IN THIS ISSUE: Dr. Karen C. Lassey Named the 18th Head of School
THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL Fall/Winter 2024
A Tale of Two Visionaries
Emma Hart Willard Meets General Lafayette
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. << The jesters make
and friends of Emma Willard School. The mission of this magazine is to capture the school’s values and culture through accurate and objective stories about members of the Emma community, past and present, as they put Emma Willard’s mark on the world. Emma Willard School is a nonprofit 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.
ON THE COVER
This mural of Lafayette’s visit to Troy, NY, by Isabel Lusty Sim
manor house! L-R: Ellie S. ’25, Dena S. ’25, Haruru S. ’25, and Ally D. ’25
Introducing Dr. Karen C. Lassey 18th Head of Emma Willard School
After a rigorous national search and enthusiastic approval by the Head of School Search Committee and the Board of Trustees, I am excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Karen C. Lassey as our eighteenth head of school.
Dr. Lassey’s exceptional experience, innovative approaches to curriculum and school leadership, and deep commitment to the transformative power of girls’ education have been clearly evident from the moment we met her. She is an inclusive, compassionate, and brilliant educator and leader, and I could not be more excited to see Emma Willard School enter its next chapter under her leadership.
Currently serving as assistant principal at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH, Dr. Lassey has worked for more than two decades to lead strategic efforts to promote student thriving (academically, physically, socially, and emotionally), foster inclusion and belonging in the community, enhance environmental sustainability in policy and practice, and launch a center for teaching and learning. She was previously an instructor in science and mathematics and the dean of academic affairs.
To read more about Dr. Lassey and keep up with events and announcements surrounding the transition, please visit: emmawillard.org/hos-transition.
MEGAN TOOHEY SCREMIN ’00 Chair, Board of Trustees
“From the moment I read of Emma Willard’s mission, initiatives, traditions, and aspirations, I felt a strong resonance with my values and goals as an educator. Being on campus and meeting students and staff was an incredible experience. This community—created for and designed to empower young women—inspires me and energizes me. I am thrilled to become your next head of school and am eager to join you in a few short months!”
—DR. KAREN C. LASSEY
Leading In
We all seek a sense of purpose in life. And, while the definition of one’s purpose is unique and everchanging, the journey to find purpose and meaning in our lives is one we all share. Emma Willard School’s mission emphasizes the essential, enduring importance of finding one’s purpose in life—and then using it to shape and serve the world around us. That charge connects generations of Emma Willard students, past, present, and future.
That charge is also what drew me to Emma Willard nearly eight years ago. When I first arrived on Mount Ida, I thought deeply about my purpose here. What would my contribution be to an institution with such a long legacy and extraordinary history?
We launched Leading with Purpose, our five-year strategic plan, in October of 2021. Amid a time of chaos and confusion in the world, Emma Willard School took bold steps toward the future. Innovation in our curriculum, investment in faculty and students, imagining a new home for the performing arts—we knew our aspirations were ambitious and the path we would follow would be demanding. Undeterred by the challenge and inspired by the aspirations for our school and mission, we found our collective purpose and strived forward together.
A fortuitous energy was created in the shared purpose felt by all—Board of Trustees, leadership team, faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumnae. Resourced through the efforts of the Infinite Horizon campaign and the extraordinary generosity of our community, the progress we have achieved together in three years is astonishing! Our first investment was in our people and, in three years, we have raised salaries for faculty and staff to be amongst the most competitive in our peer group. Secondly, we addressed access to Emma Willard and have more than doubled our endowment for financial aid. Our investments in curriculum innovation and the Center for Teaching and Learning were quickly followed by the rollout of our Advanced Studies program
and the Jestermester mini-term. Before even stepping foot inside the new Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts, alumnae and donor support have given us the confidence to pursue the Faculty Housing Initiative as our next capital project. We have expanded our resources and aligned our program to foster student wellbeing and resilience and have established a department for equity and inclusion where belonging is not simply a by-product of our living and learning environment but the bedrock of our success. Still, as with any bold endeavor, the aims of Leading with Purpose were lofty and many remain unmet at this point in the process. In particular, two key priorities remain: preserving our extraordinary campus and expanding the number of faculty homes. The generosity of our community has helped us make important progress toward raising the funds to complete the first phase of our Faculty Housing Initiative, but there is still a gap to be filled. However, if my time at Emma has taught me anything, it’s not to underestimate the power of this community. As you’ll read in this issue’s campaign feature, we are approaching the $175 million goal of Infinite Horizon, and that gives me great confidence that we will meet these additional needs through your support. At Emma Willard School, there is nothing we can’t achieve when we do it together!
As I reflect on my journey at Emma Willard, I’m reminded that one shared purpose for all leaders is to prepare the way for those who will hold the mantle next. While it is bittersweet for me to imagine my own departure from Mount Ida, I am thrilled to be passing on the baton to our next leader—our 18th Head of School Dr. Karen Lassey. From the first time I met Dr. Lassey, she was highly engaging and inspiring! Her background in the military, in the fields of math and science, and her work in shaping the academic program at Phillips Exeter Academy all speak to her strong leadership. She has quickly developed a deep understanding of where we are, what we have accomplished, and what lies ahead. Dr. Lassey is ready to jump into the projects and conversations that will take our school to its next level of excellence. I hope you will have the opportunity to meet Dr. Lassey soon, and I know you will find her to be warm, smart, optimistic, and authentic, and exactly who Emma Willard needs at the helm.
From the Triangle
Vanisa T. ’28 and Lauren F. ’28 pick out pumpkins for decorating during the ‘fall fun’ portion of Fall Family Weekend.
HEAD OF SCHOOL JENNY RAO
1. Juniors gather in 2e-café during opening days!
2. Abbi PR. ’26 and Ali O. ’26 dress as Luigi and Mario for Emmaween, a favorite campus tradition.
3. Students roll dice and learn about the new Jestermester courses for this spring during Jestermester Fair.
4. Vanessa T. ’26 and Eden K. ’27 as the titular characters in “Hansel and Gretel” find themselves in peril from Hermione Z. ’28 (the witch) during the fall play.
7. Ms. Rao leads the dance floor in salsa lessons at this year’s Hispanic Latine Heritage Month Festival.*
8. This year’s Eventide featured the largest Emma Willard School choir ever—132! It also marked the last Eventide to be held in Kiggins during renovations … next year’s venue: Klingenstein Concert Hall in the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts!
5. Ryder C. ’26 performs “Méditation” from the opera Thaïs (Jules Massenet) for violin at the fall music recital.
6. Jester Riwo O. ’26 leads the athletic teams into the gym during the fall pep rally.
9. Lena C. ’28 dances with Intermediate Ballet during the fall dance assembly.
Communicating Across Differences
How Civic Discourse is Evolving on Mount Ida
With an election year on the horizon, polarizing messages permeating social media, and survey responses showing that students feel they might be treated differently based on their political beliefs, Emma Willard School faculty began to sense a need for a new direction in how we think about and teach civic discourse. Since last spring, a designated Civic Discourse Task Force, led by Dr. Ashley Bennett and Caroline Boyajian, has spent countless hours developing a plan.
“It started with informal observations around our students’ changing ability to navigate conversations in class,” Director of Curriculum and Innovation Caroline Boyajian explains. “We noticed them clamming up a little bit more, hesitating to say anything that might offend. What we’ve observed in the Emma Willard student community is not different from what’s happening in society at large. We just don’t practice communicating across differences, and it feels like learning how to do that is really aligned with our school mission. It’s aligned with what it means to have a high-quality liberal arts education.”
“We talk often about safety and making sure students feel safe,” Director of College Counseling Dr. Ashley Bennett shares. “But are we reluctant to push them towards discomfort? If we keep them in a bubble, do they know how to debate and engage in challenging conversations when they leave us? We are a microcosm of a larger society, so what do we do with that when our society is polarized right now?”
The Civic Discourse Task Force gathered last June to begin imagining a unique-to-Emma focus on civic discourse to address these challenges head-on. The composition of the team was intentional—chosen from a group of people who self-nominated—to make sure there was not only departmental representation but also diverse experiences and perspectives. On one long workshop day, the group identified opportunities for improvement in the Emma community’s discourse skills, established a framework for advancing best practices, and laid out solutions to engage one another in the challenging work. The result of this effort was a definition and a plan to move the conversation forward.
Civic Discourse is the act of communicating across differences as a way to better understand matters of local, national, and
global importance. It is a deliberative process that promotes understanding, builds trust, and develops respect. It is also a tool to prevent isolation and build capacity to effectively participate in challenging conversations. This year, we will:
• Establish norms and guidelines;
• Share our current approaches and research;
• Practice, practice, practice;
• Create systems for emotional support.
