From The Air Force To The Classroom

International Women’s Day was March 8th. To celebrate, PrideSource Today will spend this week profiling influential women on our campus. This profile is part of that ongoing series.

Most students and staff know Mrs. Stonerock as the upbeat figure racing to her classroom in the final minutes before the bell. Others, especially the students in her History or AVID classes, say that they remember her for her personality more than anything else.

There’s more to Mrs. Stonerock, however, than meets the eye.

Growing up, Alabama was an important part of Mrs. Stonerock’s life. From the lightning bugs to the grits, the summers she spent in Alabama with family were the highlight of her childhood, even once she moved to Colorado.

Stonerock continued moving even into adulthood, when she joined the Air Force, where she worked as an accounting and financial specialist.

“I chose to join on my own,” she says. “Having grown up as a military brat, the military life was familiar. Considering I was going nowhere and had no direction for my life, it seemed the best alternative.”

She was stationed in Germany, where she became close friends with the military folks surrounding her. One special man even became her husband.

It was her husband who brought her out to California, where they’d raise their three children.

“My husband was born and raised in Reseda, California. We ended up here after he retired from the military,” she tells us. “I love the mountains, the dry climate, and the cost of living here.”

After leaving the military, Stonerock didn’t plan on becoming a teacher. In fact, before teaching at Eastside, Mrs. Stonerock went through various jobs. She worked in restaurants, retail stores, daycares, and even in cemeteries!

Doing these random jobs showed her that she wanted to have a career helping others, perhaps as a social worker or counselor. So she went back to college.

“I started college at 33,” she says. “In my first semester of college I decided I’d like to teach. The rest is history — haha — HISTORY!”

Mrs. Stonerock has been teaching at Eastside for twelve years. She teachers history to sophomores and is also a part of our school’s nationally-recognized AVID program. She also part of the Biomedical Academy, which she enjoys. She especially appreciates the cohorted classes, the caring teachers, and the driven students. She also enjoys getting to help guide sophomores through some major life transitions.

Mrs. Stonerock is a gift to our campus. With her radiant personality and cheery attitude, she is an amazing teacher who doesn’t fail to brighten her students’ day. Growing up is tough. Mrs. Stonerock has been there, done that. She wants to help students learn from their experience — and from her own.

And for those students who feel lost or uncertain about their future, she often encourages them to think about enlisting — in the future, of course.

“Life goes way too fast,” she says. “You should enjoy every step along the way. Don’t rush it!”

Ross Coleman contributed to this article.