'You have to love kids'

Pam Hamlin is beginning to pack up her office as she prepares to retire as director of Millstream Career Center. She described the process as "bittersweet." But she's looking forward to the next chapter, and full of many great memories from her 32-year career with Findlay City Schools. Hamlin was inspired to go into education early on by her mother, who taught kindergarten at St. Michael School. "I just saw the passion she had for teaching, and I was raised to just love kids and love your job," Hamlin recalled. "And I knew she loved going to work every day and she loved working with kids, and I wanted that same thing. So since I was little, I've always wanted to be a teacher." After graduating in 1994 from the University of Findlay, she began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Wilson Vance Intermediate School, then taught sixth, seventh and eighth grades at Central Middle School. Along the way, Hamlin devoted time to extracurricular activities including middle school show choir and cheer coaching and creating a middle school dance team. She was in choir and band herself as a youth and said she has always had a love of the arts. She later became dean of students and assistant principal at Central. At that time, the middle school assistant principals also acted as athletic directors, so Hamlin learned that role as well. "That was an interesting job in itself, because some of the sports I wasn't super familiar with," she said. "But I learned the scheduling piece of scheduling buses and scheduling referees, all of the logistics behind running a sports program." She then served as principal of Bigelow Hill Intermediate School for several years, including two years where she was at Bigelow Hill with students in grades 3 through 5 for half the day and at Northview Primary School, with children from preschool through second grade, for the second half. She has been director of Millstream for 11 years, which she said has been "the highlight of my career." "It's so rewarding because the kids are so close to stepping out into the real world," she said. She added that students choose to come to Millstream for career and technical education. This means that, as principal, there's very little time spent on discipline or reacting to situations or "putting out fires". "Kids want to be here," she said. "You can be much more proactive in a job like this… This position has really allowed me to be the kind of leader I want to be." So much of education involves the use of technology, so Hamlin said she has had to learn to adapt. She recalled learning how to run overhead projectors and film strip projectors while pursuing her degree at UF in the 1990s. Teachers at Millstream may be coming from working in industry, and may not have a teaching background. Hamlin said some may be used to writing invoices with pencil and paper. She tells them that it's OK to have a learning curve with the technology, as technology keeps changing. "But the one thing that has not changed is you have to love kids," she said. "And you have to give them a purpose… You have to create a relationship with them and you have to know them. When they know that you know them and that you care – and that has not changed – they will perform. And so that's what I try to tell new teachers." Throughout her career, she has looked for that "it factor" when interviewing potential new teachers. And, while it may feel bittersweet to be finishing her own career with the school district, Hamlin knows there are many younger teachers she hired who will continue to do great work there. "I feel like that's my legacy…. So I'm going to be behind them, just cheerleading," she said. Cheering others on has been a passion for some time. Hamlin had participated in track, basketball and volleyball in middle school, but wasn't as familiar with other sports before taking the athletic director role. "I go to so many sporting events now… I love to find an event and go and support," she said. After her own children graduated high school, she began cheering on her sister's children at their sporting events. Now, she has young grandchildren. She has also enjoyed cheering on students in the arts, and cheering students at Millstream who have found success with their career pathway. "Those are some of the greatest moments, when you can just see kids succeed," she said. She said she misses the "innocence" of the younger children as well as their willingness to take risks, to simply act rather than worrying as much as older children do that they might be judged by their peers. But Millstream has given her the opportunity to work with teenagers as they prepare for their own next chapters. Hamlin and her staff work in close partnership with the community, changing their curriculum over time to adapt to community needs. For example, the health professions curriculum now includes a mental health certification course as well as medical assisting, both of which were suggested by community healthcare leaders. In her 11 years at Millstream, Hamlin has seen a surge of interest in career and technical education. Millstream had about 400 students when she arrived there. Today there are around 850, with a waitlist of others hoping to get in. They come from 14 different school districts in Hancock, Wyandot and Putnam counties. "Definitely the mindset has changed," she said. More students are choosing to go straight into the workforce rather than going to college. For others, including students in many Millstream programs, college is part of the plan. But Hamlin said there's more recognition now that "college isn't the time to explore. It's too expensive." Instead, students can use their time at Millstream to do that exploration, making it more likely that when they do get to college, they are better prepared. She has enjoyed working with "an unbelievable staff" at Millstream, along with building connections with businesses who might offer apprenticeships and other community partners. "I have loved being able to be an administrator, a leader, but also to be a connector, to be an advocate, to be a coach," she said. "I get to play all these different roles in this position." She has stayed in touch with many graduates as they have embarked on their adult lives. "Graduation invitations are collecting up here, you know?" Hamlin said, gesturing to a wall where she had posted a few. "They start to invite you to their parties. I've been invited to weddings." She has even hired a former Millstream student who has come back to be a teacher. Hamlin has had students she taught return as adults, now with children of their own. Sometimes they stop in at Trends on Main, which she owns, to introduce her to their own children. "It makes me feel old, but it's really cool," she said. "And I love to catch up with them and hear what their life journey has been. It's been fun." Hamlin said that she has been running her business on nights and weekends while working as an educator during the day. During retirement, she plans to focus on the store and get back some time for herself. She also looks forward to spending more time with family, including traveling more often to see grandchildren in Florida. She also anticipates volunteering and has been asked to consider joining some nonprofit boards. "I will be plenty busy," she said. Hamlin said that she has had great educators and mentors throughout her own childhood and career. But most of all, it comes back to her mother. "She definitely just taught me to never, never lose that enthusiasm for what you do," she said. "Because the job is hard. The job is hard, and if you come with a bad attitude, it's going to be miserable. So you have to come positive every day. And that's what I try to do."