COLETTE QUAM
I am a Sisseton, South Dakota native. My parents have a farm on the eastern edge of Sica Hollow State Park. What a wonderful place to have as a back yard! I spent many hours exploring creeks and pastures as a child, and as a teenager spent many hours on horseback expanding my explorations to all corners of the park. I also became an accomplished farm hand. When most girls my age were learning to cook or sew, I was busy chasing cattle, mowing hay, raking hay, driving grain truck, and other duties as assigned.
I graduated from SHS in 1974. School was quite different back then with "modular scheduling" being the education fad at the time. The school day was divided into 21 periods with different subjects being allotted different numbers of "mods". I think the intended objective was to allow students to seek individual help. I, however, used the extra time to hang out in the gym!
Another difference in education back in the early 70's was the lack of opportunities for girls in sports. My freshman year in high school marked the first time ever that girls were allowed to compete in a sport in Sisseton. The one and only sport for girls was track. We had no uniforms - just those horrible one piece, zip up the back, physical education outfits. My first track meet was in Summit, S.D. Summit didn't have an actual "track", however, and as a result, the 440 yard dash was run as two times around the goal posts of the football field. The take-off for long jump and high jump was the grass of the football field! There were two other activities offered for girls: Girls Athletic Association and gymnastics/tumbling. G.A.A. was somewhat like intramurals. One afternoon per week we competed in volleyball, basketball, or bowling. The tumbling group performed at half time of basketball games. We did trampoline, mini tramp, pyramid building, tumbling passes, and all sorts of fun stuff. As seniors, we had our first ever gymnastic meet. That was a very big day! In 1975, Sisseton offered competitive girl's basketball for the first time. How I would have loved that opportunity!
SDSU was my destination in the fall of 1974. I chose to major in physical education and minor in general science. I also participated in track where my specialty was the high jump. Along with some friends who shared a love for gymnastics, I began my career as a gymnastics judge. I judged the state meet for the first time in 1977 and every one thereafter until my "retirement" from gymnastics in 1990.
Roncalli offered me my first job back in 1978 and I've been here ever since. Aberdeen is a great place to live and Roncalli is a fabulous place to work! Over the years I have taught physical education, physical science, and earth science and have coached basketball, volleyball, track, and tennis. I have also served as tournament director for the C.C.Lee Tennis Tournament for 15 years, officiated high school volleyball for 13 years, and served as board member at Moccasin Creek Country Club for 6 years. I am past president of the Aberdeen Women's Tennis Association, Moccasin Creek Women's Golf Association, and South Dakota Gymnastics Association. My hobbies include playing golf and tennis, reading, playing bridge, and scrapbooking.