Lifelong Learner Upper School history teacher Lyn Tillett is often recognized by families and graduates with philanthropic gifts to the school made in her honor. There is no doubt that she is an exceptional educator who makes a lasting impact on her students, as evidenced by these quotes from recent graduates: “Throughout high school, Ms. Tillett pushed me like a coach, believed in me like a teammate, and cared for me like a mother. Her belief in me sparked a belief in myself without which I don’t think I would be who I am or where I am today.” —Vaed Khurjekar ’18, the University of Pennsylvania 36
PERSPECTIVES
“Ms. Tillett was always there to guide me through course material, talk me through high school struggles, and drive me to South Carolina for weekly debate tournaments where she attended every single round. I know that even now she is always a phone call away and her dedication to us as her students, and children, will forever be unwavering.” —Gracey Owen ’18, Georgetown University “Her talents in teaching history and being able to truly bring it to life in the classroom made me fall in love with the subject. Her talent in advising shines through as well, as she cares deeply about every single student that she meets and would move mountains to help them.” —Bobby Farnham ’18, Wake Forest University Ms. Tillett’s contributions to the Upper School are far reaching. She teaches four courses of AP history with her students regularly earning top scores on this rigorous exam. Last year, her AP students earned an average of 4.4 on the 5-point scale. She is also advisor for the Debate Team; helped found a new peer tutoring initiative and the Bridge program, which helps acclimate students new to independent school; and was recently recognized by her peers with the Faculty Exceptional Performance award. Perhaps Ms. Tillett is such an exceptional educator because she never stopped being a student. We asked Ms. Tillett to share a few lessons she learned during her nonstop summer of 2018.
