OHS’ legacy did not just begin in 2002 when the buildings were painted blue and yellow, or when the SDOHS letters were notoriously cemented at the front of the school, but ultimately started with the woman whose name our school bears proudly.
Sandra Day O’Connor lived an incredulous life working to display fair justice, compassionate patriotism, and equality for everyone under the label of innate freedom — traits everyone should look up to.
“The fact that she contributed so much to the world, that she was one of the great leaders of this nation, and her dedication to lifelong learning, I think that is her life, and that is what we try to promote here at the school,” said Richard Weyker, government teacher.
Learn, Lead, and Contribute: the motto OHS students hear almost daily and see plastered to every classroom wall. Through advocating for historical learning opportunities, being the first woman on the Supreme Court, and contributing to America by giving back through her life of public service, Justice O’Connor is at the core of what it means to be a symbol of those attributes.
“She was a pioneer; she was a woman that was ahead of her time; she went out there and blazed a trail; I like to think that’s what we do,” said Dr. Lynn Miller, OHS principal.
Justice O’Connor set aside social prejudices and career constructs in persistence of perseverance as a woman in government. From working without pay for years before gaining a leadership position, to having a voice of public servitude and equality, she set forth a motion of determination. OHS has lived up to the same mission of success through the integration of technology, test scores, and pushing students towards their best futures.
“At the school, and even more than just this school, overall really taking seriously the need to educate oneself about their government and participate,” Weyker said. “That was what she wanted her lasting legacy to be, a society that did its best to understand issues from both sides,”
Following the loss of Sandra Day O’Connor, her legacy carries on through both the lives of those who pass through the school and the fight for social justice throughout the country.
“That legacy continues to grow and get stronger; I think for me, and maybe all of us, hope that when we leave this earth, we can leave a legacy that continues to grow, and I think when we look back on all the accomplishments that she’s done, the things that she has stood for, I think that that gives us hope,” Dr. Miller said.
As a light for women, students, and society alike, the impact Sandra Day O’Connor has left is something of remembrance of her character and a public figure worth modeling.
“I was required to read many of her decisions, and my impression of her was that she was an incredibly pragmatic and thoughtful person, she really took into consideration how her decisions would impact the lives of the people that she was ruling on, more so than many other justices,” Weyker said.
As an advocate for unity, Justice O’Connor’s career is an olive branch to every political party and the differences currently segregating society. A voice for pushing what is right for the country, and not her personal beliefs on a panel of justice and life altering decisions, is a source of hope in a politically divided world.
“Another thing that Justice O’Connor brought, was that she was able to be a stateswoman, but to be able to bring both sides together. We’ve lost that a little bit in our society where ‘I’m only on this side’, or ‘I’m on this side’, and I like to think Sandra Day O’Connor high school can be that blend, be that leader of saying ‘Hey, we’re going to be the best’, but we’re also going to do the best,” Dr. Miller said.
Her actions in court were both notable and honorable as a person, but also as an influential woman in government.
“Where she came from, and how she grew up was very important to first, the American dream, but also the American dream associated with women, who at the time didn’t have the ability to do what she did,” said Amelia Thompson, junior.
Growing up in Arizona, a woman who pursued her dreams, and lived a life of learning and giving back is a proud symbol of our school and the ideologies we hold here. It is something to never forget even as her presence sadly leaves us.
“We’re losing that example, we’re losing her wisdom, we’ve lost it ever since she left the court. Her way of really looking at the impact of the law, I think, is sometimes lost, and at a time more than ever when you need people to value learning about the government, we just lost one of the greatest advocates for that,” Weyker said.
A powerful representative of the free, inclusive, and successful parts of both the country, and our school, Sandra Day O’Connor will never be forgotten, as our school strives to honor everything she accomplished and so humbly handed down to us.
“My hope and prayer for all of Sandra Day O’Connor high school is to continue that legacy, not to forget the roots of where we came from, and what we’ve done,” Dr. Miller said.
