Mrs. Kowalchik is a chemistry teacher here at West. Since Kowalchik is an impossible name to say, according to some students, she typically goes by Mrs. K. To the outsider, Mrs. K seems quiet and reserved, but the students in her class know that she is quite the opposite.

Mrs. K originally studied at King’s College as a Physician Assistant major. She made this decision as King’s College was one of the only schools that recognized the PA program. When she was a sophomore she decided to change her major to Chemistry. She made this switch because she recognized that she wanted to be able to spend more time with her family, and becoming a PA would make that difficult.

Once you get to know Mrs. K, you learn that she has quite the sense of humor. Although it appears that she runs a tight ship, she secretly loves a playful banter with her students. When asked about her favorite thing about teaching at West, she said, “The students are the best – I have continued to stay in contact with many students that I had years ago. It is really great to see everyone grow up, find a career, get married, and have children.” Unfortunately, she feels those relationships have been hard to establish this year because “students seem reserved to opening up and talking since they’ve sat behind a computer screen for the past 9+ months.” Hopefully, with a little bit of return to normalcy, she can once again begin to make those relationships with her students.

Mrs. K is an incredible asset to Downingtown West. She truly values her students and tries to get to know them on a more personal level. If you’re ever walking past classroom 261, stop in! I promise you won’t be disappointed.