By Dani Tietz
Thirty years with the Oakwood School District will come to an end for Oakwood High School Counselor Dawn Lee as the 2022-23 school year comes to an end.
Lee followed her high school interests of psychology and social work, joining the Oakwood High School staff in 1993. She moved into the school counselor role in 2008.
“Both teaching and counseling have been challenging and rewarding,” Lee said. “Nothing is better than seeing those ‘lightbulb moments.’ It is pretty special to see a student work through something they didn’t think possible.”
Lee’s efforts led to the district recognizing her with the Crystal Apple Award in June 2022.
“I spend most of my time problem-solving,” she said. “I have worked hard to make things run smoothly for students and staff. A lot of my work is behind the scenes, but I take pride in knowing that I was able to make lives better.”
Spending all four years with students as they grow from a freshman to a senior, Lee gets to see students change a lot.
“I hope they see that it is important to keep things in perspective,” she said. “For high school students problems can seem monumental. I want them to remember to take a deep breath and know that most storms will pass.”
Those trials and triumphs all culminate when it’s time to walk across the stage for graduation.
Those moments were something she could share with her husband, Tim Lee, who retired as the Oakwood High School principal in the spring of 2022. For both, leaving their posts at Oakwood is bittersweet.
“Except for college and first four years of teaching, I have spent my whole life in Oakwood schools,” she said. “I have countless memories as a student, as a teacher/adviser/counselor/parent and even wife, since my husband worked with me. Our world has revolved around OHS.”
Lee’s time is sure to be filled with building memories with her two grandchildren. She also said she has “a pretty big ‘to be read’ list to tackle.”
