Megan Bailey 2012
When did you graduate from HHS and where did you go from here?
I graduated from HHS in 2012. After that, I went to Hope College. I majored in business management and minored in communications. After graduating in 2016 I stayed in Holland for a few months working in Human Resources at a factory. I ended up moving back home because I could not find a job in Holland. After moving home, I helped Davis' 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams. Through that, I heard that there was a job opening at Hillsdale High School. I applied for it, got it, and the rest is history. I absolutely love working at the high school. It is definitely not what I thought my future had in store for me, but I'm ok with it. I am the JV volleyball coach, assistant for Girls Varsity Basketball, and help with varsity soccer when I am available. I love being around the students and watching them grow and succeed.
Can you tell us a little bit about the company you work for?
As mentioned in the first question, I work at Hillsdale High School. I am the guidance counselor's secretary. I love being in a place where I already know a lot of the other employees because they were some of my teachers. It was kind of weird going from their student to coworker, but I got over it. What makes it even better is as of this year I work with one of my good friends who I graduated with in 2012. Hillsdale High School is one of those schools that really care about their students and is always looking out for them. I feel that I definitely fit in here and I'm glad that it is a job that I love. I am also the JV volleyball coach and assistant coach for varsity girls basketball and girls soccer.
What does your workday look like?
My workday is different every day. It really depends on what the students, parents, and staff need. I have the tasks that I always do - send transcripts, enroll students, state reporting, and many other things, but at the end of the day it's what everyone needs. One of my favorite things is when I help someone and they can't stop saying thank you. It's almost like I have just relieved so much stress for them. There are some days where it can get very stressful, but when I get home at the end of the day I know that I have helped someone. After a day at work, I go straight to practice or a game depending on what sport I am involved with at the time. I actually really like how busy I am during the day. I'm always doing something. Yea, I do not make it home until 9:00 or 10:00 at night sometimes, but on those days I go to bed knowing that I had a very productive day.
Can you tell us what your time at HHS was like?
My time at HHS was amazing (obviously, if I came back to work here). I was a pretty average student, but what I really loved were sports. I played volleyball, basketball, and soccer and I absolutely loved every single one of them. I liked to be involved with different things, but not too involved. I was never on student council or anything, but I loved homecoming, prom, and all of those fun events. Most of my time was spent playing sports or hanging out with my friends, whether it was before practice, after practice, the weekends, I was always busy. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
How did your time at HHS help you now?
My time at HHS really helped me find who I am. I was a very social person in high school and loved being around people. Every weekend people were at my house or I was at someone's house. This made my college experience a lot easier because I was always wanting to meet new people and get to know them. I also played three sports in high school so I wanted to play them in college in some way. Since I met so many new people I ended up being able to play all three sports on coed intramural teams. In other words, Hillsdale gave me the opportunity to meet so many people through sports and then give me the confidence in college to meet new people.
Is there a teacher who had a significant impact on your life?
There were actually two teachers who had a significant impact on my life. One was Miss Goldsmith and the other was Dr. Rushing. In Miss Goldsmith's class we were always doing something. She had a very interactive classroom. One of my favorite days was when we went to a Justo Lamas concert. After the concert, we went out to eat and Justo Lamas showed up at the restaurant and we got a picture with him. It was so cool! Dr. Rushing's class was another one where we were always doing something, granted it was band, but it was always such a fun class. I loved every song we played and I loved how close the class was. It was different from any class I was ever in. Miss Goldsmith and Dr. Rushing were two teachers that knew how to make class something that I wanted to go to every day.
Advice for current students?
Some advice for current students would be to enjoy your time in high school. It goes by so fast. Working at the high school I always hear kids saying how excited they are to graduate and get out of high school. Don't get me wrong, I always said that too, but looking back I loved high school. I got to be with my friends every day, play sports, and learn something new all the time. It was a good time and really do miss it. So just enjoy every day that you can and live in the moment.
