Legacy

Vivian Baldwin, R.N. – Celebrating a Legacy

Mrs. Baldwin served as an outstanding parent volunteer, community instructor for Walton’s health classes and as a community volunteer for more than 25 years. Over her years of service to Walton, Vivian had a tremendous impact on our student body and our school. She cared deeply for every student she encountered.

Vivian helped create Walton’s Facilities Foundation in 1992, which was the first high school foundation in Georgia. She served as President of the Foundation for many years after her daughter graduated from Walton. Under her leadership, the Facilities Foundation raised funds for many cosmetic and necessary improvements to the old high school building. Mrs. Baldwin also worked with Principal McNeill to create the Principal’s Leadership Committee where she helped students develop Leadership skills through community involvement. The group raised funds for many charities including: CHOA; K-9’s for Warriors; and Relay for Life.

Vivian Baldwin’s work with Walton’s students and staff created a legacy that will always be appreciated.

Cara Seckman’s Legacy

One of the benches outside the front entrance to the school has the name Cara McKim Seckman, Class of 2015, carved on the top two slats of the bench. The next two phrases, “Be True to Yourself” and “Go With the Flow” were two of Cara’s favorite sayings. Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Cara and the honor of calling her a friend understands the meaning of these words. Cara was always true to her beliefs and never went along with the crowd if it was not for something in which she believed. She was even kneeled and believed in going with the flow and not making waves without there being a just cause.

Cara Seckman was a competition cheerleader for four years and was awarded the Ideal Cheerleader Award her senior year. This award speaks to who Cara was and how those two phrases encompassed her beliefs. The Ideal Cheerleader Award was voted on by her peers, who saw Cara as an example of what every young woman her age strives to be. She was a quiet leader who inspired those around her in every aspect of her life. Cara was a member of the National Honor Society and various other clubs at Walton.

Just a few weeks before graduation, Cara became ill. The diagnosis was HLH, a blood cancer that affects young people. Cara was too sick to attend her graduation, but her friends in the class of 2015 left her seat vacant for her and honored her that day. Cara passed away shortly after that. Because of the tremendous impact Cara had on those around her, Cara’s friends wanted to do something that would leave a lasting impression on the students who followed. They decided to raise money to build a bench in her honor. Before the new school was built, the bench sat inside the old building where students could hang out and wait for their parents. When the new building opened, the bench was placed, as was always the intention, outside the front doors. The dedication of the bench was August 6, 2017.

Cara Seckman Bench Dedication on August 6, 2017

Judy McNeill’s Legacy

Judith McNeill served Walton High School for 30 years. Originally from Indiana, she began teaching in 1966. She joined Cobb County Schools in 1983 as a teacher at Osborne High. In ‘88, she came to Walton as a guidance counselor, working her way through the ranks to administrative assistant, assistant principal, associate principal and eventually principal, a role she held since 2008. Mrs McNeill was our principal for 10 years when she retired in 2018.

Mrs. McNeill accomplished many things at Walton including increasing the number of Advanced Placement Courses that Walton offers. When she came to the school in 1988, Walton offered three Advanced Placement courses for students. Now, it boasts more than 30. One of her greatest accomplishments is our new school building. Mrs. McNeill created a multifaceted plan with the help of her staff and the faculty to present to the Cobb County Board of Education to get the new facilities built. Originally the county just wanted to replace the theater and gyms at Walton. With McNeill’s guidance a plan was launched to prove Walton’s need for a completely new re-build. The new school building was opened in 2017 and the fine arts and athletic building opened in 2019.

Mrs. McNeill retired with 42 years in education. She is still a Raider at heart and can be spotted at Walton athletic events from time to time.

Christina Diaz: Celebrating a Legacy

There is a bench in front of Walton dedicated to Christina Diaz that reads “dwell on the beauty of life,” and anyone at Walton High School who knew her, knew that this was truly the way she lived. Through her entire battle with cancer, she demonstrated that cancer was not going to steal her love for life and her positive outlook. She continued to be positive and full of grace, continued to create lasting memories, or, as she put it, continued to feel “the real stuff.”

Christina came to Walton in 2002, and, except for the 2010-2011 school year, she worked for Walton until 2017. In that one extraneous year she had gone to another school to teach, and although she enjoyed that school, she knew she would go back to Walton as soon as she could, because Walton was her “home.” Both in her classroom and in her daily life, she was the definition of positivity, passion, and love. Affectionately called “Ms. Positiva” by her colleagues and all who knew her, she would even begin every semester by telling her students how important it is to stay positive!

For several years, Christina chaperoned Walton Spain trips, and she continued to encourage students to continue traveling and exploring the world because she was passionate about the life lessons that traveling teaches. After she passed, the Christina Diaz Memorial Scholarship was created at Walton, which awards $1000 each year to a student participating in an international school trip.

Christina’s Walton family consists of an enormous group of people that loved and adored her. Here are quotes from just a few of the many teachers who loved her dearly:

The smile at the end of C-Hall, the twinkle in those blue eyes, my Spain roomie with a heart as big as the universe.
A better friend would be hard to find. She lived life to the fullest and inspired those around her to do the same. Her love for everyone and everything around her was infectious.
She had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know.
Her kindness and thoughtfulness knew no bounds.
Christina was always the breath of fresh air in difficult meetings.
I miss her energy and zest for life! I miss her walking down the hall and peeking into my classroom saying “Besitos,” “It’s all good,” or “Stay positive!”
In health, illness, and now as our angel, she teaches us how to live wholeheartedly with no regrets. What a joy it was just to watch her live.

