Signature Magazine - Spring 2021

THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL SPRING 2021

M AKIN G THEIR MARK

Libby Evan ’16 Describe Emma in two words.

Magic revelry.

If you were to dabble in another facet of the arts, what would it be?

Writing.

What was your favorite spot to make art on campus at Emma?

A specific corner in the lower-level art room.

The floor is covered in stains from my paintings and a picture of the stains is still the background on my phone.

What is your most reached-for color in your work?

It really depends on what I am making, but green has always been my favorite color.

Tess J. ’22 Describe Emma in two words.

Versatile, colorful.

If you could play any role in a theatre production, what would it be?

I would play Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, a play by Oscar Wilde.

What is your favorite thing about performing?

There is something so fantastic about making believe and escaping yourself.

What other creative outlets do you like to explore?

I have always loved to write; [...] I find world-building both in the theatre and with writing to be incredibly enjoyable.

MI SSI ON Honoring our founder’s vision, Emma Willard School proudly fosters in each young woman a love of learning, the habits of an intellectual life, and the character, moral strength, and qualities of leadership to serve and shape her world.

S P RI N G 2 02 1 A DM I NI ST RAT I O N Jenny Rao

Head of School

THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL

Meredith Legg, PhD

Assistant Head of School Virginia Arbour

Chief Financial Officer Julie Clancy

Interim Head of Enrollment Management

F E AT U R E S

Ann Dejnozka

Head of Advancement Suzanne Romero Dewey

Head of Strategic Communications Shelley Maher

Dean of Students and Wellbeing

Afternoon ballet classes practice in the Strong Dance Studio.

E DI TO R I A L STA F F Suzanne Romero Dewey, Melissia Mason, Kaitlin Resler, and Sandra Santana

Editorial Team Bridget McGivern and Lori Ferguson

Contributing Writers Kaitlin Resler

14 S oft Spot

Working to make the invisible visible

16 L ife’s Work

Alumnae artists share their craft

26 Creative Spirit

Current students reveal the state of the arts at Emma

32 Art as Anchor

Exploring the life-changing impact of the arts

Photography Margaret Clark ’98 and Sara Niemiec

Class Notes Lilly Pereira

www.aldeia.design Designer R. C. Brayshaw & Company

www.rcbrayshaw.com Printer Please forward address changes to: Emma Willard School 285 Pawling Avenue Troy, NY 12180 518.833.1787 alumnae@emmawillard.org or emmawillard.org/alumnae Signature, the magazine of Emma Willard School, is published by the Communications Office two times each year for our families, alumnae, employees, and friends of Emma Willard School. The mission of this magazine is to capture the school’s values and culture through accurate and objective stories about members of the Emma community, past and present, as they put Emma Willard’s mark on the world.

Emma Willard School is a nonpartisan organization. In the spirit of honoring the individuality of our community members, we encourage featured individuals to share their authentic selves. Views expressed are entirely their own.

D E PA R T M E N T S

02 L eading In

Head of School Jenny Rao

03 F rom the Triangle

Artistry, equity, and the ninth grade experience are hallmarks of this year

10 The Classroom

A new lens on teaching photography

12 Faculty Voices

Celebrating the life’s work of Madame Chadabe

38 New Trustees 40 Admissions

O N THE COV E R Alice D. ’21 performs a piece entitled “Water” during the dance assembly in November 2019. This “signature” is by Debra Spiro-Allen, DMA, who serves as the chair of the Arts Department and has been the director of vocal music at Emma since 2002. Debra also holds the Julia Howard Bush Chair in the Arts.

Leading In HEAD OF SCHOOL, JENNY RAO

Inspiration and Connection Art can provoke deep thought, spark debate, and make connections—it is nourishing, unifying, and inspiring.

In this issue of Signature, we dive deep into the arts to discover the impact that creativity has on each one of us.

When I was growing up, dance was a deeply grounding and nourishing practice in my life. Through difficult times, dance focused me and gave me an outlet for personal expression. As Emma Willard School has met the challenges of the past year with resolve, the arts have revealed the extraordinary strength and resilience of our community, while providing an outlet to share common experiences. Our musicians have continued to play and sing. Our visual artists have continued to create and innovate. Our dancers have continued to convey emotion and story through movement. Our writers have continued to imagine. Our actors have continued to deliver thought-provoking and humorous commentary on our world. In short, the creative process has brought renewed life to both the creators and our community.

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In many ways, art brings us together, transcending differences and building profound connections. I believe Revels is so cherished within our community in part because of that unifying effect. The entire graduating class comes together as actors, musicians, and dancers to unify around one creative endeavor. Students often remark that they discovered new friends in their class along with a talent of their own that was untapped until that moment. In this extraordinary year, the Class of 2021 has pushed the bounds of creativity to transform Revels into a feature film—a lasting testament to their perseverance.

Inspired by seeing and experiencing the work of others, we feel creativity and innovation rise up within ourselves. When I need to create—a plan, a written piece, a vision—I read fragments of books or essays I love, or listen to music that moves me. Creativity is contagious, and seeing it in others brings it out in ourselves. My husband Arjun is a filmmaker by training, brought up in a home of architects. He is an artistic soul with an artistic eye. Arjun often admires artists not only for the masterpieces they have created, but more importantly, for how prolific they have been with their craft. A commitment to continuous creation is the ultimate mark of an artist.

Arjun once revealed to me how a small tilt of the camera’s lens can entirely change the viewer’s perspective. Seeing the world through the eyes of an artist inspires us to perceive things in a new way. We become more aware of our surroundings, see light and color differently, listen for nuance, and look deeply for previously undiscovered meaning. Artistic expression offers not only the freedom of individual creativity, but also the opportunity to explore the experience of others around you. This diversity of thought moves us to think creatively and innovate in realms beyond the arts.

I invite you to reflect on how the arts have opened your mind to all aspects of living, learning, and working in community together. Savor these connections and the inspiration they bring.

DE PA RTME NT

From the Triangle

Sophia A. ’21 at work in the Maguire art studio painting a “non-traditional self-portrait” as a part of her Wellies project (see page 29 for more details).

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Talent on Display We have experienced a variety of adjustments to our traditional Emma Willard School experience over the past year. One such shift is in the way we are able to share and enjoy our students’ work. In previous years, we would gather for Morning Reports in Kiggins Auditorium. As students and faculty entered, they walked through a gallery of artwork that students had created in their classes. This year, Morning Reports is a virtual affair, so that weekly walk through the Kiggins gallery has been missed by all. Although the Arts Department is still displaying pieces in the Kiggins hallway, Art Instructors Lindsay Slaughter and Caroline Valites have transformed this year’s art shows into digital exhibits. One benefit of this adaptation is that the shows are now shared with a much wider audience.

This sampling of work gives you a glimpse into the extraordinary work being done by our students. Visit emmawillard.org/arts to view the fall and winter art show galleries.

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↑ Visions from Across the Horizon Rowan L. ’22 collage and ink on paper “This piece is one of five in a series I am working on, highlighting Hollywood ideals and comparing celebrity platforms to my own life. The background of my work consists of newspapers or magazine clippings, representing shared experiences and sources, creating a bridge and a commonality between the two social groups. ‘Visions from Across the Horizon’ includes a portrait of myself, the main figure, gazing across some separation to a city scene full of celebrities moving about their daily lives. What makes us so disconnected?

Do I feel a calling to that life?”

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

“

We are extremely proud of our students who have created such extraordinary works of art using their cell phone cameras or working at their kitchen table.”

Art Instructors Lindsay Slaughter and Caroline Valites

Female Warrior → Helen S. ’21 digital “I started the Chinese women series for my Instagram art blog @redestinomulieres (where I upload illustrations of women with great achievements and my personal interpretation of feminism) with the Military women using Mulan, a Chinese female warrior widely-known to the Western cultures, as a hook.

Each woman dresses up in historical armors as a way to introduce traditional Chinese armory and fashion to my audience. Feel free to check my art account for more information on each woman in the drawing.”

§

To see more art please visit: emmawillard.org/arts

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

Reinventing Ninth Grade Research indicates that the first year of high school is critical. Parents want their student’s high school years to be filled with joy, community, and academic success.

Emma Willard School partners with parents to leverage the critical first year of high school to empower students and set the foundation for their future. Our newly-invigorated ninth grade program is designed specifically to help middle school students make a successful transition into high school. Here’s a glimpse at some of the important features that ninth graders experience at Emma.

Above: Ninth graders gather for advisory, writing notes to themselves to read later in the semester. Below: Ninth graders in their first moments out of the dorms after COVID quarantine.

•H istory Seminar provides six sessions that support and extend beyond the ninth grade’s traditional history course content. Students expand their historical thinking by focusing on topics like point of view, cultural differences, empathy, the mission of a girls’ school, viewpoint diversity, and charged language. Emphasis is placed on examining dialogue across differences and building empathy, tolerance, and humility.

TA I LO RED N IN TH -GRAD E C URRICULUM Our ninth graders have a dedicated curriculum designed to enhance first-year success. The focus is on building community and developing reflective practices habitually and across experiences. Teachers use various methods of introducing essential questions and offering reflective opportunities.

•R eflection practices are embedded in the day-to-day workings of each course at Emma Willard School.

Throughout the year, ninth-grade students are asked to reflect on their work and progress in each of their classes.

