In 1946, in a little town of Ettlingen, Germany, a legend was born. At the time of his birth, no one knew that little Juergen Young was going to be a legend, but he is at Wenatchee High School. For 47 years, WHS has been graced by the presence of Young, and now, next year, WHS will no longer have Young walking down the halls, wearing his classic polos and jeans, carrying his English muffin and Coke Zero to his classroom. He is retiring from teaching Social Studies.

When Young was 7 years old, in 1953, his father, who was a military officer, was transferred from Germany to the states. The family was constantly moved around the states, everywhere from New Hampshire to South Carolina to Michigan. In the fifth grade alone, he attended three different schools due to military movement. His favorite place was in Youngstown, Ohio.

“It was the perfect place, I was a kid then, and it was just all perfect,” Young said. “And it wasn’t perfect just because of the name.”

He also had a least favorite place, to contrast his favorite.

“Worst place, Labrador. It was 2,000 miles north of Maine, and we lived there for four years,” Young said. “It had nine months of snow per year. I did learn to bowl there, though. So that was good.”

After growing up, and moving around all over the country, Young decided to attend Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. While at PLU, he achieved a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and a certificate to be a teacher. When the job for a history teacher opened in Wenatchee, Young made the trek to the town he didn’t even know existed, and never looked back.

“They offered me the job, and I just never left,” Young said. “I don’t think I have ever gotten up and thought, ‘I don’t want to go to work today.’”

Even though at the beginning of his schooling, Young never thought he would become a teacher, now he realizes that he truly loves the job, and not just because he gets summers off, although that is a perk.

“I don’t know of a job in the world where you can end it (at the beginning of summer), and when you come back you have a brand new group of clientele,” Young said.

When asked, right after the Heart of the Panther assembly, what his favorite memory of high school was, Young said, “It just happened.” Young had just received the Heart of the Panther for Super Staff award at the assembly.

Perhaps most people know Young as the head bowling coach. In fact, at the beginning of his teaching career he was hired as the assistant wrestling coach, though he had never wrestled before in his life.

“It was probably the worst experience I’ve ever had. I got beat up every night. Bowlers never attack you,” Young said.

Wrestling is not Young’s sport. However, bowling has always been his passion. Over his many years of bowling, Young has earned the honor of bowling three 300 games (or perfect games), and one 798 series. He says he will miss teaching next year, but he would really miss being the head bowling coach, so he will be returning to his role as coach for the 2015-16 bowling season. He is not sure if he will be returning for the years after that.

Young has been the head coach for bowling for the last years. In those years, he has had three state participant teams, and two Coach of the Year awards.

After 47 years of teaching, it would be hard to imagine doing anything else other than going to school every day. Young, however, already has a full schedule planned for next year, including traveling around the U.S. for eight weeks, and renting a condo in California for a month.

“I am extremely sad to be leaving behind something I enjoy,” Young said. “But I am looking forward to new opportunities and a whole lot of travel. And I’ll see you at three o’clock.”