Miss Julie Oddo Math Scholarship

For me, Monroe High School has been a place of opportunity and a building bursting with friendships. It has been a place I have enjoyed visiting over the past four years whether it be for daily school lessons, after-school practices, or club meetings. Monroe High is a place that brings many fond memories to mind that I will cherish for a lifetime. The reason Monroe High School means so much to me is because of the people that fill it. From teachers and faculty to students, Monroe High is abundantly filled with individuals who make this place something special. Over my time at Monroe High School, I have had many teachers and faculty members make this building a place I look forward to visiting every day. From the athletic department to the kitchen staff, I have been blessed with the opportunity to make so many close relationships with the people in my school community. Every teacher, from the ones I’ve taken multiple classes with to those I just see in the hallways, has made an impact on my life. Here, I’ve had the opportunity for learning to become enjoyable and have been able to learn lessons important to life outside of the classroom. No matter how much or how little experience I’ve had with all those working at Monroe High School, I can definitely say that each and every staff member I’ve had an interaction with has positively impacted my life. Miss Julie Oddo was one of these staff members. Although I have never had Miss Oddo as a teacher, I have seen her kindness and dedication to her students firsthand. While we were locked down for Covid-19 in 2020, my sister had Miss Oddo as her math teacher. I remember hearing Miss Oddo’s voice coming from my sister’s computer as she would sing songs and explain the math lessons each and every day. My sister has struggled with math in the past, but she had always remarked that Miss Oddo had made the subject significantly easier for her. When summer came around, my sister had wanted to visit Miss Oddo in order to give her flowers as a way to say “thank you” for all of her help throughout the school year. When she set up a day with Miss Oddo, my whole family ended up paying her a visit. When we made it to her house, Miss Oddo welcomed all of us with open arms and invited us to chat instead of leaving right away. We ended up spending over an hour just sitting on her porch and visiting. Even in a time where we weren’t in school, Miss Oddo’s dedication to her students and her outward kindness to those around her is something I have admired since the day I met her. Because of this, meeting Miss Oddo has been one of my favorite memories as I look back on my high school years, especially during a time when communication and school togetherness was forced to come to a halt.

My favorite memory at Monroe High School was the opportunity to meet some amazing teachers throughout my four years of high school. One of those amazing teachers was Miss Julie Oddo. Miss Oddo had the biggest heart for her students and always greeted everyone with a smile on her face. She was always willing to lend a helping hand and wanted nothing but for her students to be successful. She had the most impact on my life as she helped me to overcome many obstacles I faced my junior year. As many know, Covid-19 hit in 2020, the end of my sophomore year, leaving my junior year to be completely remote. This was not an easy transition for many, especially me. There were many obstacles that had to be overcome by adjusting to this new concept of "school." Learning online was so difficult, and navigating the challenges technology brought was not easy. Math was one thing that never came easy to me. I gave it my all and never gave up despite how hard it was, but the remote learning made it even harder. The teacher I originally had the first semester of junior year was a difficult one, and didn't explain much of the learning very well. After struggling for a while, I went to one of my math teachers that I had freshman year begging for help. She told me she didn't have much experience with the math three curriculum, and offered for me to see Miss Oddo for help. She walked me down to her classroom and she greeted me with a smile offering to help me with whatever I was struggling with. She helped me better understand what I needed to know for the test we were supposed to take the next day, and then offered for me to join her math class the next semester. Little did I know this change would be the best thing for me academically, as I was able to grow in my skill and understand what I was learning. Throughout the second semester Miss Oddo offered times for me to meet with her on zoom after class. I remember one day I was on zoom with her for an hour after class so I could get more individual help. She was so supportive and understanding of me. If it wasn't for her, I'm not sure how I would've made it the rest of my junior year.