Spring/Summer 2023

SPRING/SUMMER 2023

LINCOLN SPRING/SUMMER 2023

Creative Team

Lincoln Advancement Team

Sophia Theriault ’16

Emalyn Gordon

Brian Platt

Brittanny Taylor, Photographer blazar design studio, Designer

Sarah C. Baldwin, Writer

Glenn Osmundson P’12, Additional Photography

On the cover: Seniors on stage during this year’s Commencement ceremony on the front lawn.

©2023 Lincoln School. All rights reserved. Please send change of address to advancement@lincolnschool.org

A piece by art major, Zosia Rosler ’23

Graduates

Serene Sindayiganza ’23, Ainsley Gibbons ’23, + April Rowe ’23

Meet

Page 17

Letter from the Head

As it is every year, springtime at Lincoln is a season of endings and beginnings: endings, as we wrap up another academic year of discovery and growth, and beginnings, as we launch another class of bold, curious, confident young women who will make a difference in the world.

But this spring has been especially significant, both for me and for our school. During Alumnae & Reunion Weekend 2023, I was delighted and moved (and yes, a little amazed) to be joined by fellow members of the Class of 1988 in a proud celebration of our 35th reunion. An even more impressive milestone was marked by members of the Class of 1973, who returned to campus in record numbers to gather, reminisce, and honor 50 years of friendship and the transformative impact of their Lincoln education.

Not long after that joyful weekend, our community witnessed a quieter appreciation, at the senior class’s final Silent Meeting. One after another, seniors spoke from the heart about their experience at Lincoln. Whether expressing gratitude for the unparalleled commitment of the faculty or the support and inspiration of their classmates, they all seemed to see their Lincoln education for what it is: a gift .

As our more than 3,500 alumnae can attest, it’s a gift that appreciates over time.

Onward Together,

Sophie Glenn Lau ’88 Head of School

Clockwise from top left: Mia Q. ’27, Gabby A. ’27 Cassidy W. ’27, Nina D. ’27

Butler Avenue Bulletin

ACCOLADES

Lincoln’s Model United Nations (MUN) club hosted LynxMUN, a conference with 60 attendees from several Rhode Island high schools. Following a keynote by Claire Wardle, a professor at Brown University School of Public Health and co-director of the Information Futures Lab, students discussed topics ranging from gerrymandering to criminal justice.

Hats off to student-athletes and coaches for a great season! Lacrosse gets a high five for coming in first in Division 1 and bringing home the Team Sportsmanship Award, as do our swimmers, who were the RI Interscholastic League Division II Champions! Three cheers for seniors Ava Oliveira, Hannah Boss, Dauphine Michel, Geneva Brown, Sydney Boss, Courtney Boghosian, and April Rowe for earning top athletic awards

DESIGN THINKING

Innovation Nation transformed the Middle School into a human-centered Design Lab. Students delved into a three-day immersive experience , working alongside eight Bryant University students and led by Allison Gelfuso Butler ’96 , a professor of psychology there. Teams focused on solutions for the greater good, devising ways to promote early literacy, upcycling, green spaces, social justice, and activist art. The main idea? “Fail early to succeed sooner!”

SUSTAINABILITY

Upper School students have been watching their garden grow — in water! First, the components of a vertical hydroponics system using the open-source program 3Dponics and the MakerBot were printed. Then sage, chives, rosemary, and other herbs were grown from seeds in a solution fortified with the essential nutrients for healthy plants—a compact and efficient form of farming.

The student-run Lincoln Environmental Action Program , also known as LEAP Week, focused on finding actionable hope in a time of environmental crisis. Programming featured numerous workshops run by Lincoln teachers and local environmentalgroup leaders (including a wildlife veterinarian!), as well as a thrift store selling used clothing.

WOMEN’S ADVOCACY

Helena Buonanno Foulkes ’82, an experienced CEO who sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Rhode Island last year, was our 2023 Commencement speaker. Addressing the 36 graduates, she praised them for their “openness and inclusiveness [and] resilience in the face of many challenges,” inviting them to “[s]how the world the bright light that shines from Lincoln School.”