The task force established a set of competencies to develop in our students, and they tied each to one of the three pillars of the Emma Willard program: intellectual flexibility, purpose and community, and equity and justice. The statements included: Our students will be able to… Take a position with the understanding that others may feel differently, and be willing and able to explain where it comes from. Listen deeply and show it. Ask earnest questions and raise concerns. Speak to learn, not to win. Change their minds based on sound argumentation, new facts, and the stories of others. Build and maintain a healthy news diet. Identify and embrace mechanisms for change.
Because the presidential election in the United States was coming up quickly, the team made it a priority to begin a series of Morning Reports presentations. History Department Chair Katie Duglin engaged students in a civics lesson, providing details about the mechanics of elections in the United States. Assistant Director of Research and Archives Stephanie Ross gave suggestions for evaluating news sources, featuring tips from the News Literacy Project. Theatre Director Faith Lawson and Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion Gemma Halfi presented a skit on the skill of identifying where a statement or opinion falls in Hallin’s Spheres— in the sphere of consensus, legitimate controversy, or unsupported controversy. The task force also took time during Morning Reports to remind students
about the school’s election guidelines. These include not just the role of the school in being a space that exercises disciplined non-partisanship among adults (and the importance of non-partisanship to a non-profit organization), but also learning “open inquiry” that deepens and sharpens habits of mind by holding different perspectives in tension and engaging with disagreement. Students were asked to remember our community agreements:
• Be curious.
• Be brave and take healthy risks.
• Embrace diverse identities, skills, interests, backgrounds, and ways of thinking and being.
• Approach new people, cultures, and ideas with generosity, openness, and flexibility.
• Take responsibility for our community by actively caring for each other.
• Interrogate our own most deeply held beliefs and, in the process, discover what matters most to us.
• Celebrate honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability in ourselves and in others.
• Actively engage in difficult conversations and productive conflict.
• Advocate for belonging, equity, and justice in our communities.
During Teaching and Learning meetings, faculty and advisors have had the opportunity to practice navigating scenarios to support and foster civic dialogue in moments of challenge or disagreement in the classroom. They have begun taking those practices to students, both in the classroom and during advisory meetings.
The Civic Discourse Task Force continues to meet weekly, developing curriculum to be used in advisory gatherings and planning future presentations. By spring, student leaders in groups like the Student Diversity Leadership Group and Democracy Matters club will be engaged to add the student perspective into planning future conversations.
The Civic Discourse work has been motivated by what we have been seeing
in the community over recent years, and the election has been the perfect opportunity to focus deeply on this work as a community this fall. “To actively ask our students to engage in modern-day connections to what they’re learning feels like a worthy thing for us to be working on,” Ms. Boyajian comments, noting that both faculty and students have been very receptive and are leaning into the work.
“The Civic Discourse Task Force has been embraced wholeheartedly as we have shared our conversations with the larger community,” Dr. Bennett says.
“It’s encouraging to know that Emma is ready for this work. While it’s not easy, we are a fantastic community, and we can do hard things.”
1. Carly H. ’25 takes on the
2. Sydney P. ’25 presents her painting of the lord and lady of the manor house.
3. The alchemist’s assistants (Yuri O. ’25, Hoden O. ’25, Abena A. ’25) play a game of rock, paper, scissors while anticipating the great achievements of their leader’s work!
4. An apprehensive St. George, played by Eleanora B. ’25, approaches the manor house.
5. The all-important lines to truly begin the revelry, “Let the great folk come!” spoken by Chloe Y. ’25.
6. Mikayla B. ’25, lord of the manor, dances with the lady (Kiki R. ’25).
7. Maya L-C. ’25 directs the mummer’s play as Father Christmas.
9. Anyla L. ’25 and Gabriella K. ’25 make a royal entrance as the king and queen of Egypt.
8. Some of the cast of the 2024 Revels on the grand staircase awaiting their group photo, Lila Z. ’25, Meg L. ’25, Kiki R. ’25, Maggie R. ’25, and Eleanor B. ’25.
10. Juliette A. ’25 takes the stage as the alchemist.
11. Anna W. ’25 as the falconer recounts the loss of the falcon for this year’s performance.
12. Jester Ally D. ’25 samples the boar’s head feast and reacts to the flavor.
13. Bernice O. ’25 and a cadre of many devils shriek and crawl during a hellish fashion show.
iconic role of Tom.
Alexandra Schmidt Named Henry L. Thompson Chair in Mathematics
At the 2024 Academic Convocation, Associate Head of School Dr. Meredith Legg introduced Mathematics Instructor Alexandra Schmidt as the new Henry L. Thompson Chair in Mathematics.
The tradition of endowed chairholders in academic institutions dates back to 1502, when Margaret of Richmond, mother of Henry VII (7th), established the Lady Margaret Professorship of Divinity at Oxford University. Half a millennium later, the endowed chair has evolved into one of the most important philanthropic investments that can be made in any educational community. These positions establish a legacy of excellence in an academic discipline. Within the Emma Willard School faculty are several faculty chairs who have been recognized and inspired in this way by the generosity of alumnae and parents.
This year, we announced the new holder of the Henry L. Thompson Chair in Mathematics during Academic Convocation. In 2005, Vicky Thompson Winterer ’61 and her family created this chair to honor her father, Henry L. Thompson, a devout believer in the value of a liberal arts education. The chair is the highest public position of distinction for a faculty member in mathematics who has made a special contribution to teaching and learning at Emma Willard School. Vicky’s father, H.L., taught math and meteorology to cadets at the University of Chicago during World War II. He advised his children that the value of a liberal arts education was in teaching an individual how to think. He knew that long after one forgot the material covered in a course, one would remember the teacher and how they opened students’ minds to see things in a new way.
Alexandra arrived at Emma Willard School in the fall of 2014 as an accomplished engineer and teacher. Alexandra’s career began in electrical engineering as she completed both her bachelor’s and master’s of science in electrical engineer-
ing from Stanford University. She then spent 14 years in a research engineering career with Integrated Systems and then GE Global Research. As her own life evolved and Alexandra’s children arrived, she found that her passion for teaching mathematics was calling her in a new direction. She began her teaching career at the Hebrew Academy of the Capital District, teaching primarily middle school and elementary algebra, geometry, and physical science. In 2014, Alexandra was ready for a different kind of teaching experience that would allow her to teach the highest levels of high school mathematics. Her depth of knowledge about pedagogy, curriculum, and mathematics allowed her to quickly step into Emma’s most advanced curriculum.
During her decade at Emma Willard School, Alexandra has led the design of our most rigorous and advanced mathematics curriculum, including Advanced Studies AB Calculus, Advanced Studies Calculus C and Multivariable Calculus, and Precalculus with Non-Routine Problems. Alexandra consistently integrates the history of mathematics into her teaching, weaving in stories of female mathematicians who have contributed to great mathematical and scientific achievements and sharing her vast knowledge of the culture of mathematics from around the world. Outside of the classroom, Alexandra is one of the organizing forces behind Albany Area Math Circle, a community organization that gathers students from around the Capital District to explore challenging and interesting math problems and compete in math competitions.
Alexandra regularly organizes teams of Emma Willard students to compete at math competitions at Harvard and MIT and is generally excited and willing to engage in
any mathematical conversation!
Alexandra’s classrooms take a laboratory approach to math. Students explore concepts through challenging and thought-provoking lab problems, requiring higher-order thinking skills to parse information, consider relationships, and work through multiple steps to find solutions. Alexandra has a gift for building community in the classroom. She takes the time to truly know each of her individual students—as math students and as unique individuals with interesting stories to share. She also has a knack for baking and often shares this expertise with her students! Her excellence and commitment to community made Alexandra a natural choice to receive the Madelyn Levitt and Linda Glazer Toohey Award for Faculty Excellence in 2021, an honor for which students and peers nominate faculty.
Alexandra displays the very best of our ideals for a liberal arts education. There is a generation of students who, long after forgetting the Law of Cosines, remember Alexandra and how she opened their minds to a whole new world.
New CFO Laura Bernard
Emma Willard School is pleased to announce that Laura Bernard has been selected as chief financial officer (CFO) and head of operations. Laura joined the Emma Willard team in 2011 as director of business services and brings an intimate knowledge of the school’s business and financial functions to this new role.
