25 Years of Sunshine

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By Jennifer Richardson • Photography By Jill Torrence

Life, if anything, is unpredictable. In 1984, Sue Ziesmer Trinacty never guessed that in 2009 she would witness the 25th anniversary of the preschool and childcare organization that she co-founded, “on nothing more than a wing and a prayer,” as she puts it. But that’s exactly what she’s doing as the Sunshine School celebrates its silver anniversary in Oro Valley.

Although starting a school wasn’t that far of a stretch for Trinacty, she had been a teacher previously, the timing was all wrong. Recently divorced with three small children, Trinacty needed an income but couldn’t see being able to teach full-time again. Fate stepped in in the form of her dentist, more specifically her dentist and friend, who got her thinking about bringing the kids to her rather than going to the kids.

After much research and a solid business plan, Trinacty created what has become an Oro Valley staple — a non-profit school designed to teach, cherish and care for children from 3 to 5 years old. She attributes much of the school’s success to the small staff, which currently stands at 22 people, not including volunteers, many of which are parents.

In keeping with its family-friendly orientation, each teacher has come to the school by personal reference. “We’re a very close here, including the parents. You’re joining a family when you join us and I really like that,” Trinacty says. The parents are even responsible for the schools floor, which was tiled with donations. “When there’s a need, parents will support and donate to us. I won’t ask them to buy cookies in order to generate donations, if something is needed and necessary, parents will make contributions.”

In addition to donations, the school relies on tuition fees for funding, although with the state of the economy both donations and capacity are down. Still, Trinacty remains positive, “We are stable and solid. Our school is essential in any economy. Parents can’t go to work if they don’t have a place to take their kids where they know they’ll be safe, loved and cared for.”

And that’s the main reason why the Sunshine School is still going strong 25 years after Trinacty first decided to set up shop in Oro Valley. “I know I will not be here forever, but my school will. We are happy to be here and happy to love children.”

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