GPS Magazine | Winter 2016 by Girls Preparatory School

GIRLS PREPARATORY SCHOOL WINTER 2015 – 2016

Educating

TOMORROW’S LEADERS Today

F R O M T H E D E S K O F D R . A U T U M N A . G R AV E S

I’m excited to hear Upper School math teacher Diane Walker say that she wants GPS classrooms to be “game changers.” She uses the word radical to describe a new model of learning that she was exposed to this past summer in an immersive educators’ workshop in California. Middle School history teacher Caroline Carlin, who received her master’s in Independent School Leadership this past summer from Vanderbilt, has embraced personalized learning for her seventh grade American Studies students. Her challenge is to prompt girls to discover their own knowledge, to be self-learners. These teachers, and many others, are taking advantage of professional development opportunities, introducing new, innovative teaching methods into GPS classrooms, and emphasizing the six C’s that you’ll read about in this issue. It’s also important to note the shifting role of teacher, from an expert

Dr. Autumn A. Graves HEAD OF SCHOOL

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-16 Christine Benz Smith, Ph.D. ’72, Chair

based on content (although that’s still necessary, of course) to an expert based on the role of facilitator and coach. It seems to me that a “Show, Don’t Tell” style of teaching that I witness in GPS classrooms leads to more lifelong learners. It’s still important to have “general knowledge” and “cultural literacy.” As Diane Walker says, “Siri doesn’t know everything!” and contrary to popular

Holly Lynch Harwell ’84, Vice-Chair

opinion, everything one wants to know and truly understand cannot be

Claire Hunt McVay ’87, Secretary

found via Google.

Bradley B. (Brad) Cobb, Treasurer Danna Bailey ’89 Kerri Martin Bartlett ’75 Charlie Brock

As we examine today’s best practices in education and how we use the latest research about how girls learn, our educators are asking themselves, “What will success look like when today’s students graduate from

Betsy Blunt Brown ’92

college?” Our alumnae are already connected through social media to

Blair Bennington Cannon ’93

people across the world. They must have the skills to co-lead, co-problem

Marilyn Sherman Center ’58

solve, and co-create; and we can begin to teach those skills at GPS.

The Honorable Marie Williams Cleary ’70

Perhaps what will be most important is for us to help our students build

Anita D. Davenport ’77 Johnel Angel Evans ’92

an understanding of how to blend diverse groups together in productive

Elizabeth Bright Graham ’77

ways and recognize the strengths of others.

Dr. Autumn A. Graves, Head of School

As you will read in the articles that follow, our students are collaborating,

Nathan Carter Newbold Lisa D. Reynolds Shanahan ’83 Rebecca Stimson, Ph.D. ’73

becoming autonomous through interdisciplinary experiences, and growing in curiosity and self-reflection. You’ll also read about how the school,

Mary P. Tanner, Ph.D.

with input from its various constituencies, is crafting a strategic plan that

Rob Taylor

will continue to position GPS as the best 21st-century all-girls school and

R. Kirk Walker, Ph.D.

empower teachers like Diane Walker and Caroline Carlin to reimagine their

Mary Moncure Watson ’74

roles in and out of the classroom.

Thad Whitfield Randy Wilson Margaret Wheland Cate ’49, Ex-Officio

GIRLS P R E PA R AT O RY SCHOOL HEAD OF SCHOOL Dr. Autumn A. Graves ASSISTANT HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Elaine Milazzo INTERIM HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL Jenise Gordon CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Elizabeth Thompson DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION Debbie B. Young ’79 INTERIM DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & EXTERNAL RELATIONS Amy Thomas DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Bilda Small

EDITORIAL STAFF GENERAL EDITOR Anne N. Exum WRITERS Kathleen Casey Susan Davidson Anne N. Exum Linda Mines Amy Piper Karen Richards PHOTOGRAPHERS Katherine Betts Anne N. Exum Amy Walters Gina Wells DESIGN Skrypton Communications

Table of Contents

WINTER 2015 – 2016 Vol 29, No. 1

GPS: THE MAGAZINE GIRLS PREPARATORY SCHOOL

FEATURES 2

Educating Girls for a Changing World: What are the six C’s and how does teaching these skills change classrooms?

In the Classrooms of GPS

“Scratch” and Learn to Code

Education: What’s the Future?

Consequential Philanthropy

Charting Our Path Forward

Mad, Bad & Dangerous 2.0

INSIDE BACK COVER In Defense of A Liberal Arts Education

DEPARTMENTS 20 Athletics 23 Around School 26 Alumnae News 38

Births

40 Weddings Copyright © 2016 Girls Preparatory School. All rights reserved. GPS Magazine is published by GIRLS PREPARATORY SCHOOL PO Box 4736 Chattanooga, TN 37405 Office 423-634-7600 gps.edu Girls Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

COVER Students in the Advanced Placement 3D Sculpture class, taught by Isabel McCall ’69, awed everyone with their creative paper dresses. (Photo by Amy Walters)

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

C RI TI C AL TH INK ING, C R EAT I V I T Y, CO M M U N I C AT I O N , CO LLAB O RAT I O N ,

21ST-CENTURY EDUCATION

EDUCATING GIRLS for a Changing World By Kathleen Casey To understand how 21st-century education is phenomenally different than previous education models, it’s helpful to consider the rapid acceleration of change under way in the world today. For example, as the words of this article are set in print and readied for mailing: • Apple will release more than 1,000 new apps • The U.S. government will receive an average of 1,600 new patent applications • The knowledge base of the Internet will expand by 2.5 million newly published blogs. All that will happen in a single, average day. And that brand new app – the one that came out yesterday? Your teen is likely to be an expert at it before any of the adults in the room even know it’s available. This is the burgeoning world of accelerated technology development and information distribution that is shaping and changing today’s 21st-century education. If it feels a bit like a moving target, that is precisely what makes this a challenging, exciting and evolutionary time for today’s schools and educators. REINVENTING THE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

Head of School Autumn Graves understands this changing paradigm. Before her appointment to GPS, Dr. Graves was one of 28 leaders chosen for the World Class Education and Talent Development Strategy Team on K-12 in Philadelphia, PA. The team was tasked with creating a curriculum that was 21st-century ready. “That project began in 2008, when a 3G phone was considered the cutting edge of technology,” Dr. Graves notes. “Today, most teens would consider it a punishment to receive a mobile phone with that limited technology.” “To equip our girls with skills they need to be globally competitive and workforceready, we need both a sound strategy and a flexible approach,” Dr. Graves notes. “It 2

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

CH A RAC T E R, A ND COS M OP OL ITA N I S M

requires us to be agile in our thinking and ever open to reinventing ourselves as leaders at the forefront of education.” WHAT EXACTLY IS A 21ST-CENTURY EDUCATION?

According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, this new genre of education does not ignore the traditional “three R’s” — reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic. Those basics remain integral. The approach to how they are learned is what changes, requiring a combination of four “C”s known as “super skills”: • Critical thinking — Looking at problems in a new way, linking learning across subjects and disciplines • Creativity — Trying new approaches to get things done equals innovation and invention • Communication — Sharing thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions • Collaboration — Working together to reach a goal — putting talent, expertise, and “smarts” to work Writing in response to an article in Education Week entitled, “How Do You Define 21th-Century Learning,” Patrick Bassett, former President of the National Association of Independent Schools, adds two C’s to the outcomes: • Character — The universal values of all major religions and cultures (honesty, empathy, justice, fairness) • Cosmopolitanism — Cross Cultural Competency These “super skills” are the focus of the Middle School curriculum at GPS in which Patricia King’s sixth grade Global Cultures classes are communicating with digital pen pals around the world as part of their research of countries and cultures. Kristi Bryson’s science

students work in collaborative teams to solve problems. When Meg Brock’s seventh grade art students create their own mosaics, they also study the Arts and Crafts Movement in American history and the science behind prisms.

The articles that follows highlight some of the creative and transformational strategies our teachers are using on campus today, along with new opportunities for students to pursue their individual talents and interests.

AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

THE CHANGING ROLE OF EDUCATORS

In the Upper School the goal is “helping the girls become autonomous.” With the right support and through interdisciplinary practices, GPS exposes girls to a variety of experiences and fields of study so that each of the self-reflective, confident, and curious young women can say, “I am all of these things.” In the 21st-century education, STEM subjects are increasingly important, but they are also integrated with less

“…the teacher acts as a learning catalyst, orchestrating and facilitating activities that spark defining moments for students.” technical subjects, such as art, music, social sciences, and even physical education. Dr. Graves says, “A girl may study the Large Hadron Collider in science, create an art project that represents what particle acceleration looks like in her mind’s eye, and build a website that explains the mystery of dark matter for those younger or less advanced. And given our staff and student creativity at GPS, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Terpiscord choreograph a dance based on the mysteries of the universe.”

If you have ever purchased new technology and watched your teen intuitively figure it out with blazing speed, you can understand how the role of the teacher is changing in today’s age of technology. In her article “Technology Integration for the New 21st Century Learner,” educator Nancye Blair describes this integral shift: “A new mindset of teaching through technology must emerge, which depends on a vital shift in teacher/student roles.” Ms. Blair writes, “In this configuration, the teacher acts as a learning catalyst, orchestrating and facilitating activities that spark defining moments for students. The student then becomes the focal point of the classroom, acting as explorer (e.g., mathematician, scientist, sociologist) and designer (e.g., author, artist, composer).” Dr. Graves notes that the GPS faculty have embraced this new role with gusto. “More than ever before, education has become a journey rather than a destination, and today’s teachers are on a journey of constant discovery right along with their students,” Dr. Graves says. “This shift gives teachers the opportunity to focus more on powerful and creative learning opportunities. We are fortunate to have talented teachers who are finding new and exciting ways to reinvent the classroom experience.” n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

O U R C O V E R S T O R Y. 2 1 S T - C E N T U R Y E D U C A T I O N .