• “ Emma READY” launches students on a journey to develop the skills necessary to take advantage of the learning that follows in subsequent years. The yearlong course is taught in small seminar groups and poses two foundational questions: What does it mean to be an Emma student? Who am I?

•P roject-Based Learning, Experiential Learning, and Service Learning are foundational tools that allow our students to expand their understanding of what it means to learn. Students experiment, apply knowledge and skills to novel situations, and engage in authentic creative expression.

In addition to these curriculum innovations, Emma ninth graders benefit from: •A dvisor Relationship: Ninth-grade students are matched with an advisor who specializes in working with students of this age. Our ninth-grade advisors are familiar with Emma’s program and the unique challenges that students face at a new school.

•N inth-Grade Dorms For Boarding Students: New students live together in halls with a resident faculty dedicated to ninth-grade students and the living experience. They are specifically focused on ninth-grade students and help with adjustments to living away from home, discuss study skills, and create a sense of camaraderie and comfort within the hall.

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•C lass Deans Specific to Ninth Grade: Every class has a dedicated class dean. The ninth-grade class will always have a class dean who is familiar with them, the new environment they are encountering, and specific awareness of ninth graders’ social, emotional, and academic needs.

•P eer Mentorship: Adolescents appreciate various role models and Emma is fortunate to have a strong peer mentorship program through our Proctor/ Peer Leadership students. These student leaders have extensive training and are an omnipresent force at the school. The school also has student leaders specifically focused on wellness; they work to promote the wellbeing of the community and also have comprehensive and continuous training.

This is the Interrelated Structure of Reality During this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances, we created a community art project to reflect on Dr. King’s message of peace and justice. Each community member decorated rectangles featuring 4-word phrases (listed here) that were combined into a wall mural outside of 2E-café.

•N inth-Grade Class Trips: Ninth graders enjoy special class trips that in the past have included a retreat to a camp on Lake George and a history field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These trips are an important feature that helps develop class bonding. Team-building activities are just part of the fun.

Additional trips are also sprinkled throughout the academic year.

•N inth-Grade Leadership Opportunities: Trying new things and leaning into leadership opportunities is a hallmark of Emma Willard School. Very specifically, ninth graders have multiple opportunities for leadership including formal leadership positions like sitting on the leadership council or participating in one of the many clubs.

• S ocial Events That Build Community: Orientation and class trips are just the beginning of class bonding. All ninth graders have the opportunity to participate in activities that allow them to get to know one another and explore their own identity and community. Ninth graders will write a letter to themselves that will be opened when they are seniors. A favorite tradition is meeting with Head of School Jenny Rao for hot cocoa and cookies.

These coordinated program elements employ the building blocks for a strong academic foundation and social support system for Emma students. Our goal is to help our ninth graders feel empowered to be inquiring students, engaged community members, and empathic global citizens who, upon graduation from Emma, will be ready to serve and shape the world.

I can never be what I ought to be

until you are what you ought to be and you can never be what you ought

to be until I am what I ought to be and I

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21-Day Equity Challenge Over the last year, the veil has been lifted on the systems that perpetuate inequities and injustices around the world. As we stand in solidarity with generations crippled by the abuse of power and privilege, we recognize that foundational knowledge is a crucial tool to understanding why and how these structures exist. As a dignitary of education, we recognize our responsibility to create informed, empowered leaders for tomorrow, equipped with the skills necessary to transform unjust structures into equitable resources for all.

MLK Day keynote speaker, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. invited Emma Willard School to participate in the 21-Day Equity Challenge, a three-week habit building exercise designed to deepen our understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.

Alongside Dr. Marguerite Penick-Parks and Debby Irving, Dr. Moore created this framework to advance equity literacy through tangible daily learning goals. These exercises prepare us to recognize even the subtlest forms of bias, inequity, and oppression by examining facts and strategies that encourage meaningful dialogue within our community.

While embarking on the journey to equity awareness, we know discomfort is inevitable. It is important to recognize that where one person is in their experience, another may not be. Social justice is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is important to respect where each of us are in our journey. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, when healing and change begin.

We created a digital space for our community to share learnings, encourage deeper conversation, and give meaningful feedback regarding the equity challenge. Zoom check-ins provided another facet of connection during the 21 days, nurturing more intimate and private conversation.

While the 21-Day Equity Challenge was open to all students, faculty, and staff, from January 19 to February 8, participation was completely voluntary. Participants were free to opt into the Google community accountability sheet along the way, and tracking personal progress was optional. Community members have access to the daily assignments through the end of the school year, should they choose to revisit or restart any of the challenges.

We look to the 21-Day Equity Challenge as an introduction to deep and connected learning about ourselves, our community, and our world. We are grateful to Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. for sharing the 21-Day Equity Challenge with Emma Willard School and encouraging action for racial equity.

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Community members shared some of their reflections on the experience:

The 21-Day Equity Challenge provided in-depth, meaningful resources for me to explore different aspects of my identity and the ways in which my privileges affect my everyday life.

After reading through the articles and resources, I appreciated the dialogue facilitated by the Google spreadsheet, where everyone shared their thoughts and comments about the material.”

G A B RI EL A Z . ’ 22

I found the challenge really enlightening and productive even as it was, indeed, challenging. Even when I hit on a topic I thought I knew well, engaging with it in a deliberate and reflective way tended to push my thinking further and to make me keenly aware of where I have the most learning to do.”

EST HER DET TM A R, P HD ENG L I S H I NST RU C TOR

I’m glad I got to participate in the 21-Day Equity Challenge because I got the opportunity to learn new terms and concepts related to inequality that helped me process and understand experiences I’ve had where I was unconsciously making it acceptable for people to approach and treat me differently because of my race. I also learned that people don’t often talk about certain social injustices because they don’t see it explicitly happening, but we need to change that kind of mindset into understanding that social injustices are not always explicit and that it’s not ok to dismiss someone’s experiences just because you can’t see it happening.”

A NG EL I NA T. ’ 22

SO CIA L ME D IA

facebook.com/ emmawillardschool

instagram.com/ emmawillardschool

Storytime Gala! Last week, #EmmaWillardSchool students participated in a Community Engagement Opportunity for Girls Inc. and The Red Bookshelf.

Students created audio recordings of children’s books to contribute to a virtual library. Thanks to Cassandra C. ’22 and Gemma Halfi for organizing this event!

#DemocracyMatters

twitter.com/ emmawillard

“We value being here and being with each other in community maybe a little more than we did before.”

Check out this week’s Open Air podcast from Sofia P.’22 on returning to campus for a boarding student and a houseparent. #EmmaWillardSchool And find us on:

#DistanceLearning

“My life is not the same as before. I wonder if it ever will be. But I’ve learned to accept, adapt, and make the best of it. There is no right way to handle the challenges caused by the pandemic.” Ivyann S. ’23 delivered an Inspirational Speech during Morning Reports in October, sharing some lessons she learned during her family’s COVID quarantine.

youtube.com/user/ EmmaWillard

linkedin.com/school/ emma-willard-school

#BLSU #BHM l i kes

emmawillardschool. smugmug.com

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The Classroom

INTERVIEW BY KAITLIN RESLER

A New Focus Arts Instructor Caroline Valites helps students tailor their path towards artistic problem solving with a newly structured photography program.

What brought you to Emma?

I’m originally from Connecticut and before coming to Emma, and Upstate NY, I was teaching at the university level. My partner ended up getting a job as an architect up here, and I decided that I didn’t want to work in higher education anymore. I was looking for lots of different jobs—I worked briefly at the Berkshire Museum, and at Art Omi, and a colleague at the Berkshire Museum randomly sent me the posting for the job at Emma.

I applied, and the rest is history! I really liked working in academia, so I was searching for something like that but different. Emma seems to meet those needs.

What do you enjoy about the work that you do? I enjoy all the people here: students, faculty, and the employees are all wonderful. I love teaching, and I love my students; I think they’re phenomenal. They have that drive that I found in students in higher education, but they’re really different. Emma students are interested in learning. It’s so easy in some ways to teach them because their drive for learning is so high.

But my other big answer is the faculty here! Particularly in the arts; I think the pandemic has tightened

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our department. We’re a lot more intimate, we communicate more with one another.

Creativity in teaching, and creativity in general, requires a lot of openness and trust. I feel like that’s here in this group of people.

What are some of the changes that have happened in the arts program over the last few years, especially in terms of the Advanced Studies changes at the school? I’m on the Advanced Studies team representing the Art Department. There has been a sense of cohesion and unity throughout what we offer in arts, starting with the foundation and taking into consideration a student’s entire experience as they move through the arts curriculum.

Part of the motivation for changing the structure of the photo curriculum is to create a path towards more advanced classes with photo, video, and new media. The introductory classes all learn about the camera, in film and video as well as photography. Learning basic skills that translate between equipment and mediums means more students can transition into intermediate photo classes if they want to. This simultaneously streamlines the pro-

gram and makes it easier for students to explore. We’re helping them tailor their path a little bit better and build on their skills. Once they get to an advanced level they have a really strong foundation and can move on to the Emma Artists program.

How did the pandemic shift the logistics of these classes? Well, we can’t use the darkroom. I had a whole plan in which [the] Photo I [class] was going to be this holistic experience starting with a cell phone camera and moving to the dark room. But we had to adapt; it’s all digital now. However, I’ve gotten incredible work from that class! They’re still learning about the camera with their cell phones, all the components are there. And

TH E CLASS RO O M Caroline Valites gives direction to Mariana K. ’23 in photography class.

in all of our visual arts departments the students are learning how to photograph their work, because now they’re representing it online.

