This school year, Sedro-Woolley School District is embracing the theme “Empowering Dreams. Rooted in Community.” It’s about honoring the people, places, and traditions that have shaped our community for generations—and recognizing how those deep roots continue to strengthen our schools today. Just as importantly, it’s a reminder of our responsibility to help students not only discover their dreams, but also find the pathways to achieve them.
For Erin McMillan, those deep roots began in Lyman. “I am a proud Lyman Wildcat,” she says, remembering her days at Evergreen Elementary, Cascade Middle School, and Sedro-Woolley High School. Some of her most vivid childhood memories come from classrooms filled with creativity and wonder—like Mrs. Joiner’s fifth-grade solar system unit. “She cleared out the desks, had us sit in a circle, and used props to teach us about planet rotation, the solstices and equinoxes. Then she brought in an inflatable planetarium in the Lyman gym! That experience made me beg my parents for a telescope. I wanted to be an astronomer one day.”
Alongside inspiring teachers, community members left a lasting mark too—none more than Erin’s elementary bus driver, Mary Lou Cabe. Riding the “Woolley Bug” every day, Erin learned what community meant. Mary Lou cared deeply about her riders and their families, even building a friendship with Erin’s great-grandfather, who drove her to the bus stop each morning. “She noticed if he wasn’t there and reached out personally when he passed. She was the first person to show me how much a caring adult can impact a child’s life.”
Today, Erin serves as the district’s Facility Rental Coordinator and brings that same sense of care and connection to her work. Returning to Sedro-Woolley after college felt natural. “I learned there isn’t anywhere quite like Sedro-Woolley. My son now attends school here, and I want him to have the same experience I did,” she says.
Some things have changed—like Starbucks arriving in town, which Erin says she never would have believed as a high schooler. But some things remain timeless, like the tradition of each senior class painting its slogan on the grandstand. “I love that the tradition continues. I look forward to seeing what each class comes up with.”
Janicki Fields hold a special place in Erin’s heart, with countless hours spent there for sports and community events. Loggerodeo festivities remain a favorite small-town tradition, too—something she believes sets Sedro-Woolley apart from anywhere else.
Her family’s history in Sedro-Woolley is tied to the town’s logging roots. “My great-grandfather came here for opportunities in the logging industry and even helped build the trails at Camp Orkila,” Erin shares. That history shapes her pride in calling Sedro-Woolley home.
Her advice to students today? “Show school pride. Do all the things! Be present in the moment. Take it all in. Some of your fondest memories will come from being a Sedro-Woolley student. There is no place in the world like it.”
For Erin, Sedro-Woolley can be summed up in three words: Home. Camaraderie. Historic. And in her work today, she continues the legacy of her family, her teachers, and her bus driver—rooted in community, and committed to helping the next generation of Cubs dream big.