Marsh excels as top staff member at Columbia
MADISON – Volunteering eventually led Suzanne Marsh to work at Columbia Elementary School. Marsh is 2019 “Staff Member of the Year” at Columbia.
“I don’t require a lot to be happy but receiving Staff Member of the Year has been very humbling. Here at Columbia we all work together,” Marsh said. “We all have the same goals in mind to educate and enrich lives of all the children.”
“But, they also give us just as much in return. They make us smile, laugh and cry. There’s no better way to start my day than by helping a child,” Marsh said.
Since fall 1996, Marsh has been involved with Madison schools. She served on PTA boards several years, worked as a substitute teacher and then as a Columbia employee when the school opened in 2004.
About 10 years, she worked with school suspension. In 2014, she accepted her current job of library aide, along with working with extended day and summer camp programs.
Marsh earned a bachelor’s degree in business at the University of North Alabama.
“My family moved to Huntsville in 1970, and I have lived in Madison since 1989. I met my husband here. We both love the area and have always called it home,” Marsh said. Her husband is self-employed.
Marsh has fond memories of Ms. Jennings, her teacher in elementary school. “She was a wonderful lady that supported us daily in all aspects of our school life and beyond. She made learning seem so effortless,” Marsh said.
“Mr. Jennings believed so much in all of us, but, most of all, she made us believe in ourselves. I hope that along the way I have been someone’s ‘Ms. Jennings,'” Marsh said.
Her dog Lucy is a close companion. Recently, Marsh and her daughter started fostering dogs; the entire family has rallied to help. Marsh helps to rehabilitate dogs to reach a ‘forever home.’ Eventually, she wants her own rescue kennel.
Her daughter Leah, 27, graduated from Bob Jones High School in 2009. At the University of Alabama, Leah earned bachelor and master’s degrees in nursing. Leah works at Huntsville Hospital as a pediatric transport nurse.
Suzanne Marsh’s son Alex, 24, graduated from James Clemens High School in 2013. He received a bachelor’s degree in nursing at UA and is obtaining his master’s degree as nurse practitioner while working at Huntsville Hospital in Pediatric ER.
Marsh’s hobbies all relate to water … “ocean, rivers, lakes, pools. I love just relaxing to the sounds of the water. I also enjoy reading and walks with my dogs. I love going to the gym and trying to stay mentally and physically healthy.”
