mawrginalia, november/december 2014

NOVEMBER/DEcEMBER 2014

artswinter

showcase

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2015

You are cordially invited by

Headmistress Maureen E. Walshto a celebration of Bryn Mawr’s Performing Arts Program

This showcase of music and dance will be entertaining for audiences of all ages and will feature groups from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools

Suggested admission: $10 adults / FREE for students

Proceeds benefit arts events, guest artists and special trips. Cash, check or credit cards accepted at the box office.

ONLINE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BMSTHEATER.TIXATO.COM/BUY

6:30 p.m. UPPER SCHOOL

DANCE COMPANY PREVIEW

Location: Dance Studio

7:00 p.m. CONCERT

Location: Centennial Hall

bmstheater.tixato.com/buy

ContentsMawrginalia November/December 2014

MAWRGINALIA [mar-juh-nay-lee-uh]:

Latin, plural noun. Notes,

commentary and similar

material about or relating

to The Bryn Mawr School.

facebook.com/BrynMawrSchool instagram.com/BrynMawrSchool

twitter.com/BrynMawrSchool

CONNECT WITH BRYN MAWR!Want to be up-to-date on what’s happening at Bryn Mawr?

Check us out on social media:

FEATURES

18 STEM for Allby Emily Pan ’16 Careers in science, technology,

engineering and math—the STEM

fields—are some of the fastest growing,

but are still dominated by men. Bryn

Mawr aims to change that, starting with

the STEM Career Fair.

22 Inspiring the Next Generationby Alexa Corse ’15 and Adeline Choo ’16 Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New

York addresses students about her

life in politics and the importance of

female leadership.

25 Underclassmen Score for Tennis and Cross CountryCameron Corse ’17 and Sophie Gitlin

’18 help lead the way to outstanding

team finishes.

26 Fall Sports ReportThe Unsung Heroes from each team and

the best moments of the season.

28 Better to GiveAs the girls in the Middle School Keswick

Club know, volunteering yields long-

term benefits for both the volunteer and

the recipient.

30 Senior Voices: The Class of 2015

NEWS & NOTES

04 From the Headmistress

05 Remawrks

06 Pictures of the Month

12 Mawrtian Minutes

13 Teachers’ corner

14 Upcoming Events calendar

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

34 Parent Socials and Holiday Wishes

ALUMNAE

35 Alumnae Photo of the Month

36 In Her Own Words: Kirsten Prettyman Adams ’91

38 Kudos!

39 A Very “Happy” Evening

40 Alumnae Association Dress Sale

40 Wellness Presentation: Mindful Eating as the Key to Good Nutrition

41 Upcoming Events

PAGE 18 Members of the Bryn Mawr Robotics Team show off their robot.

https://www.facebook.com/BrynMawrSchool

http://instagram.com/BrynMawrSchool/

https://twitter.com/BrynMawrSchool

4 Mawrginalia December 2014 brynmawrschool.org

NEWS & NOTES

From the Headmistress“Community” is a word we use fre-quently at Bryn Mawr. We are, by default, a community—a group that shares a common interest and expe-rience. Lately, though, I have been thinking about what it means to be a community, and how we seek to build a sense of community on our campus. The most obvious example is when we gather together to cel-ebrate special events. Each year as we enter the last few weeks before winter break, we enjoy many of these events—winter concerts, holi-day breakfasts, special convocations. These happenings are highlights for both our students and their families, and they carry us into winter break with feelings of joyful celebration, of togetherness, and of community.

But being a community is about more than just coming together, or sharing a common interest. The word brings to mind a sense of belonging and acceptance, and we work to nurture these feelings in our students. I love it when I hear students refer to Bryn Mawr as a “second home” because that means

we have been successful in help-ing them feel such a strong sense of security and belonging. We also want them to feel that they are free to be themselves, and to talk about the things that are import-ant to them. In October, several of our students who were affected by the events in Ferguson, Missouri, held a forum about the issue. More recently, students organized a pro-test after the grand jury decision in Ferguson. Though not without con-troversy, this protest gave these girls a chance to articulate their opinions, and to feel heard. I was moved to see them using their voices—those “bold voices” that we talk about so often—to advocate for what they believe in. They felt supported and encouraged by their community, and thus were able to express their feelings about this sensitive topic.

Within our small community, we also work to help our students think about their place in the larger communities that surround us. Community service is an integral part of the Bryn Mawr experience,

and it is especially important for helping girls expand their worldview and understand what they can do to help others in their communities. Participation can be something as small as bringing in canned food or warm clothing for a donation drive—as students in all divisions regularly do—or a larger commitment like giving up a lunch break to visit with elderly adults, as students in the Keswick Club in our Middle School do. Studies show that engaging in community service has positive health effects—the more we do it, the more we want to do it.

As 2014 draws to a close, I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and I look forward to seeing what the New Year holds for our community. Thank you for helping to make Bryn Mawr the joyful, diverse and ever-changing place it is.

Maureen E. Walsh Headmistress

brynmawrschool.org December 2014 Mawrginalia 5

RemawrksLast month, Maureen Walsh and I, along with the global programs coordinator at Gilman School, had the wonderful opportunity to visit Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey. A member of the G20 Schools and a Round Square School, Robert College is a coed, day and board-ing school with 1,000 students in grades nine through 12. It is located in a residential suburb in Istanbul. The school follows an international curriculum and all classes are taught in English, except for history which is mandated by law and must be taught in Turkish.

We visited Robert College to finalize plans for a new student exchange program between Bryn Mawr, Gilman and Robert College. This exchange, which will involve Bryn Mawr and Gilman students travel-ing to Robert College in May and June of their sophomore year and Robert College students visiting our schools in the late summer and early fall of the same year, is our first in Turkey. For Bryn Mawr, it aug-ments our global education program,

which already includes exchange opportunities with PORG in the Czech Republic, Christ’s Hospital in England and Herschel’s School in South Africa.

After touring the old section of Istanbul on Sunday—including visits to the Haiga Sofia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace—we spent Monday (Ataturk Day in Turkey) visiting Robert College. We visited ninth grade English classrooms discussing “Catcher in the Rye,” and we were struck that our ninth graders would begin to discuss the same book in just a few short weeks. That evening I wrote to our fresh-man English teachers to encour-age a virtual partnership between our students and the students at Robert College. We visited chem-istry classes and another English class that was working on a proj-ect related to their reading of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” a book set in Baltimore. To say that we felt at home among the students and faculty at Robert College is an understatement.

We found the students at Robert College to be bright, inquisitive and very curious. In Istanbul, we discov-ered a city of contrasts. Both old and new, it is a city that has western and non-western influences and, depending on where you are located, and it can feel almost like two differ-ent worlds. It will be an incredible place for our students to explore. We returned to Baltimore at the end of the week excited for this new oppor-tunity for our students and delighted to have seen it firsthand.

Jennifer Galambos Upper School Director

PICTURES OF THE MONTH

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH



In November, Middle School students from Bryn Mawr and Gilman staged a wonderful production of the “The

Phantom Tollbooth.” The fanciful tale followed the travels of Mila as she

undertook a journey to free Princesses Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason from the

Land of Ignorance. It was a great show!



