“I was barefoot on the football field and I had done my hair in the car. I couldn’t believe I won! My favorite memory was being crowned homecoming queen,” West Ottawa (WO) alumni Aubrey Poppen said. On what is now the middle school football field, Poppen experienced one of her favorite memories. Current students have the chance to create their own memories—whether they’re cheering from the stands at homecoming football games or being on the field themselves. This time, though, they’ll probably participate with shoes, in a slightly updated facility.
WO High School has a rich history shaped by growth, transformation, and a commitment to opportunity. Over the years, WO has expanded its facilities, welcomed dedicated faculty, and developed programs that enrich the student experience. This commitment to excellence in academics, arts, and athletics reflects the school’s mission to cultivate college, career, and life-ready students. Since the first graduating class of 1962, WO has developed a highly diversified, accomplished network of alumni each with unique memories and perspectives.
Though united by their alma mater, the experiences of these graduates were shaped by the distinct periods in which they attended high school, reflecting WO’s evolution through the decades. Meet five alumni, discover where they are now, and glimpse what life at WO was like for each.
Jean Hamberg: Class of 1969
“I started attending WO High School as a 7th grader in September of 1963 and graduated in June of 1969. WO High School had been in operation for only a few years at that time. By the time I graduated in 1969 we as a class had experienced the VietNam War, losing at least a couple of classmates to that war, the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and the beginnings of the civil rights movement. Flower children and hippies gathered in San Francisco and Woodstock and the shootings at Kent State happened during the summer just before I entered college. It was a time of great change, that’s for sure. I enjoyed my years at WO High School. I considered myself someone who was pretty conservative, not a big partier, or a member of a certain clique, but l got along with everyone and enjoyed my friendships there. I was interested in English, History, and Science classes and in those days the girls were required to take Home Economics class while the boys were required to take Shop class. Typing was also a required class for girls, back then gender roles and responsibilities were pretty well-defined and I guess the administrative staff didn’t think that typing skills would be necessary for boys. Of course, this was prior to the advent of computers, which changed everything! Music was a big interest and I was a member of the Choir and the Vocalaires singing group. A favorite memory of mine was participating in the musical Oklahoma by Rodgers and Hammerstein. I had a small role as a farm girl, with a few lines and some dancing, but it was great fun and all those who played a role in the cast or crew forged a real bond of camaraderie through that experience. On a much more serious note, I remember being in my English class on November 22nd, 1963 when it was announced over the public address system that our President, John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed by an assassin in Dallas, Texas. Some of the teachers and students were moved to tears, time stood still, and all of us were shocked and horrified. Televisions and radios were turned on to listen to the news in an attempt to make sense of it all, and there was a sadness that prevailed throughout the day. I was born and raised in Holland and most of my family still lives in this area, so Holland will always be home to me. After high school, I attended and graduated from Hope College, with a double major in psychology and sociology. I was married to Scott Hamberg, who had attended Holland High. I was able to find a job at the Department of Social Services where I worked in a program called ‘Zero to Five’, similar to the nationally known Head Start program. I held that position for six years until we started our family. When my two girls were beginning elementary school and computers were just coming on the scene, I took a couple of classes in Word Processing and worked for several years at Holland Hospital in an administrative position. Following that, my final professional position was as a training specialist at Haworth. My husband and I are now both happily retired. We have two daughters, Rachel and Katie, who both live in the Chicago area. We are also blessed to have many family members in the area who we love and enjoy seeing regularly. We’re members of First Reformed Church, and as far as hobbies, we both love to travel and are history buffs and so we have taken our travel trailer to most of the states in the U.S. at one time or another. I feel like I got a well-rounded education at WO, with many knowledgeable teachers and classes that were interesting and sometimes even entertaining! I had always planned on attending college, but high school broadened my scope as to which field of study I wanted to settle on. It gave me a wider world view, and heightened my curiosity, and although I chose Hope College I lived on campus without a car rather than at home, so that I could experience the whole social aspect of college life. Attending WO gave me the self confidence to search out new friends, many from different locations and backgrounds than me and to take on some classes that I might not have otherwise. One thing that was not offered at WO in the 1960’s were opportunities for girls to compete in sports, there may have been a couple of exceptions to that like tennis or swimming. I don’t remember for sure, but athletic teams like baseball, track, volleyball, etc. did not exist for girls. We did have cheerleading, but that only included a few girls. It has been fun for me to think back to my days at WO High School. As it happens, I was a member of the planning committee for the 55th Reunion of the Class of 1969 which was held this past September, and as such I was able to renew my friendships with quite a few of the women who attended WO High School with me back in the 1960’s. We see each other for breakfast once a month and also have online group chats. That’s been wonderful, and it feels like our lives have come full circle as friends from all those many years ago at WO High School.”
Brent Wyckoff: Class of 1986
“My experience was positive overall. I had a lot of difficulties to deal with as a child so school was my escape. I wasn’t the best student GPA-wise, but I was always here, literally, I never missed a day of high school, and I valued the opportunity to play sports. Athletics was my release from a lot of anger and frustration in my life. October 6, 1984, I asked my now wife out for the first time to the homecoming dance. Most other memories are sports-related accomplishments–most significantly being the conference and regional champion in the 800 meters in track. I enrolled in WO Public Schools in 1973 as a kindergartener at Lakewood Elementary and graduated from WO in 1986. I started my coaching career at WO during the 1988-1989 school year and began teaching at the high school in 1990. This means that since my enrollment 51 years ago, I have been a Panther as a student, athlete, coach, and/or teacher for 49 of those 51 years!. As a 56-year-old, I’ve been a Panther for 49 years of my life WO mostly gave me structure and purpose, plus the opportunity to participate. I was determined to succeed. I’m the youngest of all of my siblings, none of which graduated on time from high school and none immediately pursued college, and WO gave me a platform to do so. My wife Becky and I have been married for 36 years. We have two sons. Preston, who is 33 years old, lives in Holland and works for Bethany Christian Services working with unaccompanied refugee children. He has been married for six years to his wife, Delma. Our other son Dylan is 30 years old, lives in Chicago, and works as a Loan Trading Analyst at Alliant Credit Union. He has two dogs (Kaia and Poppy) and is engaged to Brielle.”