IN THE CLASSROO By Anne N. Exum

I read a quotation recently on social media (where else?) that seems to define 21st-century learning or, at the very least, suggest the best of education regardless of what century.

“Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.” — Ivan Illich, author and Austrian philosopher In the photos and profiles that follow, I believe you’ll find a correlation between what’s happening in GPS classes to the quotation above.

Carly Perry ’16

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

OMS OF GPS

Paper. You wrapped presents with it over the holidays, read newsprint used for the sports section after the bowl games, and maybe turned the paper pages in a good book. Isabel McCall’s AP 3D Sculpture class imagined paper for a different purpose last semester. Katie Brown, Isabella Biscarini, Keyle Snyder, Scottie Sandlin, Madeleine Longshore, and Carly Perry were asked to make paper garments, and the outcomes displayed in the theatre lobby drew stares and applause. “The girls had to think about the work and any issues that come up when a sculptor is trying to make the work hold together,” says McCall, who based the assignment on something she learned at a summer class at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, a nationally-recognized art education center in Gatlinburg, TN. Engineering the dresses was a challenge, she says, noting that the girls had to take into consideration factors such as the weight, the fragile material, balance, and proportion. Brown accessorized her dress with a fascinator, and Biscarini chose to use hundreds of coffee filters for her skirt. No doubt these girls now consider paper as having value for more than reading, writing, wrapping, and printing! n — CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Katie Brown ’16

Isabella Biscarini ’16

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

IN THE CLASSROOMS OF GPS

COLLABORATION YIELDS

FOOD AND FUNCTION

How do a ceramics class and an environmental science class collaborate? With food and centerpieces! Since August, new faculty member Angela Langevin has guided her science classes in planning, planting, and harvesting over 200 pounds of produce for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Meanwhile, Isabel McCall’s art students have worked on their ceramic skills. Together they agree on the philosophy of “empathy fuels understanding,” so they hosted an event that featured the best efforts of both classes. McCall’s students created plates, bowls, and slab vases that were donated to a CAFB fundraiser, but only after they graced the tables at a Food Feast. Delicious dishes by the science students used ingredients from the GPS garden. At the shared meal were roasted cauliflower, kale and broccoli salads, carrot soup, kohlrabi fritters, sweet potato casserole, carrot cake, pumpkin pie, and beet and kale cupcakes that were judged “most delicious.”

Art

DRIVING A CREATIVE MISSION Freshman English teachers Corrie White and Catherine Ingalls took their students on a field trip to the Bluff View’s River Gallery, a hoped-for place of inspiration for a written narrative. Having just studied Girl with a Pearl Earring and after talking about the connection between the work of art, Vermeer’s famous painting, and the fiction of Tracey Chevalier’s book, the students selected a painting or sculpture and examined the visual and thematic elements before developing their own backstory. The writing assignment was guided by the same forces as those of the author in developing her best-selling book. n

Continuing their collaboration further, the art students, “with their prowess in problem-solving and creativity,” according to Langevin, helped the science classes repair and install the cold frame/high tunnel structures before the first frost. n

Isabel McCall and Angela Langevin

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

LEARNING BY

Teaching RESEARCH through

TEAMWORK

Senior Jen Andrews began research in the chemistry labs of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga this past semester, the first GPS student to participate in the Partnership in Research and Laboratory Learning program begun by McCallie chemistry teacher Dr. Elizabeth Hamilton Forrester ’94 and Dr. Manuel Santiago at UTC.

When seniors in the AP Government class were asked to share what they were learning with seventh grade American Studies students, creativity was on display. The middle school girls rotated through stations and learned from their older peers about the legislative branch, the Presidency, Supreme Court, Bill of Rights, and other government functions. Here, multiple EOS lip balm containers were placed on scales in answers to questions about checking the power and balancing the branches of government. Matching games, online quizzes, and crossword puzzles were the tools for sharing knowledge from one grade level to the next. n

— CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Andrews meets twice a week for about two hours using various instrumentation to isolate and find concentrations of specific chemicals produced by ladybug beetle eggs and to detect how those concentrations change based on the beetles’ diet. The question being studied is, “Can pesticide use be minimized through chemistry research?” Science department chair Tracie Marlin Durham ’80 plans to add a few juniors to the research team in the second semester so they may continue with the research next year. Andrews was prepared for this opportunity since she took AP Chemistry during her junior year. “This is a real-world opportunity for the girls to collaborate and problem-solve, and their names will appear in any published paper that results from their research,” says Durham. n No Limits. Prepared for Life.

IN THE CLASSROOMS OF GPS

Design

AND APPLICATION For their semester project in Engineering Design and Application II, seniors Story DeWeese and Shivani Modi had to design and execute an engineering project, solving a problem of their own choosing. They were interested in “creating something useful to many people,” says Story, eventually deciding on a solar powered phone charger. “This will be useful in countries where electricity is not readily available,” she says. They discovered other available solutions to the phone charger problem, but some were too small and others too large, so they compromised with two small portable solar panels that can fold together to create a large surface area in which to hold solar energy. GPS librarian Will Glass assisted the girls on their 3D project and praised their work. “Building the charger has been challenging, as it required an understanding of 3D design tools to create and print the case, electrical circuits to regulate the power generated by the panels, wiring to carry power throughout the charger, and soldering to attach wires to the panels as well as attach components to the two printed circuit boards,” Glass says, adding that “Story and Modi demonstrated a high level of creativity and problem-solving skills.” n

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

S C I E N C E

FA I R

I N

CYBERSPACE Collaboration will be the buzzword for the increased number of GPS entries in the e-Cybermission program which, according to the program’s website, takes “the science fair out of the auditorium and into cyberspace.” Teams of 7th graders through freshmen are identifying local problems, conducting research, and proposing solutions in the program that provides online uploading of information, online mentors, and online judging. In the past, GPS has had at least one or two freshmen teams place at the top of state entries. This year, eighth grade science classes taught by Katye Adams Couch ’92 and Kristi Bryson began early with the Lexus Eco Challenge, researching solutions for such local issues as storm drains, landfills, and recycling. “Group work is messy!” says Bryson, but group work will be expected in many of the careers our students will enter. Teams wrote on their topic, created step-by-step action plans for addressing the issue, including how they would measure success, and put their plans into action to raise awareness. One consulted with a local non-profit; another produced an infomercial. Through websites, blogs, videos, and PowerPoint presentations, the students were involved in four of the C’s of 21st-century learning: collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. n

SOCIAL JUSTICE PARTNERSHIP This year, history teacher Callie Hamilton offered a popular elective, Social Justice, and started the year with an in-depth look at racism: what it is, the historical significance starting with the reconstruction amendments through Civil Rights, the ways in which racism was embedded in our institutions and cities after WWII, and strategies for moving forward. The classes also looked at recent newspaper stories about Chattanooga’s racial disparities. Next they examined sexism, following the same pattern of definition, historical context, the status of women today, and ideas for moving forward. “I contacted Dr. Charles Mitchell, who brought his Brainerd High School students involved in community service to GPS for a lunch and planning session to build on what’s been learned,” says Hamilton. “I have told the students that prejudice gets perpetuated through stereotypes and misperceptions, and the lunch, along with building relationships, was the first step in finding an antidote.” His mission, she says, is “involving young people as we discuss and try to solve community problems; ‘they are our future,’ he says over and over again.” Together, the students attended events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the passage of the 13th Amendment. “If our girls come away from this partnership with an appreciation for diversity, a sense of kinship and shared responsibility with other youth for shaping the future of our city and country, and an ability to view situations from multiple perspectives, then I will be a very happy teacher,” says Hamilton. n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

2 1 S T- C E N T U R Y E D U C AT I O N

“That’s so cool!”

“Oh, WOW! This is fun!”

THE FACES OF TOMORROW’S COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS “I love computer science because it is just like solving a puzzle or a problem.” — Aarushi Modi ’22

“I love computer science because I can make anything I want, from a music video to a game!” — Lily Petree ’22

SCRATCH

and Learn to Code By Karen Richards, GPS computer science faculty

“Look! Come see what I made!” Those are the sounds heard inside a sixth or seventh grade computer science class on any given day. Students fill the computer lab with energy, excitement, and enthusiasm, in stark contrast to the old ideas of computer programming: a lone individual (usually male), sitting among computer equipment, empty soda cans, and half-eaten pizzas in a darkened room. The GPS Middle School computer lab is a space filled with creative, curious girls exercising their problem-solvFewer than 20% of ing muscles.

