For reasons I can’t easily articulate, learning of Whitney’s passing blew my doors off. When we first met, I was a shy ninth grader who wouldn’t come out of his shell until college, but she was a kind soul who made you feel good about yourself in what for me was an otherwise a pretty tough environment.
From what I’ve been able to glean after reading what Whitney had been up to in the thirty-five years since we graduated from high school, it’s readily apparent that she left the world a much better place than she found it and made helping others reach their full potential the hallmark of her being.
It’s clear that Whitney planted the willow and that her impact on those she guided as a parent, teacher, friend, or those in need will prove to be timeless.