When the entire Cy Woods staff was asked to fill the role of new WildThings sponsors, Wendy Johnson and Cameron Rasp instantly knew this was their calling. They were quick to take on the unexpected task to help the school.
“I’m a graduate from Cy Woods, and I had such a great community while I was here, so it felt like a good way to give back,” Rasp said. “This is my first year not in a classroom, because being a campus instructional coach you don’t have students; I felt like it was a good way to still have that connection with the student body and get to know other kids that I might not know.”
Being the new sponsors, the two are overcoming a learning curve to figure out exactly how they want their program to run. Both sponsors agree that watching the WildThings take the lead has been very rewarding.
“They’re great kids and seeing the excitement of everything that’s happening in the school through their eyes is great. We’re all learning as we go: when to run the flags, when not to run, the flags, getting out of the way of the football players, you know, just things like that,” Johnson said. “We’ve encouraged them to also make this their own; if there’s some new traditions they want to add to the WildThings, if they want to do things a little different, just to make it their own group.”
One of the WildThings, senior Nyla Matthews, mentioned the possibility of adding new team bonding activities for the group. She hopes it will help connect the group and allow them to become even closer.
“We’ve talked about maybe implementing some kind of early dinner before the games with all the WildThings,” Matthews said. “[We’ve also talked about] maybe doing something like a WildThing of the week, or just kind of spotlighting those people that are really stepping up and doing a lot.”
The sponsors have had little concerns, aside from Johnson’s motherly instincts of making sure each student is fed and rested. Their main focus is making sure they create a smooth adjustment.
“I think just the biggest thing is us adjusting to the structure of football games and making sure [the WildThings] have the resources because we are both brand new to this,” Rasp said. “It’s learning both for us and them, so I think one of the things to keep in mind is how can we be the best sponsors for them.”
Coming in at the start of a new year, the sponsors find it encouraging that the students are able to figure out how they want their program to run this year. They have a lot more freedom and agency.
“I’m really excited to see how they progress in this leadership role because WildThings is heavy on leadership,” Rasp said. “Just to watch them get through their experience this senior year with this kind of position, this sort of school spirit, is going to be a great opportunity for them.”
This is a monumental year for the school, as it is the 20th anniversary of Cy Woods’ establishment. Both sponsors are honored to be the new sponsors during such a spirited year.
“I’ve been here since the very beginning; I started out in the science department then I worked my way up [to being the Director of Instruction Helping Teacher],” Johnson said. “I love this school, so I think it’s really special that I get to participate in one of the fun traditions that we have.”
Rasp has a unique perspective of the 20th anniversary because she is a graduate of Cy Woods. At this point, her life has come full-circle with her now sponsoring a soon-to-graduate group of leaders at the same school.
“I was actually a graduate of Cy Woods High School, and I graduated the year that the 10th anniversary happened; 10 years later, being able to be a different part of the 20th [anniversary] and give back to the community that was so important and integral to who I am today is just really meaningful,” Rasp said. “And with something like the WildThings, it’s so spirit oriented, so it’s very meaningful for all of us to work together for the 20th year anniversary.”