AP computer science

about the author Karen Richards ANOTHER CAREER YOU MIGHT PURSUE “If I had to pick, I’d be a CPA.” IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY … “I would travel extensively and slowly.” WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE? “Our service men and women” FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Breakfast Club” MY CLASSROOM IN FOUR WORDS: “Always a happy place”

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Despite the omnipresence of technology in our daily lives, only a students are women. small minority of middle and high schools offer computer science classes. Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president of Google says, “Learning to code makes kids feel empowered, creative, and confident. If we want our young women to retain these traits into adulthood, a great option is to expose them to computer programming in their youth.” GPS recognizes and respects this need by requiring computer science in the first two years of Middle School and establishing a climate of what GPS Middle School Principal Elaine Milazzo calls, “joyful learning.” GPS is a trailblazer by requiring computer science in both sixth and seventh grades. Computers are all around us. We rely on them every day for even the most basic tasks. Not sure what to wear today? Check the weather on your smart phone. Need to pay the electric bill? Go to your bank’s website and pay online. Need a cookie monster costume by Friday? Order online today and you can be wearing it in fewer than 48 hours. Computer use and reliance are not going to decrease — quite the opposite. As our technology dependence continues to

grow, so does the need for qualified people to fill computing jobs. Computer Science Education Week (cdsedweek.org) provides some shocking statistics: • There will be one million unfilled computing jobs over the next 10 years (1.4 million jobs available, but only 400,000 graduates with computer science degrees to fill them). • Computer programming jobs are growing at more than two times the national average. • More than 50% of all projected math and science occupations are in computing. • AP Computer Science is taught in only 5% of U.S. high schools. • Fewer than 20% of AP computer science students are women. Because we are a girls’ school, cute and creative are on my mind as I plan the curriculum for sixth grade Discover Computer Science classes. I toss out any notions of dry, boring, and dull and teach programming using the colorful and creative Scratch programming language, which, as their website says, “helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.” With Scratch, girls have access to a large library of sprites, or characters, to insert into their programs. They can use Scratch to write, illustrate and animate stories, make music videos, develop interactive games, design artwork, and much more. Scratch instruction is offered in a new way this year with the addition of Google’s CS First, a program that offers brief screen casts followed by specific instructions for students to carry out in Scratch. Included are opportunities for a student to inject her own creativity into each project and move through Scratch lessons at her own pace.

Google CS First has added a whole new layer of interest and enjoyment to sixth grade Discover Computer Science. Girls enjoy the freedom of working at their own pace, and I have seen an increase in girls wanting to work on Scratch outside of class during their free time. Google offers lessons and starter projects in programming for music, sports, fashion, social media, gaming, friends, storytelling, art, and animation. Just like the real world of computer programming, there is a place for every interest in Google CS First! After first sketching out the designs for their end product, girls put their headphones on, watch the short videos, and then create. With their end result in mind, students must think algorithmically as they put different Scratch blocks together to build their program. I can almost hear their brains at work as they use logic and reason to think through getting a unicorn to glide across the screen or make a butterfly’s wings move. Whenever a program doesn’t perform as expected, students are challenged to walk step-by-step through their code to find the error.

Girls’ projects may be colorful, fun, silly, creative, and sometimes ridiculous, but each girl is getting a dose of 21st century skills for learning: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Requiring computer science classes beginning in sixth grade sends the message that GPS is committed to provided 21st-century education excellence. Our girls are confident in their creative computing abilities and are having fun doing it! n

“Learning to code makes kids feel empowered, creative, and confident.” Susan Wojcicki Senior Vice President of Google

Just like real life programming work spaces, our classroom is collaborative! Coding genius is a group effort, not individual. Girls are encouraged to talk to each other about the entire coding process, and debugging is often more effective when another set of eyes looks at the code.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

COMBINING SUPERHUMAN PROCESSING AND A LEARNING

EDUCATION: What’s the Future? By Amy Piper, GPS English faculty

Peals of laughter and chit-chat wane, and the class comes to attention as Mr. Roboto powers up, rolls into the room and makes an electronic scan of attendance. This teacher’s credentials are measured not in Ph.D.’s and years of experience but in superhuman processing power and a learning algorithm.

calculators. Baby Boomers also remember a time before autocorrect when misspellings meant correction tape or starting over on the typewriter.

Robotic teachers may sound like a Jules Verne invention, but they are a reality in a handful of classrooms. While the course of the twentieth century brought changes in educational technology that seemed paradigm shifting to those living through them, most of the period will likely be viewed in hindsight as a time of relative stasis in the punctuated equilibrium of technological advancement. By comparison, the next several decades are projected, for good or ill, to usher in a J-curve of possibility. Before some wildly speculative science fiction on where technological advancements might drive education in the next century, recall where the nation stood at the turn of the last one.

Gen Xers, the parents of today’s Millennials, were awed by the “bing” of the manually-advancing filmstrip, cassette tapes and clunky projectors with text that scrolled across the screen. But by the time the Xers hit college, a revolution was at hand. Their children

FROM CHALK TO IPADS

Individual slates and chalk were the tools of the one-room schoolhouse that remained the model in rural America as late as 1920. Moneyed institutions bought the Marconi and overhead projectors for 1930s classrooms, and half of schools were projecting silent movies for pupils during that decade. The first television sets arrived in elite west coast schools by 1940, and grandparents of today’s students will recall the marvels of the slide rule and later, handheld 12

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Throughout a student’s education, she thrives in the relationship of teacher providing human support and encouragement. would fully exploit the technologies of the late twentieth century: personal computing, electronic mail systems, and a world-wide repository of data. Born on the cusp of the 21st century, GPS students were raised as natives in the informational age. They are facile with iPads and laptops and operate 3D printers and drones. They compete with each other on web-based games where teachers receive real-time data on their progress. Green screen apps allow them

to film themselves in other worlds, real and imagined, while conferencing technologies permit them access to peers on other continents. The obsolescence of hardware is inevitable; today’s iPad is tomorrow’s slide rule, but connectivity, availability of information, and the myriad applications for new modules of learning are where the exponential growth is happening. THE DAWN OF DIFFERENTIATED LESSONS

While robot teachers are not commonplace, adaptive learning companies like Knewton think they might be soon. The company built an algorithm capable of scanning millions of users’ data to build differentiated lessons for students by evaluating the overall mix in their gaps in understanding.

ALGORITHM FOR A NEW KIND OF CLASSROOM

THEN AND NOW IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL …

It is now three generations beyond the Millennials at the close of this century, and most colleges with their high tuitions and sprawling campuses are gone. The College Board, once charged with creating and administering the SAT, now caters to corporations, testing workers on the specific skills required for their fields of business. Companies still desire an educated work force, but they no longer place a premium on where that education was obtained. Lovers of learning for its own sake, those who embrace liberal arts education and anyone who believes that relationship between teacher and student is essential, should cringe at this vision of using educational technology to create a sterile environment distilled to

learning only what is necessary to increase the GDP. But take heart. A recent German study proved that kindergartners who were subliminally influenced by pictures of a well-liked teacher excelled in problemsolving relative to children who were not shown photos of their teacher. Throughout a student’s education, she thrives in the relationship of teacher providing human support and encouragement, and until an algorithm learns empathy, that relationship will endure. Future educational technology will likely bring more good than ill. It will open horizons to learners in developing nations and produce new species of entrepreneurship. Even in the near present, the increasing velocity of new technology enables GPS teachers to ensure their classrooms have — no limits. n

Floppy disks and heavy computers were cutting-edge in the 1980s. Today, students use lightweight laptops and iPads in Glen Vey’s World Civilizations class.

about the author Amy Piper HOW MANY YEARS AT GPS? “Three.” IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY … “I would set up a foundation to serve causes in perpetuity and also travel around the world several times.” WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE? “Eighth grade girls. They are great people” FAVORITE MOVIE: “The King’s Speech.” MY CLASSROOM IN FOUR WORDS: “cozy little learning nest”

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

M E A N I N G F U L L E A R N I N G A B O U T T H E C H AT TA N O O G A C O M M U N I T Y

CONSEQUENTIAL “What’s most interesting about this class is that we’ve been able to examine the complexities of the issues. We’ve looked at how health care is related to education and how poverty is related to hunger.” — Caroline West ’16 “It’s been really interesting to learn about the Chattanooga community, and not just the insular community of GPS and McCallie. We’re getting to know what’s really going on in Chattanooga.” — Anna Shaw ’17

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today By Linda Moss Mines, Chair of the GPS History & Social Sciences Department If you judged young people by media coverage during 2015, you might despair about our nation’s future and the outlook for our society. If, however, you were gifted with the opportunity to work with over 30 GPS and McCallie students as they examined challenges faced by our city and its residents while exploring the service agencies and non-government organizations dealing with those issues, then you might breathe a sigh of relief. In spring 2015, Sumner McCallie and I co-authored a grant proposal based on a partnership between our schools and with community agencies dealing with the often hidden issues facing Chattanooga’s unemployed and underemployed residents. The Southern Association of Independent Schools approved our receipt of the Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grant and awarded $5,000 to further the program. McCallie and GPS students in grades 10-12 were invited to join the Consequential Philanthropy class with an understanding that the

PHILANTHROPY: class would meet two days per week after regular class hours (five hours per week) for ten weeks. GPS students would be awarded a Community Scholars Certificate designation. Thirtytwo students committed to the seminarbased class and two additional teachers joined the leadership team, McCallie’s Erin Tocknell and new GPS faculty member Trish King.

