Delco Roots, Big Heart: How Olivia is Changing Young Lives Every Day

If you’ve ever doubted whether one person can make a difference, meet Olivia Sciocchetti.

She’s the kind of teacher who sees brilliance in chaos, who hears a full sentence in a quiet pointing gesture, and who gives her whole heart to kids the world often overlooks. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Olivia shares how growing up in Delco shaped her grit and grace, what it’s really like inside a Special Education classroom, and why chasing down a student isn’t a problem — it’s a privilege.

This episode hits different — because Olivia isn’t just an extraordinary teacher; she’s family. Raised in Ridley with a true Delco accent that instantly brings you home, Olivia’s love for her students (especially those on the autism spectrum) will inspire you, humble you, and make you believe in the goodness of people all over again.

From her emotional college journey to the moment a kindergartner asked her for a chip — and changed everything — this is a raw, joyful, and unforgettable tribute to purpose, passion, and the power of unconditional love.

Unique Elements in This Episode
•Olivia is a true Delco girl — born and raised in Ridley, full of that classic Philly-area grit and heart.
•Her accent alone will transport Delco listeners right back to Wawa runs, Go Birds chants, and Thanksgiving Turkey Bowls.
•She treats every child as an individual — whether they’re under the desk shouting math answers or quietly pointing at a bag of chips.
•The story about her cousin who was never supposed to live past 6 months — and became her North Star.
•Her powerful relationship with her parents and her Aunt Adrian — role models who shaped her strength and soul.
•Her refusal to let academic struggles define her — climbing from a 2.6 GPA to multiple Dean’s List awards and Kappa Delta Pi honors.
•Her hilarious, heartfelt tales of family, pizza, and the magic of Tino’s and Pica’s.
•A reminder that what looks like chaos to the outside world may just be a masterpiece in the making.

Transcript

As a special education teacher, of course I worry about their academics, but I want them to just be amazing individuals. There are some people that are never gonna be able to have a conversation like you and I talking back and forth. He is so smart. You just have to have, figure out a way to show how smart he is.

Can I have a chip, please? And I was like, yes, yes you can. Wow. Like, and I gave him like all the chips. Kutztown told me, you need to get a seven 50 to get into our education program. And I get an email that my SAT scores are in and I'm like, oh my God. Like it's never gonna happen. The only word to describe Delco is a different breed tire on the back.

So my hood dented. Ever since then, I called my car Dina. You just have to accept people exactly how they are. If you start making people change themselves, they're not their true selves. Um, have you ever been to this salon before? Is this freaking, not this salon? This is my first time here. I've been to all three now.

Okay. This is my first time. 'cause I first went to the Village and then I was at the Promenade yesterday. Yeah. And this is the first time at the Bayfront. And so I've hit all three and, and you cheated on Gabby yesterday, right? I did. I did cheat on Gabby. So Krista was so good though. She really was. She was so good.

And I said to him, I'm like, usually Gabs the only one who touches my hair. Yeah. And she was like, we're all good. Like, we'll figure it out. It so it was good. Good. Yes. It was a good deal to she on GI know. Sorry Gab. It is. I know. It's just a one time gig. It's right. I know, right? It's just a Naples one time.

I keep inviting her down here. The both of them down here. I want her to come down and do a, your brother to come down and do a clipper class. Oh yes. That would be so fun. I know. He would've so much fun. He's a master. I know. I would love to have him here and uh, her to come down and do a, a color class and telling her some of red.

Oh, and she's the besto. She, this would be such her element. Like she's such like. Fancy. She, she's just beautiful to begin with. Yeah. Inside and out. Yeah. And that's what she, she just radiates it to everybody else too. Yeah. And that's what I feel like she would fit in so well here. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Kind of get, she's just the best kind of get 'em here. I know my Michelle follows her TikTok, she loves her tiktoks. Oh. And she makes it best. TikTok too. Like a day in my life. Getting ready with me. They're the best ever. I always watch 'em. Yeah. Those two are like, they're so good together. Those two, it's watching them together.

They're just, and that's what it's, I was so young too when they got together. I was in ninth grade. They've been together that long. Yes. I was in ninth grade. She was in 12th grade. Wow. Yes. It was Ronnie's first year of college. Wow. Yeah. And just watching them grow too is like him being a barber, her being a stylist, just watching them both grow and flourish to Yeah.

Building their books and the amount of people that they service and, you know, make feel beautiful and feel handsome is just so great to see. Because, I mean. I love my brother. My brother's such a unique individual and he can make anybody feel comfortable. Yeah. Like that's what I just love so much about him.

Yeah. And like making people feel handsome and you know, they walk in and out of the shop a whole different person. He's basically chasing them out the door. Yeah. Still having a conversation with them. Yeah. Like he is just, I, I just love my brother so much. Yeah. Like, there's just been, you know, you know, I love my dad with all my heart.

My dad is my absolute best friend in the entire world. Yeah. Like, and I, as Ronnie and I've gotten older, we've gotten so much closer too, which has been so nice, you know? Yeah. When you're little, you're fighting all the time and Yeah. Pulling each other's hair. Yeah. Yeah. You know, wrestl, that's brothers, brothers are four.

Yeah. Right. Yeah. And growing up we've just really had a. Great relationship growing up and we've gotten so much closer as like things have happened in our lives, which makes it so much even better. Like we've experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly. Yeah. Like, and that's the truth of things. Yeah. Like, and we've just grown closer together as siblings and he, he is the best brother that I could have.

Yeah. Well he had to fight. You watched him fight because he had had, was on a football. Yes. He was playing football in college and then he had to take a stand and say, this is not what I wanna do. Right. I want to do what I, I like. And just even seeing that like, you know, my dad's such a football guy and seeing him.

He wanted to live football through Ronnie again. Of course. And Ronnie loved football in high school. Like he was the biggest guy on the team. He loved it. And then it got to college and it just really wasn't his thing. Like, and even the fact that he was able to express that it wasn't his thing. Yeah. And you know, like was like, you know, this isn't me.

Like this isn't what I wanna do. Like Yeah. And then it was, alright, maybe college isn't my thing. Which is fine. Like college doesn't have to be everybody's thing. It was my thing. I thrived in college. Yeah. But it's not everybody's thing. And you know. He threw out barbering school and we were all like, what?

Like you've never mentioned this. Like, what are you talking about? Yeah. It just came outta nowhere. Right? Yeah. Right. And I think it's always been an internal thought of his, because my mom has these school books for Ronnie and I, like, we always used to fill him out for every grade. And in 11th grade there was like a, what do you wanna be when you grow up?

And it literally says A barber. Oh really? In 11th grade? Yes. Yeah. And we never even registered that. Yeah. That like, he was talking about it a little bit. Yeah. But you know, we all just, just thought he was gonna be this big football star and like, you know, thrive through that and then just like go into the family business or something.

Like, we just never thought it would be anything other than that. Yeah. I remember hearing about it, like, where did that come from? Like, right. Like, and, and he has just thrived so much and I, he really went out of his comfort zone, I feel like with that, because, you know. He's a big, bulky dude, like big, bulky football dude.

Like, and we used to just laugh because like when he cuts he like hunches over 'cause he is this big guy. Like, yeah. But he, the work that he puts in and just tr like all ages. Like, he started cutting now like his friend's, babies, hair, like, and it's even just like crazy seeing like, you know, these are your best friends from kindergarten and now you're cutting their kids' hair's.

Awesome. Yeah. Like, it's just so good to see. 'cause I don't think any of us ever expected it really? No. And it's just like, you know, I felt like everybody felt like, oh, well Liv's just gonna be a teacher. Like, everyone knows L's gonna work with kids and always, but yeah, Ronnie was really like the one that came out and Yeah, it was amazing to really see how he's flourished and, well I, I see it with, uh, in this business.

Yeah. For all the years that we've been in, for a lot of. Times people, their parents have a pathway for them to go to college and mm-hmm. You know, get an accounting degree, economics degree or whatever degree teaching degree. And, uh, and so they, but their heart is somewhere else. Right. And for them to go against the grain and, and say that.

Right. I love the fact that he was able to just Yeah. You know, say, especially given the football background Right. And being at the school for football. Mm-hmm. And I know Pop was a big fan right, too. Yes. He was like, it was all about Right. Friday nights and then Saturdays. Yes. And the whole world was that, and my parents are also like, I love my parents.

I love their marriage. I love how they've raised us. I, they've created so much love for us throughout our entire lives. And it was always, do what makes you happy. Don't worry about what. Mom says what? Dad says what Nana says, what Poppy says, do what makes you happy and we're gonna love you no matter what.

Like they always said, nothing you could do could make us love you less. And like I think my mom really broke that into Ronnie when it wasn't his thing for football. Like, no matter what you do, we're gonna love you so much and you're our son and we're so proud of you. Yeah, like, and it was always too, like I wasn't a big school person when I went to school.

