Being a Faculty Kid

By Jacqueline Wu ’24

Do you enjoy having your parents close to you?
Morgan Curtis ’24: Yes! I enjoy seeing them a lot. My parents are everyone’s parents. I know many people who would call my mom their school mom.
Mary Styspeck ’24: Yes, it doesn't bother me personally. It's nice to know you have a parent around if you ever need something. My teachers and counselors can easily talk to my mom if necessary. ​

What are the positives and negatives of having your parents here with you?
Morgan Curtis ’24: I get extra and much stricter rules. For example, I get dress-coded in the morning before even leaving for school. They really enforce the second layer rule. But on the positive side, I have my father who is a Dean and was a College Counselor. I get a clear picture of what I can and cannot do. Both my parents have popular advisories, and I don’t have to compete with that. I even have more people to go to since I have known some teachers through my parents before even coming here.
Mary Styspeck ’24: I'd say the only negative is that we have to come in early sometimes for faculty meetings because we take the same car. The positive is that my parents are an involved part of the school community and my teachers and peers are familiar with her and we eat together sometimes during a shared free block or dinner.
 
How would you feel if your parents had taught you in one of your classes?
Morgan Curtis ’24: I actually requested my mom as my Third Form year History teacher. I have severe ADHD, and my mom knows how I learn. She can tell when I zone out and makes sure I am focused and able to learn. As a learning specialist, my mom knows the learning styles that help me best.
Mary Styspeck ’24: There wouldn't be a difference because I know she would treat me the same as the rest of her students equally or even be a little tougher.
 
Growing up here on the hill, how has Westminster changed as you aged?
Morgan Curtis ’24: It is definitely less strict than when I first moved in. There used to be a set dress code that people got sent back if they didn’t follow. Mrs. White made a lot of changes. What we have now had not been a thing in the past, and I really appreciate that. For example, there were major movements in community acceptance. Community conversations began in my Fourth Form year.
 
As a new student this year, how has Westminster changed from before?
Mary Styspeck ’24:  As a new student, it's especially hard to adapt to Westy’s individuality as opposed to other schools. Classes were definitely harder, and I found that I had to come up with smarter ways of studying. I had to adapt to a new school as a Fifth Former and try to fit in time for social life. Having a parent on campus made a difference because I knew I could always go and ask for advice or just have someone to talk to.