As August starts again, a new school year follows shortly behind. Though it’s been some years since, grade school and high school are huge chunks of our lives that began the mold of who we are today. This month, we wanted to reflect on your NSPN Family’s studious times for the back-to-school-season with the question, what is your favorite memory from your time in either grade school or high school?

April Carthorn, NSPN Membership Manager & T/TA: Winning my first crown! I won a popularity contest and was elected Miss 7^th Grade. I absolutely loved being a crossing guard too!

Sherry Casey, Operations and Administrations Manager: My senior year, I was in the Co-op program and only went to school ½ day and then to work at Commonwealth Life Insurance. I remember only making $4.15 an hour, but was happy to have my own money.

Josie Elder, Operations Specialist: When I was in the 4^th grade our school had an afterschool program where you could select different hands on classes. There were cooking classes, music lessons, art classes but the one that caught my eye and I signed up for right away was building model trains. Every week when model train day came around I was always giddy with glee.  

Kim Frierson, Training Specialist: My fondest memory from my time in high school – it ending.

Susan Harmon, Director of Safe Place National Operations: Hmmm, that’s a hard question but this is my favorite.  It is from high school – Friday night football games!  I loved being at the stadium with everybody – hearing the band coming in to the sound of the drums – and screaming whenever there was a good play, a touchdown, and winning.  I loved the whole thing! 

Tammy Hopper, Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer/RHYTTAC Director: I was in 7^th grade and I was in a brand new school in Florida having moved from another state the previous year. My peers were kind to a girl with a strong southern accent and they encouraged me to participate in activities to make friends and to be part of what was going on at the school. One of the first events was a spelling bee. I was so excited. English was my favorite subject and I knew my abilities at spelling would make up for my total lack of any athletic skill. I studied. I studied more. I practiced. My mom and dad took time to quiz me. I was ready. I stood in line with my new peers with an inner confidence that was new to me and thoroughly exciting. I was in the middle of the first row and my excitement grew as my turn approached. Finally, I heard my word – February! I didn’t need a definition. I didn’t need the origin. I didn’t need them to use it in a sentence! I promptly stepped up to the microphone – f-e-b-r-u-a-r-y! I waited for the applause. I heard a ding. The dreadful ding. Wait - what happened?! I went over the spelling again in my head. I was so focused on figuring out how they could have made such an awful mistake. Then I saw the judge lean forward and I heard his voice say, “you did not say capital F.” I turned around and walked off the stage and to my seat. The one tear was only hidden because I had not yet discovered the joys of makeup. This is a favorite memory because I have never forgot the lessons of the dangers of over confidence, the importance of paying attention to detail, and the value of words with a capital F.

Michelle Hurley, Program Advocate: In first grade, I joined Girl Scouts, which I credit as the organization that fostered my dedication to community service. We made so many fantastic memories throughout my school years – camping, learning to cook, volunteering, and making new friends. Years passed and I continued being a Scout all the way through my senior year of high school. My proudest accomplishments from those times were earning my Bronze, Silver, and Gold award for service activities in my community. For my Gold Award, I organized a neighborhood yard sale, collected donations, and worked with local business to collect enough money to purchase school supplies for 100 elementary school students in my county. I still remember the sense fulfillment I had when meeting some of the students who were thrilled to receive a backpack filled with pencils, crayons, and notebooks. Helping others was always a passion of mine, but this unique experience set me up on a journey to pursue a career in social work, which ultimately led me to National Safe Place Network.

Laurie Jackson, President and CEO: It is not a surprise, it revolves around sports – helping to start the first girls’ basketball team in elementary school at the city rec level. We had to play all the boy teams. J Playing in high school and also doing track were the best parts.

Sophia Mastropaolo, Marketing and Communications Intern: At the very end of my 8^th grade, when my friends and I were enjoying our last days at our grade school, I was tasked with bringing the flag down from the flag pole at the end of the day. I was able to convince my teacher to let one of my best friends come with me, which we all knew meant we would be goofing off. Before we brought the flag down, I bet him I could climb higher on the flag pole than he could. I didn’t make it very far above the rung for the rope before coming back down (very gracefully). He scoffed before proudly claiming he could go higher. He hardly made it higher up than me but, on his way down, he unfortunately stumbled into the rose bush right next to the pole. I accepted defeat only because I cried laughing at the thorn branch that was stuck through his shorts when he finally freed himself.

Autumn Sandlin, Communications Manager: I wanted to be an actor as a child and in 3^rd grade we put on the Wizard of Oz. Of course, there were too many lines for one 8 year old to remember so we split the part into two. I was Dorothy number one and, arguably, the better one. I got to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and even came back out at the end to replace Dorothy number two. It was on the Public Access Channel in town and I got recognized by an older lady that year when I wore my Dorothy costume trick or treating. I thought I was hot stuff.

Eric Tadatada, Technical Assistance Specialist: In 9^th grade my best friend and I beat two of our schools basketball players in a free throw contest.

Mark Wolf, Director of Training and Technical Assistance: As a sixth grader, I was a very proud crossing guard for Stamm Elementary School in Fremont, Ohio.  My station was Rawson Ave. and the job came complete with a 8' yellow aluminum crossing gate that extended into the street.  And of course, a belt and badge. So cool.