#6. Michael Davis Hughes – From Wales to Humboldt County: A Journey of Adventure, Endurance Racing and the Power of Education

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I got Michael Davis Hughes.

Michael Davis Hughes: Super happy to be here, Scott. Thank you.

Scott Hammond: You're, you're so welcome. It's …

I, I was reading about you and I was thinking on the way over here, I go, is he a nice guy, but he's got this incredible pedigree," and, um, I don't wanna flatter you too much early, but yeah, you've done, you've done some cool stuff.

Michael Davis Hughes: I've had a blessed life.

Scott Hammond: You … I … It looks … I could attest to that.

So tell us about the journey from Wales to Humboldt. How did you get to Humboldt County?

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh my gosh.

Well, first of all, I'm really glad to be here. I feel like Humboldt County is a place that feels like the right place for me-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, right place for my family,

Humboldt County. We live in a beautiful place, don't we?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we do.

Michael Davis Hughes: It's just such an incredible place, so I,

in Humboldt County. But my journey here, really interesting, I… from my perspective. It may bore other people to death.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: But I came originally to the United States as an exchange student-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Michael Davis Hughes: … in college. So I was in a small university in South

Wales, in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And in the second year of my degree, there was an opportunity to do a,

exchange program with Long Beach State in Southern California-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … right?

Scott Hammond: Know, know it well.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, yeah. So I, I thought, "Gosh, California," you know?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: I mean, just the, the thought of palm trees and white

sand and warmth.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Coming from northwest Wales, warmth is a foreign concept, for sure.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I thought, "Yeah, I'll jump at the chance." I applied.

I was successful in, in being able to come over here-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to Southern California, and I went from a college of 1,100

Scott Hammond: To Long Beach State

Michael Davis Hughes: … to 36 and a half thousand students.

Scott Hammond: Pretty big school, right? [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, in the suburbs of LA, right?

Uh, just very, very different, but wow, just an incredible, incredible place.

As you know, it's the people that make a place, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, and that experience with the people

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … met down there was just, um, unforgettable.

So I stayed the spring semester of 1989.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So that's when I came over.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then after finishing that spring semester at Long Beach State,

for a month on a Greyhound bus. I bought a month Greyhound bus

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … United States for a month-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … which was a fantastic experience.

Scott Hammond: On the bus.

Michael Davis Hughes: On the bus.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: On the bus. And then, uh-

Scott Hammond: So East Coast, around and down, or?

Michael Davis Hughes: North. So I went Washington, and then I kinda went along the northern

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … up to Niagara Falls. So I guess I did a little jog into Canada,

back down, and then from New York, met a friend in New York. Um, and then I took the southern route all the back to California. So I d- really kinda did a, a s- circle around the United States.

Scott Hammond: Sleep-

Michael Davis Hughes: Kinda missed out the middle section

Scott Hammond: … sleep on the bus or get off the bus and camp?

Or-

Michael Davis Hughes: Sleep on the bus and, you know, I,

[laughs] shady areas.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: I was 20. I didn't-

Scott Hammond: You didn't care

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, didn't know any different.

Scott Hammond: Safe, kinda.

Michael Davis Hughes: I felt fine. Yeah, I felt fine. So went back to Wales,

I came back out to the United States-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … on a work exchange program.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, again, at Long Beach State, I met some people.

Uh, the city of Long Beach, they sponsored me for a work visa.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Worked for the city of Long Beach and went back to school at Long

State, got my teaching credential-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and then, uh, migrated north.

Scott Hammond: Did you meet your wife there?

Michael Davis Hughes: I didn't. I met my wife in Lake County.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I, my first teaching position

Scott Hammond: Oh

Michael Davis Hughes: … in Middletown in Lake County.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: And that's where I met my wife, Tammy.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then she's from, she's a native of Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: So, uh, we got married up here.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And 10 days after we were married, we went to El

Salvador for two years. So that was [laughs]

…

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: We, we went on a teaching assignment.

So we'd both gone, prior to our wedding, uh, to an international work, uh, program, international teacher program-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … where we had the offers to work in

We chose El Salvador.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Spanish-speaking country. Um, we knew that that would be helpful to us

educators. So we went down there.

Scott Hammond: Two years.

Michael Davis Hughes: Spent two years down there. Our eldest daughter, who is now

22, was born down there.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, um, yeah, had a wonderful two years,

settled back in the Eureka area.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I've been here since. So that was, um, 22 years

ago since I've been up, up here.

Scott Hammond: In a variety of teaching positions.

Joanie and I, we're married 42 years day before yesterday. We got married at Port Sakhal Wedding Beach Harbor.

Michael Davis Hughes: Congratulations.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, 100 year… Did I say 42 years ago?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And nine kids later, here we are, and so-

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah

Scott Hammond: … yeah, I know that area well.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's, it's… South Bay's fun, so.

So, uh, first teaching job, uh, is McKinleyville?

Michael Davis Hughes: Actually, no, my first teaching job

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. I was just-

Scott Hammond: First one in Humboldt.

Michael Davis Hughes: What's that?

Scott Hammond: Where, where was your first job in Humboldt?

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah, I was in Fortuna.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, I was a teacher at what wa-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: They, they tore that down. It's now middle school, Fortuna Middle

School.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: I was a seventh grade teacher.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Seventh grade language arts

and health teacher.

Scott Hammond: Toughest grade.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, it was g- you know-

Scott Hammond: Seven and eight, man, brutal

Michael Davis Hughes: … yeah, you've got to…

I mean, they're just funny. They're, they're… You've, you've got to have a sense of humor

students.

Scott Hammond: You have to.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Otherwise you're not gonna make it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah. They're… You know, they're a group of students,

and I know I'm generalizing, but they wanna push the boundaries-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … right? Because they wanna know where those

that-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … they don't want these boundaries,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: And they, they really do want them as well.

Um-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … so it's a matter of working in

lot of fun.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Like all of us, the inner seventh graders.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Inner seventh graders.

Scott Hammond: I think, I think we all, we all fall into that.

So, uh, who were you at 15? W- what would characterize you at age 15 in

Wales?

Michael Davis Hughes: I would say that I was an adventurer, you know,

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: I loved the outdoors.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Unfortunately, the outdoors meant getting wet mostly.

Scott Hammond: Pretty wet then.

Michael Davis Hughes: And windswept.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs] In Wales. But you know, and kind of a dreamer

because I, I was always thinking about what the next

be.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, so

yeah, that… I think that that would, would describe me. I was also a bit of a homebody. Like, I loved my environment, family, my friends.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Michael Davis Hughes: The last thing that I would've thought at that time,

uh, would be to emigrate-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to the United States-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and live 6,000 miles from my hometown,

Scott Hammond: In, in the remote part of the United States.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Well, this feels a lot like northwest Wales,

Scott Hammond: I was gonna say, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: The green-

Michael Davis Hughes: Green, you know, trees-

Scott Hammond: Foggy

Michael Davis Hughes: … right on the ocean. Foggy. I,

Uh, yeah, so there are some similarities.