“I am delighted to have Laura join the Emma Willard leadership team as CFO,” shared Head of School Jenny Rao. “Laura distinguished herself throughout the search process with her depth of experience, vision for building financial and operational strength, and her profound dedication and loyalty to our school and mission.”
Over the last 13 years, Laura has expanded the scope of her responsibility in the Business Services office to include many key components of Emma Willard’s operations, notably student financial aid and dining services. A certified public accountant in the State of New York, she also brings experience from the financial services industry to her role, having previously worked at KPMG, one of the largest accounting firms in the United States.
As CFO and head of operations, Laura will oversee a multifaceted unit that includes Campus Safety, Dining Services, Facilities, Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology. She will also staff the finance and facilities committees of the Board and steer the investment strategy for Emma Willard’s endowment, which has more than doubled since she first arrived.
“The Business Services and Operations teams are dedicated, hard-working professionals who I’m humbled to have the opportunity to lead in this new role,” said Bernard. “Emma Willard has grown so much in my time here and is in such an incredible position of strength—I look forward to the many things we will accomplish in the years to come!”
Laura holds a BBA in Accounting from Siena College and, in addition to her CPA, is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Laura has served on the Board of Trustees of the Susan Odell Taylor School since 2019 and is currently the board’s vice president. She lives in Halfmoon with her husband and three children.
The Classroom
BY MELISSIA MASON
Comparative Government:
Engaging the World
History Department Chair Katie Duglin’s goal is to create an engaging learning environment that allows students to draw connections between class material and current events. There is no better forum for that work than the Comparative Government and Politics class she introduced to the Emma Willard School curriculum this year.
Government offerings in the recent past have focused on the United States, but with Emma Willard’s global diversity, it only makes sense that students would have the opportunity to compare and contrast the governments of many countries, including their own. In one section of the class this year, students from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the United States bring their first-hand experience of vastly different political climates to bear on their discussions.
Katie’s own background studying government and international law and practicing international arbitration makes her a natural fit for guiding the exploration.
Katie earned her BA in government and legal studies from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME, and her JD from Cornell Law School in Ithaca, NY. After practicing international arbitration at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP in New York City, she decided to pursue her passion for history, politics, and international affairs into a career in education.
“My goal is to give students the opportunity to hone their critical
thinking, communication, and discussion skills and their engagement with civics—I’m trying to help them move to the next level, whether that be in college or as an active member and participant in civic society,” Katie shares. “Hopefully, I’m helping them build those skills and the confidence to be able to meaningfully engage as they go forward at Emma and beyond.”
Just a couple of months into the school year, a visit to Snell 101 during C block showed those skills and confidence already on full display. In a student-driven Harkness discussion, the group took a deep dive into themes surrounding democratic backsliding and current threats to democracy. Using examples from a variety of resources, reports, and journal articles they read in class or found in their own research—and guided by community norms established at the beginning of the class year—each person shared their discoveries. Katie prepared them ahead of time for the discussion, asking that they come to the table with original ideas, thoughtful questions, and respectful challenges to differing opinions. The robust discussion
ranged from the use of nationalism, economic inequality and uncertainty, and distrust in political institutions to undermine democracy to social issues, the economy, tribal politics, polarization, power dynamics, capitalism, and education.
Beyond learning about history or government and politics, students in Katie’s classroom are encouraged to sharpen their talents for critical thinking, research, written communication, discussion, debate, and collaboration. “I want to develop those skills in a way that they can transfer to other disciplines outside of history and outside of government,” she says. “I’m trying to make the material relevant to students and give them some ownership in their learning… so they’re able to have some creativity with it and be able to take it in directions that interest them while still making sure they are really learning the core components of the material.”
A good portion of the Comparative Government and Politics course centers around case studies of nine countries, including fully developed democracies, developing democracies, and authoritarian regimes. The plan includes examining
the political institutions, political history, and various political, economic, and social challenges of the United Kingdom, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Russia, China, and Iran. “The goal is to compare and contrast how and why politics occur the way they do in various political systems,” Katie notes. “Why are they functioning the way they function in these different places? How are they similar? How are they different? What are the factors driving that?”
As they work their way through the cases of various countries, students can expect to conduct political simulations, such as a mock Prime Minister’s Questions session at the end of the unit on the UK, assess different parties and their policy positions, and engage with documentaries, academic articles, and news sources—all informed by research into contemporary issues in various countries.
Alongside her work in bringing this dynamic course to life and teaching a section of US History, Katie has also taken the reins of the History Department as its chair and is a member of the Civic Discourse Task Force. Her work in these areas gives her a unique perspective on the alignment of efforts across the school. She can already see the impact of the Civic Discourse work with regard to this year’s elections.
“When we’re talking about politics— particularly United States politics— there can be tense moments,” she explains. “We started taking a look at the 2024 US presidential election and looking at down-ballot races as well. We’re also putting it in context, as 2024 is the year when more peo-
ple around the world are voting than in any prior year. More than 40% of the world’s population is voting in a major election this year.”
With the civic discourse work in mind, Katie leveraged the competencies from the Civic Discourse Task Force work (see p. 8) and the norms that the group used for their own work as a baseline for class discussions, inviting students to weigh in on norms they find important in order to have a good experience in the class. “This is an example of the cross-pollination between the work of civic discourse and the work in our classroom,” she says.
As for leading her department, Katie is excited about being able to coordinate an overarching vision.
“We are being really mindful of our course sequencing and thinking about what students have learned in prior courses and being able to leverage that and build on both content and skills that they’ve learned at a prior level,” she explains.
“ We encourage students to advocate for their positions, but to do that in a thoughtful, respectful way. ”
“One of the most important norms that we have is being mindful of not assuming that everyone agrees—or not everyone agrees with you,” Katie concludes. “Be mindful that there are different opinions; people have different experiences and perspectives. And, after events like the election, be mindful of the impact that it has on others, navigating those conversations as thoughtfully as possible. We encourage students to advocate for their positions, but to do that in a thoughtful, respectful way, to utilize evidence, to avoid ad hominem statements, and to really be able to engage in discourse around important issues while recognizing the high-stakes nature of them.”
KATIE DUGLIN
Faculty Voices
INTERVIEW BY JULIA GABRIELE
Building Community in Theatre
Flawson’s early love for the arts grew into a passion for directing and teaching. They aim to inspire students by fostering open conversation and producing plays that spark self-discovery and genuine connection.
How did you become interested in theatre? I’ve always been involved in the performing arts as far back as I can remember. In elementary school, I started singing in choirs and performing arts events, and then it spilled into doing stage plays. When it was time to go to college, however, I wasn’t committed to doing theatre. I thought it was something nice and fun to do, but I instead went to undergrad for film studies and minored in theatre. I thought I was going to be a film critic—I loved watching films and critiquing films. It was a wonderful experience, but something was just missing. I found that there was a magic to theatre that I just wasn’t getting in film, so I decided to go to grad school for theatre. I wanted to use theatre to change the world and to change people’s lives for the better. So I ended up getting a degree in educational theatre, and I made sure that I got a teaching certification, too. And while I was doing all that, I started to discover that I really loved directing theatre. I’ve always loved being on stage, but there is something about directing creatives and bringing the story to life.
You play a big role in the production of Revels. What’s your favorite part of the production? It might sound strange, but I love that first Friday before Revels officially kicks off, and all the students come into Kiggins at 3:45 p.m. to read the script for the first time. They know their roles, but they have no clue how it has been written into the show. So the best part is hearing them read their lines, gasping, laughing, just having all of these unfiltered reactions—the way they celebrate each other in that moment is so special!
How do you help students find their own voice in acting classes and other plays? I’m very open to having students brainstorm and share their own ideas of how the character moves through the story in terms of what their motivations are and what their backstory is. It’s something that we work on together—I don’t just give it to them. I always allow for strong suggestions to be aired out in this space, judgment-free. I also let them know that, despite their personal opinions, everyone in a theatre production has
a distinct role, and we all need to let each other play our parts. And as an actor, a lot of times your role, for lack of a better phrase, is to let yourself be manipulated and told what to do. But being a smart actor is asking, ‘What is the thought process behind that?’ And I think that definitely gives them space to explore and grow as a performer.
How do you choose which plays to produce? I love pieces that encourage the audience to have dialogue and discussion and make them question the way they think about things. I also like to do plays that our students can relate to, and that allow them to connect to what’s going on in the world. Watching a character go through something similar and come out on the other end of it—it’s important for them to see themselves in the character as they themselves brave life’s challenges. So, every way that I’ve staged a play here has always been something a little different. You never know what you’re going to get in terms of how we’re putting the production together and how the story is being told.
