When I arrived at Hinckley-Big Rock four years ago, I was handed a blank slate and belief. Belief from an administration that recognized the value of thinking outside the box. What I saw was a community who deserved access to hands-on learning, creative problem-solving, and the confidence that comes from building something with your own two hands. What I didn't anticipate was how profoundly this program—and all of you—would transform my understanding of what rural education can be.
As I prepare to move out of state, my heart is both full and heavy. Full of gratitude. Heavy with the weight of leaving something—and someone—I deeply care about.
STEAM: The Great Equalizer
Here's what I've learned: STEAM is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you're an advanced reader, a visual learner, a kinesthetic problem-solver, or someone who thinks differently. In STEAM, there are multiple pathways to success.
One of my favorite parts of this job has been witnessing the exact moment when a student realizes they can do something they thought was impossible. It happens in STEAM constantly.
I've seen shy students become confident collaborators. I've watched struggling learners light up when they finally understand a concept through building rather than worksheets. I've observed students who felt disconnected from school be the last one in line to leave the STEAM room because they want to keep working on their projects.
Every single student in our district has walked into a STEAM space and found something they're good at. That's not by chance. That's the power of an educational approach that meets learners where they are and lets them show what they know in ways that matter to them.
The messages from parents are when it really hits me. "My child loves school again." “Check out what my child built over the weekend!” Those words and pictures—repeated again and again—remind me why this work matters so deeply. STEAM isn't just about coding robots or cardboard models. It's about rebuilding relationships with learning itself.
STEAM is Everywhere
One thing that excites me most as I leave is this: STEAM doesn't require fancy materials or expensive robots. It doesn't live only in schools.
STEAM is in your kitchen when you're adjusting a recipe. It's planning your garden. It's in the museum, the park, the library, and absolutely in your home. It's in the questions children ask naturally when they're curious and supported.
This program will continue because the concept of STEAM—hands-on exploration, creative thinking, and real-world problem-solving—isn't tied to me or any one person. It's tied to a way of thinking that our students have now internalized. They'll carry it forward. And I hope our community will continue to nurture it in every space where learning happens.
Bittersweet, But Forever Connected
This move is bittersweet. I'm excited for the new chapter ahead, but I'm leaving behind something I helped build and something I deeply believe in. I'm leaving behind relationships with students, families, and colleagues who have shaped me as an educator and as a person.
To the students: Keep asking questions. Keep building, creating, and experimenting. Keep failing safely and learning from it. You are capable of so much more than you know.
To the families: Thank you for trusting us with your children and for supporting their curiosity. Your encouragement fuels everything we do.
To my colleagues: Thank you for embracing this vision, for collaborating across classrooms, and for believing that our rural students deserve access to world-class learning experiences. Thank you for your patience with my high energy in the hallways when you are trying to walk your class quietly and I’m yelling “OH YEAH” and giving out high fives. You are the reason this program thrives.
To our district leadership: Thank you for taking a chance on STEAM from the ground up. Your investment in this program has changed our school culture in immeasurable ways.
Looking Forward
I know that STEAM—real, authentic, student-centered STEAM—is alive and well here. Because it was never really about me. It was about creating a culture where every child knows they belong, where curiosity is celebrated, and where success looks different for everyone.
That culture doesn't disappear when one person leaves. It grows deeper.
Thank you for four extraordinary years. HBR will always be home.
Written By: Kristen Delisio, HBR STEAM Teacher