From Google Docs essays to digital presentations, technology has quickly become one of the most crucial assets to teaching. It is hard to imagine WA without its countless chromebooks, projectors, and speakers, though their importance is often overshadowed by the bustle of the school day. What has now become the foundation of learning started with just one person. Because of Digital Learning Specialist Stephanie Gosselin, education at WA has never been so accessible.
Following her 21 years at WA and five at Day School, Gosselin has made the decision to retire at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Among many other things, she has worked to make learning easier and more accessible for the community. WPS will be replacing Gosselin’s role at WA with a district-wide position, meaning she will be WA’s first and last Digital Learning Specialist.
“What keeps me coming back [to digital learning] is there’s always something new. There’s always ideas to share, always strategic thinking that challenged me,” Gosselin said. “Every year or two, I was learning something new. […] I always enjoy it, because I like challenges. I like learning new things. So I’ve always pushed myself to do new things with [the position].”
Gosselin began to devote her time to digital learning after her interest was piqued by her son’s elementary school technology lessons. What started as independently learning about new programs flourished into a Master’s degree and lifelong career.
“I could see the engagement that my own children had and the skills that they were learning as nine, ten, eleven-year-olds that they were going to be needing, because that’s the direction that the technology was going,” Gosselin said. “They were using educational games to enhance learning for the kids, but also to reach the struggling learners. […] Sometimes it just takes a different venue. It’s meeting the learners where they’re at, offering different types of ways to learn the same thing.”
After switching career paths, Gosselin began volunteering in the Westford school district to gain experience and help classrooms integrate technology into their learning while also submitting these projects toward her certification. She worked at Norman E. Day Elementary School for four years, but when a new position opened at WA in 2003, Gosselin was quick to put her skills to work.
“I started with one cart of 24 laptops, pushing it around. And then we went to two carts, and then we went to three,” Gosselin said. “And for the longest time pushing around carts was how we did it. We didn’t even have a lab.”
Gosselin’s primary challenge entering her new job was integrating technology into core classes. This started by developing computer labs that teachers could use for lessons, and eventually she led a push to make computers commonplace in the classroom. Now, she has become a go-to support for any teacher or student struggling with technology, while also managing the endless stream of new technological programs and developments.
Aside from her rigorous commitment to upholding the digital foundation of learning, Gosselin has also been heavily involved in WA Theater Arts (WATA). She started as a parent volunteer when all of her children participated in the program, and eventually began managing anything from the box office to poster designs.
“I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the kinds of things that I have accomplished without [Gosselin’s] stability, strength, and intelligence. She brought us into the 21st century […],” WATA Artistic Director Michael Towers said. “But, to me as a person, she’s been a very good friend. She’s smart. She’s a tremendously hard worker. She’s got a good eye. […] You know whatever she does, it’s going to be professional, it’s going to be sharp, and it’s going to be beautiful. Those things I will miss.”
Whether it’s giving classes technology demonstrations for an upcoming project or reviewing student access to new programs, Gosselin has been an instrumental advisor in the building. She’s responsible for providing students with personal chromebooks and teachers with laptops, yet she remarks how much the WA community has given to her.
“I think one of the reflections I have is I’ve always learned so much from my students. Westford Academy is a rigorous school, and there are some students that I’ve talked to that have just persevered,” Gosselin said. “I admire the students and I love seeing the way they’ve gone out to the world and brought what’s true to them. Things that they as freshmen, sophomores probably never thought they’d do in the world, but they have.”
Gosselin has made the decision to retire after achieving a fulfilled career, and describes her excitement to start a new chapter of her life. According to Gosselin, she wants to find a remote technology position in the future while also traveling, but reflects on the reciprocal impact she has had with the school.
“I think what I take away is a sense of community and a sense of support and understanding that has so many different layers. […] You have your students, you have your teacher administration, you have your community members, it keeps getting bigger and bigger and that is your community,” Gosselin said. “I can walk away knowing I impacted the lives of many, even though some kids have no idea who I am. […] You just know that you’ve impacted a community, and that’s what’s important.”
