{"id":73751,"date":"2025-01-23T10:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T17:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=73751"},"modified":"2025-01-23T10:01:48","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T17:01:48","slug":"humans-of-nau-betty-hostetler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/humans-of-nau-betty-hostetler\/","title":{"rendered":"Humans of NAU: Betty Hostetler"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 93-year-old <\/span>Betty Hostetler<\/span><\/b>, making a genuine difference in her community has always been defined by one thing: the happiness, confidence and well-being of local schoolchildren. What began as an ingrained pattern of teaching and supporting her five younger brothers evolved into a prominent educational career in California and, later, volunteering in the Prescott Valley. Through NAU\u2019s <\/span>Foster Grandparent Program<\/span><\/a>, Hostetler has continued elevating and mentoring the students at Coyote Springs Elementary School despite multiple health challenges and throwing retirement to the wind in favor of changing little lives for the better.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was this steadfast dedication to almost a century of teaching that earned Hostetler a Lifetime Achievement Award from Gov. Katie Hobbs at the 21st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards in December. Read on to learn how Hostetler found her passion for education, how she reacted to statewide recognition and her advice for incoming teachers hoping to work with kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

What brought you to NAU\u2019s Foster Grandparent Program?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always worked with children. Coming from California, I was a part of the 4-H group and took care of a lot of children. I also worked at H.A. Hyde Elementary School in Watsonville for eight years. Then, we left and began managing apartments. Eventually, I said, \u201cNo. I\u2019ve had enough of this.\u201d So, we came over to Prescott Valley and looked around for a house to retire. When we arrived, I told my husband, \u201cI need to go back and work with children.”<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of my block was Coyote Springs Elementary School. When they found out I had been working at a school and in the library and on yard duty, they were glad to have me there. I got acquainted really quickly and worked there for two years. Then, I saw on the bulletin board a paper that said, \u201cJoin NAU and work as a foster grandparent,\u201d and I got contacted right away. I went right to them, got started and have been with them ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

I worked with seven teachers at once, and every half an hour, I changed to another teacher. If there was a group that was having a hard time reading, I would take that group and read to them. I worked with so many different children and teachers. I said I only wanted to work with third and fourth graders, but my name got around. Pretty soon, a fifth-grade teacher asked me to help her, and a kindergarten teacher said, \u201cCould you work half an hour for me and come down and exchange books with the children?\u201d I have no idea how many children I\u2019ve worked with, but I worked every day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

I love working with children. I like their expressions, and every time they take a step forward, I feel I\u2019m taking a step forward. I can\u2019t imagine anybody not wanting to work with children and help them get ahead. I love it.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a volunteer, what do you hope your students learned and gained from their time with you?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I hope they gained enough experience to go ahead knowing I was always backing them. When I took over the 4-H group, I taught first aid, mostly how to manage broken bones and things. Then, one year, a lady came back to me and said, \u201cYou used to teach me in 4-H. Now, I\u2019m a nurse.\u201d I felt so glad, knowing she was going on to help somebody else.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had five younger brothers, so there was a lot for me to do with children from a young age. All of us were 14 months apart, and I was the oldest, so I was always helping and teaching all my brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve mentioned feeling supported and appreciated by your coworkers and former students through things from help with health struggles and home projects to a festive car parade for your 90th birthday. How does it feel to know that recognition now extends to the governor and the state of Arizona?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Betty<\/a>I was very surprised. Why me? I see so many other people working with children, but I was the one who was chosen. <\/span>Joella Willey<\/span><\/b>, who is the head of our group, said she tried to get me nominated last year, but there was somebody ahead. When she told me she nominated me, I said, \u201cThat\u2019s very nice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But to finally get the award was just so surprising. I kept saying, \u201cNo, it can\u2019t be me. I\u2019m sure it\u2019s not.\u201d They had to keep reminding me about the ceremony. I couldn\u2019t drive anymore, but NAU had arranged for somebody to come down and we would all go to Phoenix together. One of the teachers I helped with backup work went with me.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was so scared because I had just had a heart attack and fell down the back stairs, hitting the mirror on my car and breaking my teeth out. I didn\u2019t have any teeth and was waiting for dentures, so I was scared to smile or anything. That picture of me with Gov. Hobbs, I was just scared to death.<\/span><\/p>\n

