Tracey Waldmann featured in PivotToday for Delaware County Leadership

Tracey Waldmann, Of Counsel with Media-based Raffaele Puppio and who's practice focuses on school districts, charter schools, private schools and intermediate units in special education matters, talks with PIVOT Today about growing up in Philadelphia, and her favorite places to visit in Delaware County.

What is your full name? Who are you named after?

Tracey Dolin Waldmann is my full name. My parents just liked the name Tracey and my mom picked the spelling.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I live in Lower Merion.

What are some of your fondest memories of where you grew up?

I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other. We knew every family on our street.  I could walk outside and there would always be other kids playing outside and we would come up with our own ideas about games to play.

If you live and/or work in Delaware County, what do you like most about it?

People who live and work in Delaware County are some of the most down-to-earth and fair-minded people that you will ever meet. Despite all of their accomplishments, people in Delaware County maintain their beliefs in hard work, family and friendships.

What did your parents do?

My mom was a Catholic school teacher and my dad was an accountant.

Where was your first job?

My first job was in high school as an academic tutor for elementary school students.

Where did you go to college? Why there?

I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Pennsylvania State University where I majored in Liberal Arts and Dance. I have a Master of Arts from Temple University in Political Science and Government.   After visiting main campus at Penn State, I immediately knew that it was where I wanted to go to college.  It was such an exciting atmosphere and there were so many interesting activities. I chose Temple for graduate school because it had a strong political science department and emphasized critical thinking towards solving political issues.

Where did you go to law school? Why there?

For law school I went to Temple University Beasley School of Law. I chose Temple because I wanted to be a litigator and it is ranked one of highest law schools in the country for trial advocacy. Temple Law emphasizes “real world experience” so that you are fully prepared to be a lawyer when you graduate. Also, diversity is so important in any education and Temple provides diversity in students, professors, experiences and opinions.

Why did you choose to go into your particular area of law?

At Raffaele Puppio, I am part of the education law and government services practice, focusing primarily in special education. The best part of my job is working closely with schools and finding solutions that help students. Our schools are deeply committed to providing services to their students and there is no better reward than helping students with special needs.

Are you involved in the community? If so, in what ways?

I enjoy volunteering and teaching children in the community. I volunteer on Sundays teaching catechism and I also volunteer and teach kids yoga.

Is teaching and mentoring important to you?

I am lucky that I get to talk to and work with teachers as part of my job. They always impress me with their intelligence and dedication to their students. I’ve learned so much from them about best teaching practices and creative ways to engage students. I try to emulate them when I’m volunteering with kids.

Who was your most important mentor?

My most important mentor is my mom.

What is your favorite Delaware County restaurant?

Barnaby’s is my favorite restaurant in Delaware County. It’s a fun place to meet up with friends. I also enjoy Teca and I have attended many bridal and baby showers there.

Where is your favorite weekend-getaway destination?

We like spending time at the shore.  We also enjoy the outdoors and like visiting Linvilla Orchards and Tyler Arboretum.

If you could change one thing about the Delaware Valley, what would it be?

One thing I would change is having more parking spaces in Media!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?  

The best piece of advice I have ever received is that character counts. What a person says and does in ordinary moments when no one is looking reveals more about true character than grand actions taken while in the spotlight.