11 minute read
From the Triangle
FROM THE TRIANGLE From the Triangle
As this year’s Revels premiered in spring at the Manor House, instead of snow, the jesters enjoy falling petals inspired by the campus cherry trees. See page 10 for more Revels.
FROM THE TRIANGLE
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HIGHLIGHTS 2021
Though life was still different during Spring 2021 at Emma Willard School, in-person traditions returned! With some adjustments to keep everyone safe, our campus community enjoyed Ring Ceremony, Triangle Takeover, May Day, and a special Revels red carpet!
1. Kate M. ’24 and Brenna L. ’24 walk to the
Triangle to perform the Maypole Dance with their classmates.
2. With the Seniors off campus,
Nicola B. ’22, Sallie R. ’22, and
Louise A. ’22 takeover the senior triangle with their class.
3. The Emma Willard School Mock Trial Team won the Rensselaer County finals and became the #1 seed in the Regionals! The last time the team advanced so far was in 2017. Congratulations Mock Trial!
4. Members of the class of 2021 take to the
Red Carpet for their Revels feature film premiere! Dressed in formal wear, they walked the carpet to be interviewed by a team of faculty personalities before heading to their seats.
5. Seniors and Juniors show off their rings together during the Ring Ceremony this spring.
6. The Black Latinx Student Union (BLSU) held their annual Apollo talent show this spring (normally held in the fall but delayed due to COVID-19) on the inner campus lawns.
7. Chalk Day! The seniors took over the sidewalks of campus with amazing chalk artwork depicting the colleges they plan to attend in the fall.
8. A look at the Weekend Activities from the
Spring 2021 semester! Movie Trivia Night ended with awards and gift baskets of candy, while Felt Flower Creating took over
Kiggins during the day.
9. Honors Convocation 2021 featured an announcement that the lower playing fields will have a new name bestowed upon them, honoring Emma Athletic Director Liz Parry, with a new scoreboard and signs. 2
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FROM THE TRIANGLE New Admin Team Members
Alongside Head of School Jenny Rao, the Administrative Team at Emma is the backbone of our organizational structure and stewards the vision of the school. We are pleased to announce the following recent new additions to the Emma Willard School Administration.
Kristen A. Mariotti
Head of Enrollment Management Kristen Mariotti joins the administration as our new Head of Enrollment Management, leading our efforts in admissions and strategic enrollment initiatives. With over 20 years of experience in the field of admissions and enrollment management, Kristen brings a passion for the education and empowerment of girls, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, a deep appreciation for global environments, and strategic leadership expertise.
Kristen began her career in college admissions as the first east coast regional director for the University of Arizona. After five years leading college admissions programs, she found her passion for girls education when she joined the admissions team at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. Since then she has been an enrollment leader at girls schools across the country, including St. Timothy’s School (Maryland) and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy (California). Kristen is a well-known leader in her field and is a regular speaker at national conferences, a mentor to new admissions professionals through The Enrollment Management Association (EMA), and has served as a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Global Ambassador board. She most recently served as the Assistant Head of School for Enrollment and Strategy at the StoneleighBurnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Kristen holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University and completed a graduate level teaching certification at Prescott College in Arizona with a focus on multicultural education. She has also earned a Certificate for Admission & Enrollment Professionals© from the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP).
Kristen has relocated to the area with her husband, Chris, and their West Highland Terrier, Bella. As she began her work this summer, Kristen was immediately taken by the palpable sense of community and the collective commitment to student support and success. “It truly feels like every step in my career has brought me to this remarkable school, and I am eager to begin the good work of helping students and families find their way to Emma,” Ms. Mariotti shares. “I feel very grateful to have the chance to impact the lives of Emma’s future learners and leaders who will, without a doubt, help shape our world in impactful ways with their voices.”
Christine Gilmore
Head of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Christine Gilmore comes to Emma Willard School as our inaugural Head of Institutional Equity and Inclusion and establishes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as an official department of the school. Christine’s work centers around establishing a DEI lens in all sectors of the school, spearheading support for students through dialogue and community, and guiding faculty professional and program development.
Having started her career in education as a middle school math teacher and diversity and equity coordinator in Baltimore County Public Schools, Christine has since touched many lives through her work as a teacher, dorm parent, and advisor. From the early stages of her career Christine earned accolades for exemplary teaching, having been honored with the Nancy O’Connor Teaching Award, McColl Teaching Award, and the McColl grant for new curriculum development.
After 12 years serving school communities in the classroom, Christine was promoted to a senior administrator role where she established the office of DEI at Oldfields School. In that role she worked to embed DEI practices in all aspects of the school. She created the school’s first diversity committee and alumnae of color mentoring program, facilitated workshops for faculty on the development of best pedagogical practices for an inclusive and culturally competent classroom and community, and conducted an all-school climate survey. After four years of laying a strong DEI foundation in the school community, Christine served as the Academic Dean and oversaw the academic program.
Christine received her bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting from Oglethorpe University and has completed coursework toward a master’s in teaching at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She has been trained at the Leadership Institute for Educators of Color at Kingswood Oxford School and is a certified diversity trainer from the National Coalition Building Institute. Most recently, Christine served as Director of Alumnae and Parent Relations at Chatham Hall in Chatham, Virginia.
