Waterbury artist and teacher’s essay lands in ‘Chicken Soup’ collection for America’s 250th

June 26, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti

An essay by a Waterbury teacher and artist is included in a recently published book ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary titled, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating the Spirit of America.” 

Dorothy Goff Goulet’s piece, “School Glue,” tells of an experience with a troubled eighth-grade student whose behavior concealed both profound struggles at home and extraordinary artistic talent during his father’s military deployment from their overseas station in Germany. 

Cover image.

The story offers a real-life example of the often-unseen emotional burdens children carry and the unexpected ways teachers can become anchors in their students’ lives. 

The latest release in the popular Chicken Soup series features 101 contributions published in previous volumes. The feel-good stories were selected from the Chicken Soup library to illustrate “the true spirit of America” as told by individual authors, according to the publisher. 

Published in May, “Celebrating the Spirit of America” contains stories set in locales around the United States: tales about honoring the flag, about U.S. service members and their families, volunteerism and ingenuity, new American citizens, and longtime traditions from baseball to fireworks, apple pie and Thanksgiving. The book’s final chapter shares stories from September 11, 2001, during the year marking the 25th anniversary of that tragic chapter in American history. 

Editor and publisher Amy Newmark said the goal was to offer a collection of original essays as a way to “turn away from the divisiveness out there and focus on the real America—the way it can still be and the way it is in our daily lives.” Taken together, the stories highlight American values and serve as a tribute to the nation’s 250th anniversary, she noted. 

In her career, Goulet worked for the Department of Defense school system for nearly 20 years and taught French and social studies to high school students on Guam and in Germany before moving to Vermont. In 2009, she was honored as the worldwide Department of Defense Education Activity Teacher of the Year, a recognition that serves as a semi-finalist for the National Teacher of the Year award. 

Teacher, artist Dorothy “Dot” Goff Goulet. Courtesy photo

In 2010, the Chicken Soup series published a collection of “Teacher Tales,” featuring pieces by all 56 of the U.S. Teachers of the Year from 2009, and “School Glue” was included as Goulet’s contribution to that publication. 

Goulet said she was happy to learn that her piece would be featured in the 2026 edition as well. “The publishers selected my story to be part of this new work from the thousands of stories in all of their books from over the years… I’m so excited and flattered!” she said. 

The Department of Defense Education Activity is a public school system for dependents of U.S. military members. It employs about 12,000 educators serving approximately 80,000 students in 200 schools on U.S. military bases in the states and territories and overseas.

Today, Goulet says she still does some online teaching but has shifted her main focus to her painting as a watercolor artist. She currently has a solo exhibition of her work at the Lamoille County Courthouse that is expected to be on view into early July.

The Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books with inspirational stories began in 1993; there have been more than 300 titles published since. Goulet says she has some copies of the book for sale. Email her at artbydorothygoulet@gmail.com or contact her through her website here. Bridgeside Books can order it as well.