Their unique and tenured connection to the area equips them to meet the specific educational needs of Siskiyou County families. But has time actually turned them into locals?
“When you move somewhere like this, if you haven’t been here for generations, you’re still a newcomer,” Theno explains, smiling.
“Everyone here all knows each other from high school,” Pyles adds. “I moved here 33 years ago and I still feel like a transplant sometimes.”
Golden Eagle’s history is rooted in the community’s desire for curriculum adapted specifically to the needs of the individual family. Living in Siskiyou County is sparse and isolated, with families seeking educational solutions aligned with their environment, values, and logistical complexities.
One of the educational challenges unique to places like Golden Eagle’s Mount Shasta location is helping students visualize and experiment with the possibilities of their future, regardless of whether that means staying or leaving. You have to be able to imagine life beyond a mountain you can’t see over or through.
“Things are pretty insular here, and you can grow up feeling constrained,” Theno explains. “The economy here doesn’t offer a ton of professional jobs. We have education, healthcare, law enforcement, and forest services, but there isn’t a rich tapestry of professional jobs, so you don’t grow up seeing a lot of modeling of great situations if you decide to stay.”
Theno explains that the exploration of alternative career development has almost become a requirement for those wanting to live and work in the area. “Those of us who have been able to go into certain fields while also living here have definitely had to be crafty about how things work,” he says.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself through this process,” Pyles says of her Reach experience. “I’m teaching and learning at the same time, and it’s taught me a lot about my own experiences as a student, and I think that has helped me become a more compassionate teacher.
“I’ve come to realize that I really want to work with kids one on one as a teacher. School can sometimes be a great source of anxiety for them, especially here, and I know what that feels like. I love helping them in that way, walking and talking with them. I haven’t figured everything out yet, though. It’s all still evolving.”
A willingness to adapt and evolve can serve as a consistent source of strength, and both Pyles and the community she serves have seen the benefits of creativity and perseverance. Efforts like hers showcase how rural and isolated areas can still produce their own talent pipelines. For Pyles, both Golden Eagle and Siskiyou County have been integral to her professional growth.
“I love Siskiyou County,” she says. “As a reporter, I’ve been to a lot of different places here talking to different people. A lot of history and diversity, all through Weed and Mount Shasta and Yreka. It’s just beautiful, and I absolutely love the people here.”