Latest / The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District / Episode #35- Brynn Erdmann, Auburn Mountainview Senior

Transcript

Episode #35- Brynn Erdmann, Auburn Mountainview Senior · The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District

• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, and welcome to the Recess Podcast.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Alan Spacotti, the proud superintendent of the Auburn School District.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: The Recess uh gives me an opportunity to share behind the scenes some of the people and the programs that make Auburn School District such a great place to be a student and raise your family or work.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: And uh the last several episodes, we focused on our graduating seniors.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, that's the whole reason we are here uh to support our students and get them to and through graduation and onto that bright future.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: And we have so many amazing kids.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: I literally wish I could do a thousand of these podcasts because um there are so many incredible kids that I've met.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, you hear about that one or two uh who maybe make a really bad choice, but my gosh, our kids are doing things uh on the athletic field in the classroom and music and theater and robotics and DECA and on and on and on, uh, just that are really amazing uh kids.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um I just heard uh Auburn Mountain View celebrated$4 million in scholarships.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna talk to an Auburn Mountain View student in a minute, but it gives you a sense of the breadth of the class of 2025 and the great kids who are out there.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: So let's meet that Mountain View lion right now.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we have senior Bryn Erdman with me on the Recess Podcast.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: Bryn, welcome.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, thank you for having me.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: All right, it's great to have you here.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um uh you are a proud Auburn Mountain View High School lion.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I've gotten to know you a little bit through uh some activities you're involved in, uh, some of the leadership work you do at the school.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so I can't wait to share you with our listening audience and uh tell some great stories uh from a really uh great high school senior in the class of 2025.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna start with a question I ask everybody.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: I love this question.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's so revealing.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_02: Tell us about your favorite teacher and why.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, of course.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um my favorite teacher would have to be Miss Chu.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: She has been my teacher for three of the four years at Auburn Mountain View.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: She was my um English teacher, so she taught me my honors LA um freshman year, my uh AP language class last year, and my UW composit composition class of this year.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um she's my favorite teacher because I really enjoyed having her teach me all there is about how to write a good paper, especially um going into college.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um and she also just taught me a bunch of different life skills and important things that I would need um in order to be a better person and um be a better student.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: So fantastic.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we didn't talk about this before.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I've only known you at Auburn Mountain View.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh where did you go to elementary and middle school?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I actually went to a private school, um kindergarten through eighth grade down in Des Moines called St.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Philomena.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um I spent a lot of time there.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um we did a lot of more like it was a small school, so um we only had a class about like twenty five to thirty kids ranging every every year, so small classes, so definitely a big jump to high school with um the 3A size that we have.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: So it's definitely different.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, good.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well we look forward to hearing all about your your time at Auburn Mountain View.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm gonna give you an opportunity to plug one other teacher.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: You have another teacher in your life uh who you see more than 180 days a year.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: Who's that?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, so that would be my mom.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um she has been a teacher ever like forever, um, since I was born.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's what she's always done.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Forever.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Forever.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um so she started in the Auburn School District just like I did, my freshman year.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: So we kind of got to experience what the Auburn School District was together.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought that was really exciting, and um it's actually really nice having her at school because I could always go to her if I need like a signature for a for a field trip or anything like that.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: She's always there, so it's nice and easy to to get stuff right away and and to talk to her, and she always knows what's going on, so all the teachers are constantly um telling telling her about like what I do and um how I'm doing and stuff like that.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: I would imagine that could be good or bad.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's mostly good.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: For you, it's probably mostly good.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of kids would be like, I don't want my teachers having a hotline to my parents.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um well that's fantastic.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: Is your dad an educator or is he working another field?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um no, he um he is a systems um engineer.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: So very good.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, thanks for sharing about Miss Chu and uh your your favorite teacher, and uh you're absolutely right.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: Writing is gonna help you so much in college.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll hear more about that when we get down to your your future plans.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um But let's let's talk about your time at Auburn Mountain View, and I know you to be extremely involved in the school.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: So uh tell our audience about what extracurricular activities you've been involved in in your school career.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um first I'll talk about ASB.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um I joined ASB my freshman year and I've done it all four years of high school.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um originally I was only going to be like for ASB, I was only gonna have like a smaller job.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't want anything too big, but then um the activities director um came to me and was and asked me if I would be freshman class president because no one was running for it.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So then I was like, sure, why not?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I took on a big role of being the president, which I had really no clue what I was getting myself into, but I knew I was gonna be a part of it ASB either way, so um either way, it I was gonna have fun.