As the school year comes to a close, it’s time to acknowledge our teachers who won’t be returning to Lindbergh next year. 

Katie Colon has been working in the English department for the past 8 years, teaching classes such as English, English 101, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), and psychology, while providing food and drinks to students. Born and raised in Elgin Illinois, Colon moved here last decade with the intent to teach high school.

Colon, when asked about her drive to become a teacher, responded that she hated her own teachers, and decided to become one in order to support future students in a way she wasn’t supported. When it came to deciding a high school to work in, she said yes to the first one that accepted her, which happened to be Lindbergh High School. It was here in Renton where she noticed food insecurity, which prompted her to begin providing food and drinks for students who couldn’t afford school lunch pre-Covid, a practice she continued after the Renton School District approved free school meals.

Her favorite memories of the school include being able to teach AVID watching them grow and reach their goals over the years. When asked what the reason for her leave was, Colon responded that “Many of my family is dying,” and she wants to go back to Illinois to spend time with them while she can, especially with her grandmother.

Colon’s opinion on Lindbergh as a school leans both ways, she has many problems with the school district and our superintendent Damien Pattenaude like him being a “Nepo-Baby,” going further and stating “I will not come back to Lindbergh as long as Damien Pattenaude is the Superintendent.” Colon remarks that “I loved my time at Lindbergh and will miss the people,” when asked about those she actually likes.

She states that her ideal school to work at would be Adlai Stevenson, a “happy” public high school in Illinois, saying that it has school spirit, a clear district direction, and community, “Three things LHS isn’t.”