For years, longtime Baltimore County Public Schools educator Tracey Dowling has had a deep-rooted passion for showing gratitude to others, mainly through baking and distributing sweet treats to difference makers in the community.
Her latest effort involved arranging the preparation of baked goods for recovery workers at the site of the Key Bridge collapse along with other first responders in the area, including firefighters with the Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Department.
Dowling, a Parkville resident, teaches Algebra at Overlea High School and is the school’s mathematics department chair. She’s been at Overlea for seven years and with the county school system for 18 years.
The week following the earth-shattering Key Bridge collapse, she joined a few dozen students from Overlea’s culinary program, about 15 teachers, the student government association and student-athletes to fix an assortment of tasty treats that were delivered on April 5 to Tradepoint Atlantic officials, then dispersed accordingly.
“I think with the kids, it builds a sense of community with them that the skillset they’re learning in class cannot only get them jobs later, but it has an effect on the community that they can do good things and empower others to help out,” Dowling said.
“I’m very fortunate to have a good group of kids here who are willing to give up their time and do things for others.”
A few years ago, Dowling and a group of students engaged in a similar endeavor when three Baltimore City firefighters died in the line of duty.
“I’ve been doing a lot of different community work since I’ve been here,” she said.
“A few years ago when the Baltimore City Fire Department lost three of their members in a fire in one of the vacant homes, we also had the student government association go through and make similar-type baking trays and we donated them to our local fire department. So we’re very involved in the community under my leadership.”
Juniya Martin, a senior at Overlea, was one of the 35 culinary students involved in preparing baked goods — which included individually bagged chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies, brownies, Rice Krispie treats and chocolate-covered pretzels.
“I think this makes them (bridge recovery workers) feel appreciated,” Martin said. “We also wanted to show them that we care.”
Following graduation, Martin plans to attend University of Maryland-Eastern Shore where she will major in hospitality and business management.
Teachers should feel obligated to show students that they’re more than just educators, but are involved community members who are supportive of BCPS students inside and outside of the classroom.
She also expressed gratitude to District 6 Councilman Mike Ertel, whom she contacted on March 29 with the idea of distributing baked goods to first responders and bridge workers. Ertel, whose jurisdiction covers the Overlea-Parkville area, was receptive to the idea.
“My vision of a school is that it needs to be embedded within the community — not just a building within the community,” Dowling said, adding how the bridge collapse affected her commute to Baltimore from North Carolina on March 26.
“This could not have happened without Councilman Ertel and his support.”
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