The next ten weeks became a whirlwind. Students delved into Chattanooga demographics. Where did poverty exist? What services were available but strained financially? What motivated professionals to develop or join nonprofit agencies? How does one raise funds to support a specific program? How might one depict the ‘face’ of poverty or subsistence living? How might one person make a difference? That exploration often ended with one emotion-filled question: How did I not know? Students tackled major issues including inadequate housing, lack of nutritional food, children at risk, safety issues related to abused and neglected women,

street violence and gang conflict, preschool programs for working parents, the homeless community, and programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse Chattanooga. Community leader Alison Lebovitz led the class members through a special training session designed to help each student tap into his or her most inherent values. From that session, students began a three-week

annual meeting at McCallie School, and Sumner and I are offering a workshop for teachers entitled “Teaching Civic Engagement.” We hope to involve some of the students who participated in the course. An understanding of diverse global cultures will increasingly be a component of 21st-century education. A good place to start is in the students’ own backyard. Curiosity and compassion for the needs of those in their own community will hopefully carry over to a broader community – their world, not just their city or state. If my mission as an educator is to foster an informed, active citizen cadre, I left the final class as an optimistic adult. Conversations continue in hallways and via email. Volunteerism has increased as has an interest in budgeting, grantwriting, and community partnerships. It may be entirely inappropriate to quote a fictional character from popular culture but, “I love it when a plan comes together.” n

conversation about the very issue of ‘where do you begin?’ in promoting positive change. It was an agonizing and rewarding process. Ideas for how to use the $5000 were submitted and then narrowed to four strong proposals. Discussions, debates, and long and thoughtful periods of silence ultimately resulted in a decision to fund two programs: $4000 to support Brother Ron Fender’s ‘End of Life’ program for homeless, terminally-ill men, and $1000 to develop and implement a similar philanthropy course for students from all area high schools, public and private. In March the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools will hold its

about the author Linda Moss Mines HOW MANY YEARS AT GPS? “Twenty-six.” ANOTHER CAREER YOU MIGHT PURSUE … “Constitutional Law.” IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY … “I would fund college for my grandchildren and set up a grants program for communitybased programs.” WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE: “Abraham Lincoln, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Nelson Mandela.” FAVORITE MOVIE: “Any movie with Peter O’Toole or Kenneth Branagh.”

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

D E S I G N I N G A S T R AT E G I C P L A N

HOW CAN GPS st

be the best 21 -century, all-girls’ school? In preparation for all that’s needed to develop a new strategic plan — wisdom, thoughtfulness, honest appraisal — GPS is asking lots of questions.

“This two-year process will… propose new initiatives that will ensure we are providing what girls need for the 21st-century.”

At an April in-service last year, Dr. Graves asked the faculty, “If we were to revolutionize how we use time, space, and talent, considering how we use best practices in education and how we use the latest research about how girls learn, what will we want to study? What will we want to learn about that would help us inform a strategy about our being the best 21st- century, all-girls school possible?” With those questions, the faculty and staff met in small groups, brainstormed, and then voted on which aspects and areas they thought might be the most interesting to explore. The school also engaged Carla Silver from Leadership + Design to act as a consultant. An experienced independent school educator, school administrator, and experience designer, she has worked in curriculum development, pedagogy, and identity development. She assisted Emma Willard, a girls’ school in New York, with a program transformation. On a journey of discovery, we are now prepared to do the research, engage each member of the GPS constituency, and articulate the vision for the future of our school. We have the opportunity to create a comprehensive, strategic plan that ensures we are giving our girls a world-class education that prepares them to lead in the global arena.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

We’re spending this year going through an inquiry process — an exploration. What’s happening out there in the world in education, in business, in government, in industry, and how are we best preparing our girls to be leaders in that new society?

This endeavor aligns with GPS’s re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) due to take place in 2017. Our goal is to produce a comprehensive recommendation of two to four key strategic initiatives, and the needed resources, to fulfill our shared vision for the future of GPS. The process begins with Five Inquiry Groups, with members from faculty, staff and Trustees, focusing on the following:

• Mission/Identity: What Does GPS Stand For? — Who are we now, and what are our institutional aspirations? • Teaching & Learning — What is a ‘relevant’ education? What are the academic and non-cognitive skills and behaviors that will serve our students in the future? • 21st Century Faculty & Staff — How do we empower teachers to reimagine their roles in and out of the classroom?

• The Girl as Text: The Education of Girls & Young Women — How do we help girls to deepen their identity formation? How do girls learn best? • Technology, Tools, and Territory — What capacity will be needed (human, infrastructure, facilities) in order to support a robust contemporary education? The Strategic Planning team led by Dr. Mary Tanner, a noted educator and member of the GPS Board of Trustees, has been established to synthesize and refine the findings of the Inquiry Groups and drive the planning process through to completion. This is an exciting two-year process and one that will strengthen our community as we examine our school, celebrate what we do best, and propose new initiatives that will ensure we are providing what girls need for the 21st century. We hope you see the value of supporting this important initiative. When asked to complete a survey as a parent, alumna, or community member, please participate in our strategic planning process. n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

FREE TO THE COMMUNITY

Keynote speaker Lori Greiner Shark Tank

Back by popular demand, Mad, Bad & Dangerous, the GPS symposium for women and girl entrepreneurs, returns as a two-day event March 11 and 12. By validating the female voice in technology, startups and business, Mad, Bad & Dangerous (MBD) equips women of all ages with the information and resources they need to become successful business and social entrepreneurs. “We want women in our community to feel inspired and supported as they consider turning their ideas into real business ventures,” says Head of School Dr. Autumn Graves. “We know women are highly qualified to make it as entrepreneurs. Mad, Bad & Dangerous is designed to help women and girls see themselves as capable, confident, and bold entrepreneurs in the making.” This year, however, the activities begin a day early, on Friday, March 11, with a community luncheon featuring celebrity keynote speaker Lori Greiner, star of ABC’s entrepreneurial reality show Shark Tank. Regarded as one

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

of the most prolific inventors of retail products, Greiner has created over 500 products and holds 120 U.S. and international patents. As a star shark on the hit entrepreneurial business show, she invests in companies and helps turn dreams into reality. The free conference at GPS on Saturday, March 12, will include the popular features from last year: • Entrepreneurial education tracks built on last year’s topics and led by expert business leaders and established entrepreneurs on beginner and advanced topics. New tracks this year for men and girls. • CO.LAB’s 24Hour Generator, Girl Edition, where girls from area schools participate in an intensive period of mentoring, community building, and planning to solve a business problem and then pitch their solutions to a panel of judges for a cash prize.

• A women’s and girl’s marketplace of more than 50 vendors, featuring women and girl-owned businesses focused on women’s services and products. • A Learning Blade Tech Tinkering Lab that features hands-on experiences, enhancing creativity and idea generation. New this year will be opportunities for attendees to sign up for “office hours” with panelists and presenters to receive direct consultation in 20-minute segments. Visit getyourmbd.com to purchase tickets for Friday’s luncheon, register for Saturday’s free conference, and view sponsorship information. Join us both days and start your own Mad, Bad, & Dangerous entrepreneurial dream! n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

AT H L E T I C S

Kudos to Fall Athletes “It has been great to see the hard work of this dedicated golf team yield rewards,” Head Coach Rob Riddle said at the close of the season. The rewards came in the form of a solid fall that extended as far as the TSSAA State Championship. Under the leadership of senior Mary Melissa Manuel, the team clinched a state tournament berth when they were crowned Region II Runners-Up in September. The team, including McKenzie Frizzell, Manuel, Hannah Prescott (not pictured), and Scottie Sandlin, ended the 2015 season with a third-place finish at the state championship. Manuel had two solid days on the green and finished in 7th place.

While no repeat state championship was won, a lot of heart went into the fall soccer season for the team, which finished 10-4-2. Advancing as far as the TSSAA State Semifinals, it took two ten-minute overtime periods, two five-minute sudden death periods and four rounds of penalty kicks to end the season. Three seniors – Lucy St. Charles, Zoe Rustand and Keyle Snyder – were chosen for multiple post-season honors. During their four years, this talented trio led Bruiser teams to a combined four-year record of 46-10-7, three final fours in four years, a Region record of 20-5-5, and only one Region loss in the past two seasons.

Three accomplished seniors, Gabby Hughes, Allyce Buniak, and Jenna Simpson, from left, provided team leadership during the fall varsity volleyball season. Hughes was named to the Best of Preps Volleyball Team. “We’re so proud of our seniors,” said Athletic Director Stacey Hill, “and the leadership they’ve provided to their younger teammates.” At least one of this year’s seniors plans to play on the collegiate level next fall. With so many underclassmen getting ample playing time, next fall season promises to be a year to watch the Bruisers.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

In a fall season marked by changes and new experiences, the Bruiser rowing team welcomed a new head coach, former Olympian Megan Dirkmaat McCourt, and traveled to Cambridge, MA, to compete against world-class competition in the Head of the Charles Regatta. With most mornings spent in pre-dawn practice on the river, the teams competed in three additional races and are ready to get on the water again in the spring.

For the second straight year, GPS cross country finished among the top teams in the state, placing third in the TSSAA State Championship Meet in November. The team placed three runners in the top 15: Kate McVay (11th), Carley Braman, (4th), and Lea Mulligan (13th). Each girl earned All-State honors. Sophomore Bramanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time was the best time recorded by a GPS runner in nine years, securing her placement on the TSSAA Sportswriterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association All State Cross Country Team. Pictured from left are Braman, Mulligan, Scottie Sandlin, McVay, Myra Brock, Mary Margaret Arrowsmith, and Rebecca Torrence.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

AT H L E T I C S

Awards and Achievements • For the second time in the four-year history of the BlueCross Championship Series Award, GPS has been recognized for having the highest performing athletic program among Division II-AA schools. Consideration is based on athletic excellence and sportsmanship, two of the key tenets the TSSAA strives to promote. TSSAA Marketing Director Courtney Poole Brunetz ’92 presented the award. • Bowling Head Coach David McGowan has received the 2015 South Sectional Coach of the Year Award for Girls Bowling by the National Federation of State High School Associations for demonstrating excellence in coaching on the state, sectional, and national level. McGowan was named the Tennessee recipient of the Coach of the Year award in the fall. • Two seniors signed scholarship papers to play their chosen sport at the collegiate level. Rower Nicki Backus signed a National Letter of Intent for University of Tulsa, and in late January, Mary Melissa Manuel committed to play golf at Rhodes College in Memphis. • The three seniors on the GPS soccer team — Zoe Rustand, Lucy St. Charles, and Keyle Snyder — were named members of the 2015 Division II AA East-Middle All-Region team, and Snyder was named the Region’s Most Valuable Player. Snyder was also Player of the Year on the 2015 Chattanooga Girls Prep Soccer Super Team; Lane Lawrence, Rustand, and St. Charles were team selections.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Middle School Fall Sports Wrap Up The Middle School Cross Country team, Region Champions, finished strong in all regular season meets, placing third or higher. “I really enjoyed training with this great group of young runners this fall and seeing each girl improve her time,” said Head Coach Gina Wells, who took the team photo below. “Each softball player made improvements throughout the Middle School season, not only in skill but also in knowledge of the game. The support they showed each other was contagious, and the addition of Kamri Chester ’08 made the fall season truly enjoyable,” said Head Coach Susan Crownover. “We had a great tennis season this fall with girls who showed tremendous enthusiasm and new assistant coach Sarah Evans ’10,” said Head Coach Billy Bartlett. “With 12 wins and only two losses, this was one of the best teams in recent years, with new sixth grade talent and leadership from our 8th graders.” “In 10 games over eight weeks, we outscored our opponents by 25 goals, finishing the 2015 season with an 8-1-1 record,” said Head Soccer Coach Marina Kugler of the Black team. “It was truly a privilege to coach this team,” Team Blue Coach Heather Faasse added. “The girls had a definite passion for the game of soccer, and their talent promises a great future for GPS Soccer.”

