![\"Mrs.](\"http:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/jefferson-award-mrs-claus.jpg\" "\\"jefferson-award-mrs-claus\\"")
<\/a>Mrs. Santa Claus (Sue Kielczewski) danced with a student from Oak Harbor Middle School as part of last year\u2019s annual holiday program.<\/p><\/div>\n
There\u2019s also the matter of freshening the red velvet dress with the white collar. Since it\u2019s the trademark of \u201cMrs. Santa,\u201d this is particularly important.<\/p>\n
Kielczewski, an account clerk in the Student Accounts Office on Health Science Campus, is UT\u2019s most recent Jefferson Awards \u201cChampion\u201d honoree. She was lauded for her service to a local school district and the Luther Home of Mercy, where crowds of young and old believers welcome her each December as Mrs. Santa Claus.<\/p>\n
The 21-year employee said she began dressing as the yuletide\u2019s famous missus to shake things up at family gatherings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was getting boring, and Santa always looked so uncomfortable in his costume,\u201d she said. \u201cThe retirees in the family really loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her daughter, UT graduate and Oak Harbor Middle School teacher Nicki Kielczewski, pondered her mother\u2019s offer to appear as Mrs. Santa during the school\u2019s annual holiday music program. Anticipating a tough crowd in her daughter\u2019s junior high pupils, Kielczewski won them over with her bubbly persona and presents that encourage the giving aspect of Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put things in the gift bag that remind them of what Christmas is all about,\u201d Kielczewski said, \u201clike a Charlie Brown tree and cutout hearts. I asked kids to write things they could do to help their families during the holiday season. My daughter had to ask for more hearts because they were writing on two or three of them!\u201d<\/p>\n
For the past three years, Kielczewski and her daughter have taken their holiday cheer on the road to Toledo\u2019s Luther Home of Mercy, which houses retirees and mentally challenged adults. Nicki Kielczewski\u2019s students accompany them as guests, presenting a music program and distributing the Kielczewskis\u2019 handmade ornaments to residents.<\/p>\n
Concerns regarding whether the students could cope with people of different circumstances were quickly dispelled. Although residents can be agitated and even aggressive when brought to Mrs. Santa, most eventually are calmed by the students\u2019 songs and Kielczewski\u2019s compassionate banter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you could see the difference between when we come in and when we\u2019re getting ready to leave,\u201d she recalled, tearing slightly. \u201cMaking someone else feel good and the smiles we get make it worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colleague Annette Johnson, room scheduler in the Office of the Registrar on Health Science Campus, is familiar with Kielczewski\u2019s charitable work even though she hasn\u2019t seen her co-worker in action.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gets so excited,\u201d Johnson noted. \u201cShe talks about these events months beforehand and shows everyone her photos. She never even thinks of the work and time that goes into it. She puts so much love into this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Oak Harbor students continue to feel that love even after Mrs. Claus has hung up her velvet dress. Once the assemblies and visit to Luther Home have ended, Kielczewski bakes dozens of cookies and writes a special e-mail complimenting the children\u2019s behavior. Nicki Kielczewski reads that message as her students devour her mother\u2019s treats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my little way of spreading the holiday cheer,\u201d Kielczewski said when asked why she engages in this community service. \u201cI believe in Christmas, and it helps them believe in themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sue Kielczewski loves to play Mrs. Claus during the holidays and bring cheer to the Luther Home of Mercy. For her giving spirit, the UT account clerk is UT’s most recent Jefferson Awards \u201cChampion” honoree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}