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I've done ASB for class and then I joined ASB Exec this past year, which we were focused more on instead of um class um jobs, we work more on like whole school type activities.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: So we did a lot of like setting up for different events.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um we focused a lot on the unified sports basketball game this year because it was being hosted at our school.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we did take part in that.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um other activities I've done also include uh various sports at Auburn Mountain View.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: I played softball all four years of my high school career.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then I also played flag football last year as um the school's first inaugural season, so I was a part of that.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then I also joined Cheer this past year as well, so that was really fun and exciting.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: That's pretty much all, folks.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, good for you.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um covered a lot of ground there, and I and I love so you start with a really academic statement about your language arts classes, uh, then you went to school-wide leadership.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: You also done sports, primarily softball, but also some like football and some cheer.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you have a really well-rounded resume.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: What's your favorite of all that?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'd probably have to say, um, school-wise, I really enjoy ASB.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: I play softball outside of school as well, so obviously I softball's a huge part of my life, but um ASB has really like given me more confidence to speak in front of large audiences.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's um created friendships with people I never thought I would be friends with outside of school, especially.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: It also has given me more opportunities to like think of new ideas and and create community within our school.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought that was I'm really special and I'm really proud that I was able to be a part of that.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: That is a great answer.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Auburn Mountain View really has it going on with ASP and student leadership.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I've mentioned on this podcast before.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_02: Many uh maybe all of the assemblies, for all I know, are student-led.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um Veterans Day and Martin Luther King I've been to.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they just do a tremendous job.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh students very heavily involved in the multicultural affair and just a lot of a lot of stuff, and you just see so much spirit around the school.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so that's that's a that's a great answer, and uh actually not what I was expecting because I know you're a passionate softball player as well.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but we we'll save that for a little bit later.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you mentioned something as you were talking about um the uh your ASB work, uh unified sports.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: And so I had the opportunity, the honor to uh attend a game that you guys put on.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I'd I'd like you to just take us through what that was about.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, for people who haven't been a part of Unified Sports, I mean, it was that night was probably the most magical thing I've done all year.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: So explain uh what you're involved in.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I was the co-chair for organizing the basketball game hosted at our school of kids um in the Unified Sports Program within both Auburn High and Auburn Mountain View.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: And so for people who are familiar, what is Unified Sports?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um so Unified Sports is a joined team with kids with intellectual disabilities and just um other students who um come together to help those kids be more involved and have a chance to be a part of uh a team that they know that they can um have fun and be their so themselves and just play a game that they've always wanted to try.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: And and so they go on the court.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the gym was packed.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was honestly, I went to a number of basketball games at Auburn Mountain View uh with the boys and girls team, and it uh none of them had the turnout that the unified game had.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: It which was really sweet and great, and they had the band there and cheer, and uh we gave uh our our athletes, our unified athletes, you know, the same or even a better experience, I think, to make it a really special night.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so it's really where uh I felt like the whole community came together.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: And and um can you just talk about some of the other things that ASB did to enhance that experience?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we advertised the event for probably about month and a half, two months out in advance.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: We we had to communicate various uh in various ways, whether that was through social media or posters around the school.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think there was an email sent out too that talked about just like a school letter that talked about um attending this event, making it special for the kids.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: We also had to collaborate with the special um the unified sports um teachers uh within our school and the other school to make things like uh we announced all the kids' names at the beginning, which has never been done before, and I thought that was really exciting and I think they had a lot of fun um doing that.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we had to get like rosters and all the kids' names to make sure that everyone that was attending or everyone that was um playing in the game was able to get announced and feel um their own sort of little um applaund of applause for when they ran out.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: Well thank you for making that such a special event.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um we'll go back to uh our questions that that we had planned, but I I think it was it was just such a great memory for me.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: I wanted to touch on unified sports for a minute.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: What advice would you have for a middle school student entering high school next year?
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I would probably say that um just get involved.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um I would say like get out of your comfort zone.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um do something that you wouldn't think that you would ever do, just try it.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Even if even if you seem it seems like it's not gonna work out, um, I promise you it will it will make an impact on you, at least in some sort of positive way.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um I met friends that are we are still friends to this day, um, since freshman year that like I didn't know anyone going into Auburn School District, so it was just really I'd say like just really eye-opening to meet new people and make connections solely based on us joining the same club or same activity.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I think just put yourself out there and um try everything and anything.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: Great advice, uh, and advice that uh you have lived and and have the authority to back that up.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are actually recording this graduation week.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and so sometimes I record a few episodes ahead, uh, but this is pretty much real time, so people might be listening to this right before or after graduation.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: What are you most excited about for Saturday's graduation?