High school wasn't my thing. Like I kind of skated by, it was the A's, B C's, the occasional D, like I was just not a school person. But I loved teaching and I loved being a mentor and I was a peer mentor in 11th grade and 12th grade and I did autistic support. Like that was my thing. And even my peer mentor supervisor, like now I work with, it's like crazy that it came like a full circle because I always knew I wanted to work with students that were different, that I just love watching them.

Learn. I love watching the wheels turn, like seeing when they finally get something and the excitement that blows up on their face, it makes it all worth it. Yeah. It makes it all the struggle of getting from A to B and all the hard parts and the tears that happen sometimes, and the anger. It just makes it all worth it when that wheel finally clicks and it all makes sense.

Yeah, and it was just always, I knew I wanted to work with students that were different, but I'm not a medical person. I, I don't do the bodily fluids, I don't do any of that. But like, and I was always worried because I wasn't that great in school. Like, how am I gonna be a teacher? How am I gonna, you know, teach kids math that I struggle with?

How am I gonna do all of this stuff? But teaching is truly a day to day thing, and every day even the teacher is learning and teaching what makes. Their students happy, but sometimes can tick them off, like things like that. And I just always knew that working with people who were different was always gonna be my thing.

I just remember my mom saying like, when you were in kindergarten and when you were younger, the ones that were acting up, the ones that were the bad ones, you gravitated towards 'em. 'cause they were just different. And you were trying to figure out how they, their thought process was. Mm. Like the ones that were always, you know, being kicked out of the room or things like that.

They, those were always my friends and I wasn't a bad kid. And I don't think anybody's a bad kid. They're just misunderstood or they can't communicate what they're thinking. Like a reaction. There's always an underlying issue. Nobody wants to be a bad kid that's kicked out or things like, you never want that.

Mm-hmm. You don't wanna be kicked out of the room. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Like, it's an embarrassment. It's like, and that's what my big teaching thing is. I don't kick out of the room. It's, you know. I figure out what the issue is going on. Sometimes it may be hard to get to that, what's the issue? But it's, I, I just always knew something with people who were different was something I always wanted to do.

And I just love it. Like, I truly love it. I can tell. I mean, so, so for everybody watching you, getting a little slice of why, um, I wanted her on, I wanted the world to see who this is. 'cause this one's a little different. This, this episode is a little different. Yeah. Um, because you, um, it's, it's, this one's more special for me.

Right. For a lot of reasons. 'cause, uh, you father, um. Who I love and idolize and have known my whole life. Mm-hmm. He's been somebody who I've aspired to be and still aspire to be like. Mm-hmm. Because he's a special dude. Yeah. And, uh, you know, he was the always the coolest guy, always. I just, every way he carried himself, I wanted to be like him.

His music, his look, his car, his way. Mm-hmm. It was just, you know, being pulled outta Delco and we're gonna talk about Delco being pulled outta Delco at a young age, but still having my connection with him throughout my life. And then. Your mom being introduced and your family has been so influential and so important to me in my life.

Mm-hmm. So it was special for me to have you, um, be a part of this because especially what you're up to. Right. And you're not up to just ordinary things. And I think what you do is so cool. I love that. Thank you. Um, you inspire me in a lot of ways. Um, you've chosen one of the most challenging paths out there in special education.

Mm-hmm. I think, uh, the way you show up for kids, especially kids with the autism spectrum, um, with your patients, your empathy and your heart. Mm-hmm. It's rare. And you're not just teaching, you're transforming lives. Right. You know, and the way that you do that, and it's always been in your soul and the gift of your great parents to allow you to.

Express yourself that way in whatever way you did, and not berate you for the grades that you got. Right. 'cause you still got to the path. You got to. Right. And you did it that way. I'm, it's an honor to have you here today, so I'm excited about Yes. I'm so excited. Excited that you said yes to come do this.

Yes. So I, I got it. I gotta, we gotta hit this first 'cause this is important. Mm-hmm. Because people who don't know, uh, people who don't know Delco,

describe the Delco phenomena for people. What is, what is the, I describe Delco as a whole different breed of people. Like, it is just really, like, it is a whole different breed of people that if I'm, I mean, I'm true Delco. I was born into it, still in it. And I always say, I don't think I'm ever leaving Delco.

Like I, Delco is just such a, you know. It's so many different people. We're right outside of the city, so we get city people, but we're that 15, 20 minute, 25 minute outside of the city. And we're not city people though. We're our little suburban, like high school rivals, high school football team rivals with some of the private schools.

Like it's just. Uh, the only word to describe Delco is a different breed. Like, it's just so different and I love it so much. And it's one of those where you can see people from across the country and you say, oh, I'm from Delco, I'm from Delaware County. Like, and they're like, oh my gosh, I've heard about Delco.

That's crazy. Like, you guys say water. You guys say water, ice. Like, it's those things like Go Birds. Like that is truly like how Delco people and how Philly people like say hello to each other is if I'm wearing an Eagle's hoodie and somebody else is too. You say Go Birds. You just walk by and say, go Birds.

It's a fist bump. And like you just know what you're talking about. Total stranger. Anywhere in the world. Right? You could be anywhere. And if you see, like if I see somebody, my mom and I were in New York. And somebody was wearing a Cooper de Jean jersey and my mom was like, go Birds. And he was like, go Birds.

And they just went different paths. Like it's just, they, that's how we greet people. And like Delco is the exact same way. Like I always say like, Philly fans are Philly fans, but a lot of the Philly fans are Delco fans. Like we're, we're, a lot of the Philly fans are from Delco. Yeah. And I just, and if, if you're from Delco and you like a different team, you're like shamed.

'cause it's like, why would you not like the birds? Why would you not like the Eagles? Yeah. Like it's just, we're a different breed that I feel like you can't describe it. Any other way. Yeah, and I, I, I absolutely love Delco and I love, I went back to my hometown school. That was exactly what I wanted. I didn't apply anywhere else.

I knew I wanted to go back to being a Ridley writer, and that's exactly what, when I got hired, they were like, we're so proud to have another Ridley writer in the house. Like it's, and that's how it is with every school, like Marble, Newtown, inner Borough. It's like, if you're an alumni, you're proud to be an alumni in Delco, no matter where you are, and you praise it.

And I'm always proud to be a Ridley Raider. I'm always gonna be a Ridley Raider. If my path goes somewhere else to a different school, I'm still always gonna be a Ridley Raider. And that's what I just love. I love my neighborhood. I love where my parents put us, like our house. I always say, I never wanna move out of like, I just want my house forever.

Yeah. Like, I just love being in Delco. I love being right outside of the city. I love exactly where I am in life. And it's so different there. The school systems are so different up there because. In Florida, it's by county. So right there you have so many districts in one little area. Yes. Like in Delaware County alone, there's probably right eight or more school districts within that, that all operate on their own way.

Yeah. And, and Collier, it's just the Collier County School District with 50,000 or 60,000 students. Right. And eight high schools or whatever it is, under one. Yeah. But there you have all these little pockets of Right. Um, right. Rivalries in schools and Right. Areas that people are from where it's very turf oriented.

Like, we're Ridley, we're Upper Darby or Drexel. It's marble and I love it. Right. I, I love Ridley has always been like rivals with, in our barrow, because we do the Thanksgiving game, we do the Turkey bowl with them, and that's just watching all football players do the Turkey Bowl, especially their senior year.

And that's their last game. It's. A whole different feeling. Like I love the Turkey bowl and it's the best on Thanksgiving. And you know, Nana always complains that the Turkey bowl is on Thanksgiving and we're gonna be late for Thanksgiving because of the Turkey Bowl. But high school football is also so important to students.

I feel like, you know, football for male students, they just get to be their own person on the field. And I just love, I used to love watching my brother just be an absolute beast on the field. Like it was such like a. Proud moment where it was like, this is his element and this is other kids' elements. And like football teams, I feel like are so accepting too.

There's so many different positions. It doesn't matter what your height is, what your weight is, they're gonna figure out where to put you. They're gonna put you on the field. And I absolutely love that about sports in general. Like Ridley is a huge sports school. Like we got our academics, but we have our sports and that's our really big thing.

And I just love, like I'm in the middle school, so they start doing sports in seventh grade. They can do clubs in sixth grade, but the seventh and eighth graders are the ones who start the sports. And I always say try out everything. Like even if it's not your thing, like I loved softball, I did community softball.

I was a horrible softball player, but like it was the community of the girls that I had been playing with since I was three. Like it was just such a community. You make a team and you become. Players of a team that have each other's back. If somebody's picking on you in the hallway, it's like, no, dude, like.

