Graduation

EXCERPTS FROM THE 101ST COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES JUNE 11, 2021

“I’ll leave you with a question, one that I tried myself to answer before I wrote this speech: What makes the Class of ’21 special? Is it that we were the only class ever to live our entire senior year through a global pandemic? Yeah, that’s it. Thank you. But seriously, I know that our class is unique in the sense that clearly no other group of students could be exactly like this one, but what is inherent to our class to the people on the stage behind me? I have no idea. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe historians will look back on our yearbook shocked to find 75 Nobel laureates went to school together. The question is mine; the solution is yours. So go out into the world, and please, give us something to talk about at the reunions.” —Keally Rohrbacher ’21, Class of 2021 Elected Speaker “Seniors, I want you to look up and around you into this sky, studded with these twinkly lights strung over and around us. While we may have spent most of this year distanced from those around us, these lights actually string us together in some really fantastic ways, just as your friendships, families and Tower Hill years are strung together forever. So let the image of these lights be a reminder to you, seniors, that no matter what distance you may travel in the coming years, these Tower Hill lights will always be shining for you. Seniors, you surely have lit the way for each other and for the Tower Hill community this year.” —Elizabeth C. Speers, Head of School

“Every once in a while life will hand you a difficult, challenging and tearinducing choice. The kind of choice that will actually change your life and define who you are as a person. Should you apply for your dream job even though it means you have to move to a new city? Do you open yourself up to love even though you have been hurt before? Do you stand up for what you believe in even when it is hard? These types of choices often make you want to run away as fast as possible. To take the easy way out. I am here to urge you to make the brave choice, the difficult choice. In the wise words of Nelson Mandela, ‘May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.’ Do the things you never thought you could do. I promise you won’t regret it.” —Nicole Keith, Class of 2021 Dean and Math Faculty Member

“This past year, there were more questions than answers. We were all uncertain of what was to come. Well, here we are. We put on our masks, and we came back to school. It was different, but we did it together. We stood tall, six feet apart. Every daily check-up, every COVID update. Class of 2021, you are resilient. You have navigated uncharted waters with grit and grace. I am proud to be a part of a group so special.” —Nicole Crivelli ’21, Student Government Association President

Opposite from top: Director of Alumni Relations Matt Twyman ’88 presents his nephew, Ricky Deadwyler, with a diploma; Olivia Langlois, Jade Harnish, Billy Nunn, Claire Dignazio and Katie Sullivan perform Will the Circle Be Unbroken; Head of Upper School Megan Cover presents math faculty member Jack Smith with an honorary diploma; Head of School Bessie Speers addresses the Class of 2021. Above from top: Chip Elson poses for a photo with his parents, Aimee Elson and former trustee Charles Elson; Speers and Board Chair Eric Johnson, M.D., present diplomas to Vincent and Alicia Cai; Class of 2021 Dean and math faculty member Nicole Keith shares words of wisdom with graduates; SGA President Nicole Crivelli addresses her fellow classmates; Class of 2021 elected speaker Keally Rohrbacher shares words of wisdom with his classmates. VIDEO EXTRA

Watch the 2021 Graduation at towerhill.org/graduation

CLASS of 2021

JOSEPHINE ADSETT Case Western Reserve University

LUCILLE BAILER Tulane University

MARGARET BAILER Boston College DYLAN BEMIS University of St Andrews

JEFFERSON BROUGHER Southern Methodist University

CHRISTOPHER BUCHAN University of Mississippi

ALICIA CAI Northwestern University

VINCENT CAI University of Pennsylvania

OWEN CALDWELL New York University

SELINA CHEN Boston College EMMA CHESMAN Wake Forest University

ALLEGRA CIMALORE University of South Carolina

EDWARD COLLEY University of Delaware

SOPHIA CONSIDINE Lynn University

GEORGE CORROON Villanova University

NICOLE CRIVELLI Southern Methodist University

DERRICK DEADWYLER Delaware State University

GREGORY DEMEO Southern Methodist University

CAROLINE DEYRUP Oberlin College CLAIRE DIGNAZIO Princeton University

SAMANTHA DUPREE Ithaca College CHARLES ELSON University of Virginia MADISON FISHER Occidental College JAEDEN FITZHUGH University of Delaware

