A Tribute to Clara Svedlund To celebrate the life and invaluable contributions of our beloved science instructor Clara Svedlund, we asked students and colleagues to share their memories and thoughts. We love and miss you, Clara.
CATIE FRISTOE ‘22
“When I joined the Lower School in 1st grade, I was a shy, quiet student scared by the entirely new environment around me. But I made an immediate connection with Ms. Svedlund. I was in awe. She was cool… really cool. I knew that she was who I wanted to be when I grew up. Ms. Svedlund inspired me to be a scientist. She encouraged me to love the world around me no matter what, through thick and thin. Looking up to her is what sparked a love for biology and medicine that I will carry with me for my entire life. I truly believe that I would not be the person I am today if I hadn’t spent the past 12 years looking up to a genius, and a compassionate role model like her.”
COURTNEY GUAY ART INSTRUCTOR
“During the last two school years, Clara taught in an outdoor classroom allowing us teachers to take a peek into how she was teaching her curriculum. When I would witness her students have the “ah-ha” moment and exclaim how cool this new bit of thefourthestate.net
information was, she would always respond with, “I know, right?” For those who know her best, this was her catchphrase. Empathetic in nature, Clara had a unique ability to match whatever your feelings were. When I was happy, she was happy. When I cried, she would cry. This compassion is such a rare and beautiful gift that very few people have. She was a person who loved deeply: her family, her friends, her colleagues, and her students. Clara, you are forever loved and missed.”
BROOKE GREEN
3RD GRADE INSTRUCTOR “Clara, I have never met someone as observant, empathetic, and selfless as you. You carried other people’s pain and difficulties so they wouldn’t have to. You were the first to volunteer to help anyone with anything. You helped people appreciate nature and animals, and you dedicated your life to making the world a better place. You made everything easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful. I will miss you and appreciate you, always.”
MOLLY MARKSTRUM MUSIC INSTRUCTOR
“Thoughts of you swirling around my head. Wishing to see you from all this dread. Your warmth, your brightness held in my heart. Your vision of the Earth; a safe piece of art. You will always be part of everyone here, I promise to carry you along me In words of Clara, to each of her students: Have fun, and remember curiosity is key”
NICOLE KHODABANDEHLOU ‘22
“I will forever remember how Ms. Svedlund always had time to help me get though things, no matter how busy she was. She made learning fun by creating interactive experiments to give us a better understanding of what we were learning at the time. What really stood out to me was how much time and effort she put in to make sure our class understood every topic that we went through. She was so extremely caring, and I will miss seeing her around.” FEATURE • 21
