Geology Professor Krista Syrup is not just passionate about rocks; she is living her life’s dream of teaching about the environment. 

In the classroom, Syrup’s passion shines through in the massive smile she wears every day, and her sense of whimsy can make an 8 a.m. class feel like an afternoon class. Although she has been teaching at Moraine Valley Community College for 23 years, it’s clear that she still loves every minute, and her positive aura inspires students as well as peers. 

“This was my dream job, to be a community college teacher,” Syrup says. “I thought, at a two-year college, what you really do is just teach, whereas if you’re at a university, you have to do research and other things besides teaching. So I always just wanted to just teach and talk about what I love all day.”

Syrup was named Moraine Valley’s Professor of the Year in 2023, an award that recognizes impact on students in and out of class and contributions to the college and community. But teaching geology and environmental science wasn’t always her goal. 

“I started as an astronomy major and then discovered a geology class in college. So then I changed my major,” Syrups says. “I’ve always just liked rocks.” 

Syrup doesn’t just pass along her knowledge; she constantly has students learn from each other, the textbook, online quizzes, class games like Jeopardy and hands-on models in class. She designs her labs around making sure every student understands the subject before moving on to the next point, which can be challenging. 

“Before, you used to give everybody PowerPoints and lectures, and students would just take notes for the whole class period,” she says. “But now I try to break it up. I feel like you work better with your peers.” 

Syrup also takes her students outside to explore and observe the small details around them. In one of her earth science classes, she got a van approved and drove students around to places like the Little Red School House, Swallow Cliff, and other nature preserves, creating a memorable moment even for students who have little interest in science. 

“I feel like getting outside and just being with nature usually lifts your mood,” Syrup says. “And I think we forget that nowadays. It’s so easy to just stay inside and watch Netflix, and people forget how nice it is to just go outside and take a nice little hike. It makes you feel good.” 

Syrup’s engagement helps students improve their hands-on and visual learning skills. She teaches general education classes, so many of her students don’t specialize in science as their major, but they still find themselves passing with flying colors because of her methods.

“She does a lot of experiments,” said Donald Kowalski, a computer tech major. “She likes taking us on adventures to different locations around the area to show us different wildlife. She helps everybody with learning. You can go and talk to her about anything.”

These methods contributed to her recognition as Professor of the Year, an award she cherishes. 

“It makes you feel really good to get nominated because then you know you had a positive impact on someone’s education,” she says.

Beyond teaching, Syrup contributes to the college in other ways, serving as adviser for the video game club and secretary of the Moraine Valley Faculty Association. 

In her role with the association–the union for full-time faculty–Syrup takes notes during meetings, keeps records of important information and organizes certain events. She became a member of the association in 2002.

“Most people do it because they’re looking out for your best interest,” Syrup says. 

Looking out for people’s best interest is something Syrup specializes in. Although Syrup can talk about rocks all day, another favorite topic is video games. She used to play arcade machines, computer games and Atari. Her son, Seth Hyland, also makes video games, so she is passing down her love of video games to a new generation. 

Syrup will even pull out her phone to play her son’s game, Dan’s Diner, which has more than 10.6 million total visits on Roblox. 

“I think it’s kind of cute because the first job I ever wanted was to make video games–which I never did. But now he is,” Syrup says. “Look, this is an avocado burger, it’s fun!”

Hyland also studies chemistry, so he finds his own mom inspiring because of the passion she shows in her work: “I’ve always had that respect for science because her being a science teacher has intrigued me.” 

The Video Game Club meets in a computer lab so members can all play together. Syrup provides pizza and drinks for an enhanced experience, and students in the club light up when they see her.

“Being someone who not only has autism but also ADHD, it helps me feel comfortable having people I can spend every day with,” said Grayson Vanis, 19. 

Although she has no plans to leave teaching anytime soon, when she does retire, Syrup plans to travel the world and explore more of her life’s wonders. 

“This is my dream job,” she said. “I love my students. I love being here at Moraine Valley. Can’t wait to do it for a few more years and then travel to the places I’ve talked about.” 

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PHOTOS BY AHMAD HADAD