Social distancing has brought a strange and somber end to a chapter in the lives of many graduates, as well as those of the school staff retiring. 

After 12 years, Donna DeLuca is saying goodbye to the Timberwolves. As a bookkeeper, she had many interactions with Tualatin students. She did everything involving finances – selling Homecoming tickets to handling club finances to working with the ASB treasurer. 

For Christi McCauley, a main office secretary, a farewell to Tualatin not only means leaving the place where she worked for more than 24 years, but the place from which her four children graduated. Among her many responsibilities, McCauley worked with several administrators and aided students in forecasting for classes by preparing the Academic Planning Guide. 

I spoke with both via email to ask them about their favorite memories at Tualatin and what they are looking forward to in retirement. 

Emily Phuong Tran (EPT): How did you get started at your current position?

Donna DeLuca (DD): I started as a bookkeeper after getting my degree in hotel and restaurant management. While I was a stay-at-home mom, I did bookkeeping work from home.

Christi McCauley (CM): I became the Curriculum Secretary in 2005.  I had been the School-to-Career Coordinator for a few years and really liked it, but it was an opportunity to take on new challenges and responsibilities and work more closely with the entire staff.  The job has evolved a lot over the years, but I always have enjoyed working with and getting to know the staff.  

EPT: When did you come to Tualatin? Did you work anywhere else before Tualatin? 

DD:  I started at Tualatin in August of 2007. Prior to that I worked at the district office of TTSD for six months. I also did the captioning of a sports-action television show.

CM:  I started working for the district in the kitchen at Mary Woodward Elementary School in the fall of 1995.  I moved to Tualatin High in January of 1996 and have been here ever since.  I moved from the kitchen into School-to-Careers in fall of 1999.  

EPT: What is your best memory at Tualatin? 

DD: I think the best memories are the relationships that I have with many of the staff and seeing students come in as freshmen and then four years later – graduate!

CM: I have four children who all attended and graduated from Tualatin High School.  The tradition of the gauntlet as their freshman year began and senior year ended has always been emotional.  It was especially so when my own children got to participate in those.  A second tradition I really enjoyed was as a staff member I got to hand my own kids their diplomas.  I think those were highlights.  

EPT: I think it’s so cool that you got to hand out your kids’ diplomas! Seeing that you have four children who graduated from Tualatin, do you have any advice for current students to make the best of their four years here? 

CM:  I recommend students take as many classes as they can in high school.  Find out what you like and don’t like.  Not all schools have the luxury of offering eight classes per term. It is a real opportunity to try all kinds of things much more economically than in college. Challenge yourself all four years, but not to the point of being stressed out. Take math for four years even if you don’t have to. 

EPT: What will you miss about Tualatin?

DD: The things I will miss are the almost the same as the memories. I will miss seeing my friends every day.

CM: I will miss the people. I have made life-long friendships, and that will be the very hardest thing about leaving.  

EPT: Quarantine has interrupted a lot of things, as well as your last year at Tualatin. Were there any things you hoped to do on the last day that you won’t get to do? 

DD: At the end of the year, we always have a staff bbq that will not happen this year – so I guess I will miss that social gathering to say good-bye to everyone.

EPT: How have you been spending this quarantine period?

CM: I am continuing to work from home. I work on the Academic Planning Guide and make changes and updates as needed.  All my children are grown and have kids of their own.  My eldest daughter didn’t have an option of child care and she and her hubby are both trying 

to work from home. I have become a preschool teacher for my 2.5-year-old grandson so they can work from home. I have had to social-distance from my other five grandkids, which sucks!  Like most people, I’m keeping in touch with lots of virtual coffee dates. 

EPT: What are you looking forward to in retirement?

DD: Well, when the world gets back to some sort of normal, I will continue to travel as much as I can. I will go to visit family and I love Europe. I have walked across Spain twice and Portugal once. I plan to go back and walk again, as much as I can and as far as I can! 

CM:  I have six grandkids I hope to spend a lot more time with.  I want to work in their classrooms.  I look forward to doing more work with my dog, Ruby, as we are a therapy dog team.  Lastly, I can’t wait to get back to doing yoga and taking long walks and hikes with Ruby and my other retired friends.   

EPT: Wow Mrs. DeLuca! Your travelling plans sound so exciting! Would you tell me more about where you’ve traveled to? Why do you like Europe particularly? What is the best/funniest/most interesting memory you have in Spain or Portugal?

DD: Thanks for your interest (I could talk about travel nonstop). I guess I feel comfortable in Europe. I walked, by myself,  the Camino de Santiago from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (500 miles). I have also walked the Camino Norte (the northern route in Spain) and the Camino Portuguese in Portugal. I have visited many other European countries. Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, England, Ireland and Scotland. Even made it to Iceland. I had an exchange student in Norway and have been there quite a few times (most recently – spent New Year’s Eve with his family). I could go on and on. I guess it shows that I LOVE to travel and will again, when it is a little safer to get out there. For now, I will just continue to travel the USA. Travel has given me new friends from across the world who I still keep in contact with, and they have come to the states to visit me.

Donna DeLuca and Christi McCauley have both been invaluable members of the Tualatin community. Personally, I will surely miss Mrs. DeLuca’s presence the next time I have to pay the lost book fee. And who but Mrs. McCauley will give my little Preschool Buddy, Damien, candy the next time he goes to the office? 

Although the beginning of their retirements was not the best surprise, we hope the rest is full of joy.