LILI GIROUX-DOEHRING Parsons School of Design JADE HARNISH Webster University

RYLIE HEFLIN Duke University SHAZI JADALI George Washington University HUDSON JONES University of Colorado Boulder

ARCHIT KAMBHAMETTU University of Maryland

NINA KNITOWSKI University of California (Los Angeles) JOHN KOENIG Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

OLIVIA LANGLOIS Johns Hopkins University

KYLE LEAHY University of South Carolina

NICHOLAS LENHARD University of Richmond MILANA LOFTON Boston College CHAD LOPES Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

TIFFANY LYNCH-FAULKNER University of Delaware

JESSICA YUHE MA Carnegie Mellon University DONOVEN MACK Cabrini University

QUINN MACNAMARA University of South Carolina

PATRICIA MALATESTA Franklin & Marshall College KRISH MALHOTRA University of California (Los Angeles)

Congratulations,

Class of 2021!

SANDER MARGOLIN United States Military Academy

BELLA MULFORD University of Delaware

REESE MULLINS Immaculata University

ZAYD NARVEL Boston College

WILLIAM NUNN U.S. Coast Guard Academy

HANNAH PACHALIS University of Miami

YASH PAHWA University of Pennsylvania

LINSEY PALMA Sacred Heart University LILLIAN PEDANO Maryland Institute College of Art KIERAN PETRUNICH Wake Forest University

MICHAEL PILSON Carnegie Mellon University SANJAY RAJU Pennsylvania State University

GAURAV RASTOGI Tulane University

REECE RATLIFF Belmont University

ANDREW RICHMOND Rowan University

KEALLY ROHRBACHER Washington and Lee University GABRIEL SANTOS Pennsylvania State University

OLIVIA SCHWANDT The University of Texas at Austin

LAUREN SCOTT Florida State University

CHARLES SHEGOG St. Lawrence University

EMMETT SIMPLER Tulane University

MIGUEL SOARES Georgetown University MATTHEW SPRUANCE Occidental College NATHAN SUGIMOTO Lehigh University KATHLEEN SULLIVAN Emory University

SIENA SYSKO American University

RYAN TATASCIORE University of Delaware

CATHERINE TIMON Washington University in St. Louis JULIET VADAS American University

ADITI WADHWA University of Pittsburgh RICHARD WANG Boston College MADALYN YATES University of Virginia

2

4

6

1. West Point Field Force Volunteer Robert Goodman appoints Billy Nunn ’21 to the U.S. Coast Guard and Sander Margolin ’21 to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 2. Theater award recipients Jade Harnish ’21, Chip Elson ’21, Samantha DuPree ’21 and Aditi Wadhwa ’21 pictured with Theater Department Chair Matt Kator. 3. Cum Laude inductees Katie Sullivan ’21, Siena Sysko ’21, Kieran Petrunich ’21, Keally Rohrbacher ’21, Archit Kambhamettu ’21, Jessica Ma ’21 and Catherine Timon ’21. 4. Athletic award recipients Matthew Spruance ’21, Donoven Mack ’21 and Emmett Simpler ’21 pictured with Director of Athletics Seth Kushkin. 5. Global Scholars Emma Chesman ’21, Dylan Bemis ’21, Selina Chen ’21, Quinn MacNamara ’21, Archit Kambhamettu ’21 and Olivia Langlois ’21 pictured with Director of Global Initiatives Maurice Rapp. 6. Athletic award recipients Margaret Bailer ’21, Olivia Langlois ’21 and Claire Dignazio ’21 pictured with Seth Kushkin.

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR

Congratulations to Reece Ratliff ’21 on being named a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 161 scholars annually based on their academic success, essays, school evaluations and transcripts. Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is one of the highest honors the Nation can bestow upon a graduating high school senior.

