With the 2023 school year coming to a close, there are two staff members who are leaving and pursuing life’s next step. Guidance counselor Michael Kapustka and aquatic director Suann Foust are retiring this year and are leaving a legacy of hard work and dedication to the high school, its students, and their jobs.
Before working at the high school, Kapustka was a teacher and athletic director at Central Montcalm High School in Stanton, Michigan. He decided to make the switch in 1996 in order to experience a new working environment.
“I was looking for something better where the community, administration and staff valued their learning,” Kapustka said. “I was impressed by how [Northview] values their education and how they want the best for their students.”
Kapustka has now been working at the high school for 27 years. He taught as a chemistry, physics and math teacher until 2008. Kapustka then decided to fill the role of a counselor.
“As a teacher and a counselor, it’s very rewarding working with students,” Kapustka said. “I have a lot of great memories from here. I would say the most important thing about counseling is the relationships with all these people that I’ve worked with.”
On top of counseling, Kapustka is heavily involved in athletics at the high school. He coached varsity boys and girls basketball for 25 years until he resigned his varsity coaching positions in 2019. After that, he continued to coach junior varsity (JV) golf for boys and girls.
“I have a lot of great memories in coaching and athletics, especially in basketball,” Kapustka said. “Winning championships in basketball were very special times. My 2006 group with Derek Brooks was very special. We were able to play in the quarterfinals, and we were one position away from going to the semifinals in Breslin that year.”
Even though they have many unforgettable memories from working at the high school, Kapustka is looking forward to his retirement.
“After 33 years, it’s just time to move on,” Kapustka said. “I’m looking forward to doing something different. I’m not sure what I want to do in the future, but I’ve got some things in mind. I’m looking forward to doing something on my own.”
Similarly, Foust has been working at the high school for eight years as an aquatic director. She and co-aquatic director Terri Eudy are in charge of managing the pool and all the groups that use it. Foust fell in love with swimming when her son swam for the high school.
“My son went here for all of his schooling, so I was familiar with a lot of the staff members,” Foust said. “I was getting close to retiring from my teaching job. I knew we [Northview] were opening the new pool, and I thought, ‘what a fun way to combine teaching with what I love.’”
Foust’s favorite memory throughout her eight years of directing the pool was during 2021 when COVID-19 had everything shut down.
“Northview hosted the state meet for the girls during the COVID year,” Foust said. “The girls worked so hard. They were really tough during that meet, and we even got our first banner.”
Foust plans on taking many vacations, going to concerts, and being free of any rigid schedule.
“My son lives in Indianapolis and I want to be able to go there when I want to go there,” Foust said. “I am ready to be done being on someone else’s schedule, I want to do some more traveling. I have been going to school for 50 years, so it’s exciting to be able to do something of my own now.”
Retirement is often seen as a closing, but it is also the beginning of something new. We wish Kapustka and Foust the best of luck on their future adventures and thank them for their contributions to the highschool and the community.
