Signature Magazine - Spring 2022

Emma Willard will pursue a historic investment in our school with the launch of a new CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Infinite

Horizon

THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL SPRING 2022

M AKIN G THEIR MARK

LINDA G IL L A N D E RSON ’ 77 Infinite Horizon Campaign Co-Chair Board of Trustees

Describe Emma in three words. Nurturing.

Life-changing. Enriching.

Who impacted you most in your time as a student? Ms. Scovil for math, Mrs. Peterson for dance, and Madame Dispas for French.

Ms. Scovil worked with me beyond my given class work and helped me explore computer science. Mrs. Peterson was instrumental as my dance instructor, which I carried on with through college and after. Madame Dispas was so fluent and pushed me to love the language. I traveled in France in college and have maintained some level of fluency ever since.

What is your favorite place or space on campus? The dance studio and the chapel.

How will the Infinite Horizon campaign transform this school? It will cement Emma Willard School’s place as the top institution in the world for educating women leaders. It will ensure Emma remains a place for young women to dig deep and find their best self, to build their confidence, and prepare for their brightest future.

WE NDY GRA H A M ’ 85 Infinite Horizon Campaign Co-Chair Board of Trustees

Describe Emma in three words. Pioneer.

Innovative. Connected.

Who impacted you most in your time as a student? Marcia Handelman. She challenged me to be a critical thinker and tapped into my love of learning about history to shape my future.

Where is your favorite place or space on campus? The view from the triangle looking up at Sage Tower.

How will the Infinite Horizon campaign transform this school? The Infinite Horizon campaign transforms all aspects of the school.

From the classroom to the arts to the sense of community in an awe-inspiring campus, the campaign will give more girls greater access to an Emma Willard education. It will raise our already strong and vibrant community to another level that will shape girls’ education for the next 200 plus years.

MI SSION 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.

SP R IN G 2 022 Jenny Rao

Head of School Meredith Legg, PhD

THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL

Assistant Head of School Virginia Arbour

Chief Financial Officer Ann Dejnozka

Head of Advancement Christine Gilmore

Head of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Shelley Maher

Dean of Students and Wellbeing Kristen A. Mariotti

Head of Enrollment Management Luke Meyers

F E AT U R E S

Chief Communications Officer E DI TO R I A L STA F F Luke Meyers, Melissia Mason, Kaitlin Resler, Sandra Santana

16 Infinite Horizon

The Campaign for Emma Willard School

Editorial Team Lori Ferguson, JoAnn Gometz, Robin Prout

Contributing Writers Kaitlin Resler

Photography Margaret Clark ’98 and Sara Niemiec

Class Notes

Ringing True: Olivia M. ’23 and Carolina O. ’22 embrace at Ring Dinner after the ring exchange.

28 Finding the Connection Students and alumnae find common ground

36 Belonging & Equity

Building bridges in the Emma community

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 866-833-1814 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 alumnae, parents, grandparents, 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.

D E PA R T M E N T S

02 Leading In

14 Faculty Voices

Head of School Jenny Rao

Rob Matera brings new inspiration to the Latin classroom

03 From the Triangle Returning to a sense of normalcy and reflecting on what we’ve learned

42 In the Family

12 The Classroom

44 Admissions

Meg McClellan breaks new ground in the Writing Center

P HOTO BY KA IT LI N R ESLER

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.

O N T H E COV ER Spring blooms frame the iconic clock tower of Alumnae Chapel, which will serve as the heart of a new performing arts center, a key priority of the Infinite Horizon campaign. Details on page 22.

The “signature” is by Rowan L-M. ’22, president of the Class of 2022 and recent recipient of both the E.W. and Cum Laude Awards.

The Shields Family

From Leading the InTriangle HEAD OF SCHOOL JENNY RAO

Looking to the Horizon Spring has brought vigor to Mount Ida. Having weathered what we hope—and believe—is the worst of the pandemic, we shift our sights to what lies ahead. We have emerged from this challenging time with a deepened understanding of our students’ needs. Leading with Purpose, our strategic plan outlined in Signature last fall, provides our vision to advance Emma Willard School’s mission of preparing students to serve and shape their world. Now, I am thrilled to announce our ambitious and bold capital campaign to provide the resources necessary to realize that vision.

Infinite Horizon: The Campaign for Emma Willard School launched its public phase on May 13. The campaign announcement was made during a school celebration on campus where faculty and students learned of this bold effort to invest in the community; there were cheers, tears, and smiling eyes (above our masks)! On that day, I experienced a spectrum of emotions that are hard to capture: boundless joy, pride, excitement, humility and a sense of honor in carrying forth the mission of our founder. Infinite Horizon will ensure that our school’s commitment to girls’ education extends for generations to come.

The campaign was ignited by alumna Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 with her $30 million lead gift to begin a renovation project in our chapel, transforming it into the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts. I had the honor of meeting Alice and her family in her home in Colorado in 2019. During our visit, Alice shared her transformative experience as a student at Emma Willard in the 1930s. Her journey to Mount Ida started at age 14 when her parents placed her on a train from Norman, Oklahoma to Albany, New York. Leaving her family was hard, however Alice met that moment with the humility, grace, and strength that was characteristic throughout her life.

Spending time with Alice was inspiring for me, not only because of her deep curiosity and inquisitive mind but because of her capacity to embrace change and progress with such grace and fortitude. In our conversations, she shared her dream of our school as a community in which there were no barriers to bright and articulate stu-

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dents who wished to access an Emma Willard education; she was an advocate for nurturing the power and possibility of our school community.

As head of school, it was inspiring and galvanizing for me to witness Alice’s profound conviction. She exemplified our school’s mission through service and philanthropy throughout her life. Her bold thinking and generous support gave us the confidence to launch the largest campaign for a girls’ school. What mattered most to Alice, however, was to ensure the strength of our mission for generations to come. Alice offered all of us an extraordinary example of living a life full of purpose.

May her wise and strong spirit continue to shine light on the bright horizon ahead for Emma Willard School.

Alice’s hope has become a reality. We have already begun to receive an unprecedented level of support from alumnae, parents, and friends with gifts to this campaign.

Within this issue of Signature, you’ll read about alumnae who have stepped forward to support this effort and of the memories that inspired their desire to give back to this school. You’ll also read of the connections between our students and alumnae across generations, recognizing the similarities that connect them and the values that define them. Lastly, you’ll have an inside look at the transformations over time of our Alumnae Chapel from gymnasium to spiritual gathering place and ultimately into the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts, a space for our entire campus to gather together.

The energy and excitement I feel for Emma Willard School at this moment are indescribable. We have lived through unprecedented times of late. They have challenged us and found us steadfast in our will to persevere.

Together we will rise above this moment and, in the words of our founder, now is the time to extend our view to futurity.

I encourage you to look within these pages and see beyond. The horizon, our horizon, is infinite.

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

From the Triangle

Ashfia A. ’22 and Abby G. ’22 as the Drag Queen and Drag King in the 107th Revels performance. See page 6 for more Revels.

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HIGHL I G H TS

2022 The 2021–22 school year’s return to campus also meant a return to many Emma Willard in-person traditions. From opening days to Morning Reports in Kiggins to theatrical performances, we’re happy to be together in community once more.

2 1. Bella D. ’22 greets a friend as they return to campus on Opening Day in September.

2. Nettie Sweeney & Hugh Thomas Miller Instructor in Languages Sabra Sanwal explores the check-out process in the new Language Library, located in Slocum.

3. Emma S. ’22 achieved 1,000 career points in basketball during a sectional game. This makes Emma the leading scorer in Emma Willard School basketball history!

4. Starting in Fall 2021, Dietel Gallery is home to the work of artists Judith and H. Peik Larsen. The show features a wide range of work in various mediums, spanning several decades, and changed for the start of the Spring 2022 semester.

5. Arts Department Chair Dr. Debra Spiro-Allen looks on as students close out the Eventide tradition with a song on the Chapel steps.

6. The Emma Willard School Theatre Department presented its first in-person performance in over 18 months with their staging of In a Grove: Four Japanese Ghost Stories. The show was the first Emma production under the direction of Theatre Instructor Faith Lawson.

7. Morning Reports returned to Kiggins in September 2021.

This was the first time since the start of the pandemic that the weekly gathering wasn’t virtual.

8. Sandglass Theater visits Emma Willard School for a series of workshops and conversations about their production of Babylon. The action-packed, high-energy production is a response to the worldwide refugee crisis and its impact on communities in the United States.

9. Head of School Jenny Rao greets new and returning students alongside student leaders for Opening Day.

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Revels The much anticipated 107th Revels, performed by the class of 2022, was filled with the usual familiar faces—this time, in multiples. Two Chamberlains, five Jesters, and two Toms (well, Tom and Tim) graced the stage of the Manor House alongside some entirely new characters: Tara the Tarantella dancer, a Drag Queen and King, Leiges among the Lords and Ladies, and a cameo by the “Stratejik Plané.” As unique as the seniors, this Revels is one we’ll never forget.

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The Emma Willard School community celebrates faculty members Jon Calos and Nancy Iannucci on their recent published work.

Nancy Iannucci History Instructor, Archivist, and Poet

1. The Falconer, played by Tina Q. ’22, arrives to much applause. * 2. The students are paying attention: the Stratejik Plané makes an appearance in Revels!

3. Seeing Double: Tess J. ‘22 and Sallie R. ‘22 each took on the iconic role of The Chamberlain, this time as a duo.

4. The Lady of the Manor, played by Nicole B. ’22, welcomes guests to the Manor House. * 5. Cat S. ’22 performs as Tara the Tarantella dancer during the Mummer’s Play.

6. Played by Leah W. ‘22, the beloved character of Tom sets the tone and gets the audience excited at the start of the performance.

7. Two of the five Jesters cause mayhem and delight with their antics. *

* PHOTOS BY LI Z LA J EU NESSE PHOTOG RA PH Y ’ 9 1

Jon Calos Chair of Experiential Learning, Signature Director, Homer L. Dodge Instructor in Science Capstone: Inquiry & Action at School In leading the Signature program at Emma Willard School for many years, Jon Calos has developed a depth of knowledge that begs to be shared. First through involvement in the National Capstone Consortium, and now in the release of his first coauthored book, Jon has set out to make sure others feel empowered to bring a capstone program to their own schools.

