Education runs in family for AHS teacher

Her real name is Sara Wojtkowski, but everybody knows her as Wojo, and she was recognized at the Abbeville High School graduation as the AHS Teacher of the Year.

Abbeville High School principal Dr. Charles Costner welcomed her to stand and be recognized.

That recognition in late May was just one bright spot in a life of education.

A Dixie High School graduate, she received a BA in History from Erskine and a Masters from Converse College.

Wojtkowski has been teaching 12 years and 11 of those have been at AHS.

Sara Wojtkowski was recognized at AHS graduation as Teacher of the Year.

Becoming a teacher was something of a no-brainer for her. "I come from a family of educators, so I guess you could say it's in my blood," she said. "I've always related to young people perhaps even more than I relate to adults, and that, coupled with my appreciation for history, led me to teaching high school."

Teaching for Wojtkowski is a job with a multitude of highlights.

"I love getting to teach government and economics because they are social studies classes with true, real world applications," she said. "Especially in today's times, it is so important that our young people understand the powers and limitations of government in their lives."

To say that Wojtkowski stays busy might be an understatement.

The department chair for the AHS History department, she is one of the coaches of the AHS Academic Team.

"We started the AHS Academic Team four years ago," she said.

"We compete in the small school division of the WPEC Academic Challenge. We've been fairly successful in that short period of time. Two years ago we placed third in State. Last year we were runner up in WPEC Division II region. In competition, students are asked questions about a variety of academic subjects and must answer correctly to receive points. They compete four players at a time in both team and buzzer rounds.

"We will be in something of a rebuilding year this year, having lost several starters to graduation, but expect to be competitive."

Wojtkowski also finds time to be involved in robotics, which helps instill in young people skills related to science, technology, engineering and math.

"I also volunteer as an FLL Robotics coach for Due West Robotics," she said. "I have three kids, two Great Danes, and a husband who works for the SC National Guard full-time."