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Celebrating our class for the last time altogether.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm walking with a fellow exec member, and um we before this year I really we didn't really talk that much, and I think I made a a deeper connection with him as a f like as like a deeper friendship connection through um just being together for a ASB exec all the time.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's just um it's a bittersweet moment just to be able to walk with uh someone who I just really created a friendship with this past year.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's really cool and I'm really excited to um celebrate that with everyone.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: Well uh I look forward to seeing you there.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Albert Mountain View does a spectacular job of graduation, all of our high schools really do, and uh it'll be a tremendous celebration.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so we'll look forward to Saturday.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um before we look ahead, uh what what what else is in your life?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_02: What do you like to do when you're not at school?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I play select softball.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um so not just for the school, but I play on a club softball team um called the Acer's.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's local, it's around the Kent Auburn area, so I'm a part of that.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I was an Auburn Little League umpire for two years.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um this year I decided not to, but um these past two years I have um been a part of that.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: I am a coach, I coach l uh lessons, softball lessons for younger girls within our community um who are in currently in Auburn Little League or Kent Little League, so I um uh do that.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um I babysit, one of my coaches' um kids.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then I also um volunteer at the Auburn Food Bank um with my mom, so I do I am part of that.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then um other than that, like just normal things.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: I like to hang out with my friends, go to the mall, um, we go to the lake sometimes.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then we also or I also um go to the gym or go on runs.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Just you know, normal kid stuff.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: Good.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: Sounds like a great life, and and I hear little bits of you uh giving back and uh helping the next generation, which really uh warms my heart.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_02: Alright, uh let's let's turn the page.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: I've teased it a little bit.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh what's next?
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: What's ahead for you?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you're gonna get uh get through graduation, you're gonna get to celebrate and spend some time with your friends, uh, and uh and have a have your your summer and then what's next?
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: So next year I will be attending Whitworth University.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um I will be majoring in biology on the pre-vetinary medicine track um with a minor in Spanish, and then I will also be playing s uh collegiate softball.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a lot.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's really terrific.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: Congratulations.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Uh yeah, so let me let me just make sure I have that biology.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh pre-vet, minor in Spanish.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: And uh playing softball.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: Well that that sounds like a a very full ticket, and uh I know you're gonna just uh do a great job there and look forward to following your career and uh whatever comes next.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: I I think you you just are set up for success.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_02: What is your dream job?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: So ever since I was three years old, I've dreamt of being a veterinarian.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm super excited that um I'm on the track and on the path to um achieve that dream and become a veterinarian um post-college.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: So do you have uh specialty that you would be interested in?
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh like I know some specialize in large animals or small or what yeah.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I haven't um fully decided yet, but um at first I was leaning more towards dogs or cats or small animals like like normal like people would think about veterinarians just tell pe taking care of dogs and cats.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: But um I go to Emerald Downs with my family sometimes, and um I would love to maybe work with um racing horses if I could.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Oh fantastic.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: There we go.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you could come back and into uh big industry in Auburn.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um anyway, whatever you end up doing, you're gonna be a big success, and I'm I'm really uh proud of you, and uh we're uh just excited for what's ahead for you.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we're gonna shift gears and wrap up and end on a fun question.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_02: So you think back to when maybe you were in elementary school.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: What was your favorite thing to do at recess?
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um this is actually funny.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: So um during recess, we had this cement wall uh that we would all like walk past and like line up by every um day before and after school, before we would leave.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: And we would take a kickball and we would play wall ball.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if anyone knows what wall ball is, but basically you throw the ball at the wall and you can only let it bounce once before the next person hits it against the wall.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just back and forth.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's like tennis, but just against the wall pretty much.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we loved me, me and my friends loved playing wall ball.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that was probably one of my favorite things.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then I have another one too.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: We would play bump, the basketball game, at recess.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there was a hoop under this covered area.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: It was outside on like the cement, but we would grab our basketballs and we'd line up, and it'd be like probably a line of like 15 kids just playing bump over and over every recess.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: Those are two outstanding uh sports that are great for recess, and I don't think either one has been mentioned on the podcast.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_02: So uh you're you're you're representing um I can think of some young people who played a lot of bump actually uh back when I was an elementary school principal.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so that's that's really fun to hear.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: Do you have a chance to play either of those games anymore?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um actually recently at a recent um grad party I went to, we played bump at part of my mission is to get people playing, and I love hearing that.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Well, uh Bryn, thank you for sharing about your senior year and your time at Auburn Mountain View, um and your your future plans at Whitworth and for being a part of our Auburn School District community.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you you've uh held up your end of the bargain and then some making it a better place for your your classmates at school and even some other kids, younger kids in the community.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's just a great way to go out.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna have a great graduation ceremony, uh, and then uh hopefully I'll I'll hear through the grapefind how you're doing in college and beyond.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: That has been that has been Brynn Erdman, uh our Auburn Mountain View senior, closing out our focus on the class of 2025.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, amazing kids, amazing kids.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: Please spread the word.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: We've got great kids in Auburn School District.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, if you know somebody who uh would be interested in this podcast, please share it.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_02: Please uh do all the things.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: This is actually the last recess podcast for this year.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: We'll be back in the fall.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so I want to thank everybody for being a part of this.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'd also like to thank Vicky Alonzo, our communications director, for making it happen behind the scenes.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: Couldn't do this without her.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but most of all, thank you for listening, and we will see you next school year on the Recess Podcast.