This is the fourth and final piece in a Q&A series running each week up to the election to give Bristol’s eight candidates for school committee a chance to answer a few pressing questions to help inform voters and provide insight into each candidate. For this final prompt, each was given a 150-word limit for answers.

Answers are direct quotes from candidates, printed in the order received, with edits only for spelling or grammar.

The question:
Name an experience you had during your K-12 educational experience that shaped you in a memorable way. This may be positive, negative, or something in between.

Bill O’Dell
I had the good fortune of going to a high school which had a fully operational vocational/technical school where I spent three years studying electronics. My entire curriculum, including math and science, was tailored to my chosen trade. Being in the same lab for three years allowed me to be part of a close knit group of students. Yes, I was a “shoppie” and loved it. My best moment in that class was the day I got a particular test result back. My teacher put it in front of me, thumped on it with his finger and said “You’re better than that”. It was a B+. He was right. Up to that point I was straight A. It was a top notch program with a top notch curriculum and top notch teachers. It would be great to have that kind of program here. Let’s help all students love school.

Tony Morettini
I’m a history geek. I LOVE history. So much so that I spend a day a week giving tours of the State House to people from around the country and the world. Yup, history makes me smile.

And I have my East Providence High Modern U.S. History teacher, Mr. McNulty, to thank for that passion. Until his class, history was just a series of names, places and dates, almost randomly to be memorized and repeated. He flipped the light switch for me, by teaching that the most important part of history is the “story” part! It’s about people and their stories, and what shaped them. His story of how the tenements and mansions of South Providence were built by his Irish ancestors gave context to my own Italian immigrant story. The people and their stories made fascinating, glorious sense. I LOVE history. Thank you, Mr. McNulty.

Carly Reich
My guidance counselor in Glendale, Calif. — in the district where my family had served as leaders and teachers for decades — told me that striving was a waste of my time. I should just settle for what my grades and SAT scores were pointed at; that my dreams were just that, and I would be disappointed if I tried. This was not the first or last time I was told I was not enough.

Adults should not narrowly define success and achievement for individual students or generations. We must be their biggest fans encouraging dreams, aspirations and goal-setting. When we talk of what we believe is not possible, we neglect giving energy to what could be. We need the next generation of leaders, thinkers, workers and families to be confident in their desire to change the world. Giving them the tools to achieve and strive is our biggest responsibility.

Richard Ruggiero
The educational experience that shaped me in a positive way was in high school, and motivated me to pursue a career in education and coaching. I was a student at Colt Memorial High and was inspired by my coach, Artie Pansa. His methods of teaching and coaching were inspirational and to see the positive impact he was having on students impressed me greatly. He accepted no excuses and you quickly learned this was a man that would hold you accountable, but treat you fairly.

When I witnessed the impact he had on students’ lives, I felt this was something I would enjoy doing after college. It was my junior year when I decided I wanted to be a physical education teacher/coach, just like Coach Pansa. I hoped to have a positive effect on the lives of students, and have received so much positive feedback from these students well into their adulthoods.

Jessica Almeida
When I was in elementary school, I remember my mom (as well as other parents of my friends/classmates) always being at the school. She would volunteer in my class, other classes, field trips, school functions, you name it! I remember feeling a sense of comfort at school, always. I personally thrived in that type of environment. My classmates and I were always heavily involved in school activities and events. I believe some of that had to do with our parents being part of our school culture.

Nothing can put a price on a supporting environment in school for students of all grades. Every student deserves this type of experience. Parental involvement has proven to have a positive influence on student attitude and behavior as well as better attendance records. I am hopeful that this culture will make its way back into the BW school district.

Margaret Elise Richards
I grew up in a NY town demographically similar to Bristol but much smaller. Knowing how important it was that we see the world outside our rural bubble, our English teacher, Ms. Hepburn, built our junior year curriculum around the topic of “tolerance.” We learned to draw parallels between history and current inequalities. We studied similarities between the Holocaust and the recent Rwandan genocide. We read fiction and nonfiction literature depicting racism and then read Savage Inequalities and Friday Night Lights, seminal works exploring differences between schools in rural & urban and poor & wealthy communities.

Because of Ms. Hepburn, I learned to practice empathy and open-mindedness that might have escaped me growing up in a community where most people were “like me.” I’ve visited over 40 states and 40 countries; I’m not sure I would have developed my insatiable thirst and respect for learning and meeting new people and places without her.

Brian Bradshaw
I spent first through twelfth grade in Tallahassee, Fla. public schools. My middle and high schools were plagued by violence, bullying, drugs, and alcohol. I have more than a few memories that I wouldn’t want another child to experience. 2022 Bristol, RI is different from the south that I grew up in but there are similarities as well. I see hope for the future when our students are solving real world problems with the teachers who inspire them. I see hope on the field and on the stage when our students are working together towards a common goal with the teachers who guide them. But there’s also violence and bullying in our schools, which is why safety is so important to me. There are aging buildings, which is why we must plan for infrastructure upgrades. You can count on me for honesty, integrity and experience. Please vote on Nov. 8.

Adam McGovern
I was fortunate to be a member of the 1998 Mt. Hope championship football team. This team was special for many reasons, but what resonates is how we positively brought the community together. Everyone took pride in our team and the community we represented. The talented coaching staff (too many to name), including the late Thomas Vendituoli and “Doc” Abbruzzi, taught us how to be leaders on and off the field. These lessons and desire for a positive future for our students is the primary reason why I am running for school committee.

Having an overwhelming sense of pride in your school is an experience I wish every student could have. Athletics doesn’t have to be the catalyst, but it must start with a community who won’t break each other down. It must start with a community that supports each other. A united community is the foundation for our success!