When you walk through the Commons today, you will notice poster boards all around the school with pictures on them. What are these pictures you might ask? They are family members or friends of individuals in the community who have served in the US military.
How did this idea come to be?
“I wanted a way for us to honor veterans,” Head of Middle School Jon Wimbish said. “Just seemed like that was a place for us to spend some time thinking about the people that are largely unseen in our community that as a country help us maintain our freedoms and safety.”
On a more personal level, Wimbish has many relatives and friends who are veterans or serve in the military currently. One of these people is his nephew, Jonah. When Jonah said that he wanted to serve in the military, Wimbish described it as, “An incredibly proud and terrifying moment all at the same time.” Jonah has served in Poland and is currently serving at a base in Texas.
So where did this tradition start? Wimbish started this roughly 12 years ago, and today there are about 260 pictures of loved ones who have dedicated their lives to serve our country. Wimbish also added that there will be at least 22 alumni in the photos this year as well.
Middle school secretary Tim Smith sends out a survey to complete this process. He collects photos and names of people in this community and glues them on poster boards to hang up near the bookstore. Smith himself has three family members who are veterans.