Capstones are authentic and personalized academic research projects culminating in a formal community presentation that have the potential to be transformative educational tools. Over the years, Emma students have used Signature to promote local women-owned businesses, work on cutting-edge biotechnology research, create their own films, and more. Capstone: Inquiry & Action at School aims to serve as a published resource of best practices that are key to building and sustaining a capstone program like Signature. “It’s a book by teachers for teachers,” Jon shares. “Whether you’re just starting or you’ve had a program for a long time, the content is relevant and applicable.”

Jon and his co-author Nina Leacock, PhD, followed a fortuitous suggestion from Emma alumna and trustee Sally Martell ’85, sending their book proposal to John Catt Publishing, who became partners in the work. Their dream has now become reality as Capstone: Inquiry & Action at School—thought to be the only published book on creating capstone programs—officially released on September 20, 2021.

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

FAC ULT Y B O OKS

Goblin Fruit Between the release of her first chapbook, Temptation of Wood (Nixes Mate Review 2018) and Goblin Fruit (Impspired 2021), Nancy Iannucci has taken audiences on an intimate ride through her world of literary magic. With her poems appearing in Allegro Poetry Magazine, Typehouse Literary Magazine, and Riggwelter Press, readers around the world have fallen deep between the realms of love and life, a place Nancy often finds herself, too.

Nancy uncovered her love of writing as a child, years before seeing her vibrant work published in magazines and online journals.

Whether constructing the inner workings of a play, memorizing lyrics on the back of album covers, or scribbling away in her diary, the youngster found comfort in the flurries of words surrounding her. Poetry has always stood out to Nancy, sharing, “I gravitate towards that kind of writing. The short, potent, stories in a poem. I like to craft those the best.”

The craftsmanship behind Nancy’s work is intricately beautiful. Written as lyrical poetry, Nancy uses gentle visuals in her writing formats to guide readers on a spellbinding journey. “I look at poems as magic because it’s like you’re conjuring an intense feeling and emotion through brevity. It’s not a fiction piece, pages and pages long. It’s a powerful BAM in a few stanzas to make you feel, to put you in a time or a feeling that is quick, abrupt, and has just been conjured up. That’s how I look at poems, almost like magic spells.” If you are looking for your next enchanting read, Goblin Fruit is sure to feed your craving.

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

I L LUST RAT I ON BY JE SSI C A MCG U IR L W W W. FIR ST PA NCA K E ST U DIO.CO M

emmawillard.org Spring 2022

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Seeing the pandemic as a portal to a better future

BY LUKE MEYERS

In April of 2020, during the earliest days of the pandemic, Indian author and political activist Arundhati Roy wrote of an unexpected but positive impact COVID-19 might have.

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew,” Roy posited for the London-based Financial Times. “This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.”

So, nearly two years later, here we stand atop Mount Ida in a world reimagined. While none of us are wistful for the challenges brought on by COVID, we also recognize that Emma Willard School has evolved through this time. Some of what seemed like short-term solutions or operational detours at the moment have proved to be catalysts for reframing the educational experience of our students, engagement with our alumnae community, and ensuring access for the under-served.

These are elements of the pandemic and resulting remote or virtual experience that have proved net positives for Emma Willard. So we’ve dubbed them—only somewhat ruefully—our “COVID Keepers.”

FOR STUD EN TS… “Live streaming Emma Willard School’s key traditions and celebrations that occur on campus has allowed students with family members from across the country and world to be part of these special moments,” notes Head of School Jenny Rao. Events like Eventide, Honors Convocation, and even Commencement will each maintain a virtual component for the foreseeable future, thanks to the way it grants ubiquitous access.

“The pandemic has also forever changed how we use our learning management system, MyEmma,” explains Meredith Legg, assistant head of school.

“We’ve been able to improve the speed and clarity of our communication to students by centralizing the information in one place.”

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Students and parents alike have benefited from the increased use of Zoom and Google Meet, making extra help more widely available outside of the classroom and strengthening the connections between parents and advisors.

And, in the classroom, faculty will maintain access to many of the technological enhancements that made the move to remote learning possible. A whole host of applications were put in place—EdPuzzle, FlipGrid, Padlet, PearDeck, Screencastify, VoiceThread, and more—to ensure teachers could translate their own teaching style into the virtual space. These shifts have the long-term benefit of increased familiarity and fluency with technology, which enriches the learning experience overall.

FO R A L L …

“The reach we’ve been able to achieve is priceless,” affirms Christine Gilmore, head of institutional equity and inclusion.

“We were able to gain insight from consultants and colleagues in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) arena just by requesting a virtual meet-up.”

The Office of DEI has held key Zoom meetings with stakeholders like the Alumnae of Color (AOC) Network and brought to Emma Willard (virtually speaking) leading voices on topics of inclusivity and belonging, like Dr. Mahzarin Banaji, co-author (with Anthony Greenwald) of Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People.

This increased reach has also impacted recruiting efforts for future Emma Willard students. In 2020, the Office of Admissions shifted gears to offer its visit experience on Zoom in the absence of in-person events, but quickly realized the benefit of this change would outlive the pandemic.

“What stood out to the team was the access and equity offering such events created for our prospective families,” notes Kristen Mariotti, head of enrollment management. “In the past, these families might not have been able to engage with us on such a personal level.”

ILLUSTRATION BY A NTONIO RODRIG UEZ / ADOBE STOCK

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

COVID Keepers

FO R A LUM N A E …

While the Office of Advancement eagerly expects a return to in-person events for this spring and summer, they also tout the increased engagement and access achieved through virtual programming.

“We will be keeping our virtual events, in addition to our return to in-person,” states Ann Dejnozka, head of advancement. “We’ve seen not only increased participation through virtual means but also been able to engage with alums from around the world thanks to the ease of access.”

Recent examples of alumnae engagement through virtual means include an alumnae panel as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations with students, well-wishes from around the world shared on Lunar New Year, and a webinar presentation of Emma Hart Willard’s groundbreaking graphic mapping of history.

Chief Communications Officer Luke Meyers joined the administrative team at Emma Willard School in December—right in the middle of Revels week—and has been going full steam ahead ever since!

With experience spanning two decades in the field of communications and marketing, Luke was most recently director of marketing and engagement at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. He led Skidmore’s first-ever marketing unit and oversaw strategic communications for admissions, alumni and donor relations, athletics, digital engagement and social media, email marketing, print and digital design, and virtual programming and production.

While at Skidmore, he worked on key diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including the Higher Education Data

Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey, and as a member of the College’s Institutional Effectiveness Committee.

Prior to Skidmore, Luke led communications for the State University of New York “Adirondack” campus in Queensbury, NY and, before his work in higher education, he worked in both non-profit and agency marketing and communications.

“It is the highlight of my career to have joined Emma Willard School at this incredible moment in its history and to have already met so many inspiring students and alumnae,” Mr. Meyers said. “Under the leadership of Jenny Rao and in close collaboration with my colleagues on the Administrative Team, we’ve already made leaps and bounds toward the vision set in our strategic plan; I can’t wait to witness what the years ahead will bring for this historic institution!”

Luke lives in the Town of Saratoga with his spouse Alyssa and their two daughters, Caroline and Alice, two dogs, two cats, and a large flock of pet chickens.

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Luke Meyers Joins the Emma Administration

Explore. Play. Learn.

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

This summer, girls entering 2nd-9th grades are invited to spend a week at Emma exploring an expansive array of electives in the arts, science, athletics, and writing. Day Explorer electives and Writer’s Retreat programs combine for a uniquely tailored summer experience!

June 27 - July 15, 2022 THREE ONE-WEEK SESSIONS

emmawillard.org/girlsummer

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The Classroom

BY MELISSIA MASON

Celebrating the Art of Words After over 25 years in the traditional classroom at Emma Willard School, English Instructor Meg McClellan has set her sights on a new type of classroom: The Writing Center.

Conversations in the English Department at Emma Willard School often center around the practice of writing. For years, Meg McClellan and her colleagues have dreamed of developing a center for writing—a place where students can not only hone their writing skills but also immerse themselves in a community of others who love the art of language. This year, that dream is becoming a reality, thanks to inspirational investments from alumnae Page Starzinger ’76 and Stephanie Sides ’73 (read more on p. 27).

As the inaugural and interim coordinator of the recently named Starzinger Writing Center, Meg is thrilled with the challenge of creating a space for one of her great passions.

“Teaching writing has always been my favorite part of what I do,” Meg shares. “I love helping students hear their sto-ries as narrative worthy of sharing—helping them find and develop their voices and become their fully formed selves through writing.”

After 25 students showed up for the first meeting of The Clock in the fall—not to mention student involvement in Triangle, Spilled Ink poetry club, and all of the pop-up writing groups that emerge throughout the year—Meg is encouraged to know that our student body is just as excited about pursuing

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opportunities to write as she is. As she begins to develop the program for the Center, Meg is focused on the breadth and depth of what might be offered. Based on her own pedagogical experience and the needs of the community, she envisions a place that is as much for the student who’s struggling with writing as it is for the student who loves to write. “It will be great for students to have a place they can claim for the celebration of writing […] a place that serves different writing needs and centers around acknowledging and celebrating the art of words,” Meg says.

The English classrooms and learning support services at Emma Willard have always provided oneon-one attention for students who struggle with writing or want to sharpen their skills. The addition of the Starzinger Writing Center will allow students to go beyond their typical experience, expanding their capacity for writing in a collective and creative way. “I imagine the Center to feature more playfulness— more like a community of writers unto themselves,” Meg explains. The experience will be student-defined as they have more choice in what they pursue. A student who is working on a paper can get feedback, while students who just love to write can be around others who share their

enthusiasm. “When you’re in the company of people who are into the same things as you, there’s a wonderful energy that’s affirming and stimulating,” Meg shares.

Meg has many ideas about what will comprise a dynamic writing program that is attractive to students. As she researches and visits other established writing centers, Meg will bring the best of what she finds to Emma Willard. “I want to spend time seeing what kind of writing opportunities there are beyond Emma that our students could connect with,” Meg explains. She anticipates the programming will include everything from cooperation with student writing tutors, to coordination of the existing Sides Family Visiting Writer program, to collaboration with the New York State Writers Institute, and much more.

