It actually happened. The election for the open seat on the Woodbridge
School Board. And I won.
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| Tuesday night with my parents after election results were announced. My 8 yr old daughter Johanna said, "Make a silly face!" |
I was running unopposed until the very last day a candidate could register for the position. Darrynn Harris would be running as well, not for his first time.
Elections were scheduled for May 12, 2020.
But the world shut down for a pandemic and everything changed.
Our 11-year-old daughter Adria had just returned home after weeks in AI duPont Hospital for Children. Because of issues related to her Spina Bifida, she had undergone extensive bilateral leg surgery on February 19 to help improve her walking. She was looking forward to returning to school but never had the chance.
Suddenly in mid-March, Delaware school buildings closed and I became a home schooling mom to 3 young children. In truth, I never figured out a great balance between teaching my young children with remote learning and managing all my client’s needs as a Realtor, but we did our best.
In fact, as a newly licensed real estate agent I closed on my first home at the end of January. By the end of May, in the midst of coronavirus upheaval, I closed on 12 properties!
Simultaneously, my husband and I started construction of our first spec home on January 23. We built it for investors on their lot in the Town of Bridgeville. The project went great and by mid-June a woman was happy to be moving into her new home!
I feel so fortunate and humbled because I know those months have been very challenging for many.
The Woodbridge School District specifically saw many tough losses in the first half of 2020. In mid-January we said goodbye to an incredible woman, Beth Judy, who was my husband’s aunt and a life-long teacher well-loved by so many in the Woodbridge community.
In April, 15-year school board member and long-time Woodbridge educator and administrator Walter Gilefski passed away. His 5-year term was about to end, so his position on the board has been vacant since then. Now, I will fill that void.
Later that month, Adria’s incredible elementary school principal, Dr. Laura Leach suddenly died. We were all shocked and heart-broken at the news – she was just 39 years old and experienced a blood clot in her lungs. My fifth-grade daughter sobbed into my shoulder when I told her.
Then perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all was when we lost a 7-year-old princess and WECEC first grader, Bella Moore on May 13 after an inspiring battle with brain cancer.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, no large funerals were held for most of these dear souls.
And the School Board elections were pushed back to June.
Then again rescheduled for July 21, 2020.
This is a tough day for me.
One year ago on July 21, 2019 there was a terrible accident at my workplace at the time. A vehicle ran into the office, ultimately causing my dear friend and co-worker Kaity West to lose her life. She was a stunning beauty at 31 years old. Fun-loving, kind and poised for great success in her home sales career.
I realized more than ever how frail life is. How we are never guaranteed the next moment.
It is part of what brought me to this day.
Life is a gift, and we largely decide what to do with it. I want to enjoy it, embrace it, and support others in their life pursuits.
One way of doing that is being on a team that impacts many of the educational decisions for our community, my children included. I realize that being on the school board is not a flowery position full of excitement; it will come with some new and unique challenges for me.
Let’s do it.
My strong hope and desire is to reopen schools in the fall in some capacity. You better believe this hard-working mama is going to push for that, focusing on the safety of student and staff.
It has been quite a journey this year.
Thank you to those who voted and supported Julleanna Seely for Woodbridge School Board! I look forward to serving you.
