 |
| Southern Utah
University graduate
Pam Teel, center,
who is principal at
Caliente Elementary,
is shown with a group
of students during a
recent gathering of the
Southern Nevada Off-
Road Enthusiasts, who
were in town for the annual Dusty Times 250. |
CALIENTE, NEV. — Caliente Elementary Principal Pam Teel is living a life most of us dream about. A graduate of Southern Utah University, she and her husband, Kyle, are living in this historic little town situated about two hours northeast of Las Vegas.
Teel won’t forget the 90- minute drives to and from Caliente to Cedar City from 1991-1995 when she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She took the two-lane state road several days a week through Beryl Junction, Modena and Panaca before reaching the friendly confines of SUU.
The long drives illustrated the woman’s dedication to getting a college degree on a journey that created invaluable memories. UNLV would have created shorter drives, but Cedar City presented a greater reward with impressive scenery and a level of friendliness superior to the larger and faster-paced Las Vegas.
“I put a lot of miles on my car, that’s for sure,” Teel says now, “But I really enjoyed my time at SUU. It is a beautiful campus, and everything was great while I was there. Just the drive back and forth was relaxing. I wanted my degree, and nothing was going to stop me from getting it.
“To me, there was the advantage of the small town university in Cedar. We had uniqueness of small classes, a beautiful environment and the availability that we could walk anywhere.”
Teel received her master’s degree in special education from UNLV in 2002. The new achievement enabled her to run the Early Intervention Program at her school.
“I have also enjoyed being the administrative assistant at the school and hopefully have had a positive influence on the students and the staff at Caliente Elementary,” she said adding that she first taught kindergarten before becoming the school’s principal.
In her current role here, Teel is at the helm of an equally interesting community elementary school. She is thriving on the small town atmosphere of a town that sprung into existence as a railroad town about 100 years ago.
A recent gathering at Caliente Elementary featured offroad drives and their machinery from the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts, which sanctions the Dusty Times 250 in the area each year. As part of the weekend events, the school is the site of a huge gathering that has become extremely popular with students and staff of the school along with the competitors and their support crews.
“This has grown every year,” says Teel. “The racers are very generous and we enjoy the event that they provide for our school. SNORE has been generous with its donations to the school in the past.” The couple has resided in Caliente since 1991. The town has about 1,200 residents.
“Caliente is small and friendly,” she said. “It’s a great place to raise children and very community-based. I don’t have to worry about my kids here. We have enjoyed our rural living and are blessed to have the opportunities to vacation and visit the real world from time to time, but always enjoy coming home to Caliente.”
Teel’s husband, Kyle, is a fire ecologist for the BLM. Both are originally from Roswell, N.M. They have two children, Kaylee, age 13, and Sadie, age 8.
Mike Henle is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer and author of the book “Through the Darkness: One Man’s Fight to Overcome Epilepsy.” He can be contacted at mhenle@aol.com or through his Web site www.mikehenle.com.
|
