Our mission is to tell real and raw stories of success and failure to bridge the gap between alumni and current students. This is a new kind of alumni network where we value "success" with an open mind. 

This means including everyone at the table to share their story. Success can have a variety of different meanings to a group of diverse people and to limit ourselves to one definition could quite possibly change the decisions we make in our lives.

Have you overcome mental illness? Have you preserved through addiction? Have you raised three kids and sent them to college when all of the odds were against you? Have you faced racial or social injustices? Have you lost someone close to you and you’re getting through? Are you on a journey right now but you don’t know where you’re headed? We want to be able to show the reality of success and that life has so many different paths to choose from.

Success has 2 definitions within the dictionary:

1) the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame

2) the correct or desired result of an attempt

We place a ton weight on definition number one, “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame”. These are superficial measurements put in place to rate people and put some on higher pedestals than others. To devalue many other contributions to society can be negative effect on our community. Wealth, respect, or fame - how can these be the only adjectives that correlate to success? Look at our teachers who help shape future generations - fame and wealth is hard to come by while working in education - and yet these are some of the most successful people who contribute to our society. They should also be celebrated. Their story matters too.

Definition number two, “the correct or desired result of an attempt”, is an open-minded definition of success. Many alumni magazines or publications glorify a person’s path to triumph. They choose the success stories they see fit into our societal definition and leave out many details about the journey. We are determined to do the opposite, to share all stories to the community and to focus on the adventure alumni took to get there.

We are out to connect and strengthen Watertown High School. Through creativity, honesty, and empathy, we are determined to create a more informed WHS class by sharing the multi-faceted, multi-leveled stories of success and failure. Can our small town start changing the definition of success?

How do you view success? Do you have a story to share? Share your story today!