We don't do that. Like, I just always encourage every student to try something. It may not be sports, it may not be a club, it could be theater, it could be this, it could be that I was in dance, I was in softball, I was in Girl Scouts. Girl scouts was a very important thing in my life. You know, I didn't really talk about it when I was younger, like in middle school and high school.

'cause it was like, you're still in Girl Scouts. And I'm like, it was, I was in Girl Scouts from second grade to my senior year of, of um, high school. And it was the best time in my life. I didn't know what go went up that. Yes. Oh yeah. Yeah. 'cause I used to get the cookies from Yes, yes. And I used to, I was in Girl Scouts from second grade to 12th grade.

Yeah. And I. Absolutely loved it. Like I have such a core group of friends still that we talk all the time and like we'll go out to dinner and it, it's just so funny 'cause now like we can all drink and go out to eat. Like where it was like we literally were like camping and things like that and Yeah. You know, I, my troop leader was truly like a second mom and I just love her so much and she's been through everything in my life.

All of the traumatic events, all of the deaths that have happened in my family. And she's truly, like when my one cousin passed away the next day I was with her doing something with Girl Scouts. Like Girl Scouts wasn't just selling the cookies and doing fun events. Mm-hmm. It was really like a sisterhood that we became also close and I could call her any day of the week and if I need her, she's there.

Mm-hmm. And it's just, I've also grown up around such strong women in my life that have really helped me through everything to make me such an independent woman who. Strives to succeed in things and who, if I want it, I'm gonna get it. And I've always grown up with my aunts, my Aunt Adrian, and my Aunt Jean are such strong women.

My moms. Your mom's sisters. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. And you know, my Aunt Adrian is like my woman idol. I've written essays about her, I've done speeches about her. She's my, she's who I strive to be in life like, and you know, my dad and my aunt Adrian are really people who, if I could mush them together into one person, like it would be the best person in the entire world.

Whoa, whoa. So what was it about them

that got you to be who you are? What, what, what? Was there a moment, was there a specific incident that you remember that just they were it for you? My. Aunt Adrian has been through everything with me. I used to call my Aunt Adrian when I was little for hours and sing the ABCs to her and tell her about my day.

And I'd have the phone while I was watching Elmo next to me. Like she, you pick up the phone, she answers, she's there in a second. And she's always said, no matter what time of the day it is, no matter what day it is, it's, I'm always here. And it's just one of those where she's the big sister of the, of the three sisters too.

Mm-hmm. And she truly is just an inspiration, I think to others too. She's just describing her is she is such a unique individual that will do anything for anybody. She'll give the shirt off of her back. And that's the same how my dad is. Mm-hmm. And they're also each other's person. When my dad has high anxiety, he goes to talk to my Aunt Adrian and vice versa.

And, you know, if. Something's going on with my Aunt Adrian's car, car. She calls my dad and my dad goes and helps her. Like they are just such amazing people that they don't realize how amazing they truly are. And that's what I praise them both so much. And they're like, well, this is just family. This is what you do for family.

Mm-hmm. But I'm like, you would do this for a stranger like it's my dad. Truly also, like growing up, if somebody's car was broken down on the side of the road, it was roll down the window, you need to jump. And he would get out and help whoever it was, of course. And there was this one incident in front of my house.

It was when I was a lot younger and a car flipped over in front of our house and he was just coming too fast. He flipped over and my dad was like, call 9 1 1 to my mom. And they went out and they didn't even realize it was the neighbor behind us. It was the neighbor behind us son. And my dad immediately was like, we can't wait for the ambulance to come here.

Like he's crushed in this car right now. We need to get him out. So he got my two neighbors and they just pulled this guy out of the car. Mm-hmm. And it was like when they realized, oh my God, this is our neighbor that lives behind us. Wow. It was like, it was even like more special. But he would've done that for anybody.

Of course. Like my, my dad, I always say, has a million kids because everybody in the community, he treats them like their own. Like his own. Yeah. Like my, that's your dad, right? Hundred percent. Yeah. And my best friend Megan, he always says, I have two daughters, like it's live and Meg like, and they have the same birthday and they're like two peas in a pod.

Like my best friend since fifth grade. They truly have such a good relationship too. And like it's always like. You know, we go to the tailgates for the Eagles game and there's no other parents there besides my dad. And everybody loves it. Like, it's like, oh, big Ron's here. Like Mr. S is here. Like, it's not weird, like, oh my God.

Like a parent's here. Like they literally embrace him so much. 'cause he, like I, my dad described it one time to me, he was like, you are the diamond in my life. He was like, you are the most important person in my life. I will protect you with everything that I have. Mm-hmm. And I truly feel the exact same way with him.

Mm-hmm. Like. Everybody fights. We scream, we yell at each other, but an hour later we're hugging and we're kissing and we're fine. Like it's, I can't stay mad at my dad for long. He is my best friend. He has been through so much in his life. He has always been the person when things are going on in Ronnie and i's lives like he is a person we go to for everything.

Which can be hard sometimes because you know, he has his own things that he has to deal with, and then I'm crying about this and that, and Ronnie's mad about this and that, but he just takes on everybody and truly makes everybody feel at home. My friends have always felt at home like they could always talk to my dad about anything, like my dad.

We'll feed everybody. Yeah. He will get all the food in the world and feed everybody. Yeah. Make sure everybody's fed and then he'll eat, or he, he'll eat like pizza from the freezer. Like he, that's just how he is. And he always has been. And like I always say, like, you know, everybody posts that they have like the best dad in the world, but like, like my dad, I was truly the best dad in the world.

Yeah. No doubt. I love him so much. I idolized him as a father. And, and, and you guys, you spent your whole life in that house. You grew up in that house, right? Yes. Mm-hmm. One bathroom. Two. You got two to be a two. Yeah. Downstairs, but one. Yes. Two, it's But one shower. Yes. One shower, right? Yes. Same house. You've been there your whole life.

Yes. Yeah. And you all got along, you all make that work through high school? Yes. Mm-hmm. Negotiating time in that bathroom. Yes. Yes. Right. It was rough sometimes, you know, I mean, down here we got 27 bathrooms in the house and the houses are too big. Right. For, for one shower, two bathrooms, got a half bath.

You know Who's yelling that? You're taking too long in the shower. I need to get in. Like it's, and our family too has just, our family has gotten so much closer. We were always a super close family, but I just keep saying my family has been through so much with deaths and things that have happened to us unexpectedly.

And like it makes us stronger every single time. 'cause you have to rely on people that you love when those things happen. And. I can tend to isolate and they bring me right back in because it's just so much love. My family has so much love that they give to our family, but to the world also. You know?

Yeah. My mom's a teacher in upper Derby school district, like that is a whole different ball game than Ridley school district. Yeah. And she gives so much love and her families have invited her over for holidays that they have like, and cultural things. And that just shows me how much my mom shows love to her kids as well.

You know what I mean? Oh yeah. Like and I love Ridley School District and I love it so much. And my mom loves Upper Darby School District. They're two completely different school districts. Yeah. But you know, that's my district. That's her district. We mesh well with those districts and my mom is just a phenomenal teacher and a person as well, and has really encouraged me.

To become a teacher. 'cause she's like, you know, if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Like my mom didn't start out as wanting to be a teacher and then she got into it and she loves it and she's gonna do it until she retires. Yeah. I had a special place in my heart for teachers. I think, uh, you, you or underappreciated, but have such a huge impact on Right.

How you can shift a, a child's trajectory in life mm-hmm. By just the way you are with them. And I, in our conversation, it's one of the reasons why I wanted to have you on and talk to you about this. 'cause I, I so admire it. Your ability to not just be a teacher, but be a special education teacher. Mm-hmm.

Which takes a special way about you, a level of empathy and compassion. And, um, one of the things you shared was how you'll have a student who might be under the desk and you ask for. An answer to a math problem, and he'll shout out the answer from under the desk. Right. And that's okay with you. Mm-hmm.

You just, that's the way that classroom's gonna go. Yeah. And that's how it works. Your ability to be with that level of non-structure. Right. It's, it's, it's got, it takes a different, a different way and, and you have something in you that has that, that led you on that path. Yeah. I always say special education is such a structured, non-structured environment.

Like to the outside world, it looks like chaos is going on. You know, who's under the desk, who's sitting on the desk, who's by the window scale, who's running back and forth in the back? Like, there are so many students that, that's just the way they think. And then there could be one that's sitting peacefully, hands crossed, paying, paying attention, you know what I mean?

They could be not paying attention whatsoever. Like, I just think that in teaching, you know, when I went to school it was always, you know, sit straight up at your desk. Pencil in hand, look at the board. And that's how you're paying attention, right? I would not be paying attention no matter where your mind was.

This, as long as you physically look at, I was always a jumpy. And I think that's what helps me too. I was always a very jumpy, you know, I struggled with math a lot. Math was really a hard thing for me. I felt like I would learn it in class. I'd walk out the door and it would be gone. Like I, I would struggle at home.

