In front of the two-story building, centered between the stone benches, there is a memorial honoring Shelly Hoover. She served as principal here from 2011 to 2012. During that time, she was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a progressive disease that affects a person’s ability to move. She has now been living with ALS for over 13 years. ALS is the same condition that affected Stephen Hawking, eventually limiting his ability to move and speak.
Many people diagnosed with ALS face incredibly difficult decisions, including whether to undergo invasive procedures to help them breathe. Despite these challenges, Shelly Hoover has defied the odds. Today, she is a lawyer who attends political events and continues to advocate for others. She communicates using advanced speech-to-text technology, controlling it with her eyes through a camera that tracks her movement.
Mrs. Fernandez, who worked at the school during Shelly Hoover’s time as principal, shared her memory:
“I started at GEMS when Shelly was the principal, but she went on leave that same year. She was all about teachers building relationships with students and providing opportunities for them to be involved.”
Shelly Hoover’s story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.
I interviewed Shelly and this is what she said
“What could you reflect on your experience at gems”
This is an open-ended question that I could write a novel about! Great question. I’ll break
it down into various perspectives.
Students
Students are my favorite humans on campus. They each have unique talents,
challenges, and stories. I wish I’d had time to get to know all the students’ stories at that
level to bring out the best in them. For example, while observing classrooms one day, I
saw a girl struggling with a math word problem. She didn’t know where to begin. Based
on that observation, I assumed she had real challenges in math. I asked the teacher if I
could work with her individually for a few minutes. I discovered she was excellent at
math, but she struggled to understand English! I read the word problem in my broken
Spanish, and she was able to calculate the math, no problem! It’s all about relationships.
Staff
People assume that teachers are the school’s “staff.” And yes, teachers are crucial. But,
without the other school staff members, teachers couldn’t perform successfully. Who
are they? Custodians, office and attendance, campus monitors, cafeteria, and teachers’
aides. All of the school staff are here to serve students. It’s important to develop
positive relationships with everyone on campus. It’s all about relationships.
In General
GEMS is a legacy school in Lincoln. It was an honor to serve the students, staff, and
community as the Principal all those years ago. Something to remember, we are all a
work in progress. Students, staff, the principal, and the assistant principal don’t have
everything figured out. We all need to learn, work, and grow. We need to forgive when
someone doesn’t meet our expectations. We need to value, appreciate, and find the
good in everyone to succeed. It’s all about relationships!
What would you want to know about your ALS experience
I was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) while I was the principal at
GEMS, so my tenure and career were cut short. ALS is a fatal, neurodegenerative
disease. In a nutshell, the motor neurons, or motor nerves from the brain to all of the
voluntary muscles, die, and the muscles and brain can’t communicate any longer.
People living with ALS eventually can’t move, eat, talk, or breathe. I have a ventilator on
the back of my wheelchair that breathes for me. I can’t move my hands, so I have a
computer that uses eyegaze technology. I can drive my chair and use the computer with
my eyes. How cool is that? I’ve typed every letter of this document with my eyes. I look
at a letter on the on-screen keyboard, and that’s the letter that is typed. It’s much slower
than typing with fingers. Yet, I’m grateful for the technology that keeps me engaged with
the online world.
What I want you to know: ALS has a 2-5 year prognosis, and I’ve been living with ALS for
13 years. I’ve accepted what the disease has done to my body and live in gratitude for
every little thing I can do. Now, I don’t corner the market on problems and struggles in
life, right? We all face challenges. We can feel mad, hurt, angry, frustrated, and rejected
when we face challenges. That’s being a human. Deal with the feeling as best you can,
but don’t get stuck there! Return to gratitude as soon as you are able. That way, you can
work through your problems and be in charge of how you respond. That’s what I do. My
wish is that you can do that, too!
Shelly😃
Shelly Hoover, EdD
Former GEMS Principal”
