Taking the next
step
Retiring teachers say goodbye after decades
Stories by Elise Laharia, Alex Justine, Chloe Nugent and Elle Polychronis
Jesse Cole
W
ith a total of 35 years working in various Texas high schools, and 15 years in Highland Park, swim coach Jesse Cole is ready to retire. After his time coaching swim at a YMCA in Alabama, Cole took his first step into teaching at Plano Senior High and then Coppell High School. “That first year was pretty hard, getting my foot in the door and convincing people I knew what I was doing,” he said. Cole was inspired to teach by his parents who were also teachers. “I heard the conversations around the dinner table,” he said. “We
Dan Holden
H
ead tennis coach Dan Holden does not know life without tennis. He coached privately for 16 years and then coached college tennis for 14 years. “I just knew early [on] that coaching was the thing I enjoyed the most and the most fulfilling part for me is the development style and the relationships that you build with the kids,” Holden said. “You help them to be the best they can be. ” For 22 years, Holden has been the head tennis coach. He trains the tennis players, schedules matches and makes traveling arrangements. “Until I came to Highland Park, I never thought I would ever coach
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understood what it was all about.” Cole isn’t only focused on swimming. He is the Department Chair for Media, Information and Technology on campus and teaches several computer-based courses such as 3D Modeling and the popular course, Digital Interactive Media. “I got lucky and got in, enjoyed it and then became department chair,” he said. “One thing led to another.” Senior Ainsley Wiseman, one of Cole’s students in Dgital Interactive Media thinks that Cole is both patient and funny. “Coach Cole is a teacher that doesn’t take excuses, but [that] betters the students,” she said. “He really wants to see people thrive and push themselves, especially in an artistic
regard.” D u r i n g C o l e ’ s time in the district, the swim team has won seven champion titles. Cole said that each time was incredibly meaningful. “I had such great kids, and they had such a great personality and really were trying to do the right things all the way down the line,” he said. This year in particular was meaningful on its own. “I just had a lot of fun because I knew it [was] going to be my last year.”
high school tennis, and after being here 22 years, I should have gotten here a lot sooner than I did,” he said. However, after a year of decisionmaking, Holden has decided to retire at the end of this year. Tennis assistant coach Tylir Jimenez will take his place as the head tennis coach. “It was a bittersweet decision,” Holden said. “I will coach some privately, a couple hours here or there each day, but I plan on enjoying my retirement.” Sophomore Laura Wiese, who plays on the tennis team, said Holden’s biggest impact on her was his emphasis on wins and success, which helped the team overall. “[But] he is also still very understanding if you’re not feeling that good or if you did not get enough
sleep on the night before,” Wiese said. Holden looks back fondly at his time as the head tennis coach for the school. During his time, the team secured over 20 state titles. “This has been a great 22 years,” Holden said. “I am very thankful for [Coach Randy] Allen for giving me this opportunity and hiring me because without him, I wouldn’t be here. I owe him a great debt of gratitude I will never be able to repay.”
TEACHERS
