After graduating from Northwest High School (NWHS) in 1985, Jill Lefere decided to return to pursue a life of teaching and has been at NWHS since 2005. However, she is not only an educator but also a key aspect of her family business. Lefere has aided her dad in his ownership of Hankerd Hills Golf Course for 40 years.
Aside from her parents, Lefere’s family also consists of her husband of 28 years, Al Lefere, and two children, Allie and Julia. Hankerd Hills Golf Course has been in her family’s possession for 45 years and expanded greatly since they bought it.
Before teaching, Lefere was an engineer at Texas Instruments in Dallas but then decided to move home because she missed her family. She then became very involved in Hankerd Hills, where she mentioned that she was working all of the time and decided it was time to slow down.
Her children influenced her to become a teacher so they were on the same schedule and she fell in love with it. Now that she has more of a set plan, she has found more time to focus on regulating stress.
Lefere promises herself one day a weekend to not work on any schoolwork. She also tries her best to leave school by 5 p.m. daily to go to the Young Man´s Christian Association (YMCA). The YMCA is a place where citizens can go to work out, play basketball, swim, and do other various activities. Lefere also enjoys golf, which is her favorite physical activity.
¨My dad purchased the golf course from the Hankerd family in 1978 as a nine-hole course. He has expanded it to 27 holes and added a full-service restaurant that seats over 200 people,¨ said Lefere.
Lefere has worked at her family’s business for many years, she knows the ins and outs of the place and how to prioritize her time.
Hankerd Hills is open seven days a week year-round for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This course is also a popular place for large gatherings, such as reunions, golf outings, and birthday parties due to their large capacity.
She expresses that work-life balance is very important to her so she tries to work on the golf course in the summers and on holiday when she is not teaching.
¨Family is most important to me. After Allie was born, I realized that I didn’t want to work seven days a week, especially nights, holidays, and weekends,¨ said Lefere. “One Saturday, Allie had three shifts of babysitters because both Al and I had to work 14 hours that day. I vowed then not to let
work take precedence over my family ever again.¨
Due to her teaching job, her stress lessened being on the same schedule as her children, she now does many other things to relieve it when she does get stressed. She also became the Northwest Girl´s Golf coach when her children played in order to be at every meet. She mentions she truly wants to prioritize family over everything.
¨The years go by faster with age. Don’t miss an opportunity to make memories with your family and friends,” said Lefere. “Choose a career that you will enjoy and one that gives you time with your family.¨
She continues to teach, golf with her family, and help her family out with their business. Although Lefere is a busy woman, she still manages to find time for the people and activities she truly cares for.
