Spotlighting for January 2009
Greta "the Great" Voit
By Ginny McCullough
I was looking for another night of soccer to improve my stamina and hopefully my skills. The Falcons Open B team needed players and Reagan West, our WCI/WSC Marketing Director already on the team, suggested that I join the Falcons team. I was a little nervous as it appeared that they were all younger than I was and it was the indoor season. As you know, indoor soccer is faster than outdoor and is in a confined space unlike outdoor soccer. My first game with the Falcons where I met Greta. With a twinkle in her eye and a warm big smile, she welcomed me with a "Cool! Welcome to the team!" and she ran out onto the field. The fun began!
After playing on the team for a while, I got to know Greta a little more. If I had a physics teacher like her in high school, I might have been convinced to become a physicist. She makes it cool to be smart. Her "can do" attitude could persuade anyone that they are fully capable of doing anything! I would like you to meet this awesome woman from the Falcons team. I'm glad that I have.
Greta, currently single as she hasn't found the "right one", was born and raised in Waukesha, WI on March 18, 1984 to Diane and Dennis Voit. She has a younger sister who just turned 23 and is in her last year of college up at UW Oshkosh and is a Dual Major - Special Education and Elementary Education. Greta's mom is a Business Education teacher at Waukesha North High School. Greta graduated from Waukesha North "which made for some interesting times". Her dad is a scheduler at Waukesha Engine. "Yes, we are a teacher family. It's a little scary sometimes - we are a special bunch," Greta smiled. "I swore I would never live here after college, and I now own a house in Waukesha. It's weird how life does stuff like that" said Greta.
Greta completed her undergraduate degree from UW Oshkosh in Secondary Education - Physics Education with a minor in Mathematics Education. She is currently working on her Master's from UW Oshkosh in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Physics Education. She is employed as a Physics, Mathematics, and Biotechnical Engineering Teacher at New Berlin West High School. Greta explained, "Basically, it's a pretty sweet gig.
I play with toys all day and get paid for it.
I believe very strongly in providing hands-on, relevant experiences for my students, and we have a lot of fun while learning some good stuff." See photos of Greta in her classroom affectionately called "Physicsland" that her students took of her.
"These are all situations they came up with. i.e. Newton's Cradle: A large-scale Newton's Cradle that demonstrates the conservation of energy and momentum. Ring of Fire: Playing a little Johnny Cash while the students calculate the proper location for this "Ring of Fire" so that the projectile will travel through the ring.
Collision Carts: because collisions are always fun."
After playing rugby in college and, subsequently, having her second and third knee surgeries, she realized that her body (and her head) couldn't handle that any more. " Despite that, I still had a strong desire for team camaraderie and a little competition. Playing soccer for WSC was a great opportunity to satisfy those needs while also providing me a way to keep in shape."
When asked when did you start playing soccer? Greta replied, "At the age of 5. My elementary-aged neighbor was trying to recruit people to play [soccer] for Spring City Soccer Club. He told me to "dribble" the ball, and, as a good basketball player, I decided to pick up the ball and "dribble" the ball. That was my introduction to soccer. I then continued to play [soccer] through high school: Spring City for club and Waukesha North for high school." She found the WSC through her Falcons teammate Courtney Areola. Courtney mentioned the WSC at a holiday charity event that they were both attending. "It sounded right up my alley, and, before I knew it, I was playing indoor soccer with the Falcons Open B team. As I alluded to previously, I really enjoy the opportunity to have "team meetings" after our games. All of the women I have met have been great individuals. In addition, I enjoy the chance to have some fun while also satisfying my urge for competition."
Greta does not sit around waiting for things to happen. She is socially conscious and makes things happen for the betterment of others. She has suggested that WSC sell some club merchandise with a rainbow on the sleeve. Great idea - so stay tuned! "I am a bit of a political junkie and ever since I entered college, I have been volunteering for and running various campaigns i.e. progressive politicians and social issue-based. In addition, I consider myself an activist, and I am very proud of my efforts in areas of social justice." Not surprising, Greta is the 2nd Vice President of her local teachers' union for the New Berlin Education Association. "I feel very strongly about our society's responsibility to ensure that we are providing our students with the best education possible. I view my union work as a way to help ensure that we attract quality educators and that our teachers are treated professionally." Asked about her current goal, Greta responded, "I'm considering getting my PhD in order to "teach teachers" at the collegiate level. I am truly fascinated by student learning and analyzing the effectiveness of various pedagogical techniques."
Greta does not sit still for long. Whether it's playing soccer for the Falcons, hanging out with friends, providing advocacy and activist work, catching up on the day's current events, or discussing and philosophizing about life, Greta is inspiring to all who know her. When asked if she has a favorite movie, "Honestly, I don't have a favorite movie. I typically enjoy movies that are framed around some sort of historical event or those that are intellectually or philosophically intriguing or thought provoking, but a comedy every now and then is also cool." I am not surprised.
As I keyed in her name while writing this article, the "ta" in her name kept reversing and I had to keep changing it from Great to Greta. Something kept turning my hand. It fits her! Greta "the Great" lives by her favorite quote. "As a physics teacher, I think this pretty much describes me: "I think physicists are the Peter Pans of the human race. They never grow up, and they keep their curiosity."
-Isidor Isaac Rabi
If there were more teachers like Greta, who knows what the world could accomplish. Her zest for life, her unselfishness and her desire to help those in need, or speak for those who need a voice, Greta's your girl! You GO GIRL!!! When you see Greta in her royal Blue Falcons uniform, smiling that warm broad smile, please introduce yourself and say "HI" to another awesome, organized, intelligent, sincere, humble and fun-loving woman in the WSC! She is a pretty good soccer player too!
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