SAN ANTONIO – A full-time Alternative Learning Environment (ALE) substitute at Northside ISD has spent the last three years working to become a full-time certified teacher, but on her journey to reach that goal, she had no idea she would also make a daughter out of a student she once taught.
Shawna Malarski works at Briscoe Middle School. She said her journey started by simply looking for a job with a flexible schedule nearly three years ago.
“Before this, I was a stay-at-home mom, and then when most of my children graduated, I started working at Chick-fil-A,” Malarski said. “I soon wanted a change. Then, I got hired as a sub to get a flexible schedule, and they asked if I would be interested in the ALE classroom. I never really thought about it, so I tried it out.”
Malarski said it was initially overwhelming, but she soon found her footing.
“It was a lot thrown at me at one time,” she laughed. “But within a few minutes of being in here, I knew I absolutely loved it, and I knew I wanted to be here all the time. I took any assignments where I could be in here with these kids, and I knew this is where I belonged.”
Malarski said the biggest joy she has is working with the children.
“The good days outweigh any of the rough days we have and watching these kids grow and learn and being so excited about it,” she said. “It is rewarding to see that and getting a hug and being there for them.”
Malarski admits that when she first walked into the classroom, she didn’t know what she was doing, but she had a lot of great help from her co-teacher.
“Mrs. Holcomb is wonderful,” she said. “She taught me a lot and helped me grow and (how to) be able to be there for these kids and teach them in the correct way.”
Malarski also served in the U.S. Army right out of high school, which she said also helped her on this journey.
“I have a lot of patience from being in the military and being a mom, and it helps in here having that background to assist these kids how they need to be,” she said.
Malarski soon realized this was her calling. She worked to take the steps needed to become a full-time certified special education teacher, but along that way, she was blessed with another gift.
“My first year in here, a student came in mid-year, and she was new, and she was a foster child,” she said. “By the end of the school year, she came up for adoption. I had a connection with this little girl, so I thought, ‘Let’s adopt her.’ I was going back and forth, and then my husband and I finally wanted to do it. We talked to our kids about it, and at first, they were like, ‘Why?’ But then we explained to them.”
“My husband was adopted and was in foster care and now works for CPS, so he has insight on what it is like to be in those shoes. So once they understood that they were on board. Everybody needs somebody to be in their corner and have people love them and be a support system, and everyone needs a family,” Malarski continued.
That little girl, who is not being identified due to the stages of the adoption process the family has to go through, ended up being the best decision in Malarski’s life.
“She is very outgoing, very helpful, sweet kid, and she loves to help the other students. Anyone who needs help, she is always there, giving them hugs and helping with work,” Malarski said. “She just really has a big heart. She’s a really sweet kid. When they told her, ‘Hey, this person is interested in you living with them and being your forever mom and dad,’ she was super nervous and excited, and she came to the house like she lived there and she has been there her whole life.”
Now, Malarski is a week away from getting her certification to be the full-time special education teacher she’s strived to be. She is also only a few months away from officially making her large family of seven grow by one more.
Malarski hopes her story inspires anyone out there to never stop finding their purpose.
“Anything those kids put their minds to, they can do,” she said. “Nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always change and find your place and your meaning for your life. Just because you haven’t found your purpose yet, there is still time. You can find that purpose in what you are supposed to be doing.”
