‘Heartbeat of Golden Valley.’ Merced school’s second mom a hero to thousands of students
Three back surgeries and an ailing hip have limited Donna Ivy in the amount of Golden Valley High School events she can attend these days.
Armed with a walker and her trusty camera, Ivy, 77, has attended three football games this year, including Golden Valley’s final home game, a 31-7 victory against El Capitan on Friday night.
Since Golden Valley High School opened in 1994, Ivy has captured sporting events, homecomings, senior nights, band events and anything Golden Valley in photographs. It’s not just a hobby for for her — it has been a passion.
“I love high school kids,” she said.
The Sun-Star is putting Ivy in the Local Spotlight because of her decades of selfless dedication to the high school and its students. Local Spotlight is our new feature that celebrates your unsung neighbors for their commitment to community.
Golden Valley will always occupy a big place in her heart. She’s a hero to the thousands of students who have walked the halls of Golden Valley High School over the years. She was a permanent fixture for decades on the sideline of Cougar football games, in the dugout at baseball games or on the baseline for basketball and volleyball. At wrestling matches she would park her folding chair right next to the mat.
From 1994, when the school opened, to 2017, when her body finally forced her to slow down, Ivy captured moments and memories with her camera for every Golden Valley sports team from football to water polo to soccer to track.
When she wasn’t taking photos, she was a person kids could turn to when they needed someone to listen or just needed a hug.
“Donna has always been and forever will be the heartbeat of Golden Valley,” said Jerry Stillahn, who coached basketball for many years at GV. “She has been retired for what, 20 years? But she is still very visible on our campus.”
“Her legendary status on our campus is cemented through her dedication and love for everyone who has ever worked there or gone to school there,” Stillahn added. “Her work through her photography will never allow her to be forgotten.”
The dozens of Cougar shirts, jerseys, jackets, hats and other clothing hanging in her closet clue you in that Ivy bleeds cardinal and gold.
Then there’s her “Cougar Wall” inside her home, which shares a wall with her kitchen. It’s dedicated to all things Golden Valley. On it you’ll find a photo of her with former Golden Valley football coach Dennis Stubbs. There’s an autographed photo from the Golden Valley girls basketball team taken at Arco Arena.
The wall is also covered with other photos of past teams, championship plaques, letterman jacket patches, pom poms, scarves and a collection of GV mugs.
Ivy graduated from Merced High School in 1964. As a sophomore she began working for the Merced Union High School District. She’s worked at Merced High School North Campus, Atwater High School, East Campus and then from 1994 to 2001 she worked as the principal’s secretary at Golden Valley.
“It was starting a new school, that was special to me,” Ivy said. “I had worked at Atwater, North Campus, East Campus, but we were starting something fresh.”
Ivy started documenting the construction of the campus with photographs.
“She made an immediate impact with her scrapbooking,” said Kevin Swartwood, who was the athletic director when the school opened in 1994 and is now the principal. “It wasn’t just her picture taking, she put together massive scrapbooks that are still here on campus today.”
Second mom to many
Ivy had a way of connecting with everyone on campus from teachers to administrators and especially with the kids.
“She would become like second moms to many of the kids,” Swartwood said. “She was so caring and sincere. They immediately felt that bond, connection with here. Kids see through fake and they knew she was sincere.”
One such kid was Derrick Jacobs, who played football and basketball at Golden Valley, and is now the boys basketball coach.
Jacobs, who was raised by his grandmother, looked at Ivy as a mother during high school.
“The support she provided for me helped me get through high school, just having someone to vent to and having someone who cared about me went a long way,” Jacobs said.
“She was just on campus the other day and told everyone that I was her son and that I still owe her a lunch date,” Jacobs added. “One thing about Mrs. Ivy, she never forgets the little things. Overall, she is Golden Valley.”
Ivy said she was there when kids needed her.
“They always needed someone to listen to them,” Ivy said. “I would call them by their name and ask about their families.”
Ivy enriched the high school experiences of the students who came through Golden Valley.
When Golden Valley started a Hall of Fame to honor former Cougars athletes and alumni and staff who have made significant contributions to the legacy of the high school and the community, Ivy was part of the first induction class that included some of the top athletes to ever play at the school including former Major League Baseball pitcher Doug Fister, former Canadian Football League star Chris Randle and former volleyball and basketball star Jacque Robinson Huggins.
Ivy was named the grand marshal of the school’s homecoming parade in 2013.
Swartwood says there has been a void the past few years with Ivy unable to be around as much to capture those moments and memories.
“We’ve had nobody doing what she did for a while,” he said. “ I don’t know that I’d want to because it takes so much time and energy. It’s rare to find someone to do what she did. Donna cared about every kid but she had a soft spot for any kid that needed more help.”
Ivy has had to step back from attending so many games and events in recent years and says, “It was very tough.”
“I loved my life at Golden Valley,” Ivy said. “Those years meant a lot to me.”
If you have someone in mind who deserves the Local Spotlight, please send an email with your contact information to reporters Shawn Jansen at sjansen@mercedsunstar.com or Andrew Kuhn at akuhn@mercedsunstar.com and someone will contact you.
