From sports to science.

These two subjects go hand in hand for science teacher Kathy Bevill.

Since she was a young girl, Bevill has been involved with softball and basketball throughout her elementary to college years.

While trying to improve her athletic skills, she developed an interest in how the human body works.

“That’s kind of what pushed me into the field of science,” said Bevill, who has decided to retire after the 2023-2024 school year.

After 39 years of teaching in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District – the first eight years at Troy and the rest of her time at Sunny Hills, she said she wanted to focus on spending more time with her family.

“I have a lot of mixed emotions, and it’s a little bit scary, but I’m excited about a new chapter,” the science teacher said. “I love this school, I love all of my peers that I work with and the kids are great, but I’m ready for a change.”

That change entails spending time outdoors and with her family, such as visiting her sister in Montana and her husband, Bevill said.

“I want to spend more time with my husband because he has some health issues,” she said. 

She said she’s also looking forward to getting ready for her 31-year-old son’s wedding at Oak Glen in San Bernardino County on Friday, July 5.

“I’m very excited,” Bevill said. “We love his fiancee, so I feel like I’m gaining a daughter that I’ve never had.”

FROM A TROY WARRIOR TO AN SH LANCER

Born and raised in Fullerton, Bevill graduated from Troy High School in 1980 and then attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, [Cal Poly Pomona] where she earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 1986, she said.

“My love for teaching came from my high school softball coach,” said the instructor, who also received her teaching credential from Cal Poly Pomona in 1987. “He was a really good positive role model in my life, and I kind of wanted to follow in those footsteps.”

Her athletic experience in high school involved playing softball and basketball at Troy; at the collegiate level, she joined softball at Cal Poly Pomona. 

Bevill said her high school teams won the Freeway League championships every year; in her senior year, her softball team advanced to the CIF finals.

Her educational career began when her high school softball coach – the same one who inspired her to pursue teaching – called her to offer her the coaching job at Troy after he had retired.

In addition to coaching softball and basketball at Troy for eight years, she taught part-time at Troy – two periods of physical science and one period of oceanography – for three years before transferring to Sunny Hills in 1992.

“I enjoyed my time there,” Bevill said. “My coach was a role model for me, so I kind of always wanted to go back and work with him.”

Her path toward becoming a Lancer originates from a conversation she had with the Troy principal.

“[The principal and I] were pretty close, so he told me about a full-time opening at Sunny Hills,” Bevill said. “He thought I’d fit in well, and they were looking for a softball coach, which was what I was doing at the time.”

She said she then applied and got hired at Sunny Hills, and the rest was not just history, but science, as Bevill started off teaching life science and ends her educational experience teaching biology.

“My time at [Sunny Hills] has been amazing,” Bevill said. “The school administration has been wonderful, always supporting us; the teachers here are amazing, and the sports programs are great.” 

ON BECOMING SH TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Every teacher faces obstacles in the classroom, and Bevill is not an exception.

“Students are so wrapped up in looking at social media and games that they have trouble focusing on the task at hand,” the science teacher said. “The phone pockets have been helpful, but the phones are still a major hurdle for many teachers.”

Despite initial challenges such as classroom management regarding use of cell phones and building up her curriculum for each subject,  Bevill said she enjoyed her experience teaching at Sunny Hills.

“I think I’ve grown a lot as a teacher just learning from other teachers here,” she said. “So I’m a much different teacher than I was when I first started — all of us are.”

Such growth eventually led to a majority of her colleagues recognizing Bevill as the 2008 teacher of the year.

“I felt appreciated and thankful because it’s from my peers who I respect so much,” the teacher said. “It just made me feel like I’ve been acknowledged somehow for the work that I’ve done.”

She said she believes her instructional experience with students who have special needs contributed to her receiving this recognition.

Many of her students, like freshman Caleb Jun, recognize her value toward their educational success in her classroom.

“The classroom has a family atmosphere, and Mrs. Bevill’s like a mother figure to all of us,” said Jun, who is in her fifth period biology class. “I play volleyball, and she always comes out to the games to support us, and I know she does that for many other students.”

Bevill also takes pride in the relationships she has built with students from the past.

“She’s really kind and good at keeping us on track, so I feel like I had a teacher I could just trust and hang out with,” said junior Caleb Van Hook, who took her biology class in his freshman year.

Through her time here teaching at Sunny Hills, principal Craig Weinreich said Bevill’s contributions to the science department and the school are greatly appreciated.

“Mrs. Bevill has been an absolutely integral part of our science department for the entire time she was here,” Weinreich said. “She’s very empathetic, and she’s somebody that works tirelessly to really help out our students to excel and become better individuals.”

CLASSROOM AND SPORTS MEMORIES

Bevill said one of her funniest memories in the classroom occurred around five years ago.

“I won’t name names, but a while ago, I had a student teacher who wasn’t the most efficient teacher, and when I was sitting up front while she was doing something, the kids had signs up that said, ‘Help us, Mrs. Bevill,’” the teacher said.

Additionally, she said winning teacher of the year in 2008 and defeating Fullerton Union High School in softball and basketball games were also some of her most memorable moments.

During her time here, Bevill taught biology, physical science, life science and PE. She also coached varsity softball and junior varsity volleyball.

“I stopped coaching because my son was at the high school level, and he played basketball and golf,” the science teacher said. “I wanted to be able to go and watch him play because I only have one son, and I didn’t want to miss that time.”

Bevill said she emphasizes the importance of work ethics with her students.

“Work ethic is crucial to success,” she said. “Smarts is good and all, but if you have work ethic, you can pretty much accomplish whatever you set your mind out to; it’s all about what you want to dedicate yourself to and work for it.”

Honors Chemistry and AP Chemistry teacher Andrew Colomac said Bevill was a positive influence and had a great impact on the science department.

“Mrs. Bevill is going to be deeply missed,” said Colomac, who had her as his master teacher when he first started getting his credential 22 years ago. “I have always done my best to live up to her high standards and feel that I am a better teacher because I was trained by her.”

The teacher said she hopes she positively influenced students and became a role model for them while working here. 

“I’m just fulfilled in the relationships I’ve built with students, and hopefully, I’ve had a little bit of an impact on them,” Bevill said.