Whitney Sherman at work with son Jack

From the desk of Ginger Bell, Director of Family and Alumni Relations:

Whitney Clements Sherman, ’07, certainly was prepared for her college years and beyond, upon graduation from Brook Hill.  She came to Brook Hill in 6th grade and had 7 years to soak in all we had to offer.  And, not just the academic side of our programs.  Whitney took advantage of all the opportunities available to her, and that helped prepare her for her future.  Whitney says, “As a college athlete, one thing that I was more prepared for than my teammates was time management.  I knew how to study on a bus trip, I knew how long it would take me to write a paper and how early I should start on it, I was even able to have part time jobs throughout college because I knew how to plan ahead and get everything done.”

She was involved all over the school and practically lived at Brook Hill during her time with us.  She had many adventures during those years, so I found it interesting that one of her favorite memories of her time at Brook Hill was the senior trip.  But then she explained why: “Oh man, this is extremely hard to choose…for fun, I’m going to go with the entire senior trip.  From being thrown out of the raft to seeing a bear, it was an amazing trip. The best part was when several of the guys threw Mr. Fletcher into the river.. he took it like a champ and even got some of them back ;)”

She also had a hard time narrowing the list of teachers who influenced her the most, but was finally able to list just a few.  “Mrs. Michelle Rozell – my first math teacher but also a second mom to me…still :). Mr. Brandon Watson – for always showing us a good time in drama! He had such a perfect blend of humor and conviction.  I specifically remember him in chapel and how easy and compelling he was to listen to – that was helpful for us 8th grade girls on the front row! Mr. Travis and Mrs. Russell who really taught me how to write, a skill that I attribute much of my success to today.

Whitney’s advice to students today is to enjoy every bit of your time at Brook Hill and then stay in touch with your classmates and teachers. “You never know when you will need them – like to revise a college freshman English paper 😉 or just to hang out with and talk to about college and growing up.”

When asked how her time at Brook Hill challenged or encouraged her faith, Whitney responded, “My time at Brook Hill definitely encouraged my faith more than challenged it.  It set me up with a strong foundation that I have been able to come back to over the years.  When I have drifted or doubted, I have always been able to come back to the things I learned in Bible, Chapel and advisory.”

Whitney is still soaking up life to the fullest!  She is now the wife of Coach Chad Sherman,  mother to baby Jack, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with Autism Response Team in Tyler.  She works with children and adults with adolescents with autism in their homes and schools.  She helps them increase their skills and decrease problem behaviors.  Whitney is another example of how so many Brook Hill alumni move on to contribute beautifully to the world around them.