THANKSGIVING CONVOCATION

One of the most beloved events of the year, Thanksgiving Convocation highlights the artistic talents of students in all divisions. It was wonderful to welcome our young alumnae back to campus for the convocation as well. Click the photos to view videos!

http://youtu.be/HiwmG-WsVmI?list=UUsYtUHdQuB8eaK8bsaopnZw

http://youtu.be/dN4tuv5MHDQ?list=UUsYtUHdQuB8eaK8bsaopnZw


SECOND GRADE PARACHUTE ASSEMBLY

K–2 WINTER CONCERT

The second graders worked hard for several weeks preparing their parachute

routines before putting on a great show in November for appreciative

parents, teachers, and classmates.

The youngest girls kicked off a season of performances with their winter concert in mid-December. The concert not only highlighted the musical skills the girls have been learning, but their French, art and dance skills as well. Click the photos to view videos

http://youtu.be/VrIqSJWZgWs?list=UUsYtUHdQuB8eaK8bsaopnZw



DANCE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

In early December, Lower and Middle School girls who take part in the Dance School at Bryn Mawr performed for the Lower School, in preparation for their winter performance.


WINTER SPIRIT DAY

Mawrtian Spirit was on full display at Winter Spirit Day as faculty and students faced off in the annual faculty-student basketball game (the faculty won 11-7). Special shout out to Anna Steiner ’16 for making a sweet three-point shot during the halftime contest!


NEWS & NOTES

Each month we profile two faculty members to give them a chance to share, in their own words,

their thoughts on teaching at Bryn Mawr.

TEACHERS’ CORNER

STEVE AMANNUpper School Science

What do you like about teaching sci-ence in an all-girls setting?

I enjoy how enthusiastic the girls are about learning, and how much they

really seem to want to delve into a subject so they can apply it in differ-

ent ways. I find that very impressive. They keep me young, because they ask lots

of good questions, and I have to keep thinking about different ways of explaining things.

You helped start the peer education program at Bryn Mawr. What do you like about this program?

Peer education is a great thing that we do here. Vicki Mermelstein, the Upper School counselor, and I started it, along with Kris Schaffner, in 1995. It is tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders teaching lessons about friendship issues, peer pressure and so on, to fifth and sixth graders. Listening to the Upper School girls talk to the Middle and Lower School girls is great—they do a really good job. I think it helps the younger girls to hear about these topics from the older girls, instead of just from adults.

The emphasis on STEM has grown steadily over the past decade. How do you think that has changed the way that we approach teaching the STEM fields at Bryn Mawr?

One thing we have really done is gotten into the “e”—engi-neering. Before the early 2000s, we did not teach an engi-neering course, and now it is a booming topic. Most people think of engineering as just “physics stuff,” but actually, so much of being an engineer is about coming up with a design, presenting your design, convincing other people that your design is the best, and, even before that, relat-ing to people to figure out the problem you need to solve. Engineering is, and should be, about showing our girls a real problem in the world, getting them to figure out how to solve it, and then doing it.

KATI MAWHINEYKindergarten

What do you think is the value of having a campus setting for the girls to explore?

I think it gives them good opportunities for hands-on experience. When we are learning about trees, they can go look at the trees, and find out about the differ-ent kinds that we have on campus. That’s one reason, but I think that it also helps them feel that they are part of the community. As they are getting to know the campus and feeling comfortable here, it really helps them feel that they belong here.

The one-to-one iPad program in the Lower School is now three years old. What do you think the value of that pro-gram is?

We have worked very hard to make sure that the iPads are a tool for learning, but they are not something that replaces our teaching. As a result, we have come to a really comfortable place where we are able to use them to enhance our teaching and add a new dimension to our lessons, but they do not have to be the entire lesson. The iPads also give the girls the ability to go further with certain concepts and get instant feedback about their progress, and to chronicle their work.

What do you think is the most valuable aspect of a Bryn Mawr education?

We really encourage each girl to be her own person, to stand up for herself and be a leader in the classroom, and as a result, they can go out in the world and be leaders there as well. We also work with them to find a balance between leading and being respectful to those around them. We put a lot of emphasis our Bryn Mawr values—we talk about resilience, respect, responsibility, mindful-ness. So we are teaching them to be leaders, but within those parameters.


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5 Monday Classes Resume

9 Friday Winter Arts Showcase 6:30 p.m., Centennial Hall

13 Tuesday Kindergarten Parent Coffee 8:00 a.m., Resource Room

Echo Hill Info Meeting for 4th & 5th grade parents 6:30 p.m., Lower School Science Center

14 Wednesday Little School Parent Coffee 7:45—9:00 a.m., Little School

15 Thursday All School Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly

16 Friday Upper School Reading Day

19 Monday Martin Luther King Jr. Day School closed

20 Tuesday Upper School exams begin

Middle School exams begin

Sixth Grade Special Project begins

21 Wednesday Kindergarten Conferences (Mrs. Martin’s class) Resource Room

Pre-First Winter Conferences Lower School Administration Building

22 Thursday Kindergarten Conferences (Mrs. Mawhiney’s class) Resource Room

State of the School Presentation 8:15 a.m., Mt. Washington Campus

23 Friday Lower School Read-A-Thon Kick-off

Middle School Exam Makeup Day No classes for Middle School students

Eighth Grade Social Event 7:30 p.m., Calvert School

Seventh Grade Social Event 7:30 p.m., RPCS

26 Monday Upper School Exam Conflict Day No classes for Upper School students

Grade 1 Winter Language Arts Conferences (Mrs. Hanley’s class)

27 Tuesday Second semester begins

Grade 1 Winter Language Arts Conferences (Mrs. Gandhi’s class)

Coffee with the Experts 8:15 a.m., Mt. Washington Campus

28 Wednesday Grade 1 Winter Language Arts Conferences (Ms. Lacy’s class)

30 Friday Little School Book Celebration with Special Guest

Parent Wellness Committee: Mindful Eating as the Key to Good Nutrition 12:00 p.m., Mt. Washington Campus

Seventh Grade Social Event 7:30 p.m., Boys’ Latin

Upcoming EventsJANUARY 2015

Below is a calendar of upcoming events between now and the next issue of Mawrginalia. Events are subject to change, and not all events are listed here. For the most up-to-date information, or to learn more about an event, refer to www.brynmawrschool.org/calendar and/or your divisional newsletter. For information about upcoming alumnae events, please see page 41.

http://www.brynmawrschool.org/calendar

http://www.brynmawrschool.org/file/mawrginalia/January-2015-Events-Calendar.pdf


NEWS & NOTES

Noteworthy news from around the school

MAWRTIAN MINUTES

The Bryn Mawr Spirit Bracelet

The perfect holiday gift! Celebrate your daughter’s time at Bryn Mawr through the Spirit Bracelet. Join the fun by starting or adding to your Spirit Bracelet this holiday season. Every charm symbolizes the traditions, excitement and lasting memories unique to Bryn Mawr.

#GivingTuesday a Success!

