Sound Bites

“I want to thank my parents for having the insight to send me to a place as awesome as Country Day where I could learn to be something bigger than myself and to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

– Matthew A. Rosen ’72, 2022 Virtue in Action award recipient (read more on pg. 47)

“I AM JUST SO HAPPY THAT I COULD BE PART OF MONTESSORI’S INTRODUCTION TO CINCINNATI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL. IT CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE AND WAS THE MOST INSPIRING EXPERIENCE THAT I’VE EVER HAD.”

– Paula Lillard, former CCDS Montessori teacher (read more on pg. 22) “It seems small to sort paint all day, but it showed me that people really have a need for everything, even things I don’t think about like a bucket of paint. I was happy to have this opportunity to give back.”

- Lee Thomas ’25, about his contributions during Upper School’s annual Community Service Day (read more on pg. 17)

“The Rich Earth Program was my top choice because I’m interested in sustainability, specifically water pollution. This program at the Rich Earth Institute is a sustainable way to prevent that and clean up the water.”

– Josie Rutherford ’18, reflecting on summer work she did with the organization (read more on pg. 45)

“I didn’t intend to own a store. I started Simply Zero as an Instagram account in 2017 as a challenge to myself to live waste free, educate others, and share waste-free resources online.”

– Rachel Felous ’04 (read more on pg. 10) “I can still remember how I looked at Upper School students when I was in Lower School. I was fascinated by them; they were my models. Now that I’m older, I wanted to be a model for the Lower School kids and show them the importance of math and the beauty of learning new things.”

– Carolina Cavalieri ’23 on why she participates in the Math Helpers program (read more on pg. 38)

“ARMING KIDS WITH THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR, LIKE WHAT COUNTRY DAY DOES WITH ROX [A GIRLS EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM], IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. I’VE SEEN ENOUGH VICTIMS IN MY OFFICE AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THAT THEN THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO DO.”

- Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Kode Sammarco ’81 (read more on pg. 8)

“I saw this as such an amazing, almost once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially as an Upper Schooler. Not many high school students get to go to Spain for school.”

– Ambika Sharma ’24 on the experience of participating in the exchange program with Colegio El Pinar (read more pg. 18)

“For her [Sigourney Smyth ’23] and every student in this wonderful production [Pride & Prejudice], I happily dyed my hair blond at their request…They know every time I see them just how proud I am of their work and how thankful I am to get to create stories with them.”

– Nick Rose, Upper School Theater and Speech Teacher (read more on pg. 27) “The Beach was one of the few egalitarian places on campus – “jocks” ruled the fields, the “honor society” types hung out in the math/ physics rooms, but The Beach hosted us all.”

– Precious Smith ’87 on why the Class of 1987 raised money for The Beach dedication (read more on pg. 53) “It is of the utmost importance that we never take the peacetime that we enjoy for granted and that we always honor the sacrifices that men like Mr. Hauck and the members of his class made not so long ago.”

– Nick Watts ’23 about why he wanted to interview Country Day’s oldest alum (read more on pg. 43)

“I hope that more women around the world get to experience this sport that is so unique. This community is such a close-knit family that is so supportive and teaches women to stand up for themselves and their teammates, believe in each other, and take up space.”

– Xanni Brown ’10 on her experience with rugby (read more on pg. 28)

“I THINK COUNTRY DAY HAS HELPED ME GROW AS A PERSON. WHEN I ARRIVED AT COUNTRY DAY, I WAS PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO BE THE STUDENT WHO WAS IN FRONT OF HONOR COUNCIL RATHER THAN THE STUDENT WHO IS SERVING ON HONOR COUNCIL…BY BEING INVOLVED IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, YOU’RE TAUGHT TO MATURE QUICKLY AND BE RESPONSIBLE.”

– Kyle Collett ’23 refl ecting on his experience at Country Day (read more on pg. 32) “To me, leadership is the culmination of many things. It’s driving the younger girls to practices and games... including everyone in team traditions and superstitions...organizing events to ensure that we can have fun as a team.”

– CJ DeBra ’23, the state-winning soccer team goalkeeper (read more on pg. 36)