The theme of citizenship and stepping up to better our school and community took center stage at Chatham Middle School (CMS) this month. As part of the school’s monthly character theme, our counseling staff hosted a panel of local volunteers who shared their personal missions and showed that service takes many forms.
Students heard from:
Dawn Steward: Founder of Community Cares, which provides financial and emotional support to residents of Columbia County who are facing a hardship in their life or the life of a family member.
Wally Engel: Ghent Fire Chief and CCSD transportation supervisor, who emphasized that everyday heroism starts with being a good neighbor and looking out for others.
Meg Charron: A wildlife rehabilitator who demonstrated the power of finding your passion and using it to assist animals in need.
Tony Torres: Shortly after retiring as a Lieutenant with the NYC fire department’s emergency medical service, Mr. Torres served as a volunteer following the September 11, 2001 attacks and spent three weeks at Ground Zero, efforts that earned him a medal from NY. He has since fought 9/11 service-related cancer three times.
By sharing their stories, our panelists encouraged all students at CMS to find their own ways to step up and build a stronger community.
