Athletic Clerk Holly Bigelow exhibits rare kindness

From an often overlooked office in the front of the school, Athletic Clerk Holly Bigelow spends her days helping student athletes and spreading love to everyone who walks through her door.  

Bigelow has worked at PRHS since Sept. 30, 2013 as a part-time athletic clerk for Assistant Principal Tom Harrington and became full-time on July 1, 2015 when Richard Clayton became the district athletic director. She writes the school’s Cat Tracks, works with coaches, compiles rosters, enthusiastically reads the morning bulletin, and helps to determine athletic eligibility for students.

“She’s not only the happiest person on the Earth; she’s very efficient at what she does and is always willing to do more. She’s an indispensable part of the Athletic Department,” Harrington said.

Along with her duties at the school, Bigelow is also a mother of three, two of which are students at PRHS. She makes every effort to be involved in their lives, from running drama family meals to attending and helping with both basketball and softball teams.

“I love my children, so I want to love what they do. I love to watch what they love to do,” Bigelow said.

Her family has always been a priority for her, but recently her family faced an unimaginable tragedy. On October 31, 2015, Bigelow’s husband DJ lost his battle with colorectal cancer, which had metastasized in his lungs. Yet even in his final days and after he passed, Bigelow has held fast to
her faith and the comfort that her husband isn’t merely gone.

“The biggest thing that gets me through it is that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that DJ is with Jesus. God has blessed me with 1000 friends and a huge network of support. God’s grace gets me through,” Bigelow said.

Even though she has faced the greatest challenge of her life, Bigelow hasn’t stopped exuding kindness and generosity to those who need it.

“Holly has such a beautiful soul, she puts others needs before her own no matter what is going on in her own life and that is something very rare in a person today,” said senior Kelsey Lewis, who is Bigelow’s office TA.

From students to administration, teachers to family, Bigelow’s unique sense of duty to compassion and spreading God’s love has touched the lives of so many.

“I have learned a lot from her – mostly what it means to be kind. She is kind to everyone she meets. I respect her so much for how she treats people,” said Drama teacher Marcy Goodnow, who has worked with Bigelow’s daughters senior Alex Bigelow and freshman Brooke Bigelow in both theatre classes and school productions.

Bigelow prescribes to her own set of guiding principles, which she refers to as her “ten commandments,” despite there being fifteen of them. And everyday, as she makes every effort to learn and refer to students by their first and last, and sometimes even middle names, and give hugs to anyone who she thinks may need it, she embodies her commandment “Be Holly.”

The story behind her kindheartedness is in a way quite simple.

“I love to give love,” Bigelow said.