Mary Depew

From growing a vegetable and flower garden in her backyard to participating in a community choir, the Sunnyvale Community Singers, College and Career advisor Mary Depew describes her average weekend as filled with “a lot of adventuring.” 

 

Depew grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but three days after graduating from high school, she moved out of state to explore — for example working at a big mountain resort in Idaho. Depew then started her elementary education major at Mankato State University in Minnesota but later flipped into the major Business Administration at Boise State University.

 

As the youngest of six siblings, she is the only one living in California. Depew and her husband moved to Sunnyvale 26 years ago, where she initially worked as a substitute teacher at Cupertino Union School District. She also worked at Cupertino Middle School and Fremont High School before switching to MVHS’s College and Career Center. 

 

“I'm really excited about being able to help students figure out what their next steps are,” Depew said. “I had three sons graduate from FHS and … it's way more complicated than when I was [in high school], trying to figure out how to get into college. [When] I learned how to help my own sons, I really felt like I wanted to help students and be a resource for them.”

 

After her first weeks at MVHS, she shares that everybody is really welcoming, and since she is already acquainted with a few teachers from prior experiences within the district, it was nice to see some familiar faces. Depew emphasizes that her “door is open” and plans to set up a Calendly account to better connect with the student body. 

 

“Anytime you start something brand new, it can be a little overwhelming,’” Depew said. “The biggest challenge is just trying to give yourself grace as you transition into something new to find a way to embrace that every day. You'll get through it, and yet, eventually, it will feel very familiar … I think we're a good group of people around here.”