Dr. Jennifer Garrison, Superintendent

Vandalia CUSD #203

For this special alumni issue, we feature the stories of twelve Vandals across six decades, all of whom walked the same halls, shared the same traditions (and some, even the same lockers), who all have fond memories of their time here, and who have all gone out into the world and made a meaningful dent. I only regret that we didn’t have a few hundred more pages to have devoted to such an issue because we could have easily filled them with loads of Vandalia alumni out in the world doing remarkable things, raising wonderful families, and contributing to both a better Vandalia and a better world. Still, reading the stories of these twelve makes me enormously proud of the community we all share, because it was this place that gave these twelve their start. And, as they say, it takes a village.

As I leaf through this issue, I see the genius of community at work through ‘crowdsourced inspiration,’ the courage to explore, parental nudges, mentorship in action, and even pure happenstance. As I reflect on each Vandal alumni story, and how they all managed to unfold so beautifully in the service of a better world, I am struck with a second realization—the fact that, as a community, we create around a hundred freshly minted alumni every year. Like those featured in this issue, they too will have their own shot at making a dent in the universe, and I feel confident that many of them will. As I’ve said so many times before: together we’re better, and the success of our students, alumni, and community are all interwoven.

As a VCHS alumna myself, I continue to be immensely proud of our Vandalia School Community and am looking very much forward to an amazing 23-24 school year, about to kick off in the next few weeks. But until then, it is my hope that you will enjoy what remains of the Summer and join me in marinating in a little Vandalia pride as you now get to leaf through this special alumni issue.

Dr. Jennifer Garrison, ‘95