-
Annette Boswell
A familiar face to many in schools and the community will be leaving the White County School System.
Annette Boswell, family advocate with White County Family Connection, is retiring after nearly three decades with the school system. She started at Jack P. Nix Elementary School in 1992 as a second grade paraprofessional, where she stayed until her son was born.
“He had heart problems, [so] I took off a few, like four or five, years in between and then I came back doing this job, being the family advocate since 2006,” Boswell said.
During her time as a family advocate, Boswell has been involved with the creation of many programs.
“I look back and reflect on a lot of the things we’ve done over the years, from Camp Journey to Butterfly Kisses; the summer feeding program, we started pushing that when two little babies at Camp Journey were hiding food to take home with them,” Boswell said. “It broke our hearts that they were eating half their sandwich and taking the rest home.”
Over the years, Boswell said she has seen many changes to Family Connection, including growing from two staff members to three and a change in focus to not only address immediate needs of those it helps, but also fostering long-term stability for them.
“We’re trying to do the whole family thing instead of just focusing on the children,” Boswell said. “When I started, there was no family advocate; It was just Judi [Lawson] and me … There was no one to train me. I had to figure out my own way.”
“I was very blessed to be housed in the [school] board office, which wasn’t the board office then. It was just four rooms of that whole building that had been refinished, and I was with the truant officer and social worker. I learned a lot from them, and they would find children who needed help. It’s kind of just evolved. I would see something that was a need and try to figure out the best I could.”
In retiring, Boswell said it will be the children that she will miss most about her job.
“I’ve really gotten a lot of great friends, not only in the school system, but in the community, working with all the community,” Boswell said.
She added that she wouldn’t change anything when it came to her time as the family advocate.
“I think God gives us a purpose and a reason,” she said. “When I got this job, I wasn’t looking for a job. I was taking care of my grandparents, but this job found me.”
Boswell said it was the right timing for retirement.
“I have grandchildren. I’ve got a new grandbaby, Ruthie. She’s 3 months old and another one coming,” Boswell said. “Everything has changed. All the things, I see things going in a direction. It’s hard for old dogs to learn new tricks. I think I’m just ready. It’s kind of a heavy job.”
With her retirement, Boswell said she has a few plans in the work.
“I’m going to be a Mimi for a while,” Boswell said. “We have a store. We have Meaders Mercantile we opened three years ago. Our son runs it and manages it. I guess I’ll spend a little bit more time there, but I plan on just resting for a while.”
She added that she appreciates the assistance that people have offered her over the years.
Boswell will also be missed in the school system.
“Annette is an asset to our school system and a blessing to our community,” said White County School Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett.
Boswell’s last day is Aug. 31, 2021. The White County Board of Education approved her retirement at its April 29 meeting.