The Life of Goshen’s English Department Head, Sue Neeb

The Life of Goshen’s English Department Head, Sue Neeb

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by Elizabeth Rieth

From enjoying life on a lake, inciting student laughter, to traveling all over the world, Sue Neeb has led an interesting life.

Neeb has been a teacher here at Goshen High School for 35 years, where she taught English at a variety of levels and helped with the costumes for the theater department.

Sue Neeb (picture taken by Elizabeth Rieth)

Sue Neeb (picture taken by Elizabeth Rieth)

Neeb grew up on a lake in southeastern Michigan, which she says was “big enough to water ski on.”  Neeb says she enjoys water because of growing up on a lake.

Both of Neeb’s parents worked. Her father was a teacher and her mother was a bookkeeper and homemaker.

Neeb has three younger brothers. In her childhood, they pushed her to try things outside her comfort zone. They had an unspoken rivalry, each trying to do everything better than the others.

Neeb has always loved books, even since she was a kid.

“When I was younger, I was just enraptured by the stories and I could lose myself in another world.”

And as Neeb grew older, her love of books deepened.

“I have always loved the fact that books would feed my imagination. When I needed to escape, either difficult family times or when things weren’t going well, reading was that escape for me.”

Favorite books of hers have been the “Dr. Doolittle” series by Hugh Lofting, as well as “Little Women” and “Little Men,” both by Louisa May Alcott.

She doesn’t have a favorite genre of book, but enjoys any book that has a story about human condition or how the human spirit can prevail.

When asked how she would describe a successful teacher, Neeb says, “someone who loves their subject matter and their students.”

Neeb says these two qualities are what defines her as a teacher. Neeb loves teaching high school and is very passionate about her subject.

To become a teacher, Neeb attended Jackson Community College in Michigan and transferred to Taylor University. She earned her masters in English at  the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Neeb has been teaching and improving student’s writing at Goshen for 35 years. Thirty of those years, she created costumes for the theater department.

Her two children attended Goshen Schools and were both involved in the Music and Theater Departments. Neeb’s children, and her love of literature, have made her a big supporter of these departments.

Neeb plans to retire from teaching in the next few years. After this year, Neeb will no longer be head of the English Department.

When Neeb retires, she hopes to have more time to write some non-fiction works. Also, she hopes to add to the list of places she’s travelled. Neeb has already travelled to Europe, China, and the Mediterranean. She’s excited to travel to more places to experience their different cultures first hand.

When asked what defines her, Neeb listed two main things: faith and optimism.  Her faith has always driven her throughout her entire life. Her optimism has caused her to always look at the sunny side in life.

Neeb gives all students with this advice: “Enjoy living, enjoy learning, every day is precious.”

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Megan Peel

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