How does one go about getting a school named after them? You could be a war hero, or President of the United States of America. You could be a Civil Rights activist, or wealthy enough to contribute substantially to the school’s construction. Or you could be a small-town girl who made a huge and lasting impact on your community.
Isabel Pierce Sem had no idea growing up that she would one day be the namesake for an elementary school in Frisco ISD. In fact, she had quite humble beginnings in New Boston, graduating from New Boston High School in 1958 and heading for college at the University of North Texas. She took a summer job at the Dallas Police Department working as a teletype operator, then went to work nights for College Radio while attending college during the day. It was during her time at College Radio that she met fellow employee Harold Sem, who was working temporarily in Dallas from the company’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa location. After a whirlwind courtship of only about three weeks, the couple married and returned to Iowa for Harold’s job.
For the next several years the couple did a lot of traveling for Harold’s job. They lived in California, Washington D.C. and even New York before coming back to the Dallas area. By this time the Sems had two boys, Michael and Stephen, and wanted to remove themselves some from the hustle and bustle of the city. They fell in love with the town of Frisco, and bought a brick house close to the elementary school, and Isabel literally immersed herself in community activities.