Members of The Power of Ten , a group of dedicated and generous alumnae, joined Sophie Glenn Lau ’88 at Trinity Repertory Company to see The Inferior Sex , a femalecentered, comedic take on the politics, tensions, and advancements of the early ’70s. Students in two English classes also saw it, and discussed it in class through the lenses of language, media, and gender

Leading

Kathrin Pagonis Belliveau ’86 P’20,’22

It should come as no surprise that corporate executive and attorney Kathrin Pagonis Belliveau ’86 is passionate about play. She has spent the past 25 years of her career working for Hasbro, a Rhode Island-based Fortune 500 company whose brands include Playskool, Potato Head, Dungeons & Dragons, Tonka, Monopoly, and Nerf, to name just a few.

But working for a company whose name is synonymous with toys isn’t all fun and games.

Indeed, as an Executive Vice President and the company’s inaugural Chief Purpose Officer, Belliveau takes play very seriously. In fact, since taking on her C-suite role in 2020, Belliveau has come to consider herself the “conscience and voice” of the multinational company.

As Hasbro’s conscience, Belliveau must guarantee the toys and games are safe and of the highest quality, and that the workers manufacturing and transporting them

A snapshot of a Lincoln alumna at the top of her game

(often in countries across the globe) are treated with dignity and respect, whether through fair wages or decent working conditions.

She’s also responsible for ensuring sustainable practices across the global supply chain and the organization, which has offices in more than 45 countries, and oversees the company’s Charitable Trust and philanthropic outreach, such as donating toys to kids following a natural disaster and providing access to play for kids in underserved communities.

“We believe play is a fundamental human right,” she said.

As Hasbro’s voice, Belliveau and colleagues take a seat at the table with regulators and policymakers from Capitol Hill to Brussels to discuss product safety law, ethical sourcing, and trade issues. And when you ring up Hasbro’s consumer care line

“There was a special culture,” she said. “It was like a physical feeling of security and closeness. You had the sense of an academic institution that had a true purpose and mission.”

Even as a student she appreciated the strictness of then-Head of School Mary Louise Schaffner, “who taught us to conduct ourselves with poise and grace.” The firstgeneration daughter of Greek parents and a serious student who was expected to excel, Belliveau also valued the school’s academic rigor.

“I learned how to write at Lincoln. Carolyn Peter was the chair of the English department, and I was an insecure English student. She really nurtured my love of writing and reading,” she said. “When I got to Wellesley my freshman year, writing class was easy.”

on Christmas morning because you need help getting that cool electronic toy to work, one of Belliveau’s team members will answer the call.

Belliveau said that Hasbro, which is celebrating its 100th year, was “purpose led” long before the idea became mainstream in corporate America. “Creating joy, giving back, and doing well by doing good — it’s the glue that keeps us together. And it’s the glue that will keep us moving forward for the next 100 years,” she said.

Belliveau credits Lincoln with helping her come into her own, intellectually and socially. Entering in seventh grade, she loved the school from the minute she walked through the red doors.

Originally planning to become a physician, like her father, Belliveau chose law instead – in large part because of her love of English. “I decided to apply to law school because I love to write and I love to read, and that’s what law school is,” she said.

Recalling the classroom as a “judgment-free zone” in which she found her voice, Belliveau underscored the “empowerment of being in a single-sex environment.”

To this day Belliveau remains friends with many members of her class, women with whom she played sports or sang as a Lambrequin. Like many of them, she is a proud mother of two recent Lincoln alumnae.

Belliveau credits Lincoln with helping her come into her own, intellectually and socially.

Entering in seventh grade, she loved the school from the minute she walked through the red doors.

Meet a pair of environmental activists and the organizers of LEAP Week.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Why environmental issues?

Martha: I loved being outside as a kid. When I was about 10, I became conscious that the planet’s health was in danger and knew I wanted to do what I could to help.

Meghan: Being outside was an important part of my childhood too. I loved science classes, and when I realized there were reasons for what was happening to the environment, I thought, I can use science to make a difference about something I care about.

Any surprises during LEAP Week?

Meghan: So many of the workshop leaders — like Joanna Detz, the publisher of ecoRI News, and Casey Merkle, the Barrington Farm School Volunteer Coordinator, to name just two — took time out of their busy schedules. They were genuinely excited to educate kids about their environmental work.

Martha: Students were super committed to doing the programming and motivated to carry out some ideas, like composting and doing hydroponics at home.

