When students returned to school this fall, it was undeniable that a familiar presence was missing. Donna Gooch, high school art teacher and art club sponser, was absent. Classes carried on as normal, but the windowed art room was noticeably lacking, until September.

Having worked at Carmel for 16 years, Gooch is no stranger to the student body. She has taught every grade that Carmel offers and has followed multiple students through their whole education journey. Her career path started out with engineering aspiration, but she quickly realized that the arts were calling her name.

Unfortunately, Gooch experienced a stroke this year during employee in-service. She has dealt with TIA, or Transient Ischemic Attacks, for years, but this fall she was faced with an actual stroke. “I started out not being able to walk and talk,” Gooch shares, “my left side was affected.”

Gooch specifically mentioned an acronym that is vital for both students and teachers to be aware of: BE FAST. Each word of the acronym is an indicator of a stroke. Such as someone’s balance, eyes, face, arms and speech, while also being cognizant of the short time frame; diagnosing a stroke within three hours allows a better chance of recovery.

Recovering from a stroke can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but because of the quick work of her son, who brought her to the emergency room, and the efforts of the E.R. staff, Gooch has been able to recover well, even if there is still a long road ahead of her.

Many students felt the absence of Mrs. Gooch, and are thrilled to have her back. Alania Kellogg, a Carmel junior, states, “She’s just great…she’s more of a mom than a teacher.”

Sophomore Luke Shkavritko follows up by sharing, “She’s fun! She is also great to talk to.”

Senior Grace Kelley, who has known Gooch since early elementary school says, “She’s so kind. She has a kind heart.”

Gooch herself is elated to be back. When asked about her return she shares, “It’s been exhausting. But it’s been so fun to catch up and everybody’s been very sweet.” She mentioned how heartbroken she was to miss the beginning of the school year and how great it is to reconnect with students.

Gooch’s classes contain instruction on a variety of  techniques. Many materials and mediums are used, with some favorites including watercolor, graphite, linoleum prints and alcohol ink. Each of these materials, and even a combination of them, are used to create works of art that have achieved success in competitions including the Southern Teachers Competition and the Association of Christian Schools Art Competition.

Since her return, Gooch has had students hard at work creating more masterpieces. Currently, artists in multiple classes are creating still life pieces using a collection of materials. Gooch fabricated a backdrop for her classes and collected a plethora of different items such as flowers, branches and fabric for students to create their own reference photo.

Outside of the art skills, multiple students credit Mrs. Gooch with sharing many life lessons. “[She helped me] learn to be comfortable stretching [my]self,” Kellogg mentions.

Kelley adds, “She’s really taught me that it’s okay to experiment, that it’s okay to not to know what you’re doing the first time that you do something; but that as you grow you process things and it can come out as more beautiful than you do it.”

Above all else, Gooch has formed a space where students feel free to be themselves and create masterpieces that speak to their hearts. “We’re one big happy family,” Kellogg shares. All students are encouraged to stop by the art room, to participate in the art or to just join in the community that the marvelous Mrs. Gooch has created.