Alumni Share Passion for Giving Back

Service takes many forms. Here are a few alumni who have found a way to make service part of their lives.

ELIZABETH TERRY ’06

Imagine Hope Community Charter School

Elizabeth Terry ’06 is a Special Education Teacher for third and fourth graders in a self-contained classroom at Imagine Hope Community Charter School in Washington, D.C. She says that advocating and teaching others to advocate for themselves is her calling.

“I have always been in environments that value service and those experiences, accentuated by my St. Andrew’s experience, have given me the drive to serve students who experience disadvantageous conditions in their education (lower income communities and people with disabilities),” Terry said. “I experienced great privileges in my education and it is important for me to use that experience to give back as much as I can.

“My experiences at St. Andrew’s (especially learning to write as well as I did) helped me be an effective advocate for my students for the last three years, culminating in the creation of much more robust Special Education department at my school and charter network.”

Elizabeth Terry ‘06 is a special education teacher at Imagine Hope Community Charter School in Washington, D.C.

Amy Bachman ’06 is currently the Director of Procurement and Sustainability at DC Central Kitchen.

“I feel so lucky to work for an organization whose mission I believe in and support and it gives your work a bigger purpose knowing that what you are doing is making change.”

Amy Bachman ‘06

DC Central Kitchen

Amy Bachman, a 2006 graduate, cites service at St. Andrew’s as a big reason she pursued a career in service. She is currently the Director of Procurement and Sustainability at DC Central Kitchen.

“Reflecting back on my time at St. Andrew’s, I do remember service being a part of that experience and I would say a big reason I developed a passion to find a career in helping others and working towards a greater good,” Bachman said. “I think one of the most impactful experiences I had at St. Andrew’s was the trips to (Bokamoso). I was fortunate to go both my junior and senior years and loved the chance to immerse myself in another culture and help the communities we met.”

All of Bachman’s professional experience ties to helping others. She worked at AmeriCorps VISTA as Campus Kitchens Coordinator, was an intern at Bread for the City and was Volunteer and In-Kind Donation Coordinator at The Franciscan Center of Baltimore.

“For me, integrating service and helping others into my professional life is important because it allows me to follow my passion of seeking to improve the food system and working for an organization that does amazing work in the D.C. community every day,” Bachman said. “I feel so lucky to work for an organization whose mission I believe in and support and it gives your work a bigger purpose knowing that what you are doing is making change.”

MOLLY HEWES ’86

Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care

Molly Hewes ’86 did not set out for a life of helping others. She didn’t see herself working to assist and advocate for those less fortunate when she was a high school student.

But two years after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan, where she earned a degree in Black World Studies/Women’s Studies, Hewes found herself working a pair of jobs that put her on a life-long path of service. The first was working with girls living in a group home that had committed misdemeanors or were wards of the state. The second was with boys at a residential group home who were there to stay or were headed to foster care. From there the decision to seek a Masters in Social Work seemed natural.

Charles Prettyman ’84 helped spearhead the Challenge NY Architects Regatta, an organization that helps provide waterfront access to urban youth.

Hewes’ first exposure to service growing up came at home. “Molly grew up in a family that was aware of social issues and the importance of participating in a larger community,” said Larry Hewes, Molly’s father. Molly, for her part, remembers her senior year service at St. Andrew’s. “I remember working at Defenders of Wildlife,” Molly Hewes said. “I was impacted by that experience and really valued it. Perhaps it set the stage!”

Hewes currently works at Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care as an Integrative Behavioral Health Provider. Before that she had positions at MedStar Health and The Family Place.

Hewes’ experience, while unique to her, is not uncommon for St. Andrew’s graduates. Many look to make service a part of their life after leaving the school. For some, it’s a career helping others. For others, it’s about finding a way to give back in professions not focused on service.

JAMES KING ’93

Restaurateur

“While so many of us go through life focused on the multiple hurdles that we all face in our personal lives, representing thousands of people opened my eyes to the many citizens that need a helping hand,” King said. “Often it does not take a great deal of time, money or energy to have an impact on improving a person’s situation.”

As a restaurateur with more than 1,000 employees in the DMV, King took the lessons he learned at St. Andrew’s and in public service and has worked to help his employees.

“I have been able to establish several programs to train and equip many of our employees with additional skills in order to continue growing in this industry and to be able to transition into other industries,” King said. “Helping to support one’s education is one of the most powerful gifts you can give a person who has the desire and the work ethic to improve their lives and the lives of their family.”

CHARLES PRETTYMAN ’84

Architect, Truisi Design Group

Charles Prettyman ’84 is an architect in New York City. He previously spent time teaching ESL in the Bronx. “This was all about the people,” Prettyman said. “It seems painfully clear to me that the tensions that exist (with the immigrant community) are almost always rooted in an inability of the groups to communicate. Teaching English is, to me, a way to help a group of people who are giving up their Saturday mornings because they want to communicate with their neighbors.”

Prettyman also helps spearhead the Challenge NY Architects Regatta. “It’s an organization that brings together several things I believe in – my career choice, my sport of choice, the New York harbor, and more,” Prettyman said. “The mission statement of the Regatta foundation talks about providing waterfront access to a wide audience. Time spent on the water has always been a hugely important part of my life.”

It’s clear that for St. Andrew’s graduates, serving is a hugely important part of their lives.