By: Bethany Ericson, D’Evelyn 6th Grade Teacher
A week before my freshman year of highschool began, I was accepted to D’Evelyn! I was excited, nervous, and a bit bummed to leave my middle school friends behind and attend a school known for its rigorous academic program. I entered the school feeling very alone. There were only four new freshmen in the whole class, and my other classmates already knew each other. I was anxious to see if I would ever belong in this environment that was so new to me. As I began my time at D’Evelyn, I acclimated to the homework load and embraced the challenge of meeting new people. Slowly, I became more involved in the school. I played on the tennis team, joined band and choir, and met different students from multiple grade levels and backgrounds. By my junior year I was surrounded by other students who were striving for excellence as much as I was. We worked hard at our academics, performing arts, and social clubs. We pushed each other to be better scholars, artists, and people. Throughout high school, I learned I would be held accountable for my actions. I developed a strong work ethic to meet the expectations set before me. By graduation, I understood that the school I had been nervous to attend not only welcomed me as a freshman, but also gave me true lifelong friends, valuable experiences, and important academic lessons. Most of all, I realized I found a place where I belonged. After graduating college from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in education, the middle schools I taught at promoted mission statements that didn’t align with mine. I never felt I truly belonged to these schools whose mission statements emphasized academic achievement at the cost of kindness, or emphasized kindness at the cost of academic achievement. While these are worthy values to strive for, I needed to find a school that balanced both. My experience taught me that D’Evelyn balances both values well, and once I learned that D’Evelyn was adding a 6th grade program, I jumped at the opportunity! It is a joy to teach at a school that aligns with values which mirror my own. As the Founding Document states, I know “that all students, not just an elite group, should be held to rigorous academic and behavioral standards, and that all students can achieve in a challenging program.” As a student and now as a teacher, I believe in this mission statement, and I belong to it. It is an honor to teach students of families who also believe this and who strive to be their best each day. This is why I choose D’Evelyn: it is a supportive community that helps students achieve in a challenging program. It trains students in the work ethic they need to succeed not only in college, but in their future careers, relationships, and other aspects of life. The lessons I learned, people I met, and the activities I did set me up for success in life, and perhaps even more importantly, gave me a place where I belong. Bethany Ericson D’Evelyn Class of 2008 Current D’Evelyn 6th Grade Teacher Comments are closed.
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