You are a member of the Civic Discourse Task Force. What was your motivation for joining, and how do you see this task force positively affecting the student body? I really just wanted to be in a space where I could talk to other like-minded folks about how to have tough conversations. One of my personal mottos is ‘Let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable.’ Comfort doesn’t promote change, and I felt that joining Civic Discourse was a proactive way for me to arm and educate myself in how we can actually do our students a service. I think it’s still very new for me, but I’m getting more insight into the overall picture of how students might be thinking or feeling about different situations. What are the seeds that we’re sowing now? How will they actually grow? And that’s what is exciting for me.
Faith Lawson “Flawson”
Flawson’s flawless Medusa on Emmaween— evidence of their complete commitment to the community and flare for the dramatic
From classes to clubs and everything in between, follow two friends through a typical (but never boring) day at Emma Willard School.
Emma in a Day
What is it really like to spend a day at Emma Willard School in 2024? For Abena A. ’25 and Eleanora B. ’25 (a boarding and day student, respectively), each day is a whirlwind of classes, clubs, and creative pursuits, all packed into a day that balances academic rigor with moments of fun and connection. Starting with morning skincare routines and sewing projects in the Makerspace and ending with songs in Latin class or fall play rehearsal, their varied and diverse schedules showcase the unique blend of independence and community that defines life at Emma.
SCHEDULE:
Abena A. ’25
8:30 A.M.
I get up at 8:30 a.m., and the first thing I do is my skincare routine. Usually, I plan my outfit the day before, so I get dressed, and then I rush to class!
A BLOCK
My first class is AS Psych with Ms. Bendall (and Eleanora!).
MORNING REPORTS
On Monday we have Morning Reports, where we sit in our advising groups. My advisor is Ms. Lovenduski, and Eleanora’s is Ms. Bendall, and both our groups sit front and center so we are just across the aisle from each other. We haven’t had one in a while, but I like when we do lip-sync battles at Morning Reports, and when we do games!
SCHEDULE:
Eleanora B. ’25
6:30–7:00 A.M.
My commute is about 20ish minutes, and I usually get here around 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. Once in a blue moon, I’ll get Dunkin. I get to campus and do work in the morning. I either go to the Language Library if I’m on for tutoring or to the classroom where I’m about to have class.
meditating in Neuroscience getting ready for the day
B BLOCK
During B Block, I have Environmental Science and Policy. We usually do labs and experiments, learning about renewable and non-renewable energy sources and soil and things like that.
CLUBS
For the first club time, have Triangle Lit with Eleanora so we go to that club meeting together, reading and critiquing and deciding on pieces to publish (we took this photo with one of our advertisements around the school asking for people to submit to Triangle!)
A BLOCK
Monday A Block I have AS Psych with Ms. Bendall (also with Abena!), where we’re listening to presentations (a few weeks before we were working on experiments). Usually, we discuss the reading in groups and sometimes do a skit.
MORNING REPORTS
Right after A Block on Mondays, we have Morning Reports, which is when we get together as a whole community to discuss events currently happening, holidays, and sometimes we play games.
B BLOCK
After Morning Reports, I have Neuroscience. The first thing we do in class is meditate. Ms. Evans shared some research that shows meditating helps your brain and makes you better at learning, and I think it helps to ground everyone.
CLUBS
On Mondays, I have Triangle Lit right after B period. For that meeting, we usually have a piece that we’re reviewing so we all read it and then we constructively critique it and decide if it will go into the magazine.
LUNCH
Usually, I grab lunch in the dining hall unless it’s not looking like something I’m in the mood for, and then I go down to the school store and hang out with Sophie L. ’25 and have some ramen!
LUNCH
Sometimes, I have another meeting for the Philosophy Club, but I might skip that to head to regular lunch. I usually just go where people are, and I’m usually with Abena (we had Triangle together) either in the dining hall, the school store, or sometimes the READY Center for lunch.
M o NDAY, OCTOBER 2024
C BLOCK
C Block is time for Banned Books! Right now we’re reading The Bluest Eye, so we talk about why it was/is banned and also go over the material like in a regular English class, but more illegal feeling (haha!), trying to figure out why the characters are the way they are.
C BLOCK
For C Block I have Advanced Studies Latin IV, and right now we’re reading The Aeneid but we always start class with a song that helps us learn verbs! Dr. Matera chooses a song and creates a verb version of it, and it’s a different song each week.
D BLOCK
I have a free period here! usually play games on my computer with Sophie, when I’m not stressed about other work. Sometimes work on my portfolio for The Fashion Institute of Technology or my Signature project in the Makerspace where there are some sewing machines and the supplies I need to sew my designs!
D BLOCK
My last class of the day is Mother Outlaw: Challenging the Archetypal Mother through Literature and Film, where we’re reading Beloved.
LAST PERIOD
Discreet Math with Mr. LaFave, and Eleanora! At the start of class Mr. LaFave said this might be a chill and short class, but I’m not so sure about that.
LAST PERIOD
The last class of the day is
Discreet Math with Mr. LaFave (and Abena)! On some days I have a meeting with the Head EMbassadors (Emma tour guides!) with Ms. Webb from Admissions to plan for upcoming tours and events.
AFTER SCHOOL
Lately, I have play rehearsal; at other times I’ve done walking club, or table tennis. I’m an usher helping out with the fall play, but when I’m not doing that I am usually still working on my projects or playing games. I’ll go and have dinner with everyone else before they have their SDLG meetings at 6:30 p.m., and then we have study hall. Seniors have more freedom during study hall; it’s 7:00–9:00 p.m. and students have a designated place to be, but since I’m a senior I usually go to my friend’s room or down to the Makerspace (in the Dietel Basement). Ideally, bedtime is around 11:30 p.m., but realistically it’s usually like 1:00 a.m. when I head to the shower and then go to sleep, so I count the shower as asleep!
AFTER SCHOOL
Right now we usually have rehearsal for the Fall Play (I play the stepmother in Hansel and Gretel) after school instead of an after school P.E. like walking club or table tennis, and 6:30–7:30 p.m. I have an SDLG (Student Diversity Leadership Group) meeting online, but I usually take that from my friend’s dorm room who is also in SDLG. Some days, I have Mock Trial after school, and I’ve also been meeting with some other students about the “Care Across the Seas” show (a talent show that raises funds for a specific cause). I usually do homework in the in-between times throughout the day, during study hall, or in the mornings, and then go to bed somewhere between 8:30 p.m. and midnight!
Time Innovate
Curriculum Innovation
Projects Transform Teaching and Learning at Emma
ILLUSTRATION BY MOLIBDENIS-STUDIO
STORY BY MELISSIA MASON
WWhat can incredible faculty do with the gift of time? Innovate! Over the past three years, Emma Willard School’s Curriculum Innovation Projects have created the necessary time and space for teachers to stretch beyond convention.
Around the time the Emma Willard community was writing Leading with Purpose, the strategic plan for 2021–2026, the faculty also began imagining new aspirations for the academic program. The result was a move toward curricular cohesion centered around the pillars of intellectual flexibility, purpose and community, and equity and justice; the discussion left behind a lingering appetite for innovation. They were primed and ready to imagine new ways of teaching and learning.
The Curriculum Innovation Projects (CIPs) were born out of these inspiring conversations, combined with the passion of Trustee Susie Hunter ’68 to create time in faculty schedules to allow the space for innovation. Nurtured through support for academic excellence and the Center for Teaching and Learning via philanthropic gifts to Infinite Horizon: The Campaign for Emma Willard School, the CIPs are primarily supported by the Hunter Endowed Fund for the Curriculum Innovation Project (see the Fall 2022 issue of Signature magazine). This funding has allowed for additional instructors to be hired in multiple departments to facilitate course releases, freeing up one course’s worth of time for teachers who were chosen to conduct CIPs.
Associate Head of School Dr. Meredith Legg remembers those exhilarating first conversations, envisioning what could be: “We wanted to make sure we were continuing to infuse new ideas into our program and giving
teachers the opportunity to do some exciting things, both because it has an amazing impact on our students and our program when we look outside of Emma to bring really good ideas in, and also because it’s an amazing opportunity to bring enormous job satisfaction to teachers.”
That sense of job satisfaction was one of the motivating factors for History Instructor Maggie Curtin to accept a position at Emma Willard. She learned of a CIP that had been undertaken with the intent of developing a class on Indigenous history, and she was hooked.
