Thorough…
Committed…
Self-Sacrificing…
Progressive…
Inspirational…
Visionary…
Focused…
Driven…
All words that we felt would best exalt the qualities necessary when describing Lake Havasu LIVING Magazine’s first WOMAN OF THE YEAR…and they’re the exact comments that poured in along with the nominations for the winner of our Woman of the Year. Many competent, qualified women were nominated for this year’s prestigious title, but it was the sheer volume along with the passion that people put into describing Sandy that earned her the distinction. We are honored to share her story with our community and appreciate the many years of dedication and self-sacrifice she has displayed throughout our community. Congratulations Sandy!
When Sandy Breece was notified that she was not only nominated but selected as the Woman of the Year, she was at first, shocked, then very honored and moved; honored that so many of her peers thought so much of her to send in supportive notes in favor of her nomination.
Wanting to sit down with Sandy to discuss accomplishments, she was more interested in discussing the accomplishments of her staff, the students, and the growth of the Academy. As the founder and principal of the Telesis Preparatory Academy in Lake Havasu, it is quite apparent that if Sandy had never moved to Lake Havasu and gotten involved with the community, there would be no Telesis Preparatory Academy. And that would have been a detriment to this community and to all of the students that have passed through the school. But that’s what leaders do—they don’t talk about doing, they get it done, and anyone that knows her can attest to the fact that she is a go-getter that never backs down.
Sandy still remembers the day back in April of 1966 when she moved here as a teenager with her parents. “We moved from Kansas City after my dad saw an ad in the Kansas City Star newspaper offering free Constellation flights and tours into Lake Havasu City.” Sandy recalled the winters not being that great in Kansas City and how great the weather was in Lake Havasu, “I couldn’t go on the flight with my parents because they didn’t allow kids, but I sure remember how excited my parents were to move here.”
When her parents sold their business back in Kansas City and moved all their belongings here in a U-Haul, Sandy fondly remembers the early days of living here, “I remember the Herald newspaper, then a weekly, proclaiming the grand news, Population in Havasu Now Over 1,000.” Her dad often joked with her that it was their move that put the town over 1,000.
Sandy never looked back, gaining a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters degree in Elementary Education form ASU in Tempe, and then her Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, all the while focusing her future on Lake Havasu. Sandy joked about the early years, “It wasn’t that easy growing up here. When we moved here, there was no London Bridge. Well there was, but it was still in London.” She also pointed out her high school years, “There was no high school in Lake Havasu. In fact, I rode the bus every single day to Kingman to attend the Mohave County Union High School.” Just like everyone knows and respects Sandy in this town today, it was her father, Bill Blanchard that people knew in the early days, “Mr. McCulloch had hired my father after we moved here to be his land man, so my father sold lots to other visitors to Lake Havasu back in the day.” They say that the United States is the world’s melting pot, but Sandy refers to Lake Havasu as the melting pot of the United States. “That’s what I love most about Havasu, the wonderful people, made up mostly of people from somewhere else, all coming together to form a community. That’s why my family loved it here. In fact, my mom still lives here today.”
After a 19 year career with the Unified School District in Lake Havasu, Sandy wanted to offer some alternatives to education and started Telesis in 1991. It takes a lot of determination and knowhow to basically start a learning academy from the back of your garage. Grass roots support is what helped make it all possible, and that comes from living in a supportive community. The first seven years, it was a private, tuition-based school and was primarily a middle school, seventh and eighth grades. Sandy’s son Ryan was one of the first students the first year, one of nine students—the second year expanded with twenty students.
Telesis means to fulfill or complete, and Sandy’s mission is nothing short of providing a quality education—she means to fulfill that mission by offering a world-class education to any student. That dream was accomplished when she applied for, and was granted charter status in 2000. Based on funding from state and federal agencies, Telesis is now a tuition-free school that any student can attend. Sandy notes that they have even had students from Needles and Parker. “The fact that we are not only tuition free but the only 501C3 non-profit charter school in Lake Havasu explains the growth to over 500 students in enrollment—with classes from K-12th grade. That and the fact that I have the best administration staff and teachers educating our children.” Being a non-profit means that donations from within the community are also tax deductible, a real plus when looking for community support. Sandy also wanted to let everyone in the community know that along with a great education and tuition-free admission, Telesis Academy also provides free breakfast and lunch for the students every day they are in session.
Sandy also gives back unselfishly to the community. One of her projects that is near and dear to her is serving on the Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, which she helped to form. That, in conjunction with her time devoted to the Leadership Development program sponsored by the chamber, allows her to help shape tomorrow’s leaders in the community.
As numerous as her accomplishments are, Sandy wants everyone to know that nothing can be accomplished without sense of community and community involvement. “It is that community involvement that is allowing Telesis to break ground on building a brand new gymnasium. We hope to have it completed for the next school year.”
“Challenge without Frustration” is much more than a motto for Telesis, it is their grand philosophy—that character comes first. And as we all know, character starts from the top and works its way through the ranks—for Telesis and our community, that character starts with our Woman of the Year, Sandy Breece.