Her kindness and joy was palpable. She loved Christmas sweaters and Disney World. She had a love for laughter and an appreciation for the wonder of the world. More than anything, her students were her home – she brought unwavering commitment to every moment she spent in the classroom.
Robyn Maddess, Special Education Teacher, passed away from terminal cancer early this school year. Maddess taught at BHS for 14 years, working as an educator, a mentor, a coach, a colleague and a friend to countless individuals in the BHS community and beyond.
“She, to me, is the single greatest educator I’ve ever met, in the sense of the depth of her love for her students,” said Mary Lundemo, special education instructional assistant. “[She] has gone above and beyond anyone else I’ve ever met.”
Maddess began at Ballard as an instructional assistant. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Teaching Special Education from City University, she took over the Focus Program for BHS students with intellectual disabilities.
“She made all of us better,” said Furman, focus program teacher and special education department head. “She taught me to be a teacher, and she taught all of us, and she really inspired us to be who we can be.”
For several teachers, Maddess was their first mentor at the school and taught them much of what they have carried through their time as educators.
“Robyn was my first friend here,” Mary Lundemo said. “She kind of mentored me, and I kind of still have always seen her as a mentor, and somebody that I’ve always looked up to.”
Many teachers emphasized that Maddess’s attention was always turned towards her students. She was always going above and beyond when it came to her work.
“Her biggest focus was her kids and loving her kids, so her goal was them being as independent, as successful and as close to their dreams as possible,” Furman said.
Instructional Assistant Natasha Lawson initially met Maddess when she was a junior and a student intern in her classroom. Lawson’s experience working with Maddess as a student inspired her to become a special education teacher herself.
“It was a natural part of her character to lift others up…,” Lawson said in an email interview. “Robyn checked in with me often to make sure I felt supported and that things were going well for the whole group of students. She always gave supportive feedback and made her students feel seen and heard.”
Maddess selflessly and tirelessly worked to create an environment to uplift those around her.
“She would constantly tell [her students] I believe in you because… students with disabilities face so many struggles throughout their life and aren’t seen in this building as people walk by them and people don’t talk to them,” Furman said. “Most students interact great with them, some students literally ignore them, and staff too. So the biggest thing was, she wanted her kids to know that she believed in them.”
With the goal of supporting her students in graduating from high school as independent citizens, Maddess provided numerous opportunities for her students to pursue their passions. From partnering with a mechanic to having students join an inclusive dance group outside of BHS, Maddess advocated for her students day in and day out to make their dreams possible.
“She just wants to make sure that everyone is a strong advocate for each other, and all of us need to be involved,” Spanish Teacher Eileen Yardley said. “Special Education is not separate… We are all involved, and we all need to be advocates. And she was the number one advocate.”
Maddess was also a coach of Ballard’s Unified sports teams. Partnered with Special Olympics, Unified Sports is an inclusive world wide sports program for high school athletes.
“I have memories of Robyn spearheading, starting Unified Sports here at Ballard…,” Yardley said. “Having her begin the celebration of… Jam the Dam, when Unified basketball played Roosevelt, and they brought in the band… and all the football players came, Unified sports really grew under her leadership.”
Senior Yaniv Nissanov, a captain of the BHS Unified basketball team, emphasized Maddess’s kindness and patience as a teacher and coach.
“A good memory is her always being there by my side, and her always helping me out when I need it,” Nissanov said.
One of Maddess’s main values was focusing on the positives, so much so that she had the word “hope” tattooed on her arm.
“That was something really important to her, always having hope, regardless of the circumstances, the circumstances that she was in, or students were in, or colleagues were in, to always have hope,” Mary Lundemo said.
Even during her four-year fight against her sickness, Maddess was always working to support her students and the community.
“Her impacts will always live within the students she taught and among the teachers with whom she worked,” Yardley said. “Her impacts within this building are phenomenal, in terms of the Unified Sports, in terms of the Life Skills Center, in terms of teaching other teachers and administrators and families how to advocate and include all students.”
Maddess left behind a legacy of love, joy and dedication, inspiring countless individuals at BHS and beyond.
“She’d be annoyed and pissed if we were sad,” Mary Lundemo said. “She would always say, ‘go do all the things that I can’t do. Don’t just sit there and be sad, but go out there and live your life.’”
This story was originally published on Talisman on November 20, 2024.
