Keeping the Westover Spirit Alive: Crystal Velez ’04 on the Power of Giving Back
For Crystal Velez ’04, Westover was more than just high school. It was Glee Club and Chamber Choir, numerous productions with the Westover Drama Department, the Environmental Action Committee, and the Women in Science and Engineering program. Most importantly, it was a community of classmates, teachers, and friends. Altogether, it was a formative four years that helped shape her future
Now a high school science teacher, Crystal has channeled her appreciation into action by serving as both Class Secretary and Peer Fundraiser—roles that allow her to stay connected to her classmates and give back, ensuring the transformative experiences she had remain available to future Westover students.
Given her lasting ties to Westover, it’s no surprise that her favorite spot on campus —Chapel— and her favorite tradition—Candlelight—are both touchstones that evoke a deep sense of connection. That same spirit carries into her work as a volunteer. In her roles, Crystal keeps in touch with her classmates, shares news of milestones—births, marriages, and moves—and collaborates with the Advancement Office to encourage support for the Westover Fund.
“Westover provided life-changing experiences to so many of us,” Crystal explains. “In my role as peer fundraiser, I see an opportunity to keep that community alive and remind my classmates that any support they can give creates the opportunity for more lives to be changed.”
Despite the time and energy her roles require, Crystal didn’t hesitate to step up at the end of her senior year. “I honestly didn’t think very deeply about taking on the role once we graduated,” she recalls. “I just felt it was something I could easily do—so why not do it for an institution that had done so much for me?”
In the twenty years since she’s found the work deeply rewarding. “I’m uniquely positioned to keep in contact with my classmates, which helps maintain relationships that might otherwise fade as time passes and life fills up with commitments,” she shares.
When asked what keeps her coming back year after year, Crystal doesn’t hesitate: gratitude. “I am incredibly grateful for the time I had at Westover. I am compelled to serve in these roles year after year as an expression of this gratitude.”
For alums and future volunteers looking to get involved, Crystal has simple advice: “Just reach out! It’s easy to get involved, and there are many opportunities to engage with our peers and support Westover so it can continue to be a place where confident and capable young women are cultivated.
Be Boldly You
Westover School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. As a gender-diverse girls school, Westover welcomes applicants and students who are assigned female at birth and/or identify as girls. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions and financial aid policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.