Patty Vaughan, of Forks, will be retiring this year after 46 years of teaching at the high school and Forks Alternative School.

Over the course of her career, she has helped hundreds of children, including many underserved, achieve high school graduation diplomas.

She developed hands-on learning programs, including working with the ONRC and Rayonier doing owl nesting box projects and working with the local tribes doing hatchery and water quality testing.

She has written hundreds of grants for her Hypothesis Program, ensuring her kids have access to the latest technologies and science equipment.

When her school no longer had a bus driver, she went to bus driving school and learned to drive a bus herself.

She has won countless teaching awards including two Presidential Awards for Teaching Science, a Golden Apple Award, a Soroptimist Ruby Award, a Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition Award, and a QVSD Commitment Award.

Apart from being an amazing teacher, she is an incredible mother and wife.

Happy Retirement, Patty!