Mary Heckelsmiller:  

he minute she read it. I went home with my fingers crossed. Her letter came. "I sure hate to be the one to tell you this, but you did not pass." Of course I cried. My sister was footing the college bills and I felt I had let her down. When I told her, she said, "Okay. So we will go to NSTC, if one can't find their nitch, teach." We got the paper work all filled out, doom assignment completed, and $ put down. Two weeks later I got my grades from SDSU. I had a C in biology. My roomate had copied one digit incorrectly on my student number and sent the wrong message to me! I went to Northern and I have never looked back. I have loved teaching from get go. I finished up my BA here in Idaho as my husband got a Bureau of Reclamation job with Job Corp. I taught, raised three kids, and continued to work on a Master's by going to night classes and summer school. It was interupted by our three year stint in Canada, but when we returned to Caldwell I finished it up in 1980. As I think back to RHS, I know Mrs. Gossard (math) and Mrs. Roehr (fourth grade) had influenced me. I was not a strong student but they gave me the encouragement I needed and told me often, "I could do it." I have always wanted to touch students like they had, teaching the "smart" kids but nuturing the others. I hope I have. MARY Workplace My first jobs were babysitting, then popping corn at the theatre, moving "up" to cashier. My junior and senior years I worked three jobs during the two summers ; the theatre, Wilson Motel, and JC Penny's. During the school years I worked only at the theatre. I worked two summers at the Redfield State School and Hospital as a Recreation assistant. My first job of teaching was in Huron for two years (grades 2 and a split 2/3.) Then four years off being a Mom. Back to teaching, in Idaho. I was assigned a country school with two grades. I was the sixth grade teacher with 20 kids. What a super year, working with farm kids and a small class size. I was moved to a full country elementary school where I taught four years. The last two being acting principal and half day sixth grade. I applies in town to be on the same schedule as my children and taught in a school with 500 students - all fourth and fifth graders! Charley, I and our three kids went to Canada where he and I taught, at the end of the road due North of Edmonton, Alberta. (Why we came back is another story.) We returned to Caldwell where I was hired back, where I finished my career in 2000. Thee end.