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View District Performance Levels* Due to new ELA assessments, the release of the 2024-2025 report card from USBE will be significantly delayed
View District Performance Levels* Due to new ELA assessments, the release of the 2024-2025 report card from USBE will be significantly delayed
Like the headliners of the roaring 20’s, Canyons District’s retirees are the dreamers, doers, and dazzling stars of public education.
Whether they spent their careers teaching, counseling, coaching, giving of their leadership skills, cooking and serving meals, transporting students to and from school, or keeping schools in tip-to shape, these educational professionals have given standing-ovation performances for years — some, for decades.
Collectively, they’ve dedicated nearly 1,000 years of service to students. That is a might legacy — there’s no final curtain call when you’ve spent your life on something that will outlast it. With gratitude in our hearts, we wish them well I retirement and invite them to take a bow.
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If a movie about super teachers were ever made, Lucie Chamberlain would be a prime candidate for a leading role. Fortunately for her kindergarten students at Alta View Elementary, she already thrives in a supporting role for them. Parents thank her for being a “super teacher.” She is also described as an “amazing colleague.” Whether students need help in the classroom or from home while sick, Lucie goes above and beyond to help them learn, overcome fears, and feel important and cared for. Lucie is the reason a number of kids went from hating school to loving it, according to parents. The way she exudes patience, sweetness, positive energy, and love for her students with special needs melts is appreciated and admired. One parent noted: “Both my kids wish she could be their teacher forever.” Another added: “She treats every student like their learning and their feelings are her priority.” Super teacher, indeed!
Shawna Ashton is accustomed to being told by her students that she’s silly. She simply can’t help but get excited for them when they succeed and that excitement usually comes with a happy dance. “They ask me what I’m doing and I tell them, ‘I’m just so happy for you,’” she says. For 34 years, Ashton has dedicated her time to education, spending the last 27 years with special education students at Alta High. “Never in a million years did I think I would be at a high school,” Ashton says, “I thought I would always be at the elementary level but I love it here, I love Alta.” Indeed, Ashton now jokes that the ‘A’ sculpture outside the school doesn’t stand for Alta but for Ashton. It’s the little moments Ashton will take with her into retirement, like when a student who is non-verbal says her name. “I’ve learned so much from them,” she says, “and the people that I work with are so kind and encouraging. I love the kids and I love the people.” Ashton’s retirement plans include helping to care for her mother-in-law, traveling the country in a camper with her husband, and unexpectedly, learning to weld and build hot rods with her son.
Christine Bond’s dad was a teacher, and later, a principal. Her mom taught, and so did her maternal grandparents. So, when it came time to choose her own path, she didn’t have to veer far from family tradition. “I just pursued what I thought would be a great career, and it has been,” she says. Bond has taught all across the state and has been with Canyons since its inception, molding young minds at Willow Canyon, Butler, and Cottonwood Heights elementary schools before settling at Peruvian Park for the last 20 years. “Seeing the change and the potential in these kids is what gets me out of bed,” she says. “When they shine, I shine, sending them out the door into first grade as confident little humans.” Bond has, of late, assigned herself some homework, taking time to reconnect with her former students to give them a class photo and learn about their journeys of growth. “Their memories are all very different,” she says, “It’s been eye opening for me, as a teacher, to see what is impactful to a five or six year old versus what I think would be impactful.” Guided by her curiosity, she plans in retirement to learn to play the ukulele as her father did, before picking up the guitar and learning to golf. She’ll take with her many memories and the pride of having been surrounded by her peers who show up for students day in and day out.
Arna Bown took a winding path to teaching, but it was — without question — the right destination. She started college as a graphic design major, but a “B” grade rattled the scholarship-student’s confidence. Influenced by her Mom (a reading specialist) and her Dad (an ad writer), she switched to English. And, while she toyed with enrolling in law school, she chose teaching as a way to merge her love of books, poetry and creativity. For 34 years, she has shared her love of writing with students, first at Alta and later at Corner Canyon High where she was part of the school’s founding team. “It’s been the best choice of my life,” Bown says, “I get to be a lifelong learner as my profession, reading novels and poetry and sharing it with my students has been a really great blessing for me.” Bown has loved the autonomy of teaching, sharing her time, not just with her classes at Corner Canyon, but also with the philosophy club and student newspaper. She’s dabbled in other positions, working as a teacher coach, and says, building a rapport with students has been the greatest privilege. Bown loves 19th century literature. Emily Dickinson is her American favorite, and she hopes to travel and walk in the footsteps of Thomas Hardy and Charlotte Bronte. In between traveling, she plans to cook more and garden while spending time with her husband, children, and two grandchildren.
