Laurel School's Highlights Magazine: Summer 2018

Highlights A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNAE, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LAUREL SCHOOL

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SUMMER 2018 | Laurel’s 119th Commencement • Alumnae Weekend • Capstone

Dream. Dare. Do.

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LAUREL SCHOOL

The private school that knows girls best.

Highlights

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IN THIS ISSUE ‘Threshold Moments’, A message from Ann V. Klotz . . . . . . . . . . 4 A message from the Alumnae Association President . . . . . . . . . 6 Laurel School Alumnae Weekend 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Alumnae Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Stress Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Reflections on the Class of 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Irish Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Capstone Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 LaureLive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Faculty Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Highlights | SUMMER 2018 1

MISSION STATEMENT

To inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world.

Highlights | SUMMER 2018 HEAD OF SCHOOL Ann V. Klotz DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Venta Cantwell EDITOR Sarah Hibshman Miller ’98 ALUMNAE EDITOR Julie Donahue ’79 CLASS NEWS EDITOR Megan Findling DESIGN AND LAYOUT Laurel School PHOTOGRAPHY Kimberly Dailey, Julie Donahue ’79, Downie Photography, Inc., Binnie Kurtzner Pappas ’87, Neal McDaniel, Renee Psiakis PRESIDENT, ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION Kristi Anderson Horner ’80 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lynnette Jackson ’93 Highlights is published by Laurel School for alumnae, parents and friends.

Submit address changes to the Development Office at 216.455.3096 or bGreen@LaurelSchool.org Laurel School is an independent day school for girls, Kindergarten through Grade 12, with coeducational programs for two-, three- and four-year-olds. We are proud to be an inclusive and equitable school community, and we actively seek a diverse student body and faculty without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, handicap or disability, or sexual orientation.

LAUREL VALUES STATEMENT: Committed to building a just and inclusive world, Laurel girls are courageous, creative, ethical and compassionate.

LAURELSCHOOL.ORG

Dream. Dare. Do. Highlights | SUMMER 2018 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, ANN V. KLOTZ

THRESHOLD MOMENTS

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t Fourth Grade Last Chapel, at Convocation, at the Snowflake Assembly, at the ceremonies that punctuate the school year, I think about thresholds—the space between “the now” and “the next.” On the verge. I often ask the girls at our allschool assemblies to think back to what they were doing a year ago, to note how they have changed and grown. In the old days, a groom often hoisted his bride over the threshold of a new home. Much in that tradition does not appeal to me—the idea of women as chattel, for example—but what does appeal to me is the idea that before starting any new chapter, we take a moment to pause, breathe, take stock, notice, reflect and contemplate that next step.

It’s tempting to hurtle through growing up. The internet makes immediacy seem the norm just as television must have made immediacy seem the norm to my parents. Don’t like a show? Change the channel. Only now, the television is a computer, and it resides in the palm of even Middle Schoolers. Technology is a tool, and it is our job is to help our girls learn to manage it, but its arrival has diminished patience. I have more reverence for the spaces in between than I once did, that moment between the end of Eighth Grade and the beginning of Ninth, the time between the end of vacation and the start of school, the last night before a girl departs for college.

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I’m a fan of taking note, of noticing all the feelings that accompany these transitions that happen so fast. When babies are born, we read diligently about their development. Can they grip a Cheerio between forefinger and thumb?

Phew. Can they toddle? Babble? Reach?

Roll over? Each milestone is celebrated, captured on an iPhone, often shared on Facebook. But children grow too rapidly for every achievement to be documented, and those parents who brag ceaselessly about their children’s every achievement are not only tedious but also embarrassing to their children.

Somewhere between non-stop documentation and not noticing life as it is happening on the other side of a

device or screen, it is good to cultivate a practice of gratitude that allows us to look back at the hills climbed as well as forward at the mountains still ahead. I say to girls often, “You are not a tumbleweed.

You have agency and purpose,” but in the slog that is growing up, children do not yet have the long view that we, their parents and teachers and grandparents, take for granted. They cannot yet know that struggles about grades and who gets invited to which parties are not the real struggles at all, that becoming our best selves is the work of a lifetime.

I read recently that it is a terrible thing to tell a child to simply discover her passion; it’s as if her inability to find what she feels passionate about is somehow a personal failing. The fact is that sometimes we stumble upon what gives us pleasure and purpose, but that may not happen until we have tried many activities and pursuits that are not passions. If we discover, when we are young, what we love to do and are serious about doing and are good at doing, we are fortunate, indeed, but even then, it’s worth acknowledging the combination of factors that contribute to success: effort, perseverance, joy, support from others, great teaching.

Few of us are, like Athena, born fully formed from the head of Zeus. Most of us must work to get better at that which we love to do. Some girls believe achievement ought to be effortless; this is, of course, preposterous. Effort is part

of the equation—typically a big part. So, in reflecting on all of these experiences, thresholds become even more important.

What’s been learned, left, carried forward?

Liminal space exists between one space and another—it is a place of transformation, where we may be changed. For me, perhaps it is metaphorical as much as it is literal; in those liminal spaces in school, we hold space for reflection, recollection, anticipation. When the Fourth Graders process, so seriously, down the center aisle of the Chapel on their last morning

are brilliant, breathtaking ten-year olds, ready for what’s to come, poised between the innocence of little girlhood and the experience of adolescence. Each June, I feel privileged to welcome them walking towards me, to see their Eighth Grade sisters do the same, their Senior sisters, too, a few days later. They are crossing invisible thresholds, supported by teachers and parents and friends, buttressed by the courage and daring and challenge and love I hope each has discovered in these dear walls. And later, sometimes even long after they leave

with snapping crocodiles underneath.

Perhaps your crossing was neither graceful nor dignified; perhaps you didn’t have the benefit of training on Laurel’s amazing adventure course on our Butler Campus to prepare you. Perhaps you doubted. But you prevailed. Crossing that particular threshold was not easy, but you made it from one side to the next. And that is worth celebrating, even if you are the only one who knows.

Maybe you traversed a different kind of threshold so easily you hardly noticed.

Take a moment to acknowledge that

as Primary girls, I see them as they were in Preschool before they could even read. I imagine how they will sprout up in Middle School, managing algebra and conjugating verbs, exchanging their jumpers for skirts. I blink, and in my mind’s eye, they are wearing their Upper School plaid skirts, lounging near Winged Victory, filling out college applications, running clubs and leading organizations, serving as the Captains for teams, giving Senior Speeches, all too soon filing down the aisle in white robes at Severance Hall. At the end of Fourth Grade, they

us, when there are harder thresholds to be crossed, we, as a school, continue to rally, classmates and teachers supporting our girls with our presence, our words, our hugs—this is where the internet feels like a glorious extension of our landscape. Even hard thresholds can be crossed only one breath at a time.

I hope each of you, wherever you are, will pause for a moment to reflect on a threshold you have crossed. It might have felt like the kind of tenuous bridge fairy tales are full of—the teetering kind that sways wildly in a frightening way

“before and after” now, that liminal transformation, private or public.

Give yourself the gift of a moment to reflect. Allow yourself a moment to revel in managing to move from one side to another. You are a Laurel girl or parent or grandparent or friend. You regularly live the mission and values of the school.

Thank you for believing in the mission and values of our School, for giving us the opportunity to celebrate many threshold moments—many “befores” and “afters”—with the girls and tiny boys in our school each year. L

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A MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

KRISTI ANDERSON HORNER ’80 This issue of Highlights comes to you from Lyman Circle with lots of Laurel love!