At a time when the Internet allows everyone to be a published writer, Meg sees both an opportunity and a challenge. Writers now have unprecedented access to publicly distribute their writing, with little to no editorial constraints. “A big part of teaching writing is to move beyond summary and shift toward argument, expressing an idea clearly and effectively,” Meg explains. Part of the challenge for young writers is understanding what style of writing

TH E CLASS RO O M

Through their generosity, two alumnae with a shared passion for the written word made the new Writing Center possible. Learn more about Page Starzinger ’76 and Stephanie Sides ’73 in the Infinite Horizon campaign gifts feature on pages 26-27.

is appropriate for their audience.

Much of what a student might write for online consumption is far different from, for example, writing for literary analysis in the classroom.

“When I have a senior in non-fiction, first person narrative writing, they can use fragments or change up the voice if that serves their intended audience or their goal for the piece.

But they need to have learned how to write a coherent paragraph and communicate one idea clearly in order to be able to effectively begin playing around with [conventional] expectations.”

Whereas the typical English classroom is focused on work for a particular class, the Starzinger Writing

Center will create a space that is far more fluid than focusing on a literature class or writing workshop.

“We will intentionally connect many different parts of the experience of being at Emma Willard,” Meg shares, referencing the writing skills used across the curriculum in composing research papers, pursuing Signature projects, and writing end-of-semester reflections. An ongoing conversation at Emma Willard centers around a desire to resolve the seeming tension between wellness and deep academic learning. Faculty have identified writing as an essential tool in working toward both, requiring students to slow down, ponder, and reflect. In light of this impact across the full

Emma experience, Meg describes the Center as “interdisciplinary in the most far reaching way.”

As she considers the role that alumnae may play in attracting students, Meg reflects on the inspiration of the Center’s namesake.

“Page Starzinger is a poet who found her voice when she was here,” Meg shares. “She really values language as an art form that needs to be honored and celebrated.” With that in mind, Meg imagines the Center as a go-to for celebrating language, hosting visiting artists, writers, and readings. Many of those visitors may even be Emma alums who have followed a path as writers after leaving Mount Ida. In turn, Meg hopes that current students become confident in sharing their own writing both within and beyond the walls of the Emma community.

Although Meg will continue to teach in the classroom throughout her tenure as interim director (a year and a half ), she will spend the bulk of her time researching, developing programming, and creating a space where students are drawn to come together around a passion for the art of language. “I’m super excited,” Meg enthuses. “I think it’s going to be really fun, and I get to learn so much too. That’s the best part about teaching—you’re always learning something!”

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Faculty Voices

INTERVIEW BY KAITLIN RESLER

Dr. Robert Matera

Experimenting with the Classics Dr. Robert Matera, Emma’s new Latin language instructor, guides students to think about the world through text, using language and history to consider present-day issues and themes.

What do you teach at Emma Willard School? I teach all of the Latin classes, everything from beginning Latin to more advanced topics such as how Ovid reacts in his love elegy, and how Virgil uses the epic genre. I get to cover that full breadth, which is really fun!

I have one student in an Ancient Greek Practicum. The students are intellectually curious. They’re really driven, want to learn, and are excited about the material. They come up with things that I haven’t thought about and ask questions I wouldn’t have thought to pose.

That’s really exciting.

Why is Latin a valuable subject to study? A lot of people will say Latin is great for helping you with grammar and vocabulary in English and can help you prepare for the SAT, or it’s helpful if you want to go to law or medical school. These are perfectly good and valid reasons to take Latin. But I think Latin is valuable for its own sake. The language itself is satisfyingly orderly, the Romans are fascinating, and the literature is dazzling and speaks of distinctly Roman concerns but also of concerns that many of us grapple

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with in our present day. And of course there are 1,800 years’ worth of post-classical Latin and people’s perceptions of Roman literature and culture to explore as well.

Latin is also really good for helping students (and adults) think about words at a detailed level because the grammar is quite intricate. In Latin class we spend more time looking at a sentence than people tend to otherwise—focusing on tiny details, then trying to connect them to the bigger picture of the whole sentence, whole paragraph, whole book. Then we think about the structure of the text in context with the historical culture.

Latin class is a really great place to think about how language works and about how people use words.

The Romans wrote about a lot of topics that are still with us! We think about them differently than the Romans did, but because they are so removed from us it can often feel like a safer place to explore topics that can be emotionally challenging for us in our present day.

It’s also a really important skill for a citizen in a democratic republic to think about words and how people use them.

What do you love about Latin?

Originally I fell in love with the intricate grammar. It was so beautiful and perfectly laid out. In my third year of Latin, a teacher tossed us right into Virgil’s Aeneid and I was completely swept away. That someone could do that with language— it changed my world and led me to become a classicist!

How would you describe your teaching style? In Latin I and II we’ve adopted a new-to-Emma textbook that uses a semi-immersion teaching method. The students are presented with a map of the Mediterranean with a picture of a city, a seashore, and a river that are labeled with the words for and names of the places. The first sentence is “Roma est in Italia,” and they can figure that out and use it to build a translation of the next sentence. It’s helping them learn observational and critical thinking skills while they learn the language.

We also sing songs and play games like Bingo!, relay races, and Chutes and Ladders to learn grammar and vocabulary.

I also find value in desks in a circle, texts in front of us, saying,

FACU LTY VO ICE S

“ It’s also a really important skill for a citizen in a democratic republic to think about words and how people use them.”

DR. ROB ERT M AT ERA

fall to winter I had some new students in yoga, and some returning ones too! It was fun having students return and see them making more and more progress.

One of my big projects for this year is writing a new Latin curriculum. Diane McCorkle, the Latin teacher before me, developed a really strong Latin program. I think so highly of her work, but she and I have different training so I am creating a program that I know how to teach. It’s a big project, but it’s super exciting. Language Department Chair Gina Egan and Director of Curriculum and Innovation Peter Hatala have been really supportive of this process.

What struck you about Emma when you first arrived? This is such a happy place, professionally! against the senate or was engaged in “Let’s pull this apart.” Maybe someEveryone is excited about working one is at the whiteboard marking up legitimate political activity. Was he together and making good things planning to murder Cicero or not? the text. Sitting and thinking about happen in the classrooms. It’s a place a few sentences really deeply together That was super exciting and they where I’m not afraid to have things and seeing what we can find in them gave passionate speeches in favor of not go perfectly! I can experiment in land reform in 63 BCE. can be really valuable. the classroom and try things out. I’m This fall for Latin III—in prepaexcited for all the things coming— What projects do you have going ration for reading Cicero’s first continuing great Latin work, hopeon outside the classroom? I advise speech prosecuting a man named Pride Alliance (a campus group that fully more students in ancient Greek, Catiline—I had the students play and I’m excited to start working with offers a safe space for the Emma a reenactment game. Each student community to engage in understand- the DEI team to incorporate their took on the role of a Roman senaing and raise awareness of LGBTQ+ work into the Latin curriculum. tor. They were trying to figure out Project based and experiential learntopics and diversity among all answers to questions about land people), and I teach yoga as an after ing… we have a lot of really great reform and to determine whether stuff happening here! school PE option. In the shift from Catiline was actually conspiring

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From the Triangle

MOR E T H A N TWO H UN DR ED YEARS AGO, our school was founded by a woman who was determined to map uncharted territory. With this groundbreaking campaign, we honor—and extend—the legacy of Emma Hart Willard. Infinite Horizon: The Campaign for Emma Willard School is a watershed moment in education: the largest campaign for an independent girls’ secondary school in American history.

Emboldened by the generous early giving of our alumnae, we are setting an unprecedented goal of $175 million, ready to work tirelessly toward the brightest of futures. Bolstered by a comprehensive new strategic plan and an exuberant community prepared to implement it, our mission to give all of our students an unrivaled education and infinite opportunity is well within sight.

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Infinite Horizon TH E CAMPAIG N FOR EMMA W ILLARD SCHOOL

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From the Triangle

Campaign Co-Chairs

LINDA GILL ANDERSON ’77 Linda Gill Anderson ’77 brings a wealth of knowledge to the Infinite Horizon campaign. Invited to join the Emma Willard School Board of Trustees in 2021, she has hit the ground running co-chairing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and serving on the Governance Committee. Linda has been instrumental in imagining the Alumnae of Color Network at Emma Willard School and has been a tireless advocate for leveraging diverse perspectives in order to move the school forward.

With a 20+ year career in media, Linda has a legacy of award-winning work with Conde Nast, Lotus, BET Networks, and Harlequin that spanned from magazines and books to television and film. 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.

USA Today applauded her brand marketing vision for a campaign in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

After retiring from her career as a media executive, Linda turned her eye toward not-for-profit work, serving on numerous boards and participating in professional associations. She is now the director of membership and engagement for the National Parking Association and serves on the Board and Governance Committee of the Black Women’s Health Imperative. A strong supporter of young women’s leadership programs, Linda has made an impact through philanthropy and civic engagement. She is co-founder of Candid Conversations, a local community group of professional women with a mission to encourage growth of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our families, organizations, and workplaces.

Linda is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a graduate of Dartmouth College. She has also completed executive training at Stanford University and Babson College.

Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Linda resides in Silver Spring with her family.

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Linda Gill Anderson ’77

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Every so often, there is a call that leads to a dream you didn’t even know you had. Serving as co-chair alongside Wendy Graham is that for me. Living a life of purpose is core to my wellness. Thus, passing along the opportunities I’ve been given because of my Emma education instills in me a drive to find other young students who are ready for the same academic and life challenge Emma offers.

It’s important to ensure the school has the resources required to meet the needs of today’s complex educational challenges, now and in the years to come. So, for me, it’s a privilege to share why it’s important to give— in all ways: financially, and with time and talent. All are critical. Engagement and outreach to those that know Emma Willard School and those that simply believe girls’ education is critical to our nation’s future. It’s a privilege to serve. Plain and simple.

