“I honestly felt like I owed a debt to North Penn because they did such a beautiful job with my children,” Mrs. Mccourt-Makaron explained. 

She started working at North Penn as a substitute teacher when the effects of Covid-19 left schools understaffed. After working in the Philadelphia school district as a permanent teacher, she felt the change was much needed. But just as Makaron was finding her place at North Penn, she suffered from a near death illness that she is still recovering from. 

Eighteen months ago Makaron was hospitalized due to an undisclosed illness that resulted in her acquiring a speech impediment.

“When you’re sick, sometimes your heart and brain are sort of like a computer, and they need to turn off and reboot,” Makaron said. When she ‘rebooted’ she had to adjust to the new way her brain works. 

While her chances of survival were originally given to her husband at less than one percent, Makaron is now in remission and is back at North Penn as a substitute teacher 3 times a week. She attributes much of her survival to both the incredible staff of the Jefferson Health portal and the astonishing 16 units of blood that she received over the course of her illness. 

“I’m literally here because of people donating their life’s blood to other human beings,” Makaron stated. 

After eight months of intense physical therapy and speech pathology, Makaron feels that her unique experiences give her a fresh point of view on life. 

“Because I got to be literally on my deathbed and come back from that, I feel like I have a perspective that not many people get,” she said. “It sounds corny, but the sunshine when I drive in [to school] in the morning, is something I never noticed before.”

While Makaron was initially worried about the possible stares and stigmas that come with having a speech impediment, she was pleased to find that students gave her a very warm welcome back, with many offering to assist her in the halls. One student in particular came up to Makaron after class and told her that she too had a stutter, and had never seen a teacher with the same disability as her. 

“Way more kids come up to me and tell me that my story means something to them, or that I came to them at a time when they needed me…I think that is something really special about North Penn. I feel like I have been treated wonderfully by the students,” Makaron declared. 

As for her future plans, this super sub plans to continue working at North Penn three times a week, and to be at graduation this spring to see her youngest daughter graduate high school. Makaron also plans to continue with her acrylic painting, which is a newfound talent she acquired in remission.

Makaron’s positive and hardworking nature is what makes her such an apt substitute teacher, and a wonderful asset to the North Penn community. 

When asked what would be her biggest piece of advice to kids, she responded “Have grace for yourself and have grace for others because you never really know what someone is living through. Just know that your teachers love you.”