As cosmetology teacher Shelly Touchstone says goodbye to a 27 and a half year teaching career next week, she still works with her SkillsUSA members making Christmas for Mental Health and Mental Retardation clients.

“We’ve been doing this charity for about eight years,” Touchstone said. “It’s a good community project. The girls like it because they get to shop and, really, it just makes people happy.”

The SkillsUSA members will dress up as either elves or reindeer and help Santa pass out gifts to all of the MHMR clients on Dec. 14.

“I’m excited to give gifts to people who usually don’t get gifts,” senior Naomi Giesbrecht said. “I love encouraging people over the holidays so they can be happy too.”

This year, the project is a poignant one because it is Touchstone’s last.

“I will cry when Mrs. Touchstone leaves,” senior Jazmen Moreno said. “She’s taught us so much, and she helps us with our personal lives. She’s like a mom to us, and we’re like her kids.”

Touchstone has taught many lessons throughout her teaching career, not all of them about cosmetology.

“I have learned about both life and about cosmetology while taking her class,” senior Emily Letkeman said. “On trips she gives us life advice sometimes, and when I’m bawling my eyes out, she’ll comfort me.”

The students will miss their teacher, but according to Touchstone, the feeling is mutual. “I’m going to miss the students the most,” Touchstone said. “That’s going to be the worst part of retiring. When you have to spend three or four hours with them a day you get pretty attached.”

Touchstone loves her students as well as her profession.

“It’s a love of the profession that made me successful,” Touchstone said. “That’s important. It doesn’t matter who you are; if you hate your job, you’re going to be miserable. If you love it, your self-esteem is going to be in place, and you’re going to be happy. I have always felt this way about my profession. I love it.”

Because of Touchstone, Moreno said that she has grown stronger as both a cosmetology student and a person.

“I learned so much,” Moreno said. “No matter how hard something is, practice always makes perfect.”

Touchstone has achieved many things in her career, but she said she is by far the most proud of how well her students are doing.

“The fact that every shop in town besides one has employed one or two of my students makes me proud,” Touchstone said. “Every shop in town has someone I trained.”

The last semester that the students have had with Touchstone has brought them together, and they look forward to the last MHMR Christmas party.

“We get to help other kids, and I really enjoy that,” Moreno said. “Seeing their smiles makes us feel so warm, like we’ve done something good. How much they appreciate you just lights up your day.”

Touchstone is one of three teachers retiring at semester including math teacher Vandra Milloy and technology teacher Lanna Tabor.

“I’m definitely going to miss her,” senior Judy Klassen said. “She’s there when we’re on our skills trips and if we’re sick she’s there for us. I don’t know what we’re going to do when she’s gone.”