For 25 years, Susan Chase has dedicated her waking hours to the students, faculty, and staff in Jordan and Canyons school districts. She began working as a teacher’s aide in 2000, then as a librarian for eight years, all the while working summers in the Print Center. When Canyons District was formed, Chase and Chad Pulsipher were called upon to build a new Print Center from the ground up. “That’s what made it so special to me,” she says, “because we built the whole thing and it was really tough, but it will always be my baby.” Eventually Chase ran the copy center, print center, and the mailroom. Chase says she didn’t want to just build a room with machines but a place people could come to create and grow together. “We built some long-lasting relationships,” she says, “and I just hope they remember me as someone who listened and worked hard to serve.” Chase has already started out her retirement with a trip to Mexico, SeaWorld in San Diego, and St. George where she met up with her family, including all 15 of her grandkids. She hopes to play more piano, get in some more fishing, and, perhaps, see if she (like so many in her family) has a talent for art.
Ask anyone and they’ll tell you Renee Christensen has always taken the safety and well being of her students seriously. She first began working with students in the lunchroom of Crescent View Middle School in 1998. When her children caught wind of the need for school bus drivers, they encouraged her to apply, and she has been shepherding students to and from schools all across the valley since December 2004. Students who stepped foot on her bus felt at home. She knew every student’s name, often intuiting just the right words to coax a smile. One year, she rallied colleagues to provide Christmas for a family in need. Another year, she took the initiative to ensure she could help a bed-confined student evacuate the bus by asking the father to show her the right way to lift the student in and out of the bed. “Students just want to know there is someone who cares about them and keeps them safe,” she says. Christensen plans to spend time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, including a family trip to Australia and New Zealand where they will embrace the realm of the hobbits, spending the day after Christmas in the Shire.
For nearly 30 years, Sara Cook poured her energy into schools, and anyone who knows her could tell you she has plenty of it. Always moving, always helping, Cook has a simple philosophy: if it mattered to someone else, it mattered to her. As she likes to say, “What’s an emergency to them might not be to me — but it still deserves my best.” Keeping up with 2,300 students and nearly 300 faculty and staff members at Brighton High is enough to keep anyone on their toes. But for Cook, it’s been her happy place. “I like to be busy, it’s very important to me and I like to help students,” she says. “When parents walk into the school, I want them to see its beauty and to feel comfortable and proud about this school their kids go to.” Cook has a big heart and has also been known to marshal the good will of Brighton High staff to help a financially struggling colleague. She will stay at Brighton through the summer, getting the school ready for the new school year before stepping into her retirement. She first plans to visit family in Chile before returning home to her husband and their motorhome, which they plan to use to travel the country with their new Great Dane puppy.
In second grade, Rachel DeFriez was assigned an essay asking what she would like to be when she grew up. Her response was, “I want to be really smart so I can be a teacher like my teacher is.” Taking a page from her English teaching father, DeFriez now teaches French and creative writing along with advising the Alta High’s magazine, “Euphony.” For 28 years, DeFriez has dedicated her time to her students with the largest chunk of that time spent at the home of the Hawks. Since beginning her time at Alta, she has brought the passing rate for AP French up from non-existent to 90 percent. She even had the opportunity to teach French to all four of her own children. While DeFriez molds young minds, they’ve left a mark on her life as well. She says her students have been like a muse, helping her to write and publish a number of books. “My characters live because they get life from the students I’m around every single day,” she told The Salt Lake Tribune when she published her first book, “Grey Matters.” She hopes her students have felt a sense of belonging in her classroom. “These kids are starving for positive feedback. If you think something nice, you should say it to that person and you can make somebody’s day,” she says. DeFriez is already working on another book and plans to spend her free time writing and getting more creative ideas as she travels the globe.
One adult can make a difference. That’s how Lori Dekeyzer looks at her career as a school psychologist. What began as an interest in psychology grew into a career Dekeyzer hadn’t considered before she had children. When she began interacting with the school system, she thought that might be the place for her. Dekeyzer says her goal for more than two decades in education has been to help people see that they can make a difference in someone else’s life and that her students feel seen and heard. “I feel like the best thing I can do for kids is advocate for them with adults,” she says. “If I can help adults understand the children and build a capacity for acceptance for their difference, that is super important to me.” Dekeyzer rounded out her career at Albion Middle School where she says the school community is unlike any other, emphasizing the culture of positivity all throughout the school. She has seen students who come into her office to talk about one topic but then open up with her about other topics. It’s a testament to her dedication that she has students ask why one student gets to talk with her and they don’t. As Dekeyzer embraces this next chapter in life, she plans to continue to work in private practice while traveling and spending more time with her six grandchildren.
