Raquel DeWitt hit the ground running on Friday, September 26 - her first day as the HSD's new Community Education Coordinator. Thankfully, she had a running mate. Outgoing HCE Coordinator Katie O'Malley-Soot was there with her, acquainting her with the facility, its programs, and - much to DeWitt's delight - the students in its After School Adventures (ASA) program.
DeWitt, whose background is in early childhood education and human development, loves educating and inspiring young learners. "ASA is such a robust and energizing experience for the kids...and me, too! I look forward to being a part of it and seeing how and where I can add to it," said DeWitt. She also enjoyed participating in her very first Silver Social, a monthly program aimed at connecting and educating Hockinson's older residents, adding: "I love the idea of bringing in local speakers to share information and boost the awareness of our seniors on so many diverse and important topics. That is a very special community of people and a really neat concept overall."
DeWitt says a lot of ideas continue to pop into her head at all times of the day and night. "I keep telling myself to remain focused and get familiarized with the job and HCE's existing programs before looking to add new opportunities," she said. However, she believes she will expand the program's offerings in relatively short order. "Katie has done such a nice job of organizing Community Education from creating a fee schedule to establishing a new communication platform. I really feel that she has solidified offerings and procedures and put everything in place for me to start gauging community interest and adding to our catalog of classes and activities."
DeWitt invites community members to reach out to her if they have ideas or even special skills that they are willing to possibly share as a community education instructor. You can contact her at raquel.dewitt@hocksd.org (email) or (360) 448-6480 (phone). Her work hours are 8:30 am - 5 pm Mon-Fri.