INDIGENOUS HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA
“I majored in American and Indigenous Studies at Bard and wanted to keep studying that in some way,” Maggie shares. There was significant interest in the History Department to create an Indigenous History course, and the department was looking for expertise in this area. And so, Maggie saw a wonderful opportunity. “It definitely drew me to take the job here,” she says.
of maps to
Maggie explains that Native American and Indigenous studies have risen to prominence in higher education in recent years, but she hasn’t seen evidence of the subject being taught in the same way at a secondary level. It was an exciting opportunity to bring her passion from her undergraduate work to the high school classroom.
“There were a couple of goals I had in mind: I wanted students to be able to grapple with the idea of settler colonialism and how it impacts the past and the present on the North American continent,” Maggie begins. “And then, what does it mean to see US history through the lens of Indigenous history? How does that change the previous conceptions and ideas we held about the past?”
Because Maggie began teaching the class in her first year at Emma, she was essentially designing the curriculum as she went. “I was flying the airplane while I was building it, which was a wonderful project, but all these other questions started to come up, too,” she explains. “Something I loved so much about this class was I was lucky enough to have the flexibility to have it be student-driven—what were they interested in and what avenues did they want to explore?”
One of the ideas the students were interested in exploring was the concept of intersectionality. “They were thinking about the intersection of colonialism and different power structures and how that impacts not just the past but also the present,” Maggie explains. And this intersectionality could also be seen in their own experience as students benefiting from the legacy of Emma Hart Willard.
As America’s first female cartographer, Emma Hart Willard’s collection of maps and illustrations speak to a time period when settler colonialism was greatly impacting the Indigenous cultures of North America. Maggie was able to leverage this work to create a project that allowed current students to reflect on Madame Willard’s creations.
“Part of [Madame Willard’s] pedagogical theory as an early American historian is in cementing American nationalism,” Maggie explains. The class
inspected Madame Willard’s map entitled “Locations and Wanderings of Aboriginal Tribes,” and Maggie asked them to describe what they found interesting about the map and how colonialism might appear implicitly in the work. They focused on deconstructing their ideas of what borders are and how borders—which feel so concrete and permanent and guarded to many of us—are human constructs that often existed as a tool of colonialism.
“Why I loved this project so much was it’s a senior elective with second-semester seniors. They are brilliant. They are ready to go to college. And they are a little bit jaded,” Maggie laughs. “I wanted to give them the opportunity to embrace the nuance of Emma Hart Willard’s views in the 1800s and the views of presentday Emma Willard students.”
And so, Maggie asked them to write a letter. It was to be a formal letter to the founder of their school, in their own voice. They were to explain what they were studying in class, what they had learned to this point, and what the school she created meant to them. Also included were their critiques of the map itself.
“The letters were wonderful,” Maggie enthuses.
“Students talked about how much love they have for this place, how much this place has changed them, shaped them.” At the same time, students addressed issues they see in the maps with the benefit of histori-
“People are not good or bad; places are not good or evil. There is a reckoning with holding both at once.”
A series
Willard’s History of the United States, or, Republic of America. Designed for schools and private libraries. New York, White, Gallaher, & White, 1828. Map. www.loc.gov/item/2002624002
Among the stack of books on Maggie Curtin’s desk is The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk, an award-winning retelling of US history that interweaves five centuries of Native and non-Native histories.
“What inspired me as a kid was learning about how the world worked and seeing the connection between the theory and the actual practical application. So what I’ve found is whenever we did small pieces similar to the Beyond Science problems, students just lit up.”
SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR KATHY MROCZKA
cal perspective. Maggie explains that the goal of the letter-writing project is to encourage students to hold two truths at the same time and reflect on the history of Emma Willard in a more holistic way.
BEYOND SCIENCE
While Maggie’s dynamic class on Indigenous history brought a poignant moment of reflection for graduating seniors, across campus in the Hunter Science Center, Science Instructor Kathy Mroczka was focused on the newest members of the community: 9th graders. When Kathy envisioned her CIP, her desire was to transform the 9th-grade physics curriculum by adding problems to each unit that would connect students to real-world concerns. She called it Beyond Science.
“The curriculum we’re currently using does a really nice job of teaching the science, but it doesn’t connect back to the real world. It’s very much just hard science,”
Kathy shares. “What inspired me as a kid was learning about how the world worked and seeing the connection between the theory and the actual practical application. So what I’ve found is whenever we did small pieces similar to the Beyond Science problems, students just lit up. They asked a lot of questions. They’d be interested, and you would see students speak up who weren’t speaking up in other ways in response to the science.”
Her own experience and the engagement of her students influenced Kathy to apply for a CIP with the intent of building a full set of Beyond Science problems to go along with each unit in the 9th-grade physics curriculum. Last year, she spent a course release developing the problems, which range from exploring thermodynamics and urban heat islands to delving into scientific astronomy alongside the astronomical traditions of indigenous peoples.
“I was inspired in part by our pillars,” Kathy explains. “I think rigor is something we do really well in science. The equity and justice and community and purpose pillars—those are much harder, partly because as adults who have gone through programs, we did not have anything like that in our own science education. So we don’t have a model to follow.”
What Kathy found when trying to look to other schools for examples of similar work is that many used an exploration of female scientists as their nod to diversity and inclusion. “I didn’t want to do that,” she says. “I wanted it to be purposeful and meaningful. I spent a good chunk of time looking for models of others doing this, particularly in physics. There’s a bit more in biology and environmental studies, but in chemistry and physics, there’s very little of it going on.” So Kathy was on her own to imagine, research, write, and create applications for each physics unit that would tie to some element of equity and justice or purpose and community.
To launch the Beyond Science program, students reflected on a problem examined in the August 2016 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. In her article, “Is Sustainable Trash-Burning a Load of Rubbish?,” science writer Carrie Arnold quotes Monica Wilson, program manager at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives): “Burning toxic garbage doesn’t magically eliminate it. All you’re doing is converting waste from solid garbage to air pollution. You’re creating a landfill in the sky and allowing companies to burn the evidence of how much toxic stuff they’re creating.”
The class was asked to spend time reflecting first on what the quote reminded them of in general and second on the details of the quote that made them think of something they had learned previously. Responses ranged from the conservation of mass to Earth as a closed system to the reduction of volume achieved by burning. Students then inspected a diagram of a waste conversion plant and were instructed to annotate the diagram using annotation skills they had learned in their English and history classes. Finally, they watched a video of how such a plant operated, noting the positive tone of the explanation and the source of the information. They ended with a list of questions on their mind, not least of which was, “What happens to the byproducts of this process?” They would soon learn the answers in subsequent class sessions as they investigated a similar energy plant on their own.
This Beyond Science practice embodies several key aspects we value most in an Emma Willard education: cross-disciplinary learning, intellectual flexibility, curiosity, and having a meaningful impact on the world.
STIRRING THE COLLEGIAL SPIRIT
Arriving at the moment CIPs are seen in action in the classroom has been a process of collaboration and discovery. “I got so much from my colleagues who already cover topics of purpose, community, and equity in meaningful ways,” Kathy notes. “There were often times during this project that I felt unsure because some of the topics really branch out beyond a traditional science class. It was extremely helpful to have colleagues in other departments who could reassure me this was really worthwhile.”
The interaction between colleagues is part of a cohort model developed around the CIP work, allowing those who are developing their projects at the same time to meet regularly—along with Director of Curriculum and Innovation Caroline Boyajian and Center for
Teaching and Learning Coordinator Megan Labbate— to talk about their progress and encourage one another.
To date, eight teachers have engaged in CIP projects, and two to three CIPs are expected every year going forward. Inspired by education reformer John Dewey’s quote, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience,” teachers who develop a CIP chart their journey to capture what they have learned and share it with others. Those who undertake a CIP present their projects at Teaching and Learning meetings. “They are some of the most inspiring meetings we have,” Dr. Legg raves. “If you want to see and be so proud of what our faculty do every day, listen to them present on what they’re doing with their CIP time—how it’s allowed them to teach differently, work differently with students, and really engage in deeper ways than any of them have ever expected. It is so powerful, and it makes you recognize the incredible professional intellect we have on this campus.”
In addition to these internal presentations, this year’s CIP participants will apply to share their curriculum innovation project at a conference in their field. “We want to share the huge impact this has had on our curriculum,” Dr. Legg says. “And it really truly has. There are enormous implications for these curriculum innovation projects and teachers, and they are so much deeper and richer than anything we’ve seen before in terms of curriculum development.”
“If you want to see and be so proud of what our faculty do every day, listen to them present on what they’re doing with their CIP time … It is so powerful, and it makes you recognize the incredible professional intellect we have on this campus.”
ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL DR. MEREDITH LEGG
Kathy Mroczka demonstrates the use of a new piece of equipment that enables students to map electric field lines around a charge.
Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Lafayette’s Visit to Troy
A Tale of Two Visionaries
Throughout its long history, Emma Willard School has been witness to many important moments in the shaping of this American nation, perhaps none more laudatory than the arrival of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. This year’s bicentennial of the meeting between Emma Hart Willard and General Lafayette—two visionaries for women’s education and empowerment in their day—was celebrated on Mount Ida, in Troy, and across the nation. From reenactments to archival displays to historical lectures, the significance of this special day in September was not lost on the Emma community!
MRE-LIVING LAFAYETTE’S ARRIVAL
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette—commonly known in the United States as General Marquis de La Fayette or simply Lafayette— arrived from France on Staten Island, New York, in August of 1824. The General would have been received as a bonafide hero of the Revolutionary War and the individual embodiment of American independence. At just nineteen years old, Lafayette was appointed a major general by the Continental Congress and aidede-camp to George Washington. By twenty-three, he had led his Continental Army in many battles, including the decisive siege of Yorktown, Virginia, that would culminate in the British defeat and the eventual end of the war. Now 67, Lafayette returned at the invitation of President James Monroe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of America’s founding and visit all 24 states during a 13-month tour.
It was not until September 18th that Lafayette arrived via a small barge—known then as a “packet boat”— from across the Hudson River in Watervliet to the bustling city of Troy. He addressed a crowd of gentlemen at the Troy House and then processed up the street for an impromptu meeting at Seminary Park at the invitation of The Ladies of Troy. Of course, the ensuing welcome from Emma Hart Willard and her seminary students is well-known among generations of alumnae.
This year on September 18th, the day began with a tour of Troy sites by “Lafayette”—portrayed by a convincing reenacator—and a wreath-laying ceremony at Emma Hart Willard’s statue. Head of School
Jenny Rao joined representatives from Russell Sage College and the Hart Cluett Museum to speak to a gathering of community members (including Emma Willard alumnae: Anja Carr ’69, Carol Haid ’73, Pam McCarthy ’69, and Dennett Page ’69) at the original site of Troy Female Seminary (now Russell Sage College). Stacy Pomeroy Draper, former curator of the Hart Cluett Museum, helped the crowd envision the scene and the surrounding structures as they would have been in the early 1800s. Dr. Matthew Shaftel, president of Sage College, reflected on the significance of Emma Willard’s vision on the founding of Russell Sage College and her first school as a catalyst for higher learning opportunities for women. Carol Haid officially welcomed Lafayette, who then addressed the crowd by reading his original remarks from 1824.
Ms. Rao was then joined by General Lafayette as she laid a wreath at the statue of Emma Hart Willard, symbolizing the special connection between Lafayette and Willard. Upon their actual meeting so many years ago, it is believed that the General gave Madame Willard a bouquet of a dozen pink roses as a sign of his admiration and respect. She presented him with a bound copy of the address she made to the New York State legislature, “A Plan for Improving Female Education,” which first captured the vision for the school she founded.
“These two important figures in history shared a passion for ‘female education,’” Ms. Rao shared. The day Lafayette visited Troy was the beginning of a
See inset next page for details.
Inset left: A piece held in the Emma Willard School archive, a replica of an 18th century piece derived from a print in the collection of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
friendship that flourished through written correspondence and visits to France during Madame Willard’s travels. “Today, 200 years after that auspicious meeting, we present another bouquet of roses to honor our founder—whose enduring legacy we admire and respect to this day and every day at Emma Willard
School—and to remember her friend, Marquis de Lafayette.”
FORGING A FRIENDSHIP FOR THE AGES
Later that same day, members of the Emma Willard School community gathered with alumnae and other visitors to learn more about the unique connection between Emma Willard and Lafayette. Archivist Stephanie Ross presented items from the school’s collections and highlighted letters between Lafayette and Willard that are held in other collections. The group studied a copy of an 1833 letter that Madame Willard wrote to Lafayette; Cornell University holds the original (see p. 36).
Above: Mural of Lafayette’s arrival in Troy, depicting the Ladies of Troy, led by Mrs. Pawling, greeting Lafayette at the entrance to Troy Female Seminary. The students sang a song for the occasion, from a poem written by Madame Willard. The mural is located in Sage Hall.
History Instructor Dr. John Riley then gave a historical overview of Lafayette’s fascinating life, chronicling his involvement in the American Revolution. Dr. Riley explained that Lafayette’s passion for the American cause had its roots in the death of his father—a French nobleman also known as the “Marquis”—at the hands of the British in a military skirmish at the Battle of Minden in 1759. He then entered military school at the age of 11, was made a captain of the French Dragoons at 16, and, upon meeting an American diplomat to the court of King Louis XVI*, secretly joined the revolution across the Atlantic. The cash-poor Continental Congress welcomed Lafayette, who took up his military commission “pro bono” and quickly established himself as a critical component of General George Washington’s senior command staff. One of the few fully-trained military officers, Lafayette was known for his tactical prowess but earned notoriety
“
This would begin an affectionate correspondence that continued through the rest of their lives, discussing both personal matters and one particular matter of shared interest: female education.”
for his bravery and decisive action in critical moments. As Dr. Riley described, over time, the legend of his actions only grew and precipitated the national feeling of adoration toward the Frenchman among Americans by the time of his return visit decades later.
“The visit is auspicious for a number of reasons,” Dr. Riley shared. “First, because of his youth at the time of the revolution. He’s the last surviving continental army general. He was also one of the last surviving people who served directly with Washington. [...] He represented something they had almost lost; the founding generation is all but gone, and Lafayette was the last tangible link to them.”
Lafayette’s visit to the US was nothing short of exhaustive. During a 13-month tour, he would visit all two dozen existing states and hundreds of towns in each. His stops in New England alone totalled more than 170, and he met with every US President to date, save George Washington, who had passed 25 years before. However, all these auspicious gatherings and meetings pale in comparison to his time in Troy.
Recently rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1820, the Troy waterfront would have represented the very pinnacle of American civilization at that time and was among the most prosperous regions of the burgeoning nation. Situated below the confluence of the Hudson
Left: 1833 letter from Emma Hart Willard to Lafayette
Right: Alumnae of Emma Willard School are especially proud of their alma mater’s connection to Lafayette. Celebrating 200 years since Lafayette’s visit to Troy! L-R: Anja Carr ’69, Head of School Jenny Rao, Dennett Page ’69, “Lafayette,” Carol Haid ’73, Pam McCarthy ’69
If Ye Grey Walls Could Talk
For so many students over the years, the significance of Lafayette’s return is presented as a daily reminder on Mount Ida via the stone visage of the General that was handcarved into a grotesque atop Slocum Hall in the early 1900s and the mural added to Sage Hall in 1936.
In an October 12, 1936, report to the Board of Trustees, Principal Eliza Kellas described the creation of the mural that captured this moment of early US history:
“During the Summer, Sage Hall, one of the dormitories, was further beautified by a mural decoration presented by Mrs. Frederick (Isabel) Sim. This mural was done by Mrs. Sim and Miss Marguerite Enos. The subject is the visit of General Lafayette to the city of Troy and to the school in 1824.”
It was in the 1989 spring issue of the Emma Willard School Bulletin that Peggy Sim ’42 explained how her mother—believed a member of the Class of 1902 and a professional artist—painted the mural for the family’s home. The mural hung in the Sims’ dining room until it was carefully removed and transported to the Emma Willard campus by Mrs. Sim and “a few trusty helpers.”
Dennett Page ’69 is leading the effort to research the history of the Lafayette mural and support its preservation. You can read more about her work with other alumnae in Class Notes on page 61.
Hart Willard with excitement. Her views on female education had been recently embraced by the American political elite and were heartily shared by Lafayette. The “Ladies of Troy” had elected to meet Lafayette in the park beside Willard’s school and appointed a committee from their members to welcome “their country’s generous and beloved benefactor.” Lafayette was so touched by the song “Welcome Lafayette!” performed by the Seminary students that he requested three copies to send back to France to each of his daughters.
and Mohawk Rivers, Troy’s was a key position in transshipment between New York City and the rest of the growing country, making it a bustling economic and manufacturing hub. It was also a growing center for culture and learning, with the establishment of Troy University (later closed in the 1860s), the Rensselaer School (now Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), and, of course, Troy Female Seminary.
