Community Champion: Hazel Pearson
It’s time to recognize a Community Champion, an honor given to people making a positive impact in the community.
It’s in partnership with Leaders Credit Union.
“If there is no history, you don’t know what you have been through and how you got to where you are,” said Doris Weddle, a West High Alumna.
Hazel Pearson is a retired educator and a leader in the efforts to help keep legacies alive by uniting alumni of East and West High Schools.
“I love East High because we had some very good teachers who really cared about us. Really cared about us. When it closed it was a sad day,” said Carolyn Ewing, an East High Alumna.
“I was a basketball player. And we loved it because we brought trophies home every year,” said Katherine Bond, a West High Alumna.
And it was items like trophies, graduation photos, and other memorabilia that Pearson has helped salvage. Otherwise, it would have been thrown away.
“We lost a lot of things that we had, you know. But just, you know, grateful that some of the things were saved. And, you know, and that’s what’s in the museum now. That’s some of our pictures,” said Lillie Rogers, an East High Alumna.
The West-East High Schools Museum was created to preserve history for the generations to come.
“You need to know where you come from, and you need to be able to show your children, your grandchildren, you know, where it all started,” Ewing said.
Ewing says if it wasn’t for Pearson, she wouldn’t be able to reflect on a time that helped mold her into the person she is today.
“And I’m especially indebted to her for allowing East High to store their pictures and other, you know, memories that we have in the building,” Ewing said.
In addition to the museum, Pearson has helped revive the former West High School building. And she says it wasn’t an easy journey.
“We had 701 in our bank account when we started it, with no money. And I thought, ‘What am I getting into?’” Pearson said.
But she says it’s the team around her that plays a major part in getting the work done.
“You come one day and you see something has changed and it’s looking better. It makes you want to come and do more. And I think that’s what we got from her. And she was always smiling. I said, ‘That’s what I want is to be able to smile like Miss Pearson, through the tough and all,’” Weddle said.
This group of alumni shared that they hope the next generations can follow their lead.
“They will at least have something to build on and they can look at all of us and say, ‘This is what they worked on.’ And maybe they will continue the legacy,” Weddle said.
Up next, Pearson hopes to get the former West High School building recognized as a historical site.
If you know someone doing good in their community, nominate them here.
