Each year the junior class selects a teacher to represent them on Rosary Day, the day this class is officially recognized as upperclasswomen and given their class rings.
This year, the juniors made a terrific choice in naming Mrs. Langenwalter as their speaker. Although she has only been teaching at Rosary for four years, Mrs. Langenwalter has come to model the spirit and values of not only the Class of 2025, but also the school. In fact, our very own Head of School Dr. Pautsch says, “[Mrs. Langenwalter] is a woman of great strength and compassion. She cares for her students and colleagues alike. [She] exemplifies what it means to be a woman of Rosary.”
That is some pretty high praise.
But when you get to know Mrs. Langenwalter, Dr. Pautsch’s words instantly ring true: Mrs. Langenwalter understands the “Rosary vibe,” as many students call it. In response to being named the class speaker, Mrs. Langenwalter shared, “My favorite part about teaching at Rosary is getting to teach to a class of young, empowered women. The confidence at this school is unmatched. I think our girls are incredibly impressive, and the world should watch out for the force that is a Rosary student.”
Mrs. Langenwalter’s philosophy of teaching shapes her success in the classroom. In her 10th year of teaching, she offered, “When I taught preschool, I adopted this philosophy of ‘teaching to the whole child,’ and I think I’ve maintained it ever since. The idea is that you design your teaching to honor a student for who they are as a person, not just their role as a student. I am a firm believer that you can’t get to a student’s mind without affirming who they are as a human and all the things that come with that. I’m all about discussing literature and reading, but also discussing how these topics impact that and (hopefully) provide them a safe space to speak their mind.”
This approach definitely resonates with her students. Check out what some of them said when I asked why Mrs. Langenwalter is so special:
Evy Galvan ’25: I enjoy Mrs. Langenwalter’s effort when she teaches. You can tell she really cares about her students and tries her best to keep everyone engaged. My period five class is the absolute best because everyone is so entertaining and funny. I can never keep a straight face in that class. Whether I am inside or outside of her classroom, I feel important to Mrs. Langenwalter. She knows how to make every student feel comfortable and welcome.
Dominique McCoy ’25: Mrs. Langenwalter makes me feel safe, and I feel that I can talk to her and she won’t judge me.
Ava Barretto ’25: I enjoy how fun Mrs. Langenwalter makes English class. She is really kind and if you need help, she’s always there to answer questions. She makes class fun and there’s always energy in the room, it’s never boring. My whole life I’ve never described myself as a smart student that can comprehend a lot of the material, but Mrs. Langenwalter teaches in a way that allows me to know what is going on. She makes me feel like I am worth it, and a great student.
Danielle Pirnat ’25: Mrs. Langenwalter always keeps it interesting, and it is never boring. I really like her class especially because her energy and patience make it really easy to learn. She makes me feel really good about myself. She has made me more confident in my education and learning abilities.
These students feel seen and heard by Mrs. Langenwalter, who came to Rosary after Connelly High School’s unfortunate closing in 2020. Fellow former Connelly teacher Señora Kam agrees that Mrs. Langenwalter is special: “Mrs. Langenwalter is such a bright, funny, caring teacher, I can see how the girls would love to have her speak at their ring ceremony! They made a great choice.”
Although Mrs. Langenwalter claims to be “powered by Diet Coke,” it’s her natural teaching abilities, compassion, and work ethic that fuel her success. She has taught six classes most of the years she’s been at Rosary, and each school year, her teaching schedule and duties have changed. This year she moderates the baking club (she makes a mean pumpkin chocolate chip cookie) and acts as the junior class moderator, which means she helped organize Rosary Day and relentlessly worked on her speech as the class speaker! She even pioneered a new, popular elective in the English Department this year: Mystery Fiction.
It doesn’t hurt that Mrs. Langenwalter is also Rosary’s resident faculty fashionista. Using the clothing rental service FashionPass once or twice a week, Mrs. Langenwalter believes Rosary is her runway. Although she says comfort comes first, her casual-glam makes her stand out at Rosary and is no doubt a treat for her students, who enjoy seeing her outfits Mondays through Fridays.
Mrs. Langenwalter is the real deal, and Rosary is incredibly lucky to have her on campus. But, Mrs. Langenwalter considers herself the luckiest: “I am so proud of [my students], especially the Class of 2025. They are some remarkable people who deserve all the great things life has to offer. They inspire me, educate me, and make me happy to be here every day!”
We see and hear you, Mrs. Langenwalter! Keep up the stellar teaching you’re doing in and out of Room 203. Congratulations on this tremendous honor!
