Rooted in Tempe: The Story of Two Lifelong Friends Who Found Their Way Back Home

In Tempe Elementary Schools, the connections that students make extend far beyond the classroom. Just ask Alison Beauer and Dr. Jennifer Ostrom, whose connection would go on to define their personal and professional lives, eventually bringing them back to the very schools that helped nurture their friendship.

The pair first met in preschool because their moms were friends. But their friendship really began to blossom when the two were kindergartners together at Ward School (now Ward Traditional Academy). When the school closed after fourth grade, the friends stayed together at Curry Elementary and finished their Tempe Elementary schooling at Connolly Middle School.

Through it all, they remained the best of friends. They performed dances together at the talent show and walked to Beauer’s house in elementary school during lunch to eat Spaghettios. The inseparable duo even had their first (and only) trip to the principal’s office together after breaking a playground rule – sitting atop of the jungle gym – where they were found giggling and chatting, blissfully unaware of the infraction. After the event, the ever cautious child, Ostrom asked her mom, “Can I still go to college?” 

Where you found one, you found the other. With a bond like theirs, it’s no surprise that the pair found their way back to Tempe Elementary Schools, together again. Ostrom was the first to return to their old stomping grounds when she was hired as a school psychologist at Connolly Middle School, her alma mater. On her first day as an employee, Ostrom called and told Beauer, “Connolly still smells the same – the exact same smell.”

“The thought of working at Tempe Elementary Schools was very exciting because I loved going to school here,” said Ostrom, who is now Assistant Director of Social, Behavioral, and Health Services. “When I interviewed, the energy and the passion for students, how there was such a care and concern for making sure that students were successful, it just resonated with me. I never wanted to leave. I’ve always loved working here. It was such a good match.”

A few years later, at Ostrom’s urging, Beauer joined her lifelong best friend as a district employee when she was hired on as a physical therapist. “I was just so happy to be here,” she said. “The stars aligned.”

From students to colleagues, Beauer and Ostrom’s friendship has stood the test of time, and remains just as strong today as it was in childhood. “Alison was and is the epitome of a best friend,” Ostrom said. “She’s always there for you, always cheering you on, always checking in. There’s no better person you’d want as a best friend throughout your whole life. She’s consistently a friend.”

“It was just a given,” Beauer added of their connection. “One thing I can always count on when I get together with Jenny is laughter. We have so many memories growing up that involve us in tears because we are laughing so hard. And many of those humorous memories involve stories from our time in Tempe Elementary.” 

The story of Beauer and Ostrom’s friendship is rooted in Tempe Elementary Schools, something that the friends don’t overlook. Afterall, according to them, the district’s legacy is one of community.

“Everyone really cares for students and putting students first, and really making that a priority,” Ostrom said. “You see that across every single profession in our district. It just feels like we’re unified. I think that’s our legacy: We care about kids. We do what’s right for kids. We work together collaboratively to get that done.”

Not only did that legacy of caring for kids cement Beauer and Ostrom’s kinship, but it also built lifelong friendships with a whole group of classmates that attended school together from kindergarten at Ward all the way through eighth grade at Connolly. “We call ourselves ‘The Posse Nine,’” Ostrom shared. 

As Ostrom recalls, the Posse would ride their bikes from the Ward neighborhood to Connolly in middle school, forming a blockade across Country Club Way, which connects both schools. Their bike brigade continued until they were spotted by a police officer, alerting them of the safety hazard this caused. After that, they simply changed formation, opting for a safer two-by-two organization. To this day, The Posse Nine still gets together multiple times a year and consider each other close friends. And it all started in Tempe Elementary Schools. 

“I think of our group and that we’ve all been fairly successful,” Beauer added. “It all started here and it just branches out. But it all starts here.”

“I think the district has had a huge impact,” Ostrom echoed. “From our years, our whole group of friends are still tied to and have fond memories of Tempe. They still support the Tempe community because of their education in this community. I think it is like a beacon throughout our whole Tempe area, not only in education, but social support, employment. It is just a wonderful place to work, a wonderful place to send your students. It is at the heart of Tempe.”

Learn more about Tempe Elementary School’s legacy of excellence at our 150th Anniversary event on Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Sanchez Administration Building on Rural and Southern. More details to come at tempeschools.org/ourlegacy.

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About Tempe Elementary Schools
Tempe Elementary School comprises 22 small, neighborhood elementary and middle schools in Tempe, Arizona. We Tempe Elementary is committed to  providing a welcoming, achieving, eye-opening, and future-ready preschool to 8th grade education to free the boundless potential in each child - so they are fully prepared to embrace the opportunities of tomorrow and excel for a lifetime. Learn more about Tempe Elementary Schools.