Fode Doumbia’s teaching journey began in 1977 in Senegal, when a student strike left classrooms without English teachers. At just 22 years old and still studying for his degree, he volunteered to fill the gap, and has been teaching ever since. His 48 years in education have spanned two continents, multiple languages, and generations of learners. In fact, it was through teaching Mandinka for the Peace Corps that he met his wife, a Utah native. Doumbia taught for Salt Lake City School District before landing at Corner Canyon High School nine years ago. There, he taught world languages and coached the boys and girls soccer teams, bringing warmth and humanity to every interaction. “I teach and we joke… It creates a connection. And then I use that connection to teach — to reach them,” he says. Doumbia says his students may not remember his name, but he hopes they remember how he made them feel. As for his next steps, he says he looks forward to spending time with his family in West Africa, not just for rest, but to reflect and explore new ways to contribute.
“Kids are gifts from heaven.” That’s how Karla Drysdale describes the students she shuttles to and from school every day. For 17 years, rain or shine, even when she might not have felt like it, Drysdale has been waking early to navigate sometimes hazardous road conditions to safely transport Canyons District’s precious cargo for another day of fun and learning. Before then, she worked in a school cafeteria and later as a classroom aide. It doesn’t hurt that Drysdale actually enjoys driving her nearly 40-foot, bright yellow chariot. But what she really enjoys is making students smile, whether with a kind word or the occasional treat. “That’s the hardest part, is leaving the kids,” she says. While she’ll miss those smiles, she says it’s time to step away and take time for herself. Drysdale plans to enjoy time in her yard, as well as her wood shop, in between her photography, sewing, and taking care of neighbors. 
When Kathryn Fair’s oldest daughter started school, Fair was invited to attend the school’s Room Mother’s tea. Little did she know she would run into her own second grade teacher from Idaho and entertain a conversation that would launch her four-decade career in education. Fair was involved as a school volunteer throughout her children’s education, and when her youngest started high school at Hillcrest, she began working in Hillcrest’s cafeteria, which her daughter declared was “so cool.” Since then, Fair has worked in cafeteries and Main Offices at schools across the District. She feels she has had the biggest impact in middle schools and high schools. “That’s when kids really need you to pay attention to them. Even though their friends become more important to them, they need your stability,” she says. Fair is ready to travel with her husband, who is also retiring, to watch her granddaughter graduate, and pick up her paint brushes again. She says she will miss the community, which has been so great to her and her children. “I am floored by how much the teachers are about the kids. They have such concern, such love, and want nothing but the best for the upcoming generations. That’s my biggest takeaway,” she says, “the amazing love and compassion, devotion and dedication to our students.”
Scott Fotheringham has been a bright fixture at Brighton High School for nearly two decades. He can be seen across the Bengals campus, keeping things clean and everything in its place. Colleagues credit him with his respect and dedication as he diligently does his work. Fotheringham’s supervisor says he is diligent in his work but also open to jokes as they lovingly call him “Scottie.” Fotheringham likes to keep his routines, bringing his same lunch to enjoy every day with his colleagues. He is known as a good, sweet man who everyone loves as soon as they meet him. As he retires, Fotheringham will now get to enjoy more movies and outings including barbecues with friends. 
Before stepping in front of a classroom, Joni Gallacher spent years babysitting, then volunteering for the PTA at Quail Hollow Elementary where her children attended. “Then, one year, a week before school started, a fourth grade teacher had left and they called and said, ‘Could you teach?’” she recalls. Fast forward 18 years, and Gallacher is still committed to helping the Quail Hollow Quails fly. “I love kids, I love teaching,” she says. “Kids have an excitement about them that brings excitement to you, as they discover and learn new things.” Teaching in her own neighborhood made her a “superstar” among local kids — they recognized her at church, in stores, everywhere. For her part, she has felt a deep sense of joy and duty toward her students. “You have to look at children and students as individuals and some need a little more, some need a little less, academically and emotionally,” she says. With nine grandchildren and a 10th on the way in May, Gallacher is looking forward to retiring in order to spend more time with them. She also plans to travel with her husband, visiting Europe and studying the major sites of World War II as they travel through Italy and other countries. 
