Ms. Shannon’s Butterfly Bench
October 17, 2022
Ms. Shannon our beloved friend and school psychologist for over 8 years, at Bullard, passed away on March 27th. She was known for her crazy fun outfits on dress-up days and her ability to make everyone smile even on their toughest days. Ms. Shannon went to most sporting events to cheer on her students, treated students as if they were her kids, and was always there if you needed someone to talk to.
When two senior students Dom Guerriero and Jordan Anguiano heard about the news, they decided to build and donate a butterfly bench monument in memory of Ms. Shannon. Dom Guerriero’s grandfather, a welder went to Mr. Torigian with his 3 month plan to build one for her. Ms. Shannon was a big fan of dragonflies, but sadly it was going to be too difficult to weld, so they plan on welding dragonflies to the bench.
Placed in the middle of the quad on the top of the grass stairs the beautiful butterfly sits royally. Mr. Torigian says “I kind of picked the spot to put it because Shannon and I were friends back in high school. I figured the best place to put it would be there so when you’re walking onto campus, you see it immediately.” Everything for the bench was kindly done by those who too loved Ms. Shannon, only leaving the cement that the bench is placed on to be paid for.
As of now, the school is waiting for a plaque to be delivered for the bench. As the one-year mark for Ms. Shannon’s passing approaches, Mr. Torigian has plans to do something for her stating that he would like to allow family and friends more time to grieve before doing more.
Mrs. Shannon loved Bullard. She would always dress up for the dress-up days and would bring a smile to everyone’s face. She is greatly missed, and Bullard will never be the same without her. Mr. Torigian stated “She was the spirit of this place, and she will be missed.