Saying goodbye to Mrs. Sedgwick and Ms. Young
By Ariel Lee May 22, 2024
As the school year comes to an end, Patti Young, Bank, and Pam Sedgwick, Attendance Office, have revealed that they will be retiring. Although it is unfortunate to see these cherished members of the staff go, both have exciting plans ahead of them. Young has been working at the school bank since October 2003, and has enjoyed fostering close relationships with the students and staff; her fondest memory is starting the Every 15 Minute Program, a 2-day program designed to educate students about the reality of drinking and driving.
“Coming into this job, I never expected it to open up a whole new world for me. Getting to attend weddings and baby showers of former students and developing long- lasting relationships with them has been such a blessing,” Young said.
Young hopes that she was able to teach students the importance of having fun in the midst of the taxing rush to get good grades, get into college and keep up with social media. To spread this joy, Young loved doing crafts with her Teacher’s Assistants (TA’s), affectionately called Bankettes.
“My most memorable moments with Ms. Young are the holiday parties and activities she would host for us. For example, she had a Christmas Polar Express party, and she always prepared something special for our birthdays. She has become like family to us,” Junior Jessica Huh said.
After retirement, Young wants to spend more time with her family, travel and finish incomplete projects. In fact, her first trip is already planned to Italy to attend the wedding of a former student.
Differing from Young, Sedgwick was originally a stay-at-home mom before coming to the school. When her children started middle school at Bret Harte, she took the position of Community Club President. Then, in 2001, Sedgwick began working with special needs students as an Instructional Associate. Later, she shifted to working in the office as a Clerical Office Advanced, which eventually led to her current role as an Attendance Technician in August 2004.
Sedgwick’s fondest memories included making life- long friendships with the staff and receiving the “Employee of the Year” award in 2018. She has enjoyed getting to know the students and teaching them to be confident in their decisions.
“I hope that I helped encourage students to strive to succeed in any situation. My best piece of advice to the students is to enjoy their youth and maintain a positive outlook when facing any challenge that may arise in their path,” Sedgwick said.
After her retirement, Sedgwick plans on traveling more with her husband and spending more time with her grandchildren. She would also like to live in the moment to enjoy the time she has.
“I will miss how happy Mrs. Sedgwick made the entire attendance office and how she would greet me with a smile every day. Being her TA has also improved my ability to talk to strangers,” Senior Daniel Kouchesfahani said.
Students hope that Sedgwick and Young will enjoy their time after retirement and be able to fulfill the goals they were not able to achieve before. Both staff members will be greatly missed for their bonds with both staff members and students. The school would like to thank you, Mrs. Sedgwick and Ms. Young, for all your hard work through the years!
About the Contributors
Ariel Lee is a freshman at Leland High School and is a page writer for her first year in journalism. In her free time, she likes to sleep, do nothing, binge shows (kdramas), and listen to music.
Sophia Ro, a junior, is part of the photo and media team for Leland High School's newspaper, The Charger Account. She enjoys playing soccer for her club team, as well as skateboarding, spending time with friends and family, and being a couch potato.
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