Gail Johnson, Fashion and Merchandising teacher and Stripes and Stitches adviser, will retire at the end of this term. According to principal David Byrd, Roseville High School will be “stepping away from fashion,” and the soonest the fashion program could return would be 2018-2019 school year.

Byrd plans on taking the time to find a teacher that would be a “champion” for the program.

“Sometimes the right thing to do is to step away from something like that and go see if we can find that right person,” Byrd said.

This move to drop fashion and merchandising follows an investment by the school into the fashion wing within the 200 building made over the past seven years.

Byrd expects that other electives will expand during Fashion and Merchandising’s absence. Byrd hopes to invest in the fashion program only after other electives have become stronger.

“[We need to] spend the time trying to grow some of the other things we’ve got going on campus and think of them like flowers or plants,” Byrd said. “We want to get some of our other electives strong and healthy, so that when they are strong and healthy we can then turn to planting a new plant in the ground and putting some new seeds in the ground and seeing if we can get something to grow.”

Johnson, fashion class and Stripes and Stitches influenced club secretary DeMauria Benard throughout high school.

“I was really sad and surprised when I found out, because she is one of my favorite teachers and has really impacted my high school career,” Bernard said. “She’s shown me how happy fashion makes her and how it impacts other people.”

Byrd expects that the teacher will change the program to adapt to their teaching style, and to the needs and wants of the students.

Benard believes that her involvement in the club solidified her aspirations to work in fashion and helped her choose a career as an event planner.

“It was a reassurance that you are able to do it, that you can really do this, it’s not just a hobby for you, it can be a life goal,” Bernard said.

Many fashion students are disappointed that they will not be able to take the fashion class again before they graduate, according to Bernard.

“My favorite thing about the class was having the ability of free thoughts,” Bernard said. “Anything I thought of, I could do.”

Johnson is going to miss RHS, but looks forward to moving to Reno.

“It’s really exciting, I can’t wait,” Johnson said. “We’re going to have the first snow this week.”