” Cronin said. “I get to meet kids that aren’t in my classroom and I get to do a lot of volunteering with them. I really love the kids. I love being around kids. It makes you feel young.”
Cronin hopes to continue volunteering in her retirement as community service is something she is passionate about and a big part of her life.
“She is always looking to merge her two passions of high school kids and promoting service throughout the community,” math teacher Colleen Roy said.
Looking forward to her retirement, Cronin plans to explore new places around the world.
“I plan on traveling quite a bit,” Cronin said. “I have two trips planned for the next six months. I am going to Vietnam and Cambodia for a month. That is already planned, and I am looking forward to that. I am also going to Patagonia, Chile and South America for another trip and that’s for another month. We’ve got some exotic travel planned.”
Staying active is important to Cronin, and she plans to travel to all the places on her bucket list.
“I love to hike, I love to kayak, ride my bicycle, go to the gym and visit with friends and family,” Cronin said. “[I plan to spend] a lot of [time with] family and traveling the world. There are a lot of places I haven’t been. I want to go to New Zealand and Australia. So I need to get going.”
Despite her exciting plans, Cronin will miss her students and colleagues.
“I’m going to miss the energy,” Cronin said. “I’m going to miss the positivity and just working with the Math department that I love.”
Roy will deeply feel Cronin’s loss in the Math department, but is thankful for Cronin’s friendship through the years.
“I will miss how she keeps me organized,” Roy said. “She plans so far ahead with NHS and with the curriculum here, and she is always pushing me to be a better teacher.”
Although her retirement is booked with travel plans, Cronin is also ready to enjoy the quieter parts of her post-teaching life.
“I’m excited for retirement,” Cronin said. “I’m excited to move on to the next chapter. I’m excited to have a slower morning and a slower pace. I love to read books, so I’m looking forward to just having a lot of free time and catching up with people that I don’t get to see.”
On the first day of school after her retirement, Cronin plans to take it all in as she sits on her porch.
“I think on the first day of school I will sit and read a book, drink my coffee and listen to the diesel sound of the school bus going by,” Cronin said. “It will be bittersweet, but I will be happy.”
