Tucked in the back of the science wing is one of SHS’s notoriously difficult classes: AP Chem. Down the hall, a few turns later, sits a dark room. In it, a teacher works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure every student has a smooth experience with academic torture: standardized tests. They have one unique thing in common: the name “Geyer.”
Michael Geyer and Lynn Geyer, or—as we know them here at SHS—Mr. and Mrs. Geyer, have unique ties to the halls of Sycamore High School. Mr. Geyer has long since been solidified as one of Sycamore’s most engaging teachers, and in January of 2024, Mrs. Geyer joined the SHS staff. While they’ve only been colleagues at SHS for a little over a year, their Sycamore story started almost 40 years ago.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Geyer attended Sycamore High School in the 1980s, albeit running with different crowds. Though their interactions at school were few and far between, they began to get to know each other the summer before senior year.
They both independently chose to work at McDonalds as a summer job and continued the work throughout the school year. After a few months, their conversations got longer, phone calls were more frequent, and Mr. Geyer was picking her up for work. And then finally, in October of 1987, in honor of an award Mr. Geyer had won, Mrs. Geyer took the first step, saying “I finally took the leap since I was thinking he wasn’t going to ever ask me out if I didn’t first!”
October 24, 1986, was their first date, and the “first day of the rest of [their] lives together.” While they didn’t share any classes, seeing each other during the day—even for five minutes—was still a time for connection. During this short time, Mrs. Geyer would sneak Mr. Geyer love notes to read later. Writing them backward and in cursive, Mr. Geyer would have to find time to visit the bathroom, holding them up to the mirror and the light to read them. Little acts of love like this kept their relationship strong throughout unique and changing education paths.
They were married on November 6, 1993, after seven years, as they both wanted to be in stable educational and financial positions before marriage. From high school sweethearts sneaking love letters between bells to adults supporting each other through life, their resilience is a testament to the love they share and their passion for their work.
Mr. Geyer originally pursued a five-year chemical engineering program at the University of Cincinnati. After graduation, he worked as a chemical engineer. When his project wrapped up, he felt compelled to revisit school and pursue a teaching career, even though it would mean leaving his engineering career behind. Leaving engineering to pursue teaching wasn’t just a career change, it was a decision that uprooted their lives. It meant career sacrifices, difficult finances, and even moving in with Mrs. Geyer’s parents. As she recalls, “It’s no secret that all marriages face challenges at one time or another, and this was one of those times. We almost didn’t make it through this radical change in our initial life path.” However, they managed to work through this difficult time, and in 1997, Mr. Geyer completed his secondary education certification. After brief stints at Colerain and Deer Park, Mr. Geyer began teaching at SHS in August of 2006.
Mrs. Geyer also attended the University of Cincinnati and earned a BA in Psychology with a concentration in ‘”Pre-Personnel & Industrial Relations,” or Human Relations. After her graduation, she worked in HR until their son, Matthias Geyer, was born. Once Matthias got a bit older, she began working in Real Estate as an office administrator. Then, in 2024, she started at SHS as the test coordinator!
Now, they are colleagues in the same school where it all began. Though their jobs have little overlap, they acknowledge that it is a “comfort, and very nice, when one of us is having a rough moment or just needs to see the other’s smile to be able to pop in and say ‘hey!’” Now, they see each other’s professions firsthand, enhancing their perspective. Mrs. Geyer is now even more cognizant of Mr. Geyer’s work ethic in person, stating, “I have had an appreciation for how hard he works and the daily challenges he has faced in 30 years of teaching, but now my being here in the actual environment and seeing first-hand what he experiences has made me appreciate it, and him, even more.”
From being students at Sycamore to being the very ones to shape current students’ minds, the Geyers have created a legacy of kindness, dedication, and commitment—both to themselves and to the young minds that call Sycamore home.
