Blognoticias

We love to stay in touch with all of our students and it’s especially easy when your mom works at the school! This summer, we are lucky enough to have Pine Village alum, Lucy Doyle back at the school working with us this summer along side her Mom, Jen Doyle, Senior Director, Communications and Enrollment. So, we thought it would be fun to check in with Lucy and share her memories, experiences and thoughts about her time at Pine Village and catch up with everything that she’s been up to since. Enjoy!

What made you come back to Pine Village this summer?

I came back to Pine Village this summer because it was a summer job where I could work AND spend time with my mom! After being away at college for the first time, I was excited to have the opportunity to do both at the same time. I spend my time assisting various people in the office doing a wide range of tasks such as filing, putting together promotional materials, and organizing papers and areas around the office. I’ve really enjoyed not only seeing my mom everyday after not seeing her for months, but also getting to know her coworkers!

Does being back at Pine Village Preschool working bring back memories when  you were here as a child?

When I was at Pine Village I attended the old Brighton location, and seeing pictures of those classrooms and teachers around the office does bring back a few memories! I remember absolutely loving the playground there, especially the swings and slide. Seeing pictures of it, I remember the hours I spent their during the school year and summer, playing My Little Pony with my friends of just running around, having a good time!

How has Pine Village shaped your ability as a bilingual in Spanish and English or alternatively, learn new languages?

Unfortunately, my Spanish has not stuck around over the past few years (although, curiously, I never forgot how to count to 10), but I feel like learning a new language at such a young age helped me when I studied Italian and Latin in middle and high school. When I began those classes, I picked up the grammatical structures and vocabulary a bit quicker than my classmates, especially in Italian. I think that learning Spanish, then hearing it as my younger brothers went through Pine Village as well, made it easier to catch on as I learned other romance languages.

Can you update us all on what you are up to now?

I am going to start my Sophomore year at Georgetown University in just a few months! I am an American Studies major, Disability Studies minor, and I think that I want to work in government policy in the future, especially as it pertains to election law and voting rights. Of course, I have only been in college for a year so I may change my mind, but right now I think I want to go to law school in the future. I love living in DC and getting to know my classmates, people who come from all over the world. Getting to know different people and their backgrounds was one of my favorite parts of freshman year, and I’m so happy to have a summer job with an organization that celebrates all different cultures and backgrounds as well!

How do you think your experience at Pine Village has helped to shape the person you are today? 

Although I have only a few distinct memories of being at Pine Village, all that I do remember is tinged with feelings of love, encouragement, joy, and constant support. I think Pine Village encouraged love of learning in all its students and, even at a young age, told me that I had a group of people who just wanted me to be happy and do the best that I could do. That feeling of support and safety made it easier for me to work hard and pursue the things I loved as I got older, because I didn’t doubt that I had a support system behind me. I only spent a few years at Pine Village, but, even now, I remember the warmth and encouragement that I always felt there, a feeling that luckily was continuously nurtured by my family and friends as I grew older.

If you were to choose your own preschool looking back today, would you choose Pine Village all over again?

If I could go back and choose my own preschool, I would definitely choose Pine Village again! Knowing more than one language and engaging with other cultures does so much to open a child’s mind, especially at a young age. Even those who, like me, forget most of their Spanish after a few years away from Pine Village will always have memories of a place that encouraged appreciation of community, joy, and learning each and every day.