Crystal Morley: Class of 1996
“My overall experience at WO was a positive one. My favorite coach Mr. Weber was an amazing coach and role model for many! He made a difference for so many and for years after we graduated! After WO I continued my education at GRCC and played volleyball for them as I got my degree and dental hygiene. I have been in my profession for 25 years and still love it! I have been married to my husband Keith for 22 years and we have two boys, Carson who is class of 2024 and Kaleb who is class of 2026. They both attend WO. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I love to travel, cook, and bake! I am still best friends with my best friend from Woodside Elementary. WO was diverse which prepared me for when I went off to college and the real world! The teachers were willing to help in and outside of the classroom. Mr Jaeger was our super fan for Volleyball, making signs and coming to all of our matches. WO gave me the skills to further my education. Sports helped me become a team player while teaching you to juggle academics, sports, and social life. The community from parents, players, schoolmates, and staff made it a great experience!”
Aubrey Poppen: Class of 2010
“When I was in high school, I was proud to be at WO. After I graduated, I have always been proud to say it was my alma mater. I have found that not everyone from other schools feels that way. My favorite memory was being crowned homecoming queen! I wasn’t ‘popular’ but I was friends with people in almost every social group. I guess those votes added up. I couldn’t believe I won! I was barefoot on the football field and I had done my hair in the car. My favorite teacher was Mrs. Pierson, the choir director. I was a vocalaire and was in the first ever group of the WO Select Women’s Ensemble girls. I dedicated so much of myself to the WO music program. I even have a tattoo of a treble clef behind the ear that was always closest to her when we performed. I still sing in an alumni choir under her direction and call her Momma P to this day. WO prepared me for life beyond through this class called ‘successful living’. It was basically health class, but it’s the first time I learned about the five love languages. I still apply that knowledge to my relationships with those around me. Today I’m a single mom with a special needs son. He has autism, ADHD, and is on chemotherapy for a disease called Neurofibromatosis that causes tumors all throughout his body. For spirit week in high school I even dressed up as a mother for career day.”
Kira Guerrin: Class of 2023
“I had a wonderful experience at WO. I had many great teachers, classes, and made some wonderful friends, but the best part of my experience was the range of opportunities I had to explore my passions. From middle school to high school I became a singer in choir, a volleyball player, a woodworker, a swimmer, an avid reader, a student senator, an actress, a chef, a thespian, and even more. I couldn’t have achieved many of these various titles without the opportunities provided to me through WO’s plethora of niche classes and extracurricular activities. My favorite memory from my time at WO was when I was a part of the cast of Godspell. The entire duration of rehearsals and performances will forever be ingrained into my heart. COVID-19 messed up a big chunk of a lot of our high school experiences and Godspell gracefully guided me back into a sense of normalcy, while redirecting my values towards forgiveness, hard work, and joy. Now I am a sophomore student at Hope College, achieving a degree in elementary education, along with a minor in special education with a concentration in emotional impairments. At the same time, I work as an assistant teacher at the Outdoor Discovery Center, and I work with a variety of elementary age groups. I find so much peace in feeling joy for what I am studying. I truly cannot wait to become a full time teacher. WO prepared me in many ways. I felt very secure in selecting my major before I even began classes at Hope. Because of the wonderful educators I had at WO, I was inspired from a young age to become a teacher myself. I looked up to my own teachers and would take note of their teaching strategies and styles in hopes of one day being able to demonstrate them in my own classroom. I also feel as though WO prepared me with good leadership skills. With the extracurricular activities I was involved in, there were many leadership opportunities, and it was often that I would rise to the occasion. That has translated greatly into my life at college.”
Mark Cosgrove: Class of 2024
“I loved my experience at WO. I mean, I had my ups and downs as many students did, but overall I was extremely happy with my education and my extracurriculars at WO.
One thing that I think is really valuable is that WO is a big, diverse, public high school and now that I go to a small, private college, I think having both of those experiences are really valuable to me in the way I look at things in the world. Some of my favorite memories come from my JV basketball season. We had so much fun together just goofing around all the time, playing ball together, and playing video games together. Along with my shows that I did at WO, I made some really close friends and connections in the theater department. I now go to Taylor University. I am a vocal performance major and I have a minor in communication and in scripture engagements. I’m staying super busy. I’m in the Taylor Chorale. Right now I’m in a musical called Working. I think one big thing that WO has that I’m realizing other schools didn’t is our access to AP and IB courses. I haven’t met a single other student here at Taylor that had access to IB courses. One of my favorite classes I took when I was at WO was IB Theory of Knowledge with Mr. Jaeger. WO being big and diverse with a lot of different kinds of people, different opinions, and different cultures and backgrounds is really special. And that really helped to shape my view of the world, which is great.”
From homecoming queens and collegiate athletes to dedicated educators and resilient single parents, WO’s five alumni have ventured into careers and communities with skills and values shaped by their time at WO.
Although WO has grown and changed over the years, the quality of its alumni has remained constant. These alumni carry forward WO’s legacy far beyond its walls.
