A Particular Graduation Reflection

3 days ago
2 min read

By Elizabeth Taylor-Rotzow May 20, 2026

It is that time of year again; seniors are simultaneously preparing for their futures and reflecting on their experiences at Leland High School. This year brings a deeper feeling of bittersweet reflection as I watch my own daughter, Marlene Rotzow, graduate.

While I have been a teacher at Leland for many years, Marlene has been here all of her life, literally. It was 2007, during a 5th period Senior English class when Kaiser called me to say that all my tests for being 16 weeks pregnant were great! (I was the 5th teacher that year who went on maternity leave. And for one student, it was 5 out of his 6 teachers!) Before she was ever a student, even before she was born, we attended school together. When I was the journalism advisor, Marlene was a little baby sleeping in her carrier during print night. When she was 3, she was sneaking away from me in the cafeteria during dress rehearsals for Spelling Bee. While I was chatting after school with Ms. Kelley, Marlene would climb up on the desk in front of the E8 classroom and start grading AP essays. She would try to take pictures of Bubba, the Leland cat mascot, when he would visit my classroom. One time, it took an hour to get her home because she insisted that Bubba needed a home. One time, she pretended she was the principal on a day no teachers showed up, so she would have to teach all the classes, answer the phones, and even reprimand students. She has been my daily carpool buddy every day for the last four years. Now she’s 18, registered to vote, going to college, driving on her own, and planning for her future.

But my situation is not unique. There are many teachers whose children have attended Leland. We pride ourselves on providing an educational environment good enough for our own children and our colleagues’ children. Since several of us practically live here, it is logical to have our kids here too. It is a special part of working at our school because, for a brief period of time, I think of myself as a de facto member of the family. I get to be the person who introduces the student to various types of literature, theatre styles, and I get to help students polish their voice as a writer. I have had the privilege of teaching Ms. Sarkar’s oldest son and now he’s married with a baby! Again, it is not a unique experience, but it is a very Leland High School experience. 6677 Camden Ave., a home away from home.