Inspired by a tough math teacher in junior high school, Cheryl Green knew early on she was bound for a life of numbers. After high school, she enrolled at the University of Utah where she earned a degree in secondary education, which landed her a job teaching fractions, decimals, and ratios for 12 years for Granite School District. She stepped away from her career to raise her children, but was summoned back while in the school pick-up line at Alta View Elementary. The principal came to her and asked if she’d join their team. For 18 years she has worked as an instructional aide, rounding out a 30-year career in education. “The biggest thing is when you see a kid actually getting it and you know you’ve done something to help with that ‘a-ha moment,’” she says. She’s looking forward now to a little “me time.” While she has no set plans yet, she intends to take time to prioritize her mental health, reconnect with hobbies (quilting, crocheting), and enjoy quieter days with her 90-pound Heeler-Pitbull mix lap dog.
There isn’t a job in the realm of purchasing that Gary Hansen hasn’t done. He’s driven trucks, unloaded supplies, built furniture, and supported his team any way he could since he began working for Canyons in the District’s infancy. “The District has been family,” he says, “and it’s all about the kids.” Hansen has led his team for decades, ensuring taxpayer dollars allocated to the District are spent properly and transparently all while providing for thousands of students and educators. Hansen’s favorite memories are of time spent in the classroom, experiencing the excitement as children see their new desks and chairs, or even a fresh pack of crayons. “It’s a delight to see that what we do in all of our departments makes a difference with kids. I see that focus here in the District,” he says. Hansen has no plans to pull up a rocking chair. Instead, he’s starting his retirement by teaching his five-year-old grandson to ski. He then plans to travel and spend time with his eight other grandchildren as well as his parents. He and his wife also plan to go on a mission for their church and travel.
Keeping track of 33,000 Chromebooks is no small feat. Add to the mix hundreds of other computing devices, printers, even musical instruments and vehicles, and the task becomes nothing short of Herculean. Susan Hardman has been at the helm of handling these fixed assets for the past decade now. She worked with District programmers to create a system to streamline the inventory process — turning a “three-inch novel” into a slick, scanner-based system. “I am an example of growing up in the District,” she says. Thirty-five years ago, Hardman’s mother recommended she get a job working in the lunch room of their local school. Since then, she has worked as a night custodian, a head custodian, even working as a sweeper for 17 years while she pursued a career at Walmart. Hardman says she has loved working for the District, her favorite part being to see the impact her work has on students. Her idea of “taking it easy” in retirement is running a side business, managing an acre of land, taking care of chickens, and mentoring her grandkids in high-tech maker skills. Porch-sitting? “Oh heavens no!” says Hardman who will be spending most of her time tinkering, laser engraving, and 3D printing in the two-story shop she built.
The middle school years are a period of significant change, physically, socially, and academically. But for students at Mount Jordan Middle, there has been one constant — Carolyn Jones. Jones retired from her work at Deseret First Credit Union but says she had no plans of sitting in a rocking chair and getting old. So, when a friend suggested a job as a cashier at a school, she said, “Yeah, I’ll go try it.” For the past 20 years, she has provided a smile and a “thank you” to every Mountaineer who comes through her lunch line. She had thought about retiring once before, but decided she wanted to be able to help out a little longer. Jones has seen students as well as faculty and staff change throughout the years, moving from taking bills and coins to a simple number entry on a keypad or swipe of the card. “I see the kids come and go and it’s fun to see them come through the line,” she says, “You can give them a hard time or a smile.” While she enjoys her work, Jones says it’s time to step back. She still plans to keep active, though, and is looking forward to finding out what her next adventure will be.
For more than 40 years, Holley Jolley has been educating, whether in the classroom, or raising her own family. Twenty-three of those years have been dedicated to helping Canyons District students learn and grow. “My favorite part is getting to influence all of the children’s lives and help them love to learn and be lifelong learners,” she says. Jolley has spent the last 18 years with the Wildcats at Willow Springs Elementary. All four of Jolley’s grandparents were educators and when she was young, she knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps. Over the years, she says she has gotten to know a number of families, seeing the various ages move through her classroom. She enjoys being able to check in on past students, some of whom are halfway through college now, and seeing how they’re succeeding in life. Some of her past students still come by to say hello and reminisce about their time as Wildcats. Now, Jolley says it’s time to help another group to be lifelong learners — her six grandchildren. Jolley hopes to spend more time with them in between traveling with her husband to places like Europe and Thailand, exercising, and firing up her stove to do more cooking. Jolley hopes her students know she loves them and was always working to help them do their best. 
