Loyal
to Lincoln profiles
PREFACE
Life after
Lincoln Over 3,500 Lincoln Alumnae live all over the world and work in diverse professional fields. This book introduces you to a small sampling of these graduates. They are former students, athletes, performers, Lincoln Green contributors, Student Council representatives, and community service enthusiasts, who speak to the far-reaching benefits of Lincoln’s community life, learning experiences, and leadership opportunities. They note in particular the profound effect of Lincoln’s all-girls environment and Quaker values. The Lincoln influence lives on in our alumnae personally and professionally. As Ellen Gordon Reeves ’79 notes, “Today, as I spend time with my Lincoln friends and former faculty and come to know the new Lincoln, I realize that Lincoln is for life.”
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OUR ALUMNAE OUR ALUMNAE
“
Overall, Lincoln taught me how to balance the
self-confidence that enables one to become a leader,
with the respect for others required to exist in
a community.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Alana Chloe Esposito ’03 An advocate for cultural diplomacy Education after Lincoln: Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
Intrigued by the intersection of arts and international politics, Alana Esposito wants to use her degree in international relations to pursue a career in cultural diplomacy and arts-based conflict resolution. She says that wanting to make a difference in the world grew out of her Lincoln experience. Lincoln, notes Alana, “was a place that offered me comfort and stability without teaching me to be complacent.” She also gives credit to one of her former French teachers at Lincoln, Thierry Gustave, whose “culture days” and other explorations “instilled in me a curiosity about the world and the potential for culture to contribute positively to it.”
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OUR ALUMNAE
“
Lincoln offers not only excellent academic
preparation but also real world exposure and
experience, opportunities for community service,
and connections to the diverse communities
Lincoln serves.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Ellen Gordon Reeves ’79 A teacher, writer, and editor who got her start at Lincoln Education after Lincoln: Harvard-Radcliffe, BA; Harvard Graduate School of Education, MEd; Northeastern University, MAW
When Ellen Gordon Reeves was a second grader, Lincoln librarian Tricia Stallman sent a poem she wrote to The Horn Book. Says Ellen, “It was published and they paid me $5; after that, I considered myself a writer.” Now a teacher, writer, and editor, Ellen has served as executive editor at The New Press, a non-profit book publisher in New York, and teaches in the Columbia University Publishing Course and in Paris. Her own writing projects include a play, a book about job hunting and a cookbook with a Parisian chef. She considers lifelong friends to be among the most important things she gained from Lincoln, as well as Quaker values and “learning how to read, write, think, and uncover bias.” 5
OUR ALUMNAE
“
At Lincoln Toby learned to express her views orally and in writing:
A lot of emphasis was placed on communicating
clear concise arguments and backing them up with facts.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Toby Tucker Peters ’91 A fashion director who communicates verbally and visually Education after Lincoln: University of Pennsylvania, BA; Radcliffe Publishing Course
As the fashion market director for InStyle magazine, Toby Tucker Peters attends fashion shows in New York, Milan, and Paris, and decides what fashion elements and trends will appear in each issue, as well as what celebrities appearing in the magazine will wear. Every day, she needs to rely on her own judgment, and she refers to Lincoln as “a profound influence.” She says, “The overwhelming sense of self-confidence I took with me to college and into the professional world thereafter came from my experience at Lincoln. In college I was never afraid to voice my ideas, and in the working world I had the guts to take the ‘road less traveled’ and was rewarded for it.” 7
OUR ALUMNAE
“
Lincoln challenges its students academically,
while encouraging character strength and social
responsibility. In an all-girl environment, Lincoln
prepares its students for a future of leadership, success, and getting the most out of life.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Sara Low ’79 An entertainment industry professional with character Education after Lincoln: Brown University, AB; Yale University School of Drama, MFA
On hiatus from marketing such Broadway shows as Rent, Cats, and Les Misérables, Sara Low is helping others get the most out of life as a leader of fly fishing adventures with a penchant for team building. She notes that Lincoln instilled the desire to excel as an individual, as well as to cooperate and flourish within groups. “Two very important things I carry with me are the confidence and drive to achieve, as well as the Friends’ wisdom of seeking a consensus,” she says. Sara believes Lincoln’s single-sex environment was key. She notes, “I value my experience at a girls’ school, where students were expected to be leaders in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in the community.”
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OUR ALUMNAE
“
I am extremely happy with the tools that my teachers, coaches, and peers provided, and I am grateful for all that I was able to take with me
into the real world!