Scott Hammond: What's the number we just got? 209 day, hours of sunshine for the year

so far.

Michael Davis Hughes: Wow.

Scott Hammond: So we just got to 210 about an hour ago.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: That's it.

Scott Hammond: That was it.

Michael Davis Hughes: We're gonna-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … we're gonna be cut off for another six

Scott Hammond: No, you're good. We'll, we'll come back in 4th of July maybe.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. I actually like the fog.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. No, a lot of people love it.

Michael Davis Hughes: I feel more energized by it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I love this.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Um, so my wife's a bike rider and a hiker,

It's just too much. When it- too much fog, it's just like … And we live in McKinleyville by the airport.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: The airport that was put there t-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah

Scott Hammond: … base

'cause of its foggy nature.

Michael Davis Hughes: Sure. It's like a fog homing beacon.

Scott Hammond: It is. It is a, it is a fog school.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Not as much, but yeah, it still is. So who were you then at 20?

What, what did, were you up to at 20?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, so,

you know, I was here by then, so twe- I was, I was 20 when I ca-

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So at that point, it was about almost, uh,

reinventing myself or discovering myself as now, you know, moving from that being a child-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … to being a young adult, but being a young adult as an immigrant.

Scott Hammond: Far off-

Michael Davis Hughes: Right

Scott Hammond: … far from home.

Michael Davis Hughes: In a new country and learning things new because, you know,

yes, United Kingdom, English-speaking country, United States.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, a lot of similarities, but some s-

differences-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … culturally.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so that took some getting used to, but it was exci- it was an

exciting time. When I say about-

Scott Hammond: Good

Michael Davis Hughes: … reinventing, it's like-

Scott Hammond: Discovery.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Foot- football had a whole new meaning.

Michael Davis Hughes: It did.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: It did. I still don't understand it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: I'll be honest with you.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Like, why do you need three different teams on

Like-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … can't everybody just stay out there and-

Scott Hammond: And just play?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We've been watching Ted Lasso

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So great.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So understanding soccer. I'm sorry, football-

Michael Davis Hughes: That's right

Scott Hammond: … uh, in a better way. So, uh, how about age 30?

So you, you were married at 30.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: By this, you had a kid or two?

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, let's see. I did not, because I…

Yes, I'm 54, so my daughter's 22.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I was 32. Um-

Scott Hammond: I thought you were in the for- your 40s, like maybe-

Michael Davis Hughes: Thank you so much

Scott Hammond: … middle 40s.

Michael Davis Hughes: I, I feel that way most of the time.

Scott Hammond: Sometimes? [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah. So at 30s, you know, I was… I had a c-

Um-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was in my teaching mid-flow. Uh, again,

j- the adventure part of me was definitely there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: I was using California as an adventure playground-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, in terms of just-

Scott Hammond: Oh, sure

Michael Davis Hughes: … there's so much opportunity here,

mountains, and the forests.

Scott Hammond: Crazy.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah. Uh, so

yeah, I was thinking both in terms of what my

going to be-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … but then also what, you know, what my family pathway

Scott Hammond: So were you here at 30, or were you still in Lake County?

Michael Davis Hughes: I was still in Lake County.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So you guys, in your 30s, had ba- had babies

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes

Scott Hammond: … that's, wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Well, uh, Tammy's a little younger than I am, but,

was on the tail end of her 20s when we, uh, when we,

Scott Hammond: Gotcha. Two years then.

Michael Davis Hughes: We didn't bail, but, you know-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … moved there, yeah.

Scott Hammond: So you b- came back to Humboldt

Michael Davis Hughes: Came, came back to Humboldt, did that one year of-

Scott Hammond: Fortuna

Michael Davis Hughes: … teaching at Fortuna.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then during that year, I went back to Cal Poly Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Humboldt State at the time.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And did my administrative credential.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: So-

Scott Hammond: Is that a master's program?

Michael Davis Hughes: It's not. I'd done my master's actually, um, through

Framingham State College in Massachusetts.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: But I did it remotely in El Salvador.

They flew professors down to El Salvador-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … over a two-year period, and,

their master's in education.

Scott Hammond: What a great deal.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, it was a great deal. And then-

Scott Hammond: That's kind of neat.

Michael Davis Hughes: It was. It really was. So came back here, did my teaching cre-

administrative credential at-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … Cal Poly Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And was hired, uh, that following year at

McKinleyville, so that was my first administrative position, assistant principal at a middle school, at McKinleyville Middle School.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: And that was 21

years ago, 22 years ago.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Then over to Morris from there?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, three years at McKinleyville Middle School

years at Morris Elementary Language-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … Immersion School as a principal.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then over to the district office.

I was superintendent at McKinleyville Union School District for three years. Then I went over to Eureka City Schools. I was there for six and a half years-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … as assistant superintendent of educational

at the County Office of Education as superintendent, and then, you know-

Scott Hammond: Your current position

Michael Davis Hughes: … my current position.

Scott Hammond: And you were just recently re- elected, reelected?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes. So it would've been elected 'cause I

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to finish out the term of a, of, uh,

then elected to the position in June of 2022.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha. So you know Mrs. Nolan then at McKinley- at Morris?

Michael Davis Hughes: I do, yes.

Scott Hammond: She's, they're our dear neighbors.

Michael Davis Hughes: Ab- absolutely, absolutely, yeah.

In fact, um, Phyllis is-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, Mrs. Nolan's, uh, father-Uh,

for a going away gift when I was principal at Morris, painting, Jim Welsh

Scott Hammond: What a nice man

Michael Davis Hughes: … he gave me a painting of my, uh, my little

fishing boat-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: …

out on the ocean. It was a photograph that my wife had sent him secretly-

Scott Hammond: And he painted it for you

Michael Davis Hughes: … and he painted it. It was just… Yeah,

It's fantastic.

Scott Hammond: Now, was he on school board at, uh, at, uh,

or the… What's it called? It's not RMAC, but he was on the board for a long time,

right?

Michael Davis Hughes: No, I don't know

Scott Hammond: Board member of some sort up there-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … I think. Yeah, great family.

Michael Davis Hughes: Great family.

Scott Hammond: Sweet, sweet guy.

So how about age 40? Where were you at 40?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Probably at McKinleyville going-

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, my gosh

Scott Hammond: … teaching in McKinleyville, so [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Yeah, I was up in… 40, that's, yeah, 14 years ago, so-

Scott Hammond: So are you riding bikes at this, at this time

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, I'm riding bikes at this time, but not,

I mean, I've always enjoyed cycling. I was doing triathlons, a little bit of triathlons at that time, running. So I was-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was running marathons, endurance running.

But, um-

Scott Hammond: A lot of running here

Michael Davis Hughes: There's great running around here.