I am very excited and honored to be your new Alumnae Association President and look forward to the next three years, meeting and reconnecting with alumnae around the country. In the spring, the students, faculty and staff sported “Strong Girls Change the World” t-shirts to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls. One need only to look at our alumnae—from our oldest living members of the Class of 1936 to our newest in the Class of 2018— to see the proof in that assertion.

2018-19 ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristi Anderson Horner ’80 President Donnamarie Jeffries Cook ’89 Vice President Meredith Stewart Reimer ’95 Secretary Janet Abbey ’83 Susan Opatrny Althans ’80 Rose Babington ’04 Nicole Brown ’04 Gausia Chowdhury ’02 Tabitha Gillombardo ’12 Heather Cargile Lakefish ’91 Rosemary Mudry ’02 Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97 Nichelle Dickerson Shaw ’86 Ann Schaffer Shirreffs ’76 Kim Simpson ’90 Tyler Thornton ’99 Amy Goodman Weller ’78 Signe Wrolstad-Forbes ’71

I graduated from Laurel in 1980 (which feels like a long time ago now) and come from a family of many Laurel alumnae (my mom, two sisters, daughter and two nieces). I love Laurel School and have played a lot of roles in supporting Laurel’s mission over the years, including a stint working in the Admissions Office, and I truly believe that my educational foundation at Laurel set me on a course for a lifelong love of learning as well as offering tremendous leadership skills. I feel indebted to my Laurel experience for the woman I have become.

Alumnae Weekend is always one of the best weekends of the year and this year’s “Laurel for a Lifetime”themed celebration was no exception. We had a tremendous turnout from our reunion classes and wonderful attendance at the many events over the course of three-and-a-half very full days. Thank you to our dedicated class reunion volunteers, reunion committee, and co-chairs Rosemary Mudry ’02 and Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97, as well as our outstanding alumnae office team of Julie Donahue ’79 and Megan Findling for a fantastic job. If it’s your reunion year next year—classes ending in ’4 and ’9— we hope you will come back to Lyman Circle in May 2019.

If you’ve been looking for a chance to connect with other Laurel women beyond Alumnae Weekend, take a look at all the opportunities to give back to our communities on Sarah Lyman Day of Community Service. Or, volunteer to be a Big Sister to a young alum or a mentor to a current Laurel student or young alum. It amazes me how vibrant and relevant Laurel is! And this year the Holiday Luncheon and Class Song Contest on December 21 promises to be a packed house. Get your RSVP in early!

Your Alumnae Association Board comprises 18 outstanding alumnae including four regional representatives living in Chicago, Columbus, DC and Seattle. In 2017-18, we created three goal groups—Ambassadorship, Engagement and Networking, and Sustainability and Leadership— in order to focus the work of the board. Speaking of networking—have you joined AlumniFire yet?

Go to https://laurelschool.alumnifire.com And, to our goals around sustainability, we always are looking to cultivate future alumnae leaders.

There are many opportunities to serve the Alumnae Association—from short-term projects on committees or events to long-term commitments. Please reach out to me (or any member of the board) at any time to connect—I’d love to discuss these opportunities with you! We’ll be kicking off the school year with a retreat to evaluate our goals and prioritize our work for the coming year. I look forward to keeping you apprised of our progress!

Much Laurel Love and #AlwaysALaurelGirl,

Kristi Anderson Horner ’80 | Kristi.Horner@yahoo.com 6 LaurelSchool.org

ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

2018 honorees Distinguished Alumna Marne Levine ’88, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kathy Chilcote Pender ’55 and Young Alumna of Distinction Tamara Broderick ’03

Laurel for a Lifetime LAUREL SCHOOL ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2018 | MAY 17 -20, 2018

By Julie Donahue ’79, Director of Alumnae and Communications

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very full Alumnae Weekend of festivities kicked off with the Distinguished Alumnae (DA) Dinner when the Alumnae Association honored three remarkable women—Distinguished Alumna Marne Levine ’88, COO of Instagram; Young Alum of Distinction Tamara Broderick ’03, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT; and community volunteer and psychotherapist Kathy Chilcote Pender ’55, inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Read their bios at www.LaurelSchool.org/DistinguishedAlum.

Other events included the Legacy Breakfast for alumnae and their relatives currently attending Laurel, the Plaid Party, a happy hour for alumnae, faculty and faculty emeriti, the Alumnae Luncheon and a Sunday Family Funday Pancake Flip at the Butler Campus. We also remembered the late Lissa McKinley ’78 at a poetry reception and paid tribute to retiring English teacher Jeanne Stephens at a tea in her honor.

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Thursday, May 17 – Distinguished Alumnae Dinner

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Addair Levine ’13, photography teacher Renee Psiakis and Kaitlin Pethtel Stock ’13 DA Committee chair Patty Neiswander Alexander ’73 and LSAA President Kathy Perris Torgerson ’65 Faculty emeritus Reza Beigi and Ann V. Klotz Classmates from 1955: Harriet Moore Ballard, Kathy Chilcote Pender, Lynne Rossen Feighan, Trudi Gronbach Stevens and Emily Hodge Brasfield Members of the DA Committee and the honorees: Alison Leddy ’11, Marne Levine ’88, Kathy Chilcote Pender ’55, Tamara Broderick ’03, Rose Babington ’04 and Patty Neiswander Alexander ’73 Signe Wrolstad-Forbes ’71, Stacey Polk ’79 and Valerie Raines ’78 Grace ’17, Kate ’13 and Elizabeth ’15 Murphy Alumnae Weekend Co-Chairs Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97 and Rosemary Mudry ’02

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ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

Friday, May 18 – Legacy Breakfast

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Heather Diemer Havre ’86, Evelyn ’22 and Meredith Havre ’25 Campbell Peckham ’34 and Megan Embrescia ’95 Maegan Ruhlman Cross ’03 with niece Alei Ruhlman ’32 Quinn Reimer ’30 and Meredith Stewart Reimer ’95 Wendy Shaw ’69 and Allison Spivak ’18 Sophie Rucker ’25, Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97 and Sidney Rucker ’22

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7. Lilly Ionna ’27, Seema Rao ’94 and Maya Ionna ’25 8. Cheryl Jackson Johnson ’95, Chloe Johnson ’26 and Lynnette Jackson ’93, Chair of the Board of Trustees 9. Primary students love the Laurel Gator!

10. Caroline Woolley ’30 and her grandmother, Liz Prouty Scheele ’67 11. Associate Head of School Kathryn Holzheimer Purcell ’91, the Laurel Gator and Shea Purcell ’21

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Friday, May 18 – The Plaid Party

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Kathryn Holzheimer Purcell ’91 and Sarah Hibshman 6. Director of the Middle School Leslie K. Segal ’95 and Alumnae Miller ’98 Weekend Committee member Meredith Stewart Reimer ’95 Marissa Strange ’98 and Liz Conn ’98 7. Ann V. Klotz, Meg Smith Aeschliman ’99 and Sarah Smith ’10 Classmates from 2013: (back) Penelope Ganske, Kate 8. Susanne Martien Bagley ’63 and Marilyn Hopkins Langmack ’63 Murphy, Kaitlin Pethtel Stock, (front) Addair Levine, 9. Deirdre Corrigan ’03, Erica Eiler ’03, Alumnae Weekend Committee Caroline Veniero and Sara Hollabaugh member Gausia Chowdhury ’02, Sara Ismail-Beigi Bartlett ’03 Tim Connell with “Tim” and Jackie Janis ’03 Marti Hardy with “Marti” 10. Class of 1993 says cheese!

