Throughout the 32 years Bear River has been open, multiple generations of families have attended the school.
Whether it’s the teachers that have been here since opening, the awards that line the halls, the banners that hang inside our gym, or the stories that parents have passed on to children, Bear River holds history.
Some students believe having a parent who has gone to the same school can give you an advantage.
“She helped me knowing my way around school last year and how everything worked,” said Sophomore Karissa Johnson, whose mom graduated from Bear River in 1993.
For others, like Sophomore Zach Fink, it doesn’t really phase them that their parent is an alum of the high school.
“She went to Bear River over 20 years ago, so I don’t think much of it,” said Fink, whose mom graduated in 1991.
Agricultural Teacher Steven Paasch sees it as an amazing opportunity to teach multiple generations.
“It’s an awesome responsibility and I take it very seriously,” said Mr. Paasch. “It’s very rewarding to see the students in your class be as successful as their parents in previous years.”
Students say that being a Bruin has changed from then to now.
“It’s kind of frustrating sometimes because she thinks she knows how everything works at Bear River,” said Johnson.
Freshman Tobin Ham, whose mother graduated in 1997, agreed with Johnson.
“I feel like it doesn’t give her a better understanding because she’s a lot older than me and she didn’t have a (cell phone),” said Ham.
Some feel that having an alum as a parent means a better understanding of the Bruin experience.
“I think (my mom) understands what it’s like better than other parents because she understands the issues that I’ve had at the school,” said Fink.
Mr. Paasch agreed with Fink and believes that it would give a past student a better perception of the Bruin world.
“I tend to teach my class the same way that I did 20 years ago, so the parents have some understanding,” said Mr. Paasch.
Mr. Paasch also admitted to not realizing a student is a child of a past student.
“I don’t even realize that my students were children of past students until well into the year,” said Mr. Paasch.
