Chester resident Katie Watson, a 2025 graduate of Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, is the winner of the 2025 Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship. Goddard Systems, LLC, manager of The Goddard School franchise system, announced the good news on August 14.
“Katie stood out among an extraordinary pool of applications for her unwavering dedication to applying her education in service of her community,” Darin Harris, CEO of Goddard Systems, said. “At Goddard, we believe that where you start your educational journey matters, and Katie exemplifies this belief. We are honored to name her the 2025 Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship winner. It’s rewarding to see how The Goddard School set the foundation for Katie’s academic future, and we’re excited to watch her continue to flourish in her educational and personal journeys.”
The $10,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior who successfully completed a Goddard School pre-k or kindergarten program. The recipient must demonstrate the work ethic, perseverance and commitment to community that exemplified Anthony A. Martino, the founder of The Goddard School franchise system. Raised in Chester, Watson is a 2012 pre-K graduate of The Goddard School of Chester in River’s Bend.
Watson will attend the University of Virginia this fall. She developed a passion for history, government and helping others during her time as a member of We the People, a civic education program centered on constitutional law and public policy. Her participation in the program throughout high school gave her experience in analyzing Supreme Court cases, preparing testimony and fielding questions from judges centered around policy that improves access to education and empowers communities to participate in democracy.
“The Goddard School taught me to have empathy and compassion for others and to embrace my creativity and personality,” Watson said. “Those early learnings were inspiring and shaped my academic path and decision to study public policy and leadership in college. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in law while advocating for civic education.”
In addition to her time with We the People, Watson served as a swim coach throughout high school, helping children who had no experience in the water gain confidence and learn to swim.
“It is so fulfilling to see Katie’s transformation from a vivacious preschooler to an accomplished high school graduate. Goddard is the best place to start your education journey, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Katie,” Stephen Graham, owner of The Goddard School of Chester, said. “Our school is committed to providing a nurturing environment for every child to foster confidence and build a lifelong love for learning. Seeing the success of our graduates is a great reminder of why we do what we do.”
The Goddard School serves almost 100,000 students from six weeks to six years old in 37 states and Washington, D.C. For more information about the school and the scholarship, visit GoddardSchool.com.
Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and@socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe.