I would cry at home for homework. Like, it was always a very hard thing for me. And I felt, you know, I was put in the back as like a punishment, but I liked it 'cause I could move around. Like, I'd be able to look around, like I wouldn't be bothering anybody. And that's what I, you know, spacing out desks, letting kids just think the way that they think is just.

You know, somebody can just look at a board and be focusing 100%, but so and so can be running back and forth in the background. You ask them a question, they're on it. They don't have to be looking at it or listening to it. They may need a visual and then they process it and then they're good. It's just one of those, you know, you meet people where they are you, and this is special ed environment or not special ed environment.

You accept people exactly how they are. You know, everybody's their own unique individual and you know, some people you may not mesh well with and that's fine, but everybody is their own person. You accept people where they are and you know, I just think as a generation of the younger generation, they've become a lot more accepting to students who are different.

And I love it. Like it was always, you know. Students who got pulled out to go to different classrooms to learn. That's still what's happening. There's still things that are happening like that, but we were always like, oh, is why, why is so and so leaving the room, like why is it like we were very interested in what was happening and it was like, nowadays somebody gets pulled outta the room, the kids aren't even thinking about it.

They're so accepting. And you know, we try and get our special education students as much into the general education population as much as we can. And I just love it so much. 'cause also in middle school we used to have a. Some of the autistic support or emotional support students, they would come to gym class with us and they would pick a few students to come and play games with them and have gym class with them.

And I was always one of those people. And my gym teacher, he told me he was, he's the, he was the best at the time and he still is the best. He's just an amazing gym teacher in person in general. He would be like, I don't pick just anybody to come be with these students. It's a very well thought out process because these are very unique individuals and you just always accepted them exactly how they are.

And you played with them like they were just any other student. And that's how I truly think that this generation is also being, they're so accepting of people who are different and it, it's just amazing to see honestly, like we just always, you know, we didn't not accept people when we were in school, but we always notice those differences.

Mm-hmm. And now. Students are just so accepting of everybody and I just love it so much. Like it's never felt like it was like, oh, there's special education students that are at a different lunch table. They're like inviting those students over to eat with them. And I just love it. Like we just, we just never really did that when I was in school.

'cause we just didn't, there wasn't anything negative about it, but we just knew that, you know, they're sitting at their lunch table, we're sitting at our lunch table and now they, they integrate and it's just, and it's not even us prompting them to like, oh, ask so and so if they wanna sit with you. They just do it.

And it's just, it's amazing to see. And even at such a young age too, like I saw it in the elementary schools. Everybody's just so accepting of everybody now. And I love it. What was the moment where you knew that being a special education teacher was your calling? I have a family on, a family member on my Aunt Adrian's side and she.

Is one of the lights of my life. She was, she's 30, I think she's 32 now, one of those ages. And she wasn't supposed to live past six months. She was, she had all these disabilities and she had all these factors and her mom was like, she's gonna be fine. We're gonna pray and she's gonna be amazing. She was never supposed to walk, talk, eat.

It was none of that. And they prayed so hard and they treated her just like every other child. And now she's thriving at 32. And I would see her talk about her teachers at her school and she loved it. And the Special Olympics was a big thing that we did in Girl Scouts sometimes. And I saw my cousin there and just seeing her laugh and smile and run and seeing all of these amazing individuals just being able to play basketball, to swim, to play volleyball.

It was such a true. Experience of there are people who make this possible for others and I want that. And it was, I didn't know if I wanted to teach. I didn't know it. It teaching was never really on my radar, always. It was just, I wanna make people who are different be so accepted into the world and teach them ways to regulate their emotions, to be able to be as independent as they can, like things like that.

And that Special Olympics event really was where I was like, mm-hmm this is something that I wanna do one day. Mm-hmm. And I'm gonna figure out whatever it is to do that. I know that's what I want to do. And I just, I love her so much and she is such a light in my life because she knows no danger in the world.

She just knows happiness and love. 'cause that's all that. Her family has given her, and they, they treat her like everybody else. If she's being bad, she goes and she sits in the corner, she gets sent to her room. Like she, she's a normal person, just like all of us. Mm-hmm. And, you know, seeing the light of holidays in her eyes, she loves Santa so much.

And when Santa comes and when the Easter bunny comes, like, and she is just truly such an inspiration to me, and she doesn't even know it. Mm. And every time I see her, I'm hugging her. I'm kissing her, I'm attached to her hip. Yeah. Like, and it's, they always say, your girl's here, your girl's here. And she starts screaming and she's running towards me and I just, she is such an amazing individual and I love her so much.

Mm-hmm. Well, is that because high schooling or grades weren't your thing, you know? Right. Your thing, you weren't real strong, but then. You were inducted into Kappa Delta pi? Yes. You were in the National Society of Leadership and Success, and you made the Dean's list multiple times. Yes. What happened? How'd you get so driven College?

College was a very scary thing for me in the beginning because I graduated high school with a 2.6 GPA and there wasn't a lot of schools I could get into and I was, you know, I didn't wanna go to a community college 'cause I felt like that was always talked bad about, like you couldn't get into a real college.

But I knew that when special education kind of popped into my mind, like I wanna be with these students, it was like, well, you're gonna have to work to get there. You're gonna have to prove that you can do these things. And you know, school wasn't my thing, but I remember I took the SATs and I scored really low and testing was never my thing.

I scored really low and it was. I got a seven. I got seven 20. And Kutztown was like, well, you need, well, so I was going on all these college visits and nothing was sparking me. 'cause I knew I couldn't get into any of these colleges. And then I saw Kutztown and it was such an amazing campus and it was exactly what I knew I wanted.

It was an hour and a half away where I wasn't as far away from my dad. That was my big thing. I didn't wanna be away from my dad. Mm-hmm. Like, and Kutztown was calling my name and Kutztown told me, you need to get a seven 50 to get into our education program. You have to get a seven 50 on your SATs. And I was like, all right.

Like, oh, let me try. Like, I was like, you know, this is what I really want. I feel like this is my thing. Like, let me try this out. I remember I showed up to the SATs and I was like, this is gonna like be, if I get into Kutztown. Like, I was shaking, I was so nervous. I was like, oh my God. I was like, couldn't sleep the whole night before.

I was so anxious. And I remember I took it and I was like, yeah, I'm not getting into Kutztown. I was like, it's not happening. Like it's just, you know, and I was so, I was beating myself up about it for the next week and I get an email that my SAT scores are in and I'm like, oh my God. Like it's never gonna happen.

Like, I was like, it's just never happening. I scored a seven 60. I was supposed to get, I needed a seven 50 to get in Uhhuh. I got a seven 60 and I was like, I'm in, like, I was jumping for joy that got sent out to the S sa or to Kutztown. Kutztown sent me my acceptance letter and I was on top of the world.

I was like, I feel like Kutztown is really where I'm gonna thrive. And then what was also hard is you have to live on campus and you have to have a roommate. So I'm like, all right. I like, I knew nobody at Cut sound going in. It was just one of the schools where I felt like I also wanted to make a new version of Liv.

I didn't want to be the Ridley High School live anymore. I just really wanted to be a new person. There was nothing wrong with me, but Kutztown, nobody knew me. Mm-hmm. So you basically go on, it's like a dating site for roommates. You kind of match with people that you could be roommates with. And I found, who is still my best friend to this day, I found Jillian.

Mm-hmm. And via the exact same things. And she's from Harrisburg and we basically, like the day before the deadline of picking roommates, we were like, do you wanna like be roommates? And she was like, I'm down. And I was like, all right. And I moved in only meeting her once and she had, I lived with her all through college.

She is my best friend. Mm-hmm. And she was also an education major and. M My freshman year is when COVID started. I just started getting into the hang of things and then we were sent home, oh, my first semester at Kutztown, I got a GP of a 3.3, and I needed to keep a 3.0 to be in education at Kutztown. I got a 3.3 and I was like, this is good.

Like I'm, I'm on a roll. Mm-hmm. Like I'm keeping the like minimum of what I have to keep. We got sent home for COVID and I was like, I'm just getting into the hang of things. How am I gonna thrive here? Mm-hmm. Like, how am I gonna do online classes I've never done online? Like, and I have to keep this 3.0 that I never even touched in high school.

Like I was never close to a 3.0. I was like, how am I gonna keep this? And then second semester happened, I still had a 3.3. I'm like, we're golden. Like I just need a 3.3 or a 3.0 whatever. Like we're golden. And then. Sophomore year I stayed home the whole year 'cause all my classes were online again. Then I started inching up to like a 3.4, 3.5.

