From Lifer to Leader: John Clement's Journey

As John (Johnnie) Clement ‘05 approaches his 20-year high school reunion this Fall, his HTS legacy has undoubtedly been cemented: both through his tenure as a student and employee. 

During many of those 20 years, Johnnie has given back to HTS in his own unique way, giving up a large chunk of his Summer break as a teacher to lead our Summer Camp programs. Having become synonymous with the camp itself, Johnnie has intentionally curated a camp experience that strives to build a camper’s self-confidence and social skills. “I’ve always felt connected to the school, ever since I graduated,” he says. “Legacy at HTS isn’t something I’ve thought about until more recently, but now through the growth of the camp, I’ve come to take a lot of pride in what I continue to do here.”

Johnnie’s start at HTS came in grade 1 (1993) after his parents weighed all the independent education options in the area. He graduated in 2005 as a Lifer, and the positive impact that the school had on him over his 12 years inspired generosity from Judy (his mom) and John (his dad) alike. Judy received the Parent’s Guild Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

As a student, Johnnie reflects fondly on his HTS Athletics career and improvement in writing among other notable memories. More specifically, his years spent playing basketball, soccer and rugby built character and friendships that have stood the test of twenty years time. “The lasting memories that the school has provided me remain vivid because of the close-knit group of friends that still spend a lot of time together,” he says. “I don’t think a lot of other schools really have that - the ability to stick together through elementary, middle and high school - to grow up together.”

Johnnie hopes to provide that same push HTS gave him, towards new experiences through getting involved, to campers and his own students. In his eyes, “you need to be provided with the opportunity to figure out what you do and don’t like for yourself. Sometimes that means having a tough day, but how do you know whether you like it or not until you give yourself that opportunity to do it?”

For Johnnie, that extra push came largely from a few staff members that modelled how to effectively teach students first, rather than simply teaching the course. Mr James Darling, Mr Dave Hughes, Mr Terry Reynolds, Mr Neil Morgan and Mr Bob Lama stand out in his mind as influential teachers that paved the way for him to get into teaching himself. When asked what his favourite part of Camp was, watching the campers and staff develop their sense of self year-to-year, was top of mind. “There are over 25 current staff members or volunteers this year who were former campers. That’s a huge part of what makes this camp successful too, because I know there are people here who care about providing the same experience they loved having as a camper themselves.”

One of those staff members is Robbie Cotton ‘25, having attended and worked at HTS Summer Camp consistently since he was six or seven. To him, “Johnnie has always made it a really fun, exciting and comfortable environment, which both as a camper and staff member, you always want.” Lauren McCartney ‘24 and Safia Sierra ‘25, two more campers turned summer camp staff, think “it’s amazing that he's been coming back to the school for so long. We think it’s so inspiring for everybody because you can see how much he loves the school. He’s also very empathetic, authentic and charismatic. He talks to us like we’re not just employees, but as real people - we love Johnnie!”

“What drives me every day at camp is to make sure that the HTS sense of community is provided to everybody who steps foot in the door,” Johnnie says. Whether they’re enrolled here as a student or it’s their first time on-campus, “our goal as a camp is to ensure all campers feel safe and included.”  As he reflects on his years working summers at the school, he makes reference to both the “beautiful evolution” of the physical campus, but also the step-up the school’s student leaders have made. As he follows the updates coming out of the school as an alum, he is continually blown away by the experiential learning opportunities students are taking to differentiate themselves post-HTS.

And with the camp’s continued growth under his leadership, Johnnie hopes to be involved for many years to come. When asked about what he attributes the success of the camps to, he points back to the HTS culture and community. “As campers and families learn to appreciate the incredible place HTS is, it leads to campers wanting to return each summer and families pursuing opportunities to attend HTS during the school year.”

For Johnnie personally, being at HTS every summer means a lot to him. “As a HTS Alum, I feel a great sense of pride in my connection to HTS and love being able to be connected to the school after twenty years. Through this role I’ve grown not only as an educator, but as a person.”