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ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

Saturday, May 19 – 50th Reunion Breakfast

50th Reunion classmates (seated) Carol Sawyer, (standing) Barbara Bissett Kitchen, Lyn Butler, Penny Thomas, Rebecca Schneider, Lynda Schaefer Fromm, and Nancy Phelps Seitz with Ann V. Klotz

Saturday, May 19 – Fireside Chat with Marne Levine ’88 On Saturday morning at a Fireside Chat moderated by Headmistress Ann V. Klotz, 2018 Distinguished Alumna Marne Levine ’88, Chief Operating Officer of Instagram, shared her non-linear career journey and her thoughts on resilience, women in tech, social media and the importance of community and risk-taking for women.

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Saturday, May 19 – Mimosa Reception & Alumnae Luncheon

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1. DeeDee Howard ’98 and Stacey Polk ’79 2. Aida Marino Wiebke ’03 and Lidia Marino ’04 3. Brent McKinley ’73 and Peg Ingersoll Zitzner ’73 4. Janet MacMahon Carll ’48 and Laura Samson ’78 5. Sydney Silverstein ’08, Emily Hacala ’08 and Emily Campbell ’08 6. Nancy Wykoff Sharp ’43 accepts the Reunion Class Challenge trophy on behalf of her class 7. Barbara Bissett Kitchen ’68 and Lauren Kitchen ’03 8. The England contingent—Leslie McCormack Gathy ’84 and Meredith Atkinson-Wood ’08—catch up with Spanish teacher Marti Hardy 9. Faculty Emerita Jan Thomas with her daughter, Tina Thomas Bordonaro ’88, and grandsons 10. Emily Chamberlin ’12, Anna Orlando ’12 and Lisa Peng ’14 11. Celebrating their 70th reunion are Janet MacMahon Carll ’48, Nancy Breckenridge McCormack ’48 and Ruth Good Miller ’48 12. The Class of 1983 gets into the spirit at the selfie station: Meg Maynard Norchi, Gail Griffiths Hardy, Janet Abbey, Megan Lum Mehalko and Mhoire McGrath Cade

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ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

Saturday, May 19 – Alumnae Luncheon

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1. Class of 1963: (back) Gracey Stoddard, Sandy Haseltine Esser, Margery Bletcher Colloff, Diane Furrer Holzheimer and Susanne Martien Bagley. (front) Diane Dalton, Anne Dalton, Izzy Maccracken Winn, Marilyn Hopkins Langmack, Alice Van Aken Boelter and Betsy Lamb Merriman 2 The Class of 1968 celebrates its 50th reunion! (back) Nancy Fleming, Rebecca Schneider, Barbara Bissett Kitchen, Nancy Phelps Seitz, Tina Ostergard Nichols, Kitty Fant Mitchell, Lynda Schaefer Fromm, Lyn Butler, Penny Thomas and Eloise “Laurie” Smolik Hance. (front) Carol Sawyer 3. Class of 1973: (back) Peg Ingersoll Zitzner, Tracy Andrews Verma, Janet Green Anthony-Clark and Kristy Judson. (front) Gina Tippit, Brent McKinley, Julie Oldenburg Bramble, Carol Yeomans Horowitz and Susie Sharp 4. Class of 1978: (back) Eleanor “Nora” Hill, Heather Hazle Lambert, Susan Ford, Wendy Richter, Betsy Trefts and Ann Gairing Zarate. (front) Laura Samson, Rikke Danielsen Bergheim Wataker, Amy Goodman Weller, Liz Hutton Weislogel and Valerie Raines 5. Class of 1983: (back) Janet Abbey and Megan Lum Mehalko (front) Mhoire McGrath Cade, Meg Maynard Norchi and Gail Griffiths Hardy

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Saturday, May 19 – Alumnae Luncheon

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6. Class of 1988: (back) Jane Jagelman Hunter, Rachel Grabow, Toni Holloway, Courtney Dalzell Neville, Lindsey Jeavons and Darci Sternen. (3rd row) Heidi George Moawad, Beth Brickel Melcher, Rocky Chatmon Robinson, Denise Sanders Gallagher and Liz Adams Eckman. (2nd row) Marne Levine, Betsy Yelson Krantz, Jennifer Beeson Gregory and Tina Thomas Bordonaro. (front) Sonja Warfield, Jill Jacobson, Krista Klein, Anita Lee and Beth Embrescia 7. Class of 2003: (back) Maegan Ruhlman Cross, Lauren Kitchen, Jennifer Wyse, Deirdre Corrigan, Katie Stephens Fagan, Erica Eiler and Aida Marino Wiebke. (front) Chelsea McQueen Williams, Sara Ismail-Beigi Bartlett, Sarah Sprague Katan, Alison Lee Streiff and Jackie Janis 8. Class of 1993: (back) Oona Miller Hanson, Lisa Miller Zuflacht and Alice Kennedy. (front) Jennifer Willis, Julie Powell and Lynnette Jackson 9. Class of 2013: Kate Murphy, Sara Hollabaugh, Kaitlin Pethtel Stock, Addair Levine, and Head of School Ann V. Klotz 10. Class of 2008: (back) Emily Wallace, Meredith Atkinson-Wood, Chelsea Orr and Emily Campbell. (front) Clara Illson, Sharon Pearlman, Sydney Silverstein, Emily Wirtz and Emily Hacala 11. Kathy Perris Torgerson ’65 recognizes those who traveled the farthest for the Luncheon: Ann Held Horwath ’64 from Hawaii, Leslie McCormack Gathy ’84 from London and Rikke Danielsen Bergheim Wataker ’78 from Norway

ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

Saturday, May 19 – Lissa McKinley ’78 Poetry Reception

Jacqueline Marshall ’21, Will Gilkeson, Chip Gilkeson, Katie Gilkeson ’12, Brent McKinley ’73 and Deirdre O’Malley ’18

Family, classmates and friends honored the late Lissa McKinley ’78—physician, medical school dean, 2008 Distinguished Alumna and lover of poetry— on what would have been her 40th reunion and celebrated the launch of the Lissa McKinley ’78 Poetry Fund that will promote cross-divisional experiences using poetry for reflection. Two Laurel students, Deirdre O’Malley ’18 and Jacqueline Marshall ’21, recited some of their own work while members of Lissa’s family shared what poetry meant to Lissa. For more information, visit www.LaurelSchool.org/LissaMcKinley

Sunday, May 20 – Sunday Family Funday & Pancake Flip

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1. Alexandra Freeman ’28, Grier Peckham ’28 and Alina Weidenbecker ’28 have balloon-animal fun with Ms. Klotz!

2. Tyler Thornton ’99 with daughter Frankie 3 Chelsea McQueen Williams ’03 and Donald Williams with son Everett 4. Fun on the adventure course!

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Sunday Family Funday & Pancake Flip (continued)

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6. Margaret Pergler ’93 and Barbara Simon with their children Kate and Nick

SAVE THE DATES:

Alumnae Weekend, May 16-19, 2019!

7. Laurel parent Jodi Hoffer and son Maxwell 8. Storytime with Ann V. Klotz 9. Amaya Harris, Marissa Strange ’98, Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97, Sophie Rucker ’25, Sidney Rucker ’22, Marlana Strange Harris ’97 and Alyssa Harris 10. Grier Peckham ’28 is ready to catch her pancakes!

