“Cheers to You, Oh Wonderful You” with Heather Stucki – Interview #9

Welcome to my blog series “Cheers to You, Oh Wonderful You”, where we celebrate the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals around us. This series will be used as a space to connect, celebrate, and showcase the incredible people in our lives who ground us, teach us, and inspire us everyday. 

This interview I was joined by none other than my dear friend, Heather Stucki. 

Heather’s current area of influence and community that she contributes to is found in the teenagers she coaches and teaches at school.

Heather’s career path is teaching physical education and health, coaching basketball, and as an athletic director.

A couple fun facts about Heather are that she can eat and write with her left hand and play most sports with her right hand, plus she’s really good at cuddling babies to sleep quickly. Her body is usually always warm so they snuggle right in, get comfy, and go right to sleep.

Heather is really enjoys watching CSI or anything in the mystery genre.

The following is my interview with Heather Stucki which was an absolute joy to take part in and I hope you will enjoy and learn from it as I did. 


Heather playing softball.

What has been one failure in your life that later became a win for you?

Not playing college basketball. It led me to go on a mission for church and led me to the path that I’m on now. It’s completely different from the initial path I had set out for myself.

It was far more worthwhile towards every area of my life. Personal, spiritual, career, everything has been shifted for the better because of that one major change in plans.

If you could talk to yourself back when you were graduating high school, what would be something that you would tell yourself?

Probably that sports aren’t everything. To keep on going. That resetting those priorities is ok.

Who is at least one person that you can count on to be in your corner that you’re grateful for, and why?

My Mom, definitely her. She’s always there to talk to, she let’s me vent, and now that I’m an adult it’s a much different relationship compared to when I was a teenger. But just little talks we share when we’re going about our life and the time we spend has brought a lot of strength in our relationship and in my own life.


Heather enjoying some magical quality time with her Mom, Sheri.

Who has played a vital role as a mentor in your life?

One of my previous young women leaders has always helped me get back on track when I’ve wandered spiritually. If I get down on myself she is right there to pick me up, and she makes sure that I know I’m accepted for me and that’s really helped me to be accepting of others.

She’s also really helped me to not be judgemental towards others and the importance I hold and to not focus on the negatives of life.

So she’s really helped you to recognize your worth and in doing that she’s become a mentor and a friend creating a bond and trust gained throughout your life and not just someone that had stewardship over you for a time?

Yeah absolutely, it went from that to a really strong, constant friendship over the years. Also she’s become someone that I can open up with and share a number of different things. She’s very reliable and able to help me better see things through more clearly.

When things aren’t going in the direction you were hoping, what have you found has usually been the right next step for you?

I think it varies by each situation. Like if it’s dealing with sports, I’m going to do something different than I would with something on a spiritual level. Or if it’s dealing with my students, I’m going to do something different than I would with something involving my family or close friends.

So I wouldn’t say there’s something specific, but the main thing that I look for is how I can help others so that I’m not focusing on just myself. Looking outward is generally the next right step for me.

What are three skills you have developed that you are proud of yourself for?

As of late, I’ve really learned how important my personality is with being a caregiver. Just with helping students, athletes, or friends who are going through difficult things, just knowing that they have someone to turn to.

Because with everything involving Covid, the schools are insane, like with mental health it’s just so crazy and all over the place in the schools. So it’s been really cool that I’ve been able to develop and recognize the caregiver attitude I hold.

Another one would probably be being able to look towards improvement. I think sometimes that can get me into a little bit of perfectionist trouble, but in the classroom I tell my kids everyday that I make mistakes, I’m not perfect, I don’t expect you guys to be perfect, and that it’s ok to make mistakes, but that I do expect improvement and that we need to try a little harder to move forward.

I’ll also tell them how we need to work together and come together to help see each other succeed.


Heather, on the far left -second in, with her high school girls basketball team she coached.

It’s better to make the difference in saying that practice makes improvement, rather than practice makes perfection. Then you can also be sure to recognize what you can or can’t ask of yourself, and then turn around and do the same with those who you teach or coach.

Right and I think it’s easier as I’m looking outward to help people in doing that, rather than asking that of myself. But it is something I’m working on in shifting the perfectionism mindset and providing more self-compassion for myself. Which goes along with striving to be and do better.

