Yesterday was another great day in Silver Creek Area CEO, and my heart is so full knowing how many people truly care about our program.

Our students have been working incredibly hard to prepare for tomorrow’s Fish Tank competition. They’ve prepared their slide decks, and practiced their 3 minute pitches over and over in class, pushing themselves to improve each time! But even with all that effort, the nerves are still very real.

Yesterday, we were joined by a group of women who truly represent the very best of what it means to pour into students. Eight retired educators spent their morning with us, offering thoughtful feedback, encouragement, and guidance—but not on their business content. Instead, they focused on presentation skills.

They worked with students on everything from voice inflection, diction, and speaking pace, to managing nervous energy. They challenged them to eliminate habitual filler words like “um,” “like,” and “so.” They coached them on posture, being aware of weight shifts, making eye contact—and yes, even SMILING.

And in true teacher fashion, they gave thoughtful, written feedback to each and every student—because that’s what teachers do. The affectionate idiom often used to honor the lasting impact and dedication of educators, “old teachers never die…they just grade away” seems appropriate about now!

Our morning was jam-packed, and in the rush of it all, this facilitator didn’t get a picture—but I couldn’t let the moment pass without sharing my gratitude for these incredible women.

Beth Twenhafel, Lisa Segelhorst, Lynnette Hinkle, Nancy Austin, Sue Zerjal, Suzy Friederich, Theresa Rhoderick, and Valerie Collom—thank you for getting up early and showing up in such a meaningful way. You made an impact, and our students are better because of you.

Moments like this are exactly why my heart is so full—this is what makes the Silver Creek Area CEO program so special.