Kristy Nickolisen has been teaching at ALHS for 24 years while teaching multiple business classes and sponsoring the DECA club. Nickolisen has made the decision to retire after the 2020-2021 school year is over.

“I have been teaching a total of 38 years, and it is time for me to do some travelling, spend more time with my kids and grandkids, and just relax and enjoy,” she said.

DECA is a program that is offered in many high schools across the country. It helps give students experience in business, marketing, and finance. Nickolisen has been the sponsor of the club for the entirety of her time at ALHS and has made many memories with students such as senior Kelsey Wathen.

“My favorite memory was the DECA state competition in Des Moines,” Wathen said. “Everyone had such a fun weekend and seeing the look on Mrs. Nick’s face when I qualified for nationals made me feel so happy because she was so excited.”

The work Nickolisen has done for the DECA program is so great, even students who aren’t part of the program can recognize the success of it, such as junior Thomas Chau.

“The legacy I think Mrs. Nickolisen will leave is the work that she has done for DECA,” Chau said. “The amount of work she has put forward to the program will never be forgotten.”

Nickolisen has certainly left a mark on this school and the people in it, which is what she will miss most during retirement.

“We have a great staff, who are concerned about students and their achievements, and also care about the welfare of our students and other staff members,” Nickolisen said. “I will miss that camaraderie.”