The Mentor of Mt. Carmel

Fall is in the air! Summer’s over and “Back to School” shopping days are gone. Books and school supplies have made their way into the classroom, and the 2018-19 school year is well underway. I’m ready to begin the new school year too, visiting some of the talented teachers and administrators in Montecito and Santa Barbara. New beginnings in the aftermath of December and January’s tragedies assume a deeper meaning now than in the past. Stories of survival are yet to be told, stories I’m anxious to hear.

At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, the campus was buzzing with action. Children and young people were on the playground with teachers in and out of the office as Tracie Simolon, Mt. Carmel’s principal, welcomed me into her office overlooking the playground. “Mt. Carmel School has been part of the Montecito community for a long time, in fact since 1944,” begins Tracie. “The school started on the present grounds in a small cottage with thirty students and was administered by the Immaculate Heart sisters, an educational order. As the student population grew, space became an issue.”

The current school building was constructed in multiple phases beginning in 1953, and Mt. Carmel School has grown to now serve children from pre-kindergarten through 8^th grades. Since the early ’90s, lay teachers have replaced the nuns, and today a committed faculty and staff of 22 serve with the same enthusiasm as their predecessors, many longer than 10 years. “This is a pretty good place to be,” affirms Tracie, “I’m so lucky to be here in this school community and working with such a dedicated staff.”

Mid-western Girl

A native of Indiana, Tracie grew up in Rushville with her parents and three siblings. “I come from what you might call an extended family,” she laughs. “I have fifty first cousins!” Since the family lived in close proximity to one another, those who could convened on Sunday night for dinner at their grandparents’ house. “Having fun with my cousins on those Sunday afternoons included climbing the apple tree in my grandparents’ back yard and having watermelon seed-spitting contests,” she chuckles.

Tracie’s parents had a strong work ethic and brought their children up that way. Her father, a grocer, loved people as much as he loved his job, and her mother was a teacher at a church school and eventually opened a preschool of her own. “Sounds like I had a pretty ideal childhood, doesn’t it?” Tracie says, answering her own question: “Actually, I believe I did!”

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame as a business major, Tracie questioned a career in the business world. Being uncertain, she took a break to think things out before making a commitment. Service to others had been a strong emphasis at home, so she accepted a position as an AmeriCorps volunteer in a tuition-free Catholic school in an underserved area of San Diego. Her choice was somewhat familiar, as she’d occasionally helped her mother at her school. An added benefit was that the volunteer program was in partnership with the University of San Diego and offered an opportunity to earn a teaching credential while working. 

“The minute I walked in the classroom in San Diego, I knew I wanted to be a teacher!” Tracie exclaims. “These were kids who fell through the cracks educationally and hadn’t been exposed to much. This really appealed to me; the challenge was exciting and an opportunity to learn.”

The families, many of whom were recent immigrants, really appreciated a faith-based education such as the one the school offered. Many of the students were at risk for gang membership and other poverty-related issues, so guidance in a setting where religious values were being reinforced was important. “I loved working with those kids,” Tracie recalls. “I had the feeling that we opened doors for each other – the gift they gave me was the knowledge that I wanted to work with kids and felt at home in the teaching profession.” 

Settling in Santa Barbara

After finishing her program at the University of San Diego, complete with teaching credentials, Tracie got married. She moved to Santa Barbara with her husband, Brian, who was completing a master’s degree in engineering at UCSB. Luck continued to remain by her side when Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School offered her a position as a 7^th-grade and middle-school math teacher – her very first job. Brian found a position as an engineer in the Santa Barbara area.

Although the couple had planned to settle in Indiana upon graduation, the fates had something else in store for them. “As our children came along, Santa Barbara seemed more and more like home. I loved Mt. Carmel School and the sense of community I felt there. My fellow staff members were like an extended family to me. Brian and I both loved the area so… we just stayed.” In the fall of 2011, the Mt. Carmel principal at the time, Karen Regan, asked Tracie to join her as vice-principal. Five years later, Karen accepted a position at Bishop Diego High School, where she serves as head of school and Tracie took over the reins at Mt. Carmel. 

As head of Mt. Carmel, the rewards have been many, but the 2017-18 school year was a huge challenge, beginning with the Thomas fire. “As the fire made its way toward Montecito, I remember sitting on the couch at home watching television seeing John Palminteri reporting from the Mt. Carmel parking lot. In the background, the flames were closing in behind him, a very frightening sight and one I’ll never forget,” Tracie recounts.

The school had been closed for seven days in advance of the Christmas vacation for the safety of all, not knowing what the winds, weather, and dangerous smoke that clouded the area might have in store. Tracie maintained contact with students and their families, making sure all were safe. Luck and a change of wind direction soon sent the fire to the east away from the campus, and soon after, a crew arrived on campus to clear every nook of dust and ash: everything from grounds and buildings to books, pencils, and other learning materials.

Tragedy Strikes

School opened as usual in January after the vacation for a short three days. The Department of Emergency Management’s warning of a dangerous rain storm to come with a potentially life-threatening debris flow motivated Tracie to shutter school on Monday and Tuesday. “I woke up in the middle of the night on January ninth and said a little prayer that it wouldn’t be as bad as forecast by the weather reports,” she says. “But it was worse, far worse, than anyone could have imagined. Seeing the destruction on Hot Springs and Coast Village Road on KEYT, I just slumped down in my seat and cried.”

Once again, it seemed luck had graced the Mt. Carmel campus, as it was untouched by the debris flow that had devastated the surrounding area. “Of course, we couldn’t conduct our classes because Montecito was cut off by the closure of the 101 and the access roads washed out by mud. “On Wednesday, after calling everyone in our school community, I contacted St. Joseph’s in Carpinteria, where we were offered space for our kids and teachers. To the north of Montecito, Notre Dame School offered four of their classrooms and their auditorium. Initially, the off-campus curriculum consisted of everything the students had in the backpacks accompanied by field trips to the art museum, parks, libraries, and a fun time at MOXI. The following week, the staff at each off-site location collaborated to deliver grade-level core instruction using borrowed and online resources.

“We were more fortunate than most,” Tracie recounts. “We returned to campus within three weeks of the disaster.” She admitted however, that the debris flow impacted the Mt. Carmel school and church community in a huge way: several parishioners were lost, and some of the students lost extended family members.

A New School Year

The 2018-19 school year started out with a great deal of enthusiasm for both staff and students. “It occurs to me that we take so much for granted in everyday life,” Tracie muses. “Unfortunately, it takes something like these disasters for us to appreciate the many blessings we have. Much like a student council member said after returning to campus, I never realized how much I love my school until I almost lost it… believe me, we are all so happy to be back for a new beginning and a new school year.” 

Leaving the Mt. Carmel campus, I passed by the field where the kids were happily playing. The atmosphere on campus certainly reflected Tracie’s mood. I’m reminded what a tight-knit community Montecito is and how all of Santa Barbara came together to be of help and service to the victims of the disasters. And the support continues even now as recovery progresses. I feel much like Tracie… I’m increasingly aware of the many blessings we have being part of this supportive and caring community, and grateful for the help that continues to come our way.”

Mt. Carmel’s annual auction dinner is set for Saturday, November 10. This year’s theme is “An Evening of Gratitude” and the honoree is John Palminteri to honor his service and commitment to our community as a Mt. Carmel parishioner himself. Go to mountcarmelsb.com or call (805) 969-6868 for more information.