Scott Hammond: So was Mike Pigg a cohort at that time? Was he still competing?

Michael Davis Hughes: No. I mean, yes, he was competing,

Scott Hammond: Right. He was a world-class-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … triathlete.

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely world-class triathlete.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: So no, not, not to that extent at all.

I was-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was recreational.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? I mean, I, I had

competitive aspirations, but-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, not at that level. At least not in that sport,

So I kinda-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … found, found my niche, I guess-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … as time went on, and found something that I was,

Scott Hammond: Meaning cycling?

Michael Davis Hughes: Cycling. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Uh, also endurance cycling specifically.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: The longer it is, I guess the, the, the better I do.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Per- [laughs]

Let, let's, so let's go a big segue. Let's go immediately to the Race Across America.

So-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, tell us what the race is,

done it and-

Michael Davis Hughes: Sure

Scott Hammond: … your results. And, uh,

is it still Team Red Dragon?

Michael Davis Hughes: Team Red Dragon.

Scott Hammond: It's still your team?

Michael Davis Hughes: It's still my team, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Michael Davis Hughes: Same incredible support crew. So-

Scott Hammond: So the race starts in Santa Monica?

Like-

Michael Davis Hughes: It starts in Oceanside.

Scott Hammond: Oceanside, California.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. It's, uh, Oceanside, California.

Scott Hammond: One of my hometowns.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, my dad sold insurance on Camp Pendleton.

Michael Davis Hughes: Is that right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I thought insurance was for chumps and,

It was terrible.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And then 10 years ago I became a good neighbor, and it's-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, isn't that funny

Scott Hammond: … kind of, good, good luck escaping your DNA.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Uh-

Scott Hammond: But yeah, I love Oceanside. Yeah. Right at the pier right there,

Michael Davis Hughes: It was right at the pier. So that's the starting point.

Scott Hammond: Oceanside's cool.

Michael Davis Hughes: It is. It is. Uh, it ends in Annapolis,

Maryland-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … on the eastern seaboard.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: So it's, uh, it's 3,000 miles of nonstop racing.

Clock doesn't stop. Uh, there's a time limit. You have to complete it as a solo rider. You have to complete it in 288 hours or 12 days.

Scott Hammond: So you have 12 days to complete it.

Michael Davis Hughes: 12 days, 12 states.

Scott Hammond: Psh.

Michael Davis Hughes: 3,060 miles. It, it depends on what kind of diversions

weather or road construction, but about 3,060 miles. Uh, d- 170,000 feet of climbing. You go over the Coastal Range-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … the Rockies, uh, Ozarks,

and Appalachians, which are really tough, 'cause they come, they come at the end of the race, and they're super pitchy. You know, super steep.

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.

Michael Davis Hughes: And they're just up, down, up, down, up, down.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, so they're pretty brutal.

Scott Hammond: You go through Iowa?

Michael Davis Hughes: No, don't go through Iowa. So in-

Scott Hammond: You go south at Missouri or-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, yeah, yeah. So Illinois, Indiana, Ohio-

Scott Hammond: Which is still pretty hilly, right?

Michael Davis Hughes: … Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: No, even Kansas. So you go right through-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … Kansas.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And even the eastern side of Kansas has some pretty good little hills.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Yeah, so I have done it twice. The first time I did this, um, so it's, the race is, this was its f- 41st year.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, there, less than 400 people in

finished the Race Across America as a solo rider.

Scott Hammond: Really?

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: How many, how many have ridden in

Michael Davis Hughes: I don't… The, the finishing rate-

Scott Hammond: 4,000 maybe?

Michael Davis Hughes: … the finishing percentage,

uh, is less than 50% over that period of time.

So m-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, m- the m- most people DNF.

And actually, that's what happened to me the first time

Scott Hammond: Did it?

Michael Davis Hughes: I did it in 2018,

and I made it 2,500 miles. I was in Eastern Ohio between Chillicothe or Chillicothe,

uh, Ohio-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: … and Athens, Ohio. And

I was, I was just so

spent.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: I had nothing left. And weather was terrible.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: The thunder and lightning, sheets of rain across the road.

Scott Hammond: Oh, no.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, I was running up against the time limit.

So I just, um, you know, pulled the plug. My, my team, my crew-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, agreed on pulling the plug with me.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Looking back on it, could I have kept going?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, yeah, probably, but-

Scott Hammond: Maybe

Michael Davis Hughes: … at the time it was the best call for that, for that-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … moment in time, you know? And so no regrets there because it then

fortified my determination to come back-

Scott Hammond: For the, for the second race

Michael Davis Hughes: … and conquer it. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Tell us about the second race.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, second race. So w- first of all, the first race, I

raised money for, um, for early literacy.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So we raised, uh, $30,000 for early

literacy.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, um, actually run through the Humboldt County

able to, uh, help sponsor volunteers to, uh, to work with kids, get trained-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … work with kids in classrooms who

And as an educator, you know, that certainly motivated me-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, to k- kinda keep going and, uh, raise

And then in 2021, raced again, was successful this time.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, and that race we raised money for HopeCam,

organization that connects kids-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … who are going through cancer treatment

a webcam-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … a computer system.

Scott Hammond: [clears throat]

Michael Davis Hughes: So it may just removes barriers from kids so they,

social isolation that comes with going through, 'cause, you know, it's pretty lonely, can be a pretty lonely-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Michael Davis Hughes: … endeavor, right, so.

Scott Hammond: Especially during COVID, I bet.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Just probably really, really lonely.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: So originally I was supposed to do the race in 2020.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And it was canceled for the first time-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, in the race's history because of COVID.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So, which is tough, because, you know, you train and train and train-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and you kinda peak, ready for a race, and then, ah,

the race is in June-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … it's not happening.

Scott Hammond: Postponed.

Michael Davis Hughes: So then you go, "Okay. All right." So you know,

you know, d- gearing up again-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … and training again. So did it in 2021,

and, uh, what, uh, nine, no, seven of the crew members that did it with me in 20- 2018 came back to crew with me again in

2021.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Which is great. I mean, these are volunteers.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: These are people who give three weeks of their, of their lives.

That's just for the race, but we did some training rides as well

practice.

Scott Hammond: These are your bros.

Michael Davis Hughes: These are a family.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: I mean, they're like family.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You really develop this really strong bond,

Uh, and they make all the decisions for you. Once you, once you get past about day two, Scott-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … 'cause you're riding 18 to 20 hours a day

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … your mind turns to mush. You can't make good decisions.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so you rely on your team. You rely on your crew chief,

crew chief-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … who's really directing, orchestra- they, they are the conductor,

Scott Hammond: So they're dialed into what, the roads, the-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: And the, and the, I had a person who

masseuse. I had a person that was in charge… Uh, I had a counselor [laughs] who-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, w- provided kind of that counseling support-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: … not just for me, but for the, for the crew as well, um-

Scott Hammond: Are you seeing things on the road? Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You are seeing things on the road.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So Joe Rogan did that interview with Matthew Walker-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … who's the sleep expert, and he was talking to long distance

and he said, um, this one gal said that she was running above the road. She could… It was, like, a 24-hour run.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And sh- just all, you know, pink elephants, the whole nine.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And they were very real. There wasn't j- it wasn't, you know,

were right there.

