It is Mary Roll's goal to treat her students the same way she treats her own children. 

 

When they need to learn, the Hook Elementary School third grade teacher is there with a full lesson plan and an even fuller heart. 

 

When a student needs comfort, Roll is there to wrap her arm around them and let them know they are safe. 

 

When they need motivation, she is their biggest cheerleader. 

 

And if a student needs someone to save their life? Yeah, she’s got that, too. 

 

Earlier this spring, Max Stoudt, a student in Roll’s class, was enjoying a popsicle along with his classmates as a reward for winning the school’s Read-a-Thon. While he was enjoying his frozen treat, a piece of it broke off and became lodged in his throat. 

 

“I happened to be in the corner of my room, and I felt hands on my back, so I turned around, and Max was standing there, and I could just tell he wasn’t ok,” Roll said. “I would love to say it was with great intention that all of this happened, but literally just on instinct, I grabbed him, spun him around, wrapped by hand around him and bent him forward. I went to apply some pressure and a chunk of popsicle went flying out onto the floor.” 

 

For Roll, it was an instinctive reaction, something she’d have done for any student in the school building or her children at home. 

 

“I’ve had CPR training through working with kids before, but specific training for that moment? Probably not, “ Roll said. “It was just kind of like what I would do for my own kids.”

 

Her actions were both quick and decisive, and as far as Max is concerned, they saved his life. 

 

“I was eating the popsicle, and then I choked on it and then I went to Mrs. Roll and she helped me. She helped me get it out of my throat,” Max said. “She grabbed me and started to do the Heimlich and I coughed out the popsicle. It was scary. I was happy she was there to help me. I was really happy. If it hadn’t been for her, I probably would have choked.” 

 

Roll said she likes to think the popsicle would have melted and Max would have been fine without her help, but there was certainly no way of knowing that in the moment. 

 

“In hindsight, knowing it was a popsicle, I know that it eventually would have melted. But at the time, I didn’t even know that it was a full obstruction. It wasn’t until after the fact, when the nurse came in and explained that he couldn’t talk, and that’s a full obstruction, basically,” Roll said. 

 

Max’s mother, Emily Stoudt, said that Roll absolutely saved her son’s life. As a respiratory therapist for Premier Health, she is an expert in such matters. 

“As a respiratory therapist, I have seen firsthand how quickly situations like this can become life-threatening,” Mrs. Stoudt said. Max is the only child for Emily and her husband, Brandon. “I am deeply aware of how differently this could have ended. When I say that Mrs. Roll saved my son’s life, I mean that sincerely and without exaggeration. Her quick thinking, confidence, and decisive action made all the difference. Max told our entire family that she saved him and proudly refers to her as his “real-life superhero.” As parents, there are simply no words that fully capture our gratitude.”

 

No, but she tried to find the words, which meant the world to Mrs. Roll.

 

“Mom did say as well, that even though it would have melted, he could have aspirated, there were so many other things that could have happened,” Roll said. “Mom being a respiratory therapist is aware of all the other things that could have gone wrong. When she said, ‘Thank you for saving my son,’ it’s a little overwhelming.

 

“A couple of days later, after mom had some time to process it, she sent me a message and told me that Max tells everyone that I’m ‘his real life hero.’ I messaged her back and told her it’s one of those messages that I will keep for my entire career, because that just warms my heart, and he’s really a true hero in that situation, because his reaction was so calm in a moment that was so scary. I don’t feel like a hero, that’s for sure, because it was just kind of an instinct thing.”

 

While Max may now refer to Mrs. Roll as his “real-life superhero,” Roll said Max was the real hero on that day as he knew immediately what to do when he needed help, and remained calm throughout the process. 

 

“When I told my family about what happened, because it was really really scary, I didn’t have time in the moment to think about how scary it was,” Roll said. “Even after the fact, that adrenaline rush wears off. But I went home and told my own kids how brave he was, because in that moment, he didn’t panic. He came and he found me. He didn’t grab ahold of me. He was calm though the whole thing to get my attention so I could help him. That’s what I told my class, that’s what I told my own children that night. If you’re ever in trouble, just find an adult and they will help you.”

 

Roll coming to Max’s aid hasn’t been a one-time deal, however. Since the first day of school back in August, the two have been forming a special bond with one another. 

 

Max has been legally blind since birth. 

 

Mrs. Stoudt said the impact Mrs. Roll has had on her son this school year – beyond the choking incident – has been immeasurable.

 

“Mrs. Roll is an exceptional educator and an incredible asset to your district,” Mrs. Stoudt said. “She consistently goes above and beyond for her students, and in Max’s case, she has made a profoundly positive impact. Max is legally blind, and she has been a strong advocate for him, ensuring he has the support and resources he needs to succeed. It is clear that she not only cares deeply about her students’ education, but also about their safety and well-being.”

 

Roll said she’s just been doing her job and, once again, doing the same thing for a student she’d do for one of her own children.

 

“To start the year off, we had a great meeting with everybody so that I could learn how to set him up for success, because he does come with a unique skill set,” Roll said. “We have some accommodations to make him successful. When we started, I would say that he was a little more dependent upon adults, but he has just flourished this year. He’s growing in independence. 

 

“He is utilizing a lot of his accessibility features. His mobility therapist has worked with him to use his cane and how to walk home himself. He is reading more and wants to do more. His independence this year has grown exponentially. I tried to make sure he knew early on that if he needed me, I was there for him. He was kind of dependent at first, but now he’s like, ‘I can do that!’ Mom said that he’s really turned a corner this year. He’s really feeling confident and growing. In my classroom, unless you look for his tools, you wouldn’t be able to pick him out, because he is great at doing all the third grade things.”

 

For Max, there’s only one way to describe his teacher. 

 

“She’s my hero,” he said. 

 

Roll agrees there’s a hero in her classroom this year, but says it isn’t her.

 

“He’s my hero,” she said. “Just watching him grow in independence has been amazing. If you were to go out and watch him at recess, you couldn’t pick Max out. For other children, they could use it as something to bring them down or make them feel sad about it, but he just seems to flourish in it. I would say it’s something all of us could learn from.” 

 

And just perhaps, the student-teacher relationship they have is something from which all of us could learn.