Susan Clark knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was a teenager growing up in Monroe. The member of Masuk High School’s Class of 1999 went on to earn her credentials, before being hired by her alma mater in 2004. She has been a Masuk teacher ever since.
“I had wonderful teachers,” she said during an interview in her classroom last Wednesday.
One of Clark’s favorite teachers was Patty Suto, who taught her second grade class at Stepney Elementary School.
“She made things fun,” she said of Suto. “We had Fun Fridays, a Good Citizen of the Week and special guests would come visit. People don’t always remember what you say to them, but they remember how you made them feel.”
Clark also fondly remembers Lisa Peterson, her French teacher at Masuk, and Maria Burturla, her 10th grader English teacher.
“I was a very quiet kid. They made me feel seen,” Clark said.
Clark’s work as an educator has not gone unnoticed. In fact, her department head, Jamie Sherry, nominated Clark for the Connecticut Council for Social Studies’ 2025 Excellence In Social Studies Teaching award for grades 9-12.
Clark went on to win the award and will be among the honorees at a dinner at Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford on May 22.
“Susan has been a devoted educator for over 20 years,” Sherry said. “In my role as a colleague and now her instructional leader, she has always been willing to mentor, collaborate and share — supporting any teacher who wants it.”
“As a teacher, she is a thoughtful planner, always making sure that she is cultivating the skills and content that students need to be successful,” Sherry continued. “Whether it is preparing students for the AP test or breaking down the research paper for her U.S. history kids, she is a supportive and dedicated teacher. She is very deserving of this honor.”
“I think it’s a well deserved recognition,” Principal Steve Swensen said of Clark. “Not only is she a teacher here, she was also a student here. She is a prime example of community.”
Coming home
Clark graduated from the University of Connecticut and earned her fifth year internship at Sacred Heart University before being hired by Masuk.
“I always liked social studies,” Clark said. “I like learning how the world works and I always had a fascination of places around the world and a fascination with governance.”
While studying at UConn, she minored in political science.
After Sherry nominated her for the social studies teaching award, she informed Clark, so she could provide a lesson plan to the Connecticut Council for Social Studies as part of the application process in mid-March.
On April 6, Clark learned she was chosen to be honored for excellence in teaching for grades 9-12. It is the first time she won an award during her career.
“It was 10 o’clock in the morning and I was like, ‘oh! Oh!'” Clark said of reading the email announcing the good news.
Students were studying in her classroom during a flex period and Clark said she didn’t want to disturb them. “I’m not one to broadcast it,” she said of her own accomplishments.
She didn’t have to. The news quickly circulated among Masuk’s staff. Sherry told her department then made an announcement at a faculty meeting.
“That speaks to the great support of this building,” Clark said.
She credits retired teacher Carl Bodnar for his guidance and support early on in her career, then she said it was Ian Lowell, who currently serves as assistant principal. Now it’s Sherry.
Clark attributes her individual honor to her “fantastic students” and supportive co-workers. “A lot of people are behind this and my family has always been supportive,” she said.
Cory Clark, her husband of eight years, and her stepson, Matthew, 14, were excited to hear about the Excellence In Social Studies Teaching award.
Susan Clark said she also heard from her parents, Michael and Debra Milne, brother Colin, sister-in-law Amanda, both uncles and a cousin telling her how proud they are of her.
“I like having an impact on the lives of young adults,” Clark said of teaching. “If they don’t remember anything I teach them about history, I want them to have the skills to be lifelong learners.”
Clark said she benefited from growing up in town and through her involvement in Monroe’s school system.
“Monroe is an amazing community and it’s given myself and my family a lot,” she said. “This is a way of giving back. I always tell my students, ‘I know this is a small town and you may be itching to get out, but you might find this is the place that will always be the home you want to come back to.'”
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