Being a photo teacher at this moment has been kind of cool because it’s so much a part of our daily lives. This is why I love photography. Our humanity relates so much to the camera and photography. They’ve made the way for Zoom calls!

The community as a classroom has shifted; critiques have gotten really great. We do them all online so students can see their work in the digital space, and I think they really enjoy seeing so readily what other students are doing. We’re checking in more often and asking them to show more progress

in their work. It’s really interesting.

I feel like my classes have gotten a lot more in-depth in ways I wouldn’t have expected.

What are you working on outside of classes? I’m a working artist as well as a teacher, so it’s always a balancing act for those working in academics to have these two things to do simultaneously. I started a virtual critique group. There are four of us that meet every Sunday, and [Visual Arts Instructor] Lindsay Slaughter is a part of it! Doing that together enriches our relationship and how we work with our students.

So that has been wonderful.

When my art work is going well, I can have more empathy for students because the creative struggles

really don’t change much as you advance. It’s different for them because it’s new, but I can say, “I know how this feels.” I think a lot of people have the impression that artists work alone in their studio, but creativity doesn’t happen in a bubble! You need your classroom, your community—you need critiques, you need feedback.

What is something you tell your students? Being an artist is problem solving. Whether it’s visual problem solving or problem solving with materials, that’s just what we do. That’s why I think art is really important right now because we have to adapt. We’re in one of those environments where you have to be creative.

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Faculty Voices

BY MELISSIA MASON

F R A N ÇO I S E CH A DAB E

Leaving a Legacy When Madame Françoise Chadabe came to Emma Willard School for the first time in 1969, she never dreamed she would be retiring from the school over 50 years later. Madame Chadabe came to Emma first from 1969 to 1971, and returned in 1980. She has held the Independence Foundation Instructorship, which honors master teaching, since 2000. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, Madame Chadabe will retire after 43 years of service to the school.

Reflecting on the hundreds of students who have studied French under her tutelage, Madame Chadabe values the differences that each student brought to her classroom. “After so many years, you would think teaching French over and over again would be boring,” she says with a laugh. “But it’s never the same.

Each student has different reactions to what they’re learning, and that’s what I’ll miss the most.”

Outside the classroom, Madame Chadabe has led student council groups, trips to France, served as class dean, and currently advises the Multicultural International American Student Union (MIASU). “I like working with students outside the classroom because, in the classroom, I am in charge. I am guiding them. But outside of the classroom, they

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are in charge and it’s nice to see how they develop ideas.”

Madame Chadabe has often been found chaperoning field trips to museums, historical sites, and performances.

A piano player herself, she has a particular love for music. Recalling one trip to the opera at Lincoln Center to see Simon Boccanegra alongside choir students, Madame Chadabe’s face lights up. “It was absolutely so fantastic! I was sitting on the edge of my seat. For two weeks I was high from listening to that opera. That doesn’t happen very often.”

It’s individual connections and moments like these that have built Madame Chadabe’s legacy over her years here. “Emma Willard is a family in a way,” she reflects. “It’s a part of my life.”

She will miss being engaged with students, and hopes that her past students remember her as one who fostered their enjoyment of the French language. “I hope it has helped them,” she says.

Even as her time in the classroom comes to end, Madame Chadabe has still found herself stretched to learn new ways to teach and connect with students. Considering the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, she shares, “I never believed that I would learn to teach online. I didn’t think I could do it, but I can! It’s hard work, but you can still have contact one-onone with the students.” Alongside her colleagues, Madame Chadabe has had to rethink not just how to deliver curriculum, but also what and how much can be taught in the new abbreviated

FACU LTY VO ICE S

To honor Madame Chadabe’s teaching excellence and devotion to Emma Willard School, and with appreciation and gratitude for her 43 years as an instructor, Betsy Gifford Gross ’72, Trustee, and David Gross have made an initial donation to establish the Françoise Chadabe Scholarship Fund. If you would like to make a gift to the fund in honor of Madame Chadabe, go to emmawillard.org/give.

Françoise Chadabe Scholarship Fund established in honor of Madame Françoise Chadabe French Language Instructor 1969–1971 and 1980–2021

class periods. “Learning a language is an evolution,” she says. “From year to year you add, so you may cover less one year and the next year you catch up.”

Next year’s learning will be left to other language instructors as Madame Chadabe relinquishes her red hat (held by the longest-tenured faculty member) and its coveted parking spot. “Maybe they’ll still let me park there when I come back to visit,” she jokes.

Although Madame Chadabe and her husband, composer Joel

Chadabe, have not made firm plans for their time in retirement, they will stay in the area and she looks forward to visiting museums and travelling (after COVID lifts), making time to read more, and being able to invest time and energy into her herb garden. And, of course, she hopes to stay connected to the colleagues and students who have made up her life at Emma. She’ll be back for next year’s Revels and Commencement to congratulate her current students on their final Emma experiences.

“ After so many years, you would think teaching French over and over again would be boring. But it’s never the same. Each student has different reactions to what they’re learning, and that’s what I’ll miss the most.”

F RA NÇOI S E C HA DA B E

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Soft Spot

Working to Make the Invisible Visible

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www.libbyevan.com/about

Libby Evan ’16 is a multimedia artist from Albany, NY, focused on soft sculpture and velcro. She graduated from Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, with a BFA in Studio Art and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her practice focuses on her experience having an invisible disability and the search to make the invisible visible.

ARTIST STATEMENT: Thing Theory posits that objects become things when they are no longer functional.

Living with a physical, invisible disability means my body is a thing as it does not function the way I want. The thingness of my existence leads to a dependence on objects because, with their help, my body transforms from a thing back to a successful object capable of moving through the world. ¶ My world starts in my room. It is where I struggle to get out of bed every morning and where I must keep going because I have a compulsive need to work with my hands despite my physical limitations. Before I start making anything, I sit in my bed. I stare at my surrounding objects until I understand how their individual meanings are even greater than their functions. My pills and pill bottles are the center of my world as they allow my body to physically function. The hand mirror I use to apply my daily eyeliner is not a simple reflection of my appearance but rather a symbol of my need to cover up my inner pain. My velcro sneakers are emblematic of assistive technology. They represent my quirky personality while also being a creative solution for my physical inability to tie my shoes in the morning. ¶ My work represents these once-mundane objects that combine to become representations of my identity. I use soft sculpture as a bridge connecting my struggles and triumphs to viewers. The huggability and inherent lopsidedness of soft sculpture create a sense of humor and ridiculousness which veil some of the pain my work discloses. Soft sculpture’s bodily comfort allows my work to be inclusive instead of exclusionary. I invite people to embody a new perspective of functionality and relationships to objects. I honor the objects in my life and thank them for their hard work in making the world more accessible for me.

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Department

Alumnae artists reflect on their life’s work in the arts

Life’s Work

Whether just beginning their careers or looking back on decades of contributions in the arts, Emma Willard School’s alumnae artists find meaning and fulfillment in their life’s work.

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B Y M E L I S S I A M A S O N A N D S A N D R A S A N TA N A

DE PA RTME NT

Janet Kadesky Ruttenberg ‘49 in New York’s Central Park with one of her long paint brushes contemplating her plein air creativity

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A Lifetime of Work Janet Kadesky Ruttenberg ’49 Janet Kadesky Ruttenberg ’49 had been sent to boarding school from her home in Dubuque, IA because she spent too much time up late at night painting or drawing. She needed discipline. At Emma Willard School, she did get that. Janet remembers the school and its headmistresses as being very strict. “It’s not like today where you get to go to a restaurant or movies in town.

There were bells that told us when to do everything . . . get up, eat, go to class, go to bed.”

But the disciplined setting did not stop Janet from working on her art.

Margaret Page, who was the art teacher during Janet’s time at Emma Willard School, provided her with ample supplies to paint and draw as much as she wanted. In addition, Miss Page offered experiences that profoundly shaped Janet’s life. “The impact of Emma Willard on me was that it broadened my horizons. Miss Page saw something in me. She took us to Knoedler’s Gallery in New York City and I saw my first Picasso. Before that, I thought Norman Rockwell was a good artist . . . but Picasso was really poetry to me.”

The trip Janet recalls took place in November of 1947 to Knoedler Gallery’s “Picasso Before 1907” exhibit.

According to the brief record of the visit in The Clock, the visit also included works by Mary Cassatt, one of which (In the Omnibus) Janet would study and deconstruct years later.

As a student, Janet was known for her illustrations for The Triangle literary magazine. “No prom, feast, or party was without her decorations,” reads an article about Janet from a 1948 issue of The Clock. That year, her work was integral to the school’s fair and the Emma Willard Circus that was held to raise funds for the chapel.

Upon graduating from Emma Willard School, Janet was determined to study art in Paris where her uncle, Abel Warshawsky, had a studio.

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Although her father would not allow it, she pursued scholarships anyway, hoping to persuade him. Janet earned the National Scholastic Art Award, which accompanied a year’s scholarship to Scripps College in California. Given a choice of going to California or back to Iowa, Janet embraced an opportunity to pursue a program in printmaking at the University of Iowa, where her father had been an All-American football player. Mauricio Lasansky, an Argentine artist and educator known for his advanced techniques in intaglio printmaking, had just established a school there.

Upon attempting to register for Lasansky’s course, Janet was told she was too young. The course of study was exclusively for graduate students.