Linda Gill Anderson ’77

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Infinite Horizon

TH E CA M PA IGN FOR E M M A W I LLA R D S CHO O L

WENDY S. GRAHAM ’85

Wendy S. Graham ’85

Wendy S. Graham ’85

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When I first learned of the campaign, I knew we were beginning an unprecedented journey that would shape girls’ education for generations—and what an exciting five-year journey to be part of! Then, when I was asked to cochair the campaign with Linda Gill Anderson, I felt humbled and honored to be entrusted with the leadership of a campaign and have another opportunity to partner with so many incredible alums and shape the future for Emma Willard School’s students. The call about the campaign brought me back to the 2011 call inviting me to be the co-chair of the Emma Fund and be a Trustee Ex Officio member of the Board. How quickly I said yes to investing time and giving back to a school that gave me so much! I hope we keep hearing yes as we go through the campaign.

Wendy Graham ’85 brings an eye for leadership development to her role as campaign co-chair.

Wendy was president of the Alumnae Association Council (AAC) from 2011 to 2014 and served on the Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2017, serving as Vice President from 2015 to 2016. She rejoined the Board of Trustees in 2020. As a member of the Development and Finance and Audit Committees of the Board, she has intrinsic knowledge of the fundraising and financial aspirations of the school.

Her expertise in the field of human resources and organizational leadership gives her unique perspective on motivating her peers and striving for inclusivity. As Chair of The Emma Fund during Emma Willard School’s Bicentennial year, Wendy was instrumental in the achievement of the largest fund total on record at that time.

Wendy is vice president of human resources for the Americas division of Wiley publishing company in Hoboken, NJ. Prior to assuming this role in 2018, she served as the director of organization and leadership development at Wiley. Before joining Wiley, she held a variety of leadership positions in human resources at Honeywell International, working in several locations across the United States and in the Czech Republic and Belgium.

Wendy was a 2020 recipient of the Service to Emma Willard Award, which honors alumnae who have demonstrated extraordinary interest in the school through dedicated volunteer service that has inspired others. In her citation, it was noted that her fellow trustees describe her as calm and caring, the “steady hand” everyone wants to work with on projects.

Wendy graduated from Bates College and received her M.B.A. from Cornell University. She currently lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.

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From the Triangle

Honorary Co-Chairs

SUSIE HUNTER ’68

The Infinite Horizon campaign is a metaphor for Emma Willard. It is aspirational in its unprecedented goal for a girls’ school. It is inclusive in its support of excellence in all areas of school life. Finally, it is a profound investment in the future of our students, faculty, program, and facilities. It is a campaign worthy of Madame Willard’s legacy.

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Victoria “Vicky” Thompson Winterer ’61 has been fully engaged with her alma mater since the day she graduated.

She served as her class’s 10th reunion chair, played key roles in regional alumnae events, served as president of the Alumnae Executive Council (1972–1976), and was instrumental in developing the Class of 1961 scholarship fund. Vicky was on the Emma Willard School Board of Trustees from 1986 to 2000, serving as secretary (1992–1994) and vice president (1994–2000). Vicky was the campaign chairwoman for The Campaign for Emma Willard from 1992 to 1997 and on the planning committee for the IDEA campaign that started in 2004. Vicky was honored with the Distinguished Alumnae Award for Service to Emma Willard School in 1996.

Susie Hunter ’68

Vicky Thompson Winterer ’61

It is an honor to support Emma Willard School as an honorary co-chair of the Infinite Horizon campaign. At Emma Willard, I learned an educated woman can do whatever she wants to do and work toward—I learned to think for myself and make educated choices.

This school opened my eyes to the world, introducing me to people from widely different backgrounds and places who are still my friends today. To help make that opportunity possible for others is a privilege.

Vicky Thompson Winterer ’61

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Susan “Susie” Hunter ’68 and her family have a long legacy of leadership at Emma Willard School, with graduates in the family dating back to her aunt and mother—Irene Mennen Hunter ’35, who was an Alumnae Trustee from 1965 to 1969, a Trustee from 1979–1982 and an Honorary Trustee from 1998 to 2008. Susie has never wavered from her involvement at Emma Willard, including serving as a Bulletin Reporter and a member of the Alumnae Executive Committee and Alumnae Admissions Network. She was a leadership volunteer in The Campaign for Emma Willard from 1992 to 1997, and a member of the Final Phase Advisory Committee for that campaign.

Susie has been a Trustee of the school since 2015, and served as Board Chair from 2017 to 2020.

VICKY THOMPSON WINTERER ’61

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Infinite Horizon

TH E CA M PA IGN FOR E M M A WI LLA R D S CHO O L

C A M PAI G N ST E E R I N G CO MMITTEE

JoAnne Als, MD ’78 South Pasadena, CA

Kalisse Anderson, JD ’97 Baltimore, MD

Kathie Berry ’53 P’76 ’81 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Julie Massry Knox ’98 Menands, NY

Lisa LeFort ’72 Winter Park, FL

Sally Klingenstein Martell ’85 New York, NY

Diane Wynne Mercer ’61 Portland, ME

Betts Howes Murray ’73 South Dartmouth, MA

Megan Toohey Scremin ’00 Denver, CO

Rev. Cyndi Skripak ’78 Philadelphia, PA

E M M A WI LLAR D E MPLOY EE REPRES ENTATIVES

Ann Dejnozka Head of Advancement

Evangeline Delgado Assistant Director of Student Wellbeing

Meg McClellan Margaret Wing Dodge Instructor in Literature Interim Writing Center Coordinator

Luke Meyers Chief Communications Officer

Jenny Rao Head of School

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From the Triangle

Groundbreaking Gift LEA D G IF T OF $3 0 MI LLI ON H E LP S F UND THE AL ICE DO DGE WAL L ACE ’38 CEN T E R FO R TH E PE R FOR MI N G ARTS

The Infinite Horizon campaign has been ignited by a lead gift of $30 million from Alice Dodge Wallace ’38, which will be foundational in the construction of the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts on the Emma Willard School campus.

In an effort to elevate the arts and nurture a learning environment defined by creativity, Emma Willard School has identified the need for a state-of-theart performance, rehearsal, and gathering space on our campus. This element of our strategic plan has been embedded in the aspirations of the Infinite Horizon campaign and will become a reality in part through a momentous lead gift from philanthropist Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 (1920–2020).

The daughter of educators, Alice displayed a lifelong devotion to education and teachers, providing support to institutions that touched her life and enriched the lives of others. She has previously endowed scholarships for students of educators who wish to attend Emma Willard, as well as faculty positions in literature and science.

Alice, who believed in the transAlice Dodge Wallace ’38 formative power of girls’ education and had a passion for the arts, used her own gifts to encourage generosity in other donors—a key element in her growth-minded approach to giving. Alice served with esteem as a Trustee of Emma Willard School from 1988–90, a Trustee Fellow from 1990–2005, and then as an Honorary Trustee from 2005 until her passing.

Alice’s steadfast belief in the power of community and creativity led her to make this gift, investing in a transformational space that will inspire artists and scholars alike, and elevate the central role that the arts play in an Emma Willard School education. “We are humbled by Alice’s act of breathtaking generosity,” says Head of School Jenny Rao. “I had the honor

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of spending time with Alice and her family and was truly moved by her grace, her sage perspective, and her love for Emma Willard School. Over the years, Alice’s gratitude for her Emma Willard education was evident in the wonderful way in which she helped to strengthen our entire community. She had a keen and sophisticated understanding of the role of endowment in ensuring the future of the school, and was passionate about providing support and resources for our faculty and students. Alice’s love of the arts inspires us to engage the whole person—mind, heart, and body—and build a space that will inspire our most creative and innovative thinking.”

Our faculty, administration, and trustees have now begun the work necessary to envision the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts. Integral to this new space will be a transformation of Alumnae Chapel, which has been central to the student experience at Emma Willard School even from its early days as the school’s gymnasium. One of the three original Mount Ida structures, the then-gymnasium was slated for renovation after World War II, making space for chapel gatherings and an expanded focus on the arts. In the October 1945 Bulletin, it was reported that an architect had been named to present “proposals to include more adequate use of our present buildings and better provision for the study of the arts and religion.”

Almost 80 years later—after many years of discussion and research by the Board of Trustees—an architect has again been appointed to reimagine this iconic space. The team at Ann Beha Architects of Boston is known across the United States for their work in preserving and revitalizing historic architecture for contemporary use. Their careful attention to the historic structure of Alumnae Chapel will not only maintain its grand façade and role as the center of campus, it will also increase the functionality of the space by bringing it into the 21st century, with technology and acoustics to match. The renovated auditorium will—for the first time in many years—accommodate the entire Emma Willard School community to gather together with seats for up to 450. The renovations to the concert hall will preserve the one-of-a-kind baroque organ, designed by Fritz Noack (father of Weibke Noack Theodore ’77) and installed in 1970.

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Infinite Horizon

TH E CA M PA IGN FOR E M M A W I LLA R D S CHO O L

(Left) Construction of the then gymnasium circa 1910 (Below) Students exercise in the gymnasium circa 1940s

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Alice’s love of the arts inspires us to engage the whole person—mind, heart, and body—and build a space that will inspire our most creative and innovative thinking.

Jenny Rao

Head of School

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New construction on the east side of the chapel building will expand our dedicated space for choral, orchestral, theatrical, and dance rehearsals and performances. The architects have envisioned spaces for faculty offices, set and costume shops, and an exhibition space. Morning reports, convocations, concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, social gatherings, and receptions will all find an accessible, welcoming home in the foyers, porticos, and performance venues that make up the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts.

Over her years in service to Emma Willard School, Alice often articulated a desire that others would be moved to support their alma mater as well. “Alice held a deep conviction that we should acknowledge the many benefits we receive in our lifetimes,” shares former board chair and Honorary Trustee Jamie Baxter ’61. “She provided both service and inspiring philanthropic generosity to Emma Willard, the school she knew was pivotal in setting her course for the purposeful life she led.” With a total project cost of $40 million, we share Alice’s hope that her inspirational lead gift will embolden others toward extraordinary generosity in order to make this new performing arts center and gathering space a reality.

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From the Triangle

A LI CE D O D G E WALLAC E ’ 3 8 C E N TER FO R THE PERFO RMING A RTS

The Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts will include the renovated Alumnae Chapel and an expansion into a subterranean annex building, both carefully planned and constructed to maintain historical features and the character of campus.

