Please help us extend a warm welcome to Lindsey Williams, our new Marketing and Development Associate! Lindsey brings not only strong professional expertise, but a deeply personal and heartfelt connection to our mission. Having experienced firsthand how The Independent School sees, celebrates, and supports each child as uniquely themselves, Lindsey understands the true spirit of our community - not as a concept, but as a lived experience.

Her story is powerful, personal, and rooted in gratitude, belonging, and belief in what makes TIS exceptional.

Please enjoy Lindsey’s beautiful reflection below...

If I had to describe what The Independent School means to my family in one word, it would be community.

When our daughter first started here, I felt a kind of gratitude I was not expecting. She was seen, really seen, for who she is. Funny, caring, curious, and wonderfully unique. Her teacher always had a new story to share every time we crossed paths. The kind of stories that make you laugh and sometimes cringe a little. I will never forget being blindsided at conferences about “the bad word game mommy plays.” A great story once I recovered.

And then there was the day my daughter proudly announced she was planning to buy her teacher an El Camino. Her teacher laughed and said, “What kindergartener even knows what an El Camino is?” Only my child. Truly. Only her.

We texted often, sharing moments that meant so much. It felt like a friend, not just a teacher, was caring for my daughter each day. And while the stories were sweet and funny, what they really showed was something deeper. My daughter was not just taught here. She was noticed, encouraged, and celebrated by multiple staff members. We felt safe sending her here, and there is no way to put a price on that kind of peace.

She loved The Independent School so much that she begged to stay for Panther Care even as we pulled out of carline. That level of excitement about school is rare. And as we learned the hard way, it is not something you find everywhere.

Leaving The Independent School was never the plan. Financially, it felt like the decision we had to make at the time, so we enrolled her in one of the top public school districts in the country. The teachers there were good people doing their best, but it simply was not the same. At conferences, her teacher struggled to tell me who she played with, and there was no mention of what made her light up. There was nothing about her humor, her personality, or the little things that make her who she is.

In only a few months away, she used the words “hate” and “school” in the same sentence more times than I can count. Morning drop offs were filled with stomachaches and quiet anxiety. The difference in environment was immediate and painful. There were so many red flags I could not ignore.

And while this story is about her, it also begins with me.

I grew up in public schools that were, to put it lightly, difficult. I remember kids starting fires in classrooms. Some of those same classmates are now serving life sentences or worse. There were wonderful teachers who cared, but as a system, it failed me. It took years of healing to rebuild my confidence and sense of worth.

Those early experiences shaped everything about who I became. They are why I pursued psychology and why I have spent fifteen years working in child welfare and mental health. I wanted to help young people and families receive the care I often lacked. I wanted them to feel seen, heard, and valued.

I am naturally quiet and observant. Sometimes shy. But never disengaged. I take things in. I process. And once I understand something fully, once I care, I am all in.

When I became pregnant, I promised myself my child’s experience would be different. I always believed that family is the foundation, but it takes a village to help a child truly thrive. Homeschooling was not the right fit for my daughter. She is a true extrovert and needs community, connection, and belonging. And that is what The Independent School gives her.

And it is not only the adults who make that possible. The children here are amazing too. They lift each other up. They celebrate one another. They choose kindness over competition and compassion over judgement. It feels like a place that focuses on raising good humans. Yes, we want her to learn and grow academically. But what good is any of that without empathy, connection, and a genuine understanding of other people. A school that helps shape character is just as important as a school that teaches academics.

Other schools are simply too large to nurture this kind of environment. The teachers there are good people trying their best, but with so many children and needs, it is impossible to truly know everyone. My daughter went from being celebrated to feeling invisible. She blended into the background, and it broke my heart to see her confidence fade.

Through my work in mental health and education support, I have seen exactly what happens when children feel overlooked. I have also seen the transformation that follows when a community shows up for them. That is why The Independent School means so much to us. It represents what is possible when people care deeply about children and about each other.

This is the place where she thrives. This is where she feels safe. This is where she is known.

And now, stepping into my new role as Development and Marketing Associate feels like the most meaningful full circle moment of my life. I get to help tell the stories that connect people to this school. I get to strengthen relationships and share the heart of this community with others. Because I have seen the difference it makes when a child and a family feels seen, valued, and supported.

This is not just a job for me.

It is personal.

It is full circle.

It is home.