CUM LAUDE INDUCTION

Seniors inducted at the end of their junior year:

Vincent Cai Emma Chesman Claire Dignazio Olivia Langlois Yash Pahwa Reece Ratliff Miguel Soares

Seniors inducted at the Senior Awards Ceremony:

Archit Kambhamettu Jessica Ma Kieran Petrunich Keally Rohrbacher Kathleen Sullivan Siena Sysko Catherine Timon

Global Certificate Scholars

Dylan Bemis Archit Kambhamettu Olivia Langlois Selina Chen Quinn MacNamara Emma Chesman

Class of 1966 “Of Wilmington and the World” Award

Hannah Pachalis

Katherine Ann Darnell Multa Bene Facta Award

Jalyn Miller

Spiller Achievement Award

Quinn MacNamara

Haon Award in Art

Lili Giroux-Doehring Lillian Pedano Certificate of Honor - Owen Caldwell Certificate of Honor - Madalyn Yates

David E. Scherer Dramatics Award

Aditi Wadhwa Certificate of Honor - Samantha DuPree Certificate of Honor - Jade Harnish Certificate of Honor - Charles Elson

Hugh Atkins Award in English

Siena Sysko

Laurel Society Dylan Bemis Siena Sysko

Algard Mathematics Award

Vincent Cai Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Miguel Soares

Frank C. Ashby Language Award

Christopher Buchan

P. Edward Hughes History Award

Dylan Bemis Charles Elson

Oliver Crichton Science Award

Vincent Cai Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois Certificate of Honor - Ryan Tatasciore

William J. Carveth Music Award

Claire Dignzaio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois

The Tower Hill School Community Service Award

Donoven Mack

Tower Hill School Athletics Awards

William Nunn Patricia Malatesta Certificate of Honor - Donoven Mack Certificate of Honor - Matthew Spruance Certificate of Honor - Emmett Simpler Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois Certificate of Honor - Margaret Bailer

Trustees’ Award for Academic Excellence

Claire Dignazio

Alison Arsht Leadership Award

Nicole Crivelli

Trustees’ Award for Service

Samantha DuPree

U.S. Presidential Scholar

Reece Ratliff

Selected by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, this student is among the 161 scholars selected from the 3.6 million students graduating from U.S. high schools this year.

National Merit Finalists

Alicia Cai Vincent Cai Claire Dignazio Nicholas Lenhard Sanjay Raju Reece Ratliff Keally Rohrbacher Richard Wang

These students placed among the top 1% of more than 1.6 million who entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program competition and fulfilled additional requirements.

National Merit Commended Students

Dylan Bemis Selina Chen Olivia Langlois Jessica Ma Krish Malhotra Gabriel Santos Emmett Simpler Miguel Soares These students placed among the top 5% of more than 1.6 million who entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program competition.

PARENT RECOGNITION

The following parents were recognized for having accumulated 20 or more “student years” at Tower Hill School. Their last Tower Hill student graduated with the Class of 2021.

Dr. and Mrs. Gregory W. DeMeo - 27 years Dr. Peter Doehring and Ms. Monique L. Giroux - 25 years Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Elson - 28 years Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Knitowski - 20 years Mr. and Mrs. Trevor M. Koenig, Sr. - 28 years Mrs. Melissa D. Lenhard - 24 years Mr. and Mrs. James V. Pedano - 40 years Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Pilson - 36 years Drs. Pawan and Ritu Rastogi - 27 years Mr. and Mrs. Kevin C. Shegog - 41 years The Hon. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Simpler - 33 years Mr. Jacob V. Spruance ’93 and Mrs. Hillary deLeeuw Spruance ’92 - 28 years Leslie and Ryan Sysko - 25 years Mrs. Gillian T. Timon - 28 years Mrs. Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 and Mr. Philip C. Timon - 34 years

SENIOR DINNER

WES SCHWANDT ’86 SHARES ADVICE AT ALUMNI COUNCIL SENIOR DINNER

At the Alumni Council Senior Dinner on May 18, keynote speaker Wes Schwandt ’86 addressed the Class of 2021. Schwandt is the president of BPGS Construction, a construction and development management company with offices in Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. Schwandt was introduced by his daughter, Olivia Schwandt ’21.

How fitting that we are holding this time-honored celebration in the new Kullman Commons! It is just spectacular. Like any great deed, this space began with a vision of what could be ... and the hard work of individuals committed to transforming that vision into reality. It is no different than the vision that was shared by seven men when they met on a rainy Thursday evening in January 1919—Jan. 23 to be exact—on Rising Sun Lane over 100 years ago. These men, and four others who joined shortly thereafter, were inspired to create a better educational opportunity. And so instead of standing by, waiting for others to pave the way, they rolled up their sleeves and committed their time, talent and resources to building Tower Hill School.

