Mr. Witham ~ Gave courage and a helping hand

I’d like to take a moment to recognize a man who truly cared for the students who entered his office:  Mr. Douglas Witham, the guidance counselor at Laconia High School while I was in my senior year. 

You see, in the beginning of my senior year I was feeling fatigued quite often...to the point where I would not even wake up with my alarm in the morning, consequently missing my first-period class frequently.  Late in October I found out that I was pregnant, which explained why I felt so exhausted every morning.  I continued going to school, but by mid-November I received notification that I had missed my first-period class too many times to be able to receive a passing grade.  This was an English class which was required to graduate, so I was quite distressed by this news.

I had so much going on in my life and was having a hard time dealing with it all, being eighteen years old and dealing with the hormones that come along with pregnancy.  I made the decision to go to my guidance counselor, Mr. Witham, and ask for advice regarding the situation with my English class and graduating.

He was very concerned for my situation and went to great lengths to find a way for me to still be able to graduate.  He made arrangements for me to attend classes in the neighboring town during their second semester.  This particular school had block scheduling, so I began classes there in January and graduated, with Honors (and nine months pregnant), on June 12, 1999.  On July 1st, at 1:11 in the morning, I was blessed with a beautiful girl, whom I named Regan Elise.

Without the encouragement and support of Mr. Douglas Witham, I know that I would never have finished my senior year. It is because of him that I have been able to provide my daughter and myself with a brighter future.  I could not be thankful enough to him!