Alumni Spotlight

Catie Weston ’06 attended ACDS from kindergarten through 8th grade and is a member of the class of 2006. Upon graduation from Notre Dame High School, she next enrolled at the University of Puget Sound where she obtained a BA in Psychology and a Masters in Teaching.

According to Catie, the moments that have meant the most to her professionally “are the ones in which a student who has always struggled in math tells me that I have helped shift their perception of math to be more positive.”

ACDS has had an impact on Catie’s career in a marvelous way! She shares, “I loved my experience at ACDS. My memories of my childhood there are filled with feelings of safety, joy, big learning, and support from adults. In my current work at ACDS (Assistant Head of Middle School), my motivation comes from trying to provide a similar experience for today’s students. I have high expectations of what an ACDS education looks like, and I am always striving to create that for our current students.”

A favorite ACDS tradition for Catie was the school play. She stated that she didn’t think she would have participated in theater had it not been part of the curriculum. Because everyone participated, so did she, and she loved it! She added, “One year, the teachers did a play for us, and it was so cool!”

A favorite memory for Catie was pulling up to campus with her class as they returned from a week-long field trip. She also loved Star Lab and expressed gratitude that Mrs. Johnson and Mr. DeMoss brought it back to the school.

Catie shares that the most meaningful relationships to her at ACDS were with her teachers. “Mrs. Hubbard shared her love of math with me, and I eventually taught math in the same classroom in which I learned from her. I still remember the day that she told us how embarrassing her ‘Dear Aunt Sally’ was and asked us to ‘Please Excuse’ her (referring to PEMDAS–an acronym for the order of operations). I’ll admit that I believed she actually did have an aunt named Sally for a minute there.” 

Mrs. Edmunson taught us how to diagram sentences, and I now understand what she meant when she explained how diagramming a sentence would help you be successful in life. When I failed a test for the first time, Mrs. Gulati patiently taught me that I actually do need to study for Science. Ms. Hurt once tried to teach us two weeks worth of content in one lesson, and it worked!” Catie concluded with this powerful statement, “My ACDS teachers taught me how to be a teacher more than any Masters degree or teaching credential.”

When asked what advice she would give to future alumni or current students, Catie responded, “You have so many wonderful opportunities at ACDS. Take them! You never know what you might find interesting. It’s a special place!”

Catie is a much beloved teacher and administrator who greatly enriches the ACDS community with her dedication and leadership.