Over the past 100-plus years, Tower Hill has continued to grow, to expand and to evolve. Kullman Commons was an exterior space and eventually became the donut hole. In Lower School, I remember it being open to the elements—an asphalt floor with two huge drains to catch the rainwater—but otherwise, it had no purpose or value. Some used it as a pass-through to get from the dining hall to what was then the arts wing. I have a vague recollection of an art show once. And then at some point in the late ’70s, a senior project created a big and colorful map of the United States to brighten up the space. And most recently, with the vision of improving this space, a team of people much like the founders in 1919 committed their time, talent and resources to repurposing a blank space into a beautiful atrium, conditioned and finished as you see it tonight. A place for people to congregate—a place that adds purpose and value to Tower Hill. While the footprint of the 44 acres upon which this campus sits cannot grow, opportunity continues to grow within, through a vision and constant desire to become more.

Here’s where things turn philosophical—each of you has already begun building on your own 44 acres. In your first 18 years, you have been inspired by parents, teachers and others to accomplish and achieve ... and the desire to do—and be—more. The foundation on which you’ve started your building within includes achieving successes in school; on the field of competition; entertaining within the arts and music; your rise to June 11, 2021, and in 24 days, becoming a Tower Hill alum. But along

with these successes, not one of us sitting here has not stumbled along the way. Yup, going philosophical again. Too often, we think of stumbles as failures, when in reality, those stumbles can be our greatest moments and our greatest source of strength. They can knock us to the ground and force us to take a knee—to take a deep breath—and when we are left with the choice to stay down ... or we can get back up and start all over again. We are building ourselves.

There’s a quote in my office that I find humbling yet inspirational. It allows me to find that inner gear during a difficult moment. From our 26th President, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, the quote reads:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

A lot to take in as a young adult. But if you think about the years of getting to this point; the challenges you’ve faced in math and science classes; the point, goal or shot missed that may have been the difference; an err in judgement when you knew better; a time when you didn’t give your best effort on a paper or project and suffered the consequences; or that time with a friend or significant other. These stumbles will hopefully become the mortar of your building, cementing your successes piece by piece, one block at a time. They are experiences that stick with you and help to define your self-purpose and self-value. Tower Hill was not built in a day, nor in its first 50 years, nor when it turned 100 just two short years ago. It will continue to build and re-build itself for the next 100 years and beyond. Everyone here has been part of building Tower Hill and helping to shape its purpose and value; that is what makes Tower Hill so unique and special. Just like Tower Hill, your building on your own 44 acres has just begun shaping itself. And it does not stop when you graduate from high school or college, or start your career, or your family—or attain a certain age for that matter. It is a lifetime endeavor, and yours has just begun.

Mr. Twyman and I were just a year apart while we were students at Tower Hill, so we have had the pleasure of knowing each other for the better part of nearly 40 years. Yes, I just dated ourselves—we’re the old folks in the room now, Matt. Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Twyman called me to discuss a topic posed to him by an underclassman. I’m paraphrasing this young man, but he said to Mr. Twyman, “I would like to play college sports ... should I try out?” Well, Matt and I have always had one particular common thread, a thread that has very much defined who we are, and that is our love of sports. Being a year behind me, we both had the good fortune of playing football for several years together, competing under the iconic tutelage of Coach Steve Hyde. During our college years, Mr. Twyman went on to compete in track and I in baseball.

Matt, you and I spoke for maybe, what, 30 minutes? Not as much about this particular young man and whether or not he was a D1 super star, but rather what our high school, college and post college sporting experiences have meant to each of us. We both agreed that these pursuits—both the successes and the stumbles— continue to add to our purpose and value within ... still to this day. In our own way, we pass along to our children, students, associates and friends aspects that have come to define us. That is what brings us together. One day you will realize that these experiences, whatever they may be, are an endless gift for you.

