April 2024
Alum Spotlight - HEATHER FITZGERALD '81
Heather Fitzgerald ’81 is a devoted Class Captain and for years, every time I saw her email signature, which read Clinical Nurse Ethicist, I wondered what her days looked like and what it really meant to be in a role that sounded exceptionally meaningful and important. So I finally asked. “A Clinical Nurse Ethicist provides leadership and content expertise in clinical ethics consultation, ethics education and policy development on ethically significant aspects of healthcare,” Heather explained. “In this role, I co-chaired the hospital ethics committee, led ethics rounds, led the Ethics Liaisons Program (the aforementioned innovative nursing ethics program), taught ethics in the medical school, served on the American Nurses Association Ethics Advisory Board as well as on national ethics conference planning committees. In clinical ethics, no two days look the same. It requires as much discipline as flexibility, as much rigor as creativity, as much wisdom as humility. In no other role in my career have I been charged so fully to live into our shared credo, Ad Ingenium Faciendum.”
Arriving at GA in Group VII, Heather says she was inspired by her classmates, who approached their diverse interests with passion and commitment, and by her teachers. “I was as profoundly influenced by my academic teachers (the Pattersons, Mr. Tyler, Mrs. Beattie, Ms. Menon, Mr. Peltz), as I was on the field (Miss Tammaro, Mrs. Wasserman) and in the studio and rehearsal hall (the Nobles, Mr. Clulow). Oh, and Mr. Zavitz! There was only one “Mr. Z.” I was especially influenced by the alchemy that happened over and over between our class of brilliant, curious students and our dynamic teachers who were so keen to develop us into who each of us was at our essence. I will always be grateful for that experience and opportunity, as it profoundly shaped my values and interests.”
A graduate of the University of Richmond, Heather’s route to nursing was definitely not linear. “I studied Modern Foreign Languages, building on my AP French foundation, and picking up Russian and an interest in art history along the way.” She studied abroad in France and the Soviet Union, and combined her interests by writing a senior thesis comparing 19th century art in France and Russia. “I finished my final semester of college in Paris and returned to the U.S. with what probably alarmed my parents as a startlingly blank life plan,” Heather recalls. “In hindsight, I realize now I had learned how to navigate very different terrain, linguistically and culturally, and had developed a keen interest in people, in humanity, and in what makes us all tick.”
Heather’s first job was working at Lanvin on Madison Avenue, enjoying a little connection to France as she launched her adult life. “Within a year I transitioned to a marketing and sales role at an up-and-coming fitness company in the West Village, where I met my husband. He was transferred from New York to Tokyo and in a whirlwind, on a dime, we moved to Tokyo.” There Heather got involved with a regional theater company, returning to a passion she had been involved with in college. “When I returned to the U.S. four years later, I was fortunate to join the producing team of Forever Plaid for its long run in LA, a show which also took me to London. I felt so lucky that my passport was getting such a workout!” When she headed back stateside, Heather landed in Denver, and while she was looking to exit the theater scene stage left, she ended up at the Denver Center Theatre Company where she led marketing and communications for six years. When the company won a coveted Tony Award for outstanding regional theater, Heather knew it was time to move on, and nursing was calling her.
While some had a hard time understanding how she would make such a shift, Heather says the connection between the arts and science were clear for her. “Both endeavor to pursue ‘what if’ questions. What if two star-crossed lovers from feuding families fell in love, what would happen and what would we learn? What if we could cure cancer? How would peoples’ lives be changed?’” Heather completed a second undergraduate degree in 12 months and began work as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver. “There is tremendous complexity in the care of babies in the NICU, not the least of which are ethical questions about whether the benefits of invasive treatment outweigh the risks and burdens of treatment. I became involved in the ethics committee and an innovative effort in the organization to prepare nurses to more actively engage in interdisciplinary ethical discernment and dialogue. I pursued a master’s degree in bioethics and transitioned from my role at the bedside to serve as a Clinical Nurse Ethicist, supporting the entire organization in navigating the thorny ethical issues that can arise in complex pediatric care.”
Eight years serving in that role led to what Heather says are “deep questions about healthcare organizations’ moral obligation to promote the conditions for healthcare professionals to not just survive their work but thrive in it and remain connected to what called them to this vital work in the first place. So back to school I went! I completed a doctorate in organizational ethics and transitioned into a leadership role, first at Children’s Hospital Colorado and now at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health focused on mitigating the effects of the unique occupational stressors healthcare professionals encounter in their work. Needless to say, this is a long game, as the conditions that challenge clinicians did not emerge overnight. It is not about helping clinicians cope better. It is about strategic intervention at the individual, team, and leader levels as well as systems change designed to respect and value the humanity of care providers as much as we respect and value the humanity of the recipients of care.”