The interior chapel renovation will offer balcony and main floor seating and highlights restoration of historic features like the leaded glass windows and visible wood trusses.

Main floor seating will be flexible to support different performance settings, including a motorized extended stage for orchestra and other large performances. New side and rear balconies will offer views of the stage to the entire community.

The music studio will accommodate the Emma Willard orchestra and ensembles and includes instrument storage lockers and acoustically treated oak wood walls. Clerestory windows introduce natural light from the east and south.

A LL REN D ERIN GS P ROV ID ED COURT ESY OF A N N BEH A A RCH IT ECTS

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Infinite Horizon T HE C A MPA IGN FOR EMMA WILLA RD SC HOOL

Studio theatres are ideal settings for rehearsals, teaching, and small performances. The retractable seating will allow the stage to be reconfigured and this studio will have theatrical lighting, projection, and audiovisual systems.

The project offers two dance studios with wood lining for sound control and mirrors for instruction. The studios may be set up for yoga, dance, and small performances. The floor will be maple and “sprung” to cushion dance activities.

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From the Triangle

Arts Education ELI Z A BE TH “ B EAN O” H UN T E R SOLO MO N ’6 3 ESTABL IS HES EN D OW E D F U ND FOR T H E ARTS

Emma Willard School has received an inspirational philanthropic investment from Elizabeth “Beano” Hunter Solomon ’63, who has made a gift to the Infinite Horizon campaign of $2.5 million to advance educational programming, enrichment activities, and experiential learning initiatives in the arts.

The fund will be used to foster experiential learning opportunities in the classroom, with a key focus on direct exposure for students to exhibitions, performances, visiting artists and guest lectures. In partnership with the school, Beano identified this crucial need for amplifying Elizabeth “Beano” Hunter Solomon ’63 the arts and benefiting students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of art and music, much in line with her own experience at Emma Willard.

“When I look back, my life has been shaped by the ‘Renaissance education’ I received,” says Beano of the inspiration for her gift. “I call it my Renaissance education because of the instruction in the arts, music, and Latin—I didn’t like Latin but I took it!—provided as part of the correlated curriculum practiced at that time. The arts have served to enrich my life, and every day that makes me happy and makes me appreciate my education from Emma Willard.”

The funding provided through this gift will be instrumental in invigorating the arts curriculum at Emma Willard. This process will begin with curriculum renewal and expansion, including the development

The arts have served to enrich my life, and every day that makes me happy and makes me appreciate my education from Emma Willard.

Elizabeth “Beano” Hunter Solomon ’63 26

E M M A WI L L AR D SC HO O L

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of new courses, hiring new arts faculty, establishing regional and national partnerships for the arts, and creating an interdisciplinary “mini-mester” program.

“I would love for our students to have the kind of experience that Beano had,” enthuses Dr. Debra SpiroAllen, current chair of the Arts Department. “Alumnae who were taught the correlated curriculum seemed to develop a near-universal appreciation for the arts, something that is missing in many of today’s schools.

With this investment in arts education, Emma Willard will continue to showcase the transformative power of art and music.”

Beano is part of a family with deep ties to Emma Willard, including her sisters Barbara Hunter Tisi ’66 and Susan Hunter ’68, her aunt Mildred Mennen Hapgood ’33, and her mother Irene Mennen Hunter ’35.

“Emma Willard School was so important to my mother and it is through my mother that I am able to be philanthropic,” says Beano. “I am doing this for my mother.”

The Hunter family’s past support of Emma Willard spans everything from buildings to technology to financial aid, including an endowed scholarship established by Irene Mennen Hunter ’35 (funded today through ongoing support by the Hunter family) that benefits students who showcase “unselfish leadership”—a trait her daughter clearly exhibits today.

Beano’s volunteer leadership includes her integral work in the formation of the Utah Pride Center, a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in Salt Lake City, UT. A resident of Park City, Beano is heavily involved in the community and supports many of the area’s most underserved populations.

When asked why she chose to make this generous investment in Emma Willard, Beano gave a simple answer: “You do it because it’s the right thing to do. And you do it to inspire others to do the same.”

TWO A LUMN AE WI T H LI FE LO NG CO MMITMENTS TO THE WRITTEN WOR D M A KE G I FTS TO FUN D NEW WRITING CENTER

Stephanie Sides ’73 and Page Starzinger ’76 have each made key contributions to plan, launch, and endow a new writing center at Emma Willard School. Both career writers, Sides and Starzinger unknowingly united their passion for the written word in order to ensure educational opportunities and support for student writers at Emma Willard.

A N IDEA TAK ES SH A PE In 2019, Stephanie Sides visited Emma Willard to attend the class of visiting writer Paul Lamar as part of the Sides Family Visiting Writer Fund, which she established in 2015. During her visit, she met with many instructors on campus including English Department Chair Leslie Coffey ’00. It was through her conversations with Leslie that Stephanie first learned of the idea for a writing center.

Having worked as a writer professionally for more than thirty years, particularly in technical writing, Stephanie immediately recognized the value for students in developing writing skills.

“One thing that struck me about working in the tech world is people would do anything to avoid having to write,” says Sides. “So, I learned early on that was a real advantage for me—a sort of job security—and I could apply it to virtually any opportunity.”

Based on a collaborative concept developed by the English Department faculty, Stephanie leveraged her own knowledge of a writing center at a local community college near her home in Encinitas, CA to envision the research and planning for a writing center for Emma Willard. Her generous support of $200,000 was one of the earliest gifts in the quiet phase of the Infinite Horizon campaign.

“We were able to figure out what faculty wanted to fund and found a way to make that possible,” shared Stephanie. “The icing on the cake is I learned another donor subsequently came forward to endow the project, which I am just thrilled about!”

T HE STAR Z INGE R WRI TIN G CEN TER Having learned of the funds Stephanie donated for a writing center, Page Starzinger reached out to inquire how she could help support the school that shaped her own career as a poet.

“Writing connects people and ideas and, for me, that all starts back at Emma Willard,” explains Starzinger. “I

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Writing center

Page Starzinger ’76

Stephanie Sides ’73

P H OTO: DA N IEL D ORSA

More information was published for the first time in Triangle. It was about the such an important moment because it brought Starzinger Writing Center me together—it connected me—with others who and inaugural coordinator Meg appeared on the pages alongside me.”

McClellan may be A published writer in numerous magazines and found on page 12. with her own books of poetry, Page saw great potential for students who might want to consider eventual careers in writing: “There is an opportunity to help students see a real path toward becoming an artist and making a living through the written word because the arts and humanities are not just an enrichment to science or ‘STEM’—they are a purpose and an achievement in and of themselves.”

Through an exploratory process involving English Instructors Meg McClellan and Kathleen McNamara, Page discovered the school had aspirations for a writing center that aligned with her own. She envisioned a space that would support writing classes, poetry workshops, guest speakers, and visiting poets and writers.

In early 2022, Page pledged $1 million to launch and endow the Starzinger Writing Center as her contribution to Infinite Horizon.

“My hope is the Writing Center takes that impetus of what I experienced—the spark a young writer gets from their first work—and makes it bigger and better,” imparts Starzinger. “To quote Joan Didion, ‘I am still committed to the idea that the ability to think for one’s self depends on one’s mastery of language.’”

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From the Triangle

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Finding Connection the

T IMES CH A N G E , BU T EMMA ST U DEN TS PAST AND

P R ES EN T CO N T IN U E TO S H A R E MU T UA L PASSIONS. For students at Emma Willard School, it’s always been easy to look to graduates for inspiration. The rapid and revolutionary changes in global society and educational methodologies over the last century, though, sometimes make it difficult for alumnae to see their experiences reflected in the lives of today’s students.

These pairs found the connection. STORI ES BY JOANN GOMETZ & CARLY H. ’25

The Explorers

Hannah Bower ’10 & Daphine K. ’23

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annah always saw Emma Willard as being an extension of home. Her grandparents owned the house across the street, her mom and aunt are alumnae, and she attended the children’s school.

Now a combustion engineer at the GE Global Research Center, Hannah works on innovative, interdisciplinary technologies for the aviation and power industries. That’s not where she started, though. She earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry.

“I interned at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in high school and NASA during my bachelors degree,” Hannah explains. “At NASA, I was doing a lot of science but working with the engineers. I knew what science we wanted to do, but I couldn’t build the instrument—I wanted to bridge that gap, and vice versa.”

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She credits Emma Willard with providing the toolbox to make that vision a reality. “The teachers are very interested in the subjects they teach and that spills over to the students and gets them engaged,” she says. “I have the ability to take on new challenges with confidence and tenacity.

I have the mindset that I can switch majors and careers and do anything I want to do. Because, why couldn’t I?” Hannah uses chemistry in her work every day, but she uses it in engineering applications. A discussion with her mentor at NASA led her to shift her focus from chemistry in college to propulsion in graduate school at the University of California at Irvine. She took another leap in joining GE. “In academia, it’s about why and how the science happens. In the corporate world, we make products, so we need to know that the science happens,” she says.

“There’s not just one path to using the different

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types of engineering and science. I wish I’d had more exposure to those different opportunities earlier.”

That’s why Hannah remains deeply involved in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) mentoring with Emma Willard students, even as she continues to seek out her own opportunities for professional growth and leadership. In particular, she’s drawn toward developing her business strategy skills and “trying to position myself to be able to take on anything that interests me.”

“Every time I go to Emma Willard, I try to tell the students that employers are looking for thought diversity. NASA takes people from MIT, Stanford, the University of Maryland, small liberal arts colleges—you name it. It’s how well the program matches your goals that matters,” Hannah explains. “Emma students have a vision, but they need to take the name out and look at the programs, the professors, and the opportunities instead. Your path will be different from what you think—and it will be okay.”

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aphine is getting that message loud and clear. She describes Hannah, who is acting as her mentor, as “literally the best person. She’s exposed me to all types of career paths and engineering that I didn’t know. I’m getting a better sense of myself by hearing about everything and the way she jokes about her experiences and internships.”

As a primary school student in her native Uganda, Daphine developed a love of science through the “weird and fun” experiments her teacher conducted in class.

She was introduced to Emma Willard by an alumna who is friends with her mom. She found the sense of

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community and traditions a perfect fit, although she still gets overwhelmed by choices and opportunities.