In 1992, the Los Angeles riots broke out following the arrest of Rodney King. Jacqueline Kinahan was a young teacher at the time, working at an inner-city high school, which was under the National Guard’s watch. “We actually got combat pay, they called it, for working there,” she recalls. But those early experiences stayed with her and helped her become the teacher she is today. From Arizona to California to Utah, Kinahan has taught across the Western United States at different schools and for different grade levels. She has coached a variety of sports including softball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf. And throughout her 40-year career, including its final chapter at Corner Canyon High, she says, two truths have remained constant: “All students want to do well” and “Education has the power to change lives.” Kinahan has found joy in the one-on-one moments with students — each with their own spark and story — whether guiding a tennis serve or health lesson, or just sharing a laugh with middle schoolers who always appreciated her brand of humor. She may be trading early mornings for pickleball, golf, and time with her beloved boxer dog, who — much to her daughter’s chagrin — is the star of many a family photo. But she leaves behind a legacy of dedication, compassion, and just a little bit of sass.
Harold Larsen always wanted to work at a school, initially as a teacher. But family circumstances and the death of his father got in the way of him completing his college degree. “Life had other plans,” he recalls — and those plans, as it so happens, still centered on working in education. Larsen has devoted 35 years to keeping Alta High School clean, orderly, and in tip-top shape. “The people I worked with and around, the students, they all kept me young at heart,” he says. Alta has grown through the years, undergoing a major renovation in 2018, which turned the school into a veritable mini-college campus, and Larsen has grown with it. Maintaining the campus today takes more elbow grease and technical know-how, skills he has used to help others in a pinch including his church. He fondly remembers, and holds gratitude in his heart, for the coaching and mentoring he received from former bosses like Dan Burke and Scott St. Clair. As Larsen embraces retirement, he plans to — you guessed it — return to college to complete his studies. He has three grandkids in Rexburg, Idaho to visit as well. Larsen hopes his colleagues will remember him for his punctuality, trustworthiness, and dedication to the job. 
Becky Mason has had a front-row seat on the growth and change across Canyons District, lending a hand in the creation of new programs and schools, such as the Canyons Technical Education Center and Entrada High School. Her work in education began 25 years ago, when her own children were in school and she volunteered as a Room Mom before joining the PTA. From there she has worked across a variety of departments, from Facilities to Communications to Custodial. “I just think our District is really amazing and I think we’re always there for our students and we take care of our people,” she says. It’s the people that kept Mason coming back for two and a half decades. “I love the people in Canyons. They’re amazing, and it’s just my little family, no matter what department I’m in.” Mason says she now has friends in every building and hopes to keep those friendships going as she enters retirement. She won’t be far away and is already enjoying her task of picking up her granddaughter from school. As her husband joins her in retirement, Mason says they hope to find new hobbies together, maybe even resume a few old ones, like going to NASCAR races as they did for 15 years. Either way, she plans to do just as NASCAR driver Danica Patrick once said, “Find what you enjoy … Once you’ve done that, you have the passion you need.”
It takes a lot of love and devotion to make thousands of pralines a day, which is what Lisa Moon once dedicated herself to in her candy shop on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It takes even more love and devotion to help students grow and that’s where she always knew she wanted to be, in a classroom. Her first two years in the classroom were in Biloxi schools where a number of the student population was forced to move after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their homes. Soon after, Moon and her family moved to Utah where she has spent the remainder of her more than two decades teaching. “It’s the kids,” she says that kept her coming back day after day. “One of the blessings of my career is I’ve had varied experiences and I have loved every one of them. I just really love teaching the kids. I feel as though I have had something to offer, and they definitely have schooled me. I’m a different person because of them.” As for what’s next, Moon does not plan to reopen her candy shop but says, “summer is going to be mine.” She plans to spend time with her grandchildren, perhaps substitute teach in between continuing to take dance classes, and work on family history. “It really is a matter of ‘I get to choose’, and that’s a nice thing,” she says.
Whether teaching, coaching volleyball, or leading fellow educators as an administrator, Julie Mootz has always led with the heart. With students and adult learners, alike, she says, “It’s all about helping them where they are and getting them where they need to be. I would love it if they look back and think of one second where maybe I helped or provided a kind word, and made it worth their while.” Mootz always wanted to teach. Her career carried her across multiple states, from Ohio to Florida, then Utah. After years of classroom teaching, she tried her hand at training special education teachers in math, which she says, was “so much fun.” She joined Canyons District 10 years ago, starting as an assistant principal at Midvale Elementary after a brief time in the Instructional Supports Department. As she rounds out her career as Oak Hollow Elementary’s Principal, she says she is deeply grateful for her time in Canyons where she developed a reputation as a fierce advocate for teachers. Looking back, she cherishes small triumphs like a middle school boy’s unexpected hug after acing a quiz or being recognized years later by a former eighth-grade student whose children now attend Canyons. Looking ahead, she and her husband are relocating to Florida, where they plan to golf, garden, travel and embrace the joy of “not having a plan.”