Meghan Hastings ’23 and Martha Savage ’23

Anything especially inspiring?

Martha: Through the thrift store, we raised $800 dollars, which we’re donating to the workshop leaders’ organizations. We donated an entire cartful of clothes to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Meghan: Thinking about fast fashion and clothing waste really made me reflect on how I’m going to spend my money later in life.

What’s so special about Lincoln?

Meghan: Being able to be a leader of a club or captain of a sports team or the first one to be called on in a science class.

Martha: For LEAP Week, we were coming up with ideas that hadn’t been done before, and the teachers met us with “yes” every step of the way.

HANDS On

With Gloria Olubowale ’23 + Anita Thompson ’89

A look at Lincoln’s signature approach to active learning

According to Visual Arts Department Head

Anita Thompson ’89, “Lincoln students are builders. They like to create things.” Which helps explain the popularity of Art of the Assemblage, a course she designed and teaches that combines fashion design, engineering, and sustainability.

In it, students conceptualize and create a sculpture or wearable garment from alternative materials sourced from a local recycling center. Over the years, students have incorporated trash bags, wire, cardboard, rope, and newspaper into their designs.

“We also use a lot of hot glue,” Thompson said.

For those who take the fashion-design route (including art majors in Thompson’s Senior Studio Seminar) the course culminates in

the SEED Student Design Challenge, part of STYLEWEEK Northeast, an annual runway show held in downtown Providence in June.

STYLEWEEK-bound students begin by creating a fashion board featuring sketches, inspirational images, and sample materials. The concepts receive an initial critique by Rosanna Ortiz, creator of STYLEWEEK Northeast and, with Thompson, of the Lincoln STYLEWEEK Seedling partnership, through which Lincoln students participate in the competition. The conversation with Ortiz, in addition to subsequent critiques, help students troubleshoot, revise, and refine their designs, and are essential to the process and the course.

“You don’t have to know anything about fashion,” Thompson said. “You just have to

go in with a willingness to try something, not succeed on your first attempt, re-evaluate, and try again.”

She added that art major Gloria Olubowale ’23 did just that: “Gloria is one of those people who jumps in with both feet. She’s not afraid of the trial-and-error process.”

Originally intending to make clothing out of soda cans, bubble wrap, and chip bags, Olubowale wasn’t pleased with how her garments were turning out. At the recycling center, she spied some old-fashioned price tags, strings still attached. “I thought, I’m going to make a two-piece outfit out of those,” she said. She tied a tiny orange gem to each string to give it a “Y2K, Destiny’s Child, retro feel.”

“It was challenging in terms of finding materials, putting things together, and being doubtful at times. But I pushed through it, and I’m really proud of the piece that I have now,” Olubowale said.

That piece and 11 others designed by Thompson’s students were showcased on the runway on June 15, outside Capital Grille restaurant, in front of an enthusiastic audience. Olubowale’s design won.

Olubowale, who will attend Boston University next year, intends to major in engineering:

“I’m a visual learner and I love making things with my hands.” She had taken a lot of STEAM courses but missed art, where she feels “free to try new things.” By becoming an art major and taking Thompson’s course, she said, “I found a bridge between two things that I love.”

Now & Later

Eliana B. ’24 + Miriam Tinberg ’10

Although separated in age by nearly a decade and a half, Miriam Tinberg ’10 and Eliana B. ’24 share a love of Arabic, a fascination with the Middle East and North Africa, and a passion for cultural exchange.

As part of Lincoln’s Global Programs, Eliana joined Sophie Glenn Lau ‘88, teachers Mary Briden P’16 and Carole Figuet, and 16 other students on a trip to Morocco last March. The group spent two days visiting the cultural sites of bustling Marrakesh, including mosques, Jemaa el-Fna Square, and the Medina. They then journeyed south to spend a few days with

homestay families in Tizi Zouggaght, a remote village in the Atlas Mountains.

Eliana speaks Arabic at home (her parents are Syrian) but was surprised to learn how different the local Berber dialect was from what she knew. “I realized the importance of overcoming the language barrier through hand gestures, smiling, being respectful, using your manners,” she said.