AROUND SCHOOL

Twelve Honored by National Merit Three current seniors and one who is now a college freshman — Anna Baldree, Christina Love, Ayushi Sinha, and Hannah Tate — were recognized as National Merit Semifinalists for 2015-16. Hannah Tate took the test as a junior at GPS, elected to graduate early, and is now a freshman at Covenant College. Honored for their “exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies,” the girls placed in the top nationwide and represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Eight more seniors were honored by the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program as Commended Students. Including the four semifinalists, 15% of the class received recognition. Tigris Nevans, Ivey Fidelibus, Allyce Buniak, Haley Mull, Victoria Hicks, Lucy St. Charles, Mary Lyddon Thatcher, and Caroline West, from left, placed in the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2016 competition by taking the PSAT. They received letters of commendation citing them for “outstanding potential for academic success.”

Mission: Remission Over 1500 GPS and McCallie School students and faculty united for the fourth annual event and walked a 2.5 mile loop through downtown Chattanooga to raise money for research to find cures for cancer. Carrying the official Armygreen “fighting cancer together” banner, students led a figurative “Army of One” on the walk. Rachel Raisin, president of GPS’s Partnership in Community; and Alyson Parris and Duncan Moore, presidents of the GPS and McCallie Student Councils, announced that the sale of the shirts had surpassed the $20,000 goal.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

AROUND SCHOOL

Middle School’s Musical: The Lion King JR. “The play’s the thing” is an oft-quoted line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but in addition to the music being sung on the Frierson Theatre stage, the costumes made Disney’s The Lion King JR. a smash hit at GPS. The GPS and McCallie Middle Schools’ presentation, directed by Mike Lees and choreographed by Cathie Ault Kasch ’72, was based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor and by special arrangement with Disney. It included most of the music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice from the animated movie The Lion King, including “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and “Can Your Feel the Love Tonight.” A cast of sixth through eighth graders made up the lionesses, hyenas, wildebeests, and jungle and grasslands animals.

The Grapes of Wrath on Stage at GPS GPS coordinated with McCallie to present The Grapes of Wrath, the awardwinning play based on John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, classic novel, in November. Set during the Great Depression, the story tells of the struggles of the Joad family as they leave the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and seek a more promising future in California. Playing Joad family members were, from left, McKenzi Marlow and Cameron Ford.

2016 May Day Court Senior Alyson Parris will reign over the 2016 May Day festivities on Wednesday, April 27. The Student Council president, a GPS Ambassador, and member of the bowling team, Alyson was chosen by the student body in January. Caroline West, president of the Religious Roundtable, co-editor in chief of the yearbook, and a member of the orchestra, will be her Maid of Honor. Pictured after an exciting day of presentations and announcements are, from left, Charlotte Whitfield, scepter bearer; Zoe Rustand, crown bearer; Hannah Faith Greene, trainbearer; Queen Alyson Parris, Maid of Honor Caroline West, Rachel Raisin, trainbearer; and Story DeWeese and McKinley Self, Ladies of the Court. 24

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

GPS Three-Peats at Model UN For the third year in a row, the GPS Model UN club brought home the Best Delegation trophy from the Southeastern High School Model United Nations Conference (SHSMUN). Five girls on the delegation are eligible to attend the National Model UN conference in NYC in March. They are, seated from left, seniors Allyce Buniak, Caroline West, Victoria Hicks, Anjali Ravee, and junior Rebecca Torrence. Thirteen percent of the 142 draft resolutions submitted and put on the conference docket were from GPS, even though the school represented only 7% of the delegations participating. Juniors on the winning delegation, standing from left, are Delaney Swann, Gabrielle Cox, Isabella Cornea, Lori Baxter, and Leah Baxter.

Sharing Skills When senior Ayushi Sinha received a $1500 Aspire IT grant from the National Center for Women & Technology (NCWIT), she turned to fellow members of the Computer Science club for help in planning and presenting a six-hour workshop for nearly 50 middle schoolaged girls in Chattanooga. “Behind the Screen: A 3D Workshop for Girls,” presented at the Chattanooga Public Library, provided training and the how-to’s of creating original objects in both Tinkercad and OpenSCAD for 3D printing. In addition, guest speakers included Daniel Hampton, CEO of 3D Ops, who talked about the use of 3D in creating medical design and patient-specific solutions, and Dr. Shelley Prevost, co-founder and CEO at Torch, whose mission it is “to make the internet a wonderful place for kids to grow up.” From left are Sophia Han, Sinha, Hope Newberry, and Abby Glass.

A ‘Uniform’ Honor Code As Dean of the Upper School, Jenise Gordon attended a summer conference and brought back some ideas for GPS. One she shared with Honor Council president Story DeWeese was that of an iconic GPS emblem that could be representative of the Honor Code. Story sketched her idea for the uniform and bow, which was polished by former graphic design teacher Suzanne Smartt, who added the color bandings that represent the class colors. Next, Dr. Graves and Story met separately with each class of girls who signed a poster of the uniform in their class color, a poster which now hangs in their hallway as a visual reminder of the promise they made to uphold the code. This poster at left has sections from each class and is a reminder to the school of the honorable community to which they belong.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

KEEPING CONNECTED

THANKS FOR YOUR EMAILS full of news and photos. Thanks as well for sending GPS your updates via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Keep us connected to your moves, careers, travels, and accomplishments by emailing Katherine Betts at kbetts@gps.edu or Anne Exum at aexum@gps.edu DON’T LET YOUR ALUMNAE-NEWSLETTER get lost in your inbox. We’ve started sharing alum news there as well, and you can keep up with your classmates on a timelier basis. There will be no summer issue of the GPS magazine this year. Photos from May Day, Commencement, and Alumnae Weekend will be part of the Annual Report in the fall. REMEMBER that photos should be as high a resolution as possible, and please provide the name of the professional photographer if a caption credit is needed. Remember also that large group wedding photos are no longer being accepted.

Meg Brock ’79 and Isabel McCall ’69 at an exhibit of work by art instructors from GPS and McCallie. They are standing in front of work they displayed at this exhibit in June 2015.

’60s – ’70s Some members of the Class of 1961 held a “Girlfriend Gathering” at Santa Rosa Beach, FL, last October. Seated from left are Shirley Lindsey Pangle, Linda Ricketts Knobler, Mary Heald Thornberry, Rosemary McWhorter Oliver, Jane Helton Fischer, Dr. Karen Duffy, and Johanne Dixon Albright. Standing are Diane Guinn Lawton, Ann Ward, Betsy Martin LaPoint, Vicki Freeman Blanton, Phyllis Gifford Pepin, Suzie Claytor Montgomery, Carolyn Bridgers Jackson, Dr. Nancy Auer, Susan Porzelius Spurgeon, and Sara Franklin Wilson.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Charlotte Caldwell ’69 has a new book, Kirby’s Journal: Backyard Butterfly Magic. The journal, published by the University of South Carolina Press, says that the book, “inspires children of all ages to go outdoors, to watch and listen inquisitively, and to share in the magic of nature.” The School Library Journal describes Caldwell’s book as “entertaining and enlightening” as the eleven-year-old Kirby “learns about gardening, photography, and scientific observations” through watching backyard butterflies and discovering a world of flora and fauna and their natural habitat. Caldwell is a member of the North American Butterfly Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the North American Nature Photographers Association. The book includes more than 100 color photographs and a glossary. Julie Ellis ’75, head of Western Kentucky University’s Engineering Department, was profiled in the Bowling Green Daily News. In the interview, Julie was asked to provide advice for young people interested in pursuing an engineering degree. The advice, which has value for everyone, included, “Stay curious; celebrate the words ‘oops’ and ‘hmmm’; learn something new every day; keep thinking; if you break stuff, fix it or make it better; watch movies that make you think; read books that haunt you; put down the phone and talk with people about ideas.” Melissa Freeman Gehrig ’76 is the new Executive Director for Vision House, a transitional housing program for homeless families in the Seattle area. As a direct descendant of King John, Allison Stephens ’79 enjoyed a trip last fall to Runnymede, England, where 800 years ago King John signed the Magna Carta.