On December 2, Bryn Mawr celebrated Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to giving back. Our goal was to reach 130 donors in honor of our 130th year, and thanks to your support, we surpassed it! Our most heartfelt thanks goes to the 132 donors who contributed a total of $41,483 to the Annual Fund. Thank you for sharing your experiences and for giving back to Bryn Mawr. We are so grateful for our incredible supporters.

If you have not yet made a contribution to the Annual Fund, please visit brynmawrschool.org/donate to give online. You may also make a gift via cash or check. If your investment portfolio includes appreciated stock or mutual funds and you’re considering a gift to Bryn Mawr, you may want to think about making a gift of stock or mutual fund shares. It’s a tax–wise way to support our students and teachers. In order to take advantage of a tax deduction in 2014, your contribution must be received by December 31, 2014.

Every gift matters, every gift is appreciated and every gift brings us closer to the goal of $1,345,000. Thank you

in advance for your generosity and best wishes for a very happy New Year!

http://brynmawrschool.org/donate


Bryn Mawr Announces Fourth-Annual Summer Teaching Institute

This summer, Bryn Mawr will host the following programs as part of the fourth annual Summer Teaching Institute:

World History Symposium: June 27, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Peter Stearns, a noted author and expert in the field of world history, who will discuss key themes for the study of 20th Century World History. There will also be a panel discussion of experts in Africa, East Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern History, along with a series of sessions for teachers to discuss teaching ideas and resources.

Creating an Ideal Pre-Kindergarten Program: July 13 & 14, 2015. This workshop will address the growing national discussion about the importance of providing all children with access to high-quality preschool education. Sessions will include presentations by researchers such as Professor Yolanda Abel of Johns Hopkins University, as well as practical sessions led by Bryn Mawr Little School teachers and teachers from neighboring schools on a vari-ety of topics in early childhood education, including the importance of play-based learning, developmentally-ap-propriate literacy instruction and cultural competency.

Introduction to Independent School Teaching in the Twenty-First Century. This popular workshop is geared toward teachers in the first five years of their

independent school careers. Participants can sign up for either the online or in-person course. The online course will take place from July 6-17, 2015, and the in-person course will take place from July 20-24, 2015. The course is led by Bryn Mawr teachers and administrators from all divisions, as well as both local and national guest speak-ers. Nearly 40 teachers from 15 different schools have taken part in the program over the past three years.

For more information on any of these courses, please email Jason George at [email protected].

Lower School Art Featured in Walters Art Museum Exhibition

From November 19 to December 13, Bryn Mawr took part in the AIMS Lower School Student Exhibition at the Walters Art Museum. Congratulations to Maya Shah ’21, Astri Doub ’20, Madison Smith ’24, Ashley Raman ’20, Kendall Waag ’24, Lana Milman ’22, Avey O’Doherty ’27, Grace Kelly ’27, Isabel Recely ’27, Reese Mickel ’25, Acey Hubbard ’25, Celia Marshall ’26, Hanna Franklin ’22 and Meley Cullors ’23, all of whom had artwork featured in the show!

mailto:georgej%40brynmawrschool.org?subject=Summer%20Teaching%20Institute


NEWS & NOTES

Middle School Math-A-Thon Raises Thousands

For more than 11 years, Bryn Mawr Middle School students have participated in the annual Math-A-Thon, which raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year, the girls raised an impressive $9,457 in just over two weeks.

The fundraiser, which is run as a competition between the grades, is a chance for girls to earn money for a worthwhile cause while also getting some extra prac-tice at grade-appropriate math problems. During the time that Bryn Mawr has been participating in the

Math-A-Thon, the girls have helped raise a grand total of $129,509. Money raised in 2013 helped to cover the cost of two ultrasound studies at $2,596 each, three days of chemotherapy at an average cost of $1,474 per day, and a red wagon at $70. As the Math-A-Thon coor-dinator wrote, “The wagons can make traveling through the halls of St. Jude easier for parents and more fun for a young child.”

This year, the eighth grade raised the most, extending their winning streak to all three of their Middle School years.

Seniors Sign National Letters of Intent

On Friday, November 21, seniors Julie Blaze and Hadley Brown signed their National Letters of Intent to play Division I lacrosse in college. Both girls will be headed to Vanderbilt University.

In addition to Blaze and Brown, several other Bryn Mawr seniors will participate in athletics at their colleges of choice. Athletic Director Wendy Kridel said that she will recognize all of these student-athletes at the spring ath-letic assembly, held in May.

Bryn Mawr currently has 50 alumnae playing sports at the collegiate level.

“It’s a testament to the type of student-athletes that we have, who give themselves both to the classroom and the athletic field, and are willing to take on this type of challenge in college,” Kridel said about the high number of Bryn Mawr graduates playing sports in college. “We are proud to have so many athletes who are dedicated to their sports.”

LEFT Seniors Julie Blaze (left) and Hadley Brown (right) with their parents. ABOVE Brown and Blaze with lacrosse coaches Kim Simons Tortolani (far left) and Wendy Kridel (far right).


Sherry Shootout Celebrates Fifteenth and Final Year

Fifteen years ago, Jan Sherry, mother of Bryn Mawr alumnae Theresa ’00, Laurie ’02 and Valerie ’05 (son Jack graduated from Boys’ Latin in 2008), was looking for a way to honor her late husband, Paul Sherry. For many years, Paul had volunteered with the Towson Recreation Council, giving countless hours of his time to help young athletes grow. At the sugges-tion of former Bryn Mawr coach Jim “Snuffy” Smith, the annual Sherry Shootout was born. Each year since 2000, the Bryn Mawr basketball team has helped to raise money for that year’s recipient by hosting

clinics and raffles. The main event is the basketball game, which this year will be between Bryn Mawr and Notre Dame Prep.

Over the course of the 15 years, the Sherry Shootout has raised more than $110,000 for organi-zations including the Maryland 9/11 Victims and Survivors Fund, Greater Baltimore Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Young Audiences of Maryland, Child First of Baltimore and Canine Companions for Independence. This year’s ben-eficiary will be the Network for

Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which gives young boys and girls the opportunity to tap into their creative senses and learn how to harness their ideas and surpass limitations early on.

The fifteenth and final Sherry Shootout will take place on Saturday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m. in KVB Gymnasium. Tickets are $5, and all proceeds will benefit the NFTE. Additional donations will be grate-fully accepted. To learn more about the NFTE, visit www.nfte.com.

Previous Sherry Shootout Beneficiaries

2000 Towson Recreation Girls Basketball and Gilchrist Hospice Center

2001 Maryland 911 Victims and Survivors Fund

2002 Rayne DuBose Assistance Fund

2003 Joyce Green Van Fund

2004 Assistance Center of Towson Churches (ACTC)

2005 Fisher Houses at Walter Reed Medical Center

2006 Stadium School “Youth Dreamers” Program

2007 Catherine’s Hearth

2008 Carson Scholars

2009 Greater Baltimore Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

2010 Young Audiences of Maryland

2011 Child First of Baltimore

2012 Hurricane Sandy Children in Emergency Fund

2013 Canine Companions for Independence

2014 Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship

PLEASE JOIN US!The Bryn Mawr School vs.

