The Dillon/Owen Family

For the Dillon/Owen family, attending Gunn is not an experience that ends after just four years: it is a family tradition. Freshman Cameron Owen’s mom and aunts have all represented Gunn during their high school years.

Cameron Owen has found many similarities between his family’s high school experiences and his own. “All four of us have done sports,” he said. “I know they had a very great experience at Gunn. I’ve been playing football and baseball, and I’ve also had a very good experience so far.”

His mom Janet Owen, the current attendance secretary, is proud of Cameron Owen’s involvement on campus. “I’m really glad that he’s getting involved with clubs and with sports,” she said. “He seems to be making connections with a lot of teachers and upperclassmen. He seems to just be really enjoying high school, especially after all the years of being home with the pandemic.”

Cameron Owen’s family members may have graduated from Gunn years ago, but much of the staff remains unchanged. “Some of the teachers that [my family] had are still here, and [my family] told me about their experiences and how nice all the teachers were,” he said.

Cameron Owen’s aunt Katie Pfenninger remembers many teachers from her time at Gunn. This fall, she went to the junior varsity homecoming game to watch Cameron Owen play and enjoyed seeing familiar faces. “It was fun to be back on campus,” Pfenninger said. “A few of the teachers that I had are still there.” One such staff member is track coach Hal Daner, who coached Pfenninger when she was on the track team.

In addition to the people, Janet Owen appreciates the familiar campus. “When I deliver call slips, it’s really funny because I walk into some of the rooms and think, ‘Oh my gosh, I had math in this classroom,’” Janet Owen said.

Although much has stayed constant, Janet Owen has noted a change in Gunn’s outlook on mental well-being over the years. “I think the focus on wellness and mental health at Gunn is just fantastic,” she said. “That’s been a change over the years: just making sure that we’re focusing on the whole student, the whole child.”

Pfenninger looks forward to the rest of Cameron Owen’s journey at Gunn. “I hope he gets to experience the same things I did, which is a close group of friends and a good camaraderie with the community and school,” she said. “I’m happy that it’s a good school, that he’s doing well academically and that the community is really there to support him.”

In the future, Cameron Owen plans to continue to enjoy his high school experience. “I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I have enjoyed middle school, and I see a very positive future after going to Gunn,” he said.

For Janet Owen, Gunn is more than just a place she once went to school. “Gunn means a lot to me,” she said. “It means a supportive environment. It means friends, and it means fun. It means a place that’s a home away from home. To me, it just means a second home.”