What were your favorite classes/teachers at GHS?
My favorite class in high school was hands down outdoor living with Mr. Gonzalez. He taught us how to ice fish and he bribed us with sledding when we were done with ice fishing. We even went to the shooting range to shoot guns, under the supervision of Galesburg PD.
I also really enjoyed 3rd semester chemistry that was taught by Mr. Spencer. In this class you were given a solution and you had to do a series of tests to figure out the elements that was in the solution. My favorite part was the freedom we had when it came to trying to figure out the solution. Students would get the same answer but take different paths to get there.
Clearly I am a kinestetic learner so the classes where I could be moving and doing were my favorite.
I also really enjoyed psychology and sociology that Massey taught. We watched a movie that depicted a woman with multiple personalities and I found it amazing that the brain could do this. I still love to read about how the brain functions. Many of my continuing education classes I take have a psychology and sociology base.
I had a ton of influential teachers throughout my years at school, which is probably why I chose teaching as a career so I have a hard time choosing my favorite teachers. As an educator, I find that I am most like Marla Clay. She had a reputation of being strict, had high expectations, and maybe a little mean as both a teacher and a coach. Her reputation left out that she was also very caring and she had a very welcoming smile. It was also very clear when she was disappointed with you. She wouldn't have to say anything, her nonverbal communication was unlike any other teacher I've ever had. The quality that I admired the most was everyday was a fresh start for her and her students/players. As an educator, this is the quality that is most important to me. I want my students to feel welcome in my classroom no matter what has happened previously. All humans have bad days and our bad days shouldn't define us. I think of her often when students will tell me that they've heard I was mean but I'm really not, because this was exactly how I felt about Miss Clay.
What are a couple of your favorite memories from high school?
I have so many memories from high school but here are a few that brings a smile to my face every time I reminisce. I will never forget how it felt the first time we ran onto the court at Redbird Arena. That feeling was worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears from the previous years.
Another memory that is still brought up 30+ years later by my mother is when I was making some poor decisions in the boyfriend area and Peachey was trying to have a real conversation with me. Like any immature high school girl I didn't really want to talk to my coach about my boyfriend but in true Peachey style he figured out a way to get me to talk. I'll leave the details out but he was successful in getting me to talk and give me some very useful advice. I am so thankful that the coaches cared about us outside of just being a basketball player, this definitely helped with holding myself accountable.
The memories from summer camps, especially Michigan camp, make me belly laugh and also confirms that Massey was a saint for taking 20ish girls on a train, let them run around Chicago for a couple of hours, and then run around Ann Arbor for multiple days. I still have a scars on my hip from renting rollerblades (I had never been on rollerblades before) because we thought we could get to the gyms faster. Unfortunately, the store that rented them to us didn't explicitly tell me how to use the break so I showed up to the gym with road rash on my hip.
What did you do right after high school?
After high school I went to Carl Sandburg, where I played basketball. We placed 2nd at National Tournament, where we lost to Kirkwood. After my freshman year, I transferred to Wayne State College in Wayne, NE where I also played basketball. My years playing at Wayne were very different than playing in high school or juco. I experienced the rebuilding process from only winning 8 games my sophomore year to having a 20 win season by my senior year.
What did you do for a career?
I'm currently teaching 9th grade health and PE. I teach in the school district where we live so I have the pleasure of seeing my kids and their friends grow and mature into young adults. In my 23 years of teaching, I have taught every grade level and truly believe that I have the best job (you are catching me at the end of the summer before school starts).
Share as much as you want of what you are doing now- where are you, family, etc.
I met my husband when I went to Sandburg and have been together ever since. We live on a small acreage about 20 minutes outside of Des Moines. We have 3 boys ages 15, 13 , and 10. Several years ago my husband brought home a bottle calf in the back of my CRV and that was the start of raising cattle. If you would've told me in high school that I would feeding bottle calves and running a head gate, I would've said no way but here I am. It's a family affair, the boys also work with cattle and it's even an aspiring career choice for one of my kids.
My spare time is spent doing something sports related as all of my kids play all of the sports: football, cross country, basketball, track, and baseball. Whether its being a taxi service, watching, or coaching. My husband and I have coached all of the boys' basketball teams since they started playing. My oldest starts high school this fall so I am super excited to watch him.
Advice to today's Streaks?
Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the community college route regardless if you are planning on playing a sport in college or not. I am so thankful that I was able to graduate from college with a little amount of debt. I know people that have been teaching for over a decade and are still paying on student loans. I encourage my students all the time to take advantage of dual credit classes in high school and then finishing their associates degree once they graduate.
Another piece of advice that I give to my own children and students is focusing on the things that you can control, which is attitude and effort. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in all of things that you can't control that may prevent you from being successful. This type of thinking applies to all aspects of life, not just sports.
Streaks Basketball Alums- Help Me Out….
If you earned a varsity letter in girls or boys basketball at GHS- I would really like to include you in “Streaks Basketball Alumni Spotlight.” If you want to be included in the “Streaks Basketball Alumni Spotlight,” simply answer the questions below. (Note- if you are a female who played varsity basketball in the 1970’s before GHS gave females varsity letters- please jump in!!) Either text or email your responses and pictures to addresses below.
1- What year did you graduate?
2- What was your favorite class (classes), favorite teacher (teachers)?
3- What are a few of your favorite memories from GHS?
4- What did you do right after high school?
5- Where and what did you do for a career?
6- Share as much as you want of what you are doing now- still working, where are you, family, etc.
7- What advice would you have for today’s Silver Streak athletes?
If you have pictures from high school, send them OR I will get some pictures from yearbooks from when you were in school. Could you send me a picture of yourself or your family now?
Simple either text me at 309-368-0008, or email me at emass70@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment