HAS RELISHED HER TIME — Jill Tucker, an intervention specialist at the School of Bright Promise, will leave her classroom for good this August after 33 years. She has relished her time working with developmentally disabled children and looks back on her time with fondness and many memories. With her are, from left, front, Michael Stock, Gavin Brewer and Gage Roski; and back, aide Kerri Nemeth, Elliott Higgins, Jill Tucker, Marshall Smith and aide Tomi Skeens. Seneca Smith also is an aide. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Jill Tucker spent more than 30 years at the School of Bright Promise, and her trusty desk has followed her from classroom to classroom.

She has instructed a total of 272 children in the primary, secondary and intermediate units as an intervention specialist for the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities and spent her final days of the school year doing what she loved — being with the children.

A celebration of pizza and sweets marked the day, and she looked back on her time with fondness and many memories. It all began when Tucker, who had substituted in area schools for more than a year, was asked to join the school on Aug. 28, 1989.

“I was here to be a sub, and the teacher decided not to come back from maternity leave. I was asked and said yes, and I was put in the behavior room,” she recalled. “I spent eight or nine years in the primary wing, 12 years in the secondary wing and 13-14 years in the intermediate wing.”

She joined the latter in 2009 and took her desk with her for each move, but it will remain once she officially departs on Aug. 19. Tucker said she wanted to teach since she was a student facing some learning struggles of her own.

“In fourth grade, I was having trouble with my studies at Buena Vista Elementary,” she said, adding that she discovered she had a disability with reading comprehension.

Her grandfather’s neighbor was a retired Steubenville schoolteacher and tutored Tucker, helping her pass the class. She was inspired to pay it forward and went on to West Liberty State College and Ohio University Eastern, earning a bachelor’s degree and certification in K-12 special education. Since then, she has helped several hundred pupils learn and prosper and even perform tasks outside of school. Tucker said they did basic jobs at Trinity Medical Center West, Rue 21, Wal-Mart and M&M Hardware as part of a community-based training program.

“The whole staff adopted that program in the late 1990s,” she said. “We did a lot of research and came up with a curriculum that the teachers developed into a program. It included reading and math to employment and preparing for interviews. The students even cleaned churches, including Holy Rosary.”

However, COVID stifled further training, but there is a possibility of it returning in the near future. Tucker said the main highlight of her tenure was simply watching the children grow.

“I’ve had kids in my primary class come to secondary, and it was wonderful to teach them again. The last few years have been a challenge, but it’s been a rewarding experience. It’s taught me compassion, and the love these children give is unconditional and amazing. I came to school because of the children.”

Once she retires, the Weirton resident would like to travel and see family while she may teach violin as she has in the past. She previously was in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and briefly gave lessons around 1993 but took time to raise her son, Douglas. She remarried in 2002 and calls her husband, Eugene, “the love of her life.” She also has a stepdaughter, Sarah, a granddaughter named Kalie and a great-granddaughter, Onna.

This year, she and aides Tomi Skeens, Seneca Smith and Kerri Nemeth worked with eight students with varying developmental disabilities, and she relished her time with them. She praised her colleagues and school leaders, noting their pride and care for the students have been remarkable.

“This is a beautiful school. We’ve had wonderful instructors, parents and superintendents, and everybody loves the kids,” she said. “I’ve worked with incredible people through the years and feel indebted to them. As challenging as it may seem, it was a beautiful experience.”

JCBDD Superintendent Michael Zinno said Tucker has been a fixture in the school and will never be forgotten.

“Jill will be added to our virtual Wall of Fame with others who made an impact,” he said, adding that it may be viewed on the web at www.jcbdd.com.