Alumni Profile – Betsy Bailey ‘89

What have you done since graduating from LI?
I earned my degree in Early Childhood Development from Plymouth State College and have owned and operated Little Dippers Doodle Children’s Center for 30 years. I have served on numerous boards in the community such as H.O.P.E, NVRH, and Lyndon Institute. I represented the state in helping to Build Brighter Futures by helping to write the Child Licensing and Regulations in 2013. I am a founding member of All Things Lyndon. My partner, Joe Orr and I own and operate Orr’s Acres Farm in Lyndonville.

Tell us about your family.
I have two sons: Davis Guyer ’14 and Beckett Bailey who will be graduating from LI this spring. My granddaughter, Westlee will turn 3 in August.

How many people in your family graduated from LI?
My great-grandmother, Flora Stoddard-Davis graduated from Lyndon Institute in 1894, and her son Crawford Davis had three children; John “Jack” Davis ’48, Dwight Davis ’50 and my mother, Jean Davis Bailey ’56 who will be celebrating her 70th class reunion in June. I have four sisters of which three of the five graduated from Lyndon Institute: my oldest sister Kim Bailey ’79, myself, and my younger sister Molly Noyes ’90.

What was your first memory of being excited?
My seventh birthday at Disney World!

What are you most proud of from your LI experience?
Being a part of the first Field Hockey team to make playoffs and having our ski team win districts.

Which class helped you the most with your future endeavors?
As a student I would to go to the church across the street from LI and help “His Lambs”, a preschool that was taught by Jeanie (Haines) Laughton. It inspired me to go into Early Childhood Development.

Which classes were the most difficult for you?
Languages seemed to be the most difficult

Which event was your favorite during Winter Carnival?
Tug of War

What would you name the autobiography of your life?
Work Smarter Not Harder

What do you miss the most about LI?
The invested teachers and their constant support in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Where was your favorite place to hang out after school?
I was always involved with sports after school.

Who was your favorite teacher at LI?
Rick Cameron was my favorite, even though he stole my shaped ski concept for better turning on the slopes!

What was your favorite lunch from the LI cafeteria?
French Fries

What was the #1 song you loved to hear your senior year?
There were so many good ones but songs by Tears for Fears and Prince, specifically “Purple Rain”, seem to stand out the most in my memories.

What is your favorite quote?
"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing." ~ Mother Teresa

What was your favorite event during winter carnival?
Broom Hockey

What is something you didn’t like about your LI experience?
Not attending LI all four years. I attended Burke Mountain Academy for my freshman year.

What Vehicle did you drive to school?
It was an old, rusted out Chevy Blazer that I remember when the engine finally quit on the way to school one day, my sister and I were elated!

What is something at LI that you absolutely loved being a part of?
School spirit and how everyone just got along no matter the “click” you were a part of

Who did you go to the prom with?
Denny Hamel

What advice do you have for students as they look for future careers or programs to apply to?
Get off your phones and stop buying into social media

If you had to do it all over again, what would you have done differently?
I would have run for Student Council

Who were your best friends?
Desiree Hertz was a very close friend, but I had so many I couldn’t possibly name them all.