Science Instructor Jon Calos helped her arrange her Signature project interning at RPI, where she is helping design experiments.

“I was so scared by all the technical journals,” Daphine says. “Now I’m learning to ask questions. I’m listening to others’ experiences and deciding if I want to do something. I’m doing what I like and gaining more skills that I can use in pursuing a career later.”

As a track and field athlete who favors the high jump, Daphine finds sports to be a release from the rigors of her studies. She also enjoys spending time with her friends, who have provided a sounding board as she’s contemplated her path forward.

“It’s hard to dream about what I want to do in the future,” she says. “Maybe chemical engineering, where I can apply what I’m doing right now. Maybe medicine— which is still STEM, but I’d get to work with more people directly.”

She still has time to consider her options. Over the summer, she may apply for a NASA internship and stay in the US—or she may return to Uganda for a second opportunity to work in reception in a hospital near her home.

“In Uganda, high school students help out at home or relax on breaks. It’s a new experience for them to get summer jobs,” she says. “My parents are so surprised.

I’m doing hands-on things that are not common for a high schooler from Uganda to do. I think they are so happy that I have these skills and connections, and they are really proud of my mentorship.”

Polly overcame initial resistance from her family, which eased when she gained her credentials to teach skating and could use the funds to help support her continued progress—and passion. She still laces up her skates to teach an ice dancing class one hour per week.

At 40, she achieved the silver dance level, indicating that she had tested her way through competencies in a variety of compulsory dances. She thought she was done.

“I was in Connecticut and cried all the way home,” she says. “Three years later, I was back working toward the next level. Skating is not about the end result; it’s about working through it. When I was 50, I achieved the gold dance level. That’s my proudest accomplishment.”

The Ice Dancers

Polly Sidford Hodgkins ’56 & Victoria H. ’23

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or Polly, who grew up in Troy and attended Emma Willard from third grade through graduation, the figure skating bug took hold when she was 11 or 12, after her parents introduced her to the sport at the RPI Field House because “they didn’t know what to do with me.”

The third of her siblings in private school or college in the 1950s, Polly took skating lessons when she could earn enough money babysitting to afford them, narrowing in on ice dancing. She fit in her time at the rink around deep involvement at school, where she sang in the chorus and choir and served on a number of committees, in addition to building lifelong friendships with her classmates.

“That was the best education I could have had.

I’m very thankful to have had the opportunity,” Polly says. “I went to Northwestern afterward and it was good, but Emma was excellent. I especially appreciated the history-based curriculum at the time; it was very thorough!”

During her time in college and the early years of her marriage, living in Troy, there was no time for skating. A move to Maine at age 30 changed all that, when a new rink went up in the next town over.

“The technique and approach had totally changed from when I skated previously, but I got stung all over again,” Polly explains. “The rink hired a man with very good basics. It took me 15 years to get all the dance tests out of the way. I went all over the place, staying on any couch that would have me and going through 13 partners, who all got younger, one by one. After earning my Adult Gold Dance Medal, I went on to obtain my Senior Dance teaching credentials from the Professional Skater’s Association, so that I could legitimately teach up through the very same Gold Dances that I had just passed.”

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ictoria relates to the long road and sacrifices needed to achieve excellence as a skater. She started at age five, led by her mother’s fond memories of the sport. By age 12, she was competing in singles freestyle skating and had already tested her moves in the field to the gold level. Then, everything changed.

“We moved from Pennsylvania to a part of China with a very hot climate and I took three and a half years off,” she explains. “I came back to skating as a sophomore at Emma and I was having trouble landing triple jumps. That’s when I switched to solo ice dancing instead, and now I’m testing at the pregold level in this discipline.”

In fact, Victoria placed third at the intermediate level in the 2021 National Solo Dance Finals. She trains in Delaware whenever time allows, using long weekends and school breaks to spend as much time on the ice as she can. She also practices four days a week in Clifton Park when school is in session.

The pandemic provided its own hurdles, as COVID protocols prevented boarders at Emma from traveling.

So, while her dad remained working in China, Victoria’s mom moved to Troy so their daughter could attend Emma Willard as a day student and continue to skate.

Victoria has always wanted to go to college in the US, so her choice to attend Emma is part of that plan. While she tentatively plans to major in biology or a related field—and values the variety of unique courses at Emma that pique her curiosity—her heart remains on the ice.

“Right now, I’m happy going to Nationals and doing the best I can do there. I want to continue skating and competing in college,” Victoria says. “Skating to me is a hobby and a great stress reliever. I’m happy to keep it that way.”

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From the Triangle

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The Healers

Johane Gildade Boursiquot, MD ’97 & Meli N. ’23

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lthough her career has sent her around the globe, Gildade still savors her time at Emma Willard. “I was having growing pains with my parents and was sent off to boarding school. At Emma, all I had to worry about was waking up and looking decent—not about boys, or any of that—just doing well in classes.”

She took full advantage of the opportunity, going on to earn her undergraduate degree in biology from Williams College, complete medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, and finish her residency in family medicine through NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. During the summers, she assisted in research at the NYU School of Medicine Skirball Institute, Harvard Medical School, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and as a National Institute of Health MIRT (Minority International Research Training) Fellow in Paris.

“My junior year at Emma Willard, I had a physics teacher who was wonderful and so supportive. She got me to take AP physics instead of biology or chemistry because she wanted me to take the best thing for my future,” Gildade explains. “She taught us what to do and took physics to a whole other level. She taught us the calculus, not the simple stuff.”

While her early studies may have been serious, Gildade’s time as an Emma clown (volunteering in nursing homes), track athlete, violinist, and coxswain on the crew team offered plenty of balance, which carried her through her college years.

After completing her residency, Gildade volunteered to serve patients with HIV/AIDS and related conditions in Botswana and then turned her attention to urgent care and family practice in a variety of health centers throughout Queens, the Bronx, and the greater New York City area, primarily delivering care to underserved populations.

In 2020, she opened her own practice in Manhattan with a focus on primary care and women’s health and wellness—offering Dr. B. on Demand telehealth visits as part of her core services at the height of the pandemic. Late in 2021, she spent several months working with the US Air Force to care for Afghan refugees temporarily housed at Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

“What makes me happiest is connecting positively with patients and making a difference in their lives,” Gildade says. “I’m a people person and very informal.

So, when I speak to people, their guard comes down and they tell me what they’ve really been up to. We can address the issue that way.”

T

hat’s an interest Meli shares. The daughter of a thoracic surgeon and the chair of a pathology department (a former breast cancer pathologist), she made the leap from Albany Academy to Emma Willard her freshman year. “I’m stubborn,” she says. “I wasn’t thrilled about the all-girls aspect, but I was wrong!”

Last summer, her worlds collided. “I needed to do something productive for the summer and my mom is friends with Dr. Pilitsis, a fellow chair at Albany Med, so I was lucky enough to participate in the Next Gen Neuroscience Program. When it was over, I was able to continue working under Dr. Pilitsis and turn my lab work into my Signature project.”

Julie G. Pilitsis, MD, PhD, MBA, is the recently former chair of the Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics at Albany Medical College.

She is now the Dean and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine.

Working with her, and with colleagues comprising college, graduate, and medical school students, Meli conducts literature reviews on neuromodulatory topics and assists in writing research manuscripts. In the process, she’s developed a deep interest in scientific research and how advancements in the medical field are made.

“I always thought that you have to be a doctor, physician’s assistant, or nurse to work in a hospital,” Meli explains. “It’s been really helpful in planning my future to see how these people have so many different paths but wind up as peers and collaborators.”

The experience has increased her awareness of her own opportunities. “I interviewed a research coordinator in the lab for a Signature assignment,” Meli says. “I am still interested in going to medical school, but talking to her made me realize how pursuing a career in medicine is not a straight line, and that there are many ways to get there.”

As a result, Meli’s college plans have shifted with her interests. What began as an interest in biology with a pre-med track now leans toward, perhaps, something more nuanced, like biomedical engineering.

“There are still a lot of commonalities between freshman me and me now,” Meli reflects.

“In freshman year, I wanted to try everything that seemed fun. Now, with a focus on medicine, I want to align my interests. So I’m still the vice president of my class, but I am now a cohead of the MedTalks club and have started a chapter of HOSA Future Medical Professionals at Emma—these choices have helped me shape my high school experience to reflect what I am most interested in.”

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From the Triangle

The Filmmakers

Natasha Kermani ’06 & Carly H. ’25 Written by Carly H. ’25

F

rom directing sci-fi dramas to filming documentaries to working 16-hour days on bologna commercials, Natasha Kermani has done it all. A 2006 Emma Willard School alumna, Natasha was introduced to cinema at a young age through her parents, who had individual passions in the entertainment industry, as well as her aunt, who stoked Natasha’s later fascination with enigmatic concepts like the future and sci-fi. She attended Emma all four years as both a day student and a boarder, which fluctuated due to her family relocations around New York State during this period. Natasha fondly remembers her high school years and advises those of us still living the experience to “just [be] in the moment and [try] not to think too much about stuff to come down the line because that stuff comes and it goes and it’s fine.” This little pearl of wisdom does well to preview who Natasha is and what she’s all about.

In just a few short hours, Natasha and I shared a genuine conversation filled with advice, humor, personal stories, and acknowledgement of the current composition of the film industry. Natasha’s down-to-earth personality is not outshone, but rather supported by her resilience and determination fostered through her beginning endeavors in the industry, which included

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many long hours, monotonous gigs, and her fair share of rejections.

From these early years after Emma and college, Natasha developed an ideal of going with the flow and even going as far as to say, “Change is good…

It’s scary, and it’s really hard, but I think it is the only way to really process the experience of being in the universe.” This acceptance of inevitable growth is predominant in her films, such as Lucky and Imitation Girl, which hone in on women “standing on the precipice [of change] where things can go this way [or] they can go that way.”

As my interest in psychology can be compared to that of Natasha’s interest in the aforementioned topic of “change,” I couldn’t resist digging into the reasoning behind her continuous exploration of how humans “navigate those challenges.” So, I asked her: do you think your captivation can be attributed to how you’ve embraced change throughout your life? She agreed with this supposition and then expanded on it by asserting her deep-seated inquisition into the future and evolution, as well as stressing the importance of addressing change in the moment and being openminded to uncomfortable newness.