She persisted, asking Lasansky directly to be allowed into the class. When he also told her she was too young, she replied, “I insist.” Her tenacity paid off.

Lasansky asked to see her portfolio, and upon seeing it agreed to allow her into the class.

Janet’s insistence that she be allowed to study under Lasansky opened new doors for her to become a master printmaker. She studied etching, and when known techniques failed to produce the artistic result she desired, Janet experimented and developed her own methods. The fruit of one such experiment was an expansive stainless steel and plexiglass etching recreating the traffic on Park Avenue in New York City. The 85-foot-long masterpiece, composed of a series of eight-foot plates, was featured in a 1978 edition of the Emma Willard School Bulletin and pieces of it are still on display in Janet’s home.

In true Emma Willard form, Janet never allowed the “impossible” to stop her from bringing her vision to life.

In more recent years, she has been known for her wall-sized paintings of Central Park. She has spent many days in the park painting plein air,

observing the lovers, the dancers, the transients, the tourists. Transporting supplies each day from her studio to the park, Janet spreads her 9-foot by 15-foot canvas on the ground, and wields long-handled brushes to create watercolor sketches she will use to inspire later finished works.

Janet has become intrigued by the use of technology in art. In a recent showing of her work entitled Beholder at ArtYard in Frenchtown, New Jersey, she displayed her interpretation of the tango dancers in Central Park.

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The 50-inch by 92-inch painting depicts the gathering of tango dancers around the Shakespeare statue on summer Saturday evenings.

Superimposed over the painting is a video projection of dance, light, and movement that reveals and enhances the smallest of details in the painting. The display is choreographed to tango music. Beholder included a number of mixed media creations, drawing from Janet’s expertise in print-making juxtaposed with painting, video, photography, and sound.

Janet’s daughter, Kathy Ruttenberg, is a renowned artist in her own right, a self-described “visual storyteller” who is known for her ceramic sculptures. Upon entering Janet’s apartment, visitors are greeted by one of Kathy’s whimsical works, a life-sized sculpture of two girls playing with frogs around a tree called Where Have All the Princes Gone.

When asked whether Kathy got her artistic talent from her, Janet replies, “Not really . . . what she got from me was integrity. Artistic integrity.”

That integrity—faithfulness to her work and her artistic vision—has carried Janet throughout her life.

Since her eye-opening visit to the Knoedler Gallery with Miss Page as an Emma Willard student, Janet has created a vast body of work. On the walls of her home, throughout her studio, and even stored in a barn in Pennsylvania, Janet’s lifetime of labor is a treasure just waiting to be discovered by new audiences.

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Janet working on one of the large canvas watercolors in Central Park utilizing a longhandled brush to create a sketch that will inspire her finished work

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Department

Art with Purpose May Van Norman ’98

May Van Norman ’98 was born to play the French horn. Her mother, Linda, was a music teacher and Manhattan School of Music horn graduate while her dad, Clarendon, spent his career as the principal horn of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Growing up, May played “name the composer” with her parents, listening for hints of Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms as the radio played.

A gifted student and performer, May grew increasingly bored with the curriculum at her small public school. As she neared high school, playing in the school band wouldn’t be enough for her.

The young musician needed the challenge of a full orchestra.

One hundred miles northeast of their small Catskill mountain town, the Van Norman family took their first trip to Troy for an open house at Emma Willard School. During a rehearsal led

by Choir Director Russell Locke, the beautiful harmonies of early renaissance repertoire perked the ears of the young musician. Astounded by the conservatory approach of Mr. Locke, Linda McClusky’s dedication to building the orchestra program, and the academic rigor of the school, May enrolled for her sophomore year.

A member of the orchestra (the largest at a girls’ school at the time), co-head of Junior Singing Group (JSG) and Twelve-Tones, Choir, Inner Choir, and horn ensemble, May’s musical accomplishments spread far beyond Mount Ida. She was the principal hornist with the Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO), All-State Orchestra, and All-Eastern Orchestra. Following groundbreaking performances at Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood, The Albany Times Union dubbed May as delivering a “memorable horn solo.”

“I knew I enjoyed music before Emma Willard,” May says, “but all my activities there strengthened my background and really pushed me toward

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wanting to play horn for a career. The wonderful thing about Emma is that you are free to pursue whatever truly interests you.” May would receive a letter of acceptance to the Julliard School, the only freshman admitted into the French horn studio.

After years of rehearsals, concerts, and classes, May felt confident in her playing ability. The spring of her senior year, she attended an audition for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra as nothing more than a practice run.

It wasn’t until she had packed up her equipment that she thought, “Wow, that went really well.” She was right.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic would go on to extend an invitation to the college senior.

In 2002, May Van Norman officially joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, serving as second horn for seven years. While she had been to Asia before, her new role would provide the young musician with the ability to travel whenever she wasn’t performing. May visited places like Bali, Cambodia, and Laos during her time with the orchestra.

During a 2004 trip to Barcelona, May actually ran into an Emma Willard classmate (Meghan Concra ’98, who played in horn quartet and ESYO with her) and also enjoyed a visit later that year from Linda Passaretti ’84, former director of alumnae relations, in China.

May served as Chair of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Players’ Committee for two years, helping to negotiate contracts on behalf of the musicians and build strategic plans to make orchestral music more accessible to the public.

After the 2008 economic recession, May decided that playing music wasn’t enough to help the state of the world. “I wanted to do something more.”

After her seventh year in the orchestra, May took a sabbatical, enrolling in the Arts Administration Masters program at Columbia University. “I loved

it because it got me back into academics [ . . . ] that other Emma side of my brain was working again.” During her second term, May began a development internship at the Metropolitan Opera, which later led to a permanent role. Four years later, the former musician joined State Theatre New Jersey, a not-for-profit community arts venue with a diverse roster of entertainment and educational programs.

May made strides during her six-year run at the State Theatre by exploring how to effectively break down barriers that prohibit segments of communities from having access to the arts.

“Enhancing life for people of all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds is really important to me.” As a fundraiser, May found joy in connecting her donors to unique projects that aligned with their core values, while expanding the arts through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens. One of her most treasured projects involved bringing the first autism-friendly programming to the State Theatre.

“I’m not sure I would’ve pursued fundraising with as much interest without coming from Emma Willard,” says May—an ode to her days in Troy. These early memories of purpose and community service continue to ground May in her work as a Major Gifts Officer for the New York Philharmonic, and as she now assumes a new role as Associate Director of New Philanthropy for the San Francisco Symphony.

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Then and Now: May in orchestral performance and more recently as a major gifts officer at the New York Philharmonic

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The Intersection of Art & Community Surpik Zarikian Angelini ’66

Art intersects nearly every facet of life in Caracas, Venezuela. Thanks to the oil boom of the early 1900s, Caracas became a hub for top engineers, architects, designers, and artists. Surpik Angelini ’66 recalls the exemplary architecture of the city’s public university, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Built by Carlos Raul Villanueva, who invited influential artists and Venezuelan abstract and kinetic masters to install pieces throughout the campus, UCV was later named a World Heritage Site.

Early exposure to Venezuelan architecture and private art collections housed in villas by well known national and international architects fed Surpik’s earliest cultural desires.

Attending one of the few private nonreligious schools in Caracas, Surpik was encouraged by instructors who were accomplished poets, musicians, historians, artists, and scientists. “It was a fantastic environment where I was not only exposed to sophisticated art and literature, but encouraged by the exhibition and publication of my art in school venues.” Although Surpik was able to enjoy a high-level education, “[ . . . ] with that privilege came the painful awareness of the abyss that separated us from the majority of the population.”

After the elimination of Surpik’s high school program, her mother sought out the strictest boarding school in the United States, not for behavioral reasons, but out of discipline and protection. “My mother felt that if I stayed in Caracas, I would not have a chance to develop my talents, and I would probably follow the trend of getting married early, thus losing the opportunity to attend college, and have a career.” Surpik struggled greatly with being separated from close

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friends and family at age 15 when she first arrived at Emma Willard School.

At first glance, Surpik’s classmates mistook her for the new French instructor. “I was dressed in a suit, gloves and hat, it was my mother’s idea of looking well put together!”

Adjusting to American teenybopper culture was difficult for Surpik, who hailed from a more formal background. “[ . . . ] in the end, being exposed to the sixties, the world of rock and roll, folk music, and modern ballet helped ease the binding I came with.

“By the time I went to Emma, I was certain that I would pursue the arts in the future, even though writing was always my best ally.” Surpik was named the editor-in-chief of Gargoyle her senior year. “I loved learning to layout a book, raising funds to improve the quality of photo reproductions.” The artist was also a member of Cum Laude group, an EW award student, and a two-time sculptural award winner. “What I loved about the program at Emma was its correlated interdisciplinary approach.

I thought being immersed in the arts, literature, philosophy, while exploring a historical period in depth every year was fantastic.” This interdisciplinary approach would be mirrored throughout her creative process in college and later in life.

Surpik Angelini left Mount Ida for Mills College, a renowned liberal arts college in Oakland, CA to major in art history. “Once I got to Mills, it felt like an explosion of creative energy took over. My life was full of happenings.” Surpik further reflected, “It was a life-changing experience learning to value collaboration and the expanded experience it brings into your life.”

Surpik would later return to New York, this time at Cornell, in collabo-

ration with artist Gordon Matta-Clark for several performances on campus.

