Hirsch leaving behind tremendous impact on glenelg community upon january retirement

By: Sam Wilmeth

Hirsch with her daughter at her retirement send off. Hirsch is retiring after 30 years.

When someone like Mindy Hirsch dedicates their whole life to helping others, it’s hard to put the amount of work they have done into perspective.

For some of you, that work may have come in the form of being a Gladiators on the Horizon mentor under Hirsch’s guidance. Perhaps you were recognized as Gladiator of the Year, a time-honored tradition celebrating success in Glenelg’s community, which Hirsch helped establish. Or maybe it was Hirsch’s advice that set you on your college and career path. 

As Hirsch  prepares for retirement in January after 15 years as Glenelg’s school counselor – and for more than 30 total years in the county – it is these pillars of Glenelg’s community that must be recognized and celebrated as just a few of the countless contributions Hirsch has made to enrich students and staff alike.

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​Hirsch’s career began with social work where she helped organize events with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Delaware before moving to Howard County and becoming the director of the Columbia Teen Center. As the director, she was given the opportunity to work with a number of schools to develop programs assisting with the growth and benefits for students around the county.

During this time, Hirsch realized her ambition and enjoyment she felt working with students. After obtaining her Masters Degree at Johns Hopkins, she decided to make a career change and became a school counselor at Atholton High School. There, Hirsch’s dedication and love for the position was so obvious to other administrators in the county that she was first on the list of counselors to open up River Hill High School where she was exposed to some of the Glenelg community for the first time. Her work would take her to several other schools in the county, including Glenwood Middle School and Reservoir High School, before making her final stop at Glenelg.

“When I came to Glenelg, I felt like I was coming home,” Hirsch said. “The students, staff and the community have been so awesome and welcoming here. It’s been like a second family.”

And if it wasn’t already clear  that Hirsch felt at home at Glenelg, her work during her time here speaks for itself.

Hirsch has spent years committing her time to the members of Glenelg’s community. She established Gladiators on the Horizon and the Gladiator of the Year program, opening up the gates for students and staff to take pride in their achievements and success. Hirsch was able to lift small traditions off the ground and establish them as integral parts of Glenelg’s community; she has given the school a number of these traditions, now etched into the lives of students and staff as fundamental components of the school’s spirit. 
Glenelg counselor Kelli Brandt, and Hirsch’s longtime friend, has seen firsthand the effect of Hirsch’s work through years of working together.

“She played such a huge role in starting programs that helped students feel a sense of belonging,” Brandt said. “She helped with transitioning them, working with teachers, working with the other counselors, and making sure that every individual student had a place.”

Hirsch’s work is bound to be remembered – and members of the community will celebrate what she has contributed far beyond any time she has worked inside the building. But for her, it means something different.

“I feel like it’s more the individual lives that you’ve touched, more than a big thing that you’ve left or a legacy,” Hirsch said. “I hope I’ve made a difference in people’s lives, and I hope I’ve taught students.”

For more than 30 years, Hirsch has worked tirelessly to make that difference in the lives of anyone who needed it. To colleagues like Carrie Repole, student services secretary, her influence on the school and community is certainly evident.

“She’s had an impact on so many people that she’s met, students and staff alike,” Repole said. “She really makes an effort to get out there and meet all the teachers, meet all the kids, and make connections. She’s a really great counselor and a really great mentor to our students.”

Hirsch’s connections go far beyond student services – her time in Howard County has given her a unique impact on the lives of countless students and staff throughout the school system.

“I am so appreciative of the experiences I’ve been given,” Hirsch said. “I feel like with each experience the county has provided I’ve grown as a person, and I’ve learned a lot. And even though you’re here to teach others, I think you learn from every experience that you’re involved with. So I thank the Glenelg community for providing me with the opportunities to learn and grow and be part of the community.”

Looking towards her retirement, Hirsch isn’t planning to end her assistance to others any time soon.

“Part of why I’m retiring now is to help my parents, and to help with their health,” Hirsh said. “They have two huge businesses, [Toby’s Dinner Theatre and the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts,] and I want to be there to help make things a little bit easier for them. Also, I am hoping to do a lot of volunteer work, because I used to do a ton of volunteer work, and then, as I became a counselor, a lot of my time was spent giving in a different way.”

“Giving” is the defining characteristic of Hirsch’s career. Her extensive generosity for the Glenelg community has had an immeasurable impact on the lives of countless students, and we can look out at a brighter Glenelg community because of it. As Hirsch prepares to move on to a new chapter of her work, the best way to honor her contributions here is to model the kindness and generosity she gave for 15 years at Glenelg.