Gleaming Years of Johnson

As the afternoon sun shines on the campus of Hastings High School, David Johnson strides along the track, coaching with an unmistakable sense of pride. After 40 years of teaching and coaching, fatigue is nowhere to be seen on his face; instead, a warmth surrounds him, reflecting the gratitude he feels for his journey through Hastings Public Schools.

With the soon-to-be departure of multiple teachers, many speculate who will retire next. One thing is certain: Johnson has his heart set on Hastings High and does not plan to leave soon. 

“I haven’t set a timeline on that, but it’ll probably be within five years that I probably step away within that time. But really, I think about it a little bit, but not seriously, ” Johnson said.

Johnson previously taught at Hayes Center secondary school, a small town in southwest Nebraska. 

“[It] was a great town and school,” Johnson said. “But I always had aspirations of teaching in a larger school.” 

When Johnson was looking to work at a bigger school to teach at, Hastings High School had three social studies positions available — a rare occurrence as there have not been multiple positions open in the history department for over 20 years now. For that, he is grateful. 

“I was lucky enough to get an interview and fortunate enough to be hired at Hastings,” Johnson said with a grin.  

There is something Johnson always looks to, which motivates him to continue teaching: his students. Johnson’s students have been his pride and joy, as they always reach out to him even after graduation. 

“I really enjoy being around the kids,” Johnson said. “Whenever I hear from a student from any generation, it’s always fun to talk to them, whether they reached out, I reached out to them, or we just randomly ran into each other. Those are some of the best memories.” 

One of Johnson’s most memorable moments was when a student got into an Ivy League school. Johnson is always proud to see how far his students have come in their high school journey.

“I had a student whose goal was to get to an Ivy League school, and they worked and worked, and they achieved that goal. I was very proud of them,” Johnson said with a smile. 

Through Johnson’s years of coaching, he has always been proud of his students when it comes to track and field. Austin Carrera, a former student, who competed and broke the state record for track class B in 2025. The last state holder was in 2024 by a student, Riley Boonstra.    

“Austin Carrera broke the state record in the 3200 in Class B. That was quite an accomplishment, because it’d been a long time since a Hastings high track athlete had set a state record,” Johnson said.

Besides great opportunities and broken records, Johnson is also grounded by the simple things: the pride he carries for his position at Hastings High and the people he works with, from those on the other side of the building to those right next door.

“I’m really happy with what I’m teaching now. I think every teacher is allowed to teach what they want, as long as they keep the communication lines open to administration,” Johnson said