When I couldn’t help but indulge my curiosity about the human mind once more, I wondered aloud how one sculpts realistic characters in film who seem like they could get coffee with you in the morning or talk late into the night on a phone call. Natasha responded, “You are constantly trying to understand— pull apart—the condition of being a human being in this world and then put all those things back together in a way that you can then offer it to others. And others will see themselves and their reality reflected back at them…”

As I, like many high schoolers, struggle to decide what I want my occupation to be, this insight offered clarity into what the film industry can provide. My thinking around choosing a job has been shortsighted.

I’ve reasoned that even though I may have many interests, I can only pursue one. This has been a huge stressor for me, as I enjoy a lot of things, and even the slightest reminder that I have to pare my identity down leaves me with a sense of unease.

So, as you can imagine, when I heard this, I was shocked and a part of me released a long-held breath.

Acting, directing, psychology, which are some of my passions, are infused into the roots of being a filmmaker. “It’s all the study of human behavior,” Natasha

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

says, “so being interested in how humans act, how we act around each other, and why we do the things that we do—that is exactly what the industry can provide.”

While this would be an ideal job for me, there is still the issue of the hierarchy currently in place within the film industry. Natasha has experienced first-hand this prevalent discrimination of minorities, especially with women and people of color. “As a minority, you come into the industry with this idea of ‘oh well… nine out of ten are men, so that means there’s only one slot for me. So that means we’re all competing for one slot out of 10.’” As jobs in cinema have been dominated by privileged, rich, white men since the first movie was conceived, it has been tough and sometimes even impossible to be a minority working in the field. And from this underlying knowledge of imminent injustice, a sense of competition was instilled into them.

However, as time progresses, more minorities are learning to say, “No, no. There are ten slots. We are competing for ten. Ten out of ten.” The reality of limited selection of minorities is unfortunately accurate and unfair, but the mindset they derived from this was more detrimental to their cause than anything else. But as “new voices bring new audiences and unique perspectives,” a sense of opportunity—and understanding that minorities are just as good as non-minorities and should be treated equally—is creeping into the industry and becoming a fundamental ideology that will hopefully result in major changes.

A new wave of critics have high expectations for films because, Natasha notes, “Great storytelling is great storytelling and that’s it. Our tolerance for mediocrity is really quite low, and so I think that’s why you see amazing people coming to the fore.”

Still, she explains, this isn’t an easy job. In a field of work so competitive and emotionally draining, Natasha remarks, “The answer [to navigating the industry] really is trying to dig deep and find those bonds with other minority players in the field.”

Now that Natasha Kermani has taught us that change is essential and a big change is coming for the film industry, I want to leave one last piece of advice from her to high schoolers reading this who may be feeling as I do about the future: “Give yourself time and don’t feel like you have to know exactly who you are. The only thing you have to do right now is just experience because if you don’t, you’re not going to have anything to say when you’re my age.”

In just a few short hours, Natasha and I shared a genuine conversation filled with advice, humor, personal stories, and acknowledgement of the current composition of the film industry.

CARLY H. ’2 5

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From the Triangle

Building bridges and embracing accountability

Belonging & Equity STORY BY LORI FERGUSON

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IN RECENT YEARS, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have sprung up on campuses and in boardrooms across the country, indicators of an impassioned populace seeking to redress past wrongs and create a more inclusive environment for the future. Emma Willard School is among those institutions who have committed themselves to this work, appointing Christine Gilmore as the school’s inaugural head of institutional equity and inclusion.

Christine brings a wealth of experience to the position, including lived experience as a Black woman and more than 25 years of working on DEI initiatives in education. And she has wasted little time in launching a series of initiatives designed to encourage members of Emma Willard’s community to think more inclusively. From conducting a ‘climate survey’ to organizing a series of campuswide cultural events and overseeing both internal and external working groups, Christine is seizing every opportunity to drive dialogue and cultivate relationships. “My charge is shepherding the work,” she asserts. “Just checking boxes is not going to have an impact. We need to build relationships and hold ourselves accountable—if we’re just talking, we’re not moving forward.”

PHOTO BY MI C HAEL B RAN SCOM

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

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“ We can use the results to

amplify

Seeking equity beyond race

Among the first things that Christine wants to make clear is that DEI should not be a limiting label. “We’re moving away from the DEI term because it’s overused and people immediately associate it with race; in reality, DEI encompasses class, gender, religion, ability, and more,” she explains. “For me, the goal is something more like disrupting inequities and fostering a sense of belonging, encouraging a community that values civic engagement and multiple perspectives, and cultivating a culture of inclusivity that honors and supports identities and intersectionality.”

Christine has moved quickly to wrap her arms around the school’s current environment. Among her first acts since arriving at Emma Willard in July of 2021: overseeing the administration of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) climate survey—the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM)— to students, employees, and parents. “One of the advantages of this survey is that it gives us a pretty good idea of what students and teaching faculty feel,” she says.

“We can use the results to amplify the voices of students who feel marginalized and also identify metrics that will allow us to justify our strategic initiatives.” One thing that Christine learned immediately—engagement with families needs more attention. “Only seventeen percent of our parents responded,” she observes.

Conversations with various campus constituencies also proved revealing. “We discovered that many students felt pressured to be the ones who educated the community about various cultural events. They felt that if they didn’t do it themselves, it wouldn’t get done. So,

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the voices of students who feel marginalized and also identify metrics that will allow us to justify our strategic initiatives.”

CHRIST INE GILMO RE HEAD O F INST IT U T IO NAL EQ U IT Y AND INCLU S IO N

our office offered to take the reins on cultural presentations and gently invite interested students and faculty to join in.”

Leading by example

Christine and colleague Interim Assistant Director of DEI Gemma Halfi have hit the ground running, already staging several events this year to engage Emma’s community on DEI issues. On January 6, they hosted a virtual presentation by Harvard Professor Mahzarin Banaji, PhD, a researcher who explores the parts of the brain that guide behavior and generate unconscious bias. The timing of the lecture—the oneyear anniversary of the Capitol insurrection—invited a lively conversation on diversity of thought, observes Director of College Counseling and Emma parent Dr.

Ashley L. Bennett. “The discussion demonstrated that we can have great diversity of thought and still find a place to land,” she enthuses.

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Christine and Gemma organized a dynamic, day-long program marked by mini-workshops for students and faculty and a virtual, student-led panel discussion with alumnae of color. Vivian Brady-Phillips ’85, now the executive director of the Jersey City Housing Authority, was among those who participated. A member of the school’s Alumnae Association Council and the Alumnae of Color Network, Vivian welcomed the opportunity to give back to her alma mater. “For a long time after graduating I wasn’t involved with the school—I was just too busy,” she explains. When members of the Alumnae of Color Network reached out, however, she decided it was the right time to reengage. “I appreciated the opportunity to unpack what it meant to be Black at Emma in the mid-eighties, both to help the school understand what that was like and to help current students.

“For hundreds of years, the school has turned out graduates with an extraordinary education and a mission to do good, and it’s my hope that today’s students will leave Emma Willard with their self-confidence intact and expanded and with their dreams supported and nourished,” Vivian continues. “I don’t want DEI initiatives to just be the work of people of color—I want all the adults in the community to be mindful and intentional about creating a welcoming, safe space for young people and to think about how they’re training students to meet the world.”

Promoting a sense of belonging at Emma Willard requires engaging all constituencies, Christine underscores. Internally, her team is collaborating with administrators and two DEI working groups—the Adult Diversity Working Group and the Student Diversity Leadership Group—and externally, they are partnering with the Office of Alumnae Relations, trustees, alumnae, and parents. “We have made it clear that we cannot make progress unless all hands are on deck,” she observes. “Our strategy is to collaborate with the different constituencies to make sure that each have DEI goals that are measurable so that they can hold themselves accountable.”

“ DEI is in everything—

the classroom, the dorm rooms, the application process. It’s not a one and done, it’s always there, so I think we must continue to ask ourselves, ‘Who’s not at the table?’ or ‘Who’s at the table and not talking?’ It’s imperative that we have a space for dialogue.”

VIVIAN BRADY-PHILLIPS ’85

Involving the community

Director of College Counseling Dr. Ashley Bennett has jumped into the effort with both feet. “In speaking with students, I’ve learned that our department hasn’t always been a strong resource for students of color, so we’re working to change that. We want to offer equitable and robust college counseling for all.” Ashley also joined the adult diversity working group, helping to draft the group’s mission statement and volunteering for the admissions, curriculum, and training task forces.

“We’re looking at building a more inclusive curriculum, expanding our recruitment efforts to seek students

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from a wider variety of backgrounds, and establish-ing restorative practices that allow our community to heal from negative lived experiences in the past and in the present,” she enthuses. “We’re setting students up to navigate the world and disrupt inequity when they encounter it. Our students aren’t quiet or passive—they speak up with intelligence and action-oriented ideas.”

Student Diversity Leadership Group (SDLG) member Sarah K. ’22 is a case in point. A senior from South Korea, she admits she hasn’t always felt comfortable voicing her opinions on sensitive subjects such as race,

“Ms. Gilmore and Ms. Halfi talk a lot about healing rather than correction and emphasize that it’s better to educate people than to shame them.”

SA RA H K . ’ 22

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gender, ethnicity, and religion. But happily, through involvement with SDLG, her confidence has grown.

Sarah joined the group as a core member and committed to tackling issues of class, gender, and international student support on campus. “We’ve been doing a lot of gender inclusivity work, things like making adults aware of how they may unintentionally harm people who don’t identify as women.” Last year, Sarah also attended the virtual meeting for the National Association of Independent Schools Student Diversity Leadership Conference. It was, she says, an incredibly positive experience. “I gained a lot of new perspectives on diversity topics and made friends with students from across the United States.” Since returning, she has joined other members of SDLG to lobby administrators for changes at school, including opening all-gender restrooms for individuals who identify as non-binary. She has also begun to discuss diversity issues with others in hopes of broadening their awareness. “Ms. Gilmore and Ms. Halfi talk a lot about healing rather than correction and emphasize that it’s better to educate people than to shame them,” she notes.