As you walk the path to step on that stage and accept your diploma in a few weeks, take time to reflect on what has gotten you to this incredible milestone. Reflect on your successes; spend even more time reflecting on your stumbles and how they have made you stronger and more resilient. As you graduate from Tower Hill, I am sure each of you has a vision of what you want to achieve and what your 44 acres will look like one day, and just as you have experienced in building your foundation, you will have successes ... and you will stumble. Embrace each experience, learn from them and use them as your building blocks to find purpose and value—to create “the within” of the 44 acres that define each of you.

So on a final note, enjoy your final days at Tower Hill! Take time to celebrate and savor moments with family and friends. Take time to mend fences or get to know the person in your class you’ve spent little time with. Take time to revel in the excitement of summer and the thrill of starting a new chapter. And whatever you do or wherever you’re headed, take time to keep balance in your life. Stay in the moment, live today and continue those personal pursuits—sports, the arts, community or whatever drives that other inner passion—because they most certainly will add to that purpose and value in your life.

Go out, explore and become the visionary that Tower Hill has inspired you to be ... all gas, no brakes! Good luck, Class of 2021!

MOVING UP DAY

Tower Hill recognized the eighth grade class at the annual Moving Up Day ceremony on June 10. Family, friends and faculty gathered to hear advisers share insights about each student’s accomplishments and contributions to the class. In addition to the three awards presented, Head of Middle School Art Hall noted the many talents of the eighth grade as a class.

Annabel Hehir received the Tower Hill Humanitarian Award, given to the eighth grader who, in the opinion of his or her classmates, has been the best friend to all. Roshan Iyengar received the Humanitarian Award Certificate of Honor. Christopher Cobb received the Alumni Association Achievement Award for demonstrating particular growth in citizenship and scholarship. Georgia Sarko received the Cecile M. Buckles Award, given to the eighth grade student who best exemplifies enthusiasm, effort, cooperation and energetic involvement. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

Sharon Reynolds and Annabel Hehir ’25 Sharon Reynolds and Roshan Iyengar ’25

Bryce Twyman ’25

Tim Weymouth

Abdullah Bajwa ’25 Art Hall

Kyleigh Peters ’25

Lainey Kushkin ’25

ACADEMICS

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD Tower Hill’s Science Olympiad team finished third in the state competition! This year’s team, captained by Vincent Cai ’21, Alicia Cai ’21 and Richard Wang ’21, finished highest in recent school history, with Tower Hill placing in the top 15 in all but one event. Alicia Cai ’21, Vincent Cai ’21, Yash Pahwa ’21, Gabe Santos ’21 and Richard Wang ’21 placed in 13 events and averaged four medals per person.

WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD In April our Tower Tots, prekindergartners and kindergartners celebrated the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s “Week of the Young Child,” an annual celebration focusing attention on the needs of young children and the teachers who work so hard to meet those needs. Students participated in Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday and Family Friday.

MOCK TRIAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP In February, Tower Hill’s mock trial team competed as one of 20 high school teams in the annual Delaware High School Mock Trial State Championship. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the entire 2021 competition and all Mock Trial practices were conducted in a virtual format via Zoom. This year’s case involved a civil declaratory judgment action regarding insurance coverage for damages caused by the improper use of an aerial drone. Revati Iyengar ’22 won two best attorney gavels, and Marissa Washburn ’22 won two best witness gavels.

G7 SUMMIT Middle and Upper School girls learned about professions connected to math, science, engineering, medicine, politics, computer science and business at the second annual G7 Summit on March 6. This year’s summit was held virtually and focused on the theme “The Wide Reach of Computer Science.” Attendees worked in small groups with women working in the fields of prosthetics and orthotics, biomedical engineering and data analytics. The opening speaker was NASA scientist Kimberly Ennico Smith, Ph.D.

LOWER SCHOOL WORLD’S FAIR Lower Schoolers celebrated the annual World’s Fair in May. Students displayed work from throughout the year— including artwork, writing samples and pictures of students doing activities—on classroom doors. At an assembly on Zoom, each grade shared what they have learned about their region—everything from songs, poems, fun facts and more. Special thanks to Lower School Global Studies Coordinator and Spanish teacher Natalie Moravek, right, for all her hard work coordinating this year’s event!

