For many students who pass through the school doors, being a part of the Hempfield Area family lasts for twelve years (kindergarten through high school graduation). However, for some people, being a member of the Hempfield “family” is a literal lifelong journey. A number of the maintenance crew members here in our beloved district are Hempfield alumni and have subsequently dedicated their careers to maintaining the functionality of our school.
The alumni had the opportunity to reminisce about their high school experiences at Hempfield when they were asked about their best memories. Mrs Krissy Ritson said that her time as a student was “awesome” and mentioned that her best memories were “hanging out with [her] friends and going to sporting events, dances, etc”.
Mr. Robert Ronald would have been on the field during football games, but in a different kind of uniform; he said that his best memories were from “marching band and theater”.
Mr. Huey Loughner has Hempfield Area High School to thank every year on his anniversary because, as he remarked, “My senior year was the best. That’s when I met my future wife.”
While looking back to the past can be fun, living in the present is arguably much more important. When asked what the alumni like the most about working at Hempfield, Loughner and Ronald both said that they like ”doing something different every day”. Ronald added that, “No day is the same.” He also said, “I enjoy interacting with the students and staff. I take pride in the building as a Spartan alumni and now parent of students in [the] district.”
Predictably, considering the news of the long overdue renovation plans, when asked if anything about Hempfield has stayed the same, Huey Loughner (graduated in 1978), Dwane Keller (graduated in 1979), Dave Diehl (graduated in 1988), and Rob Ronald (graduated in 1999) all said that the building itself has stayed the same.
Adversely, when asked what has changed the most since they were students, Diehl said, “[There are] better athletic facilities [and] more lunch options.”
Ronald said that the changes he noticed were “the improvements in technology [and] change in staffing.”
Not many people would be enticed by staying at their school forever, but these alumni made that decision. Ritson (graduated in 1999) and Keller said that they decided to work at Hempfield because it’s close to home. Diehl said that, “[Hempfield] was a good experience as a student for the most part. So is working here now.”
Loughner seems to have a good experience working here, too, because he said that he chose to work at Hempfield due to the “good benefits, good pay, and job security” – things that everybody wants!
Ronald started his Hempfield career right after his student one ended. He said that he, “started as summer help and didn’t have college plans, so when they offered me full time, I took it”.
These five maintenance crew alumni have been ingrained members of the Hempfield family for decades, some even finding or building their own personal families surrounding these walls. Memories and experiences have colored their lives with blue and silver, and we thank them for maintaining the building that we have all called home at some point in our lives.
