HODGDON, Maine — Teaching in the same classroom where she once sat as a student, Hodgdon’s newest high school math teacher has come to realize that life is full of curveballs.
After all, it was just seven years ago that Addie Woods, the 22-year-old daughter of Mike and Stephanie Harris and John Woods, was a sophomore at Hodgdon High School, sitting through math classes and playing basketball and softball for the Hawks.
But when she was unable to shake a lingering illness, a trip to the doctor yielded the words no parent wants to hear — their teenage daughter had cancer. On Nov. 23, 2015, Addie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and began a grueling 28-day treatment program at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
Woods was lucky because her cancer was found early and her body responded well to the treatments. Her final chemotherapy treatment was on March 7, 2018, and her doctors have deemed her cancer-free. Seven years later, she is a middle-high school mathematics teacher at her alma mater.
“When I went off to college, I never dreamed I would be coming back to teach at Hodgdon,” Woods said. “I originally wanted to be an eye doctor, but changed my career path. Math is something that I have always enjoyed.”
A 2018 graduate of Hodgdon Middle-High School, Woods earned two bachelor’s degrees — in secondary education and in mathematics — at the University of Maine in Orono.
She figured she would return to southern Aroostook County at some point during her lifetime, but never dreamed her first job as a teacher would be at her old school.
“When I was student teaching, I considered staying in the Hermon area,” she said. “But [coming home] seemed like the right option for me.”
Woods is one of many Hawk alumni who are teaching in the Hodgdon school district. Tyler Putnam, district’s superintendent and high school principal; Lacey McQuarrie, assistant high school principal; and teachers Jason Little, Seth Dorr and Kara Wright, all graduated from the halls of Hodgdon.
Woods’ mother Stephanie Harris also is a teacher at the school.
“I have heard nothing but positive things about Addie,” Putnam said. “She has been involved in the community for many years and obviously her mother is a fantastic educator. Having a second generation want to come in and work for us is exciting.”
Harris said that her daughter was hospitalized for about a month at EMMC once she was diagnosed with cancer — to receive treatment and to protect her from infections because the chemotherapy had wiped out her immune system.
“She received several chemo drugs in cycles throughout her three years of treatment. Some required hospital stays and others were daily visits to the cancer center in Brewer,” Harris said.
Woods underwent bone marrow aspirations and lumbar punctures regularly as well. She had three serious infections over the course of her treatment, which required hospitalizations that each lasted a week or two.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children, and treatments result in a good chance for a cure, according to the Mayo Clinic. Acute lymphocytic leukemia also can occur in adults, though the chance of a cure is greatly reduced.
Woods’ prognosis for a long, healthy life remains positive, and the school district is glad to have her on staff.
“We are very lucky [Addie] decided she wanted to come home to start her teaching career,” McQuarrie said. “She had several opportunities to go elsewhere, but it is extremely special to come back home and teach in a school you are familiar with.”
Having her mother teaching in the same building is a plus, and Harris said she loves having her daughter as a colleague.
“Being a teacher in Hodgdon is being a part of a family, and now I literally have my daughter there,” she said. “Although we are on opposite ends of the teaching journey, we are able to share ideas and troubleshoot issues we might be experiencing. The students see the similarities between us as she has heard more than once, ‘You sound just like your mother!’ from students. From what I have seen of her teaching so far, I would say she is a natural educator. I’m excited to see what the future holds for her.”