FHSTheFlash The Flash Volume 54, Issue 3 May 2014 | Page 10

6

Features

Who is Debra Krussman?

www.fhstheflash.com

Starria Coppins

Flash Staff Editor

Favorite Spanish teacher to
some, and favorite storyteller of
cultural stories and life lessons
to others, Spanish teacher Ms.
Debra Krussman, has a story
to share. Ms. Debra Krussman
attended FHS as a student and
started teaching here years after
college. When Krussman was in
middle school, she was excited
to get to high school to start
gymnastics.
“When I finally got to tenth
grade I was so excited to join
gymnastics. This was when
gymnastics had just been established as a girls Varsity sport.
I tried and made the team; I
earned the title of Co-Captain.
As a tenth grader, I competed in
all around: balance beam, floor,
parallel bars, and the horse
(vaulting).  I became a state finalist and competed in balance
beam and floor, and you had to
be all around to even qualify for
states,” Krussman said.
Krussman still loves gymnastic. She worked out at the Mt.
Clemens YMCA on the weekends.
“I think that gymnastics and
athletics in general are so great
because you learn to work out,
to eat well, to exercise, to be
strong, and to have good posture. I feel the best thing I did
was compete on gymnastics because I still have good posture
from doing it,” Krussman said.
After high school Krussman
didn’t work on her gymnastic
skills for an entire year. That
was challenging for her because
working out at the Mount Clemens YMCA wasn’t the same as
her workouts at Fraser.
“I think gymnastics is great.
Like any sport, it takes strength,
dedication, and working out,
but with gymnastics it takes
strength and grace. I like how
women can be feminine, have
strength, and still do a sport

with elegance,” Krussman said.
Krussman loves art, language,
literature, and theatre. With so
many interests, it was hard for
her to choose what to study in
college; however, a childhood
memory helped her decide.
“As a child, I would read my
father’s book Children from
Foreign Lands I loved that
book and still do. It made me
think, one day I’m going to go
to those countries to visit those
people, and I’m going to speak
their language. As a senior in
high school, I had French and
Spanish. My interest is mostly
with languages (International
Studies). When it really came
down to choose my major, I
chose Spanish,” Krussman said.
After high school, Krussman attended the University
of Michigan.  She finished her
double major in Spanish Language & Literature and Social
Studies, and a minor in the History of the Americas.
“When I graduated, I immediately became a substitute in
Fraser Public Schools. I substituted as a music teacher at the
middle school for six months.
When I first started, I told Miss.
Holstein, my middle school
choir teacher, that I didn’t play
an instrument, but I had been
in choir. She told me, ‘Just sing
with the records,’ and so we
learned all the words and sang
to all of the Broadway musicals,” Krussman said.
After substituting as a music
teacher at old Kennedy Jr. High
(which is now RMS), Krussman
moved on to gain experience in
her career, finish off her Spanish Language skills and have an
adventure.
“I went to Mexico City for
three years to work for a private
Mexican company,” Krussman
said.
After being a worker in Mexico, Krussman came back to
work in the school system. She
started working at Parochial

High School, and then moved to
work at Lakeview High School.
After a few years, while at
Lakeview, Krussman received
many phone calls to apply and
work in Fraser; however, she
did not accept right away.
“I thought, ‘Why are they
calling me? I have a good
job: I’m head of the World
Language Department.’ The
school kept calling me and I
thought the same thing. So I
asked my mom, ‘Why is Fraser
calling me to work there?’ My
mother said that when people
retire they want to know that
someone really good is going
to replace them, someone who
cares about the subject and the
students,” Krussman said.
Krussman decided to go to
the interview that she had been
invited to by Fraser. After being
interviewed, she was hired right
away.
“I think they were very concerned about hiring someone
who was accomplished, qualified, hardworking, etc.,” Krussman said.
Along with Krussman’s
friendships that she’s built over
her years at Fraser, she has also
developed many memories.
“I remember when we first
started block scheduling. It was
hard at first because we went
from 55 minutes to an hour
and a half. I went to Meijer
and bought myself a clock to
hang on the wall: it helped me
pace myself. So one day during Spanish III honors class.
I looked up and the time was
running out, so I started going
fa