You may know Caitlin Adams as one of the lunch ladies in our cafeteria. You may not know that as a child, she received personal correspondence from former president George W. Bush.
Every day, Adams serves breakfast, lunch, and snack bags with a smile. She has been a School Nutritionist for almost eight years, working at Tennessee Middle, Fairmount, and now Tennessee High. When she was just twelve years old, a 6th grade school assignment led her to the capital and a personalized message from the president.
She had to write an essay for her class about recently elected George W. Bush, who served two terms as the 43rd president from 2001-2009, and as part of the assignment, she mailed it directly to the White House.
The letter, she recalls, asked “why he wanted to be president” and “his goals” for the future. For her assignment, Caitlin gave it her all. After about two or three rough drafts, Adams finished her letter to the president. She dropped it in the mail and eagerly anticipated a response.
Adams remembers the long walk with her grandmother down the driveway to her mailbox. When she opened the mailbox, she was greeted with the welcome surprise: a large orange envelope addressed to her, out of place with the regular mail.
The front was stamped “First Class Do Not Bend” in bold black letters, and in the left corner lay the important words: “The White House.” Caitlin grabbed the letter and ran to her mother. She knew exactly what was inside.
“I didn’t think I would get one,” Adams said. “You know, [I was] just a little girl writing a letter… Imagine how many letters he probably [got].”.
The probability of getting a letter back from the president is very slim. Every night, the staff chooses about three to four to get responses out of the thousands of submitted paper letters. It’s truly a miracle that Adams got a response.
“I was just so happy, you know? Not only that, I [felt like] the coolest kid ever. I showed [the letter] around all day, every day,” Adams said.
The presidential seal rests at the top of the letter, raised on the paper with a golden design of incredible accuracy. When held up to the light, the paper shows a watermark, showing that the paper is made of 100% cotton.
The envelope also contained a large colored photo and four tickets for her mother, father, little brother, and herself to visit the White House.
“We drove down [to DC] and I think we stayed two nights. We did other stuff while we were there but when we went to White House, it was a whole day trip thing,” Adams said.
The letter and the trip left a lasting impression on Adams, who knows how significant it was to get a response to her letter.
“I got attention from the president. I mean, how many people can say that?” Adams said.
Adams loves the fact that out of the thousands of letters submitted, hers was chosen, read, and responded to. She takes joy in the fact that the president of the United States cared enough to respond to what a twelve-year-old girl had to say.
Adams also loves the personal nature of the letter. It was not a general “thank you for writing us” letter prewritten for all who send a message. It was a true response, paying careful attention to spell her name correctly. She was touched because, according to her, not a lot of people spell ‘Caitlin’ right. The full version of the letter is available to read as well.
If Adams were to talk to President George W. Bush again, the first thing she would do is thank him. Not just for the tickets and the letter, but also for the A on her school essay assignment.
