Interview #3 : Ms. Shannon Westerman
French philosopher and writer Marcel Proust was known for his witty answers to a series of intriguing questions, now known as the Proust Questionnaire. To learn more about our teachers in a unique way, the TC 5th graders took on the challenge of creating their own set of interview questions.
For this issue we had the honor of interviewing the Thornton Creek Administrative Secretary: Shannon Westerman.
Background
Ms. Westerman works at Thornton Creek as the Administrative Secretary. Before that she was the front desk secretary. Ms. Westerman grew up in Sitka, Alaska, but now she lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, and their chocolate lab named Brody. She loves walking along the beach with her family and hearing the waves crash any time of the year.
Ms. Westerman’s favorite book is “Where the Wild Things Are”, her favorite color is blue, her favorite sport is baseball, her favorite number is three, and her favorite food is pasta. She loves to cook and to feed people, and would love to go to culinary school and then open a family style restaurant.
Thank you for being at Thornton Creek, Ms. Westerman!
Interview Questions
If you could live as an animal, what would it be and why?
I thought about this a long time and I’m going to say a dog. The reason I chose a dog is because they bring so much joy and happiness to people’s lives. My dad was ill and his dog was able to pick up on his feelings if he was having a bad day. And he would be very calm and go and lay with him. So they are therapeutic. So it doesn’t matter what type of dog – they do a lot of good.
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I am going to say my great-grandmother. I met her when I was a very little baby and that’s the only recollection I have. My mother had so many loving stories of her that I really wanted to meet her. She was an avid gardener, and sewer and crafter and I thought that I would have gleaned a lot of information from her. I grew up in a very small town not around my extended family. So I think that if I could go back and form a relationship and get to know her and get all of her knowledge that she had it would be wonderful.
If you could have one super-power, what would it be and why?
The one super that I would use is to be able to go in and warm someone’s heart. There are people that have a lot of sadness in their life and I wish that I could help them, wrap my hands around their heart and make them feel safe and secure and take all of the sadness away. Just be able to give them a little hug just to let everybody know they have value.
If you could choose another job besides teaching, what would it be and why?
I think I would be a travel writer. I grew up on a very small island so you either had to take a plane or boat to get there. So it was pretty isolated. I was always curious about the big world outside of my little island. WI would love to explore this great world we have and I would love to write about it. Be able to bring it to all those people in all those small places. And of course see the other small places – sometimes those are the best.
What is the best thing you ever learned from a student?
To remember to always look at things through the lens of a student – a younger person no matter what age. As adults we get so busy with dishes, and piles of paperwork, and we forget to put all that aside and look through a young person’s eyes. Just remember what it’s like and to remind me that all that stuff doesn’t matter, it’s you that matters
Respectfully submitted,
Thornton Creek Interview Squad
-Gigi D.
-Jake F.
-Sophia S.
