When I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life, I knew that I wanted to work with students who had faced obstacles and challenges that made learning in a classroom situation difficult. I began teaching children with learning disabilities and/or behavior problems and soon fell in love with them. I remembered reading that one of the primary reasons many young children had difficulty learning was lack of self-esteem. Armed with that knowledge I spent as much time on helping my students feel good about themselves as I did on teaching content. Twelve years later I got my Masters in reading and became a reading specialist in Parkway. 

When I retired, I had grandchildren to love and nurture and I found myself falling back on the same techniques I had used as a teacher. I also began to notice that Mike and I had developed the same mantra when we were interacting with our grandchildren. It came to be known as the "Tell them they are who you want them to be" and it guided us through thirty years of grandparenting.

Mike Cerutti was a very dedicated principal who made it his goal to create a school where everyone felt valued and safe and supported. We had many discussions about how to empower teachers and students to achieve their goals, and there was one thing that Mike always said that has stayed with me all these years. He said that if he could just give his teachers what they needed and then get out of their way, they would do amazing things for the students. I feel that the Cerutti Family Foundation does just that. Through all of our support from the Parkway Community, we are able to give teachers what they need and stay out of their way. And then the entire Parkway Community benefits from these amazing teachers and support staff. I am so grateful to be able to continue helping the teachers and students in Parkway reach their full potential and sincerely thank everyone who makes this possible.