I was born and raised in Vermont - precisely, in Westminster. Like many others in the area, I grew up on a small family farm up a dirt road. I was surrounded by educated people who took great pride in gaining knowledge.
I started my education early, but I officially started school when I was 6 years old. I began first grade at Westminster Center School in a traditional learning environment and felt bored and stifled. My parents, as believers in public schools, looked for and found a Utopia: Westminster West School, which fostered a love of learning.
I thrived.
This tiny school not only educated me, but it also shaped my destiny. I grew up believing that education is the answer to happiness; it promotes freedom, and it gives you choices.
My choice was to follow in the footsteps of Clare Oglesby, who taught there for 45 years. I am a first- and second-grade teacher in East Palo Alto, Calif.
My community is small and self-sufficient, but these are the only characteristics that it has in common with Westminster West. East Palo Alto is an urban community riddled with crime and poverty.
Modeling the Westminster West School, I have strived to offer safety in my classroom. I have created a space that promotes learning, creativity, self-confidence and compassion.
I have been teaching in the same school for 15 years - the rewards are enormous. I have been able to create such a classroom because one was made for me. Without the Westminster West School, my classroom wouldn't exist.
I am one student of hundreds who are products of the Westminster West School. If this school had such a life-altering impact on me, I am confident that it has helped to positively influence numerous lives.
Please consider carrying on this prodigious tradition of knowledge, problem solving, life skills, and self-confidence that is instilled in students at the Westminster West School.
Keep this school open.