In the spirit of September and those once-a-year days when YOU got to be the focus of sharing time, we’re introducing Back to School, AMR-Style. For much of September, we are dropping into the memory banks of your youth to share a few K-12 memories—with a little splash of AMR flavor, naturally.

Erica in her finest formal

Name: Erica Williams
Current Age: 37
Current Location: Augusta, GA
Schools Attended: Chimney Lakes Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida: Laurel Woods Elem. Laurel, Maryland: West Reslip Elem. London, England: London Central and Cloverleaf High School, Lodi Ohio

Most vivid memory of PE class: The parachute game and those scooters that hurt when your finger got run over.

Best event on the Presidential Physical Fitness Test: The sit-ups were usually my favorite.

Sports teams in school? I did track and then ended up joining cross country, and that led to new friends at a new school and running in college, which I never thought I would do.

Favorite school supply to buy: I like folders because you can get a different color.

What’s one random lesson that you clearly remember being taught, but has absolutely no application to your life now? All algebra!! I would rather write a paper than do any math.

My fave clothing item from middle school: I had those Birkenstock clogs that were so comfortable and short overalls were so cool.

What profession did you think you would be when you were young? Did you follow that path or something totally different? I thought I would be a teacher but I ended up joining the Army, and now I am a stay-at-home mom!

If you taught a class in running to high schoolers, what would the first lesson be called? It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and taking one step is all you need to get started.

Is there some question which you’d like to pose for advice from our community? How do you find motivation to run when you move to a new place?

Name: Heidi Mischel
Current Age: 53
Current Location: Corona, SD
Schools Attended: Koch Elementary, Milbank Middle School and Milbank High School

What is your most vivid memory of PE class in elementary, middle, or high school? I remember being excited to get to middle school and getting to change into “gym clothes” and showering after class. It’s funny that this was a big deal. 

Tiny Heidi rocking it on the lake

Did you play any sports? If so, give us a highlight: I played basketball and volleyball all through high school (road the bench, more like it). I ran track for part of my freshman year. I got stress fractures in both shins from running the hallways in the school during the winter.

What is/was your favorite school supply to buy? Why? Covers for the textbooks. We would get wild wrapping paper to cover the books, and it was fun to then coordinate the wrapping paper to the notebooks and folders for each class.

Hot lunch or cold lunch? I was lucky enough to live close to the schools, so I went home for lunch most days. If I had to eat the school, it was cold lunch.  

Favorite item of clothing from middle school? A polo shirt with an oxford over it. I loved wearing this for school pictures.

What profession did you think you would be when you were young? Did you follow that path or something totally different?

I wanted to be a long road trucker with a dog as my copilot. My favorite TV show growing up was BJ and the Bear. I did not follow this path; my college degrees are Athletic Training and Health Fitness.

If you had to do high school over again, what one thing would you definitely change? I went to a small school and lived in the shadow of  my older sisters. I would have made sure to be my own person instead of hiding.

If you taught a class in running to high schoolers, what would the first lesson be called? That walk breaks is okay during a run. Forward movement is forward movement. There would be no pressure to meet a certain time or pace.