NDP (Notre Dame Preparatory)

Saturday, December 20 • 1:00 PMKVB Gymnasium

THE BRYN MAWR SCHOOL

TICKETS $5Proceeds benefit the Network for Teaching EntrepreneurshipTo learn more, visit nfte.com

http://www.nfte.com


FEATURES


Career fields involving science, technology,

engineering and math are some of the

fastest growing, but are still dominated by

men. Bryn Mawr aims to change that.

By Emily Pan ’16

As she wound the miniature gyroscope, Betty Jo Salmeron reflected on the challenges she faced as a girl interested in STEM. “When I was in high school, I had a teacher who told me it was no use trying to do well in math,” she said. “He said girls just weren’t as good at it.”

Forty years later, Salmeron is a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a clinician at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Remembering that teacher makes her laugh.

The attitude Salmeron’s teacher displayed is no longer so blatant in American schools, but girls are still much less likely than boys to pursue careers in sci-ence, technology, engineering, and mathematics, collectively known as the STEM fields. Since STEM fields currently offer greater job growth and higher

salaries than most others, many schools—including Bryn Mawr—are working to combat the lingering sexism that shuts girls out of STEM careers.

“There’s a lot of stereotypes and societal biases that women aren’t good at math, women aren’t good in science,” said Eric Elton, Bryn Mawr’s STEM director. “And that’s absolutely not true.”

continued on next page


FEATURES

Now in his second year as STEM director, Elton has implemented several new initiatives for STEM education at Bryn Mawr. One of the highest profile is the STEM Career Fair, the first iteration of which took place in February of 2014. Building on the success of that event, Bryn Mawr hosted the second annual STEM Career Fair on Saturday, November 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hundreds of girls from 15 area schools flooded the KVB gym, meeting volunteer representatives—most of whom were female—of 38 diverse STEM-related companies and organizations.

In order to spark student interest, these organizations offered a fascinating array of gadgets, projects, and hands-on experiences. CoverGirl displayed an instru-ment that scanned moisture to test skin products. The

NSA urged students to join its notoriously secretive sig-nals intelligence operations. Alliance Technology Group shot finger missiles at the wall, the Morgan School of Architecture presented a breathtaking 3D-printed struc-ture, and a group of Bryn Mawr teachers showed students how to fold tetrahedrons from standard-size envelopes.

“I think it is absolutely fabulous to see the diversity of fields that you can go into in different areas of STEM… with everything from rockets to makeup,” said volunteer Beth Twohy of Procter & Gamble.

Bryn Mawr students who participated in STEM-related internships over the summer also shared their work during the fair. Each girl set up a poster explaining her research and answered questions from passing


attendees. Topics ranged from the fine mechanics of cancer to the stickiness of a tree frog’s feet. Many vol-unteers mentioned how impressed they were with the research experience that girls had already gained while still in high school.

“I looked at their posters, and they were really quite amazing,” said Monica Pearl, a doctor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “The fact that they have such a keen interest already is wonderful.”

“I had a really great time at my internship,” said poster presenter Feddi Roth ’15, who interned last summer with the Department of Oncology at Johns Hopkins. “I’m not sure if I want to go into this specific field, but it definitely helped me realize that I want to go into STEM.”

Roth’s sentiment was affirmed by Christine Potter of Stanley Black & Decker, a manufacturer of industrial tools. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want to be,” said Potter. “But if you start in science and math, good things will come, no matter what you want to be. It’s opened so many doors for me for other career paths.”

As the fair ended, each student left with a recycled bag full of pamphlets, pens, and miscellaneous treasures: a styrofoam slingshot, a rubber phone amplifier, a space-ship pin, a tube of jet-black volumizing mascara. But she also came away with something intangible: a glimpse at dozens of doctors and scientists and engineers—all women passionate about subjects traditionally domi-nated by men.

FACING PAGE Students review satellite maps at the NASA table (far left) and talk to volunteers. THIS PAGE, TOP LEFT Members of the Bryn Mawr Robotics Team show off their robot. BOTTOM LEFT Teresa Norman ’15 presents the poster on her summer internship. BOTTOM RIGHT Girls review materials at one of the booths.


FEATURES

InspiringTHE NEXT GENERATION

By Alexa Corse ’15 and Adeline Choo ’16


Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York speaks to students about

her life in politics and the importance of female leadership.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand credits three

trailblazing women—her grandmother,

her mother, and former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton—for inspiring her to pursue

public service. Speaking at The Bryn Mawr

School on Friday, November 7, Senator

Gillibrand (D-NY) provided Bryn Mawr

students with the opportunity to count the

accomplished legislator among their female

role models.

During the assembly, Senator Gillibrand spoke to girls in grades seven through 12 about the importance of female leadership, as well as her own legislative goals. Senator Gillibrand conducted the assembly in a Q&A format, and conversation ranged from balancing work and family to achieving compromise in Congress’ polarized

environment—a topic made especially relevant after the Republican Party gained control of the Senate in the mid-term elections.

During her six years in office, Senator Gillibrand’s leg-islative success has been marked by her determination to rally support across party lines. Appointed in 2009 to fill the New York Senate seat left vacant by the appoint-ment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Senator Gillibrand was re-elected to a full six-year term in 2012 with 72% of the vote, the highest margin for any state-wide candidate in New York. She has been instrumental in repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, providing health care and compensation to 9/11 first responders, and authorizing independent prosecutors to address sexual assault in the military.

The challenges of balancing work and family—for both women and men—are at the heart of the senator’s high-powered agenda.



“If I need to cancel a meeting to go to pick up [one of my] kids who’s sick, I can,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I can set my own schedule. That’s unusual, so I have it a lot easier than most working parents.”

Her next goals include passing bills for affordable day-care, universal Pre-K, paid leave, and raising the mini-mum wage. She also hopes to help pass the Equal Pay for Equal Work bill sponsored by Maryland Senior Senator Barbara Mikulski.

During an interview prior to the assembly, Senator Gillibrand cited the camaraderie between the female senators as instrumental in building legislation across party lines.

“We try to make time out of our schedules to get to know each other as women first, which helps us find common ground,” she said. “Any bill I’ve passed, I’ve had a strong Republican woman helping me. It makes a difference.”

Senator Gillibrand did not hesitate to assert that women are often better listeners and compromisers than men, qualities that enable women to be effective legislators.

“[A good legislator is] someone who can listen, who can empathize, who understands people’s problems, and who can fight on behalf of the people they represent,” she said.

Senator Gillibrand learned the power of female lead-ership at a young age. Her grandmother, Polly Noonan, was an indispensable force in the politics of Albany, New York, where she organized campaigns and served as

president of the Albany Democratic Women’s Club for thirty years.

“When I was young I used to help her go door to door or stuff envelopes for candidates that she loved,” Senator Gillibrand said. “I always had a strong sense of the impor-tance of grassroots activism and that women’s voices really matter.”

While attending the Emma Willard School—America’s first all-girls’ high school—Senator Gillibrand said that she learned “the only limits were the ones you put on yourself.” She went on to Dartmouth College, where she majored in East Asian studies.

