Bonds are built and refined over the course of time, which goes for many relationships, friendships, and pottery sculptures. People spend so much time building connections, creating good memories, and learning from others, and some devote that time to throwing on a pottery wheel. But eventually, all good things must come to an end. Everybody has their own journey they must go on, and most times, that means taking a leap, leaving the past behind, and moving on to new things.
After 18 years of teaching at Malden High, beloved ceramics teacher Julie Mullane is retiring shortly after this school year. Over the past 18 years, Mullane’s ceramics class became a place where students can use their creativity and explore their ideas to build sculptures, freely create connections with others within their class, and relax and decompress after other stressful classes.
“I think that ceramics allowed me to make new friends and build stronger connections with people I already know that also have ceramics with me,” sophomore Yasmina Goucem reflected.
“I love the class. I feel like it’s a breather from my APs and everything else. I go in, I get to talk to my friends and have a safe space to create,” senior Sarah Pham mentioned.
Mullane has spent nearly two decades teaching students how to sculpt, supporting them in their work, and her class is something that many students “look forward to,” sophomore Weiqi Du remarked. Mullane is often described as a “very kind and helpful teacher,” said Goucem, and while she does demonstrate how to use the materials in class to sculpt, she mostly allows students to work at their own pace and doesn’t “dictate” what the students do with their own projects, noticed junior Helen Nie.
Upon discovering Mullane´s retirement, Goucem felt “very sad that Mrs. Mullane is retiring” because they find that being in her class “has truly been a great experience.” But Pham also said that she is “so happy she’s retiring” because of Mullane’s many years of hard work in the community, believing that she “deserves a great retirement.” She ultimately wished her “nothing but the best.”
Reminiscing about her time at Malden High, Mullane stated, “I have been super, super happy here.” Having worked in Malden since 2000 at elementary schools, middle schools, and eventually the high school, she “definitely likes high school kids the best” and finds them “fun, funny, and creative,” Mullane reflected. She “loves the students,” but definitely feels the weight of “100 teenagers a day,” and feels that she is “looking forward to relaxing.” At the end of the day, Mullane expressed that she feels absolutely “awesome” to be retiring.
Although Mullane is leaving, the memories and bonds created by her and her students over the years will “never be forgotten,” Du concluded.
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