In 1971, Surpik notched another degree in architecture and urban planning at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She would soon receive a BArch from the University of Houston and a PhD from Rice University. After exhibitions around the world, Surpik would settle on Houston, TX as home. “Houston has become an important hub of the best Latin American art. I am actively involved with the Museum [of Fine

PORTRA IT BY VIOLETTE BU LE; TRANSA RT PHOTOS BY NAH O KUB OTA

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Arts] as well as with a community of LatinX artists working in town.”

After Surpik Angelini’s last exhibition, Psyche’s Ethnographic Report at Rice University, she created the Transart Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization for the purpose of supporting individual artists, scholars, curators, filmmakers, and directors whose work incorporates contemporary social research and cultural critique. “I created the Transart Foundation in order to collaborate with artists and schol-

ars who focus on relevant social, anthropological, interdisciplinary research, incorporating it in their creative process. [ . . . ] Through my own research and writing, I try to contextualize artists’ work within a broader cultural framework. I support their art with financial grants as well, in ways that are pertinent to the projects they are developing.”

Surpik looked to a venue that could host events while creating an intimate space, much like the Venezuelan villas she grew

up in. Completed in 2018, the Transart Foundation for Art and Anthropology in Houston is intended to accommodate visitors, exhibit art, and host dinners that spark conversations which engage broader community dialogue about the role art plays in the lives of people, providing a space for the critical intersection between art and anthropology.

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Event spaces in Surpik’s Transart Foundation for Art and Anthropology offer a sense of intimacy while facilitating discussion and engagement

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Department No Limits

Joie Mitchell ’15

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advisor, “was like a second mom” to the young star. She built trust with her pupils by welcoming them into her creative process, giving them an opportunity to build high-level choreography under her guidance.

It was through this experiential learning, Joie explains, “I got a taste of creating my own material and where that could take me in life.”

When the senior landed an audition at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, her peers were shocked. It wasn’t the actual audition that raised eyebrows, but the program she was applying for. After a four-year hiatus, Joie was ready to get back to her first love of acting.

The actress remembers the buzz of audition day, which quickly disappeared once the group began a full body warm up. “Unless you’ve had dance training or formal acting training, you don’t know how to get into your body.” While others were thrown for a loop, Joie rejoiced in the intersection of her disciplines.

“The dance world is what prepared me to be an actor.”

The following year, Joie was back on the New York art scene as an NYU student. Joie joined Stonestreet Studios her junior year, an advanced program dedicated exclusively to Tisch Drama students. The young creative learned the business of acting through filmmaking, production, and producing. Much like her time at Emma, Joie continued to shape her own world, building a network of self-starters who sought value in the intricacies of art rather than stardom. After all, New York City was notorious for tempting creatives with glimmers of fame.

In 2019, Joie graduated with a BFA from NYU Tisch. That same year, she released her debut EP, “Afros have more fun,” and joined the digital world of YouTube. As an additional revenue stream to fund her art projects, Joie signed onto a daytime position at Con Edison,

New York’s leading energy company.

Just like at Emma, Joie Mitchell packed her days tightly to practice her craft.

Last March, the New Yorker watched in horror as NYC fell victim to the global pandemic. As the city became the epicenter of the nation's crisis, Joie retreated to Westchester County, where she has safely remained since. For Joie, the closure of the New York theatre scene was devastating for herself and other young actors looking for work. Mitchell looked at the quarantine period as a “[personal] challenge to stay in touch with your creativity as best as you can.”

Joie Mitchell’s journey through the arts is a metaphor for life: no matter what path you take or where you go, you never have to limit your creativity. In the last year, Joie has taken on a variety of performing arts projects. Currently, she is working on an upcoming web series, developing scripts via zoom with a college writing partner in Romania, creating music socially distant with friends, and learning the electric guitar. She’s also making waves on YouTube, using her technical education from NYU to produce and manage her channel.

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Somewhere between school plays, vocal lessons, and dance classes at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Joie Mitchell ’15 found time to apply to boarding school.

She absolutely hated the idea of leaving home, but her mother encouraged her to be open-minded about the experience. “Go for a year and if you don’t like it, you can come home.” The strong-willed middle schooler reluctantly accepted the offer, enrolling in Emma Willard School that fall.

The charismatic artist had no trouble making friends once she arrived at campus, but ultimately struggled with being away from home. (Joie now knows that she was functioning with anxiety during this time.) The momentum swing Joie needed was Revels. “I had seen so many plays and so many movies, but I had never seen anything like that,” Joie recalls. “Everyone was so excited that entire week. And going into that room… the rumble of the stage and the seats… it was just a whole body experience.”

She continues, “I went home that Christmas break and was like ‘I have to be in that. So, I am going to be at this school because I have to do that production.’”

Joie Mitchell starred as Lady Anne in the 100th rendition of Revels, but it would be one of the few theatre productions of her Emma career. A chameleon of the arts, the high schooler lived in Slocum’s dance studio. She dedicated all of her time to the second family she had built, becoming cohead of Dance Company her senior year. While the dancer wished her packed schedule would allow for another art discipline, Joie acknowledged the sacrifice was worth it. “I never felt like I was lacking anything as the years went on.”

Dance Company, specifically Director Barbara Magee, helped Joie “blossom as a creator.” Magee, who also doubled as Mitchell’s faculty

Joie in recent theatrical performances

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Sp�it C R E A T I V E

T H E S T A T E

O F T H E A R T S A T E M M A EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL has always fostered creative expression with robust curricular offerings in movement and dance, musical technique and performance, theatre, and a variety of visual arts both 2D and 3D—drawing, painting, photography, digital media, ceramics, jewelry, and more. Coursework and close mentorship from faculty support students’ skill development so that they can put forth their own creative endeavors through independent projects in the Emma Artists Series.

As the global pandemic shifted in-person experiences to virtual ones, Emma artists at all levels persevered. Students and faculty alike acknowledged that while we missed being together, there were unexpected bonuses to pandemic creativity, such as more uninterrupted time to work on projects. Some artists picked up media they had put aside due to time or space constraints; others discovered joy in working to a smaller scale. Dance and choir videos have been filmed in small spaces with “assistance” from younger siblings and pets. The creative spirit remains strong at Emma, and is evident in learning spaces both on campus and around the world.

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THRIVING IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE LUCY C. ’21

Lucy C. ’21 embodies all things creative—she’s a musician, a writer, an actor… and has thrived in all of these realms at Emma Willard School. This year has been no less creative, yet different nonetheless.

After performing in more traditional plays on campus like Emma’s production of Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves in Winter 2020, the shift to preparing for and delivering a performance online struck Lucy as odd.

“The feelings are all different, all the time,” she shares. “It’s weird because the same connection and energy isn’t there at first—but I am so glad we’ve been able to do performances! The play in the fall (David Ives’ comedy, All In The Timing) was fun and I got to work with Tess J. ’22, who is great. We did a crazy thing!”

Lucy and Tess were the sole actors in a mesmerizing performance of the scene “The Universal Language.”

Lucy’s character welcomes a naive young woman (Tess), who struggles with a speech and language disorder, into a fraudulent language course.

Lucy’s character only speaks the invented language Unamunda, but confesses the deception when they begin to fall in love. “That worked really well on Zoom actually,” Lucy recalls. “We rehearsed here in the fall because we were both on campus, and that was really nice. I feel like I got to connect with Tess even though I didn’t spend time with anyone else doing a different part of

“ The arts faculty are just great— so good at what they do, so kind and supportive. They really help you grow in whatever kind of art you’re pursuing.”

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the play.” The play was chosen partly because it could be developed safely, with small teams working together on parts that could be combined to make a whole performance, presented on video via Zoom. This was unusual in that the cast never met together, and didn’t often see one another work until the scenes were nearly complete. Lucy missed the larger moments of camaraderie and had to find a way to memorize lines that didn’t rely on just repeating the scene with fellow actors, but she appreciated the opportunity to deepen her connection with her scene partner.

Rehearsing asynchronously with family home all the time has nudged Lucy to spend more time outside.

“In the fall I had to scream ‘I hate you!’ at my scene partner, with my parents walking past—it was really concerning for them! I went out into the woods, followed a path, and found a tree where I could sit. I discovered that as a place to let loose, and now to work on memorizing.”

“This spring show we are preparing (10 Ways To Survive A Life In Quarantine: A Stay-At-Home Play

by Don Zolidis) is even weirder in a way,” Lucy shares. The production is a set of monologues, rehearsed individually with Theatre Director Erica Tryon. “It’s pretty cool because we get to work one-on-one with the director most of the time, which is not very common. I only remember doing that once before in my Emma theatre career.”

Lucy draws a parallel from this creative shift to a similar dynamic change in the Emma Willard Choir.

Safety precautions have kept the choir from singing together and hearing one another except in very small groups, but Lucy appreciates the additional time and individualized attention from Director Dr. Debra Spiro-Allen. “What we’re doing now, since we can’t all be together, is record ourselves. She actively hears every one of us on an individual level, and that I think

has been really good for me.” In a choir, singers listen to the people around them if they’re not sure of the note or tempo. They might not realize they’re depending on other voices until they try to make their recordings. The increased personal accountability can be nerve-wracking at first for some students, but leads to stronger knowledge of the music. “It really helps you get stuff down even more. Dr. Spiro-Allen said she might be keeping that even when we are able to have a full choir together again.”