Free time isn’t exactly abundant for Heather, but she says, “Living in California, I’ve taken up surfing and scuba diving. Time on the waves and below the sea is incredibly restorative. There is nothing to do but bring 100% of your focus to the moment, which I find equally thrilling and soothing.”
Heather shares this reminder for current GA students and alumnae who might not have it all figured out yet: “What may appear as a long, meandering and at times directionless path has culminated in an abundant accumulation of life experience, perspective development and intellectual honing that has prepared me perfectly for what I do in work and in life. There are plenty of prescribed routes to take to particular ends. That’s fine and good. I’ve learned that trusting the process, honing my instincts, staying curious and learning from each step of my experience have been the best guides for me. Additionally, nursing is extraordinary in the diversity of roles one can have in the profession. There’s nothing like it!”
June 2023
Faculty Spotlight - KAMELE MCLAREN
How did you come to arrive at GA?
My daughter, Rylie McLaren Group I, started CC during the 2021 school year which allowed me to experience GA as a parent first. When the open DEI Director position was shared with me, I felt it was the right fit for me and my family. I applied and the rest is now history. Adding to this history, I am now in my 21st year focused in Education. Prior to coming to GA, I was the principal of a high school serving 415 students.
You had a private school experience yourself. Tell us about that. How did it shape you?
Attending private school provided me with access to information and opportunities to engage in a myriad of experiences. At the time I attended, the environment and landscape were very different from today. As a student, I sometimes struggled with seeing myself. Meaning the curriculum did not reflect my lived experiences and/or culture. Micro- and macro-aggressions happened often. Through the support of my family, friends, and caring teachers, I was able to navigate and succeed. My work as an educator, parent, family member, and friend is shaped by my primary and secondary school experiences. I believe that students, all students, should be able to see themselves in the curriculum, in the student body, in the faculty, and in the school community. Creating spaces and opportunities for students and families to feel connected to the school community is a primary focus for me. Taking the time to continuously learn about myself and others is what enables me to do this work. Learning and leading with love and joy.
What was your path after high school?
After HS, I attended Manhattan College, majored in Chemistry and minored in Math. I also enjoyed psychology and could have declared that as a minor. Unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation, I began teaching middle school. I took classes in General & Special Education then obtained a Masters in School Building Leadership. Every year teaching, I would say “This is the best year yet.” I believe that being an educator means that you are constantly on a learning path. You don’t stop learning after you get your degree. So with that, I am always searching and engaging in robust professional learning that supports my growth. My continuous growth and reflection allows me to give the best of myself to my students.
When you were a child, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up? How does that compare to where you landed?
As a child, I wanted to be a doctor or NASCAR driver, sometimes both at the same time. I haven’t quite lived up to those expectations, but there’s still time.
How does DEIB factor into each girl’s GA journey?
GA provides a challenging and comprehensive educational experience. I work in tandem with GA’s objective “to develop girls and young women of exceptional character and achievement who demonstrate independence, resilience, courage, integrity, and compassion.” During the formative Lower School years, it is important for our girls to be confident with who they are. The all important question to answer is “Who Am I?” As they move into Middle School, our Gator Girls are learning about others, other cultures, other places, other time periods, etc. The question then becomes, “Who Are You?” Lastly, as our students transition to the Upper School and then to alum status, it is vital for each student to be able answer the question, “Who Are We?” GA is preparing our students to navigate this community and the world around them. We keep moving forward, together, learning and leading with love.
Anything you'd like to share with the alum community?
Absolutely!! I am always open and ready for conversations. I invite alums to connect with me. Stay tuned for a Fireside Chat with Kamele this fall! (virtual and in-person options)
April 2023
Alumnae Spotlight - SARAH GOULD STEINHARDT '01
From news producer to social entrepreneur, Sarah Gould Steinhardt ’01 says, “I think that being surrounded by courageous, confident, extraordinary women at GA helped prepare me for the careers I’ve had. And our school’s motto, Ad Ingenium Faciendum, echoes in my ear each day. It’s what drives my commitment to finding real solutions to solvable problems.” Sarah is the cofounder of Welcome Baby USA, a nonprofit organization that provides low-income pregnant women with everything her newborn needs in the first month of life.