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ALUMNAE WEEKEND ’18

Sunday, May 20 – Tribute Tea for Jeanne Stephens What better way to pay tribute to a lover of Jane Austen and W.B. Yeats than with a tea complete with scones and superlatives! Surrounded by her beloved family, colleagues and students—past and present—Jeanne Stephens, a Laurel legend known for being meticulous —both about teaching young Laurel women to think critically and precisely and in her comments on thousands of English papers—was honored as superb teacher who always put her students first during her 28 years at Laurel. Colleagues lauded her supportiveness, intellectualism and compassion while Laurel girls cited the remarkable impact she had not only on their writing skills but on their lives. Legions of lucky Laurel girls offer Jeanne Stephens this Irish blessing: “May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours that stay with you all the year long.”

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1. Jeanne Stephens and faculty emerita Claudia Boatright 2. The Stephens Family: Miles Fagan, Erik Fagan, Katie Stephens Fagan ’03, Henry Fagan, Jeanne Stephens, Jim Stephens, Katrina Topacio and James Stephens 3. Current Laurel students showing support and love for Mrs. Stephens 4. Sarah Lane Czerwien ’05 and Sarah Royan ’01 5. Latin teacher Janice Vitullo with Katie Stephens Fagan ’03 and her son, Henry 6. Faculty emerita and honorary alumna Denise André with Sasha Zborovsky ’16 7. Sandhya Gupta ’94 L

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ALUMNAE CONNECTIONS

WE LOVE IT WHEN WE HEAR STORIES OF LAUREL ALUMNAE RUNNING INTO EACH OTHER OR RECONNECTING FAR FROM LYMAN CIRCLE! WHETHER YOU GET TOGETHER WITH CLASSMATES OR YOU SERENDIPITOUSLY STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE YOU NOTICE IS WEARING A LAUREL RING, TAKE A PHOTO AND POST IT IN THE LAUREL ALUMNAE FACEBOOK GROUP OR EMAIL IT TO JDONAHUE@LAURELSCHOOL.ORG. THESE PHOTOS ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE FACT THAT THE LAUREL BONDS ARE LIFELONG. WE EVEN HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAG FOR IT— #ALWAYSALAURELGIRL! TOP TO BOTTOM: With open seating aboard the National Geographic Explorer ship on the “Circumnavigation of Iceland”, who did Marilyn Mueller Dickey ’52 (right) just happen to sit next to...Cristy Inkley Manuel ’63—wearing her Laurel ring!

It was a small Laurel world in Boston in April when three alumnae attended the World Medical Innovation Forum in Boston. Michelle Grdina ’91 managed the Forum in her role with Partners HealthCare Innovation. Clevelander Jamie Belkin ’83, of Jamie Belkin Events, managed the onsite logistics. And Gwill York ’75 serves on the Board of Partners HealthCare. Naturally, they took a photo for Highlights! (l to r) Gwill York ’75, Jamie Belkin ’83 and Michelle Grdina ’91.

Inspired to reconnect over coffee with other Hilton Head Laurel alums after Hurricane Irma last fall were Patte Eakin Ranney ’74, Carol Yeomans Horowitz ’73 and Jennifer Garson Beck ’82 Carol Yeomans Horowitz ’73 and Mary Ann Mellon Root ’49 at the thrift store where Mary Ann volunteers on Hilton Head. L

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SIGNATURE PROGRAMS

THE STRESS FACTOR

High-achieving girls are terrified of failure. One school is teaching them how to bounce back

By Lauren Alix Brown

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June 5, 2018

This article was originally published on the website QZ.com and is republished here with Quartz’s permission.

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ne day in early May, a group of 30 girls in Novelty, Ohio, were stressing themselves out. At the edge of the 140-acre property of Laurel School was a high-ropes course featuring a pamper pole, a giant swing, and a catwalk—American Gladiator-style challenges for the girls, grades third through seventh, who climb up 20-foot trees, swing through the air, and belay each other on the way down.

The girls were in the midst of a long-awaited overnight campout— the culmination of their semester of Adventure Girls, a program the Laurel School has run since 2012. Here, girls are challenged to take risks, get dirty, and let loose. While this may sound like a run-ofthe-mill after-school program or summer camp, there’s an element that sets it apart: Adventure Girls is borne out of research on how girls can build resilience. The program aims to create stress-inducing situations and equip young girls with the tools to get through them. Girls get started young so that they’ll be prepared to handle the pressures of high school, college, and life beyond.

“Trust physics,” Shannon Lukz, one of the Adventure Girls leaders, called out to a girl in a harness preparing to walk across the Catwalk, a kind of balance beam positioned between two trees.

That the US has a culture of stress is probably no surprise. But the degree to which it disproportionately affects young people—particularly girls—is alarming.

“This is the most academically impressive generation of girls we’ve ever seen,” said psychologist Lisa Damour, the executive director of Laurel’s Center for Research

on Girls. “By every measure we have, they are excelling.” Still, the world demands a lot from girls. “The expectations that they be incredibly giving of themselves, which is what we ask of girls, have persisted alongside these expectations that they will do more in high school than most of us accomplish in college.”

When girls are stressed, they turn inward, which leads to higher levels of anxiety and depression. Girls from uppermiddle-class families are particularly likely to feel anxiety and depression as a result of the intense pressure to succeed, according to Suniya Luthar, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University.

In an interview with the American Psychological Association, Luthar explains, “If your sense of self-worth gets tied into how much you can accomplish, two things happen. One is, if you don’t accomplish, you feel small, inadequate, lousy, what have you. And the other is, you live in a state of fear of not achieving.”

There are some measures schools can take to help reduce the pressure girls feel.

But after the death of a beloved highschool junior at Laurel in 2011 rattled the school community, Damour realized that eliminating stress from the students’ lives entirely would never possible. “We could create the most magically gentle program on the planet and life is gonna happen,” Damour said.

Thanks to a generous private grant the school received in 2010, Laurel had already embarked on a research initiative examining the relationship girls have with stress and how to build resilience— the ability to adapt well to adversity.

Damour looked to work done in Sweden and Norway on stress and adolescent girls, and partnered with a school in Massachusetts and other psychologists.

She now has a book coming out about stress and anxiety in girls next year that will be published by Ballantine, an imprint of Random House.

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THE STRESS FACTOR

The research findings that Damour uncovered have been crucial for the framework that underpins Adventure Girls and the broader culture at Laurel School. This framework outlines five elements of resilience: creativity, purpose, growth-mindset, relationships, and selfcare. Adventure Girls learn these tools in a variety of ways, often through more subtle cues, including the way the adults structure activities and discussions before and after.

The Adventure Girls program is year-round, and meets 12 times each semester. Girls take two to three field trips that involve adventurous activities like kayaking, climbing, or snowshoeing.

The program works hard to get parents and teachers on the same page to work toward the same goal—fostering language and behaviors that teach these girls how to handle adversity.

“It’s a funny word to use for a girl, but I’ve become very interested in durability,” said Damour. “And to me, if a girl can accomplish a great deal but she’s extraordinarily fragile, I don’t really feel like we’ve done our job.”

Building resilience For girls in primary and middle school, one of the most basic stress situations has to do with their peers: Whose team am I on? Is there a friend there?

Rather than trying to smooth over anxieties like these, Adventure Girls aims to show girls that they can handle it. Lukz recounted an incident during a game of Capture the Flag when a third-grader was upset that she was on a team with older kids, separated from her classmates. In general, Lukz said, her instinct would have been to just switch a third-grader from the other team to join the girl so she wouldn’t be upset. Instead, the leaders kept the teams as they were. Afterward,

20 LaurelSchool.org

the third-grader felt empowered that she was able to complete the activity without her peers.