FRACTURED FAIRY TALES Fifth graders performed their Fractured Fairy Tales, a unit during which students learn the elements of a fairy tale, “fracture” the tale by manipulating characters, setting or the plot, and then adapt the narrative to a script format.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY Sixth graders studied Greek mythology and performed a series of short plays based on Greek myths that they reimagined and wrote themselves.

FIRST GRADE POETRY SLAM First graders culminated their poetry unit in Writing Workshop with a poetry slam. Watch a video at towerhill. org/bulletin in which Lower School literacy teacher Ellen Ellis discusses the unit.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR REMAIN HIGH

The 2020-2021 school year was an academically successful year. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Tower Hill students emerged at the end of the school year with all of the abilities they need to be successful in the next stage of their schooling.

Just as in years past, all around the school there was evidence of high levels of learning.

In the Lower School, global projects took over hallways and passports were stamped. In the Middle School, exquisite papers were written as students learned critical study skills and geared up for exams. Upper School students took Advanced Placement exams and demonstrated high levels of accomplishment in science and math. In every corner of the school, masterful art projects abounded, indicating that students truly achieved the school’s motto, Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well.

“COVID was and is a terrible and unfortunate thing, and what we were certain of from the very beginning is we did not want to pause learning in any way for our students,” Associate Head of School and Chief Information and Innovation Officer Anthony Pisapia said. “It was important that we were able to do as much as possible to give our students in-person learning when possible and keep them on track. It was fantastic that our students did not fall behind in any way, and we were able to keep an incredible amount of forward momentum.”

The data also tells the story of a Tower Hill community that showed up this year in all the ways that mattered. The extraordinary steps the school took to be oncampus and have in-person options for every student five days per week had a positive effect. Whether remote or in-person, students did not stop learning.

Tower Hill’s overall PSAT scores remained steady between 2018 and 2021. Over this same period, PSAT scores dropped for peer independent schools in the Delaware Valley region and nationally.

Tower Hill’s overall ERB (Educational Records Bureau) scores showed an increase of significance between 2018 and 2021. Over this same period, ERB scores dropped for peer independent schools in the Delaware Valley region and nationally. These tests provide information about a student’s performance in several key areas such as listening, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, word analysis, writing mechanics and mathematics.

Eight National Merit Scholarship finalists emerged from Tower Hill last year, which was the highest in recent school history. These students were among the top 15,000 of the nearly 1.6 million students who entered the competition.

Students in Tower Hill’s Class of 2021 were accepted to colleges and universities in 32 states and four countries, and they were awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships.

“Our standardized test results were where they needed to be, and college acceptances were where they needed to be,” Pisapia said. “We were able to keep running and keep ticking as Tower Hill is meant to, providing the most excellent experience that we possibly could in such a difficult year.”

While the bulk of that success can be credited to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our teachers, the additional investment in technology made in the summer of 2020 was also critical to last year’s successful outcomes.

In order to prepare for hybrid learning last fall, the school did a lot of research in order to determine technology needs. The school spoke with experts in the audio-visual field as well as with colleges and universities who have more experience with hybrid and virtual learning. The results were cameras, microphones and speaker units in each classroom, as well as additional computers and SMART Boards, so that learning could begin on the first day of school and continue without interruption, five days a week, for the entirety of the academic year.

“The technology allowed students and teachers to stay connected to Tower Hill—and keep teaching and learning—even if that learning wasn’t able to happen in-person because of health needs,” Pisapia said.

Because of our parents’ and teachers’ commitment to teaching, learning and the safety of our children, we have handled this crisis and are as strong as we have ever been academically.

“We needed to make sure that no one fell behind and that no one felt left out. That was important to us, and it drove a lot of the decision making around what technology we bought, about transforming some of our athletic spaces into classroom spaces,” Pisapia said. “We made sure those who wanted and needed an in-person education could get it, and we also made sure that those who needed to be home could stay home. It’s important that we don’t forget that, despite an abnormal year and setbacks along the way, our students were able to succeed.”

