Volunteer Spotlight: Seth Bridges

As a part of our ongoing series shining a spotlight on our Sacajawea volunteers, this week we’re featuring Seth Bridges, a longtime member of our community. Here’s a condensed version of his conversation with newsletter editor Susan Heller Evenson.

SH: Can you share a little bit about you and your family and how you ended up at Sacajawea?

SB: My wife (Julie Letchner) and I have three kids that currently attend Sacajawea (1st, 4th, and 5th grade). We live just up the hill from school, and it's been such a wonderful experience seeing our kids grow up in this community.

SH: You do so much at Sacajawea! Can you share more about your volunteering/position within our community?

SB: Presently, I have been the communications chair for the PTA since the 2018-2019 school year. My responsibilities include maintaining the PTA website and writing and editing our email communications.

In the past, I was the co-chair of the PTA from 2019 to 2021, and I ran the newsletter for my first two years at Sac.

I’ve had a lot of fun being able to contribute to various other events and initiatives over the years. Last spring, I had a blast helping Sac parent Erik Evenson (pitmaster extraordinaire) serve BBQ to everyone at the Spring Arts Festival. What a great way to put faces to so many names!

SH: What sparked your interest in volunteering at Sacajawea?

SB: I wanted to get engaged and involved with our community, and volunteering with the PTA seemed like an easy way to meet a lot of other parents very quickly. I was right! There was/is no shortage of ways to contribute to our school community. I met Charlene Shanahan at Jump Start, and she encouraged me to jump right in.

SH: What are some of your favorite hobbies (or can be favorite book, movie, etc)?

I love the outdoors, and I have favorite activities for every season. After a hiatus (due to parenting three kids), I returned to snowboarding over the last two years. I also love camping and the mountains, and I'm enjoying sharing that interest with my children as they grow. I've also enjoyed coaching AAA baseball this season with a number of our Sac 4th graders. Their passion for playing is infectious!

I also really enjoy cooking, and with three growing children, there’s no shortage of opportunities to try out something new. The kids might not like everything I throw at them, but they were definitely supportive of my deep dives into fried chicken and pizza during the early parts of the pandemic.

SH: What is your favorite thing about the Sacajawea community?

SB: One of my favorite things about our community is the way our educators support our children across their time at Sacajawea. From programs like NEST to the extra time teachers and staff make to get to know all of the children in the building, I know that there are MANY adults in the building who are working toward the happiness and success of our students.