“In the past I think we would’ve been more likely to kind of mediate or reconstruct the teams to alleviate some of that stress,” said Lukz. “Now, we really welcome it and design things in such a way that it’s there, letting the girls work through it and then talking it through with them afterwards.”

That’s just one way that the program seeks to build resilience. Much of the work on resilience follows from Angela Duckworth and Paul Tough’s work on grit—a combination of passion and perseverance that’s been linked to long-term success in life. Resilience, too, is increasingly recognized as an essential component of success. As my colleague Ephrat Livni reports for Quartz, “Psychologist Anna Rowley—who counsels executives at Microsoft and other corporations—shirks the word ’happiness’ altogether. She believes resilience is the most important skill to cultivate, given the rapid rate of economic and technological change.”

Some of the most pertinent research on girls and stress comes from a study titled “Having it All? A Qualitative Examination of Affluent Adolescent Girls’ Perceptions of Stress and Their Quests for Success,” published in the Journal of Adolescent Research in 2016. The study tracked 60 American girls from sixth to twelfth grade, including students from Laurel, interviewing them along with their parents. Researchers found that from a young age, the girls displayed a “race to the top” mentality: They had internalized their parents’ emphasis on achievement so much so that if they didn’t feel stressed, they took that as indication that they weren’t working hard enough.

“Whatever activities they were engaging in needed to serve as resume builders,”

the researchers write. That filter made the girls less likely to take risks and try new things. “This appeared to contribute to some reluctance on the girls’ part to try new activities, such as a different sport, because there was less of a chance of achieving measurable success or take a challenging elective outside of their comfort zone because of the potential for receiving a subpar grade.”

The study identified two antidotes to this kind of stress: Activities that gave girls a sense of purpose—like, say, challenging yourself to complete a ropes course—and mentoring relationships that fostered girls’ personal growth.

In an effort to create such mentoring relationships, the Adventure Girls program includes high-school students at Laurel who serve as leaders for the younger girls.

At the campout, there were 12 Adventure Leaders. One of them is Shea Purcell, a 9th-grader who was part of the first set of Adventure Girls when she was in the fourth grade. Of her experience seeing the younger girls navigate the challenge course, she said, “For me, I’ve experienced all of it, over and over again. But to see them, ’Oh my gosh, I’m up here, I can do this,’ is really cool. And just to be their role model and show them and just be nice to them is fun.”

This is exactly the kind of response that Damour points to as evidence of the program’s enduring impact on participants. “Every kid, if she is down in the pre-primary helping little kids do things that they couldn’t do before, has this unbelievably durable and consistent source of self-esteem,” she said.

Adventurous girls Chuck Allen, the challenge course leader and pre-primary physical education teacher at Laurel, is the beating heart of Adventure Girls. His easy smile and

“If a girl can accomplish a great deal but she’s extraordinarily fragile, i don’t really feel like we’ve done our job.” calm yet playful manner helps encourage dozens of primary school girls to trust him as well as themselves. He took them on a white-water rafting trip to West Virginia last summer, and partook in the catwalk at the end of the evening during the campout, to the delight of the girls.

Allen says that a big part of the program isn’t just about challenging girls to get themselves through high-pressure situations—it’s about teaching them to coach each other through stressful moments, too.

“We see the value now in having team support for the girls on the ground,” Allen said. He cites the team effort that goes into belaying, which involves a system of ropes and clips used to secure climbers.

“Now we have girls who are learning how to belay, and they’re not only learning how to belay someone who is up in the trees, but they’re learning how to communicate with that person extremely well about how they feel and what can they do for each other.”

The most striking thing at the campout in May was how focused the girls were on the task at hand. Despite their youth, they weren’t screaming or fighting or messing around while waiting in line for their turn. A girl was either belaying her peer, getting her harness adjusted for her turn, encouraging one of the girls on the ropes course, or up there herself. While there were a couple of adults at each station, the girls were really running the show.

“Will you check my work?” a student asked an adult, gesturing to the camper she had just harnessed. “You’re comfortable with this, right?” an adult asked a girl, who had another student belaying her.

After a couple hours on the high ropes course, the girls stopped for a brief dinner of pizza, pasta, and Goldfish. After more time on the course, they were told to set up the tents for the night—which they did on their own. This was the apex of anxiety for

many of the girls: Both spending the night away from their parents, and the question who would be grouped in each tent.

But the program had already prepared the girls for those fears. In pre-campout worksheets, the girls responded to the question: ”What worries you the most about the campout?” Then they were instructed to come up with their own solutions: “What can you do to be resilient or conquer some of your worries?

(Think about growth-mindset, self-care, relationships, creativity, purpose).” One girl wrote that she would pack in advance so she wouldn’t find herself rushing the night before. Another decided that since she’d been camping before and wasn’t worried about the event, she could help others who were feeling stressed.

Is it working?

It’s difficult to make Laurel’s program the subject of scientific study; the school can’t create a control group by offering the program to one cohort and then withholding it from another, for example.

So Damour mainly focuses on anecdotal feedback—from parents, teachers, and the girls themselves.

“At Thanksgiving every year, our front hall is flooded with freshman girls coming back from college who are appalled at how fragile their roommates are,” said Damour, “and are taking it upon themselves to have to educate the girls in their cohort about growth mindset.”

One former Laurel student wrote a blog post for Women’s Media Center explaining the growth mindset and the impact Laurel has continued to have on her life after high school. She writes that the school “cultivated women who would ask more of the world around them, who would demand to be heard.” Another former student created her own group for women at the University of Notre Dame,

motivated, in part, by the solidarity she’d experienced at Laurel.

Laurel teachers also notice a difference among the students who’ve participated in the Adventure Girls. “I think a lot of the feedback from the teachers is an increase in confidence, an increase in self-care, being kind of being assertive in the sense of standing up for themselves—using their voice more in the classroom,” said Lukz.

There’s demand to continue expanding the program. This spring, Laurel ran an Adventure Girls pilot for 28 students in the first and second grade, and will run a semester-long program for that age group next year.

Kathryn Purcell, Shea’s mother and the associate head of Laurel, said the program is just one of several ways the school tries to help shape girls who know themselves and are confident in their ability to face life’s challenges. “What we want is them to find whatever their way is in grounding themselves,” she said, from Adventure Girls to athletics, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. “For me, it’s important that we’re offering as many avenues as possible.”

Her daughter, Shea, noted that one of the most valuable things about the program is that it prompts girls to commit to taking risks. “When we were whitewater rafting, there’s not really a choice once you’re on [the river],” she said, speaking of the Adventure Girls’ trip to West Virginia the previous summer. “You just have to stay on. A helicopter is not going to come in and take you off the river.

Just get into it and keep going from there.”

Leaving Laurel is a lot like launching yourself into that river in West Virginia.

There’s no helicopter that will swoop in to rescue girls from all the stressors they’ll encounter in their lives. But if Damour and the Adventure Girls have achieved their goal, the girls won’t be wishing for a helicopter anyway. They’ll be focused on navigating the rocks ahead. L

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COMMENCEMENT

REFLECTIONS ON THE CLASS OF As per tradition, Ajah Hale was chosen by her classmates to speak on behalf of her class at the 119th Commencement on June 5, 2018, at Severance Hall.

“G

ood morning Upper School, families of graduates, faculty, staff and my beloved classmates of 2018. It’s an honor to speak for my class this morning.

