Ms. Lewis: 30 years as a Triton

Harrison York | Editor-in-Chief

March 11, 2022

Recently celebrating 30 years of teaching at San Clemente High School, Ms. Lewis has a key role in the English department. She teaches ERWC and IB Literature, both senior courses, with great care for her students’ well-being and learning.

Lewis’ family moved to San Juan Capistrano in 1970, where she would grow up and attend Dana Hills High School. Although she spent her four years as a student at our rival school, she explained, “My 30 years teaching [at SCHS] have proven my loyalty to San Clemente.”

After high school, Lewis studied British and American literature at Scripps College in Claremont, California. During this time, she wrestled with the possibility of teaching as her career. “I resisted teaching,” Lewis stated. “There was no glamor in it and, at the time, there were stereotypes against it.” Still, she felt drawn to teaching, so despite her doubts, she earned a teaching credential at Cal State Fullerton. 

In the years following her higher education, Lewis worked at a marketing company in Los Angeles. She recalled working with large corporations like Disney. “It was an exciting job, and they kept promoting me,” but ultimately this job “was unfulfilling and superficial—[the company] was too focused” on small details rather than “making a difference in the world.”

“The longer I was there, the more I missed San Juan, San Clemente, and the local area.” At the same time, she knew that she really “loved literature and loved school,” and decided that “the best way to find fulfillment was to impart this love onto students.” 

Quitting her job at the marketing company and moving back to her hometown, she became a substitute teacher for a year and a half before finding a permanent position at San Clemente High. “San Clemente is the first school I have taught at besides substituting,” she said. “The campus was so nice, it was outdoors and it felt free. The culture of students and teachers seemed more laid back than at other schools, which was ironic because I was previously determined to be a strict teacher. 

Over the years at SCHS, Lewis has taught each grade and a range of English classes. “There is something good to be said about every class,” she stated. “With seniors, there is that level of maturity and independence, the ability to advocate for themselves” that makes the grade enjoyable to teach. The “discussions are intelligent and thoughtful, and I have learned so much from my students. Where else can you hear so many different points of view and perspectives?”

From the student’s perspective, Lewis is engaging and supportive in the classroom. “She makes it fun and interactive,” senior Natalie Roble said. “She doesn’t force us to volunteer, but encourages us to share our ideas.”

These ideas and discussions are related to the many books that make up the senior curriculum in English. Out of these, Lewis highlighted Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad as the novel that impacted her the most. “I read [Heart of Darkness] in AP Literature when I was a senior at Dana Hills. The layers in Conrad’s writing were profound, and it was taught by one of the teachers that was most influential in me becoming a teacher.”

“She asks us for our opinions and we get to communicate with each other,” classmates Shelby Strech and Kiki Waggoner agreed. “She is very open to our thoughts and helps us learn through conversation.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Lewis has, like the rest of us, faced drastic changes with the transition to online school and the gradual return to in-class learning. “The last two years have been very difficult for me as a teacher. I learned a lot from using computers to replace paper,” but it took an uncomfortable adjustment along the way.

Teaching all seniors this year, Lewis offered advice for the Class of 2022. “Give yourself permission to explore multiple opportunities and avenues. It’s important to choose to pursue something that brings you fulfillment.”

“High school is not the end—it is your springboard. I have seen how students blossom in college, it opens up so much to you. From here you can go and do what you want to do, whether it’s in college or not. We’ve been through such a hard time, I hope you’ll be able to get back on firm footing and experience life fully.”

As far as Lewis’ teaching career is concerned, “The only reason I do it is for the students. I try to remember that every single day. It’s for the students, the thing that keeps me going is you guys.”

“Teaching was my calling, and it has been more than just a job. I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing” she concluded.