Danielle Peterson (17′) | Our Students Our Stories

Rotary Club of Beloit
Student of the Week
January 2017

Early Reader & WCATY

As graduation from Beloit Memorial High School approaches, Todd and Deb Peterson are thinking both ahead to what they see as a bright future for their daughter and back on what they view as an excellent education that began early in grade school.

Explaining that when he thinks about his daughter’s education in the district, he has to start at the very beginning. That is, he says, with Gaston Elementary and Danielle’s teachers recognizing her strengths.

“Danielle learned to read pretty early on,” he says, “and I think because of her skill level, her teachers recommended her for the Gifted and Talented Program. Then they got her into WCATY.” Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth, according to its website, is a University of Wisconsin-based “non-profit organization committed to providing year-round, state-wide programs for academically talented youth from the elementary grades through high school.”

Early School Experiences

Noting that Danielle participated in the Center program through seventh grade, Todd said, “For the kids, it must seem like they are taking college classes. The program was a lot of work, but Danielle always did very well. And we think this is because of her early experiences in school here.

“Her teachers saw her strengths and helped her to begin to realize her potential. She loved to read. And she liked math and to write. And her teachers helped her advance in these areas.” As important, he stressed, “…her teachers taught her to think critically and grasp concepts which helped her even more.

“Danielle has always been the type of student who you couldn’t hold back. Her greatest problem has always been that there are not enough hours in the day to experience all of the new things she wants to,” Todd continued, adding that because of all of the support she received before high school, she was looking continued forward to challenge in high school.

In fact, he said, Danielle was especially happy for sophomore year to arrive when she could take her first Advanced Placement (AP) class. “She really wished she could take more than one as a sophomore,” Todd said, noting that she took AP History. “That taught her to take really good notes and that was invaluable learning.

“From there, the next year, she took a few more AP classes, Calculus One and Two. This year, she has AP Chemistry and Statistics and a couple more. These have all helped her make the most of every minute and learn the way she wants to learn.”

Confidence in preparation

Outside of the classroom at Beloit Memorial, Danielle has been active in Girls’ Volleyball and Soccer and the National Honor Society, Todd added.

If they had known then what they know now, meaning when Danielle entered school in the district, he and Deb would not have had even the least of worries about their daughter being ready for the future after high school, Todd said.

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