Where Are They Now?

T hroughout Judy Gromatzky’s career as a teacher, she has always prioritized uplifting her students, and making them feel at home in her classroom. “So many kids told me I made their days,” she said. “When the bell was ringing for them to go, and we had already cleaned up and put things away, the kids would say, ‘Can I just stay here all day?”

Gromatzky’s career path did not lead her directly to teaching. She graduated from Dublin High School in 1976, and got married that same year. She and her husband had two children, and Gromatzky balanced being a mother with working. She spent a while as a nurse’s aide, then as a cashier at the grocery store, then as a veterinary assistant to Dr. Burke in DeLeon. She also worked with her sister’s insulation business.

Gromatzky and her husband separated after 12 years, and Gromatzky decided to go back to school. “After I got divorced it was hard raising two children by myself, and so I decided to go to college and study art and education,” she said.

She had always loved art, and chose education so she could work at a school and be free when her children were off for the summers. In college, she met Rodney Gromatzky, who would eventually become her second husband. “We were in a history class together, and we developed a friendship and started dating,” she said. “We were married in 1991.”

The Gromatzky’s graduated on the same day in May of 1994 and were immediately hired at the same school in McGregor, Texas. She was hired as a reading specialist, he as a home economics teacher. “We both graduated on Saturday, moved on Sunday and went to work on Monday,” Gromatzky said.

Gromatzky ended up staying at McGregor for the rest of her career — 27 years. Over that time she moved around within the school. At one point the administration asked her to work as a dyslexia specialist, and she went between the elementary and junior high working with students.

“Most of them are very smart kids that are just struggling and they knew they were having a hard time, so they felt dumb, and they felt less than,” she said. “One of the main things that I worked on was letting them know that they are not less than in fact, they’re pretty cool — their brains just work differently, and once they figure out how to learn in a way that’s better for them, they’re going to take off and fly.”

She had a whole list of accomplished people with dyslexia, and would help the students realize their skills when she could. “I think that made all the difference in the world,” she said.

Gromatzky ended up working with the dyslexia program for years, and then passing it off to another teacher so she could work full time as an art teacher for the junior high.

She loved teaching art, and found the job rewarding. “I loved just seeing those light bulbs come on with the kids,” she said. “And seeing them go from saying ‘I can’t do this,’ to saying, ‘I can’t do this yet.’ That one word is very powerful.”

She also worked hard to make her classroom a welcoming environment. “In the wintertime, I would let them bring hot chocolate or we would have hot tea, and we would put nice music to go with what we were studying,” she said. “The kids would love it. They would come in, they would open their snacks, get their hot or cold drink and then start creating.”

Gromatzky enjoyed working with the other teachers, and would often coordinate her art curriculum to reinforce concepts the students were learning in other classes. “We had the best environment there at the junior high,” she said. “It’s amazing what a group of friends can do when we all treat each other with respect and like family.”

Gromatzky retired in 2021, and is now enjoying her free time. She and her husband Rodney still live in McGregor. “We love the town and the people here,” she said. “It’s a really good place to live and such a giving community.”

These days, Gromatzky spends much of her time making art. “More than anything I have been creating,” she said. “Just any kind of art that I feel like doing. I paint a lot, I make jewelry, and my husband makes furniture and golf clubs and clothing. We’re always making something.

Gromatzky also enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband and her two children, two step children and eight grandchildren. She especially loves being a grandmother, and makes sure her house is always open and welcoming for her family to visit. “My grandkids are always saying, ‘Gigi, you’re so extra,’” she said. “But they love it.”

Gromatzky has drawn inspiration throughout her life from her own grandmother. “She was such a tough lady and she never complained,” said Gromatzky. “She was smart as a whip and did whatever she wanted to do, so I figured if my grandmother could do it, I could.”

In her career, she was inspired by teachers she had while growing up in Dublin. “Our teachers really believed in us,” she said. “It set me out on a path of helping others. In particular Mrs. Walls, Mrs. Ledbetter, Mr. Barnes and Mrs. Stafford — they pushed us and they were there for us, and it made you feel like you go out and do anything. So I wanted to make sure that I did the same for my students.”

Gromatzky’s advice to Dublin graduates is something she has told her students for years. “I always say, ‘Start now,’” she said. “Why are you waiting? If you’ve got some really cool thing that you think you could do, or a desire or an idea, work on it now. Don’t just sit there and wait for somebody else to do it. You go do it.”

Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@ dublincitizen.com.