Michael Davis Hughes: No, no. It's very real.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: What's interesting about hallucinations, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … I'd never had them before.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: I had two during the first race, first RAM.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: One was in Eastern Kansas. It was sunset-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and the locusts were just super loud in the trees.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I just remember that.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: And I was riding up a hill, and I was looking over to my right,

and I saw a familiar person next to me on a bicycle-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Michael Davis Hughes: … except that that person was about 10 feet off the

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … riding the bicycle alongside.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I go-

Scott Hammond: Who's that?

[laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: "What?" And I realized that what I was seeing was

not real. Like, I, I acknowledged this, "Wow, this is a hallucination."

Scott Hammond: Who was it for the, for the-

Michael Davis Hughes: Don't know. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Somebody you kinda knew.

Michael Davis Hughes: Don't know. Just someone… It was that, "I know that you're familiar.

I don't, don't know who you are."

Scott Hammond: Kind of like a dream.

Michael Davis Hughes: "What are you doing here?" You know?

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: 10 feet off the ground.

Michael Davis Hughes: 10 feet off the ground, and then the, the very next morning,

super exhausted that period, 24-hour period of time. The very next morning, I was riding. It was sunrise, which was always a tough time for me,

sleepy.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I looked over at the road.

Uh, I was on the shoulder. I looked at the middle of the road,

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … asphalt was replaced by this fine webbing-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Michael Davis Hughes: … that I could look through

me. So I was, like, on this upper level-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: … above this tropical rainforest.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Michael Davis Hughes: And that lasted about two minutes.

It was a very pleasant experience-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … to be honest with you. But I also acknowledge it was not real,

More disturbing, though, I had these manic episodes where-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Michael Davis Hughes: … I believed that my crew, in, in

2021, I believed that my crew were trying to sabotage my race and, to… They, I believe they'd put glue on my tires.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: I believed that they were making me go off the course, up

over and over again. Just crazy stuff.

Scott Hammond: Just crazy, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: But we made it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? Th- that was the main thing.

Um, there were only three of us that finished that year, in 2021.

Scott Hammond: Three?

Michael Davis Hughes: There were-

Scott Hammond: Out of the whole field?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, and it was, the heat in the desert was just

unbelievable. Uh-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … 125, like, shade temperature,

125. They had an exce- had an excessive heat warning for the desert, which is normally-

Scott Hammond: I remember this, yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … hot, you know? And so it was absolutely brutal,

flies. And I think the, the two other people that finished, I believe they both had IVs. They had to have IVs. I didn't.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, uh, but, uh, whoa, it was touch and go there through the desert.

I didn't think I was gonna make it, to be honest with you.

Scott Hammond: So IVs are legal in, in the race?

Michael Davis Hughes: You can, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yes.

Michael Davis Hughes: You can have, yeah, you can have IVs.

Scott Hammond: If I remember right, you were behind at, at the half

Michael Davis Hughes: I was way behind the time cutoff.

few people left in the race.

Scott Hammond: They just felt bad. [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, and that was in Durango, in Colorado.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then once I got into the Rockies-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was like, "Oh, yeah, this is much better."

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: It was cooler. I was in the mountains. I love to climb.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? Um, and then I, we, our team just went from strength to

we managed to-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … f- yeah, we managed to finish, uh,

Scott Hammond: If I remember, you, did you set some sort of record for the

segment?

Michael Davis Hughes: Well, n-

Scott Hammond: You must have done good, 'cause you were behind.

Michael Davis Hughes: Y- yeah, yeah. So I was, like, 13 and a

half hours outside of the time limit in Durango.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I made up all that time plus, um, so-

Scott Hammond: Which is pretty-

Michael Davis Hughes: I d- uh, what, from what I understand,

who had been that far behind and finished the race.

Scott Hammond: And got to finish.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? So-

Scott Hammond: Within the 12-day period.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, only just. So I was, m- my race time was

11 days, 22 hours, and 18 minutes. So-

Scott Hammond: Way to push it, Michael

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was an hour and 42 minutes inside-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … the cutoff.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? So it w- yeah, it was close.

Scott Hammond: Joni's brother, uh, Scott Hanson, raced the Western…

Is it the Western 100 up in-Auburn or wherever. It's, uh, American River. Anyway, you have to finish in 24 hours.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: You come from way up in the Sierras and you come down and-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and it's nighttime. And anyway, so you get the belt buckle.

That's your-

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, there you go

Scott Hammond: … prize. Uh, I think it was 23 hours, 52 minutes.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, my gosh. That's-

Scott Hammond: It's like-

Michael Davis Hughes: Ooh

Scott Hammond: … yeah, really-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … obsessed. Wanted to, want that belt buckle.

Michael Davis Hughes: Right.

Scott Hammond: You know, so.

Michael Davis Hughes: And just an incredible experience, you know?

Scott Hammond: I bet.

Michael Davis Hughes: An absolutely incredible experience.

And, and kudos to the crew, but also to my family. You know, there was a lot of sacrifice there

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … I was training, and if I wasn't training, I was sleeping, you

know, and working, you know.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: So they, they put a tremendous amount of sacrifice.

Scott Hammond: 'Cause you had a day job while you were doing that.

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I would get up, uh, between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … every morning-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … to train.

Scott Hammond: That's right.

Michael Davis Hughes: 'Cause I couldn't do it. I mean, I had meetings in the evening,

my family.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: So that was the only time I could do it.

Scott Hammond: So it is a group effort-

Michael Davis Hughes: Always

Scott Hammond: … to realize your, to realize your dream, which

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely. Yeah. The biggest satisfaction I got-

Scott Hammond: That's wonderful

Michael Davis Hughes: … crossing that finish line in Annapolis-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … was seeing the faces of my team member

You know, they were waiting there and they were just ecstatic.

Scott Hammond: I bet.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I was ecstatic for them. You know?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: They'd given so much to help me realize my dream, and I just-

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh

Michael Davis Hughes: … it felt like the least I could do

Scott Hammond: [laughs] Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … for them.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know?

Scott Hammond: Talk about joy.

Michael Davis Hughes: Ugh.

Scott Hammond: Moment.

Michael Davis Hughes: Unbridled.

Scott Hammond: Un- yeah, I bet. What'd you do after you were done?

Michael Davis Hughes: I slept [laughs] for a long, long time.

Scott Hammond: [laughs] Curse the RV.