Christina’s positivity, passion and love were her constant driving force. After her terrible disease forced her out of her classroom, she continued to teach us many life lessons until the very end of her life, constantly reminding everyone of her motto: “Life is short. Take the trip. Buy the Shoes. Eat the cake.” After she passed, during her memorial service, her husband delivered a message Christina had prepared for all of her friends and family: “Look up and not down. Look forward and not back, and lend a hand. Stay positive and love life.” Her spirit and her legacy will live on through her family, her friends, her community, and Walton High School. Her Walton family feels so incredibly blessed to have known such an amazing person.

In Celebration of Bill Glass

Bill Glass was a beloved Custodian at Walton High School from 2007 to 2018. The following article written by Anthony Foti in April 2021 celebrates the wonderful legacy Bill Glass has left at Walton.

Anyone who has been part of the Walton community over the past 15 years will have the same reaction when asked about their interactions with Bill Glass, and that reaction is a smile. It’s rare in life that we get to meet someone who enriches the lives of everyone they encounter, but Bill was that type of person. Whether you were a student or a member of the faculty, Bill treated you with kindness, positivity, warmth, and enthusiasm. The man who would reply to the statement “have a good day” with “you have a better one”, represented what makes our school great, and his impact on everyone that knew him will last a lifetime.

Bill came to Walton in 2007 after a career as an airline mechanic and a member of the United States Air Force. He quickly became one of the most popular people at Walton amongst the staff and students because of the way he approached every day. Bill looked at everyday as a gift. If you would ask him how he was doing he would reply without fail with “God gave me another day” and he was determined to make the most of it. The man never met a stranger, always reached out to make others feel welcome, and exemplified how we should treat people.

Bill was Walton’s #1 fan, and a fixture at every sporting event. He was there to cheer them on in victory and defeat, always encouraging the players to do their best and represent the values of our school. He cared so much that he would look through the newspaper every morning for articles about the kids, and when he found them he would make copies, laminate, and hand deliver them so they knew how special they were and that all their work was being recognized. He did this because that is what Bill Glass cared about, the kids. He believed in our students, saw their value and their promise, and made sure that he helped them however he could.

While Bill may no longer be with us physically, his legacy lives on through his family and friends, his coworkers, and most importantly the thousands of kids who had the privilege of knowing a man who lived his life the right way.

To provide you with more of a feeling of just how wonderful Bill Glass was, we have reprinted the following speech which was delivered by Bill Glass during the Evening of Inspiration in 2016.

In April, Ms. Ozzie asked me if I would do her a favor and my response to her was “how can I help you?” Her favor which I consider an honor, was to speak to the Class of 2016.

I asked her what your theme was and it’s a great one – SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS.

In my mind, I need help for a request such as this so what I do every day is pray about it.

The key word to me in your theme is BELIEVE – when you believe, ALL things are possible. To achieve this your moral compass must be founded in truth. You won’t live in worry or doubt or be double-minded. Your life will be that of endless hope not a hopeless end and you won’t search for who you are.

At conception, you became a gift to your parents. You are by design deemed worthy with reason – meaning and purpose. At that very instant you were given a gift which is unique to you and you alone.

It’s as different as are fingerprints, but it will never come full circle until you give it or share it with someone else.

Your future is already a memory to God and we all have the capacity to leave great memories. Don’t compare yourself – God doesn’t.

When you’re guided in truth your path will be straight and you will walk in comfort. What lives in you will show outwardly. Whatever you’re created to be won’t matter your vocation. You’ll live in peace knowing it’s the plan for your life. In truth, you’ll never forsake it for fame, money or power. There may be times when truth is delayed, but it will never be denied, it will prevail. If it’s not true, don’t say it; not honest, don’t do it. When you’re honest about today you will live in truth tomorrow and you won’t be bound.

Your past is just that – let it go. That was then, this is now. Be still and move forward to be a better person every day. In truth, your concern will never be how you look to others. You are what you think and you’ll know your decisions and actions bring consequence.

Your resolve should be to bring dignity and honor to your family and the name you represent. Censor what you let between your ears and place hope in the ears of others.

At lunch, you see trash being picked up and on top of the trash barrel is a box for materials to be recycled. On my box I have a smiley face with two words underneath it. They are “you count.” Small words but significant ones. The words and smiley face is my attempt at a sublimable thought, feeling if you see it every day you’ll believe it. It is the truth. If you think about it, trash goes in the barrel to be thrown away and recyclables in the box to be used again.

So should be your thoughts – trash ones throw away and worthy ones recycle over and over again. In this way of thinking your words will be of encouragement, knowing your self-worth is not greater or less than another. You become your choices.

A life of pride is always trying to impress – it’s me, myself and I, and that is the path to self-destruction. The more you give of self the fuller you become.

In my life, obedience to the commandments becomes a life of discipline. You’ll be grounded in faith and your principles will never change and you will be blessed. This doesn’t exempt anyone from adversity. You can’t learn anything when everything is going well. Adversity depths vary. You will never be given more than God knows you can handle, but it always builds strength, perseverance and bridges over the valleys of life. There will be things you never have answers to but you will survive by accepting it. It’s hard not to put a question mark where God puts a period. Especially when the day asks for more than you have to give.