“ Eighty-four! Eighty-four! Eighty, Eighty, Eighty, Eighty, Eighty-Four!”
I knew going in I belonged at Summerville! My dad, two aunts, five cousins and numerous family friends had all attended before me! I was ready to be a Bear!
1980 to 1984 were years of volleyball, softball, student council offices including Student Body President my senior year, homecomings, dances, pep rallies, field trips, tournaments, Girls’ State, student representative on the School Board, being part of the first Honors English class, ski trips, all wrapped up in a final whirlwind overnight trip to Anaheim for Senior Grad Night at Disneyland, returning the next day in time to graduate that night! Some of us were actually writing graduation speeches on the bus (probably shouldn’t admit this here!) and I would not change a thing!
Once I started the Honors English class with Mr. deGennaro my freshman year I became an English major, planning to teach high school English and coach high school volleyball! I became addicted to Shakespeare, and all of the old classic reads and never waivered. I entered UC Santa Barbara in the fall of 1984 an English major and graduated in June 1988 with my Bachelor of Arts in English. The first “tragedy” I experienced on my educational path was being placed on the waiting list for UCSB’s teaching program. I was devastated thinking I had no options…then I received a call from Dr. Thorsted, Superintendent of Summerville then and from when I was a student.. He knew about a teacher training program through the University of the Pacific that allowed participants to be full time teachers while obtaining their full certification. “Doc T” as we knew him, “found” a position for me as a freshman and sophomore English teacher for the 1988-89 school year. At my high school teaching English and coaching volleyball and softball! I was thrilled! Not a bad deal for Summerville either; one full time teacher and coach for half salary! To be fair, I sincerely hope the other half of the salary was given to all of the people who helped me that first year…they SO deserved it!
Mr. Nixon, Mr. deGennaro, Dr. Thorsted, and Mr. Urquhart became my amazing support team, responsible for guiding me through becoming a “real” teacher. I can never thank all of them, and the rest of the Summerville High School staff for making sure I could, and would, succeed! While I know I had numerous “newbie” struggles, what remains foremost in my memory was the struggle to refer to Mr. Antinetti, Mr. deGennaro, Mr. Nixon, Ms. Dequine, Mr. Ronten, Mrs. Scesa, Mr. Wong, Mrs. Heldstab and all of my other former authority figures, now colleagues by their FIRST names! There was also the time I was “carded for a donut” at a Brain Bowl event, but you have to ask Mr. deGennaro to tell that whole story! I loved being a bear again! I was also honored to have my cousin, Lisa (Kerns) Marquez as my teacher’s assistant for a semester! Thanks, Cuz!
The 1988-89 school year found me teaching at Long Barn High School- another homecoming for me since my dad spent his whole elementary career in that building- minus the years when they relocated to Slide Inn because of a fire. Thank you to Kristy Dwyer, Bill Crawford and Barbara Gleason who were the best staff to work with. We grew from 7 students to almost 20 including young mothers with babies! We taught all subjects, found community service projects for students to perform around the county, heated lunches every day, did some counseling, and planned and successfully pulled off the graduation ceremony and celebration of the first senior class of Long Barn High School! There were many tough days as we all struggled to create a school that could meet the emotional and educational needs of a very special population of students when half of us were still rookies ourselves and only slightly older than our kids. I still have the very special earrings this bunch of kids presented to me as a going away gift at graduation because I would be moving to Colorado. I am still in touch with some of them today.
While the rest of my story takes place 1000 miles away from Summerville, it all continues to be entwined. You see, I married one of the best friends I met in high school, Scott Young, class of 1983! We dated in high school, some in college, and it took us a while to get sorted out that we did in fact really belong together, but in 1993 we were married in Long Barn, surrounded with family and friends. Mr. Jim Wells and Summerville’s Jazz at 8 sang for us, (including Summerville alum Josh Pfeiffer, who had been in my freshman English class that first year and said he just “had to join the group to sing for your wedding, Miss Hitch!”) and a group of current volleyball players helped to serve the food at our reception.
We started our family in 2001 and we now have two wonderful children, Hitch 19 who attends George Fox University in Oregon and Phoebe 17 a senior who plans to attend St. Martins University in WA in the fall. They have both kept us busy with their athletics, clubs and adventures over the years. We are so proud and excited to watch them carve out their future paths!
I am now an Academic Coach, which means I have the privilege of working with great teachers every day in a student centered, collaborative approach to learning, and I love it! I can now pay forward all that help I received in my first years! This is my third year as co-President of our teachers’ union, and a member of a district leadership committee that works to promote solutions for a positive climate and culture. I have been honored to be voted “Teacher of the Year” twice at my school- and all of my Summerville mentors should accept a share of the credit for those!
In 1990 the district I worked for taught me how to drive a school bus and I drove a full time route, then subbed over the years and have a current CDL still today! I was SO proud to tell Pat Easley and Ben Dorsett that I had joined their ranks! I still coach volleyball, and have been a certified volleyball official for over 15 years. I look forward to retirement in 2024 with 33 years under my belt- two in CA, the rest here in Colorado.
Our lives are composed of a multitude of events and moments in time that weave together creating who we are. My years at Summerville stand out as having laid the foundation for who and what I wanted to be for the rest of my life. My college roommate and great friend Anne once said, “Heidi, you have never wavered…you came to UCSB planning to be an English teacher and coach, and you left following that same plan. You just knew who you were meant to be.”
I sincerely thank the members of the Summerville High School Foundation for this wonderful opportunity to wander back and reflect on my years as a Summerville Bear. I am honored to have been nominated and inducted into the Summerville High School Hall of Fame. I love the beautiful crystal paperweight and hope to get good use out of my lifetime pass!
Gratefully,
Heidi Hitch-Young, Class of 1984