September Teacher Feature: Mrs. Troy

Photo submitted by Mrs. Troy.

Leesha Vanchireddy

You might have known that Mrs. Troy is Hamilton’s very own theater fairy godmother, and you might have known that her strategy for surviving a zombie apocalypse is to gang up with the right people and get really good at running and hiding. But you definitely didn’t know her dog, Willet, is turning three on Halloween. If you wish you knew these things about Troy earlier, keep reading to learn even more!

Mrs. Troy did her undergrad at Martin Luther College in Minnesota and completed her master's at UW-Milwaukee, after which she began teaching. She has now taught for 22 years, 17 of which have been at Hamilton. By cultivating a positive space for students to explore their interests and form connections with their peers, she’s had a meaningful impact on many of her students' high school careers.

When asked about Mrs. Troy, junior Jasper Bauer-Loftus, says, “I have genuinely no clue how Mrs. Troy does everything she does—multiple choirs, two different schools, multiple drama programs at once, and more?! Throughout all of her, frankly, brilliant work and talent, she still maintains an impressively positive, optimistic, and (SOMEHOW??) patient demeanor. Every day I'm excited to attend her choir classes and subsequently do a crap-ton of shows under her direction. I am so grateful to have all the opportunities I have been given to grow my skills and experience under Mrs. Troy's guidance. And she KNOWS how much I am a nerd for crew.”

Another student, sophomore Gabby Deluisa, says, “She is an amazing and wonderfully talented individual and teacher. Mrs. Troy has only brought out the best in me and all of my peers who've had the pleasure of having her as a teacher or as a club leader…She finds ways to make sure everyone shines and feels fully welcomed in her presence. I can't thank her enough for all the friends she's led me to!”

Here are the interview questions with Mrs. Troy:

Tell us about your family/hobbies.

I got married this past December. My husband John is a high school math teacher at Riverside University HS (MPS) and the head track coach at Franklin High School. I have two daughters, Rylie and Avery, who both attend Menomonee Falls High School. My step-son Owen goes to Dominican High School and my step-daughter Quinn is in 4th grade. We also have a dog, Willett, that we rescued. She'll be three on Halloween! For hobbies, I LOVE to travel! We went to Norway and Denmark for our honeymoon. I like international travel, but also daytripping around here. Otherwise, we spend a lot of our free time going to all of our children's sports/activities.

What got you interested in teaching performance arts? 

I started playing piano at age six, and in high school took voice lessons, did choir and theatre. I had originally planned on a piano performance minor, but then decided to go into teaching. The arts was a no-brainer. 

Was it your first choice? 

I literally never wanted to be a teacher HAHA. I wanted to go into psychology. But one day I literally woke up and decided I should be a teacher. And every semester I said I was going to transfer and do something else, but I never did. Then when I did my high school student teaching, it all just clicked and I knew it's what I wanted to do!

What would students be surprised to know about you?

I was a collegiate athlete! I was on dance team all four years of college. (I had to quit when I went student teaching though, too difficult to balance.)

What song should students listen to when doing work in your class?

Well since our musical this year is Finding Neverland, that would be a great soundtrack to start with!

If you won 100 million dollars what would you buy first?

Hm......probably some kind of trip for the summer.

What is your favorite theater production you've ever directed?

This is SO HARD!!! There have been some Competitive One Acts that have been really powerful that I've loved, like No Problem and Fire Exit. I also loved doing Big Fish, which was our first musical after Covid. But my favorite ever might be SpongeBob because of the overwhelming audience love and support (hearing 700 young kids singing with the cast at the end was epic!) or The Giver, which was the first ever play I directed.

What’s your favorite place on earth?

Well of course wherever my family is. Otherwise, NYC and Copenhagen, Denmark

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?

Hopefully getting to the point I can retire, HA! I'd love to still be doing theatre in some capacity as well. 

If you could tell your future students one thing, what would you say?

Take the chance! Try something new, put yourself out there, take chances! There's so much to experience, especially in high school. Don't write yourself or an experience off before trying it out. You never know where you'll find yourself or your joy.

If you could steal one teacher's classroom, whose would you steal?

Literally have no idea.....anyone who has windows.

What's your favorite fall TV show/movie?

So excited to watch Hocus Pocus as the weather gets cooler and Halloween approaches!

What do you love the most about your job?

I love discovering and creating art with young artists, and especially watching kids discover a love for the arts. It's so cool to see and meet new kids in my theatre class every semester who maybe never would do a show otherwise.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My students. I know it's cheesy, but their desire to learn and grow continually pushes me to be better too. 

What's the toughest decision you've ever made?

This is hard because every hard decision I've made in my life has led to the best and most beautiful parts of my life. So when I reflect on that, they don't feel difficult at all....because they got me to the amazing place I am now.

How do you think students will remember you?

I hope they remember me as someone they felt safe to be their authentic self around, and someone who helped them see what was possible and encouraged them to chase after it. I hope every student who comes through my program feels seen and valued for exactly who they are.

What’s the funniest or most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you as a teacher?

I'm not sure, but I do know I've said some pretty ridiculous things in play rehearsals. I'm sure somewhere someone has a list of all the ridiculous things I've said!

What is something you collect?

I guess playbills from shows I see?? OH! And the little collectibles in the choir room....it started with SpongeBob!

Remember to follow Troy’s advice and try something new this year! Also, (shameless plug) go watch the fall play Tinkerbell and competitive One Act The Cages We Build.