BY AVERY PALSHAW
After working on and off for Carmel Unified School District since 1985 and contributing nearly 13 years of work at Carmel High School, CHS campus supervisor Tami Hardisty is retiring at the end of this school year with exciting future plans to travel with family and friends.
In October 1985, Hardisty began working for CUSD as an office assistant to the assistant superintendent’s secretary. She went on to work at the Carmel Adult School from 2001-09 before landing a job delivering food to CUSD’s elementary school cafeterias. Eventually, Hardisty applied for and earned the CHS campus supervisor position in 2012, which was opportune, as three of her four children were attending school there at the time.
CHS campus supervisor Tami Hardisty plans to travel and spend time with family after retiring. photo by AVERY PALSHAW
For Hardisty, being a campus supervisor allows her to interact and form connections with a variety of students on a daily basis, something she says she will miss about being on campus. She enjoys the little things about her job, like greeting the students as they pass through the crosswalk each morning and seeing quieter students begin to open up to her.
“I’ve always tried to get to know as many kids as I can,” explains the longtime supervisor. “I watch them go from a mere freshman to this well-rounded senior, so it’s great to see that growth in the kids.”
From her welcoming persona to her dedication to her work, Hardisty is noted by her colleagues as a vital addition to the CHS environment.
“Tami is the campus mom,” says fellow campus supervisor Josh Leigh, who has worked alongside Hardisty for 10 years. “She cares wholeheartedly about this school and all the kids in it.”
As for her future endeavors, Hardisty has extensive travel plans over the next few years, including trips with her friends to New England, Tahiti and Europe. The retiree additionally says she hopes to travel to Scotland, Ireland and London with her entire family next December, as a tribute to her sister, who had always wanted to visit Scotland.
While the supervisor is looking forward to this next chapter in her life, she says that she will miss the CHS students and staff dearly and wishes to see the school thrive even after she retires.
Hardisty says, “My hope for CHS is for it to provide a nurturing and healthy environment for everyone so we can graduate well-rounded young adults who can be adaptable to the inevitable growing change of our world.”