Since arriving as a new campus resident with her daughter, Miko, and their two cats, Gray-Jay and Indigo, Christine shares that every morning before she walks into Slocum, she stops to breathe in the serenity and the breathtaking beauty of the campus. Christine says, “I’m truly grateful and inspired. While it is clear that we need to be intentional as we move towards engaging more authentically, respectfully, and effectively across differences, the universe reminds us to also be mindful of living in the moment.”
Commencement
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FROM THE TRIANGLE
1. Nika Huang ’21 receives her diploma at Commencement. *
2. Annabelle Michel ’21 and Emma
Otten ’21 hug after Commencement activities.
3. Oluchi Amadife ’21 receives her diploma—and a hug—from her sister Muna Amadife ’15. *
4. The class of 2021 celebrates their commencement on the steps of the
Alumnae Chapel. *
See more photos online: emmawillard.org/commencement
* PHOTOS BY LIZ LAJEUNESSE PHOTOGRAPHY ’91
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REVELS
The year began with much speculation about the how, what, and when of Revels. In Mid-April the Class of 2021 took over Kiggins, this time for a feature-length film version of the beloved tradition, complete with multiple cameras, microphones, transparent masks, and down-time between takes.
1. The seniors film a special opening scene for the Revels film opening. *
2. The Lord of the Manor House delivers a welcome to guests.
3. Grace Woodhouse ’21 and Coco
Vallon ’21 take a break between scenes.
4. Dr. Fauci, the 2020 reference, heals the fallen
Turkish Knight. *
5. Erica Tryon directs the actors on set during filming of the first Revels feature film. *
* PHOTOS BY LIZ LAJEUNESSE PHOTOGRAPHY ’91
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The Sage Society: Forever Emma Willard
Leaving a Legacy
Foresight of Charlene Nederlander ’52 Funds $1 Million Scholarship
The school is delighted to announce that Charlene Saunders Nederlander, class of 1952, has established an endowed scholarship for deserving Emma Willard students in perpetuity through her estate provisions.
Renowned in the theater world, Mrs. Nederlander, her husband, Jimmy, and his family turned a single theatre in Detroit into a live theatre and entertainment empire, including nine theatres on Broadway and numerous entertainment venues across the country and in London. The Nederlander Organization produced more than 100 productions, including numerous Tony-winning Best Plays and Best Musicals. Her parents owned and ran the storied Charlie’s Cafe Exceptionale in Minneapolis.
Publications describe Mrs. Nederlander as a gracious host and a decorating powerhouse. “Charlene was a woman who loved color,” offers interior decorator and long-time friend Carleton Varney. “She never liked the world of oatmeal tones and grays. No client I ever had could set a table, arrange pillows on a sofa, or plan a magical theater party the way she did. She was a woman of perfection.” In fact, Nederlander collaborations graced the pages of Architectural Digest on more than one occasion, examples of “the best decorating projects on the world stage,” Varney notes. The Nederlanders loved collecting and attending antiques shows to add historical pieces to their homes.
Known to her classmates as Chy, Mrs. Nederlander was a humble and modest student. “Chy was so much fun to be with,” comments Jeanie Freed Pelzman ’52. “She was always positive, thoughtful, and grateful. What a delightful sense of humor she had!”
Mrs. Nederlander died in June 2019, surrounded by her family. Her gratitude for her alma mater and her Emma Willard legacy will continue through the Charlene Saunders Nederlander ’52 Endowed Scholarship.
JEANIE FREED PELZMAN ’52
Annika P. ’24, a musically minded Illinois native, is the inaugural Charlene Saunders Nederlander ’52 scholar.
facebook.com/ emmawillardschool
A Revels Night unlike any other! The red carpet is out, the seniors are getting ready to make their entrance, and the school is waiting to watch the first ever Revels feature film! #LetTheGreatFolkCome
Go Jesters! After dominating the competition by nearly 30 points last Saturday, the Jesters Swimming and Diving team has captured the Colonial Council Championship, the first in school history.
linkedin.com/school/ emma-willard-school
emmawillardschool. smugmug.com @emmawillardschool
We sat down with Nicola B. ’22 to answer a few questions about the #EmmaWillardSchool experience including one word to describe Emma, some favorite things, and thoughts for anyone thinking about coming next year!
Campus is blooming! The trees out front have officially popped, and everyone is snapping as many photos as we can because there’s no getting over this campus in spring. Thank you to Charlotte Mayer ’21 for sending this shot of the tower in!
This is your reminder to SISO! School Council has created some stickers to help us remember to check in to our locations, featuring some iconic campus personalities. Proceeds from the stickers will benefit the National Asian and Pacific American Women’s Forum @napawf. @emmawillard
@emmawillard
Happy Asian/AAPI Heritage Month! This month, our Interim Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Gemma Halfi is leading our community through another version of the 21-Day Equity Challenge! Some of the content we have explored so far includes:
Understanding what the term ’AAPI’ means: tinyurl.com/TermAAPI
“The Asian Poem” by Mady Park: tinyurl.com/MadyPark
From Day 8: Misrepresentation & Underrepresentation of Asians & Asian Americans in Media: tinyurl.com/PeterWestacott
And from Day 9: The Importance of Positive Representation of Asians & Asian-Americans in Film & Media: tinyurl.com/ discussingfilm
On the intersectionality of being Asian/AAPI and LGBTQ+: @GLSEN conducted research on the experiences of AAPI LGBTQ youth: tinyurl.com/ aapilgbtqstudents
What’s the difference between appropriation and appreciation? tinyurl.com/ appropriationappreciation
