By Mira Asllani

Reporter

Dawn (Madame) Walton, South French teacher, is working through her last few weeks of school, as she has decided to retire. 

Madame Walton has been part of South for the past 26 years, and has had a teaching career of 32 years in total, having previously worked in Santa Fe High School im Alma, and Fort Osage High School, in Independence.

Aside from being a teacher, Walton has offered her help to her students through other means.

“I have worked with the Modern Language Club, which we’ve not had for the past couple of years just because of COVID and the fact that we always revolve around a lot of food and that’s just not has not been a really good idea. My first year I also helped out with debate and forensics and then I work with a lot of homebound students, and I’ve done that for about 20 years now,” said Walton.

Walton says her love for French and culture started when she was in college.

“I started learning French in middle school, and then I took it in high school and thought it was just fun and went to college with no intentions of pursuing that. I went to what is now called UCM, back when I went to school it was MSU. That’s where I did my undergraduate work and my graduate work. I loved English and I just knew that I wanted to be an English teacher. So, I took a French class and then my French professor said, hey we are studying abroad next semester, you should really think about coming with us. So, I did that first semester in France and absolutely fell in love with it. It was a life changing experience for me. French was for me. Everything French, not just the language,” Walton said.

Walton shared some of her favorite parts of being a French teacher.

“My favorite thing apart from just high school kids which I really like, I know that makes me weird but I really like high school kids, I love cooking with them, and I love the fact that I›ve always had a kitchen in my classroom, that I can bring culture into it and there›s just something about cooking and eating with people that almost makes you like a family.” she said.

Walton explained why she chose this career.

“I feel like it’s always been my calling. I’ve known from a very young age that that’s what I wanted to do. I feel like every day I get to make a difference and I get to have a job where I can have an impact on not just people but on the world in general and that feels good as opposed to doing mindless work.”

Furthermore, she shared some of her favorite moments.

“Some of my favorite memories would probably be on trips when we›ve traveled and we›ve had a lot. Getting to see them experience new things for the first time is always amazing. Even if it›s a place that I›ve been hundreds of times, seeing it through their eyes, places that we›ve studied and we›ve talked about and then you get to go see them, that to me is amazing,” Walton said.

As an experienced teacher, who has worked with hundreds of students, Walton advises her students to stay open to every opportunity they have.

“Because at this age you think you know what you want to do and you think you know your path, but you need to be open to the many other possibilities that are out there, because there’s just so much that you haven’t even seen or even know about yet that are waiting for you,” she said.

Madame Walton plans on traveling, continuing to work part time, and spending time with her grandchildren.

“My grand plan for retiring is to take a cruise along the southern border from Italy and hit all of the Greek islands and go into Turkey. I would love to see all that. Once I’m retired then I’ll have lots of time to go see whatever I want to see and I will be doing it,” Walton said.