Michael Davis Hughes: A long, long time.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: So, you know, we, we left the finish line

little tavern on the square in the, um, city dock of Annapolis.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I ordered, I don't know what it was, burger

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And before the order came, I was fast asleep.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, there were photos that were taken.

They took all their team hats and they put it on top of my head.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Michael Davis Hughes: And they took photo- I was out, you know-

Scott Hammond: You didn't even remember a bit

Michael Davis Hughes: … out of it

Scott Hammond: … a bit of it.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. So then, um,

yeah, the next day I flew back to Humboldt,

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: And it,

uh, with, with races like that where you've put so much

energy and-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … into training, and I think this is true of anyone who

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: …

something that they build and build and build and build for, and then there's this kind of anticlimax.

It, and you-

Scott Hammond: Well, it's gotta be. Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … kind of, it's, psychologically, it

after that.

Scott Hammond: Come off the mountain.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: It re- it-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … it affects you. I mean, physically,

You know, I had saddle sores. You know, I was a little, I had a little bit of bloating going on from an imbalance of electrolytes and things

like that.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: But those things dissipated, but psychologically-

Scott Hammond: To come back

Michael Davis Hughes: … to come back from such a high, you know,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … such a long period of time-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and just reenter normalcy, uh-

Scott Hammond: What'd you do for that?

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm.

Scott Hammond: How, how did you address that?

Michael Davis Hughes: I, I struggled, to be honest with you-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … for, for a while.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, I just… And I, but I did have conversations with other

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, it's, it's kind of a close-knit family,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: There aren't too, you know, a great many of us.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so I did rely on other people-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, to-

Scott Hammond: Good

Michael Davis Hughes: … kind of help me through that.

supportive, but there was, it's a spiritual journey as well.

Scott Hammond: I bet.

Michael Davis Hughes: It's a spiritual journey as well.

Scott Hammond: Oh, boy.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I think that, you know, people have asked, "Well, why do you do,

that?" You know, "Why did you go ba- you know, Why in the world did you go back and try and do it again?"

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: All that pain and suffering, why would you put yourself through that?

And I think that as humans, you know, we have, we've, we've had pain and suffering to survive, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And it, honestly, in, in Western society, we don't have a lot

of those kinds of challenges, you know?

Scott Hammond: No.

Michael Davis Hughes: I mean, not… I certainly don't. I,

that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and I acknowledge that, but there's this,

me, that all of us, I think, that want to kind of dance on the fringes of what's possible.

Scott Hammond: Slay the dragon.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? And that's where I get some of my joy-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … and satisfaction, is to, is to really dance on the fringes of

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … possible.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, and, and push myself.

Scott Hammond: I was reading about this recently.

[laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Risk and reward.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. It's, I [sighs] it's pretty crazy, I think,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Most people think it's crazy.

Scott Hammond: Look at mountain climbers and all the guys that-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … you know, go to Kathmandu or,

you know, name the ultramarathoner. You know, there's-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Well, good, good for you. I, I love

a distance runner and qualified for Boston and routinely would take risks-

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … to push himself.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, um, what a great guy. Um, so

what's exciting and new development going on with, uh, county schools?

And what-

Michael Davis Hughes: Thank you. Bringing it back

Scott Hammond: … yeah. What, what are you-

Michael Davis Hughes: To county schools

Scott Hammond: … what are you seeing, uh, what are you seeing there?

What, what, what's, what's going on now and what next two, three, five years?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. It, it's a very exciting t-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, the state has definitely, um,

acknowledged and invested in education.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, post-COVID, I mean, COVID was so hard. It

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Right? And especially our children,

Scott Hammond: Especially

Michael Davis Hughes: … vulnerable children.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? Um,

that isolation was really tough, that being away from the classroom.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then so reengaging, you talk about reengaging with normalcy.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: It's been tough for some students to-

Scott Hammond: I bet

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, to be able to have those

friendships-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and those social circles

one another.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? Because the stability

blown apart.

Scott Hammond: Big time.

Michael Davis Hughes: For adults, right?

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: For adults, but for children-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, there is something that, you know, they,

that stability for them, and there's a, there's, um, for the most part, there's predictability to that.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: With exceptions, of course.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: But that was gone for, for everyone.

And so-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … there's been this destabilizing effect

now I feel like-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … people, children… are, are, are reengaging.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, there's still artifacts of COVID in terms

Scott Hammond: That's a good way to say it

Michael Davis Hughes: … in the classroom.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: We're seeing artifacts in terms-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … of learning loss. Uh, so, you know, we're working on that.

But the state-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … has acknowledged that, and we're having more support in terms of

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … coming in to

school districts-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to county offices of education to support

but also the social-emotional s- needs of students.

Scott Hammond: Good.

Michael Davis Hughes: So, um, we have a heavy investment, uh,

what's called community schools. Now, you think of community schools as being, uh, schools where students who have been

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, or are not being successful in their

community school. This is actually a different concept around-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … community school. It really means a, it's about a h- school

as being a hub of the community-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … so that students can get their needs met

as a whole child. So that, those academic needs being met-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … those social-emotional need,

Scott Hammond: Wow. Wow

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, those physical needs being met.

Scott Hammond: Do we have one in Humboldt?

Michael Davis Hughes: We, we do. Like, we have… I th- believe we have 17 out of our

31 school districts who have received this grant for community

schools.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: So they're, right now, they're either in development of that

implemented, you know. And th- th- what that looks like is you may have, like, a wellness center where a student might

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and is able to see counselor-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … school social worker, the school nurse-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to be able to get the services

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … at the school because-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … it's really hard when families,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, to get the services they need.

'Cause s- oftentimes that's too much of a barrier. So let's remove the barriers, have it be at school-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, where they're getting those services.

Scott Hammond: I love that.

Michael Davis Hughes: The other, the other exciting thing is

really on this cusp of, uh, a tremendous opportunity in terms of-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, work, the, uh, you know, um, industry.

Scott Hammond: And jobs, jobs.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, we're looking at the wind, wind farm,

wind farm.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: We've got the, um, uh, what we have on the peninsula there in

terms of the, um, aqua f- aqua-

Scott Hammond: The fish, fish farm

Michael Davis Hughes: … fish farm.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Thank you very much.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, and other industries that are moving in.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: But we need a workforce-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … that is capable of being able to meet the

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … that we have. So, you know, a,

a emphasis on career and technical education.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Some of those more, um, practical, uh,

skills.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Those stu- those hands-on skills that students need.

And w- of course that's being supported by the Humboldt, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, and w- workforce development,

and-

Scott Hammond: Nice

Michael Davis Hughes: … from the county office, and also with the College of the Redwoods.

Scott Hammond: CR is a big part of that, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. So expanding our CTE opportunities.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, so that's something that is a foc- an area of focus for us.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then the opposite end, a real investment in early

intervention and support for students.

