I suppose I have always been the champion of the underdog and the eccentric. Whether challenging the dress code for the right to be barefoot on spiritual grounds, writing articles for the school paper arguing for a slower speed limit along Tuolumne road as it passed the school or petitioning for globally religious prayer clubs (not just westernized Christianity) around the flagpole at lunchtime, my sense of social justice and penchant for questioning the status quo was alive and well during my tenure at Summerville High School. Boundaries, rules, and curriculum were always a game to be figured out, solved, and improved upon. At that time, “improvement” simply meant making things better for myself and those I loved and stood up for. The faculty and staff at Summerville helped me narrow my purpose, find my voice, and refine my ability to be an effective and helpful human being to advocate for the needs of my community. I specifically wish to thank Mr. Christensen for never letting me win an argument, Mr. DeGennaro for making sure I knew how to write, and Mr. Uruqhart for allowing me to learn outside of the box.
I became the first freshman to join the journalism class thanks to Mrs. Encinas’s belief in the portfolio I insisted she read, and soon rose to the front page editor and had a brief stint as the “Dr. Love” advice columnist. I used this platform to explore my ability to report on topics such as how the construction at the school was complying with the California Environmental Quality Act.
My love of literature and academics kept my grades high enough to receive academic letters two years in a row, several scholarships upon graduation (my favorite one for reading so much), and afforded me the opportunity to take classes at Columbia Community College as a high school student. As a senior, I would arrive at Summerville in the morning, attend classes until lunchtime, then drive across the county to attend college courses. Having the world of college opened to me at 17 influenced the rest of my life. I am forever grateful for this opportunity.
By far, the most defining part of my high school experience was theatre. Freshman year saw me acting in plays under the tutelage of Mrs. Gourley and eventually under the guidance of Mrs. Young. We performed in the cafeteria, the memorial hall, portable classrooms, and outside. A group of us (I’m thinking of you Ryan Torres, may you rest in peace) worked locally at Sierra Repertory Theatre, Columbia Actors Conservatory, Mountain Actors Conservatory, and Stage 3 Theatre. Serious about our art, we longed for a space dedicated only to the theatre. Collectively, several of us wrote a letter to the administration asking for a creative space. I have no idea if our letter had any bearing on the beautiful performing arts center erected a few years after we graduated, but many of us toasted it for the future students; kids like us who would use it to its full potential.
After graduation, I attended Humboldt State University and received a degree in Geography and Theatre, then attended Columbia Community College again where I received degrees in Forestry and Natural Resources. I performed throughout college and upon graduation joined Murphys Theatre Company locally as a company member doing Shakespeare in the vineyards for several years. I have worked as a bookstore manager, waitress, horse trainer, acting coach, actor, stage manager, box office manager, writer, professional belly dancer, officiant, chef, geographer, and for the past thirteen years as a part-time professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at Columbia Community College. These days, my husband and I run our own forestry business and I spend a great deal of time as a homeschool mom.
Lifelong learning and an enthusiasm for a living have served me well for as long as I can remember. Questioning the parameters of the paradigms we assign ourselves and pushing boundaries was a skill I learned to develop at Summerville High School.
