To the Editor:
After seeing Katie Genovesi’s letter in support of her mother’s candidacy, I decided to write one of my own. Before I jump into the body of this, I’d also like to extend my support to Mrs. Genovesi, as I am friends with her son and have known their family since I was a student at Bear Tavern. She has been especially kind to me throughout my years in Hopewell and I know she would be a great addition to the school board.
I’ve always been perplexed by my mom’s work ethic. Between her work on school PTOs, our church vestry, the Hopewell Valley mobile food pantry, and the Hopewell Valley Regional School District school board, she never ceases to amaze me with the time and effort she is willing to put in to accomplish her goals.
However, when I say “her goals” I am referring to so much more than my mother Debbie Linthorst’s own aspirations. The selfless work she does reaches so many people in Hopewell Valley, and the impact she leaves on the community is immeasurable. Those who have worked with my mom have nothing but the utmost respect for her and the work she does.
It was no surprise to me when my mom became the president of the school board, as I knew she was the perfect person for the job. While I don’t know much about specifics on the school board level, I know she works tirelessly to create an inclusive school district where every parent feels their child is in great hands, and she does everything in her power to ensure that every child feels included and safe in their learning environment.
As I got older and stayed awake later into the night, I noticed there was always someone else awake too: My mom. While I was playing video games, she was always working on whatever her current project was in the next room over. She spends hours making sure that the work she does is nothing short of her best effort. I’ve wondered at times why she hasn’t looked for a full time job where she would be compensated for her countless hours of work, and I realized why. She truly cares. She wants to make a difference, and she gets so much satisfaction out of serving the community in any way she can. She loves the work she does and hopes that others can benefit from her efforts.
What amazes me most is my mom’s ability to give so much of herself to our family outside of all these other tasks. There were nights when both myself and my three other siblings had places to be, and my mom always found a way to get us there on time. She knew all of our daily schedules like the back of her hand, not to mention she always had dinner ready in the midst of this craziness. Her cooking is pretty good too, if that counts for anything. My siblings – Ryan, Téa, and Michaela – would agree with me that our mother finds a way to get everything done in both a timely and effective manner.
For the parents who have filled out a survey sent by the school district, I promise you my mother read it and didn’t take a single word for granted. She seeks to represent every family in the school district and strives to better Hopewell Valley every single day. She is responsible, accountable, intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
A vote for Debbie Linthorst is a vote for a Hopewell Valley that we can all be proud of.
Matthew Linthorst
Hopewell Township