With the arrival of senior year comes, among many other things, a lot of questions: questions about my plans after high school, about where I hope to go to college, about my career aspirations and one too many from the Common Application.
Oddly, the question I have found most challenging to answer is not any of these. It is one that has come up in casual conversation, “Aren’t you ready to get out of high school?”
Yes, I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in college. But am I counting down the days until graduation? No.
So, no. I guess I am not eager to leave this school and its community. With this being my last year at Clayton, that is something for which I am so grateful.
I feel so fortunate to be a part of a school environment that respects and cares for its students so deeply.
We are all presented with so many opportunities in this district, both in and out of the classroom. The lessons this district teaches extend far beyond the subjects we study in class.
It is because of Mr. Laux that I believe in my capabilities. It is because of Mrs. Teson that I have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world we all live in. It is because of Mrs. Castellano that I know my impact on the world matters. And it is because of the district as a whole that I know that, even as just one student out of over 1000, my well-being and success are being cared for not only by the teachers at CHS, but the administrators who routinely make decisions that have built our district to be what it is.
In this issue of the Globe, we profile two of the district’s newest leaders: Dr. Sean Doherty, superintendent of the School District of Clayton and Dr. Timothy Dilg, assistant superintendent of human resources for the District.
Dr. Doherty and Dr. Dilg are both deeply passionate about their roles as educators and as leaders. They know that the leadership, mantras and energy they bring to the District affect all of its educators and students.
Both Doherty and Dilg reminded me yet again of why I have such a deep rooted appreciation for this District. They know the importance of nurturing every student and of giving them the settings and opportunities they need in order to grow and become independent.
The start of senior year has reminded me to be thankful for this District: its leaders, its educators and its students. It is possible that as this school year continues, I will be more eager to leave this building than I am right now. But it is because of the people who make up this District that I know this place will always matter to me, and yes, that I will be prepared to take on whatever life entails after I walk through these halls as a student for the last time.
