Carolyn McDonald, yearbook sponsor and business teacher, and Athletic Director Brian McDonald will be retiring at the end of the school year. According to staff and students alike, the married couple has left a lasting impact throughout their time at VHHS. Mr. McDonald will be completing his 18th year at VHHS, while Mrs. McDonald will be completing her seventh year.

Lynne Benson, career and technical education department chair, helped hire Mrs. McDonald and knew right away that she was an awesome person. Benson and Mrs. McDonald also shared a classroom and taught yearbook together for a number of years.

“[Mrs. McDonald’s] sense of humor goes a long way with students. It’s a lot of fun for them to be in her classes. She’s an excellent teacher, and that shows through in her planning, in her lessons, [and] in the projects she’s created for her classes. [Her classes] are very project-oriented, which I think a lot of students enjoy and appreciate,” Benson said.

Benson said Mrs. McDonald always makes her smile and laugh and is always there to check on her.

“I’m going to miss her smile and her thoughtfulness… She’s someone who has gone out of her way to make sure that I know I’m cared about,” Benson said.

Elsie Sheridan (10), who has taken one year of yearbook, and Clara Sheridan (12), who has taken 3 years of yearbook, both said Mrs. McDonald’s care for her students is clear.

“Mrs. McDonald really cares about getting to know each of her students, which I think is really nice. She wants to help you succeed in every way,” Elsie Sheridan said.

Clara Sheridan agreed with her sister.

“She’s been a great person to talk to when I’m struggling… She’s always been there for me, and I really appreciate that,” Clara Sheridan said.

Elsie Sheridan shared that Mrs. McDonald’s humor throughout yearbook and journalism’s trip to Philadelphia this school year were some of her favorite memories with Mrs. McDonald.

Mr. McDonald also left a lasting impression on VHHS, according to staff. Chris Curry, assistant athletic director and English teacher, has worked closely with Mr. McDonald since 2008. According to Curry, as
the Athletic Director, Mr. McDonald added Girls’ Badminton and Girls’ Flag Football to the list of athletic offerings at VHHS.

Curry also said Mr. McDonald has worked to expand the usage of the turf and stadium, so it can be used for more contests. Additionally,on Wednesday mornings, Mr. McDonald runs a leadership program for student-athletes nominated by their coaches, which was not offered at Vernon Hills prior to his hiring.

Curry said Mr. McDonald is an athletic director who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. When the VHHS athletic programs held a fundraiser in which mulch was bought and spread, Mr. McDonald brought his shovel and truck and pitched in with other Vernon Hills athletes.

“Most of my favorite memories from Mr. McDonald is from him just digging in and doing something physical, fixing [something]. He was out earlier this year pressure washing the softball dugouts. He was covered in muck, but he just loves it and he’s in there doing it,”Curry said.

Curry has also learned a lot from Mr. McDonald about how to handle stressful situations in the athletic office, such as when a lot of sports are starting at the same time, or how to deal with an influx of weather cancel-lations and changes. According to Curry, Mr. McDonald is skilled in deescalating emotional situations between athletes, coaches and spectators.

“They talk about having a view from high up above and being able to see it all, and I think he’s helped me help our coaches and our athletes see everything not just from a personal perspective, but how things fit into the bigger picture, [and how] athletics fit into the educational program,” Curry said.

Curry said that he anticipates Mr. McDonald to be around VHHS, even following his retirement.

“When Dr. Guillaume and [Mr. McDonald] retire, I think those two will be puttering around this campus for a long time fixing things, because, you know, old guys like to fix things,” Curry said.

According to Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, VHHS is more than just their place of work. Their sons, Jack, Jimmy, and Johnny all graduated from the high school, and they have been Vernon Hills community members since 2009.

“For a long time in my job, I got to watch my kids and my friends play sports. That’s awesome, and it was a really fun time… Our kids had a terrific high school experience [and] positive impacts by teachers and coaches here at Vernon Hills, and we are forever grateful,” Mr. McDonald said.

Mrs. McDonald began teaching at VHHS when Johnny had already graduated, Jimmy was a senior, and Jack was a sophomore. Although she never taught any of her children, she taught her son’s friends, whom she knew very well, and she said it was a very fun experience.

“The teachers and coaches have done so much for my children. I could cry thinking about it. They have helped them through so many tough times being a teenager and growing up, encouraging them and pushing them. We’re so fortunate,” Mrs. McDonald said.

Jimmy, who graduated from VHHS in 2019, said his parents were always very supportive in both his athletic and academic endeavors throughout high school. He is grateful that he had the opportunity to see his parents more often than other high school students are able to see their own parents.

“It was cool to see my parents in a professional setting and really excel at their job, and hearing from my friends the difference that [my parents] made in [their] lives was pretty cool to see,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy said he is inspired by his dad and tries to take the lessons his dad taught him into his own life.

“My dad is the hardest working person I know. He was a guy that never complained about a single thing, no matter what cards life handed him… You see that on a daily basis, running around sporting events, things that stress most people out. My dad was always very cool and collected, ” Jimmy said.

Jimmy noted that his mom cares about her kids more than anything else in the world.

“I can still recall at cross country meets, my mom would be screaming louder than anyone else. At the time, it was a little bit embarrassing, but looking back on it, it was pretty sweet that I had a parent that cared so much about whatever I was currently pursuing,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy said his parents are excited about retirement, but he believes they are going to have a hard time leaving Vernon Hills High School, because it means a lot to them.

“I think they’re going to have to find a way to make sure they don’t have too much free time in their early years of retirement, otherwise they’re going to be back volunteering at the high school every weekend,” Jimmy said.