“As I sat on the bus in South Africa and tried to think of some important moment in my life—something mind blowing and intensely significant—I was stuck; I was at a roadblock, just wishing I could find something profound to say and be done with it. I wanted to crank out some words of wisdom and shut my laptop with the satisfaction of having my beautiful and inspirational Commencement speech completely written.

“Wishing to be done so quickly reminded me of one night back in November. I was babysitting and had put my phone away to ask the child what she wanted to do. “’Let’s play a game!’ She said as she grabbed a board game.

‘I love this one!’ “’Sure, but you’ll have to show me how to play’ I said. “’You just move along here until you reach the end and pick up cards along the way. You can start and go anywhere you choose.’ “’Simple enough’ I said as I began to plot the fastest way to get to the finish line. “’Oh and I forgot to mention, it’s not about who gets to the end first, it’s about how many experiences you have along the way,’ she said.

“I had not expected this sixth grader to say something so impactful when I had agreed to take the job that night. Her words stayed with me, though, causing me to examine how much I haven’t lived life for the experiences. I wake up every morning, planning my day. I plan so much that my planning itself becomes something I have to plan to do. How often have I done something spontaneous and for the fun of it? Almost never. How often have I done something expecting (or hoping) for it to better my future? Every day. And I’m sure more than half of the world would have those same answers because we’re 22 LaurelSchool.org

’18

so fixated on tomorrow and next year and our futures, that we forget about today. We forget to live in the moment because we’re too busy trying to live for the future.

“I understand that I can’t go off and be senseless and throw my life around, but that’s not what I mean. That’s not what she, the child I was babysitting, meant when she said that. In the end, what does life mean if I have no true experiences to look back upon? Unknowingly, she helped me to realize that I’ve been too busy planning my life rather than actually living it.

Maybe I need to babysit her more often.

“Ok. So, what is today? What is happening in this moment?

The moment where the Class of 2018 turns from graduating to graduated. Where are we? Who’s sitting next to you? Why are they here, why are you here? Who are we right now, in this moment? What does this moment mean for you? For those of us on this stage, being here means that we have made it. Our whole lives have led up to this moment, but now that we’re really in it, are we really experiencing it? Or are we just thinking that this is just one slightly more special step towards where we think we need to be twenty years from now? Are we truly soaking in this moment?

“Oddly enough, I think we in the graduating class have all fallen into that place where we’re all just trying to finish and be done. We’re trying to get through college and get a job and make money, and we equate that path with living the best life.

That’s what life’s about, right? Being successful, making people proud, and being a distinguished alum! But when have we been able to live for ourselves? Every second has been about setting ourselves up for a great future, but what’s a future without a present? What’s the point of planning our future when, once we get there, we have nothing to look back on? What does finishing mean when we don’t even remember what we started?

“While on the South Africa trip, after gutting a fish and still in utter shock, I was talking to Mr. Kaar, and we somehow got onto the topic of souvenirs when he said, ’I don’t like bringing back souvenirs. I like taking in the moment and living in it.

When I go anywhere new, I deliberately inhabit the place and take everything in. I like living in that moment because

souvenirs mean nothing when you barely remember the moment.’ I was shocked when I took a second to think about that. It was true. You can buy a souvenir and say it’s from wherever you went, but do you even remember your trip? Or do you remember wanting so badly to bring things back to prove that you had been there? I have to be honest—I was a little mad. I mean, why couldn’t he tell me that before I spent money on souvenirs? But there was so much depth in what he said.

We are always trying to prove ourselves and make it known that were ’living,’ but are we really?

“We take pictures and post them, so the world knows we’re doing something or feeling something. We perfect the pictures, so we get the most likes, cherry picking every aspect—from people, to place, to lighting, to our facial expressions. We have a picture of the moment, but did we fully take it in? Did we actually take a second to breathe it in and truly see it? We plan out our future, starting the second we go to high school.

Always looking towards the future, our goal: validation from other people. We want to make our parents happy and to never disappoint them for all they’ve given up for us to be here and that’s supposed to, in theory, make us happy as well. We want to do right by them so that we can wholeheartedly give ourselves to our own children and say that we have lived fulfilled lives.

“Seniors, take a look around you. Look at us. We are a group of extremely passionate and driven women. We’re a class full of activists and social justice warriors. We don’t take no for an answer (and our parents definitely know that, as we rarely back down). We’re socially conscious and aware of our own privileges, and lack thereof, while we live in a world where common sense has ceased to be common and willful ignorance has taken its place as the norm. We let knowledge fuel us and guide us, we crave wisdom and thought-provoking conversations; in today’s society, we ARE the outliers, but all that means is that when the world turns its back on someone, something, or some issue, we’re the ones stepping up to fight that battle and demand that people not turn away. We ask the hard questions and brave through the tough answers, and I love that about us. Through all the debates and differences of opinion, we know when to put

down our weapons and bring out the hugs. And most of all, we know how to speak our truth, so this Class of 2018 is bound to impress the world by being ourselves.

“I implore you to live for yourselves because maybe the key to our success stems from being able to fulfill ourselves— our souls, rather than simply having a job that satisfies our materialistic desires. Yes, it’s good to want to make your parents proud. It’s also important to remember that what they have invested in is you, not in the plans you have for yourself, but in who you are right now.

“I can’t tell you what success means for all of us, and I can’t tell us what the future entails. I can’t force you to do anything, and why would I want to? All I want you to know is that I’m grateful for all the moments and experiences I’ve had with you all. All the dancing and laughing and screaming. I’m grateful for the smiles and the tears we’ve shared and that is what I want from you all as well. Engage in this moment because after this, it’s all over. No more Class of 2018, no more running away from teachers, no more everyday encounters with our class, no more Laurel.

“So, as we start this new chapter, take a second every day to be in that moment. I love you all so much and will miss you all and I wish you luck on this new journey even though I know you don’t need luck because you’re already utterly amazing and brilliant human beings, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

And no, it’s not arrogant or egotistical to say that because it is the truth, you ARE brilliant and incredible. So, I challenge us all to stop constantly documenting our moments and planning out our lives for other people, but rather, to live in this moment and every moment. We don’t have to go off and become a world-renowned CEO or Doctor. Let our experiences and spontaneous moments be our guides for once. We can simply go off and play with fire like Kyra, or take a drive picking up cool things from the side of the road like Caroline, or we can just take a moment to be with ourselves. I don’t want us to miss out on the now because we’re caught up in the future.

“I want us to be able to look back and smile because we chose to live life rather than to watch it.” L Highlights | SUMMER 2018 23

COMMUNITY

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IRISH LAUREL COMMUNITY EMBARKS ON

EXPLORATION

by Jeanne Stephens, US English Faculty Emerita

“I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.”

As the captain’s rich voice with its Irish lilt intoned the famous lines of an early poem by William Butler Yeats, our group looked at the little Isle of Innisfree in beautiful Lough Gill on the west coast of Ireland. We were on a boat tour of the lake, viewing various locations that had inspired the young poet and enjoying the captain’s recitations and the illuminating context he provided.

This was just one highlight of the eight days a group of 31 travelers spent in Ireland in a reprise of the trip Laurel teachers, staff, alums, and parents took to the Emerald Isle in 2013. Ranging in age from 17 to 70s, the travelers made new friends and learned once again the power of the Laurel community. My four group trips to Ireland stemmed from the determination of three Seniors in the Class of 2011 to visit the places they had learned about in a long unit I teach on the literature of the Irish Renaissance. Experiential learning at its best, that first journey was a literary and historical pilgrimage, whose success prompted me to propose the same trip for Laurel adults and then in 2015 with just Seniors.

