LGNV--Mrs. Janice du Plessis: teacher, helper, advisor, mentor, volunteer. The list goes on and on for Loganville High School teacher, Mrs. du Plessis, who has been teaching for twenty-three years. She has been an LHS teacher for thirteen years after spending ten years teaching in Broward County, Florida. Mrs. du Plessis, sometimes referred to as Ms. Gibson or Gibby by past students, is a beloved teacher here at Loganville who is retiring after this year. She has taught “almost everything the field of social studies has to offer here at the school minus some AP’s and current issues.” During this school year, she has taught advanced economics, sociology, and advanced placement psychology, which is her favorite class to teach. It is obvious that as a result of the numerous courses she has taught and the countless students she’s been able to impact, her presence will have an permanent influence on the LHS community. According to Mrs. du Plessis, she knew she wanted to be a teacher since the young age of eight. Despite changing her mind several times throughout high school, she eventually found her way back to the career of teaching. When asked about what inspired her to become a teacher, she replies, “It’s just been a calling.” Her calling to teach high school students does not come without its challenges. She says the hardest thing about teaching high schoolers is “dealing with a variety of personalities in the classroom and balancing the needs of the student with the mandates of the county.” Due to her obvious popularity and success among LHS students, it is clear that she has found a balance for students and a very effective method for dealing with moody and challenging teenagers. As an AP psychology teacher, Mrs. du Plessis knows what it takes for students to achieve excellence during high school and beyond. For any student planning on taking an advanced placement course, she advises, “I suggest they talk with someone who has been through it before if they are brand new to the AP realm because AP is not like any other class that you would take. It requires a different level of dedication, a different level of workload, and higher level of expectations.” For the graduating seniors, Mrs. du Plessis recommends having a plan. She says, “Have a plan, and it doesn’t matter what the plan is, whether you are going into the workforce, or you are going into community or technical college, or university, have a plan. See yourself where you want to be short term, and see yourself where you want to be long term.” Mrs. du Plessis also says that if you are going away to college, “getting involved within your school is key.” She counsels, “Specifically, if you move out of your house and go to college and start feeling homesick, don’t hide in your dorm room. Get involved in your school because you are going to feel a sense of belonging at the point in time and that will make you less homesick.” After retirement, Mrs. du Plessis is moving to Virginia and has goals of getting a job in Washington D.C. After volunteering at the Georgia Aquarium for several years, she hopes to become an animal trainer and get work at the Smithsonian National Zoo. If that doesn’t work out, she would also like to work at the Library of Congress. Mrs. du Plessis also plans on possibly volunteering there like she has in Atlanta. No matter what, Mrs. du Plessis notes, “I am going to take my own advice and get involved in the community to meet new people and start making connections up there.” When asked what she will miss most about Loganville High School, she answers without hesitation, “the students and my co-workers.” As she leaves Loganville, our community will miss her, too, and all of the admirable contributions she has made to the LHS community and for the students. Her impact and influence will live on in the lives of all the students she reached, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.