Throughout students’ time in school, they might see over a hundred teachers, personally spending less and less time with each one. To make a lasting impression and positive impact on a student is challenging, but it’s something that math teacher Jessica Lacaba has managed to do for 22 straight years at Encinal before announcing her departure this June.

Lacaba has a grand total of 33 years in her profession, having taught for about a decade in the Philippines before moving to the Bay Area to teach in 2001. She has taught a variety of classes, mostly Precalculus and AP Calculus, as well as an Algebra 2 section this year. With an impressive amount of years spent teaching, one has to think that it would become repetitive, but that’s not the case for Ms. Lacaba.

“I really love teaching because of my students,” Lacaba said. “They think that teaching is boring because you repeat the same subject many, many times but it’s not, there’s so many different kinds of students… I like to be with the kids; I feel young when I am with students. And they think I’m funny, but it’s because of them that I enjoy their company, and I like to act like them too… sometimes.”

The connection between student and teacher is almost unmatched by the clear amount of effort Lacaba puts into her job, even if it isn’t all required. From fruit pies on March 14 to bringing in a buffet-style breakfast for her AP Calculus students, Lacaba’s students can count on her to go the extra mile when it comes to celebration.

“I have a lot of activities in my classroom, like Pi Day,” said Lacaba. “I celebrate that even though we’re not required to, because those are the days that I don’t have to teach and just enjoy the company of the students… Even though I’m the only teacher who does it, I don’t care. I spend that one day playing with the kids and all that.”

In addition to in-class celebrations, Lacaba is known for her unique decorations for when the holidays roll around. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day- you name it, Lacaba has a decoration for it, complete with a matching outfit.

“I’m creative, so I like to decorate. When I was teaching calculus [for the first time], somebody told me ‘Oh, you can do this project’… and so every time, after I taught calculus the first year, I thought this is my subject, because at the end of the year we have projects,” Lacaba said. “I [also] always liked every night during the homecoming week, the wall night… Even if I’m not the advisor, I like to help the other groups… I love that activity, and I stay until the end of the time that we decorate the walls.”

After years of this relentless dedication to Encinal, what’s next for Ms. Lacaba? Is this last year at Encinal an end to a long and successful career? Not for another five or six years, she says.

“The decision was [to] retire if I’m not gonna be hired in another school that’s near my place, but if I’m hired, then I will transfer,” said Lacaba. “So that’s why I said, ‘Oh, I’m retiring, I’m retiring’ because I didn’t hear from them… [But] they called me and they are hiring me, and so I’m moving, I’m not retiring yet.”

After a long Encinal career that impacted countless students, it’s clear that Lacaba leaves some impressive shoes to fill. Though her time on the island is soon coming to a close, her heart is still with the Jets.

“I know I’m not retiring, I’m still teaching,” Lacaba said, “but I’m not thinking about going away. I’m just enjoying [my time here] until the end of the school year.”