Kathleen (Boyum) Hudziak, Secretary of the AAWSBVI, was born in 1949 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. She and her twin, Karen, were the third and fourth children in a family of eight.
Kathy spent the first thirteen years of her life in a small house adjacent to a general store run by her parents. In that environment she learned about packaging groceries and other items, and how to count money. She was expected to perform such small chores as bagging potatoes, filling the soda machine, dusting furniture, and helping with the dishes and laundry.
Perhaps her soda machine job at home helped Kathy to obtain a similar job in the girls dorm during high school, as part of a work experience program which paid students 60 cents per hour.
Kathy entered WSVH as a kindergartener, and graduated in 1967. During this time she studied piano and voice with Miss Hoppe, and violin with Mr. McCarthy. One of the highlights of Kathy’s high school career was to attend a music camp in East Lansing, Michigan with Karen (Thorssen) Heesen. This was her first plane ride.
Kathy’s music studies at WSVH inspired her to continue in this line of coursework at Alverno College in Milwaukee where she received a bachelor degree in music education.
In the fall of 1972 Mr. English called to request that she substitute for Mr. McCarthy who had become very ill. Sadly, he passed away in October. Kathy became a permanent employee of the music department of WSVH in March of 1973. To fulfill a state requirement, Kathy attended classes at Northern Illinois University, UW Whitewater, and Silver Lake College to obtain special education credits.
Kathy married Craig Hudziak in 1984. Craig was a 1971 graduate of WSVH, and son of former teacher Marie Hudziak and her husband Clem. Kathy and Craig were able to attend one alumni reunion together the summer of their wedding. They purchased and moved into their home on Monterey Lane in June of 1986. Craig passed away of liver cancer just two months later.
Kathy taught at the school for over 37 years, retiring in 2010. During that time she enjoyed a wide variety of teaching responsibilities and experiences. Traveling with the school’s orchestra to various high schools and colleges around the state were some of the great moments to remember. Kathy planned and taught music classes with Mr. Tyrrell throughout her music career. Working with him greatly enriched her life. She also remembers with great fondness a trip to the Canada School for the Blind where the school’s chorus and swim team participated in a concert and swim meet with students from the Ohio and Canada Schools for the Blind. Each of the three music instructors were invited to conduct one of the choral selections on the concert.
Kathy has spent most of the time since retiring with her brother, John, and her mother Lucy Boyum who spoke at the 2015 AAWSBVI reunion. Lucy passed away at 101 as a result of cancer in 2016.
Now, back in Janesville, Kathy spends her time serving as president of a local music club, serving as recording secretary for the AAWSBVI, and enjoying leisure time and shopping with friends and family.