Growing up in Michigan City, Mary Koselke went to the city’s high school when it was formerly known as Rogers High School. About 20 years ago, she moved to the Valparaiso area and has remained local since.
Koselke is currently one of Valparaiso Community Schools’ culinary teachers and works with students at the Porter County Career Center. She shares her love for her interests at each place, leading classrooms with her passion for making food. Koselke strives to stay authentic, as one of her major goals is to reveal her true self so that she has better times connecting with others.
“Relationship building is probably the biggest part of my job. Every teenager has needs, and every teenager needs a different part of me. Whatever they need, that’s what they get,” she said. “I’m an open book with my students. They know a lot about me, and they share a lot about themselves with me.”
Cooking has always been a huge component of Koselke’s life. She fondly remembers her grandmother being an amazing cook, citing her as a source of inspiration. In the past, she would arrange Christmas parties for her friends and use them to create dinners. It took her a while before she knew she wanted to be a professional in her field.
Following college, Koselke wound up working jobs all across the area. She got an art degree, as well as one in elementary education. She worked for Perdue, then transitioned over to the marketing department at Family Express. One day, she capitalized on an idea she had to open a restaurant. That idea was Blackbird Cafe, a coffee shop that is found today in downtown Valparaiso. This is when Koselke started to take her cooking more seriously.
The reason behind why Koselke is in her role is a simple one - to be there for those whom she teaches. Her favorite thing about what she does has to do with the people she interacts with every day. She’s discovered rewarding two-sided bonds with them, elevating her awareness of the criticality of her position.
“My students by far are the reason I come to work. I enjoy spending my time with these young adults, and we spend a lot of time together. When the kids join my class, it’s a commitment,” she said. “I really get to know them. They show me how much I appreciate the community aspect of cooking and sharing those feelings. It can be an emotional job, too.”
As a teacher, Koselke hopes to pass on a contagious reverence for the beauty that goes into preparing all kinds of dishes. She considers it a good day when her students bring the lessons they pick up from her to someone else. She’s committed to preserving almost a pay it forward system through her vocation.
The philosophies Koselke has seen as a business owner have carried over to her work as an educator. She continues to figure out ways she can positively impact the lives of those in her community. Her drive to do so is imparted to anyone fortunate enough to learn something from her.
“We had a policy at Blackbird that if anybody needed a meal, they could walk in, and we’d give them a meal. We felt like it was part of our duty as a responsible community member to make sure that other members of the community were taken care of whenever they needed us,” she said. “That’s something we do in my class. If a student is hungry, we’ll cook for them. We apply that outside of school.”
When it comes to her pastimes outside of cooking, Koselke loves to garden and has a strong appreciation for art. She has a ceramic studio in her basement, as well as a kiln in her garage.
Many elements about Valparaiso are what makes Koselke enjoy being a part of this community so much. However, there is nothing more important to her than the friends and connections she’s come to link with around town and throughout the Region.
“Valpo is a nice place to live. It’s clean, it’s safe, but that’s not all—it’s also my friends. I’ve made amazing friendships. It’s that community which was built through so many things that I love the most about Valparaiso. The group of people I got around me here is awesome,” she said.