Longtime Vestavia Hills High School Math Team leader Tipton honored

Kay Tipton’s 15 math team national championships in 20 years is quite the accomplishment in itself, former student Bradley Metrock said, but, unlike University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, who took a job at a program with a rich history which preceded his hiring, Metrock said Tipton built Vestavia’s team from the ground up.

“Mrs. Tipton is like Nick Saban if Nick Saban was the guy who had to create the program,” Metrock said.

Tipton, who retired in 2007 after more than 40 years teaching at Vestavia Hills High School, joined the school system in its second year of operation, founded the math team several decades ago, and was part of the inaugural class of the Vestavia Hills City Schools Hall of Fame in 2020. About one year later, on Sept. 30 of this year, former math team members and students gathered with Tipton at the Vestavia Country Club to honor her and pay tribute to her impact on their lives.

Metrock, who organized the event, said while the event was pushed back several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he learned during the pandemic to “have a bias for action” to do things for the people that meant something to him, including Tipton.

The night featured several speakers, including former students to Tipton who appeared both in person and by recorded video, and also included speeches from state Sen. Jabo Waggoner, who is also Tipton’s cousin, as well as Tipton’s former coworkers, Dianne Teer and Jo Ann Huddleston. Tipton’s love of Auburn was evident as well, as a table was laid out near the front of the room featuring old math team scrapbooks, as well as a signed photo of Auburn University football coach Bryan Harsin. Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl recorded a video for Tipton, which was played at the event.

And of course, as a good Auburn fan, Tipton had the signed photo of Saban in the back of the room.

“A Place for Me”

When Pei-Hsin Lin, now Lee, first immigrated to the United States with her family in the seventh grade, she quickly found a place with Tipton and her team.

“The program provided a place where people who look like me could feel like we belonged,” Lee, class of 1998, said.

Metrock said Tipton created a “special culture” within the math team where nothing mattered except the team. Ashley Jones Johnson, class of 1997, said she never felt anyone had a preconception during her time at Vestavia Hills that boys were better at math than girls.

“They believed in us, and we could do anything, and we’re smart, and we’re talented,” Johnson said.

Ivy Wu, appearing by video, echoed that sentiment and said Tipton was one of the first models of female leadership she saw as a young woman.

“You taught me you could be absolutely ruthless in pursuit of winning while still being kind and gentle,” Wu said.

Those who were part of Tipton’s teams have gone on to have careers as lawyers, software engineers and, for several of them, math teachers.

“You wouldn’t think that this would be the place that would be the genesis of so much,” said Lee, who teaches and coaches math in New York.

Steve Clayburn, class of 1987, said learning from Tipton made him who he is today, and said being part of the first national championship team could not have happened without Tipton’s leadership. His classmate, Laura Moore, said Tipton helped her beyond just learning math, serving as a mentor and helping her through a “rough patch” in high school.

“She was really there for me,” Moore, who now tutors math herself, said.

Echoing what many said during the event, Lee said Tipton’s influence played a role beyond the sphere of mathematics.

During her sophomore year of high school, Lee said Tipton wanted to send her to a summer math camp in New Hampshire to prepare her for future competitions. Unfortunately, the camp was canceled at the last minute, but Lee got into another camp. Not only did that camp help her improve her math skills, it was also the place where Lee met her future husband. The pair hit it off at a reunion years later.

Todd Taylor, who currently serves in what was Tipton’s role at VHHS, along with fellow math teachers Sarah Kaiser and Susan Gifford, also commended Tipton for leaving a legacy for future teachers to learn from. Taylor came in shortly before Tipton left and said he still does many things the way she did them.

“Thank you for seeing my potential,” Taylor said.

Kaiser started her Vestavia Hills High School career as a student after Tipton had retired, but now, as a teacher, she said still feels her impact.“I see stuff you used all the time and it is incredible,” Kaiser said.

Teer said she and Tipton walked into Vestavia at the same time as teachers in 1971 and left on the same day in 2007.

“I’ve never met a more motivated person in my life,” Teer said. “She wanted to win every tournament. … I learned so much math and I learned so much about people.”

Huddleston served as a chaperone for the many trips the math team took, and said she was grateful for the memories she had with Tipton.

Waggoner said the fact that 14 years after she retired that so many students came back to honor Tipton is a testimony to her impact.

“I think tonight is living proof of what her former students feel about Kay,” Waggoner said.

Lee echoed Waggoner’s remarks.

“You matter so much to all of us,” she said.