With the end of the school year, Mrs. Veronica Berendt closes out her long, illustrious career as a seventh grade science teacher in Beaver Area’s Middle School.

Mrs. Berendt has been teaching for 31 years, and in that time has been a band teacher for middle and high school, and while at Beaver Area, a science teacher.

While teaching is certainly a stressful job, there is always a silver lining. For Mrs. Berendt, it is her students.

"I’m going to miss the daily interactions with students," she said. "I’m not going to miss the paperwork," she soon admitted.

Despite the three decades Mrs. Berendt has spent teaching, she hasn’t noticed many changes with students in general.

"Things stay the same, but the faces change," she remarked. "The only thing that’s really changed is the technology."

Mrs. Berendt, of course, has plans for things that aren’t teaching after she retires.

"I’m going to relax, do what I want when I want. This summer we’re planning on going to New York City because my daughter [senior Gretchen Berendt] is in the National Orchestra and will be playing a concert at Carnegie Hall."

Mrs. Berendt left some simple, powerful advice for new students.

"Always do your best. Always take pride in your work, and your work will show that."