“Come on bus, do your stuff!” If only it were as easy to drive a bus as Mrs. Frizzle’s Magic School Bus. For Lisa Nielsen, it’s almost as easy, as long as she gets to spend time with students all across Canyons. “I enjoy the work and I can’t find my way home, I keep coming back,” she says. For more than a decade, Nielsen has taken care of thousands of students as she makes sure they get to and from school safely, or have fun on their way to field trips. Nielsen says she has enjoyed the different kinds of personalities she sees on her bus, from the kids who sit in the back of the bus enjoying their time together, or the ones who like to sit at the front and share their stories with her. “My favorite part is when they share their victories, whatever they are,” she says, “It could be they won a race or they got an ‘A’ on their paper.” Nielsen says the job has been easy, making her feel spoiled by the people she works with. Now, Nielsen plans to take time to relax and turn off that early morning alarm. She enjoys spending time outside and hopes to get in a little more sunshine in her retirement.
James Nielson began his career in construction, armed with a botany degree and dreams of working in biology or medicine. After developing skin damage from years under the Mojave Desert sun, he made a change, looking for a job where he could “hide from the sun” and lean into a family legacy of teaching. His father and two brothers worked in education, and for 32 years, he has dedicated his life to the success of his students on the softball diamond, the basketball court, and in the classroom. Nielson spent the majority of his career at Albion Middle, educating the Knights for two decades before moving up to Brighton High when the ninth grade shifted to high school. When it comes to teaching science, his teaching philosophy is: “Do a good job, make it fun, and make it relevant.” In retirement, Nielson plans to travel with his wife and continue to cultivate his love for science, particularly when it comes to photosynthesis and the propagation of giant pumpkins — his largest, to date, weighed nearly 600 pounds.
It all started in Boulder, Colorado, where a young Linda Quinn, newly married, took her first job at the University of Colorado while her husband finished school. Twenty-five years later, she’s still making her mark in the field of education. Whether advising medical students at the University of Utah, herding preschoolers, handling elementary school finances, or providing administrative support to CSD’s Career and Technical Education Department, she has been a steadfast believer in the transformational power of education. For proof, look no further than the pandemic and the impacts of school closures on the social growth of children, she says. Or, consider hands-on learning through CTE. “Students leave here working right out of high school, making a higher salary than I’m making,” says Quinn, joking how maybe she should enroll prior to retiring. “I could do hair. And welding pays very well!” In truth, Quinn already has a retirement side gig — writing music with her husband. He composes and she writes lyrics, sometimes adapted from Maya Angelou’s poetry, and the duo are preparing for a concert performance in the fall. Quinn also plans to travel to visit Ireland, the birthplace of her son-in-law, volunteer, take watercolor classes, and embark on whatever adventures come her way.
Elizabeth Quintero has been teaching since she was a little girl, playing teacher in her room, telling her “ghost children” all the important lessons from the perspective of a little girl. She credits a Kansas school principal for getting her started in a real classroom, even helping Quintero and her four children move, and convincing her to stick it out after her first day on the job. “I’m thankful for a person like him and so many others too, and of course my students have been my greatest teachers,” she says. For more than 30 years, Quintero has treated teaching as a privilege, whether instructing students in French, Spanish, English, or English as a Second Language. “They are the future leaders of our country and I need to do my best for them because they are the ones who are going to lead us in the future and I need that love for them,” she says. Moments when students had breakthroughs, such as discovering a joy for reading, are what she treasures most. In retirement, Quintero is taking cues from a newspaper cartoon her mother sent her, which said, “What are you doing today? Nothing. What are you doing tomorrow? Nothing, because I’m not done yet.” She then plans to travel, delve into family history, and volunteer to help newcomers learn English. 
Ask anyone at Willow Canyon Elementary. They will tell you Eliza Rodriguez works with a smile on her face and extends a helping hand wherever it’s needed. For 31 years, Rodriguez has helped to keep schools across the valley in tiptop shape. “When you do what you love, it’s not really a job,” she says. In 1994 she began working at the Jordan School District and has continued to shine through the inception of Canyons School District and the succeeding years. Whether she’s fixing broken equipment and furniture that otherwise would have been surplused or waxing the floor, Rodriguez makes the most out of every moment, laughing and enjoying time with her Wildcat community. There was the botched attempt to abbreviate words on the school marquee — “asses” instead of “assets” — which led to a few phone calls to the Principal’s office and even more laughs. “My favorite part,” she says, “is when the kids tell you thank you for cleaning our school and they tell you to have a nice day.” Rodriguez will miss the Willow Canyon community, but she and her husband, who is also retired, have big plans, including spending time with their six-year-old grandson and a granddaughter who is on the way. Rodriguez is also looking forward to traveling to Mexico City to see her brother, whom she hasn’t seen since before the Coronavirus Pandemic, before settling in Cleveland, Utah in Emery County where she says you can easily see the stars.