I was like, this is, I was like, this is, this is my thing. Like I was like, I'm learning about things I'm actually interested in. Mm-hmm. About so many different disabilities. Mm-hmm. How to teach students with disabilities. Mm-hmm. And you know, all the requisite classes you have to take, the math, the biology, the writing class, they were all done.

Mm-hmm. Like I passed with low Bs and which I was even so proud of. 'cause I really just kept in touch with my professors and I was like, you know, I really struggle in math. Like, what can I do to pass? And he was like, if you go to a tutor once a week and you show that you're making an effort, I'll take care of you.

Pass me with a B. Every time he was Dr. A, he was the best. He really helped me in college. And then once my junior and senior year came about. They started talking to me about, 'cause my major was elementary education, pre-K through four, and then special education pre-K through four also. Now all incoming freshmen, their special education automatically goes pre-K through 12th.

It's just, you know, the special education population is growing, but there's not as many teachers anymore. They're not as interested in it and it's not becoming a thing as much anymore. Where, you know, everybody wants to be a kindergarten teacher. Everybody wants to be a science teacher at a high school, but special education isn't as talked about as much.

Hmm. So they were like, we're gonna grandfather you in right to eighth grade, so now you're gonna be special education pre-K through eighth grade. And I was like, all right, well that's fine. Like, I'm never gonna do middle school. So like, it doesn't even matter, like just grandfather me in whatever. Then I didn't really take that fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade seriously, because I was like, you know, I'm always gonna be an elementary school teacher.

That's what I want. Mm-hmm. Like that's the only thing I want. I want the little babies. I love them. Like I just wanna hug and kiss on them all day long. And I started my junior and senior year both, all four of those semesters. I got four point ohs. And I really think I thrived during that because it was just all education and special education and it was really proving like, you know, junior year you did some education classes.

I got a 4.0 and I started also telling myself that a 4.0 was the only acceptable thing. Mm. So my junior and senior year started getting a little mentally hard because I was pushing myself so much and. I would want one hundredths on everything. If I got a 99, there would be tears. And my dad's like, I was passing college with like C minuses, like, and you lost one point and you're freaking out.

Like, we're good. And then I did my student teaching. I did, it's called trio, which is your special education student teaching. I did it in reading school district and it was, I was very nervous because it was a very urban area and it was a whole different ballgame. Is that near Kutztown? Yes. It's about 30 minutes.

Mm-hmm. So I would have to drive there and, and I did kindergarten in writing school district, and I loved it so much. It was such an amazing community of. You know, so many different languages and all these kindergartners could speak Spanish and English. And I didn't really know that from Ridley. Like we were just a very, you know, Delco population.

And reading was such an eyeopener to me of being in an urban school district. And I loved it. I loved it. And when I graduated, they offered me a job out there, but I just knew I wasn't ready to move out to Redding. I wasn't ready for any of that. They basically were like, we want you to stay here. We'll figure out where we can put you.

Like, we'll, we'll open up a new position. We'll we'll figure something out. Like we just want you. Mm-hmm. And I was like, you know, I'm really like honored that you're asking me, but I just don't know if that's my thing right now. I was young and I was. I mean, I was just 21. Like I didn't know what, I didn't think I could live on my own, like I was living on my own, but my parents were paying my rent when I was at college.

Like I was just basically cooking meals for my roommates, living the life, like I didn't know. And then I also did my other half of my teaching in Pottsville. And it's actually so crazy because my mom and my aunts grew up in Pottsville and my grandmom, it's a very small town, like one elementary school, one middle school, one high school.

Oh, I didn't that. It's a very, yes, it's a very small town. And I did my student teaching there, and it was just so crazy because it was really a full circle for me. Like I was driving from Kutztown to Pottsville. It's an hour there and back, so I was driving two hours every single day for student teaching.

And I just loved that population too. I loved those kids so much. And I ultimately picked. My last semester of student teaching with Ridley or with writing school district, because I loved them so much and I was with the same teacher and it was with a lot of the same kids. And I'll never forget, I had a professor, Dr.

Lau, and he was a special education professor, and he is truly such an amazing professor, individually like, and I feel like he has such a passion for helping young teachers go into this special education profession. And I used to be so nervous when he would have to supervise me and I'd be like, oh my God, my lesson has to be perfect.

Like the kids have to know everything. Like they can't get one answer wrong. It has to just be perfect for him. And he, the first time he supervised me, he was like, there, there's nothing wrong that I can say. He was like, there are no negatives to what I just supervised. Who was like, you know. You are someone that I wanted to have for student teaching and you did an amazing job right now.

He was like, and these kids are really receptive to what you're doing and really you're doing amazing with them. He was like, I have nothing negative to say. And he was like, you know, this can be time where you can pick my brain and ask questions 'cause I really have no feedback to give you besides, it was amazing.

Mm-hmm. And he was just a really big part of my college too, where he really helps me be a special education teacher and. When I like applied and I got in and I got my first long-term sub position. I emailed him and I was like, you know, everybody's saying my IEPs are really well written. My positive behavior support plans are really well written.

I speak to, um, parents really well about the data I've collected and really I can thank you for all of that. And he was like, it is so amazing to hear these things because college students don't always reach back out to their professors. And he was like, it's just amazing that you've become such an amazing teacher.

And I'm proud to say that I've been a part of that. And it was really like he was really a amazing person for me. Yeah. During college, how, what kept you on such a good path? 'cause you were never a troublemaker. What kept you on the good rails? Did you ever rebel at any point? NI really didn't, I just also was so scared of getting in trouble.

Like I, there was one time in high school I snuck out to get Chick-fil-A during lunchtime, and I came back and our dean was sitting at the, at the front door and he was like, well, where'd you go? And I was like, I went to Chick-fil-A of like crying, like, and he, he suspended me for the day. And I cried so hard.

I was like, please don't suspend me. I'm a good kid. Like, and I was supposed to leave, I was supposed to go home 'cause I was suspended. I had my own car, I was supposed to leave. And I went up to one of my teachers, Mr. T, and I was like, I just got suspended. Like what do I do? He was like, Olivia, why did you come back to school?

Like once you leave, you're supposed to leave. And I was like, well I had fifth block. I didn't wanna skip fifth block. Like it's an important class. It's like, and and he got me outta my suspension. 'cause he was like, you know, she's really up here crying. Like she's really sorry. Like she got peer pressured into going to Chick-fil-A.

Like, and I think it was also, I kind of knew when I got to high school that I was gonna return to Ridley somehow. And I really wanted to keep a good reputation with Ridley. And I can honestly say I put in my subbing packet. One day I took forever to fill it out 'cause it's so much information and it was, it's basically an application and it's like where you wanna sub your GPA, like all this thing.

All these things. And I applied to be a day-to-day sub and basically they call you, they say you have to go to Eddie Stone, you have to go to Lake View, you have to go to these every day they would call you. And within two hours I got a call back that they wanted to offer me a full-time building sub position, which basically meant I had a home base.

I was guaranteed work every single day. And that would turn into long-term positions and then eventually go into a contract. And I really think I built my reputation through that and that that happened so quickly and so easily because I made sure to make connections with teachers. I made sure that I was.

Always on my best behavior as much as I could. I wasn't a grade student, so I knew that my behavior had to be good. I knew that I wasn't in the National Honor Society in high school. I knew that I wasn't going to be the All A's, A's and B's. 'cause I was the A's B Cs, the occasional day, I knew that I kind of had to be a good person.

Mm-hmm. To come back to Ridley. And it's just been, you know, administration has been so wonderful and teachers I've had before have been so wonderful of just accepting me as a new teacher. 'cause everybody makes mistakes and like it's really, you know, these teachers have helped me so much to become the teacher that I am right now.

And they're gonna continue to help me be an amazing teacher. It's been so nice seeing teachers that I've had in the past be so proud of me now being one of their coworkers. Mm-hmm. Which is so crazy. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah, it was really, really cool. Is there any tea on you that Dad doesn't know about?

Anything that you did that, uh, hasn't come out yet? Growing up? Honestly, I mean, I tell my dad everything. Yeah. Right. So I usually wrap myself out. Usually there really isn't any T that he doesn't know about. Yeah. I mean there, I mean, his blue truck that he had, his ridge line was his baby. And when I started learning how to drive, I took it out like I was allowed to, I was taking out, I was picking up my friends and I was too close to a bus and I chipped his mirror and I was like, well, I'll never notice.

Like it won't be a thing. And it was like a few months later, he was like, what is this chip on my mirror? And I was like, ah, I don't know. Like it may be like squirrel hit it or something. Like I was really like, I don't know. And then I think only recently when he sold the ridge line, I was like, yeah, that chip you fast up, huh?

I, I hit a bus. Like I hit a parked bus when I was going by. Like, sorry. But I mean honestly, like I was really a homebody, which helped I think like. My parents always opened up our house to everybody and it was, you know, you hang out here, we'll order a million pizzas, you can order all the movies you want.

