Late teacher loomed large in minds of Campbell High grads tonight

CAMPBELL

Tom Pulice of the Campbell Memorial Class of 2011 plans to study history education this fall at Thiel College.

He wants to be a teacher and says one of his Campbell teachers was an inspiration in that decision.

“Definitely Mr. Soroka,” Pulice said of the longtime math teacher who died in April.

“The way he looked out for students was unparalleled,” he said.

Michael “Mickey” Soroka was at school many nights until 9 p.m. to help and take care of students, Pulice said.

“When he passed away, that assured me that I wanted to be a teacher,” he said.

Soroka, who also supervised the multimedia program for ninth through 12th grades, collapsed while supervising morning announcements in the school’s multimedia lab. He died later after being taken from the school by ambulance.

His memory loomed large in the high school fieldhouse tonight as 92 Campbell graduates — boys in black robes and girls in red — received their diplomas.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.