’80s – ’90s GPS alumnae who are local experts in the field of financial and estate planning were on the panel for “Empowering Women for their Financial Future,” a lunch and learn program for GPS alumnae and parents in September. The opportunity was provided for the broader GPS constituency to hear advice and learn financial and estate planning tips. Head of School Autumn Graves, left, described the event as “an opportunity to re-engage with alumnae as they move through the stages of life.” Lisa Reynolds Shanahan ’83 moderated the panel discussion. Panelists included Melissa Woodall Curtis ’85, President of Woodall Agency Insurance, and Betsy Blunt Brown ’92, president of Pendleton Square Trust Company, the first chartered public trust company in Tennessee to be led by women.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

’80s – ’90s — continued

A large crowd turned out for the Nashville gathering of alumnae at the home of Ellie Bryan Billington ’75 and her husband William. Visiting with Head of School Dr. Autumn Graves, from left, are Linda Turnbull Hubbard ’62, June Hocker Brown ’62, Diane Moore ’62, and Jane Aiken Dowden ’58. A number of college-aged alumnae and young professionals gathered at the Birmingham home of Lauren Waters Rice ’03 and her husband Grantland to share their GPS memories and ask questions of Dr. Graves. On the front row from left are Kay Caldwell ’13, Lauren Rice, Dr. Graves, and Calyn Key ’13. Standing are Elizabeth Campbell McElroy ’83, Sara Griffith ’13, Christine DeHart McFadden ’05, Katie Kent ’03, Haley Hill Skipper ’07, Virginia Hammond ’14, and Carly Crowder ’13.

Laura Millard ’85 grew up swimming in the Chattanooga Area Swim League and has remained a lifelong swimmer. She regularly competed against Jamie Wallace Wilson ’85, who swam for Signal Mountain’s summer team. Laura sent GPS a photo of the two women when they reconnected at the United States Masters Swimming Nationals in Geneva, Ohio, this past summer. “We figured out our common GPS connection, and we swam against each other again!” writes Laura. “I’m proud to report that we both placed in the top 10 in the country in our age group and broke state records in our events. It was so much fun to connect with another GPS girl. Go Bruisers!” Note the “unplanned” technical swimsuits in Bruiser black and blue on Laura, who lives in Nashville, and Jamie, who lives in Charleston, SC. CHI Memorial Foundation, the fundraising arm of CHI Memorial, has named Mary Stewart Glendenning Lewis ’88 as the chair of the foundation’s board of directors. Betsy Hawthorne Bedwell ’90 is the new Director of Children’s Formation at Christ Church Episcopal. Betsy says she’s excited about “guiding my little flock in wonder, joy, and knowledge.”

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Aimee Gillison Henley ’90, a 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist, mailed autographed copies of her series called Brilliant Darkness to the GPS Holland Library. The books will be in the GPS Authors Permanent Collection. Aimee’s inscription reads, “To the Girls of GPS, from one of your own.” Lane Crowder ’90 has joined the Baker Donelson law firm as of counsel in the firm’s financial services transactions group in Chattanooga. Lane previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Shelley D. Rucker ’76. Lt. Col. Dion Rowland Flynn ’91 now serves as the Officer in Charge of the Air Force Reserve Outreach Program for the Air Force Reserve Policy Integration Division. She was asked to participate in a Raytheon-CBS Game Time Salute Initiative that was broadcast live during NFL games around Veterans Day, thanking military members for service to our country. If you weren’t watching an NFL game and missed excerpts of Dion’s interview, you can still check out the Atlanta CBS affiliate web link, atlanta.cbslocal.com/ category/game-time-salute Architect Julie Kline Dixon ’92 was featured in C-VILLE Weekly, a publication in the Charlottesville, Va., area. The Q&A with Julie reveals a process that creates spaces for “the human experience” and “how people live.” To read the interview and learn the history behind Julie’s own restored home, Rosney Farm, and why she chose architecture as a career, visit c-ville.com/study-living-architect-julie-dixonfocuses-use-space/ Rosney Co., the architecture firm she founded with her business partner, Keith Scott, named after the 1800s house she remodeled with her husband, Guy Dixon, in Buckingham County. Jennifer Kent Exum ’93 has joined the estate planning team of the law firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. She currently serves as Eastern division delegate on the executive council for the Tennessee Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate section.

Julie Kline Dixon ’92 (Photo courtesy of C-VILLE Weekly/Rammelkamp Foto)

Margaret Cleary Dean ’93 has joined the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) as a professional staff member. The HASC is a U.S. House of Representatives standing committee that is responsible for the oversight and funding for the Department of Defense and the military services. In joining the HASC, Margaret blends her previous career as a Systems Engineer with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and her expertise as a Navy Reservist Commander. Margaret says she welcomes any GPS student to Capitol Hill for a visit! Darcy Nowlin Welch ’94 is the new Director of Philanthropy for the Southern Lit Alliance based in Chattanooga. The alliance engages readers and writers through educational enrichment in local schools and innovative literary experiences. According to Darcy, SoLit is a “fantastic group with amazing outreach and programming.”

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

’80s – ’90s — continued After attending her reunion last spring, Allison Faucette Abney ’95 wrote, “Coming back to GPS this past spring was bittersweet because I miss it so very much. I love the time I spent there, the friendships I made at that special school. It is a magical, inspiring place. Now that I have children of my own, I see education from a new perspective and find myself constantly comparing GPS to other schools. Do they value the arts? Do they promote community service? Do they provide academic challenge? Do their teachers inspire? GPS is so well rounded, and I can’t believe I was lucky enough to attend.” GPS couldn’t say it any better!! Classmates Betsey Evans Kates and Emmie Wayland Treadwell ’97 make an annual event of a trip to Lake Winnepesauka with their children. Betsey lives in Atlanta, and Emmie is in Chattanooga. Bekah Mason ’98 moved to Louisville, KY, last summer to be the Secondary School Assistant Principal at the English Station campus of the Christian Academy school system. CASS is the largest Christian school system in the nation, and Bekah says that she is “excited about the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals and mentor new teachers.

’00 – ’05 Classmates Betsey Evans Kates and Emmie Wayland Treadwell ’97

Jessica McCurley ’01

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Check out the line of handcrafted toys made by Ruth McConnell Rau ’00 on her new website, handmadehappinessbyruth.com In the process of going from idea to reality, says Ruth, she learned so much about being a woman in business and realized that the skills she learned at GPS “have been a huge asset in releasing this first line of toys.” Congratulations to Jessica McCurley ’01, who received the 2015 Trainee Champion of Diversity Award as a student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Ruth McConnell Rau ’00 the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Prior to her graduate studies, Jessica taught English and literacy skills to refugees and migrants in the southeastern U.S., India, Ecuador, and Guatemala, worked as a Latina women’s advocate for a domestic violence shelter in Tennessee where she founded a Spanish outreach and empowerment program, and completed a fellowship at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C., focused on developing guidance for

international mental health interventions. In San Diego, she has worked with an East African refugee women’s group to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate educational classes and collaborated with physicians to deliver mental health services at a UCSD-sponsored clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. In early January, Maithilee Kunda ’02 joined the computer science and computer engineering department as an assistant professor in Vanderbilt’s School of Interactive Computing. Maithilee earned her bachelor’s in science from MIT and her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech. A press release from Vanderbilt says, “Her work in artificial intelligence and computational cognitive systems seeks to understand what role visual representations of knowledge play in learning and intelligent behavior…and aims to leverage findings to build increasingly more intelligent machines that approach human-level performance.” Kate Burk Joy ’03 works at Torch, a new tech start-up in Chattanooga. Torch exists to help families use technology in creative and balanced ways by putting a “pause” button on the Internet and allowing parents visibility into their children’s world. Katie Block ’04 is the Program Director at the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta. Registered architect Ginny Harr Webb ’04 has joined Tuck-Hinton Architects in Nashville. Ginny has experience in the institutional and education sectors and has worked on the design of several education projects at the elementary, high school, and university levels. She is committed to exploring innovative design techniques and sustainable solutions. Laura Keys ’04 recently received a master’s in conservation ecology from the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. Laura developed an interest in water quality through her work with a local non-profit, CaribbeanSEA. At UGA, Laura’s projects included testing water quality and investigating the effects of storm water on urban streams, among others. She has mapped wildlife habitats in North Carolina and been involved with the Athens, GA, Water Conservation Office and Georgia Adopt-a-Stream in Atlanta.

Kate Burk Joy ’03

Sarah Grebowski ’05

The GPS Alumnae office received an email from a local real estate professional who told of a flight into Chattanooga on which he sat next to Taylor Warren ’04. Taylor was returning to Chattanooga for a brief visit in between work in the public health field in African nations. She spent a year in Guinea working with Catholic Charities, heading up a team of 70 people who traveled to rural hospitals and worked alongside doctors and nurses on disease contamination issues. After her short stay in Chattanooga, she returned to Africa to study infant mortality rates in areas that do not keep records. “She is a remarkable young lady,” said her seatmate, “and GPS should be very proud of this young lady.” We are. Sarah Grebowski ’05, who received her master’s degree from the Foreign Service program at Georgetown University last year, was sworn in as a member of the foreign service last fall and received her posting assignment to Bahrain. After a class that covered basic protocol, consular services training, and country specific briefings, Sarah left for Bahrain in December.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

’00s – ’05s — continued Christine DeHart McFadden ’05 is the Director of Content for Slaughter Group, a multidisciplinary design and branding firm in Birmingham, AL. Christine works as a writer and stylist and with photographers to produce branded content for stories for clients. She was in Chattanooga in October at a photoshoot with Fletcher Bright and the Dismembered Tennesseans before the Three Sisters Festival. Gracyn Sansbury Bancroft ’05 and her husband embarked on a Year of Adventure (actually nine months) in September 2014. After quitting their jobs and packing up their belongings, they left the continental U.S. with backpacks of clothes, toiletries, boots, sleeping bags, and only necessary gadgets, according to Gracyn. The itinerary included stops in Nicaragua, Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos; Turkey, and 11 countries in Europe. Their goal every day was “to learn, be curious, and ask questions.” Gracyn says, “I have come away from traveling with an overwhelming sense that everyone, everywhere, mainly wants the same things: a safe place to live, food, friends, and a good life for their children.” Since their wanderlust, they have settled in Raleigh, NC, where Gracyn is working as an engineer on designs for transmission lines and substations, and saving funds for their next travel adventure.

