On Nov. 19, friends and colleagues of June Grimm will be thanking her for two decades of service to the Allan Hancock College English as a Second Language (ESL) program during a luncheon at Olive Garden in Santa Maria. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Grimm, 83, came to Santa Maria in 1987 after a full career as a high school teacher and counselor.
“I just wasn’t ready to stop teaching,” Grimm told the Sun.
After starting part-time in the ESL department—though it wasn’t quite a “department” yet back then—Grimm quickly climbed her way to lead teacher and took on more credit and non-credit classes.
“When we started out, we didn’t have any place to be,” Grimm said. “We didn’t have any books. We didn’t have a curriculum.”
But as lead teacher, Grimm was able to change all that, ushering in a new era for the ESL department.
“She was very instrumental in the ESL program,” Grimm’s co-worker Donna Shpak said. “She inspired a lot of people because the department was kind of treated like an unwanted stepchild at the college for a long time.”
When asked the secret to her success, Grimm said: “You have to always identify the needs of your students and teach from there.”
Along with her masterful teaching skills, Grimm was also known for her mentoring ability.
“You can ask her about a problem or dilemma you’re having in the classroom and immediately she will have an answer. She’ll say, ‘Well, why don’t you try this,’ or ‘This is something that really worked for me,’” co-worker Evelyn Delany said.
And while some might view working part-time as an ESL instructor as a thankless job, Grimm said that her work at Allan Hancock College has been some of the most rewarding work she’s accomplished in her lifetime.
“My 21 years [have] been the brightest spot in my life,” Grimm said. “I enjoyed teaching high school, but working at the college was a completely different ballgame.”
Grimm added that she will miss working with her adult students.
“They’re such wonderful people,” she said. “They just put you to shame with their graces, and they work so hard.”
Grimm said she “left the option open to come back in a year” but is expecting to retire at the end of this year. Still, she is confident that the program will continue to thrive without her.
For more information about the event honoring Grimm, call Shpak at 937-2626 or Delany at 773-1389.
June Grimm, an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at Allan Hancock College, has spent the last two decades developing and strengthening the department. Friends and colleagues of Grimm will be hosting an event in her honor on Nov. 19 at the Olive Garden in Santa Maria, 1210 South Bradley Road, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
School Scene is compiled by Staff Writer Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Nov 13-20, 2008.