Cotter senior Dorothea (DeeDee) D’Antonio is one of a handful of domestic boarding students this year at Cotter.  She spent the second semester of her junior year at Cotter and decided to return this year to graduate as a Rambler.

“My family lives in Menomonie Falls, Wisconsin, which is near Milwaukee, so the climate and culture is very similar to Minnesota.  My dad’s a physical therapist and my mom’s a lawyer, they grew up in Wausau, where we also lived.  My mom took a job in New York so we moved there for a year before she took her current job and we settled in Menomonie Falls.  I have two adopted siblings and two biological siblings.  My older adopted sister Kara is 32, my brother Mario is 19, my adopted brother Za’Quell is 19, and my younger sister Tina is 12. I also have a lot of extended family that I see often.”

DeeDee’s parents were nudged to have her look for a boarding school experience.

“Cotter is the first private school I’ve attended. My mom met some of her best friends when she studied abroad in Europe when she was in college.  These friends strongly encouraged my parents to send one of their kids to a boarding school, since all of them growing up had a boarding experience while they lived in Europe. By the time we started looking at this possibility things were moving quickly, and it didn’t look like I could get a visa in time, so they started looking for a boarding school in the U.S.  We found Cotter online and the more we looked at it, the more it seemed like it would be a good fit.”

“My experience at Cotter has been really good. Everyone was very nice and welcoming when I first got here. My classes are good, too, the teachers are very involved. It’s a lot easier here to succeed because of their engagement.  Also it’s a lot easier to meet kids here than it might be in a bigger school, so my transition here was pretty smooth.”

Her teachers also appreciate DeeDee’s presence in class.  “DeeDee is a hard working student with a great personality.  She takes her time to learn at the highest level and encourages others to work with her.  Her quiet yet outgoing nature is great to be around,” said Sandy Bussian, who teaches DeeDee’s Human and Anatomy and Physics course.

“When I first considered going away to school I had mixed feelings. It seemed overwhelming because you’re leaving your friends and family and going into a strange environment. But I think it has definitely made me grow, I am a naturally shy person and it forced me to reach out to new people. I think having lived in the dorm at Cotter will be an advantage for me next year when I go to college. I also now have met a bunch of new friends from Winona and around the world.”

“Life in the dorm has been mostly great. There are a group of about 15 of us who hang out and are always doing something fun. There’s lots of stuff to get involved in.  I enjoy athletics whether it’s watching or playing sports. I did basketball last semester. I work out every day after school in the weight room with a group of other students, some from the dorm and some local students.”

“There are of course occasional bumps when living with a large group of people.  We had some changes in staff and they had to sort out expectations for some of the kids, but it’s working out well and, personally, I’ve been doing fine. 

DeeDee has taken on a leadership role within the group of dorm students.

“Sometimes some of the younger kids might listen to the older students more easily than they might to the staff, so as seniors we try to support the staff and point the younger kids in the right direction.”

Tammy Hoeger, Cotter’s Director of Residential Life and Domestic Enrollment Coordinator, also sees the growth DeeDee has made this year.

“Dee Dee has a quiet, but steady and strong presence in the dorms. I have enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and succeed, both here in the residence hall as well as in the entire Cotter community,” Hoeger said.

She has also enjoyed the excursions the dorm has taken as a group.

“I appreciate the trips we have taken as a group, like going to the Timberwolves game and the professional soccer match in Minneapolis. Last week we went to a laser tag place and then to a mall and had dinner and that was really fun. ”

Emma Hageman, a sophomore from Mexico in her first year at Cotter, also appreciates DeeDee’s friendship.

“Dee is so sweet and calm and welcoming.  We always eat dinner together as a big group and she is always nice to everyone.  We had a lot of fun together when we went skiing recently,” Hageman said.

DeeDee is considering attending either the University of Minnesota and the UW-La Crosse next year.