’06 – ’10 Gracyn Sansbury Bancroft ’05 and her husband Alan

Mary Beth Weeks ‘06 has been putting her RN degree from Carson Newman University to work as a member of Traveling Nurses. Mary Beth is based in Anchorage, Alaska, and travels to hospital and clinics in a wide area. Kendall Coffey Stout ’06 is an international project manager in the London office of Clorox, the only American in an office that oversees projects in all categories and all countries across Europe. Accomplishing their shared goal of Kendall Coffey Stout ’06 living overseas, they and her husband Brian have taken advantage of their time in Europe and visited several countries in the European Union as well as Southeast Asia. “As the world becomes increasingly smaller, understanding international business, cultural differences, and direct exposure to living in another country” will be competitive advantages in their careers, says Kendall, who is pictured with her husband in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Ashley Johnson ’07 is the new head coach for women’s lacrosse at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. Ashley was a graduate assistant for three years at Grand Valley State University. Ashley played lacrosse and was captain of the team at Birmingham Southern College, where she was a USA College Lacrosse Women’s Division II All-American. Hobnobbing with actor Ed Helms from the television show “The Office,” Brittney McKenna ’07 has joined his music and American lifestyle website, The Bluegrass Situation, as associate editor. Brittney is also an editorial assistant and regular writer for the magazine American Songwriter, based in Nashville. Meagan Shinn ’07 is Program Manager with River City Company, Chattanooga’s economic development engine for the downtown area. Grateful for the opportunity to impact the city she loves, Meagan is working to build sustainable programs to engage the community with downtown. Alex Webster ’07, one of the top performing SolarCity employees, was selected for a GivePower Foundation five-day service trip to install solar-powered lighting systems in Kenya. Employment with DAMCO USA Inc. has taken Meredith MacLean ’08 from Santos, Brazil, to a new home in Mexico City, where she will work in supply chain management and in the organization and skills infrastructure of the Mexico Network.

Brittney McKenna ’07 hobnobbing with actor Ed Helms

Laura Wagner ’08 took time to answer the question, “Why do you run?” from the editors of the Chattanooga Track Club quarterly, Jogging Around. In the article, Laura admits to a “love/hate relationship with running” that began in childhood, continued with her participation on the GPS Middle School cross-country team, and wasn’t a priority during her years at Rhodes College. Today, she’s completed a number of half marathons and six full marathons, one in Disney, where she was dressed along with others in a tutu and a tiara. Laura has fulfilled her mother’s dream of their running together and made many new friends. Back in Chattanooga, she works for Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics and is pursuing her master’s in physician assistant studies. Jasmine Brown ’09 graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2015 where she played volleyball for the Big Orange. She is currently working at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office as the assistant to the District Public Defender. She is an assistant volleyball coach at Berean Christian School, head coach for an elite volleyball team, and also volunteers with programs for underprivileged youth in surrounding counties.

Laura Wagner ’08

Alizeh Ahmad ’10, an international studies and religion major at Emory University, received a Fullbright grant to serve as an English teaching assistant in Malaysia. The grant is an opportunity to experience life abroad while teaching or conducting research. The rigorous selection process is recognized as beneficial in later employment, graduate school admission, and professional connections. Norquata Allen ’10 graduated from Georgia Tech in spring 2015 with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and is currently working with the Wind Applications Engineering team in the Renewable Energy Development program for General Electric in Schenectady, NY. While at Georgia Tech, Norquata completed four co-op rotations at Delta Air Lines and conducted research abroad in France.

Alizeh Ahmad ’10

Meg Austin ’10 is a health volunteer for the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, partnering with UNICEF and the Red Cross Togo to educate villagers about the importance of building latrines and washing hands to promote health for families and their communities.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

’11 – ’15 Ryn Fager ’11 is working with the Critical-thinking and Assessment Test research team at Tennessee Technological University while finishing her undergraduate thesis. A member of Psi Chi and the National Beta Club, Ryn says her ambition is to work in higher education administration and help “to transform the classroom.” Last summer, Ryn completed some pen and ink drawings of GPS images: the class ring, the Rotunda pillars, the belt and bows. Those have been turned into a coloring book for young and old and are sold in the Bow, the new upscale GPS store. Suzanne Johannes ’11 has started optometry school at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. Morgan Elliott ’11 joined her GPS classmate Blair Stewart at her graduation from West Point last spring. Saba Munir ’11 was “coated” by her father before she started school at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, MS. Joining her in pursuit of a career in osteopathic medicine is GPS classmate Lauren Jackson.

Morgan Elliott ’11 with her GPS classmate Blair Stewart

Saba Munir ’11 with her GPS classmate Lauren Jackson

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

University of Evansville goalkeeper Simone Busby ’12 and the Purple Aces team qualified for the NCAA Div. I postseason. Earlier Simone was chosen to play for the Guyana women’s national soccer team with the hopes of playing in the Olympics in 2016. Tory Kemp ’12, who ranks 3rd all-time in the heptathlon at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, seems to equally enjoy the hurdles of pursuing a career in the medical field. After being honored as an All-ACC Academic athlete, Tory is now a student in the nursing school at UNC and was interviewed for an online article about UNC athletes pursuing a nursing career. Tory says, “Being a student athlete, you’re already under such a rigorous and intense schedule, and you really learn to prioritize your time and to study effectively when you have time. I think it’s a challenge that I’m prepared for.” Sarah Shaw ’12 was notified in November that she won Gold in Sports Action Division of College Photographer of the Year. Her photo was of a team of sled dogs during the final day of racing at a world championship dog sled derby in February 2015. A devoted group of GPS alumnae participate every year in the Seven Bridges Halfand Full Marathon, running or volunteering in memory of Christian Bryant ’12 and in support of the foundation established in her name to help improve and expand the medical care and resources available to children in the greater Chattanooga and Northwest Georgia communities. This photo includes, front row from left, Story DeWeese ’16, Kaycee Brown Pastusic ’93, Kathryn Bryant ’12, and Becky Buckbee Cullum ’83. Standing are Scottie Sandlin ’17, Anne Miller Welborn ’15, Libby Welborn ’18, Lela Moore ’94, Bailey Bryant ’17, and Corbin Cullum ’12. Sharron Bockman ’14 has been accepted into the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Summer Scholars Program. She will spend most of July in Chicago “learning from the best,” she says. Rachel Hudson ’15 joined the women’s rugby team (the Lady Ruckus) at Sewanee and will throw discus and hammer for the university’s track and field team in the spring.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

ALUMNAE NEWS

GPS Creates Leaders Leading like a girl, the GPS Class of 2013 is blazing a trail in college. With the school’s mission to “create leaders,” GPS sets the foundation, and just like a wheel, our GPS graduates gain more traction for leading others the further they roll into their colleges and careers. Rachel Monsees is a double major in mathematics and economics at Texas Christian University. Rachel is a member of the John V. Roach Honors College student cabinet, a select group of 16 students chosen as liaisons between honors faculty and students. Rachel has also been elected 2016 Chief Executive Officer (President) of the Gamma Psi chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. Rachel previously served as the Chief Financial Officer in 2015, the year that her chapter received the TCU Chancellor’s Chapter of the Year award. This summer Rachel will intern with Goldman Sachs in Dallas, TX.. Sydney Leech also attends Texas Christian University (TCU) and is a double major in marketing and entrepreneurial management. Sydney serves on the executive board of Student Foundation as the VP of Marketing and Communications. “I loved working with the admission office at GPS and now am extremely involved with TCU admissions.” A member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Sydney holds one of the top positions in the Panhellenic system that has oversight for 13 sorority chapters. For the 2016 year, she will be VP of Recruitment Operations on the executive board of TCU Panhellenic. Rachel Durham is currently pursuing a degree in public relations with a minor in business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was recently elected to serve as president of Sigma Kappa sorority, where she previously served as the House Manager and Vice President of Alumnae Relations. In 2015, she was a recruitment counselor where she guided over 1000 girls through the sorority recruitment process. Sigma Kappa won the Panhellenic involvement award for the past two years, and this year Rachel spearheaded the establishment of a scholarship to help fund one chapter member’s dues and expenses for a semester. This May, she will be traveling to Haiti with representatives from other UTK sororities to break ground on an all-girls’ school. Ellie Gaffney is currently in a five-year accounting master’s program at the University of Tennessee. Ellie was recently tapped to be the 2016 president of Alpha Delta Pi, one of the largest sororities on campus. Previously, Ellie was Membership Education Vice President and oversaw all new members, new activities, and rituals of sisterhood for this chapter. This summer, Ellie is hoping to intern in Boston, MA for one of the big four accounting firms. Working with others became a well-honed trait as Ellie led the Honor Council at GPS her senior year. IN MEMORIAM

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

Margaret Ferrell Finley ’31

Barbara Schroeder Wilkinson ’49

Frances Wilcox Striebinger ’39

Shirley Salmon Canaday ’50

Lynn Chapin Patten ’43

Frances “Bunny” Jones King ’55

Martha Spearman Bengel ’44

Christine Young Cooper ’66

Mai Bell Conley Hurley ’46

Charlene Cook ’67

Phyllis Train Applegate ’46

Ruby Shiau Chiang ’90

Janis Haskew Arthur ’47

Jean Deal Hanlin, retired faculty

S AV E T H E D AT E

It Was Never Just a Dress G P S

A L U M N A E

W E E K E N D

2 0 1 6

Join your classmates

DURING ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2016, APRIL 8-9. THE UNIFORM WAS the outward symbol that you were a GPS girl. Attired in one of the varied hues of cotton fabric, you blended in with friends in the classroom. To the rest of the world, you stood out not just as a girl receiving a superior collegepreparatory education, but as a girl living the values of integrity, respect, responsibility, and service. You may not always feel like a superhero, but others notice the difference. Your sense of self, your compassion and empathy, and your ability to advocate for others have given you the confidence to chart your own path and make your world a better place.