A pianist and cellist, Lucy plays in the Emma Willard School Orchestra and as a featured Emma Artist.

During this pandemic year, she has found herself in her own homegrown ensemble. “The pandemic has been really good for my family’s music. My parents are musicians, and we have started doing quartets and trios as a family. We will hang out and just play. I’m starting a trio with my parents, and a quartet that also includes my sister (Mairi C. ’23). That was something we always wanted to do, but never found time.

Once we were at home much of the time, it became a weekly Wednesday thing.” Dad plays piano, Lucy plays cello, Mom plays violin but also doubles on viola, leaving violin for Mairi. Younger brother, Bear, is learning piano and cello, but also helps turn pages.

Reflecting on the quality of instruction and relationships between students and faculty that develop naturally over time, Lucy finds that these connections have developed, even over Zoom. “The arts faculty are just great—so good at what they do, so kind and supportive. They really help you grow in whatever kind of art you’re pursuing. I found a really deep relationship with Ms. Tryon (Theatre) and Dr. Spiro-Allen (Arts Chair, Vocal Music) and I feel really grateful that I was able to have that during my time here.”

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CREATING A NON-TRADITIONAL SELF-PORTRAIT SOPHIA A. ’21 As an active Wellie (Wellness Advocate) working through the READY Center to support holistic student health and well-being, Sophia A. ’21 knew that she wanted to bring an art project to the Emma community that centered on healthy body image. She began by asking community members to make self-portraits, but non-traditionally—a portrait that the creator feels represents them, but not necessarily their physical body. “In a traditional self-portrait, you see the face of a person. But the nontraditional self-portrait could really be anything that people think represents them, in literally any media. I’m going to hang them in the 2e-café, so people on campus can see them.”

Sophia was inspired to design this project over the summer because she was around relatively very few people, and that helped her notice a disturbing pattern in casual conversation. “I noticed that women older than me would complain about their bodies or put down other women. It really started to get to me. I wondered why we are doing this as a society—why is this internalized misogyny really manifesting in these women, when they know it’s feeding the patriarchy, destroying their own power and autonomy, by hating on themselves and the women around them? I started to get into self-acceptance work, including appreciating your body for what it does for you.”

When Sophia returned to campus, she knew she wanted to engage the student body in the conversation about body image. “I started to think about how cool it would be to have people represent themselves in some way where they wouldn’t be looking at just their body, but at their deeper self, simultaneously separating and uniting those two things. So I had the idea for this big project.”

“ I wanted to open up the definition of selfportrait so people could express themselves in whatever way they wanted—a poem, a sewing piece, an essay. I realize not everyone wants to paint how they see themselves internally.”

“I’m so excited to see what people make, students and faculty members have been telling me they’ve started projects. I’m excited to start featuring and presenting them. I just think it’s such a cool thing to think about—how you want yourself represented in some artistic way.”

Sophia recognizes that art has always been a vital outlet for her creativity.

“I’ve always been a really artistic, crafty person—I like painting, crocheting and working with my hands—so it seemed like a natural thing to go into an art project. But I recognized that not everyone is artistically driven, so I wanted to open up the definition of self-portrait so people could express themselves in whatever way they wanted—a poem, a sewing piece, an essay. I realize not

Above: Sophia’s non-traditional self-portrait conveys her being and personality through an image external from her physical self.

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everyone wants to paint how they see themselves internally. I wanted everyone to feel they could participate in a way that works for them.

I love art and I’m really passionate about this project.”

Sophia is also a prolific advocate of reading. She sees the work of reading and art-making as similar, and especially important in the age of instant gratification. “I think in some ways art and reading support you in a similar way: both help your focus, your expression, and it helps you to frame your interpretations. I’m going into engineering school, and I want to be a physicist.

Watching videos of women in these fields, they say they really struggled with dimensional thinking and analysis—as in, when they're drawing things in line perspective, they have a really hard time. They missed out on developing skills that I think I have because I was so artistic growing up. To be artistic—to be able to paint something and have it look realistic, or to learn two-point perspective—you have to be able to think in that way. I think I’m going into engineering school with a leg up, because I was able to do that. You never think to really pair art and engineering, or art and physics. But I think my artistic ability has set me up for a good trajectory in those fields, because I was able to learn and process dimension and perspective from a young age. Everyone isn’t going to engineering school, but it’s a testament to the fact that art can help you in any field. I also think it helps me see how things work, I’ve always been able to understand how things fit together, to redesign or remake them. I think that largely came from being deeply engaged in the arts. I’m lucky in that I also grew up building forts and playing with legos, but art is a way to learn spatial skills without having access to those experiences.”

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INTERPRETING LIFE THROUGH ART LUCIA D. ’21

“ Stitchery also has meaning depending on location and history. It’s like a secret language people used to understand.

Now people think of it as not a dead art, but a thing of the past. It’s fun to try to bring it to life.”

Lucia D. ’21 works with textiles to create a dimensional heart sculpture

Lucia D. ’21, considers herself a “general arts participant” at Emma, working in visual arts (drawing, painting, textiles, graphic design, and layout) as well as vocal music.

As an 11th grader, her Signature project combined recording herself singing a Spanish folk song her grandfather brought from his village in Spain, and creating a website with an original translation of the lyrics. This year, she is creating an Emma Artist Program piece in visual arts titled “The Memory of Pain.” For this project, Lucia was inspired by an interest in art therapy, where participants create art based on a particular experience.

“I think it’s interesting how different ideas can come to you at different times,” Lucia shares. “I’m basing

Lucia is also a vocal musician who compares the process of creating music to the process of creating visual art. Sometimes it can be hard to find the creative energy, but most of the time she feels nurtured by the process. “I go into choir to make myself feel happier, to feel more connected to my friends, to learn a different language or culture, or to feel immersed in a different era in music. It can be whatever you want to gain from the experience.”

When Lucia first joined the choir as a 9th grader, she was shy and scared, never thinking she’d hold a leadership position.

“That class helped me in a lot of ways,” Lucia shares. “Now I’m co-head. I gained responsibility and learned how to work as part of a team to make everything come together.” Choir affords a unique opportunity to 9th graders to spend five classes each week with seniors. “You see sometimes the seniors are lost too,” she observes.

“That gives you permission to ask for help.” In this year’s virtual choir classes, students still have that opportunity to connect. “We unmute and tell jokes, ask each other how the week is going, and enjoy each other’s company—it feels like the ‘real’ choir.”

This year Lucia has also taken on a leadership role in the campus newspaper, The Clock. The pivot to a digital format came with a steep learning curve: “When I was younger I hated change, so COVID has really pushed me out of my comfort zone. We had to completely change everything we do with The Clock. At the beginning I was a little nervous, because I had never really done any graphic design.

Developing a way of making graphics for news is a very different form of art for me. It’s much more literal, but it’s complicated! My co-head (Vivienne S. ’21) and I often talk to generate ideas. Then I talk with the writers and the photographers, and that provides me with another connection to school.”

In terms of process, Lucia describes a diligent approach over one based on inspiration. “Rarely do I have those moments when I am doing something else and a great idea strikes, and I go running for the page. Normally I’m in a happy, creative mood and I start working, and then more and more ideas begin to flow as I start to put things together.”

Reflecting on a year as an Emma artist in partial COVID exile, Lucia notes, “The past year feels both very short and very long! Everything has changed a lot, but it’s still working—it’s still the same positive experience, just a different method. The important parts are still the same.”

Lucia perceives that art can be more accessible now, because people have more time. “Right now I’m working whenever I’m free—some days I work four hours, some days I work five minutes and I’m done.” It can be a double edged sword, however.

“I have more time to work, but I have to manage my own time to a greater degree.”

For Lucia, art is an essential part of being human. “It makes me sad when someone says that they wish they could do art, but they’re not good at it. At the end of the day, even beyond the message of the piece, it’s about creating something that makes you feel and expresses that. Whatever you do, you should try to do some art, because I think everyone can gain something from it. Why not try? You don’t have to show it to anyone, but I guarantee you’ll gain from the experience.”

Lucia also thinks that everyone should consume art in some way, whether it’s movies, music, museums. “A life without any form of art would be a sad life for anyone,” Lucia reflects. “Engaging in (creating) art might not be necessary, but if fear is the thing holding you back, that is always where you should push yourself. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

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this work off an experience, but I’m not really sharing the experience— it’s more about the process of making the art.” Lucia is looking back at art pieces that she created at a particular time in her life and reflecting on the differences between that work and her current work. “The mind shifts and changes after an event,” she observes. “You can perceive the event differently after it’s happened.

When I was first creating that art, I was an 8th grader. At that time I think I was trying to see things from a more positive perspective than was actually true, because that was helpful in that moment. As the artist, you create what is necessary—whatever feels best, or will help you in that situation. At that time I needed to view the experience as having some redemption. Now it’s more about capturing how it felt in retrospect, because I’ve come to terms with the experience.”

The project consists of a vintage suitcase from the 1910s filled with Lucia’s previous creations. She is now crafting a large heart using applique technique: washing, dyeing, and molding felt into different shapes and layering it. “Textiles are special to me,” Lucia says. “I love working with fibers. Embroidery and knitting were two skills I learned early on, and I love how much effort goes into it, and the freedom of it—you can make it 2D or 3D, there’s lots of room for creativity. Stitchery also has meaning depending on location and history.

It’s like a secret language people used to understand. Now people think of it as not a dead art, but a thing of the past. It’s fun to try to bring it to life.”