Like this is a safe environment for everybody. Yeah. And it wasn't like the house where you could go and do bad things. Like it was truly like I also had friends that truly respected my parents and you know, they looked at my parents. Like another set of parents. Yeah. So my parents, every Friday, Saturday would open up the house and we'd watch movies and they'd cook us food.

My mom would make brownies. Like it was really my whole high school. I had a place to go. Yeah. It was never like, oh, like we have to be out tonight. Like I never really went out 'cause I could be at my house and my parents just, you asked for it. They did. You want a million pizzas? Go ahead. You want pizza and wings?

Go ahead. You wanna order this movie? Go ahead and do it. They really wanted a place where. Kids could go to feel safe and not get into trouble. It's so awesome to see. You know, it's one thing I admire about your family is, is your way, your ability to be so fully yourself mm-hmm. Like just ex so good in your own skin.

Mm-hmm. Like, this is who I am and I'm okay with it. And you're just, um, you know, in today's society, how difficult it is for people and the comparisons, they're always not happy inside. Mm-hmm. Like not okay. Where they are. Like they have to be somewhere else or have to be someone else, or they're trying to look like someone else or be like someone else, but they're never okay where they are.

And to see, one of the things I think the gifts and the blessings of your family, I always admire and love is that they are as accepting as they are. They love you just the way you are. Mm-hmm. And just the way you are. Yeah. They've always been that for me. And to see how you turned out growing up in that environment.

Mm-hmm. Where, um. You were allowed to express yourself in a way that you were free to be you. Mm-hmm. And you, you didn't go off the rails in any way. You just, and it just became more of you, which is even more. Right. Delicious. And what people want to be around and how. Right. You're such a support for the school district now too.

Like where they want you to. Right. Look all them why a piece of what you have, so. Right. I always say you just have to accept people exactly how they are. Mm. If you start making people change themselves, they're not their true selves. Mm. And you know, there are some people that I've said before, you just don't mesh with and that's completely fine.

But you're nice and you're respectful. You don't have to be best friends. That's always what my mom said. You, when you have a birthday party in the fourth grade, third grade, you invite everybody. You don't have to love everybody. They don't have to be your best friends. Yeah. But. You're nice and you're respectful.

There's never a reason to be mean to somebody. They're, they're their own person. If you don't mesh, that's fine. You don't have to be everybody's best friend. And that's how it always was growing up. You know, everybody in the class came, everybody got an invite. And it really, I think, also made, my brother and I are so accepting of people in general too, and just made us the human beings that we are because, you know, everybody's their own unique person and you either accept that or you don't.

And you don't have to, like I say, you don't have to be best friends with them, but people are who they are for a reason. You don't know anybody's background. I always say my family was looked at as the perfect family on the outside, but we've had a lot of things happen to us and nobody knows that unless we tell you.

So, you know how somebody acts can really be, you don't know what people are going through at home. You don't know people's anxiety, you don't know people's depression. You just have to accept them and if they want to talk about those things, you listen. You know what I mean? Like Yeah. I, I've always been very big on you can, anybody can talk to me about things.

I'm not always gonna keep it a secret. 'cause it can't always be a secret. You know what I mean? Like, it can't always be a secret, like, but I'm, I'm very big on mental health and supporting people who struggle with mental health issues. I have very high anxiety and I've gone, and I've gone to therapy to figure out how to help my anxiety and, you know.

I like to be people's outlets, but then to really be like, you know, sometimes I'm not your person you should talk to, you should go talk to really somebody who can really help you. Mm-hmm. Like I'm just your friend. I'm just your family member. Like mental health is a really big thing for me. And I've really always encourage people to go talk about things when things get hard because it gets hard for everybody.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, and mental health is such a thing that I feel like now is more open, but when I was younger it was like, well, anxiety's not a thing. You don't have anxiety. Like you're just nervous about something. Yeah. And when I started getting to college, anxiety started taking over my life and I was really like, you know, I'm, I'm.

Anxiety is a part of me, but anxiety is not me. Like I need to figure out how to have anxiety as a part of me. 'cause it's also, you know, anxiety. I care a lot about people and I love that. I care a lot about people. But there's also the downside to that. And you know, mental health is a huge thing that people do talk about now.

And I really do love seeing that because you never know what somebody's going through. You never know what they've experienced you. You never know anything. Like if you, and like people shouldn't always know that because like if I could have just plastered all over me, what has happened dramatically, things like that, people would shy away from me at some point.

You know what I mean? And it's the truth, like you never know what somebody's going through and you just have to accept them exactly how they are because there's underlying reasons why people are the way they are. I love that. Yeah. Is there, is there a, um, a story about a student with autism who, who changed you in some way?

I had a student in kindergarten, and this was when I was subbing, and he was the cutest student ever, and I loved him so much. And, you know, in kindergarten, everybody's fidgety, everybody's moving around. That's just the age they are. They're four years, four or five years old. They're always fidgeting. Four or five, six.

And he was one that anytime that I saw him, he just truly lit up my day. It could, he could be screaming on the floor and I'm smiling at him. Like, I used to say, like, you know, I love the students who have one-on-ones and who have aids, because when they're, when they're chasing them down the hallway, I'm like, I wanna be the one chasing them.

Like, I just love them. And he was so smart. But he didn't speak as much, so he didn't always show his smartness verbally. But if you put cards in front of him, he could identify every letter, every number. He knew basic math. And I think that that's a really big thing of, you know, there are some people that are never gonna be able to have a conversation like you and I talking back and forth, but that doesn't mean they can't communicate.

Mm-hmm. And it really showed that he is so smart, you just have to have, figure out a way to show how smart he is. Mm-hmm. Like you have to give him a choice board of if he has to go to the bathroom, you can have a picture of the bathroom and he points at it. That's communicating, it's not talking back and forth like, can I go to the bathroom?

Mm-hmm. But he's. He's communicating that he has to go to the bathroom, he needs to get a drink, he wants a crayon. Like things like that. And just really, you know, communication isn't just verbally talking. There's a million things when students have outbursts and, you know, emotional rollercoasters and things like that.

They're trying to communicate something that they can't communicate at the time. Mm-hmm. That's exactly what I always say. When students are having a meltdown or in a crisis, it's, they're trying to communicate and they can't communicate how they're feeling in that moment. So they just get so overwhelmed.

And then that's where us as special education teachers step in and we're like, how can we get them to communicate in a healthy way that is a safe way for not only themselves, but ourselves as well. Hmm. And I just used to love watching him play individually and ev all the other kids around him just accept it.

That he wanted to play individually. Like it wasn't like they were gripping the toys out of his hands. Like he just wanted to do his own thing, but he wanted to be in the middle of everybody. Like he wanted to still be included, but play with his own toys and nobody else touch my toys. Yeah. And I loved it and I loved watching him communicate when he wanted something because he wasn't always going to say it.

Yeah. Like I, we, we used to have lunch together and practice social skills during lunch, and I was eating my lunch. And he was pointing at like my bag of chips that I had and I was like, do you want a chip? And he was like, mm-hmm. And I was like, do you wanna ask for it? Like it was kind of one of those where you don't wanna pressure him to speak, but he can speak.

But just when he feels like it. And he was like, he has said in a full sentence, can I have a chip please? And I was like, yes, yes you can. Wow. Like, and I gave him like all the chips, like I was like, he communicated that, but he also communicated pointing to the bag that he wanted a chip. Wow. It was two different ways of communicating.

Wow. And he was just such a smart. Young kindergartner and I just loved him. And I still even like, I guess the teachers, how he's doing. 'cause now he's gonna be going into second grade and I'm like, how's he doing? Like how's my boy? Like I love him like, and he was truly one of the best students at students with autism that I've ever worked with.

So it's not even a lesson plan. You're on lu, you're at lunch with him. Mm-hmm. And there's a teachable moment. 'cause you're teaching them more than just what's in the lesson plan, right? Just so you're teaching 'em life. Social skills. Yes. Life skills, yes. And that's always what I say as myself As a special education teacher, of course I worry about their academics.

Of course I worry about their reading level. Of course I've learned or I worry about what math they're learning. But I want them to just be amazing individuals that learn some social skills, learn how to regulate themselves, learn how to be as independent as they can, learn how to be outside in society, like the academics will come.

Or not. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like mm-hmm. They don't have to read at a 12th grade level. Always. Yeah. Like the academics will come or not. Math never really clicked for me, so math never really came to me. But the academics will come or not, but I worry about how they can hold themselves out in society.

Mm-hmm. And if they can independently, you know, do their wash, if they can independently make a meal for themselves, like now that I'm working in middle school, like we have a kitchen in one of our rooms and we'll do a cafe cart once a month, and this will be my first time doing it with them. But I've asked what the process is and kind of what they do, and they'll make little treats and all the kids make the treats and it's like Rice Krispy treats.