During the assembly, Senator Gillibrand encouraged Bryn Mawr girls to reject criticisms of being “feminist” or “ambitious.” Neither word should be derogatory or asso-ciated with being cold-hearted or insensitive, explained the senator. “I’m an ambitious feminist,” Senator Gillibrand declared, earning resounding applause and cheers from the audience.

She has shared this message with her two small sons as well. “I hope to raise two feminists in my sons, and so far, so good,” Senator Gillibrand remarked. Her six-year-old son, Henry, has already demonstrated his eye for equal-ity. “Henry was reading a book in his pre-K class about construction a long time ago, and the teacher said, ‘This is a man lift,’ about how to get workers to the worksite,” recalled the senator. “Henry said, ‘Where’s the woman lift?’ He is already a blossoming feminist himself.”

FEATURES

Alexa Corse ’15 (middle) and Adeline Choo ’16 (right) interview Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.


Underclassmen Score for Cross Country and TennisBoth cross country and tennis finished the fall seasons with outstanding

results, led in part by strong contributions from underclassmen.

Cross country finished second in the A Conference, the best finish for cross country in the A Conference in a decade. The finish was especially exciting because, at the end of the meet, it appeared the team had come in third, behind winner McDonogh and runner-up Notre Dame Prep. However, after a recalculation of the scores the following day, Bryn Mawr edged NDP by the slimmest of mar-gins to finish in second.

Sophie Gitlin ’18 took the title of IAAM Girls Cross Country Champion, finishing with an impres-sive time of 18:37. “I wanted to go out fast and run a sub-6 (-minute mile) and then hope for the best,” Gitlin told the “Baltimore Sun” after the race. “Our coach always tells us that the first mile is about head, the second about legs and the third about heart.”

Teammate Amy Egan ’17 finished close behind, taking fourth; both Gitlin and Egan were named All-IAAM. Gitlin was also named to the All-Metro First Team. She was the only freshman to earn this honor.

The tennis team had an equally suc-cessful season, with varsity tennis coming in second in the IAAM A Conference. Throughout the season the team lost only one match, falling after a tough fight with McDonogh. The team fared well at champion-ships, with sophomore Cameron Corse successfully defending her title of #1 Singles Tournament Champion. Teammates Abby Diette ’16 and

Kayla Scharfstein ’16 were run-ners-up for the #2 doubles title.

The JV tennis team also had a strong year, finishing, for the second year in a row, undefeated in the regular season. Over the course of the season, the entire team only lost a total of three individual matches—an impressive feat and an improve-ment over their already-stellar 2013 season.

Sophie Gitlin ’18

Cameron Corse ’17


JV Tennis Anum Haque ’17

The JV tennis team had incredible depth in the line-up, and their positive attitudes, in conjunction with good work ethic, made for a wonderful season. A season highlight was pulling off the closest win (3-2) of the season against RPCS. After the final match ended, the whole team ran onto the court to celebrate a well-deserved win.

Varsity Volleyball Evan de Lara ’15

There is a point in every season when the newer players rise to the level of the experienced players. In most seasons, this happens over a two- or three-week period, but for the varsity volleyball team it happened this year all in one practice. The highlight of the season was witnessing the hard work and dedication the team displayed all season long.

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Varsity Field Hockey Lily Fisher ’15

The varsity field hockey team gelled well, and many underclassmen stepped up, especially as the team faced injuries. Goalie Quichey Johnson ’15 had an amazing game against Spalding that will definitely be remembered. Overall the team really clicked, and everyone, regardless of playing time, contributed so much to the season.

Varsity Soccer Anna Steiner ’16

The varsity soccer team exhibited patience and dedication this season. Resilience paid off as the team turned the second half of the season into a winning one, beating a much higher seeded St. Paul’s in an exciting 1-0 shutout win, and triumphing over Catholic in the tournament. The girls faced every opponent with 100% effort until the final whistle sounded.

JV Volleyball Yuting Su ’17

Every girl on the JV volleyball team noticeably improved her skills from the first practice to the last game. The season was successful, fun, and the girls learned to bond as a team, get rowdy, and even dance to trumpets. The resilience of the team showed as they secured many late-game wins.

Varsity Tennis Raina Coleman ’15

The varsity tennis team loved spending time with each other and bonding together off the court as well as cheering on teammates during tough matches. In particular, the come-from-behind wins over Severn and RPCS were both highlights for the entire team.

Cross Country Isabelle Ciaverelli ’16 and Eva McNabney ’15 (pictured far left)

The cross country team had a tremendous season, with many girls exceeding their fastest times by minutes. The team overcame an early season loss to Mount de Sales to take the runner-up trophy in the conference. Highlights included running at Deep Creek for preseason, taking a road trip to Richmond, and eating a lot of pasta.

JV Field Hockey Josephine Finney ’18

The JV field hockey team had a very successful season, measured by individual and team growth. The roster was small, but the girls supported and trusted one another, playing hard as a team. Beating Severn School was definitely a season highlight.


Better to GiveAs the girls in the Middle School Keswick Club know, volunteering

yields long-term benefits for both the volunteer and the recipient.

The bell that has just rung signals it is lunchtime, but for 12 Middle School girls, it isn’t time to head to the cafeteria. Instead, they troop, laughing and talking, onto a Bryn Mawr minibus for a short drive across Roland Park.

These girls are part of the Keswick Club, and every few weeks they give up their lunch break to visit with residents of the Keswick Multi-Care Center. Tucked behind the Rotunda Shopping Center, Keswick Multi-Care is a locally owned, not-for-profit home for elderly adults. Today, as most days, the girls will be visiting with residents in the dementia unit.

For many of the girls in the group, the Keswick Club is more than an activity—it is a chance to make a dif-ference in someone else’s life. Many of the seventh and eighth graders have been involved with the club for multiple years, and they have a level of comfort with the residents. They know the residents, and the resi-dents appreciate them.

The volunteer work is not glamor-ous, but it is clear that the girls enjoy it. After pulling on hairnets and sterile gloves, they circulate around the lunchroom, serving trays of food, helping residents cut up their meals, getting drink refills, passing out

dessert and cleaning up. “They really make an effort to engage with the residents, asking them about their lives and their day,” says Assistant Middle School Director Becky Morris ’94, who accompanies the girls on these outings. “They want the residents to know that they care about them.”

Lower and Middle School coun-selor Debbie Waranch says that the girls’ work at Keswick has big benefits for their growing brains. “Developmentally, at that age, it is ‘all about me,’” Waranch says. “When you give back, it expands your view of the world. Studies have shown

FEATURES


that your brain actually changes when you volunteer. The more you do it, the more you want to do it.”

Waranch also notes that it has prac-tical benefits for Middle School girls during a pivotal period of social and emotional growth. “It builds their communication skills, their social skills, compassion and self-confi-dence,” she says. “Most importantly, it changes their lives and others’!”

