Zinsser finds strength through love of Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Kirsten Zinsser loves converting those around her into Pittsburgh fans. But the past year, that effort has taken a backseat as she battled invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer.

The winner of the Pirates’ annual Honorary Bat Girl contest, which recognizes a fan committed to fighting back against breast cancer, grew up in Gibsonia, Pa., and attended Penn State. Four years ago, Zinsser moved to Arlington, Va., to teach first grade and special education.

In the middle of Washington Nationals territory, Zinsser hangs the Terrible Towel in her classroom and, during their Writer’s Workshop sessions, reads her students stories she writes about Steelers and Pirates games. One day, her doctor called her in the middle of class. As she moved to the back corner of her classroom to take the call, he informed her of cancerous cells found during a biopsy.

“So then the doctor said, ‘Unfortunately, the biopsy came back and it’s cancerous.’ And I was bawling and all the kids were like, ‘Why is Ms. Zinsser crying? Why are there tears coming from her eyes?’ And some of them were crying. And it was a …

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