2020-2021 ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

TOWER HILL SCHOOL

PEER INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

OF WILMINGTON AND THE WORLD

LUCY NACE ’22 CREATES PROGRAMS BENEFITING SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES

BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Lucy Nace ’22 took “Of Wilmington and the World” and put the motto into action, creating partnerships both locally and abroad that have benefited not only Tower Hill students, but also Spanish-speaking people in the Wilmington community and beyond.

Nace started taking Spanish at Tower Hill in seventh grade, and after her freshman year she felt she had a strong enough foundation to start interacting with Spanish speakers in order to improve her skills. She started looking for organizations in the Wilmington area to volunteer for and found that the Latin American Community Center (LACC) was a perfect fit.

“I’ve always really enjoyed my Tower Hill Spanish classes and knew I wanted to take my skills to the next level,” Nace said. “What better way to do that than interacting with the local Spanish-speaking community?”

Nace saw immediate benefits from her time spent at the LACC, including an improvement in her own Spanish-speaking skills, and she thought other Tower Hill students could benefit from a partnership with the community center. Last summer, heading into her junior year at Tower Hill, Nace decided to create the Abuelos y Tu program, which pairs Tower Hill students with abuelos—senior citizens— at a YMCA in Peru, a partner of the LACC in Wilmington.

Throughout the school year, nine Tower Hill students held about 10 meetings over Zoom with their abuelos from Peru, discussions that could last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Nace coordinated everyone’s schedule in a group chat and also sent themes and suggested questions intended to spark conversation among the pairs.

Just one year into the program, the feedback from both students and the abuelos has been positive.

“The abuelos have really enjoyed their virtual meetings with new friends and sharing their culture and language,” Nace said. “They like to see the improvement in the kids’ Spanish-speaking skills and seem to enjoy the companionship, particularly during the pandemic. The LACC and the YMCA organize events for the abuelos, but since COVID-19 canceled so many of them, the program has given the abuelos a chance to connect with others. For the students, they’re happy learning about Peruvian culture and improving their Spanish skills outside the classroom.”

Lucy Nace ’22 and Spanish teacher Ida Leader brainstorm the focus of Nace’s Social Innovators Program project.

While the program has certainly made an impact abroad, Nace also wanted to reach out and help the Spanish-speaking community right here in Wilmington. Through the Social Innovators Program, a social entrepreneurship class at Tower Hill that began in the fall of 2018 through a partnership with The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Schoolyard Ventures, Nace created a virtual ESL (English as a second language) program that pairs Spanish-speaking college students with parents at local Head Start preschools to teach them English.

Throughout the semester-long class, which Nace took in the fall of 2020, students go through the process of identifying a problem that they see around them in their own lives or in the world and then try to formulate solutions and test those potential solutions in the real world.

“I have such a passion for Spanish that I knew I wanted to develop something that would benefit local Spanish speakers,” Nace said. “My Spanish teachers helped me brainstorm my project, which ultimately helped me realize that a lack of English skills is one of the main obstacles to success in so many areas of daily life.”

Nace reached out to college students at the University of Delaware and local Head Starts and found that there was a lot of interest in virtual ESL lessons from both parties. Demand was so strong that Nace extended her search to and received additional volunteers from more far reaching schools such as the University of Pittsburgh, Middlebury College and Colgate University. Similar to her role with the Abuelos y Tu program, Nace serves as the program coordinator, organizing meetings and lessons and matching pairs based on skill level, goals and schedules. “The one-on-one nature of these meetings makes them customizable to the Spanish speaker’s interests and needs. One woman told me that she works in a hospital and wanted to learn more hospital vocabulary and phrases,” Nace said. “With larger ESL classes, you don’t typically receive personalized lessons or the indepth attention that you do in these meetings.”

While Nace is grateful for the support from her Tower Hill Spanish teachers, much of the work on both projects has been done independently.

“Lucy has always been an interested, organized and talented Spanish student,” Spanish teacher Ida Leader said. “She pays attention to the grammar and vocabulary but also has a place in her heart for the Spanish-speaking community. It’s been a pleasure helping her with these projects, which she has pursued independently, asking only for a little support.”

The Social Innovators Program only requires students to create a business plan, but Nace wanted to take her plan and put it into action. The first session of virtual lessons, which began in January, ended in May, and Nace hopes to continue the lessons into the 2021-2022 school year.

