Schools

Winston School Grad Stands Out As a Leader

Written by Mary Mancera

Deep down inside, Torrey Hazelquist always knew she was a leader. When the 18-year-old first came to Del Mar’s Winston School eight years ago, however, she was shy and lacked the confidence to command the spotlight.  Thanks to the prep school’s custom solutions for learning differences, young Torrey graduates this month as both a leader and a mentor in her class.

“I was really shy before but I always felt this leadership quality inside me,” she confesses. “I just didn’t have any confidence because I knew I was different than my classmates.”

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Torrey’s transformation over the years is nothing short of amazing according to her mother Laurie Hazelquist.  “Torrey didn’t fit the mold in the public school system and she was falling behind peers in class studies. It was scary to watch,” she said.

Torrey was diagnosed at age six with Attention Deficit Disorder and later Dyslexia.  As a former teacher, her mother knew the limitations of the public system and as the situation worsened, college became an unlikely dream.

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That was before the teachers at Winston School identified Torrey’s learning style and designed a custom curriculum to get her back on track. In no time, her dislike for reading and math turned into a love and a passion.  Suddenly, the world opened up to her.

“The climate of acceptance at Winston did wonders for her self esteem and her confidence. The one-on-one attention from teachers made all the difference,” says mom Laurie.

Torrey hasn’t looked back once. As she blossomed in the classroom, she felt more comfortable to be herself.  First she became active in the school’s student council, and then she joined the Mentoring Club that is similar in spirit to Big Brothers Big Sisters.  She even led the movement on campus to form the Gay Straight Alliance, of which she is the president. The group is now an officially recognized club on campus. Torrey also spearheaded its inclusion in Pride Prom, a local event for Gay students.

“Some kids are afraid to be who they really are. That’s not right. Everyone needs to feel like they belong somewhere” she said.

This year Torrey was also named president of the Student Body Council, a symbolic achievement for the once shy co-ed.  Now community service is an important part of her identification. And college? She has been accepted to Southern Oregon University where she plans to study behavioral psychology in the fall.  One day she also hopes to study abroad.

Her parents are thrilled, of course.  They’re proudest of how she goes out of her way for others. “Reading through her school yearbook, I was so struck by all the wonderful things her classmates had to say about her and how she goes out of her way for them.

‘We’re so proud of her. None of this seemed possible before.”

—City News Service


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