12/10/2019
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Why I do this…
“I’ve been part of Walbridge for 16 years. The first 10 were spent as a parent/parent volunteer and then the job of part-time receptionist was available and I took it. Soon, 12 hours a week morphed to 18 hours and week and then, on paper 33 hours per week. This truly opened my eyes to the commitment and caring of the staff of the school for the kids who were attending Walbridge for a variety of reasons, I was already eternally grateful to the school for what I witnessed in my own kids. Now that admiration is off the charts.
Very recently, quite by chance, I bumped into the mom of a Walbridge 8th grade graduate who went on to attend Edgewood High School. She told me that her daughter, Avery, had applied for, and received a scholarship to her dream college. What Avery’s mom said next brought tears of joy to me. Avery’s essay was how Walbridge had changed her course and gave her the path she was now on. Attending college and feeling like, “yes, I can do this; I know I can do this because Walbridge taught me and showed me that I can”. Avery was kind enough to share her essay and gave permission to publish some of that essay in this Newsletter. Just thinking about it brings tears of joy to my eyes.
Avery is not alone in her success. Anne shared her thoughts about her daughter’s experience at Walbridge and how Sophie is a happy, confident, freshman in college.
One of many moments for me was when a kid, after two years, looked at me and said “Hi Ms. Jo” with a smile. It took two years for this student to be able to feel confident enough to do that, but he did and I was so excited about it I ran to tell his homeroom teacher.
Whenever a former student stops in to visit and let us know that they are doing well and have fond memories of their days at Walbridge….yeah, that’s why the staff past and present do this. I say with pride that I am part of it.” – Jo L.