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| SUMMER 2018 25

Before our departure date, I invited travelers to join me, locally or virtually, to learn about Irish history and to discuss works by the great writers of the Irish literary renaissance: William Butler Yeats, J.M. Synge, Sean O’Casey, and James Joyce. I created a website with many resources for those interested in exploring in greater depth.

Our group spent five days on the dramatic west coast. Less than an hour after arriving, we roamed the beautiful grounds of the estate of Lady Augusta Gregory, Yeats’ patroness, who hosted him for 20 summers and who co-founded with him the Abbey Theater, Ireland’s first national theater.

On day two we set off to visit the spectacular 700-foot Cliffs of Moher and the lunar landscape of the Burren, with its unique geology and ecosystem and with ancient dolmens dotting the landscape.

Leaving the lively university town of Galway, we drove through beautiful Connemara, with its suede-green mountains, rosy rhododendrons and deep blue rivers. Following our time at Connemara we ventured on to Sligo, the town where Yeats’ mother was born and where the poet spent summers as a child.

Besides the boat tour of Lough Gill, we saw a famous waterfall, “where the wandering water gushes/From the hills above GlenCar,” and a beach where Yeats envisions the faeries dancing all night “till the moon has taken flight.”

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En route to Dublin, the group toured the Palladian mansion called Strokestown House, where an Anglo-Irish family lived during the Famine, and which hosts the Famine Museum.

Then we found ourselves in bustling Dublin, in the particularly vibrant neighborhood of Temple Bar. Dublin was home to some of the world’s most famous writers, like James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Jonathan Swift, who was rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In Dublin we saw the Book of Kells, an illustrated manuscript of the Gospels dating from the 8th century, and the beautiful Long Room of the Library at Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university. While there we toured Dublin Castle, the center of British rule over Ireland for 700 years.

Our stay ended with a riotous performance of Joyce’s Ulysses at the Abbey Theater, with some of our group actually sitting on stage. The next morning, we boarded our flight for home, filled with memories of the beauties of Ireland and a deep affection for our fiercely intelligent and interesting fellow travelers.

Although I have retired, Ann Klotz has invited me to offer more trips. If you have interest in a trip to Ireland or a trip to England to visit sites associated with Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Thomas Hardy, please drop me a line at jStephens@LaurelSchool.org.

COMMUNITY

TOP

IRELAND HIGHLIGHTS

14th - CENTURY NORMAN TOWER, originally on

Lady Gregory’s property and where, from 1921 to 1929, Yeats spent summers with his wife and two children. It was fascinating to climb the winding stair of the Tower, called Thoor Ballylee, and stand in the rooms where Yeats composed some of his most famous poetry.

Day trip to one of the ARAN ISLANDS, INISHMORE, the site of 12th -century Christian ruins and an even more ancient ruin: Dun Aengus, a Celtic ring fort with four concentric stone walls and 300-foot cliffs overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic.

KYLEMORE ABBEY, (opposite page) in Connemara, a fairy-tale-like castle built in 1871 that appears suddenly as if from the pages of Harry Potter.

The historic KILMAINHAM JAIL , (right top) where our guide talked of the jail’s famous history as the place where leaders of the seminal Easter 1916 Rising were executed. The history of Ireland’s fight for independence was vividly alive for us as we tramped through the cold, damp hallways and peeked into cells that housed Irish patriots.

Trip to KNOWTH , a UNICEF World heritage site more than 5,000 years old. With 18 mounds that served as burial sites, and a sister site to the more famous Newgrange, Knowth is a prehistoric monument older than Stonehenge. L Highlights

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CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

Capstone Says Goodbye to Inaugural Graduating Class

By Trey Wilson, Director of Strategic Partnerships

T

wenty-two tremendously capable students in the Class of 2018 became the inaugural graduating class of Laurel’s Capstone Experience. Capstone, a three-and-a-half year, competitive-admission Upper School program, incorporates guided research, mentorship, relevant internships, peer collaboration and purposeful travel.

The culmination of this program is a student’s Research Focus, in which she chooses a topic to explore and uses research and the guidance of a Mentor outside of Laurel to create a substantial project of her own design.

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STUDENT PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CLASSES OF 2018 AND 2019 INCLUDE: • Maddy Massey ’18 composed and recorded an album of original songs • Rylee Betchkal ’18 wrote a 400+ page fantasy novel • Katherine Asbeck ’18 designed a prototype of an app • Sophia Gumbs ’18 wrote a paper exploring Native American lingual and cultural preservation • Claire Fedor ’19 is designing a pedestrian bridge scheduled to be installed at the Butler Campus during the 2018-19 school year • Rose Pophal ’19 is exploring the impact of music and arts therapy on students with autism and Down syndrome

CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

After making its debut in January of 2016 with the help of a generous donation from the E.E. Ford Foundation, Capstone had 86 Upper School participants during the 2017-18 school year. These students selected one of four categories: Civic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Global Studies, or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). Categories strategically are used as lenses to provide a foundation for a Research Focus, which includes exploration of Cleveland and other American cities.

As part of these explorations, each March Grade 10 Capstone students plan and execute trips to American cities, allowing students to meet and engage with dozens of alumnae around the country. Trips thus far have included New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco.

The key to Capstone is the extent to which the students, collectively and individually, express control over the program. The students design and execute all components of the program—from a 30-minute discussion about the merits of “Brexit” to a four-day trip to San Francisco exploring entrepreneurship to varied and amazing Research Focus projects.

Capstone Cohorts: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Candidates explore what it means to be an engaged citizen working to improve her community, her state, her nation and her world.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Candidates experience the start of a new business initiative, the building and execution of an idea from the ground up and the risk of failure.

GLOBAL STUDIES Candidates identify and analyze a multitude of perspectives about global issues, including one’s own and those of others.

STEAM Candidates explore many intersections of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics in order to understand and to apply multi-disciplinary strategies to an endeavor. L

“It has been a real joy introducing Claire to the Design, Architecture and Engineering fields— particularly at the stage in her life when she is visiting colleges and starting to contemplate her engagement in the larger world. To show a student that she has a welcome place in STEAM is to encourage her to think BIG and to think creatively, and have fun with the process!”

— Larissa Burlij, AIA, LEED AP, Architect with Bialosky Cleveland

“Capstone goes beyond an educational experience, this is a program that gives students what they often can’t experience at their young age: real life insight. As a mentor, I acknowledged that students come equipped with talent and a willingness to learn. Capstone allows students to interact with professionals to understand how they can best focus their talents to become successful in their field of interest. Most importantly, Capstone provides a space for students to ask questions without the pressures of a classroom setting. It’s this very aspect that I feel sets this program apart.

Maddy specifically transformed from a student with a talent for vocal performance and creating melodies to a songwriter able to construct, perform, and record complete musical compositions. Most of our progress was made through one-on-one sessions that allowed Maddy to experiment and ask questions. The freedom to ask any question to a working professional/mentor to create conversation around the ‘how to’s’ of a career is what truly makes Capstone the phenomenal program that it is.”

— Diana Chittester, Singer/Songwriter

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| SUMMER 2018 29

LAURELIVE

JUNE 9 -10, 2018 A CLEVELAND.COM ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN JUNE STATES THAT “LARGE-SCALE ROCK CONCERTS HAVE BECOME A SUMMER STAPLE OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, BUT FEW, IF ANY, ARE LARGELY ORGANIZED BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.” The third annual LaureLive, a two-day music festival at Laurel’s Butler Campus, took place June 9-10 and drew more than 15,000 music lovers of all ages. As in past years, 24 Laurel Upper School students worked closely with the Elevation Group, Laurel’s producing partner, to help put on the event. Girls participated in a semester-long class taught by the Elevation Group Principals, that focused on the ins and outs of concert production. From talent acquisition to emergency planning, every aspect of a large-scale music festival was a part of the curriculum.