As the hour draws to a close, the girls circulate once more, saying their goodbyes. One elderly resident who clearly wishes they could stay longer pulls the girls close, thanking them for coming. When residents are sad to see them go, “I tell them that we will see them in two weeks and you can tell us everything that you’ve done then,” says Fudi Fickenscher ’19. Fickenscher has volunteered for three years, and says that she loves having the chance to give back to people who have given so much during their lives. “To see them smile—it’s just so great.”

FACING PAGE, LEFT Middle School girls in the Keswick Club pose next to sign. FACING PAGE, RIGHT Girls cut

up food for the residents as part of their lunch service. THIS PAGE Tahra

Khanuja ’21 talks with a resident.


FEATURES

Each year, seniors have the opportunity to present issues that matter to them to their classmates. Most do this in the form of a Senior Convocation—a twenty-minute speech on any topic. In every issue, we highlight excerpts from convocations given that month. Occasionally, we will also highlight other senior speeches given at special occasions, letting members of the Class of 2015 share, in their own words, what matters to them.

Senior VoicesCLASS OF 2015

Raina Coleman

The following quotation is a transcription from an episode of Oprah’s Master Class Series, in which Maya Angelou gives her three word secret to living one’s best life:

just do right. The video reemerged around the time of her death in May of this year. Maya Angelou was a revolutionary author, poet, singer, actress, and dancer, whose death we are still processing.

“Maybe the hardest part is that if you teach, you have to live your teaching. You can’t say ‘You, do not as I do, but do as I say’. No, no, you have to say ‘I’m doing my

best, to live what I teach’. Whenever I am obliged to do something,” Angelou says, “I think to what Grandma would do, what would she say.

“I can almost hear her voice say, ‘Now sista, you know what’s

right. Just do right.’ You don’t really have to ask anybody. The truth is, right may not be expe-dient, it may not be profitable, but it will satisfy your soul. It brings you the kind of protection that bodyguards cannot give you. Try to be all you can be. Try to be the best human being you can be. Try to be that in your church, in your temple. Try to be that in your classroom. Do it because it is right to do. See, people will know you, and they will add their prayers to your life; they’ll wish you well. I think, if your name is mentioned, and people say ‘Oh hell’, ‘Oh damn’, I think you’re doing something wrong. But if your name is mentioned, and people say

‘Oh she’s so sweet’, ‘He’s so nice’, ‘Oh I love—, ‘Oh, God bless her….’ there you are. So try to live your life in a way that you will not regret years of useless virtue, and inertia, and timidity. Pick up the battle. Take it up. It’s yours, this is your life, this is your world. You make your own choices. You can decide life isn’t worth living, and that would be the worst thing you could do. How do you know, so far? Try it, see. So pick it up. Pick up the battle, and make it a better world. Just where you are, yes. And it can be better, and it will be better, but it’s up to us.”

In the original clip, Maya Angelou’s voice is powerful, and striking. Every time I experience her speaking those words, I go through a type of existential something that


allows me to transcend, for just a few minutes, the con-stant grind that is daily life as a human, female, African-American, daughter, sister and pupil. I share these words because they resonate with anything and everything I have ever wanted out of life. Maya Angelou’s words instill in me a sense of purpose, of urgency; they are a call to action. They push me at night to read just a few more pages, and in the morning, to smile through my weary eyes. They remind me to stay positive, and to be kind. They tell me that getting invited is not worth pining for someone’s approval, and that happiness becomes tainted when you have to compromise someone else’s to find it. Her poetic words exude wisdom and perspective, and I find that people tend to share their greatest pieces of wisdom in their later years.

The concept of wisdom has consumed my thoughts ever since my grandmother passed away from an aggres-sive form of cancer, in April of this year—just seven months ago. My grief was interspersed with intense moments of appreciation and understanding for all that my grandmother was, is. I think I have always had a subconscious appreciation for the elderly. I appreciate when things and people have a past that precedes my existence. There is something intriguing about know-ing how a person got to where they are in their lives—learning what events and tribulations occurred, and how all of that manifested into a person’s perspective and ultimately provided them with a body of wisdom that they then pass on to their relatives.

Around the time of my grandmother’s death was when I managed to learn the most about her. Hearing my aunt, uncle and father express their sentiments and fondest accounts of Grandma Iva for her funeral sermon was the first time I ever truly listened. Each of them had such a distinct perspective, and each of their voices echoed that of my grandmother. My grandmother, in a sense, was a sculptor, and my father and his siblings’ sermon was an amalgamation of my grandmother’s pre-cise work. Through their words, I could identify the var-ious grooves and etchings my grandmother had made in each of them. Uncle Chris with his sincere and heart-felt speech, Aunt Melanie with her beautiful, flowering imagery, and my father Mark with his canny and refined matter-of-factness.

My grandmother had been sick for over a year prior to her death in April. During this period, she and my

grandfather split their time between upstate New York and Baltimore. At times, they roomed with my family so as to give Grandma Iva access to the best hospitals and treatments possible while maintaining a zone of privacy. My father recounted, in his portion of the sermon, that during one of his last visits with her in the hospital he had asked her for some career advice. On his last visit, he remembered that most of the time was spent in silence as he watched her nod in and out of slumber. But as he rose to leave, thinking she was asleep for the night, she called his name, softly. He turned around and she said, “Mark, I have your answer… ‘The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. And take care of your family.’”

Her cryptic line, for those who do not know, is a quota-tion from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” a non-fiction transcendentalist work that, in short, delivers wisdom page after page. These were the last words my father heard from his mother. As I experienced this sermon,

I was able to arrange and configure the pieces of my grandmother in my mind, to form my most complete idea of her, and to really understand her. I think what I was finally able to see was her ultimate plan at work: the dream she had when she first thought of having children, how she wanted to raise them, the types of people she wanted them to be, how she wanted them to have integ-rity, grit, and to be able to navigate the challenges that lay ahead for them as African American children growing up amid the aftermath of the struggle for civil rights. She made them read, and taught them to love it. She made sure they ran their miles, and ate their vegetables. She nurtured them, yet gave them the skills to survive and thrive on their own.

My grandmother had always been a private person, and was not always understood by people who only knew her from a distance. She was always humble, never bragged. Through the sermon, and exchanging anecdotes with


Maya Angelou’s words instill in me a sense of purpose, of urgency; they are a call to action.


FEATURES

her friends and former co-workers, it became clear to me that what made Grandma Iva so remarkable was that despite her astounding intelligence, wisdom and impres-sive ability to lead and influence, she always chose to stand back and help other people shine.

My grandmother, born Iva Mae Turner, emigrated from the Bahamas to Miami, Florida with her parents and siblings when she was eight years of age. In college, she double majored in Biology and Chemistry, graduating in four years even though she took one year off to care for her mother who, at the time, was suffering from an illness. Grandma Iva had an affinity for clothing and jewelry, yet she was a master of economics, and often watched prices, waiting until she could catch the best deal. Jackie O. was my grandmother’s style inspiration, and when my grandmother didn’t have the money to buy all of the styles Jackie O. modeled, she would go to the fabric store and sew the designs herself.