Many people have that one teacher they carry in their memories as someone who inspired them. For Cathy Schino, that was her second grade teacher, Mrs. Parkinson. When Schino was awarded a full-ride softball scholarship to Saint Joseph’s, she knew she wanted to be just like Mrs. Parkinson and mold young minds at an early age. “I want to teach kids the foundations of how to learn, how to write, how to read, and get them started off right,” she says. Schino spent the first 17 years of her career in the classroom before stepping into the role of an Instructional Coach and eventually moving on to the Administration at Edgemont Elementary. She’s capped her career as the leader of the Falcons at Sprucewood for the past five years. Schino says she is most proud of developing the “High-Flyer Awards” for students and getting to see them light up as she calls their family to share their achievements with them. “It’s been beautiful,” Schino says, “I’ve made over 4,000 positive phone calls home.” Schino’s colleagues say she has a way of understanding students and what they need and admire her directness and encouragement of every one of her colleagues. “In my heart and soul, I’ve given 30 years of everything I’ve had to everyone I’ve worked with. I’ve given them my best,” Schino says. Now she plans to trade in the mountain snow for the sunny beaches of Florida where she plans to get in as much paddleboarding as she can.
Denise Sidesinger likes to joke that her husband owes his teaching career to her — or at least to her fast fingers. Long before she became a classroom fixture herself, Sidesinger was typing up her husband’s college papers on their home typewriter, a supportive gesture that turned into a calling of her own. Now, 29 years later, Sidesinger reflects on a career that has given her life joy and purpose. “I don’t feel like, ‘What has all my time at work been about,’ because I feel like it mattered,” she says. Once Sidesinger chose education, there was, quite literally, no looking back. All but two of her 29 years of teaching have been at Albion Middle School. “We didn’t know anyone when we moved here with two young sons,” she says, “and Albion just kind of felt like home.” With her husband also now retired, the pair plan to ride the hundreds of miles of railroad tracks in America that have been converted to biking trails. Accustomed to keeping busy, Sidesinger has a few other plans too: auditing classes at the University of Utah, painting, hiking, hanging out with friends (oh, and maybe some dance lessons). It’s not the fires in the classroom (only two), or the smell of dissection day that will stick with her. It’s the kids. “When students say, ‘This class made me realize what I want to be in life,’” Sidesinger says, “That’s the big thing I love so much.”
Students in Janice Simpson’s first grade class sit on a mat, ready to answer the trivia questions asked of them. Which coin is worth 25 cents? “A quarter!” What does the U.S.A. stand for? “The United States of America!” Who had a little lamb? “Larry!” It’s the moments like these that she says she’ll carry with her after 25 years in the classroom. “Academics is obviously the most important thing,” she says, “but these relationships are so important because I just want them to remember me as being someone they could come to. It means a lot to me to know that I touched their lives in some way.” Simpson taught kindergarten and second graders, ultimately finding her home in the first grade where she stayed for most of her career. She loves teaching at Sunrise Elementary — that’s where she sent her own children — and considers it a place where she truly belonged. A teacher known for prioritizing relationships over routines and maintaining a playful classroom where learning was fun, she looks forward to what the future brings. That doesn’t mean she’s leaving education behind. She plans to help in her daughter’s class and possibly return to the classroom as a reading aide. Before she does though, she plans to take a year off to travel, ride her bike, and spend time with her family. After all, she says, “Sometimes it’s nice not to have a plan.”
Ronald Strohm didn’t plan to build a robotics empire. He simply wanted his freshman son to enroll in a drafting class that Alta High School was no longer offering for lack of someone to teach it. But when he jokingly offered to teach the course himself, the engineering designer launched a second career that would engineer futures all across Canyons. Over the next 26 years, Strohm not only taught that class, he taught myriad other engineering courses, building Alta’s entire engineering program from the ground up. The robotics club he founded grew into a powerhouse, sending students to compete against the best private schools at world competitions — and into engineering careers of their own. Just search his name on Google. The accolades listed are merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg (for those in the know, that’s also some systems engineering lingo). It was with Strohm’s expertise, and generous spirit, that countless other high schools launched robotics clubs of their own. As further testament to his influence, a number of his students who have gone on to earn advanced engineering degrees have come back to mentor the next generation. Strohm knows his robotics team and Alta’s engineering program are in good hands, but still plans to continue volunteering his time to help even more students find their purpose as tinkerers and creators. He’s also already enjoying his free time, traveling across the country with his wife in their fifth-wheel — to which, we’re betting, he’s added a few after-market “mods.”
