Mary Donahue wears many hats at Los Altos High School: assistant to the principal, varsity field hockey coach and front office candy vendor. But to math teacher Jacob Valadez, she’s just “mom.” After working at LAHS together since 2019, the two discussed their professional dynamic and Donahue’s long-standing presence on campus.

Donahue and Valadez sit across from each other wearing Adidas shoes and similar sweaters with white collars poking out — one of the few Donahue said wasn’t a present from Valadez. 

Besides the occasional hug, Donahue mostly stays in the student services building and Valadez in the 700s wing. 

“ We knew that you’d be in your world and I’d be in my world,” Valadez said to Donahue. 

Valadez, or Jacob, Jake and on occasion “hun” to Donahue, said it’s interesting to watch students make the mother-son connection. While it’s not a relationship Donahue or him try to hide, both agreed they remain professional at work. Valadez said he wanted staff to get to know him first and avoid the “nepotism conversation.”  

“ I want to earn the place that I have,” Valadez said. 

But 2019 wasn’t the first time Valadez and Donahue shared a campus — in fact, Donahue’s LAHS career dates back to 2007 when Valadez was a freshman here. At a fall sports back-to-school night, Donahue found herself inadvertently networking, walking out as the school’s new field hockey coach.

Despite seeing his mom at school thereafter, Valadez said he wasn’t embarrassed by their dynamic in high school — at least in hindsight, 14 years later. 

“ If you asked me in 2010, I might have had a different answer,” Valadez said. 

Valadez’s Path from LAHS to LAHS

Former LAHS Principal Wynne Satterwhite remembered Valadez in high school as a kid who ate, slept and breathed soccer. 

“​​ He was not a student I encountered often, unless I went out to the soccer field,” Satterwhite said. 

After playing Division I soccer and graduating with a bachelor’s in English from the University of California, San Diego, Valadez followed his mother’s footsteps into education. First, he taught at a small private middle school, then joined LAHS. For a couple of years, Valadez worked as an instructional aid and soccer coach before earning his teaching credentials and settling into the math department. 

Returning to the Tom Burt Field as the varsity girls soccer coach a decade after graduating, Valadez finds comfort in the mutual understanding he shares with Donahue — from coach to coach and colleague to colleague, the two often exchange advice. 

“There’s a learning curve to being a coach and especially balancing it with being on staff,” Valadez said. “It can get difficult, so it has been really helpful to have somebody to ask questions to all the time.”  

Once, Donahue even coached alongside Valadez, stepping to help JV soccer a few years ago. The two recounted a moment that season when the team lost by just 1 point to league powerhouse Saint Francis — a huge success.

Donahue perks up in her seat, smiling in remembrance and relaying how excited the players were. 

Valadez leaves the room to refill his cup of coffee. Donahue reiterates her joy watching him grow into his own place at LAHS.

“ Sometimes I want to acknowledge [on campus] that he’s my son, because I’m so proud of him,” Donahue said.

Coach Donahue’s Impact 

Growing up in Memphis, Tenn., Donahue did not come from a sports family. Even so, she played every sport available to girls at the time, including field hockey in high school. While studying history at Stanford University, Donahue walked onto the field hockey team and worked as an assistant coach after graduating. 

Now, with 19 years of coaching at LAHS under her belt, Donahue’s players noted her tenacious attitude and compassionate nature.  

In her senior speech this fall, field hockey captain Gwen Mello said Donahue had the psychic ability to tell when a player was upset, constantly checking in before they voiced distress.

Another alum reaffirmed Donahue’s talent.

“She was always super supportive of players’ emotions,” former player Piper Chatwin ‘25 said. “Especially when I was dealing with injuries that prevented me from playing and I was really hung up on it, she taught me how to prioritize my well-being.” 

Since taking over the team, Donahue said varsity hasn’t dropped from the highest division in their league. Consistently playing hard teams, she’s learned a valuable lesson about separating success from the final score.

“ It’s so rare to get an impressive victory that you have to be playing for the love of the sport,” Donahue said. “The kids do that and it just amazes me. So that’s what I’m in it for.”

Piper recounted her sophomore CCS quarterfinals game that ended in overtime defeat for the Eagles. But it’s not the loss that sticks with Piper several years later — it’s the post-game speech when Donahue expressed how proud she was of the team.  

“I’m pretty sure every single one of us was crying because that really showed me how much heart she puts into every team,” Piper said. 

“ She feels our wins with us and feels our losses harder than us,” Gwen said.

Beyond the scoreboard, Donahue said she finds pride in the team’s scholarly track record — often averaging the highest team GPA among fall sports.  

“We may not win every game, but we are frickin’ smart,” Donahue said. “ You’re just like, ‘How can you be curing cancer in high school? Or spending this much time playing the violin?’ They have so much to give to the world.”

Donahue has also racked up a few awards herself: LAHS Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2019, and CCS Honor Coach in 2016 and 2022. CCS Honor Coaches are voted on by every field hockey coach in the section, an achievement Valadez emphasized was impressive considering how many people had to agree on Donahue. 

Off-Field Legacy

Off the field, Donahue has held various positions around campus — assistant athletic director, registrar and, most recently, assistant to the principal. 

Principal Tracey Runeare said Donahue was “instrumental” in helping her transition into the school two years ago. 

“I feel like the luckiest Principal that exists because I get to work with Mary Donahue,” Runeare said. 

Several of Donahue’s colleagues remarked on her work ethic and ability to create community, helping hold together the administrative team at times.   

“ People go to her for everything, whether it’s teachers who need supplies, someone to cover their class or on a personal level when they have an emergency,” Administrative Assistant Georgina Davila said. “She’s very tactful.”

For Administrative Assistant Jeanine Seagraves, Donahue is also patient. Every three months, Seagraves said she asks Donahue the same question about accessing Aeries reports. Every three months, Donahue gives the same answer.  

“She’s the epitome of a team player,” Seagraves said. “ She doesn’t care if it’s menial work or the most important work. She always gets right in there to help.”

Additionally, Donahue is known in the front office for her humor. Six years ago, Seagraves said she announced pancakes being served in the quad over the intercom — now, Donahue walks by her desk yelling “Pancakes! Pancakes!” every so often. 

Satterwhite, who worked closely with Donahue for five years, said her legacy is defined by her ability to show up, especially caring about the small details.

“Mary’s legacy is in the details to improve the bigger picture,” Satterwhite said. “She sees where we wanna be, but she also understands all the little steps before you can make it happen.” 

“It’s like holding hundreds of balloons,” Valadez said. “There’s one person holding all those strings while everyone’s doing their jobs. She’s the  person who holds all the strings together.”