Naima Dickerson

A poster made by ASB students that was hung at Adair’s ASB farewell party. The party was a total surprise for Adair, returning to her ASB class after a week on vacation.

From doing labs in her biology classroom to organizing school functions across town, biology teacher and ASB adviser Laura Adair has been hustling across campus since the first day of the 2022-2023 school year. Yet, due to a decline in enrollment, she is saying goodbye to Buena after two inspiring years.

Several teachers will not be returning for the 2024-2025 school year. While assistant principal Tiffany Dyer declined to comment on the matter, Adair made the announcement to her ASB class, May 14.

“Our enrollment can change over the summer, so next year might not look like how it looks now,” principal Dr. Audrey Asplund said. “It’s not uncommon to hire someone new over the summer.” 

While Adair’s passions guided her through her first semester of teaching biology, starting to teach ASB was like a plunge into cold water. The fast-paced environment and complicated grading system are difficult factors for anyone to adapt to, but Adair took these challenges in stride. 

“I have definitely learned [from ASB] that not everything goes as planned, and that is okay. Sometimes you just have to adapt to the circumstances and learn to grow from them,” Adair said. 

While the future of Buena’s staff currently hangs in the balance, one thing is for certain:  Adair’s undeniable impact throughout her time at Buena. Although her time was brief, she was able to help students break the cell wall and come out of their shells. 

“I had Adair in biology last year and I was very shy in the beginning. She always told us that she was always there to help and support us, which helped me become more talkative,” junior Nazaret Viramontes said. 

Aside from having Adair as a biology teacher, Viramontes joined ASB this year and has seen a new side of Adair’s teaching style. “In ASB I see her wilder and more creative side when it comes to heading events and organizing things within the class,” Viramontes said. 

Not only has Adair left a positive impression on students, but on some of her closest co-workers such as Meghan Malloy, the second ASB adviser. Both teachers were new to ASB but formed a close bond with each other as they took the reins of the job.

“We have been through thick and thin together, figuring out ASB. She is a very caring individual,” Malloy said. “Some days when I am feeling down and low energy, she will be the high energy, ready-to-go person and so we complement each other well.” 

After a successful start to her teaching career, Adair seeks to continue teaching biology and leadership to help students find their passions. Given the friendships she has built and the inspiring influence she has left, there is no doubt Adair will flourish in her future endeavors. 

“I have thought about going back to school and getting my masters in educational leadership,” Adair said. “I have really liked my time here and I will continue to teach high school students if the opportunity arises.”