From teacher to local celebrity: Czosnyka named Hometown Hero in Educator category
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Peoria Unified teacher Tricia Czosnyka has been named a Hometown Hero in the Educator category. She is pictured with one of her classes.
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How to Nominate
Know somebody in Peoria who should be recognized as a Hometown Hero? Here is how to do it.
Email: Send your nomination to aznews@iniusa.org, or fill out this nomination form yourvalley.net/hh-nomination/index.html.
After that: the nomination will be reviewed, and monthly winners will be selected based on their community contributions. Nominations should include name, email address and phone number along with the category of nomination, some details about the person being nominated and what accomplishments they have done.
After 45 years of living in Peoria, including 27 years as an elementary school teacher in the Peoria Unified School District, she has left her mark on the youth of the city, with bonds that last long into their adulthoods.
It could be the grocery story, the mall, church, or even Disneyland. It’s not uncommon for current and former students to notice her out on the street and strike up a conversation.
Scott, her husband of more than 30 years says he could go on and on about such encounters. And Tricia says she feels blessed for her connection to the community.
“Over the years, we have met so many amazing people within our community and have watched Peoria grow leaps and bounds,” she said. “One of the greatest aspects of being a veteran teacher for PUSD is watching my students develop into successful adults. The friendships that I have built with families over all of these years have meant the world to me.”
One of those students is Amber Gray.
Gray, 28, said Czosnyka was like a mother figure to her when she was a child in fourth grade, and they grew up to become mutual friends. She had a difficult time getting through elementary school, but Czosnyka took her under her wing.
Gray said it was amazing how Czosnyka was able pick up on her struggles and often took time to check on her, even throughout her college years.
They continue to stay in contact today, even living nearly 2,000 miles apart.
“She is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher, and was hands down my most impactful teacher,” Gray said.
For Czosnyka’s service to the Peoria Unified community, she has been named a Peoria Independent Hometown Hero in the Educator category.
The Hometown Heroes Awards are a celebration of individuals who live or teach in the city, and Peoria businesses for their achievements and distinguished contributions to the community and beyond.
Czosnyka will be honored at an awards luncheon next year. The fourth annual Hometown Heroes luncheon will honor those nominated in 2024.
John Nitschke, principal at Peoria Traditional School, said Czosnyka cares about her students’ education and well-being, and she consistently produces great scores on the state test, meaning she is getting students ready for subsequent grade levels.
He said her personality allows her to make deep connections with her students, and she’s a veteran teacher, so she doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Nitschke added that she has a good sense of humor and holds students accountable, but also understands that they are 5th graders.
And it doesn’t hurt that she is a mom and grandma, which lends itself to building a good rapport with her students, Nitschke said.
“I think her skill in instruction comes from her expertise in the subject knowledge as well as a systematic approach to instruction that layers, or spirals, concepts so students are constantly exposed to practice while achieving proficiency. I think her diligence to grow students and help them achieve fits within the context of our mission statement: to provide an education that encourages students to pursue academic excellence as well as foster values of good character and kindness. This will be completed by setting high expectations for our students, a dedication to mastering a rigorous curriculum and through a partnership with each of our families,” Nitschke said.
Czosnyka is another example of someone who started as a student in PUSD and then came back to teach in the district. She met Scott in 5th grade at Desert Palms Elementary and then attended Cactus High School, where she studied cosmetology during her senior year. Several years after high school, she decided to go back to school to earn a degree in education. In 1997, she began teaching at Ira A. Murphy Elementary School, where she says she felt her true calling and knew that a career surrounded by children was the place for her.
Over the years she has taught math and science, coached volleyball and advised student council.
She also taught at Zuni Hills Elementary, and is currently in her fifth year at Peoria Traditional School.
Zuni is where she taught Noah Lashley more than 10 years ago in fifth grade. Lashley, 22, remembers entering Czosnyka’s classroom and being transported from a dusty old place to “Czosnyka Island,” a beautiful beach-themed space with lots of color and the scents of Hawaii wafting throughout.
He said Czosnyka had transformed her entire room into an inviting and friendly place to learn and make friends.
They instantly reconnected from a former meeting the previous school year, he said.
Her passion and her effort over the last 12 years are just some of the reasons Czosnyka is Lashley‘s Hometown Hero.
“On Facebook she has watched me grow up and has been a top supporter in my educational and career success as I worked my way up to my current career with iHeartRadio and graduate from Grand Canyon University Summa cum Laude,” he said. “I have also watched her succeed and find her own happiness. She switched schools, lived in a couple rental houses, and then eventually built her dream home. I watched her son fall in love with athletics, grow up to compete, and then sign to a college himself. I watched her niece Quinn be born, then start school. Mrs. Czosnyka will always be there for me and every other student, to cheer them on, and to inspire them that change isn’t so scary.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing.
Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards.
In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
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