During the festival, students were hands-on, working every aspect of the event.

“I LOVE MUSIC, AND NEVER DREAMED OF GOING TO A SCHOOL WITH THIS KIND OF OPPORTUNITY.” ­— MEGAN PIDCOCK ’21

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L

NUMBER OF LAUREL GIRLS INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION:

NUMBER OF STAGES:

3

24

NUMBER OF SONGS PERFORMED:

NUMBER OF BANDS:

31

372

NUMBER OF MEDIA OUTLETS WHO COVERED LAUREL STUDENT PARTICIPATION:

NUMBER OF ATTENDEES:

15,777

6

NUMBER OF VENDORS IN VENDOR VILLAGE:

NUMBER OF SHUTTLE BUSES:

42

50

NUMBER OF BOUNCE HOUSES:

3

NUMBER OF KIDS’ FACES PAINTED:

3,878

FACULTY AWARDS

THE MARY FRENCH CONWAY ’46 ENDOWMENT FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

FACULTY AWARDS (back) Kate Webb, Shannon Lukz, Emily Felderman, Leighann DeLorenzo. (front) Renee Psiakis, Kim Green, Laura Marabito

THE VIRGINIA BEIDLER NEFF ’29 AWARD Edward and Virginia Beidler Neff ’29 established this award to recognize teachers within their first three years of teaching at Laurel who demonstrate excellence and potential in the classroom.

Kate Webb, Middle School Social

Studies and English

Passionate, dedicated and committed to excellence, Mrs. Webb is a creative teacher who understands her students and plans thoughtful curriculum based on what she knows will make them tick. Inventive and innovative are words commonly associated with Kate. For instance, she created an oil pipeline that ran through the center of her classroom to help girls understand the impact of the Dakota pipeline. With Kate, new learning becomes part of her students’ permanent record due to her memorable approach.

Laura Marabito, Primary Keeping each girl at the center of her practice, Ms. Marabito knows they learn best when we meet their needs. Rather than attempt to mold the students to what she would like them to be, Laura accepts her students for who and where they are, and helps them to move forward, both academically and socially. Deeply committed to understanding and helping each child, she goes the extra mile time and again, and always with a smile on her face. Laura’s enthusiasm inspires other teachers and we often forget this was just her second year at Laurel!

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The purpose of the Mary French Conway ’46 Award is to recognize excellence in teaching, both in the classroom and in a demonstration of commitment to the School through participation in non-classroom activities with students.

Kim Green, Primary Described by her peers as creative, passionate, and fun, Mrs. Green embodies the Laurel spirit. Working collaboratively with colleagues and families alike, she is a team player in the truest sense. Kim always says “YES” and is quick to jump in whenever needed. Patient, positive and incredibly dedicated, she puts her girls at the center of all she does. We value her ability to keep her cool with grace and to see the best in everyone around her.

Leighann DeLorenzo, Upper School Drama and Speech, Director of Theater Productions Above, beyond, and commitment could be Ms. DeLorenzo’s middle names. A great listener, Leighann is often sought out for her practical, tough-love and wise counsel. She is dedicated to the school, her girls and to her colleagues.

Her theater productions show a level of professionalism unusual in high school, and her determination to pursue acting opportunities in Northeast Ohio position her as a true role model to her students.

Leighann speaks her truth with power and passion and works tirelessly to help others find their breath and articulate their final consonants. ____________________________

THE HOSTETLER CHAIR The first endowed chair established at a girls’ school in the country and made possible by a transformative gift from Hazel Prior Hostetler 1911, the Hostetler Chair recognizes master teachers who generally have taught for at least ten years and who have demonstrated excellence in teaching in the classroom as well as an unusual ability to communicate with students.

Renee Psiakis, Upper School Visual Art

Affection for her girls, respect for their talents, and love of art fuel Ms. Psiakis’ devotion. She creates an atmosphere of trust, warmth, and support that encourages girls to work hard and to provide constructive suggestions to one another. Teaching photography and CAD with passion, she inspires excellence in her students. During her more than 20 years at Laurel, Renee has documented the life of the School, and in doing so, has inspired her photo students and educated them about the life and work of a photographer. ____________________________

CLASS OF 1964 INNOVATIVE TEACHING AWARD The new Innovative Teaching Award, funded by the Class of 1964 in honor of its 50th Reunion, recognizes teachers who utilize innovation and creativity in the classroom.

Shannon Lukz, Primary, Director of North Star Collaborative Emily Felderman, Primary Visual Arts The inaugural honorees of our Innovative Teaching Award are recognized for the power and purpose of dreaming big at Laurel. Together, Mrs. Lukz and Mrs. Felderman have inspired us all to be risk takers and to be a little bolder. They have modeled courage, resilience and daring for their girls, and for us all. This dynamic duo created many versions of what a two-week pilot on Power and Purpose could look like. Adapting and revising, Shannon and Emily worked with their colleagues to inspire enthusiasm and incorporate the good ideas of others.

Generous, compassionate and fervent in the belief that girls can do anything, these two have brought a program to Laurel that will forever change us for the better. Through every step, these innovators kept the school’s mission and Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls at the center of all they developed. L

LEGACY FOR LAUREL

KATHARINE CRAM WORTHINGTON ’65 Generous. That is the word Joe Worthington uses to

describe his sister, Katharine Cram Worthington ’65.

“Kathy was most generous to others and to me — this scholarship honors her memory,” he remembers.

Though the Worthington family moved away from Cleveland when Katharine was entering Eleventh Grade, she spent six happy years attending Laurel and felt a great affinity toward not only the strong education she received, but the discipline she acquired in her time at the school. Katharine went on to graduate from the University of Colorado, which is where she discovered her interest in integrated hospital information systems. Her passion in this area took her to Boston and then onto Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, where she worked for several different hospitals, managing all information systems’ aspects of a hospital’s operation including medical, administrative, financial and legal issues. She remained active in her career until her death in 2008.

Katharine had a life-long passion for tennis, sparked during her years at Laurel. A lover of animals, she was also involved with animal rescue.

In the wake of Katharine’s passing, Joe wanted to find a way to memorialize his beloved sister. By establishing an endowed scholarship fund in her memory, her name and relationship to Laurel School will go on in perpetuity, while also helping talented students in need of financial assistance obtain the Laurel education which she valued. “Laurel was a unique and wonderful school to attend when Kathy was a student and it has only expanded in the decades since. With an extensive variety of courses and opportunities, Laurel offers the best education possible. It is my honor to help bring that opportunity to students who otherwise might not have the financial means to attend,” Joe said of the Katharine Cram Worthington scholarship.

We at Laurel think Joe is pretty generous, too!

Membership in Legacy for Laurel is extended to all alumnae, parents, parents of alumnae, faculty and friends who make a provision in their estate plans to benefit the School.

For more information about joining Legacy for Laurel contact the Development Office at 216.455.3033.

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SARAH LYMAN DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE Sponsored by the Laurel School Alumnae Association

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 • BOCA RATON, BOSTON, CHICAGO, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, DURHAM, NEW YORK CITY, PORTLAND, TWIN CITIES, WASHINGTON, D.C. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2018 • SEATTLE

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