A widower and single parent to three daughters, Lafayette looked forward to his meeting with Emma
“Following Lafayette’s visit. Emma Willard’s husband passed away in May of 1825 and, upon learning of this, the General returned to see her in private before departing the US for France,” explains Dr. Riley. “Lafayette’s wife had died in 1807, so one could imagine they had this shared experience and could offer each other a certain amount of comfort. This would begin an affectionate correspondence that continued through the rest of their lives, discussing both personal matters and one particular matter of shared interest: female education.” Lafayette helped secure a French teacher for the Seminary and raised funds back in Europe to establish girls’ schools in other countries, such as Greece. Emma Willard’s ideals made a great impression on Lafayette’s daughters, and when she traveled to Paris in 1860, she spent much of her time there with his family. At a visit to the French Chamber of Deputies during its session, Lafayette sought out Emma Willard and publicly bowed to her three times before officially receiving her as a guest of the court. Only these two luminaries would have truly known the depth and strength of their bond, but at least one correspondence from Willard to Lafayette hints at it: “My Dear General, sometimes when I think of you I feel such a desire to see you that I am tempted to go again to France. Are you not coming back to America? Why not leave France to herself and come to us?”
Future
FAMILY MAKES MILLION-DOLLAR GIFT TO WALLACE CENTER
Members of the Massry Family have committed $1 million to the Infinite Horizon campaign, naming the “Massry Portico” in the new Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for the Performing Arts. Sisters Julie Massry Knox ’98 and Laurie Massry ’07 are joined by their parents, I. Norman and Micki Massry, in recognizing the transformative power of the arts in the lives of Emma Willard students today and for many generations to come.
“I’ve had the opportunity to tour the Wallace Center construction site, and it is simply amazing; it would rival any performing arts center at any higher education institution,” shared Julie, who currently serves on the Emma Willard Board of Trustees. “To have a building on this historic campus so lovingly renovated and modernized reflects the Emma Willard spirit of honoring the past but always looking to the future.”
During her time at Emma, Julie trained as a dancer with instructors Sue Lauther and Barbara Magee, and worked as the manager of the dance company.
Julie recalls fondly the way the arts permeated her experience, ultimately leading her to attend Drexel University and study further in dance.
“I remember touring and performing at different schools. It felt incredible for all of us to have that hands-on experience,” recalls Julie. “The school would always bring in a professional dancer for a week-long intensive, which was such a unique opportunity for us back then.”
Today, Julie serves as the Sales and Marketing Manager for Tri City Rentals, the Massry family’s property management and real estate development company serving the Capital Region, Rochester, and Buffalo. Her knowledge of the local area and, in particular, construction management has been invaluable to Emma Willard during this time of unprecedented capital investment and modernization of campus.
“We’re so proud of Julie and her decision to serve on the Board at Emma Willard,” shared her father, I. Norman, who was part of the 2013 campus master planning study that first imagined a new arts center for the school.
“Let me highlight the fact that her strong feelings and connection come despite the fact that she doesn’t have daughters—her desire to be part of shaping this future for another generation of girls speaks volumes.”
Laurie followed in her sister’s footsteps, choosing to attend Emma Willard as a boarding student in order to capture the full experience. While not as focused on the performing arts, Laurie discovered a passion for volunteerism and service to others through her work with community organizations while a student.
“There were so many opportunities to pursue ‘service learning’—as we’d call it today—while I was at Emma,” shares Laurie, who works as the senior operations manager for an organization providing volunteer care for end-of-life patients. “Obviously, that’s the path I have followed through college and for my masters on to my career. I believe Emma Willard helped emphasize for me—and so many others—the importance of helping others in the community.”
Laurie attended Cornell University, where she studied Human Development and, later, earned a Master of Public Health from Columbia University— both experiences she credits to her education and involvement in community service at Emma. While the Massry sisters engaged with different elements of the Emma experience, one thing they share—along with their parents—is an appreciation for the opportunities it provided and the friendships they forged.
“Emma Willard was really good to our girls,” said Julie and Laurie’s mother, Micki. “Certainly, they had two different experiences there and each had their own growth process, which is what we hoped for. But, I just want to say that we make a real point of supporting the institutions that have been good to us and who have helped other people ... and we have always supported Emma Willard every chance we get.”
In 2008, a naming gift from Micki and I. Norman was made for the front entrance of Emma Willard School along Pawling Avenue. On the “Massry Gate,” the following words were inscribed to capture their belief in the power of education for their daughters and others: “May all who enter take pride in this school’s legacy of extraordinary education for young women.”
The Massry Family is a key supporter of non-profits and other charitable causes in the Capital Region of New York State and have played a key role in significant projects like the University at Albany’s Massry School of Business, The Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center, St. Peter’s Hospital, and numerous facilities in the Troy area, where I. Norman’s parents and Julie and Laurie’s grandparents raised their family. The family gives annually to worthy causes across the gamut of arts, education, healthcare, and community service needs in the region.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO, our community came together to launch the largest campaign in American history for an independent girls’ school. We imagined the impact of collective gifts of philanthropy from alumnae, parents, faculty, and friends. We imagined the possibilities for progress and welcomed the chance to unite our community around priorities meant to elevate, inspire, celebrate, and strengthen our school’s mission. Today, we are in awe of the many ways we have been able to put gifts of philanthropy into action. From endowed scholarships to the Starzinger Writing Center to experiential learning and curriculum innovation funds to the Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 Center for Performing Arts and beyond, your gifts are making an impact every day! Our campaign continues through June 2026, and many goals of our strategic plan are as yet unfulfilled. Dedicated gifts to help preserve and enhance historic buildings on our campus, funding for new faculty housing, and support for a new Center for Resilience and Wellbeing are still needed. Gifts to our Emma Fund are also critical to the operating budget for the entire campus community.
Our Infinite Horizon campaign will continue to make a lasting impact with your help. Your support of the campaign is not just a donation—it’s an investment in a generation of empowered young women ready to lead, innovate, and make a difference in our world.
$173,337,433 OF $175,000,000 GOAL
MASSRY
APRIL 25–26, 2025
Make plans now to join us on Mount Ida for our grand opening celebration, featuring our student Spring Showcase and special guests!
Join with the Emma Willard Community to cheer on our students and alumnae as we celebrate excellence in the arts and across the disciplines. Gather together for conversation, reconnection, and celebration. Welcome the Wallace Family. Hear from Wallace Center architect Ann Beha. Dedicate and tour this magnificent space. Make history together!
FRIDAY: Spring Student Showcase featuring Signature project presentations and Emma Artist performances | Official dedication of The Wallace Center and its many inspiring spaces | Exciting Keynote Performance & Reception
SATURDAY: Alumnae in the Arts Presentations and Performances | Alumnae Visual Artists Reception | Classical Music Performance by Ensemble Connect, among the finest young professional classical musicians in the US | Raise your voice with the Alumnae Choir!
New Trustees
From the Archives
BY MELISSIA MASON
Timeless Stories
Transcribing Letters from the Emma Willard School Archives
Row upon row of gray archival boxes fill the shelves of the Emma Willard School Archives, holding stories just waiting to be uncovered. Archivist Stephanie Ross has recently been guiding STEAM 10 students Katya B. ’27 and Inzhu U. ’27 in an exploration of the archives, which has centered around its collection of personal letters.
Hundreds of handwritten letters are among the treasures in Dietel basement, including those written both to and from Emma Hart Willard herself. Katya and Inzhu began their work by transcribing a fascinating exchange between Eunice Porter Pawling—the second wife of Troy’s first mayor—and Emma Hart Willard. The subject: Madame Willard’s upcoming nuptials to Dr. Christopher Yates. What the students discovered is an age-old struggle: do you tell a friend that you don’t approve of their choice for a romantic partner, or do you keep your mouth shut?
“These were the prominent families of the time,” Inzhu explains.
“But it was clear that Emma Willard didn’t think they were close enough friends for Mrs. Pawling to share this type of opinion with her.” In her letter, Mrs. Pawling questioned the character of Dr. Yates and warned Mrs. Willard away from marrying him. “Emma Willard responds with a kind of ‘how dare you,’” Inzhu says, describing the fiery words that were written in response.
After hours of deciphering early 19th-century handwriting on delicate paper, complete with ink stains and smudges, alternative spellings, unfamiliar words, and the flourish of double letters, Katya and Inzhu have created what they feel is a 95% accurate transcription of the set of letters—one from Mrs. Pawling and one reply from Emma Willard—and have annotated the places where they are uncertain of the wording. “I write in cursive myself,” Katya says, “but even so, it was tough to read some of the words. At times, we just wrote out which letter we thought we saw, one by one. After searching
for that combination of letters, we found in some cases that these were actually real words; they just aren’t used much anymore.”