Alumnae Weekend 2016 honors the Reunion Classes 1936, ’41, ’46, ’51, ’56, ’61, ’66, ’71, ’76, ’81, ’86, ’91, ’96, ’01, ’06, and 2011. These two days will be an opportunity to remember and reminisce about your time at GPS and its impact on your life. Come share your stories with classmates and explore today’s campus. ALL ALUMNAE ARE WELCOME!

AlumWknd.indd 1

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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BIRTHS

1989 Allison Cowan Carroll a daughter, Avery Simone

2003 Aimee Few a son, August John

1991 Carolyn Horton Douglas a son, James Horton

Meredith Hobbs Arp a son, Oliver James

1996 Ann Harnsberger Carr a daughter, Margaret Elizabeth Hope Howick Shelton a daughter, Eloise Diane

Lacey Yerbey Williams a son, Brock Henry 2004 Ginny Harr Webb a daughter, Anne “Annie” Baker

Anna Schwartz Eady a daughter, Audrey Maxwell

2005 Lauren Harvey Barlew a daughter, Lucy Helen

1997 Whitney Schram Fuller a daughter, Clare Stafford

2007 Rachel Barron Morrison a son, Rhodes Barron

1998 Caroline Spencer Guild a daughter, Elliot Rose Cynthia Nelson Vanderwagen a son, Simon James

CAPTIONS 1 Weston Michael is the son of Adrienne Maloney Nevin ’02. (Photo by Amanda Rhein Photography)

1999 Virginia Colvin Turner a daughter, Josephine “Josie” Alston

2 “E” is for Everett Rhodes, new son of Anna Connell Daughterty ’07. (Photo by his aunt, April Connell ’98)

Meg Howick Torrence a daughter, Miller Margaret

3 Older sister Wynn loves her little sister Audrey Maxwell, daughters of Anna Schwartz Eady ’96.

Raz Mines Dumitru a daughter, Lorelei Eras Dori Thornton Waller a daughter, Dorothy “Madolyn”

4 David Paul turned one right after Thanksgiving. He is the son of Ardis Johnson Zeleznak ’02.

2001 Stacy McCord Sartoris a daughter, Anna Kimsey

5 Soon to turn one is Emily Elizabeth, daughter of Betsy Pinchak Gentzler ’00.

Christie Miles Denton a daughter, Charlotte Grace

6 John Wilder and Emerson Eloise are the cute children of Blaes Schmissrauter Green ’03.

Courtney Roark Poore a daughter, Adeline Ellis Bethany Scott Gray a daughter, Molly Kay Amy Wagner Mullins a son, Joseph Carter

8 Lucy Helen is the happy daughter of Lauren Harvey Barlew ’05. 9 Raz Mines Dumitru ’99 has her hands full with Lorelei Eras and big brother Noah.

Katherine Dann Ogden a daughter, Emma Corrigan

10 Anna Kimsey was born last August to Stacey McCord Sartoris ’01.

Ardis Johnson Zeleznak a son, David Paul

11 Walter “Barrett,” son of Lee Ade Stout ’02, is almost six months old.

Taylor Tucker Massey a daughter, Anne “Annie” Elizabeth

12 Clare Stafford is the second daughter for Whitney Schram Fuller ’97. 13 Virginia Colvin Turner ’99 sent this photo of her daughter Josie.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

7 Henry Price is always “on the move,” according to mom, Katie Estes Taylor ’03.

2002 Lee Ade Stout a son, Walter “Barrett”

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No Limits. Prepared for Life.

WEDDINGS

1984 Nandy Hurst / Wes Millner

1996 Jordan McCarter / Keith Becklin 1998 Jennifer Glass / Nicholas A. Stefaniak 2002 Megan Hixon / Stuart Thomas 2003 Laura Anderson / Andy Calloway Krista Ross / Justin Stephens 2004 Kate Commander / Jonathan Coleman Madison Jahn / John Templeton 2005 Betsy Gass / Mike Lavender Susan Kent / Kyle Bryant Haleigh Sherbak / Trey Bennett Katherine Vance / Brandon Cline Kelsey Williams / Noah Randall Logan Wilson / Curtis Gribble 2006 Betsy Harr / James Kyle Akins 2007 Bianca Bidiuc / Greg Peterson Susan Gerchefski / Nicholas Frigerio Shelby Montague / Tom Campobasso Emily Spear / Andrew Joseph Tang 2008 Molly Austin / Tremale Morgan Sarah Axley / Justin Tarbox Sorrell Miller / Eric Phipps 2009 Logan Davis / Nik Evasco Heather Parman / Ryan Miller 2010 Ellys Peeples /Thomas Green Anna-Carson Rimer / Graham Garrett Uhelski 2011 Natalie Harper / Matthew Miller Ashley Lindeman / William Kent Lauren McKinney / Nolan Woody Natalie Wilkinson / Adam Beasley

Just a reminder that wedding photos are limited to the bride and groom or a group photo with bride and a few (3-4) alumnae attendants. Larger group photos will be shared in the digital Alumnae Newsletters.

CAPTIONS 1 Haleigh Sherbak ’05 married Trey Bennett last August and enjoyed a reception at Stratton Hall, the venue that she manages. 2 Jennifer Laughlin ’07 married Thomas Sanders last April. 3 Logan Davis ’09 sent us this happy photo from her engagement in Seoul, South Korea, to Nik Evasco, where the two graduates of George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs taught English as a second language (ESL). They returned to the US in July and married a month later in the Outer Banks. 4 In her words, Sarah Axley ’08 married her “best friend,” Justin Tarbox, last July on Lookout Mountain. The GPS Tango Strings, of which she was once a part, played at her nuptials, and GPS alum Danna Myatt ’09 took the wedding photos. 5 Susan Kent ’05 married Kyle Bryant last June.

GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015 – 2016

IN DEFENSE OF A

Liberal Arts Education By Sarah Young Jackson ’05, GPS history faculty and Ninth Grade Dean This fall my husband and I found out we were expecting a baby girl in March. As someone who enjoys conferring pomp and circumstance onto even the most trivial of events, I began to agonize over what my first purchase for my first daughter would be. And then, I saw it. A beautifully illustrated children’s book which retold the stories of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, transforming them from sleeping damsels into gallivanting adventurers. As I sat reading its pages, I imagined my future daughter doing the same. I imagined the pages worn from repeated readings. I imagined the thoughts she would have and the questions she would ask. This, above all, is what I desire for both my future daughter and for each of my students: that she would be a reader, a thinker, a questioner. Such abilities are the hallmark of a liberal arts education. A liberal arts education does not necessarily have a professional or vocational curriculum, but a curriculum designed to create citizens who are critical thinkers, articulate speakers/writers, empathetic collaborators, resilient problemsolvers. I would argue that these abilities have always been, and will continue to be, valuable in any collegiate or vocational setting. Unfortunately, this kind of value seems unnoted because it is intangible. Increasingly, there is a demand for education to have a numerical value. Education is being viewed as a commodity, and its value lies in the potential salary it might earn the learner.

However, even here a liberal arts education has its defenders. In a November 2015 Forbes article, John I. Williams, Jr., president of Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, notes that “the world has never needed graduates of liberal arts colleges more than now. We’re preparing students for a less certain future than ever before, and they’ll need to come up with ways to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances.”

“… what I desire for both my future daughter and for each of my students: that she would be a reader, a thinker, a questioner.” Speaking honestly, I am no soothsayer. I have no idea what kind of collegiate or vocational setting my daughter will encounter eighteen years from now. I do know, however, what my own experience at GPS taught me. It taught me

how to read well, to write clearly, and to think deeply. These abilities not only have had professional application in my role as a teacher, but also have greatly enriched by life as a mother, a friend, a wife, a daughter. I can articulate my thoughts clearly and cleanly to others around me. I can empathize with a viewpoint that is different from mine. I can recognize problems and find solutions to them. Fostering these abilities in others was part of the siren’s call that led me home to Chattanooga and back into the classroom at GPS, a significant part of why I continue to financially support the work GPS is doing. I am proud that GPS recognizes the enduring value of a liberal arts education. It is because of this focus that I continue to boast of our graduates’ abilities to be successful in any context. We are not preparing our girls for a particular century, career, or degree. We are preparing girls for a life of thoughtfulness, creativity, and innovation. Here’s to the girls. n

Like Sarah, your ability to be collaborative, creative, community minded, and thoughtful were fostered during your years at Girls Preparatory School. If you have not supported GPS with a gift to the Annual Fund, please consider it today and call 423-634-7610 or go online at www.gps.edu and click “Give to GPS.”

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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