But like now they know that they can independently make Rice Krispy treats, you know, pour a cup of coffee. Like I just want them to be able to live to their full potential and be able to reach their independent goals 'cause. They don't have to be great at math. Problem solving. It's not always, you know, Pythagorean Theorem you're never gonna use outside of school.

Yeah. But if you can learn how to, when you're in a high stress environment and you feel like you're getting worked up and you could have a meltdown or you could have a crisis of calming yourself down and being not more of like, when you have your outbursts in anybody crying, if I'm crying in the middle of anywhere, people are gonna look at me and I want to make sure that these students have these opportunities and have these, you know, strategies to not be looked at differently in the world.

That's the whole point of this, the spotlight on somebody who's got the heart like you do in the world. Such a blessing, such a gift. It's things that people don't even think about. Yeah. But that, to you, the simplest things, um, for most people are struggles for them and for. Compassionate way in your huge heart to mm-hmm.

Live for that. I mean, you've really made it your life's calling. Yeah. And it's such a cool thing. You've got, your parents did such a damn good job on you. Just stop them. They need to write books. They need to write a book. I, I have my parents so much. They need to write a book. Yes. I, well, I wanna do a segment.

Because we get Philly people watching being Robert of Philadelphia. Yeah. We get Philly people who watch this. I wanna do a segment, just a couple questions about Delco food. Mm-hmm. 'cause I know the big talk up there is that Pika is leaving. Yes. Yes. So you called P is Pika. PPP. Pike is right. Okay. Sorry about that.

Okay. Peus is leaving where they've been forever. Yes. That's a big issue, right? Yes. That is. That your place. You like that place. So I love that place. My mom works right near there. And it's such a pizza that you can't describe of like it's a tomato pie, but you could eat half of the pie like yourself.

Like when it's the three of us, my mom gets two pizzas and we eat all of it. Like it's, it's not the upside down one or whatever. The sauce one, it's, it looks like a regular pizza or No, it's so it's got right on top, right on. It is on top. It's not. It is. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it is. You just swallow it like, I don't know how to describe it.

It is just so good and it, it's a big issue. It's something I'm struggling with 'cause it is just so good. And it's just, you know, we have a lot of great pizza spots and we have a lot of good restaurants. But just something about getting a pizza is pizza when mom comes home from school. Oh, because she could pick it up on the way in.

Yeah. Yeah. She'll pick it off. It is just so good. Like, I don't know how to describe it. It is so good. And they're gonna move. They, they decided to stay open for the rest of the summer I saw, right? Yes, yes. And then they're gonna move to. Per mall are moving some, I think they are moving to a new, I've been trying not to read up on it 'cause it makes me so sad.

But I'm just trying to push through it. But I do think they're going somewhere, but it may take some time to open up. I'm not exactly sure yet. I've just been trying to stuff my face with pizzas, pizza as much as I can. So, but that would be outta the way though. But Bro Mall would not be be right. It would be, it would be like 20, 25 minutes and by the time it's like an hour now does Anthony live up, where does Anthony live?

Mount Anthony lives in, he's in Newtown Square, which is a part of Bro Mall. So it's like Bruma, Newtown Square. He could pick it up and bring it over there. Yes. And he just got a condo in Deerfield. Oh, down here Florida? Yes. Really? Yes. He's got a condo, know? Yes. He's gonna be a Florida man. Yes. He, well, he comes to Florida for like a month or two.

I know. He's come to Cape Coral before. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. He just got a condo down here. Oh, wow. Yes. Wow. On the other side. Okay. Yes. And he, oh my God, he's my godfather. I love my godfather so much. Oh, I love that guy. He, he's so funny. And he, I love him so much. I say, he's like my other dad too. Yeah. I love him.

And he's been through so much in his life and he, he sure has. He just smiles. It's a good soul. You know what I mean? He is just, I always say like, 'cause he always messes and he is like, well, I'm your godfather. Like if anything ever happens to your parents, you're come to me. Like, and I always just like, he is my other dad too.

Yeah. I love him so much. He will drop anything. I can drop of bat Love too. I love him. He's, he's 150% Delco boy. Oh, he is. So Delco. He is so Delco. Uh, what other, um, go-to. Food places. So Tino's is a really big one right near my house. We took Robert there and it is, it's our family friend, so we're a little biased, but his food is so good.

He makes these intricate dishes that are so comfort food Italian that are so good. And I worked there and you know, I loved working there. The environment of people. It's so Delco too. Yeah. And it's just, you become regulars with people and people come in to see you. And just describing his food and his drinks and his pizza and his wings, like he is such also.

A nonchalant guy to the owner cj that I've known basically my whole life. Yeah. And he just loves feeding people. Yeah. And making this such amazing food. And he'll make these pastas that are so creamy and delicious and you're like, oh my God, I can't eat for four days, but I'm gonna keep eating 'cause it's so good.

Like he is, that is one of my favorite restaurants. Tino's. Yes. Where is that? It's in Ridley. It's in Falso. It's right by Ridley High School. Oh, okay. Yeah. So it's like literally down the street from us. Five minutes. Okay. And it's the best. And I worked there and I can truly say, even working there, I would eat his food every single day.

It is so good. And he trains his staff so well And those cooks, what they can do back there is phenomenal. I used to love just watching them, like in between, when in between tables. I used to love just watching them make pizza, making me so hungry. Oh, it's so good. So good. I How about, um. Do you call her Nana?

Jeanie. Nana, yes. Yeah. How about her cooking? Oh, Nana is such a good cook. She makes this roast beef that I've. I don't know how buttery smooth it gets. Like my mom makes roast beef, which is very good, but not my nana's, like, you cut through it with a fork. You don't even need a knife. It is so good. You can eat it with mashed potatoes on a sandwich.

It, it doesn't matter. Mm-hmm. Like and my n. Make such an amazing Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve dinner. You know, it's so funny because I feel like Italian people are the only people who have Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day, right? Right. And she does the Seven Fishes. She still does it. Yes. Wow. And she does every single one, every single seven fishes.

And she makes these baccala fritters that are so good and I don't even know how to describe it. And the Christmas cookies are so good. And my nana truly is just such an amazing, I I would love to bring Michelle up for one of those just one time to experience the true Seven Fishes. It's so good. I know.

She's such a good cook. It's so good. And my nana also is so good of like, I don't eat a lot of the seven fishes and she just accepts it, like she'll make my sauce without the fish in it and things like that, like, and my nana is just such an amazing person too, and just watching her. Continue to be an amazing person after my pop passed because my pop passed and that shook our whole world.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, and my poppy was such an amazing person too, that he was just, I just describe him as warm. He was just a warm poppy. He was my dad's best friend and was so close. He was just the best and he did everything. My grandparents, my Nan and Poppy have done everything for my brother and I, like they have taken us to Disney so many times and I just cherished those moments so much.

Like now met to Costa Rica or something. Yeah. So we went to Costa Rica actually. Actually, yes. It was when my pop was sick and we didn't know. Yeah. And he. Just looking back at that, like something in me was like, he knows he's sick. Yeah. Like, and he was like, we're going on a trip. We're going on a trip.

We're going on a trip. Yeah. Like, and my, my grandparents have truly given my brother and I the life that I, I cannot thank them enough for. Yeah. And my nana is a very strong, independent woman with a strong personality. And she's just the best. Like, I love her. I miss her. She cooks the best. She's the best baker.

Like, there's nothing my nana can't do. Is Wednesday night's a thing? Do you participate in that? Doesn't your Doesn't dad go? My dad goes every Wednesday night. Your dad goes every Wednesday, right? I don't go. 'cause it's, I like that they get their time together. Oh, okay. You know what I mean? Like I always see the Wees Wednesday special on it's, he posts it every week and it makes me so hungry.

It's so good. The food looks so good. Alright, we're gonna go into some fun questions here. Mm-hmm. Do you have a hidden. A hidden talent. I'm a very good scrapbooker. I don't know why, but I'm very, pictures are a really big thing in my life. I love pictures and I love videos, and I, I could watch my parents' wedding video every single day in my life.

And I love seeing you in my parents' wedding video and dancing and I, I love making scrapbooks and getting pictures together for everybody to see. Mm. It's my really big thing. I didn't know that. Yes. I'm gonna have to check some of those out. Yes. Yeah. What music's playing when you're in the car or in the zone is Luke Combs.

Any Luke Comb song? I love Luke Combs. Like I just love that he's a big country boy. Like every song is just amazing. I love Luke Combs and I the. Justin Bieber is always gonna have my heart forever, but Luke Combs is my current right now. If your, if your life was a movie, what would the opening soundtrack be?