Scott Hammond: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So there's been a change in terms of universal transitional

kindergarten, so now we're having four-year-olds kindergarten.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, and so we would need to make sure

students who are coming-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and to teachers, you know, building their capacity-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to be able to meet the developmental needs

that age.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: And we know that early intervention works best.

So if we wait until students are in upper elementary, middle school before we start providing them with the intervention if they're not being successful or as successful as they can be-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … that's, that is not a good return on investment-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … really.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: We gotta do that super, as, as early as possible.

Scott Hammond: So would that mean trauma? Trauma things that happen to kids?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. We know, you know-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … that, that s- as a, as a county, uh, we have some of the,

the highest what they call ACEs score, so adverse childhood experiences, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So students who have been-

Scott Hammond: We learned that this podcast, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so we understand that students are coming to school-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … with these trauma, uh, experiences.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so

we don't want those needs to not be addressed as soon as possible, right? Because th- they also then are related to academic issues-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Michael Davis Hughes: … behavioral issues in school.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: So we want to identify those things early for students-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and be able to provide the support

possible. And so we're heavily investing as a county

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … early education. In fact, this next year, um, I'm, I'm

opening a early education department that's specific to addressing the needs of students

regionally-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, in early education, but then also supporting the districts in

their efforts to address the needs of early learners, literacy being one of them.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, we know what the success

or lack of success is for students associated with not

being-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … able to read.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: And we have far too many students who come into the third,

fluent-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … readers. Or even if they're fluent,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So we wanna make sure that we're really solid on our

pedagogy, our teaching practices around the science

Scott Hammond: What's that word? Pedagogy?

Michael Davis Hughes: Pedagogy. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What's that?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What does that mean?

Michael Davis Hughes: It's a teaching, the teaching of students, you know?

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: It's, it's best practices. It's evidence-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … based practices, um, that we know work-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … for

students-

Scott Hammond: Gotcha

Michael Davis Hughes: … in terms of their learning.

Scott Hammond: So that, that funding mechanism for community

California state legislature?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Is that Gavin Newsom? Is it both? Is it-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Well, it is an, a approved budget, so it goes-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … it goes through both houses, you know, um,

and the Assembly.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, the governor proposes his budget.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, and then there's that political back and forth before-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … the budget's improved. But yeah, there's, you know,

support for education.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: This governor certainly, uh, has been a, a strong proponent,

proponent of education.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And there are, there are dollars behind it.

Now-You know how the, uh, the budget in California

is-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, it's like the Appalachians.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Great peaks and great valleys.

Scott Hammond: Great valleys.

Michael Davis Hughes: Right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: And right now we're, you know, we're still riding the, the…

Uh, but so, you know, we have to be prepared.

Scott Hammond: We'll go broke again.

Michael Davis Hughes: Well, yeah. And so, so we can't-

Scott Hammond: At some point

Michael Davis Hughes: … we can't have students be the pawn of

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: Right?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so we wanna make sure that we have sustainability-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, to be able to provide these services for

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So I'm always… And I know that my work colleagues and,

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … administrative colleagues

the same way, is that, you know, let's, let's not hold our kids hostage to the whims of the legislature.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Let's make sure that we are… regardless,

education that we possibly can.

Scott Hammond: That's right on.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, you know, I, I'm very proud of the educators in

County.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. There's some amazing teachers here.

Michael Davis Hughes: Absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Um, can we talk about autism for a second

Michael Davis Hughes: Sure

Scott Hammond: … in terms of student, student body?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, is that on the rise? What's your…

It's, it's interesting thread of this podcast

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … Officer LaFrance and others have…

She talked about her project in McKinleyville. So are, are… Is Humboldt County subject to more autistic people than elsewhere? Is it… How, how does that, how does that play and what services do you guys-

Michael Davis Hughes: Sure

Scott Hammond: … offer-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … s- student body?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. So we, we provide… We work closely with the regional center.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, RCRC. When students at the very early age-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, are identified as having some challenges-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … right? So students who may, um,

autism, uh, spectrum.

Scott Hammond: So you know Kim Smalley-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … the director?

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes, I sure do. And so we work to see

what services they're gonna need as they transition into, um, preschool.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so we provide itinerant services, special beginnings

program for-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … students regionally-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … who, um, not only are, uh, on the autism

spectrum, uh, but also with other, you know, developmental needs that they might have.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um, and really we're moving towards supporting

successful in a regular school setting. 'Cause you want, and you've probably heard this term environment, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: The LRE.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Michael Davis Hughes: That, that is our mandate-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … is to, um, provide a free and appropriate public

restrictive environment. And so-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … how can we

provide those supports for students so that they can be with their same age

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and be successful? As far as the number of students,

seeing an increase in the number of students that we're serving-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … at an earlier age-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … who, um, have identified as, um, being on the

autism, uh, spectrum.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I don't know if whe- whether that's because we're better at

or we just have more students that have that.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: One of the things that I think is important for us to

and words matter, right? So

we always-

Scott Hammond: Yes

Michael Davis Hughes: … strive to talk student first-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … um, and condition after. So-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, rather than autistic students-

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Sure

Michael Davis Hughes: … or special education students-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … it's students with autism students.

Scott Hammond: Not the cancer kids-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … or the Down-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … Downs kids.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's… Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, we wanna, we wanna make sure that we're,

mindful of that.

Scott Hammond: Mindful is a good word.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I like that word.

Michael Davis Hughes: Words matter.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Words do matter.

Michael Davis Hughes: And also we want to remove barriers, you know?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: So what we're doing in the county office is we're actually starting

to move away from special education and regular education as being these two separate silos.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: And rather we're talking about education.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: What, what do you need, Scott, to be successful at school?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: Let's give you the tools to be able to do that.

Let's give you the support and resources-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to be successful.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Don't… You know, labeling is something that is done to have

a designation, you know, 'cause we're always looking for a word to

something-

Scott Hammond: Right. Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … right?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: But the reality is, is that, does it help really?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Does it help that student to know that they're,

disorder, or they're on the autism… It, it doesn't, right?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: It's about the service. What do they need to be successful?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: So we're trying to, trying to remove those silos between reg-

special education-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … having more inclusive practices where

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … more time in classrooms, and the support being pushed in to

help students in classrooms as opposed to students, "Okay. All right, now it's your, it's your 40 minutes with Mrs.

Smith."

Scott Hammond: Right.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, pull you out of the classroom so you can-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … get that special help that you need.

Those days-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … that's an archaic model.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: It really is-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … from my perspective. Others may, um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … other listeners may argue, but, uh,

Scott Hammond: So is Glen Paul School part of your purview?

Michael Davis Hughes: It is. It is. So that's a regionally run program, um,

Humboldt County Office of Education.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, and we have satellites. So there's the main Glen Paul campus.

Scott Hammond: Tell us what Glen Paul is, first of all. Most people won't know,

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. So it is, it's a school.

