On June 10, the last day of exams, John Low will slowly glance around the biology classroom for his final look at the black lab tables. He will grab his bag, lock his door, and take his final stroll down the second floor hallway, which has been his JC home for the past 10 years. Low is retiring and is off to new adventures and relaxing endeavors.
Some make elaborate plans for exciting getaways or take up a new hobby, but Low is taking it easy and is not exactly sure what he’ll be doing. “I’ve been going to school since I was five years old; it’s going to be an extended summer. Maybe I’ll learn to play golf,” said Low.
If you ever see Low driving a motorcycle down the highway on a beautiful, sunny day, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Low does enjoy the occasional fair-weather ride on his black and chrome Harley Davidson. Yes, our own Mr. Low is a HOG (Harley Owners Group). Low and his wife used to ride together but now since his wife sold her bike, he says that it’s just not the same riding alone.
When Low says he has been going to school nonstop since he was a youngster, he’s not kidding. Low has been teaching for 45 years. After high school, Low attended Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg where he was originally a pre-med until he switched to education. “It was the math [in pre-med] that did me in,” said Low.
In high school, Low enjoyed being involved in sports. He participated in track and field and ran long distance. In college, however, Low was too busy to continue playing.
After college, when Low started teaching, he started coaching. His favorite memories include his track and cross country championships with several individual champion athletes. However, winning is not the most important thing to Low, “The main thing [I enjoy] is when anyone does his or her personal best,” said Low.
This spring, Low finished his final season with the track team. Low has been involved in many aspects of life on campus, but most importantly, Low has loved teaching at school. “Teaching here is not just a job,” said Low.
As a biology teacher, Low teaches over a dozen labs with his students each year. His favorite of these? “Personally, I like the [bacterial] transformation lab; it’s the most work for me, but when the bacteria turn all those colors, I think it’s really cool.”
Classroom activities are often interactive and Low will always explain and re-explain a concept until the class understands. “I like when a student has that light bulb effect where I can just see ‘Hey, she got it!'” Low said, “That’s what we’re here for.”
One of Low’s defining moments at JC was the first time he asked Dr. Fredrick Walker to dissect a hand for the class. “I could already envision 20 students passed out on the floor,” said Low with a smile.
Many of Low’s fondest memories have yet to hit him. “It’s hard to describe them because you don’t know a defining moment until it’s over,” he said.
Low breaks down his life philosophy into three parts: “Success in this life is a journey, not a destination. The rewards of the journey are influenced by three factors: ability, motivation, and attitude. Ability is what you are capable of doing, motivation determines what you do, and attitude determines how well you do it.”
He expands upon life as being a journey, leaving this piece of advice, “The highway of this adventure is littered with defining moments that if missed are forever forgotten. My responsibility was to help guide students to recognize, accept, and not fear these factors as they travel toward their goals. It was an honor and a pleasure to be part of and perhaps a memory in a defining moment in their life’s journey.”