Have you found that there’s been something that helps with that mindset, like to curate it a little bit? For yourself or others?

For others, it’s about reminding them. As teenagers they don’t have all the answers, heck none of us do. So helping them step back and seeing what they have accomplished and what’s in their control, instead of focusing so much on where they have to go.

Focus on the process rather than the end goal?

Exactly. Then for me, the mentor I mentioned earlier, she gave me a book on self-compassion for Christmas and there’s different activities to go through, along with explaining different reasons why we need self-compassion especially when we might not show ourselves self-compassion.

So I’ve been working on that and I have found that that has helped at least get me on the right track to becoming better in that aspect. So going to that book, reflecting in my journal writing, and I have at times tried to look for the positives in each day, even if it’s a terrible day. Now there are some days they’re just so bad that mentally I can’t find something good, even if I know there is.

But there’s different practices that I’ve been putting time and effort into my life to help.

Yeah putting in that time to exercise that mindset as you were saying with doing those activities or the reminders it all comes down to making the constant choice to simply try.

Yeah. And the other skill I would say is not giving up. I think that’s been something that’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether that was with sports or any other area of my life. Even the times where it’s hard, where I don’t want to face something or deal with something, in every aspect of it it’s been about not giving up.

It took me ten years to get my degree, but I’m exactly where I want to be with coaching and teaching. Everything worked out even though it took me ten years and I never had planned ten years for college. I also made sure to never give up my love of sports when I didn’t make it to play in college. I was so close and then all of a sudden in an instant gone. So for me to keep going and play softball and keep my head up and keep enjoying sports, being involved was crucial.

Or when my ward at church split happened I did not want anything to do with church because this wasn’t a normal thing and it shook me. But I didn’t give up thanks to a lot of people, and because I didn’t give up I think that’s what led me to go on a mission. And because I didn’t give up serving my mission, I was able to continue on and meet so many incredible people I would have missed out on.

Or fighting and fighting to find a job, the job I ended up having basically fell into my lap because I took my time with school. They ended up begging for me to come to the school and it was exactly where I needed to be.

Now I’ll still have pity parties some days but overall I would say that I hold firm to not giving up.

You definitely have a great power in endurance and are a driven individual. Even if you’ve had reasons to tell you why you shouldn’t do something, I’ve seen you find even one reason why you should keep going. So thank you for your example!

What is something you do that you enjoy that helps you to calm and slow you down?

Lately it’s been sleeping. I feel like there’s never enough time to sleep and I feel like sometimes I’ll sleep all weekend. But also playing sports, watching sports, and ironically interacting with many of my students really helps. It helps remind me that I’m making a difference even when I might not realize it.


Heather, on the far left, with her high school girls cheer team she coached.

What are some key elements in your environment, whether that’s in your home, creative space, or work space, that encourages and inspires you?

In my room I have at least one picture of Christ on every wall. Also I’m a big quote person, so I have quite a few quotes on my walls, as well as in my classroom.

For me, it’s important to find quotes that are motivation for me and hold potential motivation for others that are going to help lift on a spiritual aspect, with sports, or in life in general. You never really know who might need it, just because you might not benefit from it, others might. I really try not to pass up on sharing quotes that are not only helpful for me but towards others.

Being able to pay it forward and have that positive space? The need to once again look outward?

Exactly. I honestly think that’s one of my biggest strengths.

What are three reasons that you have had to celebrate lately?

Recently it was my birthday and the best thing about it was being able to take the day off and spend it with my niece, nephew, and my Mom. I didn’t have anything else to think about that day, it was just about spending time with those that I love with that time that I wouldn’t normally get to have with them when I’m working on a Friday. It was a different birthday because it was more centered on being with family than it has been in the past.

Plus the week before we got to spend it with family out of town to celebrate my Grandpa’s birthday and then they surprised me with dinner there. So in a week’s span, my whole family got to celebrate my birthday with me and I did really enjoy that time.

Probably another celebration is the ending of seasons with basketball and cheer. The athletes do different cards for each of us and write things that they may not normally tell you in person, and reading this or hearing from parents telling you about how their kid has changed or seen a different side of their kid.

