The apple didn’t fall far from the tree for a Columbus Bishop Ready High School mother-and-son duo.
While most children are eager to forge their own path and flinch at being compared to a parent, this Bishop Ready duo wears similarities like a badge of honor.
Dr. Shannon Roof, née Jenson, graduated from Columbus St. Cecilia School and began classes at Bishop Ready High School in 1991. While attending Bishop Ready, she was heavily involved with the football and basketball cheerleading squads, National Beta Club (an educational youth organization) and National Honor Society. She was also a member of the competitive dance team.
In 1995, Roof was named valedictorian of her class and began classes at the Ohio State University. She studied molecular genetics on a pre-medicine track. Roof quickly discovered a passion for learning and helping others.
She stayed to complete a master’s degree in education after earning her undergraduate degree. After two years teaching in a public school, her dream job opened at Bishop Ready High School.
She currently serves as a school science teacher.
“I’ll tell anyone that will listen that I have the best job in the world,” she said. “I love being here and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I had a wonderful experience here, and I hope I can provide that feeling and experience for the students in my class. I knew I wanted my own children to be able to experience Bishop Ready like I did.”
Thirty years later, in 2021, Tyler, Roof’s youngest son, graduated from Columbus Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and began classes at Bishop Ready High School.
While in high school, Tyler was a two-time bowling captain and state qualifier, rotating senior captain of the football team, a student ambassador, member of Beta Club and member of National Honor Society. Much like his mother, he was also named valedictorian of his class and plans to attend Ohio State University to study forensic anthropology on a pre-medicine track.
The mother-son pair share numerous similarities, from a love of science to love for Bishop Ready. Asked what word best describes the Bishop Ready community, they both responded in unison, “family.”
Mother and son could be described as driven yet humble. They are known for being intelligent, compassionate, hardworking and faithful servants of God.
Asked what it was like having a parent as a teacher, Tyler said, “A lot of people assume that you probably have it easier when, in reality, the expectations were so much greater for me. It gave me an extra push to be at my very best.”
Dr. Roof did not take it easy on her three children or three stepchildren, all of whom she taught at Bishop Ready.
“I never wanted people to think they had an unfair advantage,” she said. “They all have such different personalities that we had to navigate sharing space together within the school. All six kids worked extremely hard for everything they achieved, and I’m very proud of each of them.”
Dr. Roof has had at least one child in the building with her for the past 12 years. She recognized the joy and heartache of seeing her youngest graduate.
“I’m extremely proud, but my heart is definitely feeling the weight of my last child graduating,” she said. “I think it’ll feel a little sad without him, but I also am so excited to continue to see all my kids grow and achieve their goals.”
Asked how it felt to follow in his mother’s footsteps to become valedictorian at Bishop Ready and then attend Ohio State University, Tyler said that “it has always been my plan, so it feels really good.”