It would probably be,

you know, the, the song that's like, let's Go Girls. That song, I always forget that song, but it's just such an energetic, makes everybody happy. Like I, I just love that song. I, and I listened to it a lot when we were in Nashville for my 21st, so that was always on. Oh, Nashville for your 21st? Yes. That was so fun.

We went all with my family. That was so fun. It was the only people I wanted to be with for my 21st. Yeah. I remember seeing some Yes. Some secret pictures of that. Yes. And you're not a coffee drinker? No. No, I'm a diet Coke girl. Diet Coke. That's where you caffeine? Yes. Okay. Coke. That's how I get my Diet Coke.

Okay. My caffeine. So no Starbucks, no Dunkin Donuts, none of that? Yes. Okay. If you weren't a teacher, what do you think you'd be doing? I always said I would either be a teacher or a guidance counselor just because I've always wanted to be that outlet for somebody. And my guidance counselor in middle school was a really big part of my life and she really helped me through things I never thought would ever happen to my family.

And she really just was like, you know, this is something new for me too. I've never heard of these things happening. And she really got me into groups and with people, like she started a grief group and it was really a good thing for me. And I just love being that person for other people. And I really think that.

If I wanna be a teacher, I would still be doing something school related. I just love students. I love the younger generations and I just love, I love helping people. That's really like, I love helping people and just making people be the best versions of themselves they can. Mm-hmm. Oh, what a cool, that could, that's a great quote.

I love that. What's something about you most people don't know but should? Um, I have a summer job and my summer job is, I work concerts in Camden, New Jersey, and I work security and. I love it so much. I love, wait, I didn't know this. Yes, yes. I work security in Camden for concerts and I do the bag checks and I Camden Where?

Where? In Camden. Like right across the bridge New, right? Yes. It's called, so it used to be Susquehanna Bank Center now. Well, then it would bb and t. Now it's Freedom Mortgage, and it's where they have the lawn for the concerts and, okay. It's, it's just, it's such a fun place and I started doing it with my two aunts and I love it so much.

Like I just, you know, it's the best job ever. I get to check the bags and then when everybody's in, I get to go watch the concert and walk around shop. Yeah. And it is so fun. Who do they have there? So. I just worked, um, a Thomas Rec concert Creed was there this past Oh, weekend. Oh yeah. Yes. The Jonas Brothers are coming and I'm very excited about the Jonas Brothers.

My dad and Ronnie went to a Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie concert last year. It's kind of like Alice Cooper was there. Yes. Really. Oh, cool. And it's kind of like the, the people that were really big Yeah. And now aren't as big. Yeah. Or like the upcoming. And that's what I love because, you know, Wells Fargo was a little too big for me.

The link is a little too big for me. Yeah. Like the Jonas Brothers who I've seen four times, and I love them so much now they're like, downsizing. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm so excited. Like, I'm gonna work there. Like, if they have immediate angry, like it's just, I, I always have to be doing something. And also I just love giving people the experience at the concerts of like, you know.

If they're trying to record a video from really far away, I bring 'em right up to the front and they can record the video of somebody like 10 feet away from 'em. Mm-hmm. That they're, you know, every concert is somebody's Super Bowl. And I love seeing those people that it's their Super Bowl and I can just make it a little bit better.

Yeah. Like I bring em to the front or you know, I give 'em a set list or I give them something. Just how cool. Because most people you see at something like that are doing it 'cause they have to or they don't want to. Right. And they're just, they just seem to be not excited about what they're up to. And, and you create an experience for people even at that.

Yes. That's so cool. Yes. I love that. I love it. I love it so much. Bringing joy to the world. Yes. And everything you do. I love it. We have these little questions here that, oh, we get you to pick and, mm-hmm. Random, so you get to read it out loud and then answer the question. Pick one outta there. All it says, are you an optimist, pessimist, or realist?

Why? I would say I'm between an optimist and a realist because, you know, real things happen in the world and like there's things that happen all the time that you, you never know are gonna happen. Mm-hmm. And then I'm an optimist because I'm like, you know, you can't control these things that happen. You just gotta keep living your life.

Yeah. Like it'll happen or it won't and you can't live in fear of things. Yeah. You just have to, you know, not hold grudges, accept people, you know, life's too short to be holding on to things. I'm glad we're documenting this. This is awesome. It's gonna be for the book one day. Yes. Life's too short to be, you know, grab another one.

All right. What was your first car, or what would you like your first car to be? So I had my mom's 2012 Honda Accord. And she gave it to me in such mint condition and I tore it up, tore it up. I tore it up and I got into an accident and I rear-ended somebody because I dropped. I dropped my hash brown from Wawa on the passenger side, and I went to get in and I hit him and he had a Jeep and it was a tire on the back, so my hood dented.

And I was crying. I was so upset. And he was so nice. He was a dad and he was like, you know, accidents happen. Like nothing's wrong with my car. I just wanna make sure you're okay. And ever since then, I called my car Dent Tina because she had a dent in the front and the dent just described her. I was like, that's my girl.

Like she's got her dent in the front. And then. In Kutztown, I was going through a roundabout and a tractor trailer hitched onto me and like dragged me through the roundabout and it wrecked like the whole front of my car and they had to fix it and they had to replace my hood. And I said, well, I like my dent is in the hood, like it needs to be dent.

And he was like, I have to replace the hood. And I was like, okay. Like I tried to like, like get him to keep the dent for it to be dent. But, and then I traded her in and I got, she's not around anymore. No, she, my dad was very upset. I, I'm, I'm very much a person that I want things to happen right away. And I was like, you know, well I want a Jeep Wrangler when all black four-door Jeep Wrangler and I'm gonna get it.

And I was like, you can help me or not, but I'm gonna get it. And he was like, you have such a good car that can run for like 10 more years. And I was like, I don't want it. And he was like, I can't believe I'm selling this car. Like, so now I have my big girl car and I've gotten a lot better with driving.

I've not beating this one up. Oh yeah, it doesn't have a name. Oh, no Dent. No Ting, not a name. No Dent. It doesn't have a name. It didn't speak to me yet, so, but I love that car. A black, yeah. So Black Four Four Door, 2024 Gry Bar. Oh, beautiful. Okay. Nice. Yes. I love it. And it's, it's, it's, um, it's not manual, like, it's not stick shift, but I don't have, like, I've crank windows so I can take the doors off easier.

Oh yeah. Like, yeah. And I do like it, like I like the crank window every once in a while, so it's not as high tech, you know, and I like it. Well, Jeeps aren't supposed to be, that's all you. I wanna take the doors off easy, you know? Yeah, that's good. Yeah. And you guys are funny up there because it'll be. March.

Yes. And it'll get up to 30 and you'll be like, oh, it's spring. Oh. And it's so nice. And we're like in t-shirt, t-shirts, and like shorts. Yeah, I know. I see the pictures your dad sent to me. Yes. It's spring. Yes. And you're in shorts. It's 35. Alright, last question. Mm-hmm. What do you love about your life? My family.

I just truly say I have the best family that God could have given me. Mm-hmm. And I say, you know, God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. And I think that my family has truly, you know, I keep saying it over and over again. We've been through a lot and just, we love each other so much more every time that something happens.

And I wouldn't trade any of my family for anybody. And like we have such a good support system down here with you guys too. Like I was telling you the other day, if I called you and I needed you, you'd be there in a second. Mm-hmm. And like vice versa, like if. Robin Lex called my dad. He'd be there. And I just truly love that our family has, you know, we're not even blood family, but we are family.

Yeah. And my family is amazing. And you know, my whole family knows about your whole family. And like, I just love, I would never trade any of my family for anybody. Not even all of the money in the world. Nothing. Yeah. Nothing is as rich as my family's love. Mm. And that's just, yeah. That's for sure. Yeah.

That's what I say. Yeah. That's a way to say that. Nothing is as rich as my family's love. Yeah. I'm so grateful for your mom and dad. Yes. They did such a damn good job on you. I love your mom. I've always loved them anyway, but I love them more and more every day. And then they put more of this deliciousness in the world.

I'm so grateful for you. And that's what I say, like, you know. Your parents and my dad's parents, they loved each other. Yeah. And then like third generation, my parents and you and Aunt ml loved each other. And then the kids love each other. Like we all just genuinely love each other. It's not like, well, they're your cousins.

You have to deal with them. Yeah. Like we genuinely all love each other. Yeah. And it's just been so much love and that's just, you know, it's gonna keep going. Keep going. It's so cool. Yes. I'm so glad you did this with me today. Yes, I know. And we have this documented for real. Yes. So I want to thank you not only for choosing one of the most compassionate careers out there, but for bringing your light and your heart and your leadership to everything you do.

The world needs more people like you. I'm just so proud to know you and be a part of your family. I love you. I love you so much. Thank you. Yes. And your hair looks beautifully. Thank you. Yes, thank you. How'd you do dad?