Lyra Townsend

Ewalt, along with the other 2026 retirees, was recognized at Community’s homecoming football game in October.

For two decades, Mrs. Mindy Ewalt coached the Iron dance team, leading them to IHSA state six times, including a program-best finish in 2022, and winning the Illinois Drill Team Association state title seven times.

All this from someone who never danced in high school.

Ewalt, who has taught dance fitness at Community for 23 years, will retire at the end of May.

“I played sports growing up;” Ewalt said, “I was not a dancer. But I can cross over to dance pretty easily since my family is very musical with instruments and singing…and as I began to coach dance, I fell in love with the ability to choreograph and the creativity that comes with it.”

Ewalt stepped away from coaching in 2022—a departure she described as “personally, definitely difficult.”

Ewalt said she was navigating personal difficulties at the time and made a deliberate choice.

“Family takes priority,” she said.

That same priority now shapes her retirement as Ewalt’s daughter and her family live in Oklahoma, and the former dance teacher  recently became a grandmother for the first time.

“I love coming to school every day,” Ewalt said. “But I am absolutely ready to retire and spend some time with my family and brand new granddaughter, Clara.”

She plans to make the trip to the Sooner State as often as she can.

“I can see myself popping down there quite a bit just to visit,” Ewalt said.

Even so, leaving is not easy for the Physical Education department chair.

Ewalt said she will miss the colleagues she has spent more than two decades alongside.

“I will definitely miss my department,” she said. “There are 13 of us in this PE department, and I consider them all close friends. We all lived life together through births and through deaths and through illnesses, and the support of one another is incredible…

“But again, it’s the students. I just love to see when kids get it, and there’s a change, and just how proud they see themselves. Sometimes, I like watching that.”

Her connection to students has outlasted her time in the classroom. Ewalt still keeps in touch with many former students and said she has been invited to some of their special occasions.

A former student asked her to a baptism last summer, reaching out to say, “I would love to have you there. You were a big part of my life.”

“I’m not friends with my students on social media now as a teacher,” Ewalt said. “But I think that I will be after I leave. I think that’s more appropriate to be able to keep in contact and just encourage them.”

As a parting word, Ewalt offered advice to whoever follows her in the department.

“I would encourage you to set high expectations, but your students need to know that you care about them. For them to care about your expectations—keep encouraging, especially the ones that, maybe, are unseen by a lot of people. Be that person, be that light for those students.”