Changes like these delight Ashley. “Students are at their best when they feel safe, heard, valued, and loved,” she observes. “It’s important to me as a Black woman to feel seen and heard, so it’s doubly important for our students.”

Vivian agrees. “DEI is in everything—the classroom, the dorm rooms, the application process. It’s not a one and done, it’s always there, so I think we must continue to ask ourselves, ‘Who’s not at the table?’ or ‘Who’s at the table and not talking?’ It’s imperative that we have a space for dialogue. Getting behind the eyes of someone who looks different can be incredibly instructive.”

But cultivating a diverse community is only the first step, cautions Gilmore. “Then we must work on making sure the curriculum in each class is accessible to every student,” she argues. “This involves making sure each student feels safe enough in the classroom environment to show up as their authentic selves.” Because evidence shows that when students find that level of comfort, she asserts, “the sky is the limit.”

The key to realizing these goals rests in relationships, Christine asserts. “As we begin to discover and honor our power, we begin to recognize and honor the power in others … and when we supplement this with genuine dialogue to build relationships … transformation and magic begin.

“I believe that EVERY member of the community is intimately and intricately responsible for accomplishing the school’s mission and goals,” she continues. “It is our individual and collective duty to hold ourselves accountable to doing the work necessary to raise our own frequency to vibrate to a higher realm, while creating and cultivating a safe space around us to inspire everyone we have the honor of engaging with to do the same.”

Nor does that need for engagement end at the school’s border. Community engagement and servicelearning programming also fall under the umbrella of the Office of DEI, Christine notes. “Our philosophy about community engagement is one that elevates solidarity as opposed to charity. This means that while we are finding ways to build relationships with the local community and working to address immediate needs, it is equally important for us to simultaneously examine the larger systemic issues of inequity and injustice within a framework of an historical, environmental, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical context.” Spotlighting the importance of belonging and equity at Emma is important, but students must also translate those values to their interactions with the external, local community, she argues.

“As our community stands in the gap between where we are and where we want to be, we must understand the assignment,” Christine concludes. “We must make the demand of ourselves and every member of our community to tap into our growth mindset to evolve. As Frederick Douglass said, ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and never will.’”

“ We’re looking at building a

more inclusive

curriculum, expanding our recruitment efforts to seek students from a wider variety of backgrounds, and establishing restorative practices that allow our community to heal from negative lived experiences in the past and in the present.”

O UR CO MMITM EN T TO D I V ER SI TY, EQ U I T Y, A N D AS HLEY L. BENNET T, EDD INCLUSIO N: Emma Willard School was founded in 1814 as a DIRECTO R O F CO LLEGE CO U NS ELING school for girls in a time when girls did not have ready access to secondary education. Today, more than 200 years later, Emma Willard School strives every day to broaden and deepen that initial spark of access, inclusivity, and justice. As our world has grown more connected, so has Emma. Our community now includes students from 38 countries with a myriad of ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. This social and cultural richness provides a platform for curiosity and additional opportunities for emotional and intellectual growth. The diversity, equity, and inclusion values we foster and practice at our school are expressed here: At Emma Willard School, we commit ourselves to building a community that values and celebrates differences, encourages dialogue, fosters mutual respect, and highlights our shared purpose and ideals. We are dedicated to the empowerment of all of our students, and we are guided by a deep understanding that a diverse, inclusive environment and academic excellence are inextricably linked.

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In the Family

BY SANDRA SANTANA

Home Team: The Shields Family It is not every day that you get to call your classroom—or your job— home. For the Shields, Emma Willard School is more than a place to work and learn. It has become an extension of their family.

Before Ashley, Emma, Audrey, and Chloe (the family dog), there was Isabell and James. In 1992, James “Jim” Shields was a budding college basketball player with dreams of a professional contract. When opportunity moved him from the US to Osnabrück, Germany, there was no hesitation to earn his spot.

He didn’t realize that the real prize awaited him in the stands. “I saw Isabell in the crowd—this amazingly beautiful woman,” Jim recalls while his daughters giggle in the background, “and was very much looking forward to getting to know her.” For the next 16 years, Jim and Isabell navigated life and professional basketball together as their own team.

Germany was a meaningful place where they found love, achieved their dreams, and started their family.

But in 2008, a new opportunity with General Electric knocked at Jim’s door, and the Shields embarked on their next journey, this time with three young children in tow.

The family moved to South Carolina, then Clifton Park, New York. By this time, the three girls were enrolled in school and engaged in the local basketball circuit. Traveling almost every weekend for tournaments, team Shields often passed Emma Willard School. “We would always drive by this beautiful campus and ask, ‘What is this?’” Isabell recalls. In a few years, they would call that beautiful campus home.

Isabell spent the girls’ early childhood at home, but as they got older, she decided to revisit the classroom and pursued her master of arts in teaching from Union Graduate College. A colleague of Jim’s at GE mentioned his wife was an instructor at Emma Willard. “She would always talk about how awesome Emma is as a place to work and teach. We thought about what it would be like if I could apply and see what happens. It sounded like the perfect place—we had three girls and this is all about girls’ education.”

“I was very excited to go to a new school,” Ashley ’20 shared. “I remember asking my mom to seriously

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apply to the job and thinking she could do it. She said, ‘I don’t know, there’s someone else applying with more experience,’ and I was like, ‘No, mom. You’re going to get the job.’”

Ashley was right. Isabell became a history instructor at Emma in 2015. The following fall, Ashley joined her mom and the Class of 2020 on Mount Ida, while Emma and Audrey studied nearby at Susan Odell Taylor School. The family embraced Isabell’s new path and left Clifton Park for a community that made them feel welcome and reflected the international life they loved.

Over the last six years, Ashley, Emma ’22, and Audrey ’24 have taken on Emma Willard together. With two class years separating each, they overlapped in unique ways. Ashley, a freshman at the University of Albany, recalls the first year Emma joined her on campus. “I knew she wouldn’t struggle, but I tried to keep my distance. All of my friends knew she was my sister, so anytime anything happened, my friends would deliver the news.”

Audrey, the youngest, never had a chance to study alongside Ashley, but wished she could have. “I text her throughout the day to ask what she’s doing because in those moments, I really wish she was here.” Audrey continues, “But it’s nice feeling comfortable at school knowing I have Emma there.”

“I feel like I’m the most extroverted out of the three of us,” Emma calls. “I never had to be brought out of my shell, but it’s nice to have an older sister who knows you, knows the environment, the community, where to go. For me, it was really great having that support.”

Outside of having one another, there is comfort knowing their mother is only a few doors away. “I had my mom as a teacher freshman year and this year,” Audrey smiles. “She’s been my only history teacher at Emma. I don’t really feel like she’s my mom. It’s like these two separate worlds where I look at her as my teacher, and it’s really cool.”

IN TH E FAM ILY

The Shields family celebrating Emma reaching 1,000 career points this winter! (L-R) Isabel, Audrey, Emma, Ashley, and Jim.

In her sophomore year, Emma also found herself in Isabell’s classroom. “I really wanted to take her Middle Eastern course, and I had the same experience as Audrey. In the classroom, my mom is a teacher. I had a little while where I didn’t know if I should raise my hand and call her Mom or Ms. Shields,” she smirks, “so I went with Mom.” She continues, “She’s a great person to go to if you need support or help. Having her at school is just like having my sisters there. I can always go to her office and have lunch with her and talk. I really love having her there.”

The warmth of the Shields family is abundant and, by nature, they welcome others in. Isabell, from a family of seven, is no stranger to a boisterous happy home, so when it comes to creating that space for others, the Shields embrace the comforting chaos. “Our house pre-pandemic was always open to kids. Whether it was friends or Black and Latinx Student Union, we always had people coming over.” In many ways, their family home has become an extension of campus where guests enjoy family around them.

From their early beginnings in Osnabrück to present day, the Shields have appreciated each experience life has offered, and Emma Willard School is no different.

“The people I have met here are some of the best people I have ever met, whether that’s students or teachers,” Emma shares. “It just feels like a part of me. I’m very thankful to have had so much of my life be part of Emma. It’s like a family.”

“To be able to live all of these experiences through Emma Willard is like winning the golden ticket,” Ashley

echoed. “Not only was it instrumental in all of our development as people trying to get through the world, the support system Emma Willard offers the community—the investment they make in you—provides you with the right equipment to face the world. That means everything. I am forever grateful for that opportunity.”

For Audrey, Emma Willard is a place that has allowed her to advance herself in the classroom and on the basketball court. “[Basketball] is my passion and this place has really allowed me to do what I love. I also get to meet people from all over the world, and that’s crazy! It’s such a unique experience—I don’t know anyone else who has this. It’s life-changing.”

“To have such well-rounded, happy, ready-for-theworld children and hear them say that school has shaped them as human beings is everything,” beams Isabell. “Having an opportunity to teach in an environment where I can be creative has been really wonderful, and I hope it continues to stay that way.” Isabell continues, “I don’t have family in the United States, but I have such good friends now because of this community.

They are family.”

Jim shares a similar sentiment: “There’s so much that we’re thankful for and blessed with, being part of this community. Certainly, how much our kids have grown, the leadership they display, the passions they have found. It’s just an incredible opportunity. The fact that they have space in school to take up the leadership positions they want is impressive.”

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Admissions

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How to Apply

The Admissions Team at Emma is eager to learn more about you! We are here to assist with the application process every step of the way. This process includes the following: APPLICATION Demonstrating a commitment to equity and inclusion, Emma Willard School is pleased to offer a free application for admission for both domestic and international candidates. Visit emmawillard.org/admissions to apply.

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 ❑ Principal/Guidance Counselor

TESTING Emma Willard School is test optional and does not require the SSAT, PSAT, or SAT as elements of the application process. Instead, we ask applicants to submit a graded writing sample and a graded math test. For our international applicants, we also require the TOEFL or Duolingo test results to assist with understanding English proficiency.

Visit emmawillard.org/admissions for more information.

INTERVIEW We are pleased to interview candidates from all over the world either in person or by Zoom.

IMPORTANT DATES Application deadline: International - January 15 Domestic - February 1 Financial aid application deadline: February 1 Admissions decision: March 10 Enrollment contract and deposit due: April 10

emmawillard.org

MISSION 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.

285 PAWLING AVENUE, TROY, NY 12180