Once my grandparents got married, they moved to Binghamton, New York. Iva Mae Turner became Iva Turner Coleman, and she took up a job at the nearby State University of New York Binghamton. She started out as a biology professor’s assistant. Before classes, she would set up the lab equipment for each day’s experi-ments, which is a task that only a person with a superior understanding of the applied concepts would be able to do successfully. Students reached out to her for help. She advised them wholeheartedly, convincing them of their worth, capability and intelligence, and ultimately helping them navigate their careers. She worked various assis-tant roles throughout her tenure at SUNY Binghamton, and before long she was the assistant to the chair of the biology department.

Many people do not realize that, particularly in colleges and universities, chairs and department heads come and go. Often it is the assistant who serves as the glue. My grandmother was just that. She was the person who,

when the chairman was walking into a morning meet-ing after traveling, had his notes and agenda printed, stapled, hole-punched and annotated. She was offered numerous positions with more distinguished sounding titles, but she refused them. Her priority was always taking care of her family.

The structure of my father’s family when he grew up was such that, throughout the years, in times when my grand-mother was unable to work, my grandfather worked and provided the means on which my grandmother raised the three children. I think that these days, we sort of tense up when we hear of such a family structure. The image of an idle “housewife” comes to mind, and I think that in our society the term is starting to gain a negative conno-tation. As a community, we have become very sensitive to and aware of social issues. We’re equipped with the proper vernacular; we use words like heteronormativity and microaggression. I thank Bryn Mawr for making each of its women feel endowed with the tools to succeed in any endeavor, yet mindful of what difficulties lie outside the confines of 109 West Melrose Avenue.

I have contemplated feminism in the context of my grandmother, and it only strengthens my admiration for her. She was very intentional about how she navigated her life, and that only contributed to her wisdom. She didn’t have to vocalize her feminism, because she lived it. It wasn’t that she was naturally a submissive person or needed someone to instruct her. She chose to be behind the scenes. She chose to be the glue. She knew exactly what to do to make people better, and how to help them reach their goals. She recognized that early on, and shared that gift and ability.

My grandmother helped to make a lot of people success-ful, and in more than just her work. She taught people how to trade stocks, and even made a suggestion that gained one of her friends $20,000. She had the raw abil-ity to be the boss, but used her keen judgment to con-clude that her efforts belonged in her home. She knew what it would take to raise kids that believed in them-selves, stayed out of trouble, and strove to make the world a better place—and that’s what she put her time into doing.

I think that my grandmother and my grandfather were always equals, but they each had their respective

She didn’t have to vocalize her feminism, because she lived it.


contributions to domestic life. When my grandmother was not working, she cooked and cleaned, and dealt most directly with the children. My grandfather fixed the leaky sink, taught each kid how to ride a bike, and paid the bills. However, their dichotomy was harmoni-ous, and I think they established their respective terri-tories on the basis of what they each could do best. She did all she could to support each member of her family, so that they could be successful.

My father once shared a story of when he was in high school, working tirelessly on an essay that was due the next day. He sat for hours, and at this time in history a paper was written with a pen and paper, and, if you had one, it was also typed on a typewriter. Either way, the process was long and arduous. My father described himself as working into the wee hours of the night, uttering complaints to his mother, who insisted on staying up to watch him finish the paper. It became very late, however, and as she headed upstairs my father continued on the paper as much as he could until he fell asleep. The next morning, my father woke with a feel-ing of panic, realizing he hadn’t yet gotten to typing his paper. Realizing his mother had already left for work, he got ready for school, thinking of possible excuses for his unfinished assignment. He made his way back down-stairs, and returned to the kitchen table, only to find his paper typed and stapled.

My grandmother was never a coddler—she never babied anyone. She had high expectations for every-one around her, and made people want to do their best. But she was understanding, and caring, and took great care of her family. She did not do this because it was expected of her. She did not do it because society dictated it. She made the active choice to be this type of mother and wife. She did it because it was how she created meaning in her life.

I have fears for the future. I feel as though our society has boarded a Concorde plane, jetting off at record speeds into the parallel dimension of “newer,” “thinner” and “faster.” I fear that our increased interconnectedness is really pulling us further apart. I think that my genera-tion and those that follow are prone to selfishness. Often our texts are more important than the person in front of us. We think everyone cares what we did on Saturday night. We take advantage of our parents. We stop saying

“thank you,” and “I love you.” Lots of things have been made so easy for us, and we have luxuries about which our parents only dreamt.

Thinking back to figures like Maya Angelou and my grandmother reminds me that there is still meaning in all of the chaos, that small moments of connection still exist, and that they mean more than any text or social media post ever could. I think I appreciate my grandmother so much now because I understand how truly selfless she was, and that she lived her life with great intention. Those types of people are becoming rare.

The key ingredient to the wisdom I find in both of my grandparents comes from perspective. After my grand-mother’s death, I became fixated on trying to become wise myself. I convinced myself that reading books with titles like “The Rhetoric of Aristotle” was going to make me wise. After reading four pages, however, I realized that no single book can replace genuine life experience, and that part of what older people have that I don’t is an understanding of time before I existed. I may not be totally wise and enlightened yet, but to my granddaugh-ter, I will be, because I will draw from my life experiences to create my own conclusions about life. Even Maya Angelou thought back to her grandmother to make the right decision.

So here are my conclusions, my two cents, the finale to my ode, the wisdom I’ve gathered from a page in Iva Turner Coleman’s book of wisdom:

Learn to love reading, spend frugally, advocate with your actions, do what gives your life meaning, just do right, and take care of your family.

I may not be totally wise and enlightened yet, but to my granddaughter, I will be.


PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Parent Socials and Holiday WishesWe have had quite a busy fall with so many events taking place all over campus, but we have also enjoyed several festive gatherings off-campus as well. Many thanks to Pallavi Kumar and Craig Bondroff, Deb and Matt Baum, Debita and Anirban Basu, Amy and Rich Sarver, Mary Briggs and George Watson, Alex Clancy, Christine and Greg Cross, Katie and Mark Weigman, Sonya Weinfeld, Ziba Franks and Ally Villamater, Mary Jo and Michael Coiro, Mary Lynne and Greg Diette, and Elizabeth Drigotas for graciously opening their homes to host the Parent Socials. Thanks also to all of the Class Parents for helping to support our hosts in planning these get-togethers!

As Winter Break approaches and we look forward to 2015, The Parents’ Association wishes everyone in the Bryn Mawr community a healthy and happy holiday season.


ALUMNAE

ALUMNAE PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

Members of the Class of 1995 show their Mawrtian Pride on Spirit Day.


ALUMNAE


Kirsten Prettyman Adams ’91 Kirsten Prettyman Adams ’91 earned a degree in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology from Dartmouth College; while there, she was also named a Presidential Scholar. Adams went on Yale University to earn a master’s degree in Environmental Studies. Inspired by her Bryn Mawr experience, Adams became a teacher, then moved into administration. She served as the Head of Upper School at both the Hockaday School in Texas and McDonogh School in Maryland before becoming Head of School at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Virginia.

I always knew that I wanted to work in education because of the energy and enthusiasm students have. My first real teaching expe-rience came during my senior project with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which led to an intern-ship. I credit these experiences with my choice to become a teacher. To me, there is nothing more joyful than watching a child grow into his or her best self. I also love the sense of com-munity and commitment in schools. The relationships that develop between the adults in an indepen-dent school community are extraor-dinary, and I love being surrounded by people who love their jobs.

