Wilbur Yoder ('62) retired as the school's ninth principal in 2007 after 33 years of employment at IMS (now Hillcrest Academy). Add that to the four years he was a student, he has impacted the lives of over 1,650 students and 215 faculty/staff. That doesn’t even take into account the numbers of parents, grandparents, and community members also involved.          

To recognize and honor Wilbur and his wife Helenʼs years of dedicated, exemplary service to IMS/Hillcrest, the atrium between Celebration Hall and Hillcrest Union will be named the Wilbur & Helen Yoder Atrium. The official naming will take place on August 17, 2023, as part of an Open House for the new Middle School. The public is invited to attend and celebrate Wilbur and Helen along with their classmates, family, and friends at 7:00 p.m. in the atrium. Read more about Wilbur on Hillcrest Academyʼs website at hillcrestravens.org/wilburyoder.

Also on August 17, 2023, we will celebrate the historic step of starting a Middle School at Hillcrest Academy. After the atrium naming, the general public will get their chance to connect with our new sixth grade teachers and explore the new classroom spaces during our Middle School Open House.