Lucia finds inspiration in many different life experiences, whether happy or sad, and considers both therapeutic. Not every piece, however, is inspired by a dramatic emotion. “I’ve definitely made art that I really love out of not-intense experiences, so I think you can make great art from anything, but an intense experience can be more powerful.”

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AS ANCHOR

A litigator, a diplomat, a book designer, and a budding opera singer— four individuals with distinctly different callings and one shared love: the arts. Although these alumnae currently indulge their passions to varying degrees, all agree that the qualities they cultivated in pursuit of art—dedication, determination, courage, and passion—serve them equally well in their chosen careers. They also affirm that their years at Emma Willard provided vital encouragement for following their passion, whatever form it might take.

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Madeline Chan ’10

SELF-CONFIDENCE SOLIDIFIED At less than 30 years of age, Madeline Chan ’10 has lived on three continents, earned two degrees, and is now working as an associate with the London office of the global law firm Linklaters. Circumstances change frequently, she acknowledges with a smile in her voice.

“But no matter what is happening in my life, art is the constant.”

A singer, dancer, and classically trained pianist, Madeline credits the arts, and Emma Willard, for giving her the skills and discipline to succeed. Although she didn’t ultimately pursue a career in this sector—she currently serves as a litigator and engages in pro bono work as time permits—the arts remain an integral part of who she is. “The arts taught me to feel life’s uncertainties and be OK with them, and Emma gave me a well-rounded sense of what it means to use my voice and find my own way,” she asserts.

The Hong Kong native concedes she wasn’t always so comfortable with carving her own path. She arrived at Emma Willard as a conflicted 15-year-old. “I was grateful to be attending high school in the United States,” she clarifies. “The educational system in Hong Kong is ‘one size fits all,’ and if that doesn’t work for you, it can be tough. But I was also mindful of family expectations.” Madeline’s parents both worked in professional services, and although neither had ever pushed her to do so, she felt substantial pressure to pursue a career in banking or law. “As a Chinese girl, filial piety was heavily engrained in me. I felt like I needed to be a good daughter and repay my parents’ various sacrifices in sending me abroad by following the path I thought they wanted me to take.” The message Madeline received at Emma Willard, however, was to follow her own passion.

Struggling to reconcile these directives, Madeline spoke frequently with her advisor, Debra Spiro-Allen, Emma’s director of choral music and a close friend and mentor to this day. During one such conversation, Spiro-Allen remarked that her work didn’t feel like a job because she loved it so much. “That really hit me,” Madeline recalls.

The statement became a touchstone for Madeline, a litmus test she continues to rely on as she travels her own career path. To wit, after earning a degree in political science from Amherst College, she returned to London and took an analyst’s position at Barclays where she had interned during her junior year of study abroad. “I took the job because it was easy and familiar, but it quickly became clear banking wasn’t for me,” she says. Madeline turned to art for comfort—attending tango dancing events called “milongas” to lift her spirits and “meet non-bankers”—and ultimately changed course and enrolled in law school at the University of Cambridge. She insists such a drastic shift would not have been possible without the self-confidence imbued by artistic pursuits and her Emma education. “Those experiences gave me the ability to admit that banking wasn’t a good fit and change directions.”

Happily, Madeline says she is finding satisfaction as a lawyer, particularly with the relationships formed, a fascination she traces back to the arts. “As an artist, you’re forced to embrace your humanity and dig deep to connect with an audience or partner, and law is like that as well—you need to be a good listener and engage with clients to find solutions to their problems.”

A litigator preparing for trial is not unlike an artist preparing for a performance, she continues.

“As an artist, I rehearsed with the mandate in mind to ‘expect the unexpected,’ a sentiment that can just as easily apply to a legal case.

Having the discipline to prep, for a trial or a performance, is critical. By the time you get before the audience or the judge, the work’s been done.”

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Department

Kotoha Takashima ’12

A CAREER PATH CLARIFIED More than a decade has passed, but Fukui native Kotoha Takashima ’12 still vividly recalls arriving at Emma Willard as a shy teenager with a tenuous grasp of English. “I cried a lot,” she admits, “but then I had my first piano concert, and suddenly everything changed. People began to see me as I really am.” In fact, Kotaha credits the instrument for giving her the courage to leave Japan. “My passion for the piano motivated me to go out into the world and see what’s possible,” she asserts.

The structure of Japanese education demands specialization rather than exploration, explains Kotoha, and although she loved playing piano, she wasn’t certain she wanted to make music her career. “I didn’t think I should choose a specialization at age 14, so when I learned that boarding schools in the United States allowed students to try many things, I jumped at the chance to go.”

The decision proved fortuitous. “Everything I’m doing right now is built on my experience at Emma,” says Kotoha. “Had I not studied in the United States, I would have lacked perspective on all the possibilities for my life.” After graduating from Emma, Kotoha returned home to complete her undergraduate degree at Tokyo’s Sophia University, then travelled back to the States to pursue a graduate degree at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Today, she works for Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is currently stationed at her country’s embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine.

For Kotoha, the progression from arts to a career in international relations feels natural. “My experiences in the performing arts gave me the

confidence to relate to others regardless of background, race, or culture, an important skill in diplomatic work.

Through the arts, I gained the ability to see people for who they really are, just as people see the real me when I play the piano.”

Unfortunately, concedes Kotoha, she hasn’t enjoyed much keyboard time of late. “I don’t have much free time or access to a piano in my current posting, which is tough. Playing the piano offers me an escape from the real world, and at the same time allows me to organize my thoughts; it’s both relaxing and productive, my form of meditation.”

Regrets aside, Kotoha has plenty to occupy her mind right now; she has set high goals for her work with the ministry. “I want to help empower young girls—make the world better for them—and diplomacy is one of the best ways for me to achieve these big dreams.”

Kotoha is confident her artistic endeavors have prepared her for success. “A performer must rehearse long hours to reach the level she envisions. That process can be tough and lonely, but you persist because you know how lovely a piece can be and how inspiring it is to perform with and for others.”

Diplomats aren’t that different, she continues.

“Sometimes people focus solely on the bright side of a diplomat’s life, like socializing, but it’s hard work. We negotiate for just one word in a text and often work night and day, sacrificing our private lives. But we do this work because we believe it will change the world for the better.”

Such commitment to the goal is a common thread in Kotoha’s life. “I learned from the arts and from my experience at Emma that there’s always a bright goal if you have a passion, endurance, and confidence in your beliefs, and amazing people around to share it.”

Through the arts, I gained the ability to see people for who they really are, just as people see the real me when I play the piano.”

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Zian Taylor ’19

A PASSION PURSUED Zian Taylor ’19 was just a preschooler when she announced her life’s calling. “My teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said an opera singer,” she recalls with a chuckle. “To this day, I have no idea where that idea came from.” As it turns out, Zian was remarkably prescient. Today she is a double major in voice performance and music business at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.

Zian isn’t the least bit surprised that her youthful yearnings have come to pass. “My parents exposed my sister and me to the arts from a very young age,” she explains. “I started dance lessons at age two and violin lessons at age three. I’ve never viewed the arts as an extra-curricular activity; they’ve always seemed like an essential part of my life.”

Zian admits that she did stray from opera for a time. “Initially, I was more focused on a Broadway career; it seemed like the natural choice given my dance experience.” When she began taking voice lessons at age nine, however, the idea of opera resurfaced.

“My voice teacher was a professional opera singer and when she heard me sing, she told me she wanted me to try opera.” Zian obliged and has never looked back.

“I fell in love with the music and from age 12 on, all I wanted to do was go to music school and study voice,” she enthuses.

In the intervening years, Zian has pursued her chosen field with a vengeance, honing her instrument with years of voice lessons, summer music camps at Interlochen and Tanglewood, and participation in all three of Emma Willard’s choirs as well as the a cappella group 12 Tones. And when not in the practice room, she was on the playing field as a member of Emma’s field hockey team. “Looking back, I honestly don’t know how I fit everything in,” she muses.

In the fall of her sophomore year at Emma, however, Zian was thrown a curve ball. She fell ill during her final field hockey game of the season and after a year of uncer-

tainty, was ultimately diagnosed with a rare blood disorder known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) the following summer. Doctors recommended an aggressive treatment regimen of chemotherapy and steroids and told Zian that she must stop singing her senior year to avoid potential permanent damage to her vocal folds. Zian rejected the plan outright. “I was very against the treatment because I didn’t want to stop singing and playing sports,” she explains, “but a hospital social worker said, ‘It’s one year of your life in exchange for a lifetime of performance and happiness,’ so I agreed.”

Completing her final year of high school without singing was tough, Zian confesses, but she drew strength from Emma and the arts. “My classmates and continued contact with the arts sustained me,” she asserts. Happily, the course of treatment was successful and Zian is singing once more. She entered the Crane School of Music in the fall of 2020 after taking a gap year to get her voice back in shape and ready for admission auditions.

Entering music school during a pandemic has been challenging, she concedes. “All of my performance classes and voice lessons take place over Zoom because the virus makes it unsafe to sing in person but seeing the resilience and sense of purpose demonstrated by other performers has given me a fresh sense of appreciation for the arts. It’s what’s keeping me going right now.”

Zian is also bolstered by the lessons she learned at Emma.

“Faculty and classmates taught me the importance of cultivating relationships and seeking to maintain a work-life balance.

