From a young age, Emma Lou Buck realized her passion for working with children and young adults, having been employed with the Cincinnati YMCA Summer Camp as an undergraduate student. Discovering her joy for teaching children, she became certified in elementary education in the state of Ohio and served as a teacher for the Ashtabula Area City Schools for the entirety of her career. Commencing her tenure in 1969, she taught elementary aged children for nearly three decades until her retirement in 1998. During these years, she was also a workshop leader for the school district in 1989 and 1990.
Among the notable highlights of her career, Ms. Buck is most proud of the projects she introduced to her students, which included reenactments of the ancient Greece Olympics, studies in Abrahamic religions, and constructions of medieval castles out of household materials. Believing in the power of respect and love, she states that students thrive when they are surrounded by positive influences, such as teachers, who provide them with the secondary care they deserve. Civically involved as well, Ms. Buck was a former lay leader of the Saybrook United Methodist Church in Ashtabula, OH, and directed the church’s after-school program for six consecutive years. Impressively, she also chaired the church’s Christmas fundraising project for 30 years. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to her community, Ms. Buck was named Ashtabula County’s Senior Citizen of the Year in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Science in arts and sciences from Miami University, Bachelor of Science in education from Kent State University, and Master of Education from Edinboro University.
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