When Huei Lin Sun first arrived in America from Taiwan, she carried with her three children and a heart full of hope. Her plan was simple: help her children pursue their dreams, then someday return home. But as her children grew roots in a new country, so did she. Though she once worked in finance and insurance back home, Sun found her true calling far from a desk — in the bustling kitchens of schools. For 19 years, she greeted students with more than warm meals. At Butler Middle, the students know her as “Amah,” which means grandma in Taiwanese — the beloved grandmother who remembers students’ names and fills their plates with food that is “cooked with love.” It’s not uncommon for students who have left Butler to return to see her to share a story and a smile. Sun has a way of noticing the small things: a student lingering too long in line, a quiet tear. She would leave her station, kneel by their side, and offer the comfort only someone like Amah could give. “When the kids are happy and smile, I’m happy too,” she says. Now, as she steps into retirement, Sun looks forward to time with her nine grandchildren, strumming her ukulele, and finding new ways to serve her community.
When Linda Tognoni first began reading books on special education, she was immediately intrigued by the idea of helping children acquire skills that many take for granted. For 39 years — whether teaching kindergartners in New Mexico, leading resource classrooms in Utah, or transforming young lives as an ACC teacher at Park Lane Elementary — her mission has been to help her students be self-motivated, acquire a work ethic, and build their self-esteem. “Every year I have the best kids on the planet,” she says. Beloved by colleagues and students alike, Tognoni has earned a long list of accolades: Park Lane’s Teacher of the Year, a Canyons District Teacher of the Year finalist, and recipient of the CSD’s Exceptional Service Award. Yet, ask her what matters most, and she’ll tell you it’s her students knowing she loved and cared about them. Park Lane is like a family and one she will deeply miss. As the mother of three and grandmother of 10 retires and begins a new chapter in Arizona with her fiancé, she leaves behind more than lesson plans — she leaves a legacy rooted in heart, habit, and hope.
The world has changed in the 42 years Susan Turpin has been teaching and she has embraced that change, never wanting to be one of those “stuck-in-the-rut” teachers. But her core belief remains: “The kids are still kids.” They are innately curious and still need caring adults to guide their intellectual and social growth — especially in kindergarten where she’s spent 30 years. The “littlest of the littles” are “adorable” and full of wonder, she says. “You never know what you’re going to get.” A founding Canyons District employee, Turpin has taught in several school communities, including Crescent Elementary where she is winding down her career. She cherishes the connections she’s made with her students, including a girl she once taught who later became her classroom aide, babysitter, and lifelong friend. And while she reminisces about early-career field trips — like taking Amtrak to the Bean Museum in Provo — as moments that would never happen today, she’s focused on the future. Turpin’s daughter is a teacher, and she hopes to continue to mold young minds by volunteering in her class in between spending time with her two-year-old grandson. She also plans to digitize some of her family history, spend more time in the pool doing water aerobics, and traveling. At the end of the day, Turpin says, “I’m grateful that I’ve been able to spend my career doing something I love.”
From his first classroom at East Midvale Elementary to Olympic ceremonies with a global audience, Paul Winkelman’s life has been a living, breathing love letter to education, the arts, and the human spirit. He got his start teaching third and fourth graders, and due to his extensive community theater work, was quickly recruited to help build performing arts programs at Alta High. In 40 years, Winkelman has taught everything from AP classes to stage crew, ballroom dancing, and video journalism. He set new standards of excellence, expecting 100 percent from students while giving 1,000 percent himself. His work has produced national champions and Broadway stars, including Derek Hough of “Dancing with the Stars” fame and Ashley Bryant from “The Play That Goes Wrong.” In all, he has directed more than 140 productions. His artistry has even helped “light the fire within” for a worldwide audience. Winkelman was one of the choreographers for the ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He also worked on the choreography for the movie “High School Musical.” Winkelman eventually traded his master’s degree in theater for a master’s in counseling to provide a new kind of guidance to scores of students at Hillcrest and Brighton. Even as life’s challenges emerged, Winkelman never wavered, continuing to work after being diagnosed with ALS. He now plans to spend time with his family, continuing his own education as he travels the globe, reflecting on a legacy measured not in accolades but in the life of every student who dared to dream a little bigger because of him.