While sitting in class listening to yet another long lecture, it’s hard to imagine that your teachers were once in your place. What many students today don’t think about is that teachers have been through those awkward and scary years too.

In 1980, Mike Croell walked through the doors of Broomfield High School for the very first time. Now, 36 years later, Mr. Croell teaches U.S and World History. Croell describes his high school days as a blast. He played football, basketball, baseball, and was even the sports editor for the school newspaper. “I remember one time we ruined the senior prank. They snuck into the courtyard and set up tents, and [the juniors] climbed up onto the roof and started pelting them with water balloons. They ended up getting in trouble, but we didn’t,” he remarks. “I also remember playing deep into the state tournament for both football and basketball, that was a lot of fun.” Croell recalls. According to Mr. Croell, Broomfield High School was very different back in the day. For example, there were no freshman when he attended. The school was only for grades 10-12, with a middle school added on the north side of the building. “The school has changed in a lot of ways both physically and demographically,” Croell explains. He adds that the structure of Broomfield was one of the major altercations; a brand new building for English and social studies replaced the old middle school. Because he has been at the school for such a long time, it’s no surprise Croell has had some interesting things happen to him. For example, April 2nd was declared as Mike Croell Day after he won his 6th state championship coaching girls basketball. “I think it’s pretty cool, but I’m pretty sure everyone has forgotten about it by now…” Croell laughs.

Mr. Marchi, also a Social Studies teacher, graduated from Broomfield High School in 1992. “I was definitely a ladies man back in the day” Marchi laughs, explaining how the social aspect was one of his favorite parts of high school. “Homecoming week back then was a lot of fun. We would build these big floats and have a parade around Broomfield. It got really intense, and some groups would even sabotage other floats,” he recollects. Marchi describes what the school was like when he attended, explaining how it was much smaller than it is today – with only 1,006 students. “The school is a lot more diverse now with open-enrollment and all. Back then, Broomfield felt a little more intimate, and the hallways weren’t nearly as crowded as they are now,” he explains. Not only has Broomfield given Mr. Marchi an education and a job, but also a wife. “I actually met my wife here, which is pretty funny,” Marchi laughs.

In 2002, Mr. Hazzard graduated from Broomfield High. “One of the things I loved most about high school was discovering who I was as a young adult. I also loved having the stability of a solid community and being active,” Hazzard recalls. “Back then, Broomfield was a small town. I remember being able to walk down the hallway and say hello to almost every single person in the area. Now it’s hard to remember all of my students names, let alone the whole school,” he explains. Although there have been many changes throughout the years, some things remained constant. “Most of the traditions – mainly with sports – are still going, which I think is cool,” adds Hazzard.

Like Mr. Hazzard, Mr. Lay attended Broomfield from 1998 to 2002. “It was the start of the ‘athletic era’ when I was in high school. That was when our sports started to gain momentum, and winning started to become a big deal,” Lay remarks. “I loved playing soccer and hanging out with my friends. One of my favorite memories was winning the soccer state championship my sophomore year, which was a big deal for Broomfield back then, and we didn’t take it for granted,” he recalls. “I also remember tearing my ACL my sophomore year, which was devastating to me because soccer was my life, but it also caused me to focus on school a little more, which was good,” he explains. Like Croell, Marchi, and Hazzard, one of Lay’s favorite teachers was Mrs. Babb, a now retired English teacher. Ironically, Mr. Lay, who teaches Advanced World Lit, was not a fan of Language Arts back when he was a student. In Lay’s opinion, the school has grown in multiple ways. “There seems to be less bullying now, and it’s a tighter community. Also, the school has become much more tech-based,” he explains. High school is a time to create memories that will last forever. Mr. Lay describes how the Columbine shootings impacted him, “We were sitting in spanish class, and our teacher rolled out one of those big TVs and turned on the news, but like high schoolers, we were just goofing around and flirting with girls and not paying much attention to what was happening,” he remembers. In addition to making memories, Lay also learned many valuable lessons about life as a teenager. His advice for students is the following: “Learn for life not for school. I think that today technology somewhat prevents you from fully learning. Make the most of your academics and learn for yourself instead of the grades.”

“Mr.Lay (left) after winning the state championship for soccer his sophomore year”

While teachers can seem boring and unfair, they too were once sitting at wooden desks. Although their adolescent years might not have had SnapChat and the Kardashians, they do understand the pressure that comes from teachers, peers, and parents, and what it’s like to be a rebellious teenager.