Next in our series, the Newberry News catches up with Missy (Trinka) Pedzich, a 1997 graduate of Newberry High School. Here’s what she’s doing now.
Please remind me of your parents’ full names and your local history. Did you always live in the white house by Hidden Hollow during your childhood?
My dad is Wilton Trinka and my mom is Gail Trinka. I was born in Newberry and lived in the same house there until I left. I loved my house growing up; it was small but never felt that way to me as a kid. I went to elementary school in Curtis, and then went to middle and high school in Newberry, graduating in 1997.
I remember you briefly in band, playing the trumpet, but mostly for cheerleading. What else was your high school claim to fame?
I worked at the Village Inn as a hostess for my first job and after graduating spent a summer working out at the Upper Falls gift shop. I don’t really feel like I had a claim to fame in high school.
Where did you go after graduation?
After graduation I went to Northern Michigan University. Midway through my sophomore year I realized college wasn’t for me and left. I tried a few other things and ended up in Key West, Florida, where I worked at a hotel pool bar and eventually as a bartender. A few years later I met my husband, Adam, who was in the Coast Guard. We were married at the Key West Lighthouse. I then started going back to school. I earned a AS in science at the Florida Keys Community College, and soon after we transferred to Boston. My husband was gone on a ship a lot of the time and were expecting our first child. I pursued a bachelor’s and did that through the University of Phoenix.
Soon after that we transferred to St. Petersburg, Florida. When my husband asked what I was going to do next, I told him get my master’s in education and then attended the University of South Florida in St. Pete. My first teaching job was in Kindergarten in South St. Pete. A year later we were transferred to Lewiston, New York (near Niagara Falls).
We spent four great years in Lewiston. I worked in a day care and we had our son there. When it was time to transfer again, we were lucky enough to get St. Petersburg again, and soon after moving back here my husband retired from the Coast Guard and I went back into the classroom. I have taught Kindergarten, first grade and am now teaching second grade. I think second grade is my favorite and hope to stay in this grade level for a while. I currently work at Ridgecrest Elementary in Largo, Florida. This will be my eighth year teaching in Pinellas County.
Second grade seems like a very fun age to teach. What is that like? What makes you feel successful as a teacher?
I really like teaching second grade. The kids have had a few years of school and can be more independent. I like this age because you can still be silly at times and they have a blast. I also enjoy watching them become independent learners and discover new and exciting things. I feel successful when I have students leave with a smile at the end of the day and then come back the next with that same bright smile. I want my students to have fun and develop a love for learning.
What do you like to do in your free time? How are you spending the summer?
I don’t always have a lot of free time, but I have coached soccer for the under-6 age group. This summer I have taken the kids to Rochester, New York (my husband’s hometown) and we spent the 4th of July there. We recently got a new puppy, so that is taking a lot of my time this summer and I have taken my daughter, Colbi, to look at colleges as she enters her senior year this fall.
What is your life like now? And how do you pronounce your last name?
My life now is filled with work and never-ending house chores. We find time to go out to eat, and relax in our pool on the weekends. Summer is the best time when we get to slow down a little.
The school year is a very busy time for our family. Our daughter, Colbi, will be a senior and our son, Jax, will be in 4th grade. Our daughter has played soccer since she was 4 but this year will be helping Adam coach the younger girls teams. Jax will be playing baseball this fall so I am looking forward to watching him grow in that sport. We have two dogs: Apollo (a pitbull mix) and our new puppy Millie, (a German Shorthair Pointer).
My last name is pronounced ped /z/ ick (it’s Polish and the “ch” makes a “k” sound in Polish).
How do you like living in Florida? Do you have to be aware of alligators at all times? Do you have one of those homes with a fenced in pool area so the alligators can’t lurk in the pool?
I like living in Florida, especially during the winter months. We spend a lot of time outdoors and enjoy that time of year the most. The summer months are pretty hot but luckily the rainy season is in the summer, so we get small breaks from the heat.
We do have the pool and a fenced in backyard. Pretty much anytime you are by ponds or lakes in Florida you watch for alligators. We have lots of county parks and retention ponds and you can always find an alligator.
Do you miss winter? Do you come home often? How do you feel about growing up in the U.P.?
I miss the winter during the holidays the most, but then when I am sitting on my porch in January I am reminded of the very pleasant winters in Florida. I do not get home as much as I would like. Last summer I was able to bring my son up north and we really enjoyed it. I loved growing up in the U.P. After having lived in the city most my adult life, I miss that slower pace of a small town.
Your dad taught a lot of us to drive, and he proudly told me recently that he’s still never had a speeding ticket. Does he still preach about driving safely to you?
I remember my dad telling me to “slow down” during driver’s ed. Yes, I still get great driving advice and it’s passed along to our own teenage driver. My dad is still the most patient passenger and driver I have ever known.
