At Greenville High School, Ms. Taylor Lulashnyk is known for teaching some of the most advanced math courses on campus. From Geometry to Calculus I, II, and III, Differential Equations, summer Pre-Calculus, and AP Computer Science, her classroom is filled with students tackling rigorous content every single day.
What students also know is this: if you need help, Ms. Lu will make time.
Recently, that played out in a simple but powerful way.
ECHS Senior, Riddhi Desai was struggling in statistics and feeling frustrated with the material. The formulas were blending together, and applying them correctly was becoming overwhelming. In the middle of it all, she said what many students have likely said before:
“I need Ms. Lu.”
Ms. Lu is not Riddhi’s statistics teacher and has not taught the course in two years. Still, when she heard Riddhi needed help, she welcomed her in during her conference period for an impromptu one-on-one session.
Together, they walked through the problems step by step. Ms. Lu helped organize the notes, clarified how the formulas worked, and then asked Riddhi to explain the process back to her to check for understanding.
“It’s the way that she explains things,” Riddhi said. “I’ve had her before, so I’m comfortable with her teaching style. She explains it where it actually gets through to me.”
After the session, Riddhi said she felt encouraged.
“It’s discouraging when you don’t understand something,” she shared. “To have somebody who makes you feel smarter and capable means a lot.”
Ms. Lu’s impact extends beyond the students currently listed on her roster. She consistently supports students across the Early College program housed within Greenville High School, where students complete collegiate-level coursework while earning an associate’s degree in Engineering or Applied Health. The academic expectations are high, the pace is demanding, and Ms. Lu understands that sometimes students simply need someone to slow it down and walk through it with them.
Now in her sixth year at Greenville ISD, Ms. Taylor Lulashnyk was named the 2024 AFA Teacher of the Year. For those who have sat in her classroom or across from her during lunch with a page of notes in hand, that recognition makes perfect sense.
If she had the chance to say one thing to Ms. Lu, Riddhi kept it simple.
“I’m very grateful to have her. She’s a great teacher, and she deserves all the recognition in the world.”
Moments like this are not unique to one hallway or one classroom. Across Greenville ISD, educators give their time, their expertise, and their attention to make sure students succeed, even when the help falls outside a job description or a class roster.
At Greenville High School and throughout Greenville ISD, students know they can ask for help. And just as importantly, they know someone will answer.
For many students, that teacher is Ms. Lu.