And the respect shown for each person’s passion— whether that was singing or science—made a lasting impression. I always felt that my teachers at Emma were invested in my future, whatever path I chose.”

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Department

Christine Moog ’87

CONNECTIONS CREATED Mention an esteemed art museum or design school in the Northeast and chances are good you’ll find it on the résumé of Christine Moog ’87. The book designer has worked at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Museum for African Art and has taught courses in design and design history at Yale University, The Ontario University for Art and Design, and The School of Visual Arts New York City. She currently serves as an assistant professor at Parsons School of Design. “My love of art is a seed that has sprouted in many different areas and disciplines,” Christine observes. “You know the saying, ‘if you find what you love, it’s never work.’ It’s a cliché, but for me it’s true.”

And those seeds were sown at Emma Willard, Christine notes. “My studio and art history courses with Ed McCarten and my British Literature course with Jack Easterling planted seeds that continue to bear fruit.” As a youth, Christine envisioned a career in art or architecture, but as she aged, she realized the challenges inherent to making a living in the arts. “To be candid, as a visual artist, it’s hard to find good paying jobs.”

Art is a great noncommunicative way to communicate. It can be powerful therapy for those who are suffering but unable to find the words to describe their physical or emotional pain.”

At one point, Christine pursued a career in art therapy, but missed art history—she earned a master’s in art history at the University of Toronto and an MFA in graphic design from Yale University—and returned to the museum world. It was there she landed the chance assignment that set her on her current path. “While at the Guggenheim, I was asked to design a pitch book for Hugo Boss and found that I loved the work.” Now, Christine designs the art history books she used to study.

“I consider myself a more informed designer because I have an art history background. Different disciplines can inform one another so nicely.”

This connectivity extends to Christine’s interests in women’s studies; she has published articles on women

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who ran printing presses in Europe and North America from the 15th century onwards. “These widows ran presses after their husbands died, just three decades after Johannes Gutenberg’s invention. It’s fascinating to learn about these fabulous, yet unknown, individuals and it relates directly to my interest in women’s studies, another takeaway from Emma.”

Art’s influence on Christine is not confined to the professional sphere; it also touches her on a personal level. Witnessing her father’s decade-long struggle with cancer, she realized that treatment programs often overlooked the psychological impact of an illness. “My father believed deeply in the mind-body connection, although it wasn’t something that was fully appreciated when he received his diagnosis in the late ’80s,” she explains.

When Christine became a parent herself, she decided to change that calculus. An advisory board member for the Yale Medicine Cancer Center, she donated to create an art therapy program at the Yale School of Medicine.

“Art is a great non-communicative way to communicate.

It can be powerful therapy for those who are suffering but unable to find the words to describe their physical or emotional pain. Although I didn’t use art as therapy for myself when my dad was sick, I want to help other patients and their families in these difficult situations.”

Lately, family is on Christine’s mind for another reason as well. Daughter Charlotte is considering enrollment at Emma Willard and she couldn’t be more pleased. “To this day, my closest friends are from Emma. It’s a wonderful school—the oldest girls’ school in North America—with such a sense of history and tradition.

I think so highly of singlesex education, particularly at Emma. As a student, you can be yourself!”

Christine remains grateful for her time at Emma and the exposure to the arts she was afforded. It’s a gift that endures. “How does art anchor my life today?” she muses.

“It’s my identity and my career.”

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Explore. Play. Learn.

GirlSummer, Emma’s signature summer program, welcomes girls to our vibrant campus for an enriching, personalized, and fun summer experience!

This summer, girls ages 6-14 are invited to spend a week at Emma exploring an expansive array of electives in the arts, science, athletics, and writing, with extra measures in place to keep our community safe. We will hold in-person GirlSummer Day, in-person Writer’s Retreat, and a new Virtual English Language and Leadership Program.

June 28 - July 16, 2021 THREE ONE-WEEK SESSIONS

emmawillard.org/girlsummer

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New Trustees BOARD OF T R UST E E S Elisabeth “Lisa” Allen LeFort ’72 Chair Winter Park, FL Susan “Susie” Hunter ’68 Vice Chair Manchester Center, VT | Vero Beach, FL Elizabeth “Betsy” Gifford Gross ’72 Treasurer Bethesda, MD Katharine “Kate” Berry Monahan ’76 Secretary Boca Raton, FL Linda Gill Anderson ’77 Silver Spring, MD Agnes Bogdan Chapski ’79 New York, NY James Dawson New York, NY Stephen Gonick P’16 ’20 Rexford, NY Valerie Gonyea ’82 AAC President, Ex Officio Novato, CA Wendy S. Graham ’85 Hoboken, NJ James Hackett P’20 Milton, MA Ann Gambling Hoffman ’70 New Hope, PA

Welcome Linda Gill Anderson ’77 is a marketing professional and the director of membership for the National Parking Association.

She is also a board member and serves on the Governance committee of the Black Women’s Health Imperative.

She has served on numerous boards and participates in several professional associations. Linda retired from a 20+ year award-winning media career including Conde Nast, Lotus, BET Networks and Harlequin that included magazines, books, cable TV and 13 films. She was deemed an “intrapreneur”

by Black Enterprise Magazine for launching powerful brands and managing the operations inside some of the most iconic media companies of our time. Linda is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and graduate of Dartmouth College, with executive training at Stanford University and Babson College.

She is a strong supporter of young women’s leadership programs through philanthropy and civic engagement.

Sharon Khanuja-Dhall ’89 Katonah, NY Wendy Shuang Liu ’95 New York, NY Eleanor H. Lumsden ’94 Lisbon, Portugal Sarah “Sally” Klingenstein Martell ’85 New York, NY Denise Mormino Slingerlands, NY Betts Howes Murray ’73 South Dartmouth, MA Elizabeth “Lisa” Radcliffe ’82 Brooklyn, NY Jennifer Schmelter ’85 Boston, MA Thomas Sternal P’21 Ghent, NY Megan Scremin Toohey ’00 Denver, CO Timothy Winstead Durham, NC

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James Dawson has served as Head of School at the Professional Children’s School since 1995. Prior to his appointment at the Professional School, he served as Head of Upper School at The Spence School for seven years. He is past president of the Board of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and still serves on their Board. He is also a past trustee of the Brearley School and The Spence School. James received his PhD in Behavior and his BS in Biology at the State University of New York at Albany. He lives in New York City.

N E W TRU STE E S

Wendy S. Graham ’85 is Vice President, Human Resources Business Partner for Wiley, a publishing company in Hoboken, NJ, where she works with leaders to build high-performing teams and transform the culture and employee experiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has served on Wiley’s Global Crisis Management team to transition the company to a fully virtual environment and support employees’ professional and personal well-being and safety. Wendy returned to the Emma Willard School Board of Trustees in 2020, having previously served from 2014 to 2017 and as trustee ex officio from 2011 to 2014. During her first tenure on the Board, she served as vice president from 2015 to 2016. She is currently a member of the Development and Finance Committees. Wendy is a graduate of Bates College, where she volunteers as an Alumni-in-Admissions and Class Agent.

She holds an MBA from Cornell University. Wendy currently lives in Hoboken, NJ, and became a COVID puppy parent to Rafa in November 2020.

Sarah “Sally” Davis Klingenstein Martell ’85 served as executive director of the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation for over 25 years. She serves on the boards of The Town School, and Klingenstein Philanthropies, which oversees four of her family’s foundations. From 1995 to 2011 she was on the board of the 92nd Street Y. Sally was a trustee at Emma Willard School from 1998 to 2012 and was named an Honorary Trustee in 2013. She served on the Alumnae Association Council from 1998 to 2000 and was awarded the 2005 Service to Emma Willard Award. Sally earned her BA in Art History from Tulane University and her MFA in Creative Writing from Stony Brook University. She is also the founder of online theatre company New Normal Rep. Sally lives in New York City with her two children, Natalie and Ethan. She is currently writing her first novel.

Eleanor Lumsden ’94 is an attorney, tenured law professor, and founder of Eleanor Lumsden Consulting. Through her diversity and inclusion work, she helps law firms and universities with employee engagement and communication effectiveness. She is a Princeton and NYU Law grad and a former Fulbright scholar. Her scholarship has been featured

by USA Today and BBC World News. Jamaican by birth, she now resides in Lisbon, Portugal, where she conducts research at the intersection of business, technology, and social justice.

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Admissions

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How to Apply

Applying to a new school can be overwhelming. The admissions team at Emma is here to help make the application process as easy as possible. The Emma application process includes the following: APPLICATION This can be completed online at www.emmawillard.org/admissions.

TRANSCRIPTS Should be completed by a school official and contain a minimum of two years of credits as well as the first semester or trimester of the current academic year.

RECOMMENDATIONS ❑ English Teacher ❑ Math Teacher ❑ Teacher of Choice

TESTING As of November 1, 2020, Emma Willard School became test optional. This means that the SSAT, PSAT, and SAT are no longer required elements of the application process. Instead, we ask domestic students to submit a graded English paper and a graded math test.

For our international students, we require the TOEFL or Duolingo test results to assist with understanding English proficiency, and a graded English paper and graded math test.

More information can be found at www.emmawillard.org/admissions.

INTERVIEW We are very pleased to interview candidates all over the world via Zoom.

IMPORTANT DATES Application deadline: February 1 Financial aid application deadline: February 1 Admissions decision: March 10 Enrollment contract and deposit due: April 10 emmawillard.org

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