“It’s been challenging—always looking for more volunteers to meet the demand for classes, coordinating schedules—but it has been so rewarding to think that I’ve orchestrated this benefit for the community,” Nace said. “It’s also fun to hear the great feedback from both my volunteers and the Head Start parents who are so grateful for the classes. The volunteers give me regular updates on the parents’ progress. It’s great to know that I’m actually making a difference.”

SCHOOL LEADERS

TOWER HILL WELCOMES NEW ADMINISTRATORS TO THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

AMY BICKHART

Amy Bickhart has been appointed Head of Lower School. Bickhart was most recently Assistant Head of Lower School, having spent nearly 20 years at Tower Hill.

Bickhart received her B.S. from Western Maryland College, currently known as McDaniel College, and her M.Ed. in elementary education from Wilmington University. She taught in the 3-year-old program at Peninsula-McCabe Preschool and kindergarten at Wilmington Friends School. She joined Tower Hill in 2001 and taught prekindergarten for 13 years, taking on the additional role of Assistant Head of Lower School in 2009. She became Associate Director of Lower School Admission in 2014 and Director of Middle and Lower School Admission in 2018.

TIM WEYMOUTH

Tim Weymouth has been named Interim Head of Middle School for the 20212022 school year, allowing sufficient time for a comprehensive search this school year. Weymouth has prior experience leading a middle school division, having served as Upper School Director for Grades 5-8 at St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia from 2006-2012 and Interim Principal of St. James School in Philadelphia in 2013.

Weymouth previously served as Science Department Chair at The Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts, and taught science as a teaching fellow at Friends’ Central School. He holds a B.A. in biology from Hamilton College and a master’s degree in organization and leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Since joining Tower Hill in 2013, he has taught middle school science, chaired the Science Department and served on the Strategic Planning and Faculty Development committees.

SARAH BAKER

Sarah Baker has been named Head of Tower Hill’s Upper School. Baker joins Tower Hill with extensive independent school leadership experience in secondary education.

Baker most recently served as Assistant Head of Upper School at Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, where she was responsible for faculty evaluation, supervision, recruitment and hiring; leading the Academic Services Department and independent study program; communicating with families, students and teachers about academic progress, with attention to mental and physical health; and running key aspects of the Upper School’s independent study, service, leadership and study abroad programs. She is also an associate instructor in the School Leadership Program within the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

AMY SCHREI

Amy Schrei has been named Director of Communications and Marketing. Schrei was most recently the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications for The Nature Conservancy based in Hong Kong. The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest environmental nonprofit, and in her role there Schrei oversaw the creation of a digital strategic plan for all website content in both the Hong Kong and Asia Pacific markets.

Schrei’s professional experience also includes serving as the Head of Marketing for a global toy company, as well as Marketing Communications Manager for a different award-winning toy manufacturer. Prior to her work abroad, Schrei served as Assistant Director of Communications at The Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Schrei earned her B.S. in chemistry with a minor in art history from the University of Delaware, as well as Certificates of Graphic and Web Design from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.

STEVE CACCIAVILLANO

Steve Cacciavillano has been appointed Interim Director of Athletics. Cacciavillano most recently served as Assistant Director of Athletics and is an Upper School science teacher and coach at Tower Hill. Before joining the Tower Hill community, Cacciavillano co-chaired an athletics task force and served as a co-curricular and athletics/physical education review committee chair at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. Having earned his undergraduate degree from Ursinus College and a master’s degree from Clemson, Cacciavillano is also a certified athletic administrator with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. A national search for a Director of Athletics will begin this fall.

With Gratitude

Tower Hill is grateful to former administrators Susan Miller, Art Hall, Megan Cover, Teresa Messmore and Seth Kushkin for their dedication and service to the school. We congratulate Hall and Cover on their Head of School appointments at Lakehill Preparatory School and Girls Preparatory School, respectively—remarkable achievements that Tower Hill takes great pride in—and wish Miller, Messmore and Kushkin the best in their moves closer to family.

Susan Miller Former Head of Lower School Art Hall Former Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School Megan Cover Former Head of Upper School Teresa Messmore Former Director of Communications and Marketing Seth Kushkin Former Director of Athletics