When I started teaching, I had visions of retiring after 40 years of

teaching biology—I wanted to be like Betty Thompson, my biology teacher at Bryn Mawr. However, I had an amazing mentor who encouraged me to take the step into administration. The biggest chal-lenge in my job now is time—there are so many competing priorities, and I have to be very intentional about how I spend my time. I wish I could spend more time visiting classrooms and seeing teachers working their magic.

I love that Bryn Mawr taught us how to think as opposed to what to think. We were encouraged to develop our own perspectives by

doing good research and having authentic conversations with our peers and our teachers. We also received tremendous support from our teachers. I knew I was not only allowed, but also encouraged, to take risks in the classroom, on the athletic fields and in all aspects of life, and I knew that there were teachers who were there to catch me. They held us to very high expec-tations, and we wanted to meet those expectations because they cared about us so deeply.

Athletics were a huge part of my connection to Bryn Mawr. I devel-oped relationships with my coaches and my teammates that endure to this day. The two most powerful things I learned from athletics at Bryn Mawr were how to get along with people and work as a team, and how to take criticism and use it to get better. We learned how to balance leading and listening, and that leadership is often more about listening than anything else. This ability to collaborate is criti-cal for success in most professional endeavors, and I am indebted to Bryn Mawr for prioritizing these skills. Today, I use these same skills to help members of our community pursue their ideas.

BRYN MAWR BIO

Number of Years at Bryn Mawr: 9

College Destination: Dartmouth College

Favorite traditions: Sledding on the Gordon Building hill and International Bazaar

Influential Teachers: Betty Thompson, Dave Stephens, Jeanette Budzik and Katie Dallam

in her own words


ALUMNAE

Kudos to Tuesday Barnes ’09, a second-year sociology doctoral student at the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduating from UMD in 2009, Barnes was accepted to UMD’s Ph.D. program and awarded a McNair Fellowship. For her thesis, Barnes is investi-gating the experiences of women that attended private high schools and how that experience impacted their conceptions of gender, class and race. She is seek-ing participants that graduated between 2010 and 2014. If you are interested in sharing your story, please email her directly at [email protected].

Kudos to Courtney Jenkins Feldheim ’99, a certified personal trainer and former Middle School math teacher. Jenkins was on campus to teach the Class of 2015 some self-defense skills before they head off to college next year.

Kudos to Laura Paulsen ’06, who just qualified to run in the U.S. Olympic Trials for the mara-thon. Paulsen finished the California International Marathon in Sacramento on December 7 with a time of 2:39:54. She will compete in the Olympic trials in February 2016. Paulsen currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she attends the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

Kudos to Ann J. Temkin ’55, who recently published a book, “Sight in the Sandstorm: Jesus In His World and Mine.” Temkin is an ordained Protestant minister who holds a master’s degree in Theology from Marquette University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Visit her website to learn more: www.anntemkin.com.

Do you have info to share about yourself or another alumna that you feel is newsworthy? Send it to us and we will post it in Kudos, which will appear three times per year, in our September, November/

December and April issues. Email [email protected] to send in your Kudos!

Courtney Jenkins Feldheim ’99 works with Usma Hosain ’15.

Have you downloaded the Alumnae App? It is a great way keep in touch with other Bryn Mawr alumnae.

Visit brynmawrschool.org/alumnaeapp for more information.

mailto:tuesdayk.barnes%40gmail.com?subject=

http://www.anntemkin.com

mailto:alumnae%40brynmawrschool.org?subject=Kudos%21

http://www.brynmawrschool.org/alumnaeapp

A Very “Happy” EveningIt was great to see so many alumnae at the Happy Hour on November 28 at the Mount Washington Tavern! Thanks to the Alumnae Association for organizing this wonderful event, and to all who attended. It was a record-breaking turnout!


ALUMNAE

Alumnae Association Dress SaleThanks to everyone who donated dresses for the Alumnae Dress Sale for the Class of 2015! Six dresses were sold, and all proceeds benefit the 2015 Prom Fund. Another dress sale will be coming up in the spring,

so if you have a dress to donate, feel free to drop it off any time at the Gordon Building, or call Tara Gardner at 410.323.1118 x1415 for more information.

Parents’ Association Wellness Committee Presents “Mindful Eating as the Key to Good Nutrition”The Parents’ Association Wellness Committee is excited to welcome Jessica Fleischer Sides ’90, P’23 for a lunch presentation on January 30, 2015. The topic of the presentation will be “Mindful Eating as the Key to Good Nutrition—Teaching Your Children Healthy Long-Term Habits, Not Quick-Fix Diets.” Sides is a registered dieti-tian and eating disorders specialist with a master’s degree in Nutrition from SUNY. She works with children, adults and adolescents to establish a positive relation-ship with food and a focus on health instead of weight.

She has worked at Sheppard Pratt’s Center for Eating Disorders for the past several years and recently opened a private practice in Towson.

This presentation, part of a series of programs sponsored by the Bryn Mawr Parents’ Association, is geared towards helping current Bryn Mawr parents navigate the some-times-tricky waters of healthy eating. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for more information.

mailto:alumnae%40brynmawrschool.org?subject=Parents%27%20Association%20Wellness%20Committee%20Presentation


Upcoming Events

Jennifer Brookland ’01 will address the Upper School at convocation on January 6 as part of the Alumnae College Forum. Brookland is the senior writer and editor at Creative Associated International, an inter-national development company. Prior to that, she was with the nonprofit Counterpart International, where she worked on feature stories, blog posts and multime-dia packages that showed the results of international development programs. Brookland loves using stories to show how projects overseas are changing people’s lives for the better.

Brookland is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied International Politics and African Studies. After college, she served four years as a Special Agent in the U.S. Air Force, conducting crimi-nal investigations in North Carolina and Maryland, and

deploying to Djibouti and the Comoros Islands. She also holds a master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. If you would like to attend convocation please email [email protected] or call Tara Gardner at 410.323.1118 x1415.

Alumnae Weekend 2015

Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2015 Alumnae Weekend 2015 will be here more quickly than you think! View the tentative schedule information at brynmawrschool.org/reunion. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call Tara Gardner at 410.323.1118 x1415.

ALUMNAE COLLEGE FORUMThe Bryn Mawr School

ALUMNAE COLLEGE FORUMThe Bryn Mawr School

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

mailto:alumnae%40brynmawrschool.org?subject=I%20would%20like%20to%20attend%20Jennifer%20Brookland%27s%20Convocation%21

http://www.brynmawrschool.org/reunion

mailto:alumnae%40brynmawrschool.org?subject=Question%20about%20Alumnae%20Weekend%202015

109 West Melrose AvenueBaltimore, Maryland 21210

410 323 8800brynmawrschool.org

mawrginalia, november/december 2014

Documents

bryn mawr school

bryn mawr robotics team

celebration of bryn

sense of community

dance studio7

features18 stem

celebrate special events

special convocations