Scott Hammond: It's u- it's very unique. There's only a few of them in the state

Michael Davis Hughes: That's, that's right. There, there are.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: It, it's, um… So it provides services for students,

uh, all the way from, you know, TK through age 22, actually.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And these are students who have, um, significant, uh,

challenges-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … you know, cognitive challenges, physical challenges,

Scott Hammond: And Glen Paul, he was an educator, was he not?

Michael Davis Hughes: He was an educator.

Scott Hammond: Special ed?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So they named a school after him.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, well, you know, great, great people have-

Scott Hammond: So we have a son, Gabriel, who's been all the way-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … with, with autism and Downs and through the system-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and all the way through Mac High and,

experience.

Michael Davis Hughes: I'm glad, I'm glad to hear that. You know,

improve. Um, but I will say, you know, the staff at Glen Paul-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … just such compassionate, committed-

Scott Hammond: Oh, boy

Michael Davis Hughes: … individuals. I mean, they-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … and, and,

you know, they just have, they have relationships with kids

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … hmm, there's this, there's a sense of belonging there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know?

Scott Hammond: Is it okay if I cry on my podcast?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So, so I sat with Michael Spangler, who was a-

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah

Scott Hammond: … do you know Michael?

Michael Davis Hughes: I do.

Scott Hammond: This sweet, sweetheart, and he brought Joni and I in, sat us down.

This is probably 20 years ago.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm.

Scott Hammond: Gabe was four, five years old.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And he goes, uh, "Well, he- just glad you're here.

Uh, Gabe's got autism. We, we believe he does. We're gonna test for it."

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And Joni,

my, my wife, just started losing it-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah

Scott Hammond: … and crying, and I'm going…

You know, sometimes ignorance is a lot of bliss.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And, uh, I go, "Well, he's the same Gabe that's gonna come home

dinner with us."

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Like, so I didn't get it, but, uh, the fact is it's pretty impactful,

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes

Scott Hammond: … his compassion, to your point, that staff was extremely,

um… What's a better word? What's a bigger word than compassion? It was just all-encompassing, wonderful-

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm

Scott Hammond: … and fantastic and amazing, so they're,

they're… So it is one of the very few of its kind

Michael Davis Hughes: Of its kind. It, it i- that is true.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes, there are very few across the state.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And, uh, you know, we're looking at, uh, contin- this

continuous improvement of all our programs. So when, you know, when I talked about inclusive practices-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, we're looking for opportunities where-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … students who attend Glen Paul can spend

peers-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … in other settings. Right?

Scott Hammond: Come off campus, go to whatever.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: I think we've gotta, we've got to look for those opportunities-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Michael Davis Hughes: … to do that, while also meeting their needs, right?

Um-

Scott Hammond: Right

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, so, you know, every student is unique.

Every student has different needs, and so, you know, we try to make sure that every student gets what they need-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … which is always different.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know? It's always different. However, uh,

students need that opportunity to be with their same-age peers in-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … in a variety of different settings.

Scott Hammond: I love it. I think very forward-thinking.

Uh, so we do a little feature on, on, uh, Hun- 100% Humboldt.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And one of them is the, uh,

the Humboldt, uh, the Humboldt Quiz. Are you ready?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs] Uh, okay, so what is this-

Scott Hammond: This is your fav-

Michael Davis Hughes: … I fail?

Scott Hammond: Your, your-

Michael Davis Hughes: As you said, do I get a, like, grade at the end of it?

Scott Hammond: No. Oh, no.

Michael Davis Hughes: How does this work?

Scott Hammond: Well, yeah, your… There's a bonus for you

Michael Davis Hughes: Okay.

Scott Hammond: No. [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: Pressure's on.

Scott Hammond: So, so, uh, fa- so we're just gonna go favorites.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So k- think of it as best of Humboldt,

it's trademarked probably, but-

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: … uh, what's your favorite beach?

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm.

In Humboldt?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, I would say that Centerville Beach

Scott Hammond: Ah, nice. And down south of there-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … there's a whole… Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, and I love that, you know, just those,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … south of Centerville Beach.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, beautiful. What about hiking trail?

N- and not that one.

Michael Davis Hughes: No, not that one. Uh, favorite hiking trail in Humboldt.

Ooh, that's a tough one. I really enjoy being in the Arcata Forest,

Forest.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: The trails in the Arcata Community Forest.

You know, I spend a lot of time on my bike, so-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh,

yeah. I, I'll say it's um-

Scott Hammond: Easy segue. What's your favorite bike ride?

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm. Gosh, there's so many. It is a, it is a bike rider's

paradise here.

Scott Hammond: So you got 50 miles. Where are you, where are you gonna go?

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, 50 miles, hands down, Butler Valley Loop.

That's a 50 mile-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Michael Davis Hughes: … from my house, so you know, out to Old Arcata Road.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Out to Old Arcata Road, out to Korbel.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Michael Davis Hughes: Climb up Korbel, out towards L- um, uh, Maple Creek.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Michael Davis Hughes: And then Butler Valley Road, up to Neeland Road.

Scott Hammond: Down-

Michael Davis Hughes: And back down Neeland Road to Freshwater.

That's a 50-mile loop, and it's-

Scott Hammond: And you're home

Michael Davis Hughes: … stunning.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Stunning.

Scott Hammond: It's all downhill all the way to home.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Uh, where do you eat out? If you, uh,

where would you take your sweetie?

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah. We rarely eat out, and I will… You know, kudos to my wife.

She's just such a great cook-

Scott Hammond: Ah. [laughs]

Michael Davis Hughes: … that, um… But I, um, I'm a, I really

have a, a preference for Indian food.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Michael Davis Hughes: So you know, like tandoori bites. Really enjoy-

Scott Hammond: Just got to eat there

Michael Davis Hughes: … Indian food. Yeah, yeah. And then the United Kingdom,

uh, is pretty, um-

Scott Hammond: They said it's the Me-

Michael Davis Hughes: … popular

Scott Hammond: … it's the Mexican food of England

Michael Davis Hughes: … pretty popular ethnic food in, in…

'Cause we have a lot of families, uh, from India and from Pakistan, and-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Michael Davis Hughes: … yeah, so I love Indian food.

Scott Hammond: I saw a lot of Turkish barber shops. They had that,

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: We were, we, we got to go to, a year ago this week we

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, wow, okay

Scott Hammond: … and, uh, and, uh, Scotland and, and England. It was amazing.

Saw a lot of barber shops.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, yeah, he, you didn't say Wales on that one,

Scott Hammond: And we, we did go through Wales, Cardiff.

Michael Davis Hughes: I'm gonna give you a hard time on that.

Scott Hammond: But I know where Cardiff is now.

Michael Davis Hughes: That's it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that-

Michael Davis Hughes: South Wales, capital of Wales.

Scott Hammond: Love to go back. Just have a son that got a job with, uh,

Actually, his wife did-

Michael Davis Hughes: Wow

Scott Hammond: … in Amsterdam, so-

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh

Scott Hammond: … turns out we have to travel again.

