Spring 2022 has arrived, and with it comes the close of another school year for Gorham.
Additionally, it brings to a close the career of a longtime Gorham educator, Mrs. Deborah Roy.
Deb has taught Spanish at Gorham High School (GHS) since the fall of 1975, and will retire this spring after 46 school years, which is the longest career in the history of Gorham High School (GHS). Over her career at Gorham, she has seen a lot of change, having taught under 8 principals, 15 assistant principals, and 8 superintendents.
Photos taken from GHS YearbookThe high school building was expanded greatly during her teaching career in the mid-1990s. Pop culture, student dress, music styles, hairstyles, and technology have all changed multiple times during the years she has graced GHS with her presence. Even the staff has grown, from 49 in 1975 to 106 at the high school in 2022.
She is in the World Languages Department, and currently teaches only Spanish, but has taught some French classes as well. She is currently the advisor to the Spanish Club, but has also been advisor to the cheerleaders, has taken students to Spain, and has helped with the foreign exchange program.
Deb grew up in Waterville, Maine. After graduating from University of Maine in Orono she said, “I came to Gorham because they had an opening for a Spanish teacher. There were not many teaching positions in Spanish available at that time.”
When asked about her choice of profession, she said, “Growing up, I loved my teachers. I wanted to be like them. My Spanish teacher noticed me, though I felt completely invisible. She believed in me, and I wanted to do the same for my own students.” Her favorite part of teaching is the thrill of listening to her students speak Spanish on their own.
Deb has only taught at GHS. She said, “I stayed in Gorham because I love my work and my students. It took years to build a Spanish department, and by then, GHS felt like “home.” The fact that Gorham was a small town and had a small high school made it feel like a great place to be.”
Deb has many wonderful memories of her years at GHS. One exciting event occurred when she was able to convince some of her students to compete in a state-wide Spoken Spanish competition. Deb said, “They each won in their categories. It was amazing. I still have the black and white photo of their victory.”
Another great memory was being part of the GHS production of “Fiddler on the Roof” which in the early years helped her begin to feel part of the GHS community. Yet another favorite memory was being part of a group of teachers who played guitar and sang. “Roger Lord, Bob Stevens, Jim Pearson and I would spend lunch periods (45 minutes at that time) singing together. We sang on a float during Gorham’s 250th anniversary parade. That was a wonderful experience,” she said.
Deb does not have any big plans for her retirement right now. “I hope to spend more time with my family and take care of our home and my garden. I look forward to not doing work on evenings and Sundays most of all.”
Editor’s Note: A complete coverage of retiring teachers will appear in a coming issue.