| From Annalise K. '10 Although I’ve been here since 6th grade, up until very recently I
didn’t appreciate all the things Watkinson has done for me; perhaps
being student trustee has helped enlighten me. On my way home from
tonight’s Board Meeting, I decided I should share my epiphany with you.  In elementary school I was a quiet kid and what you would call average. I wasn’t an outstanding student and I hated math. I was very nervous and I worried about everything, mostly keeping to myself. When I didn’t understand assignments or got bad grades, I shut down and gave up on the tasks ahead of me. Generally, I wasn’t a happy kid and didn’t feel good about myself. But then I came to Watkinson at my parent’s suggestion.
Looking back now, I understand why my parent’s decided Watkinson is the right place for me. I’ve grown so much since the time I came here. Never before would I have thought of making an all school announcement, let alone run for student trustee. I came to Watkinson and became an athlete, an actress and an achiever. I know how to set goals for myself and I know how to achieve them. When I can’t reach a goal, I know that there will always be other people in the community pushing me along, whether they’re my classmates or my teachers. At Watkinson I never feel afraid to be different and being here helps me embrace my individuality. Watkinson has helped me mature beyond my years.
Everything about Watkinson amazes me: the students, the teachers, the campus…you name it, I’m amazed by it. It goes back to the third day of 6th grade when I was walking into school and Mr. Holdt said, “Good morning, Annalise.” He already knew my name. And then, just today I sat down with Mr. Riege at the teacher’s table and had a full-blown conversation. I can’t think of any other school where kids could eat lunch with their teacher’s.
To summarize this email, I’m in love with Watkinson School. I don’t need to act like a typical teenaged girl worrying that she’ll never find the love of her life because I’ve found mine and so what if it's a school. I hope you don’t mind if I stay here forever.
All kidding aside, Watkinson has become my home away from home. At the end of everyday, although I may be a typical confused teenager about what I want to do with my life and who I want to become, I feel good about where I am in life because of the community I’m in. In the end, I can’t express how much Watkinson means to me. I look forward to treasuring all the time I have left here, as well as always remembering what it’s done for me so far. So thank you, to you, the faculty, the students, the community as a whole.
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