GCHS Faculty Experiences Baby Boom in the Pandemic Year
Kingston Duhamel was the first baby born in November to start the baby boom amongst faculty members.
April 19, 2021
In a year when a pandemic rages and causes constant change and tension, positivity is important. New beginnings or new family members often remind us of the positive aspects of life. This year, GCHS had a baby boom within the staff, with six staff members having new babies. Within 60 days, 6 babies were born reminding the Warhawk nation that there was hope for the future–especially for its newest members.
A new baby can mean new lifestyle changes for not only yourself but the people around you. Change can be difficult, but it also can be for the best. Edgenuity coordinator Nathan Sewell’s new baby Weston meant his son Wyatt would get to experience all the benefits of having a sibling. Sewell said, “The biggest thing I was most excited about was for my 8 year old to have a brother. He had been wanting a sibling, and Wyatt is definitely a proud big brother to Weston.”
History teacher Kenya Duhamel gave birth to baby boy Kingston in November, and she also agreed that he was a positive of 2020, and a much needed one for her and her husband. “I was excited about so many laughs and just experiencing everything through his eyes, and watching him learn. He is pure joy!” Duhamel said.
Adam Ivetic, a math teacher at GCHS and also the third staff member involved in the baby boom, was excited to extend his family, “My wife and I have just been very excited about starting a family for a while now. We are really enjoying watching him grow and learn a little more every day,” Ivetic happily replied.
Names were chosen for the new babies, and each is unique. Many were often chosen for a personal reasons. “My baby’s name is Elsie Annette Little. Her first and middle names are actually the names of my aunts, my dad’s two sisters. I had already loved the name Elsie from a book series I read as a kid, and my Aunt Annette died of brain cancer a few years ago, so I thought it would be a nice way to honor her,” shared Heidi Little, a math teacher here at GCHS, the fourth staff member within the baby boom.
Zak Musick, GCHS tech coordinator, the fifth staff member of the baby boom, wanted to continue a tradition when he and his wife Megan selected the name for their new son. The Musicks chose the name Asher Grant Musick. “For his first name, we honestly just saw it in a list of unique baby names and we fell in love with it! His middle name does have a more interesting story. My great-great grandfather was given the name Grant after the Battle of Vicksburg to celebrate Ulysses S Grant. That was in the 19th century. My grandfather also had a middle name Grant in the 20th century, so my father pitched the name Grant so we could have a Grant Musick in 3 different centuries,” Musick explained.
Alexis Cambell, one of GCHS’s math teachers and new mom to a baby boy, also wanted to have a family personal reference when naming her son. “His name is Eli David Campbell. Eli is the only name my husband and I could agree on and David is a family name for both of us.”
The pandemic has caused a lot of tragedy, but you can often find good in a negative situation. The newest members of the extended Warhawk family remind us that hope sometimes comes in small packages.
Noah Ballard • Apr 21, 2021 at 11:40 am
I think this is a heart warming and informative article. it was very interesting to read about all of the new children being born, the origins and reasoning behind their names, and the teachers who are parents to them, because I had no idea how many teachers had new additions brought into their families as of recent. I’m very happy for all of them.