It was an auspicious day indeed on Jan. 23 when Robin Grenz’s famous catch phrase came true.

Seminole County revealed three finalists for the district Teacher of the Year, and among those names was Grenz, the enthusiastic AP United States History. Awarded with the county high school Teacher of the Year, Grenz was pleasantly surprised.

“My immediate reaction was disbelief,” Grenz said. “It was kind of shocking.”

However, this nomination came as no surprise to faculty and students. Grenz received the school’s Teacher of the Year award in November as well as several nominations in the past.

“Mrs. Grenz embodies the most important qualities of a teacher: she makes her students think and find meaning in the world around them,” English teacher Lauren Hamilton said. Hamilton is currently working with Grenz on a College Board project.

With 27 years of teaching experience, including 10 here, students think of Grenz as someone who motivates them, pushes them to succeed and ensures that they understand the material.

“She really drilled the concepts into us,” senior John Lynch said. “She made sure we knew everything we were supposed to know before we left class that day.”

The district Teacher of the Year will be announced at the county celebration on Thursday, March 12. The winner will then go on to represent the district and be considered for the state’s Teacher of the Year award.

Although Grenz was shocked by this award, the celebration was short lived. For the award winning history teacher, there was no time to be wasted.

“We celebrated a little,” Grenz said. “We did Auspicious Day, had our pictures taken and then we finished building the railroad and settling the West.”