But I\u2019m just so proud of getting that award. I can show it to everybody. It makes me think, \u201cBoy. I\u2019ve really done something. I\u2019ve helped others, and that way, I helped myself.\u201d And am I going to retire? I don\u2019t think so. Not ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

When schools closed for COVID-19, I needed my knee replaced. I went and got it replaced, but it never did heal. Then, I kept falling and my heart got worse, but I still wanted to help the children. I asked, \u201cIs there any way I can do it?\u201d Through NAU, they let me do the work at home. The teachers bring the work to me and tell me what they need. I\u2019m five blocks from the school. I do all the backup work for five teachers, and it\u2019s really keeping me busy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of all, I can still be with the children. During the summer, they come over, bring their books and we share my front porch. We have Kool-Aid and read stories. It keeps me young, and it keeps them young.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you change as a person over the course of your time with Coyote Springs Elementary?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019m more supportive of children. I\u2019m more able to see how some children look like they\u2019re on the back track and can tell when maybe I can help them move forward. I try to see to it that they\u2019re all friends and all headed in the same direction. I really enjoy working with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d go into a room and a teacher would say, \u201cThis little boy didn\u2019t have breakfast.\u201d So, I\u2019d take him out to the cafeteria, make sure he had breakfast and take him back to the classroom. It made me feel like I was really accomplishing something. I can look forward to getting older, and I am getting older.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming educators who want to work with children and make a difference?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Build and learn with them in every possible way. Don\u2019t go in there thinking you want to do this and that. Go in there with the idea that whatever the teacher needs you to help them with, that\u2019s where you fill in. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can work with children and you have time on your hands, do it!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you could say anything to the teachers you\u2019ve worked alongside all these years, what would it be?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I want to thank them for giving me a chance to help them and to help both of us put one foot forward. With me getting older, any help I can give them is for their benefit and mine also. I benefit so much by working with different teachers and seeing how caring they are. There is no one more caring than a teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Betty<\/a><\/p>\n

And all those people at NAU who keep this program going, I couldn\u2019t do it without their backing. If I had not seen that advertisement and got in touch with them, where would I be? I would never have earned this award.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us about a significant childhood memory and how it has impacted your life today.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

My father died when I was 5, and my mother got remarried to his best friend. He said, \u201cI will take your boys, but not that girl. Get rid of her.\u201d So, I went to live with my grandparents and rode a big horse to the country school all day. All five of my brothers and I would ride on the back of one horse. I saw how that teacher would work with us, and I thought, \u201cThis is what I want to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What did you want to be when you grew up?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

A teacher. I would make my brothers work under me as their teacher, telling them to open their books and study. It really irritated them.<\/span><\/p>\n

That helped my kids when they went to school. My son graduated in the top 10% of his college. Teaching is just in my soul, I think.<\/span><\/p>\n

What have you been most proud of recently?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Being able to really hang in there and still being able to back up my teachers. They can\u2019t do all of this work on their own. I take math books apart, put the pages back in order and remove worksheets so teachers can just hand out their work. I do a lot of the bulletin board work, anything I can do to help them so they have free time to work with the children. I love meeting them. The children send me letters and pictures all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is your favorite way to spend a day off?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I love reading. I like to go down to the park. I take care of 10 feral cats. I keep the birds fed and the cats fed. I sit a lot on my front porch and read, and I just like to take in nature. My neighbor takes me for rides sometimes on Sundays. We\u2019ll pack some lunches and go up to Strawberry and places I haven\u2019t been.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is on your bucket list?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always wanted to take the train ride all along the Canadian border from San Francisco to New York. These are things I can\u2019t do, but other than that, I just keep putting one foot forward and stay in touch with my students and children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 93-year-old Betty Hostetler, making a genuine difference in her community has always been defined by one thing: the happiness, confidence and well-being of local schoolchildren. What began as an ingrained pattern of teaching and supporting her five younger brothers evolved into a prominent educational career in California and, later, volunteering in the Prescott Valley.…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":73756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1817],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humans-of-nau"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}