That it’s not just about winning in sports but it’s about the lessons learned too which is something I try to portray as I teach and coach. Even our manager, who is a male for our girls basketball team, I told him that I was going to teach him some life lessons. At first he rolled his eyes at me, but then as he heard them he wrote them down and saw the value in them.

The fact that the season is ending is a celebration because people have grown. That’s why I love coaching far more than playing myself because I get to help twenty other people and not just myself.

Seeing that progression in others is a definite reason to celebrate. You may be able to watch everything take place on the outside so to speak, yet you’re still so involved so you are able to see that growth more than the players might and being able to point that out or celebrate that can be so crucial as they move forward. Having that influence in that process is an amazing opportunity.

Yeah and that’s with both basketball and cheer. Their physical and athletic abilities, as well as their academic abilities are crucial in their performance, and we hold them to a very high standard. So watching them work hard to achieve one thing so as to achieve something they love is amazing. They work hard and they really grow a ton.

There’s a lot expected of them at that point, but it’s about them managing to have both satisfaction as well as growth?

Definitely.

What is one piece of advice that you find yourself thinking back on and striving to implement the most often?

Probably the phrase “I am enough”. Not just for myself but for others, like my students. So often I see students who might not get an A, but their parents are not ok with them getting anything less, but the student is ok with it.

So I try to help remind everyone, including myself, that we are enough and that what we do is enough. We don’t have to be perfect. It’s a reminder that everyone needs. It’s easier for some to accept and believe, but for others it’s not easy.

Right, there are some that really need that extra outside influence to remind them that they are enough. Even if they may not believe it at the moment, you hope that with them being constantly told by others that at some point it’ll sink in and ring true. But it starts with being surrounded by that.

Right, cause I have helped students with different mental health backgrounds that just need to hear that they matter and that they’re cared about.

And that that is not conditional.

Exactly. There may be some that think that you could use your time better somewhere else than on them, but it’s so important to make it known to them that the time you spend with them is time that matters and is of value. That they are important and that they matter. That’s something that’s been pretty big for me lately.


Heather enjoying the great outdoors.

What are three things you have been particularly grateful for this past week?

One thing has been support. There were some pretty hard things that I was faced with recently and knowing that I have support from other teachers, close friends, and the few family members that I’ve shared this with has meant a lot.

Mostly because it’s such a sensitive and confidential thing, but knowing that even the counselor that I’ve been working with at the school and the assistant principal I’ve been working with, knowing that they have my back even when some others that should have my back haven’t, that’s been something I’ve been incredibly grateful for. Knowing that I have people who have my back and who will go and fight for me as I do what I feel is best for myself and others is a great strength.

Another thing that I’m grateful for is being in my niece and nephew’s lives. I recognize that there are some that might not get that great opportunity. If I can make it to Thursday when they come over to stay at our place, then that’s what really helps me get through one more day at work.

Another thing is knowing that my students understand. They may make jokes about class and all that, but I had had a breakdown at school and many of them saw that and they were very aware of something being wrong, knowing that we’re all human – teachers and students alike, and choose not to look right past you.

We have a mentoring class in our school for an hour Monday to Friday, so we see them more than a lot of the other kids. I’ve gotten to know a lot of them really well and they enjoy sitting and talking with me. I’m grateful for the relationships I have with those kids because they make me better as I try to make them better.

What do you feel have been key factors in shaping who you are today?

My family and friends. The church has, I haven’t always been close with it but it has shaped me. I mean I grew so much as a missionary even. Probably some of my bosses, they taught me life skills and taught me good and bad ways on how to approach situations. Those have all been the foundational things.

What do you feel have been some key habits in shaping who you are today? 

Serving others. Scripture study. Trying to be better each day. Trying to be kind to everybody, especially in the last eight years or so, that’s something that I’ve really tried to do and it’s changed who I am and how others perceive me.  

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Thank you for taking part in and reading my interview for my blog series, “Cheers to You, Oh Wonderful You” with my good friend, Heather Stucki.

What is one thing that you have been grateful for this past week?

Please comment below and share this blog post if it has been of value to you or could be to someone else. 🤝

Also, if you have someone in mind that you think I should interview for this blog series, please let me know by contacting me either through my work email: stephanietracy26@gmail.com or on my work Facebook page: Stephanie Tracy Writes. 


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About the Author 

Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, blogger, and copy-editor for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me happily playing with my toddler, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.