She and her fellow travelers learned the culture and language through spending time with their families and playing with the children of

Lincoln students and alumnae with a shared purpose or passion

the village. Indeed, they were served so much delicious food, Eliana said, they soon mastered safi baraka, or “enough,” to signal that they couldn’t eat any more!

They were also taught carpet weaving and how to cook traditional Moroccan dishes, and joined a nightlong community celebration that involved music, dancing, and feasting.

But it was the villagers’ big-heartedness and warmth that affected Eliana most profoundly: “They were truly the most generous, humble, kind people I’ve ever met in my life.” She recalled a neighbor who welcomed 25 people into his small home for three nights, and her homestay sister, who kissed her parents’ hands every time she entered the room.

“That’s when I learned I should be more hospitable, more generous, and more grateful,” Eliana said. Once home, she applied for several volunteer positions “to be more connected to my community and help as many people as I can.”

Tinberg, too, was struck by this communitarian spirit. In 2014, after graduating from University of Massachusetts Amherst with a major in Middle East studies, she lived in Morocco for a year as a Fulbright scholar. (During college she had also spent half a year in Jordan.) There she found her “Western, individualist mindset” challenged: “Here it’s, ’My money is mine, my decisions are mine, my boundaries are mine,’” she said. “There it’s, ’We do as a community, we do as a neighborhood.’”

Tinberg began studying Arabic when she entered Lincoln in ninth grade, in what was then a pilot program taught by Madame Briden; she studied it all four years and throughout college. Immersing herself in the language changed her, she said. “I developed a new personality. I became a more extroverted, more adventurous person than I am in English”

She believes cultural immersion generally is essential to one’s education. “Ripping yourself from your homeland and your sense of security shifts the ground under you,” she said. “It changes your lens.”

Though Tinberg is now a product manager for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, after her experience in the Middle East and North Africa she worked for several years in international education. “We need to get people to experience this,” she said.

For Eliana, the trip made her realize how much she had to learn about Africa. “Cultural exchange, immersing yourself in someone’s culture and language — it’s how you can defeat stereotypes,” she said.

Friends Class of 1973

Last May, 28 members of the Class of 1973 returned to Lincoln to mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation. The classmates who helped organize their reunion had much to say — about the impact of an all-girls education, about what sparked their early friendships, and about what connects them still. The following are excerpts of their reflections.

When I entered Lincoln as a freshman, I chose Spanish instead of French. Looking back now, it is stunning how what seemed at 13 to be an insignificant decision turned out to be so important. [Spanish teacher] Susan Eimas was my first mentor and a quiet cheerleader. She changed my life.

One of the cool things about our 50th was that two or three people who had never come back to a reunion came to this one.

—Polly Mott ’73

Linda would come over to my house on rollerblades so we could rollerblade to school to see if we made the field hockey team. I loved every single day of school –except when there was a major test and I wasn’t prepared for it!

The love that people have for Lincoln—it’s a bond that is almost inexplicable. It is so real, so dear to my heart. It’s one of the greatest gifts that my parents ever could have given me.

—Kathleen Kiely Seifert ’73

Friends continued from page 15

My friends and I formed a close friendship because of sports. Athletics still play a big role in my life today and gave me, as a woman, confidence in the working world.

Today it doesn’t matter who was in the Lambrequins or who played tennis or who went on to be a doctor. We’ve all circled back, and I think we all have an even deeper appreciation for each other. I’m even closer to some of these classmates now than I was then.

—Linda Mauro Peck ’73

Elmhurst Academy was a Catholic girls’ school that closed its doors right after our junior year, so they had a whole class of about-to-be seniors who needed a home. Lincoln accepted 12 into our class. It was so moving to hear the “Elmhurst girls” who came to Reunion say how kind and inclusive people were when they joined us senior year.

Some of my dearest Lincoln friends now are women I’ve gotten to know in recent years. There is this bond that you build on. It’s really special.

—Jane Meissner Sharfstein ’73

When I came in ninth grade, I was a pretty quiet nerd. I had a few friends, but not a lot. But I don’t ever remember feeling like an outsider.

We were young, we were impressionable, we all grew up together. As you get older and reminisce about what was important to you then, you find you have so much more in common than you even realized.

Being at an all-girls school and then going to a predominantly male college didn’t seem like a big deal, because at Lincoln we were taught that girls can do anything boys can do.

