Making a Difference Suzanne Harlow

MAKING A

Difference

They say home is where the heart is. And for Suzanne Harlow, her heart has always been in Little Elm ISD. But if you asked her 35 years ago, when her career barely started at Little Elm ISD, her heart would have said something else.

“I was so excited to start my teaching career. I just wanted a job,” Harlow said.

Those were the words from a woman who was young, working on her master’s, and who admittedly said Plano ISD was the place to teach in the 1980s. “I was waiting to hear back from someone. I was living in Denton at the time and decided I would apply at Little Elm. I was interviewed by the Superintendent, Dr. Russell, and was immediately offered a job.”

And the rest is history.

After working in Little Elm ISD for five years, Harlow realized just how much she loved the people she worked with.

“I made some really good friends, and I couldn’t see myself working with anyone else. So I stayed,” she said. “Then I fell more in love with the families, teaching siblings, and having the support and love of the same families.”

For the last 35 years, Harlow has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children she has served. Her last seven years were spent at Prestwick Elementary, where she was an inclusion teacher. Her passion has always been to help struggling students see their potential, which has been the most rewarding part of her job.

“Anytime a student has success in the classroom, I am blessed. I have been blessed to watch my students go to middle school, high school, college, into marriage, and parenthood,” she said. “I love seeing the amazing young adults they have grown into and the success they have achieved in life.”

Just like that, her home became this place where her heart felt the deepest connection to the students she served. Prestwick principal Christine Gibson can attest to that.

“Simply put, Suzanne was a Lobo for life. She rarely took a day off and came to work with a smile on her face,” Gibson said. “She commuted to work all these years from Anna, Texas, because she considered Little Elm ISD her work home.”

Which is why retiring after all those years has been one of the most difficult decisions.

“I am going to miss working with my students. Some of them I have worked with since they were in kindergarten. I will miss seeing their successes, helping with their struggles, and being there to support them. I will also miss my co-workers, and I can’t imagine not seeing them every day,” Harlow said.

One of Little Elm ISD’s core values is creating a community where every student loves to learn, every teacher loves to teach, and every person is proud to call home. Harlow is living proof and an example of that. We are Little Elm. We are One Community. One Pack.