This set of letters is the first in a series of transcriptions that Katya and Inzhu plan to use to create a podcast series for their STEAM 10 project. STEAM 10 is a transdisciplinary program for tenth graders that synthesizes science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The year-long course of study allows students to deeply explore a given project focus and arrive at a culminating experience directed to the entire school community. The podcast will serve as the culmination of Katya and Inzhu’s project. They plan to talk about how they came to choose the letters they transcribed, explain the process and experience, and tell the story they found within the pages, including any additional research they found to help put each story in context.
For Katya, the appeal of spending time in the archives is what first drew her to the project. As a ninth grader, she had spent time in the archives as a member of the Library Leadership Committee. “I really like being in the archives in general; I find it really fun! I like reading all these letters and doing some work to fill in the backstory of what happened, especially about Emma Willard. Most people just think of her as the founder of the school, but
we get to learn about all of these things that happened in her life.”
In guiding the students toward a focus for their project, Ms. Ross keyed in on themes that might mirror their own life experiences.
“What stands out to me about this project are the themes of love, friendship, betrayal—how relatable this can be,” Ms. Ross says.
“Even though these letters were written in 1838, they still could be true today. Friends argue about relationships and you may disagree with a decision that a friend makes.
It’s been interesting to see Emma Willard through that lens. We know of her as this pioneer of women’s education, and she was also a wife, mother, widow, second wife, friend. She had many different roles.”
“Who would have thought that these things that happen now would have happened to Emma Willard as well?” Inzhu adds. “While exploring the archives, I have learned
significantly about the personal life and personality of Emma Willard. Looking back at the penmanship and way of formulating sentences that were used back then is eyeopening, and it’s amazing that we get to see and learn from these pieces of history first-hand. I look forward to summarizing the transcripts and getting the podcast started!”
The next step in the project is to choose from among the other letters available to them in the archives, which will be no easy task. With boxes full of writings from Emma Willard, former students, teachers, and friends, by the end of this school year, Katya and Inzhu will have a compelling series of stories to tell in their STEAM 10 podcast!
See the letters on the Emma Willard School Library and Archives Website: emmawillard.libguides.com/archives/ letter-transcription
WHAT’S IN A RING?
The moment Emma Willard School students receive their ring has been an occasion of tradition and celebration for generations. We’ve heard anecdotes here and there of fun “ring connections”— whether that was seeing an Emma ring “in the wild” and the subsequent interaction, a ring sister or sibling connection of interest, a family legacy, etc. If you have a ring story to share, please submit it at: emmawillard.org/ring-stories
Snapshot
Emma students welcome each other “back home” after the summer break during Opening Day 2024.
Meet Admissions
The Emma Willard Admissions Team is dedicated to finding the next generation of brilliant minds who will bring their unique perspectives, backgrounds, and talents to our community. We asked them some questions to help you get to know them. Contact us at admissions@ emmawillard.org to find out how we can help you on your journey to Emma Willard School!
1. What inspires you about being at Emma?
2. What’s your favorite candy?
3. What advice would you give Emma applicants?
Kristen
Mariotti Head of Enrollment Management
1. The diversity of the students. I feel lucky every day to be a part of a community with students from across the US and from every corner of the globe. Their unique experiences, identities, and perspectives enrich us all so much!
2. Haribo Fizzy Cola gummies
3. Come as you are and be yourself— we want to know all the things about you that make you unique!
Jing Benavot
Director of International Recruitment &
Retention
1. EMMA’s community, history, and its values of true education
2. Lemmon drops
3. Be yourself, and be proud of yourself!
Katie Myer P’26 Director of Admissions
and Recruitment
1. I find the history of this school very inspiring. Emma Hart Willard was a pioneer in girls’ education, founding this school at a time when higher education for girls did not yet exist in the United States. Over 200 years later, we are still following Emma Willard’s vision.
2. Swedish Fish
3. We are not looking for perfect; we are looking for what fuels you! Be yourself!
Molly Riley Assistant Director of Admissions
1. The passion students and adults have for their work and for this community.
2. Sour gummy worms
3. Be yourself! There is nothing more exciting than being in a space where you can be genuinely “you,” and the Emma community will welcome you with open arms to be exactly who you are.
Michele Solimeno
Associate Director of Admissions/ Director of GirlSummer
1. What inspires me about Emma is how supportive the community is for students to try something new and different that they might not have tried before! It inspires me to step out of my comfort zone as well!
2. Sour Patch Watermelon 3. To be authentically yourself! We want applicants who want Emma and that the mission serves them.
Mari Elizabeth Webb
Admissions Event and Visit Manager
1. Our students inspire me every day. I especially love working with our EMbassadors. It gives me great joy watching them share their love of Emma with prospective families and alum who come back for a visit.
2. I love CHOCOLATE! I always have a box of chocolate from Krause’s Homemade Candy in Albany on hand when I have a craving.
3. I would say be yourself and ask our current students lots of questions, whether on a tour, through Peerpal, or at one of our events. Our students are your best resource for learning about all things Emma.
*Head EMbassadors: Emma Willard School’s student EMbassadors work with the Admissions Office to introduce prospective families to the school by leading campus tours and engaging with those who attend our oncampus and virtual events. You can look forward to seeing these faces when you come to Mount Ida to Experience Emma!
Head EMbassadors*
Eleanora Bennett
1. Seeing how much people grow over the years inspires me. I see people finding new interests, using opportunities to further them, learning who they want to be, and just growing into their own.
2. I can’t choose between gummy snakes, Starburst sour gummies, or peanut butter M&Ms.
3. Figure out what makes you fit in and stand out in the community. There are so many amazing people and spaces at Emma; figuring out what you like, where you fit, where you diverge, and what you might bring to Emma can be so crucial in the application process and just being at Emma.
Nadia Mitic
1. Being at Emma has changed me in so many ways. What inspires me the most is the unique and tight-knit community we have, and how many opportunities and resources students have as well! All of my teachers are very approachable, so I can ask for help or just to meet. There are so many things to do on campus during the day as well as traditions throughout the year that I am so grateful to be a part of.
2. I absolutely love chocolate. Not extremely dark chocolate or
extremely milk chocolate, but something like Twix or Hershey’s is my favorite.
3. CHOOSE EMMA!! Everyone is different, and just being your authentic self in your application will go a long way. And, being confident in what interests you or what you are good at would be great to share. Having new experiences reflect our student body is what I really love!
Motunrayooluwa Ogunwusi
1. At Emma, I’m surrounded by driven teachers and peers, so that makes me motivated to push myself to accomplish greater things. Emma is a place where learning is celebrated, challenges are embraced, and every failure is just one step closer to success.
2. Twix ice cream bar or Sour Patch Kids
3. Make your application about what makes you special and unique.
Maggie Russell
1. Getting to have conversations and work with my peers, both in and out of class. They all inspire me to work toward being the best version of myself that I can be!
2. Nerds Gummy Clusters
3. Find things about Emma to be excited about (there is so much to
choose from!)—it helps take stress off of the whole process.
Helen Yang
1. Being at Emma is inspiring because of the opportunity to empower women and girls. The focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) creates an environment where everyone’s unique perspectives are valued and celebrated. Seeing the impact of initiatives to support and uplift women and girls and foster a culture of inclusivity is incredibly motivating and fulfilling. Contributing to creating a more equitable and empowering world for all is rewarding. I have become more openminded and inclusive during my years at Emma. I learned about different cultures and learned to appreciate them.
2. Skittles
3. For Emma applicants, authenticity and passion are paramount. Research Emma thoroughly to understand its mission and values, aligning your application with its goals. Highlight relevant experiences and skills that showcase your commitment to empowering women and promoting diversity. Tailor your application to demonstrate your unique perspective and strengths. Prepare for interviews diligently, expressing your enthusiasm and readiness to contribute. Stay positive and persistent in your pursuit, knowing that your genuine dedication will shine through.
Admissions
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. Please apply here: emmawillard.org/admissions
TRANSCRIPTS
Should be completed by a school official and contain a minimum of two years of credits as well as the first semester or trimester of the current academic year.
RECOMMENDATIONS
■ English Teacher
■ Math Teacher
■ 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. More information can be found at emmawillard.org/admissions
INTERVIEW
We will be conducting all interviews via Zoom in order to provide equal access to all of our applicants.
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
EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS
49 teaching faculty
89% full time faculty
98% teacher's with advanced degrees
356 total enrollment
39 countries
20 US states
137 acre campus
$6.5M in financial aid
