COMMUNITY READ

 Elena Hayek '23 midst of their college searches. Gilmour’s Catalyst program and Dr. Goel’s guidance have provided these students, and countless others before them, an incredible foundation to pursue STEM-related fields in their future.

 Dr. Goel with Kendall, Louka and Elena at their presentations

SUMMER COMMUNITY READ BRINGS GA FAMILY TOGETHER FOR CONVERSATION

Gilmour’s Chief Mission Integration Officer Whitney Daly began Gilmour’s Community Read program in the summer of 2020. She thought that it could be an important way for members of the community to remain connected during the pandemic. Over the course of that summer, members read and discussed The Other Wes Moore: One Name Two Fates over Zoom meetings. Participants loved the opportunity to come together and embrace our mission, and the tradition has continued since.

This summer, a mix of alumni (from the Classes of 1968-2022), current students, faculty/staff, and current and past parents (some joining with their students), engaged in weekly discussions centered on this summer’s read, Mountains Beyond Mountains. The book tells the inspiring story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard-educated doctor with a self-proclaimed mission to transform healthcare on a global scale. The Women’s Club also chose this book as their September read and used the same conversation guide at their September meeting.

Interestingly, more than half of this summer’s participants were returners and six have participated in all three Community Reads that we have done.

One of our incoming ninth graders, who participated in this summer's Community Read, shared, "The most meaningful aspect of this experience was meeting new people who share the same desire to learn about current issues in our world. " A Gilmour parent who joined enjoyed the "meaningful conversations across diverse populations at GA."