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Ianthe Hensman ’02 A compassionate business professional Education after Lincoln: Connecticut College, BA; Clark University, MBA candidate
A business consultant and analyst, Ianthe Hensman has “a deep passion for helping others.” Her humanitarian efforts include relief work in Sri Lanka after the devastating tsunami of 2004, which Ianthe calls “a life changing experience.” Currently pursuing her MBA, Ianthe says her time at Lincoln was transformative. “When I started at Lincoln, I was very shy and not confident in my talents,” she says. “By the time I was in Middle School, no one would believe me when I said that!” She realizes that she gained knowledge both in and out of the classroom. “Playing a sport every season taught me how to manage my time,” she says. “Spending time with the faculty and staff really showed me what it meant to be passionate about something.” 11
OUR ALUMNAE
“
Through my education I have learned that positive relationships play a huge role in a female’s
development. Her environment also shapes how
much she feels empowered to participate in her own learning.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
TEXT HERE
Kilah Walters ’95 A clinical therapist and probation officer Education after Lincoln: Providence College, BA, MEd
A clinical therapist by training, Kilah Walters is Rhode Island’s first and only probation officer who specializes in gender specific therapy. Her approach acknowledges that criminal behavior is different in men and women, and she hopes to help develop treatment techniques that will “impact the way we work with women throughout the state.” At Lincoln, Kilah says she was the kind of student who never stopped asking questions. Far from causing trouble, her questions led to meaningful discussions—and a sense of validation. Says Kilah, “Having that type of support from staff, teachers, and the other students was so nurturing that it instilled in me the strength and knowledge that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. To this day, my old teachers still call on me to participate in forums where we continue to grow through sharing ideas.” 13
OUR ALUMNAE
“
Single sex schools may not be for everyone, but it
was right for me. I have had plenty of time since
to collaborate with both men and women in the
environmental field.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Charlotte Barton Sornborger ’54 An advocate for the environment Education after Lincoln: Mount Holyoke College, BA
A former chemistry, biology, earth science, and mathematics teacher, Charlotte Barton Sornborger has in more recent years devoted her energy to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust, serving as its president for 17 years. She’s also contributed her fieldwork skills to a long-term population study of endangered diamond-back terrapins. Currently president of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Charlotte finds this volunteer service to be meaningful—and rooted in her Lincoln education. She notes, “We found that learning was fun and that we were expected to contribute to the larger community.” She thinks families need to know that Lincoln is a worthwhile investment for each girl because “it could be a life-changing experience for her!” 15
OUR ALUMNAE
“
Lincoln gave me the pure joy of learning.
It nurtured my curiosity about the world in which we live—but also my conviction to
leave it a better place.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Meredith Vieira ’71 An award-winning journalist who values her girls’ school experience Education after Lincoln: Tufts University, BA
Meredith Vieira, co-anchor of NBC’s Today show and host of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, has more than 20 years of experience in journalism and seven Emmy awards to show for it. Known for making her family a priority, she also supports such charitable groups as Safe Horizon, which assists victims of violence. Meredith found Lincoln to be empowering. “Lincoln instilled in me a great sense of confidence,” she says. “Back when I was growing up, women were just starting to come into their own, yet there was still a sense out there that we were somehow second-class citizens. Lincoln constantly chipped away at that glass ceiling, revealing a world where the sky was the limit. I left Lincoln with the knowledge and the courage to believe I could accomplish anything I wanted in life.” 17
OUR ALUMNAE
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The involvement in silent meeting has been
the most powerful and lasting experience. The silence still allows space for inspiration
to enter the spirit.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Jane Elizabeth Dillon ’74 An inspired artist and professor Education after Lincoln: Skidmore College; Rhode Island School of Design, BFA; University of Colorado, Boulder, MFA.
Potter Jane Dillion teaches a course on “Clay, Culture, and Creativity” at Salve Regina University in Newport. She says, “I love the class because it has kept me studying and exploring the human need to create and imagine.” Jane discovered the joys of being an artist at Lincoln, where the arts faculty introduced her to clay, where silent meeting provoked reflection and inspiration, and even chemistry labs provided useful insights into technical clay and glaze calculation. She says being a potter “was my calling, and I found it early with the help of attentive teachers!” She’s grateful for the things Lincoln taught her, including how to write well, speak French, and negotiate a budget. She says, “Lincoln raised the bar for me.” 19
OUR ALUMNAE
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There’s no way to understand the true power of the foundation Lincoln gives you, but it’s so critical.
It’s the best gift my parents ever gave me.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Nancy Dubuc’87 A cable TV executive with lifelong friends from Lincoln Education after Lincoln: Boston University, College of Communications, BA
“You can’t be afraid to say what you think, and Lincoln definitely taught me that,” says Nancy Dubuc. As the general manager and executive vice president of The History Channel, she is responsible for programming, marketing, and business initiatives relating to the cable channel and its associated brands. Lincoln, she notes, had a big impact on her life. “My friends from Lincoln are some of my dearest treasures,” she says. “They’re my reality check and support system. In some way that has to have influenced who I am today.” Nancy says Lincoln’s community had a profound effect: “I’m pretty resilient in the face of risk and change, and I think that’s because I’m not afraid if I fail. I attribute that to the safety net I’ve always felt from my Lincoln community.” 21
OUR ALUMNAE
“
At Lincoln, it was considered cool to be a good
student, and teachers and administrators expected me to rise to the academic challenge the rigorous
curriculum offered. My love of learning, instilled
in me at Lincoln by my teachers, is something
I carry with me every day.
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LINCOLN FOR LIFE
Susan Cashion Robinson ’91 A doctor with a love of learning Education after Lincoln: Dartmouth College, BA; Georgetown Medical School, MD
A pediatrician and mother of two, Susan Cashion Robinson says Lincoln helped her to develop leadership skills and confidence, whether she was running for Student Council or playing on the tennis team. She says, “In hundreds of ways, big and small, Lincoln allowed me a safe place from which to explore my strengths and weaknesses.” Susan notes, “It wasn’t until I arrived at Dartmouth that I realized how much confidence I had in comparison to other girls my age.” She recalls being surprised by how quiet some of her female classmates were in her first freshman seminar. “I was very comfortable speaking my mind and defending my opinion,” says Susan. “Without a doubt I had Lincoln to thank for this gift.” 23
Knowledge
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