Michael Davis Hughes: Oh, I'm so sorry.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's supposed to be fun, so I'll, I'll keep you abreast of that,

Um, so I al- I us- end the show on two questions.

Sh-

Michael Davis Hughes: Sure.

Scott Hammond: Probably should start the show with this.

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, I'm gonna ask you, who are you and, and what do you want?

So I'll start with the first one. Michael?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Who are you?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Who do you want me to be, Scott? No.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Um-

Scott Hammond: Yourself

Michael Davis Hughes: … I, I think that I could answer that in the same,

uh, as you led off about, you know, who were you at 15, and I answered that I am someone who is an adventurer, you know?

And I, I am an individual that has a zest for life. Like, I, I, every day is-

Scott Hammond: That's cool

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, a great opportunity to,

uh, to celebrate life, and I try to do that to the fullest 'cause I, I do know that our time on earth is limited, you know? And so I wanna-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Michael Davis Hughes: … make the most of every moment. Um,

best self to every situation. That's the challenge.

Scott Hammond: Great answer, yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: That's the challenge.

Scott Hammond: That is the challenge, yeah, especially when you get old.

Like, what'd you say, you're 56?

Michael Davis Hughes: 54, yeah.

Scott Hammond: 54, sorry.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah. No, that's okay.

Scott Hammond: Case of advanced maturity.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And so, and then, so what do you want?

What do you want for yourself, Humboldt, your world?

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, you know, and this, this kind of crosses over between my

personal and professional lives.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Michael Davis Hughes: I do,

I have a… I mean, I love children, you know?

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And I, I feel like children deserve to have a

life than, than each of us has. Like, it's like that's our moral imperative-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … is to create a better future-

Scott Hammond: That's great

Michael Davis Hughes: … for our students, and so that's what I want.

Scott Hammond: Great. I like that.

Um, your interview, since you're a podcaster-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, what would you like to ask me before we're

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs] What motivated you to want

to do podcasts? 'Cause you'd mentioned at the beginning of

Scott Hammond: Oh

Michael Davis Hughes: … you, you know, you'd had this idea about writing a book.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And that morphed into actually having, you know, doing

podcasts.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: So tell me about, you know, how that happened and why that happened.

Scott Hammond: How the turntables have turned here.

Um, the, uh, I guess I asked to, asked for that. So I, I took a challenge with a coach to do 100 Started a blog called, uh, Great Neighbor Scott, which has been re- renamed 100% Humboldt. And I started basically writing, uh, daily, and my goal was to hit 100. I, I hit 105, and I, I sputtered off the last two weeks, but I still have some, some good content I think. Uh, to get better at writing and to write a second book, Everyday Dad. I should have that sitting here, huh, with The Everyday Dad, available on

amazon.com.

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And, um,

so I did that and, and in that process, uh, she talked about, a lot about podcasting, up in Medford, we have nine kids as you know.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, she is, uh, uh,

Kalia's Corner, and she's done a very nice job. She did a, an hour with me, and it was like, it was an epiphany. It was-

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … like, oh, she,

she, she squeezed dad, and, and I came out with all of it, and it was-

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … fun. And then this gentleman here, Nick Flores,

uh, had me in to talk about Humboldt Heroes. As you know, we recognize-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … veterans once a month. And so I thought,

I don't know where it came from, but I, I thought, "This is a great county." You said it, it is the most amazing place on earth in, in, in many, many ways. In some ways, in some ways it's a, it's a, it's a paradox 'cause there's a lot of

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … uh, amongst the earth.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But,

uh, and the, the people here are what make this a special place. And so I got the idea, let's find the movers, the shakers, the difference makers, the people that are doing it and making this a better place, and teachers and the whole, uh, education, uh, world, um, and let's talk to them. Let's find out what, what makes you tick.

What-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … where, where are you coming from?

And there's a lot of people that don't, that do it quietly and prefer it

that way.

Michael Davis Hughes: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: But I think not only do they deserve

to be recognized, which is not what they do it for, hear from them so we can be inspired-

Michael Davis Hughes: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … to be amazing and live life and return to joy

and connected and form relationships and all that-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, that you inferred and didn't.

But I think that's part of being a community. So my hope is that, um,

uh, we could do that. Uh, Nick does that a lot with his podcast. It's amazing, Growing Pains. And, uh, and I'm sure you do it at yours at County Real quick, tell us about that podcast and we'll, in the notes and-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah, sounds great. So it's called HUMCOE Learn.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Michael Davis Hughes: H-U-M-C-O-E-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, Learn. And yeah, so it's, I,

my guests are individuals whose work intersects with education.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: And so, uh, yeah, it's, it's just an opportunity to hear from them

and about why it's important that, that they cross into education-

Scott Hammond: So county-

Michael Davis Hughes: … in their work

Scott Hammond: … you mentioned county health.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yep, done county health, sh- law enforcement-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … uh, court system.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Michael Davis Hughes: Uh, yeah, we've had people from a variety of

Scott Hammond: Regional center would be another one

Michael Davis Hughes: … walks, walks of life.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: We haven't had them on yet, but yeah, certainly bring them on.

Scott Hammond: Kim Spaulding's amazing. Hi, Kim.

You promised to be here first, but, uh, bonus question-

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: … and, and we're done.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What do you want your grave marker to say? What, what,

What would you like your legacy to be if you could pre-

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … pre-write it?

Michael Davis Hughes: Well, for, you know, honestly, I don't wanna take up s-

a, a grave marker, honestly. I-

Scott Hammond: Okay, that's fair

Michael Davis Hughes: … think I, think I'd prefer the ashes out on the

Scott Hammond: Your, your metaphoric grave marker.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yes, exactly.

Scott Hammond: What, what, what's your legacy?

Michael Davis Hughes: [laughs]

Uh, my legacy would, what I would like it to say, um, would be, you know, he tried really hard to, to,

to, um, to tell good bad dad jokes.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Good bad dad jokes.

Michael Davis Hughes: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I got a few of those.

Michael Davis Hughes: Do you?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I don't, can't think of any right now, but-

Michael Davis Hughes: Can't you?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Can I just give you one?

Scott Hammond: Uh, uh, please.

Michael Davis Hughes: Just to finish.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: You know, I went to a wedding last weekend-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Michael Davis Hughes: … where two antennas

got married.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Michael Davis Hughes: Now, the ceremony was so-so, but the reception was outstanding.

Scott Hammond: Very good bad dad joke. Ba da ba ba da.

With that, Michael Davis Hughes, what a pleasure. Consider you a, a gem and a friend, and thank you for being here.

Michael Davis Hughes: It was my pleasure. I appreciate the invitation.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Michael Davis Hughes: Thanks, Scott.

Scott Hammond: Hope to have you back. All right. Thank you, sir.