The One Who Smiles

An infectious smile, a contagious laugh, and a kind and giving heart come together in perfect unison to form the character of Kate Dutil. While those who know her well lover her for her kind heart, those who meet her cannot help but appreciate her positive attitude. What many people do not know, however, is the extreme amount of hard work and perseverance that it took to get her to this point in her life.
On the outside, Kate seems as though she has it all, and to some extent she does. It is not, however, the result of simple good fortune. It is instead the result of hard work and determination. From early on, she understood the value of hard work. Academically, Kate was an honor student, making high marks in honors classes all through high school. The transition from high school to college proved to be a challenge, but Kate handled it with ease. Originally majoring in the field of molecular and cellular biology, Kate thrived in the lab environment. She made a name for herself in the predominantly male major. Even with that success, however, Kate realized after some time that her true passion was in teaching. In the spring of 2010, Kate began a new journey in the world of secondary education.
“Kate will make a great teacher. She is a hard worker and very smart. Students will be lucky to have her as a teacher,” friend Melissa Leach said with pride.
Shifting from one major to another was a difficult experience, but not an impossible one. Kate has managed to do it with ease, maintaining excellent marks and sustaining her friendships. What made it easier for her?
“I used my experiences switching from land sports to swimming to help me when I switched majors too,” Kate explained.
After being diagnosed with a tendon problem in her knee, Kate was forced to give up here interest in land athletics and refocus her attention on swimming.
“Hurting my knee definitely was an obstacle, but I decided to look on the bright side,” she claimed. “Not being able to run was difficult, but I wanted to try swimming and give it my all.”
That she did. After much training, nobody remembered the injury. Kate took to the water immediately. She earned the school records in the 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay. Not only did she break school records in those races, but her relay team also qualified for the New England tournament four years in a row, an unprecedented achievement for her team.
Wherever she ends up in her career and whatever obstacles may come up, Kate will without a doubt find success, and she will do so with a smile on her face.