—Christine Wang ’73

Lincoln gave me a wonderful platform from which to take off.

Silent Meeting was beautiful. It took a lot of courage, but you learned to say what was in your heart and trust the people you were with to hold it in their hearts. You learned you were in a safe place.

My closest relationships are far and away with my Lincoln friends. But what I love is how elastic our hearts and minds have become, so that our friendships have multiplied and expanded since we were there.

—Betsy Bishop Harker ’73 P’02

Share how you’ve stayed connected with your Lincoln friends by emailing us at friends@lincolnschool.org

Graduates

Meet three members of the Class of 2023

continued on page 18

Ainsley Gibbons

Serene Sindayiganza

Why Lincoln: I grew up in New York City, but my mom went to Brown for her PhD. Coming to Lincoln would mean not being separated from her. I moved to Providence the night before my freshman year started!

What I learned: How to take initiative and advocate for myself. I learned how to ask to meet with a teacher to get help when I needed it.

What I loved: I’ve really enjoyed classes in English, psychology, and African studies. But the history classes I’ve especially loved. Lincoln does a great job of making sure we’re learning about the material from a variety of perspectives, not just from the traditional, white, Western point of view.

What’s next: American University.

Pro tip: Even though things don’t always go as planned, trust yourself. And have fun along the way.

Why Lincoln: My other school was big, and I’m a quiet person. Sometimes it was hard to get my voice out there and be comfortable. Lincoln offered me space to do that. Also, as an all-girls school, we all know what each other’s going through and what we want to accomplish.

What I learned: I found myself as a person. I became more confident in what I like. That led me on a path to art, because I realized it was always what I wanted to do.

What I loved: The community. The people. No matter who you meet, everyone is amazingly committed and engaged — not just to their education, but to the things they love, whether it’s sports, art, or theater.

April Rowe

Why Lincoln: I really liked the vibe of Lincoln, as well as the STEAM courses it offers. Also, the small classes and the personal connections you develop with your teachers.

What I learned: Being a goalie for the lacrosse team, I got a thrill every time I made a save. But when the other team scored, I learned to think about it for five minutes, then figure out what I did wrong and how to do better. It’s the same when you get a bad grade.

What I loved: Lincoln helped me come out of my shell in terms of speaking out more and becoming a leader in the classroom and outside it. It’s allowed me to figure out who I am and where I want to go with my life.

What’s next: Wesleyan University.

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to reach out to new people. I made a lot of new friends, even this year!

What’s next: Pratt Institute

Pro tip: There is so much available to you here that’s not available elsewhere. Try everything.

Legacy

Alumnae reflections on a Lincoln education

Stefanie Casinelli Taylor ’97

Mother, daughter, sister. Entrepreneurial leader, ally of women, supplier of sparkle.

she sent me to Lincoln for kindergarten. I was a shy little girl with very little confidence, and Lincoln brought me out of my shell. I was happy from there on out.

I was a great student and worked very hard, but I owe a lot of my academic success to the extra support the teachers gave me, especially [English teacher] Beatrice Swift and [math teacher] Doris Hull.

“As president of Gennaro, Inc., I’m the third generation to run the family business, which has been designing and manufacturing specialty accessories for almost four decades. We started by designing tiaras for the Miss America beauty pageants! I wanted to create a retail business as well, so in 2018 I became the founder and CEO of Zaxie, which sells fashion jewelry and bridal accessories online.

My mother was a super-strong woman. When she saw I was struggling in nursery school,

Athletics at Lincoln were great, too. There’s nothing like playing sports in an all-girls school, because you are the heroes. There are no boys to overshadow you. Whether or not you win a game, you learn to be a team together. And you learn to balance schoolwork with your commitment to the sport. We had great coaches, like [former athletics director] Ronnie McFarland. Athletics shaped who I am as a business leader.

I also loved the Quaker experience, learning to find the inner light in everyone and in yourself. My class couldn’t have been a more different group of people, and every single one of us were friends.”

My mother was a superstrong woman. When she saw I was struggling in nursery school, she sent me to Lincoln for kindergarten.

5th grade graduation (top) and 8th grade graduation (bottom)

The Class of 1953 during the beloved step-singing tradition on the front steps.