Since launching in 2018, Sarah says they have provided over 4,000 newborn care packages to families in need nationwide.The idea for Welcome Baby began percolating when Sarah was a new mom herself. “I had so much help and so many resources, but having a baby is overwhelming and challenging even in the best circumstances,” she says. “In a country like ours, which provides no paid parental leave, minimal access to adequate or affordable postpartum and infant care, and no federal or state subsidies for things as basic and necessary as diapers, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had to shift, something had to be done. I'd come across an article about Finland’s incredible infant and maternal healthcare system, specifically their ‘baby box’ program. It all clicked and I knew that I had to replicate this model in the United States. I launched Welcome Baby from my living room floor and in 2018, partnered with a longtime friend and fellow news producer, Juliet Fuisz to formally start Welcome Baby USA.”
Sarah is now a well-seasoned mom, with three boys of her own (ages 8, 6, and 9 months), and her mission is as clear as ever. But it was years of working in broadcast journalism, telling people’s stories, that ultimately brought her to begin her own nonprofit. While a student at Hamilton College, Sarah chose an internship at NBC Nightly News over studying abroad, and she says it was life changing. “It was 2003 and the beginning of the Iraq War. Being in the newsroom every day, working on major stories, learning from the smartest, most courageous, hard charging journalists in the business… it cemented my desire to become a news producer. It would be many years before the nonprofit world became my work and passion, but I think the seeds were sewn in my love of journalism and telling the stories of people and events all over the world.”
Sarah went on to work for NBC News after graduating. “Hurricane Katrina had just leveled New Orleans and the devastation had such a powerful effect of me. I knew I had to continue telling these stories and shining a light on the inequity and lack of support for the people struggling all around us. Looking back, this was the precursor to the founding of my nonprofit, Welcome Baby. I jumped over to ABC News and spent many years at Good Morning America, traveling all over the country. My final stop was at CNN, where I helped launch their new morning show at the time. I loved so much of broadcast news – the importance of telling a story so people could understand what was really happening, the people, the pace, the unpredictability. It’s not a stretch to see why I burned out and I came to feel that nonprofit work was where my heart actually was. I knew there was so much to do for people who had so little and that no amount of press would ever solve persistent issues like infant and maternal mortality and the devastating effects of poverty on children.”
Sarah’s storytelling roots lead back to GA, where she loved English classes with Linda Vasu and with Scott Tucker at Brunswick. She says she remembers thinking, “I need to remember every word spoken in this class. It doesn’t get better than this!” Sarah adds, “I was fascinated with pulling apart texts and losing myself in early 20th century poetry and figuring out what it meant to write well. I also made the best friends I could ever dream of having. My closest friend today is a GA classmate and I consider her my sister.”
Outside of running Welcome Baby, Sarah says, “I’m also a founding board member of the Shomer Collective, a nonprofit that seeks to improve end-of-life and how we approach death and dying. I’ve been horseback riding my entire life and I’m lucky to be able to continue that. I also play tennis every chance I get. From April until October, you’ll find me in my garden with dirt from head to toe.”
Sarah shares this advice for anyone thinking of starting something on their own:
The most important piece of advice I can think of is to not be afraid to start small. Start in your living room or home office. Figure out how to do the thing you love and do it in a small way at first, and then build from there. And be patient, but also relentless! I’ve never doubted the importance of Welcome Baby’s mission – not for a single second since 2018. Relentless, persistent belief in this work has enabled us to help thousands of families all over the country.
The Letter Nest x Welcome Baby Mother's Day Gift Card
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February 2023
Alumnae Spotlight - JENNIE RIPPS '98
Jennie Ripps ’98, Founder and CEO of Owl’s Brew, the boozy tea that’s now found in restaurants and stores nationwide, says, “I believe I always wanted to be an entrepreneur - to build a business, a brand, a team based upon my own values/vision – but honestly when I was graduating high school in 1998 or college in 2003, that word wasn’t part of the vocabulary.”
A voracious reader, Jennie tapped into her passion and started her career after college in the publishing industry as a book scout, but wanted to be building something of her own. She shifted into marketing, which she says allowed her to create and build, but it wasn’t quite enough. “Once I started my first company, a looseleaf tea company, I felt completely fulfilled,” she said.
Jennie’s journey to entrepreneurship was born from trying to help her dad through illness. “In my 20s, my dad got quite sick, and I was looking for something immunity-boosting and antioxidant rich. I read that tea had all these properties, and picked up some for him —once I started blending and brewing, it completely changed my life. I couldn’t believe you could create so much flavor – and imbue so many benefits – just through the simple act of dropping leaves into water.” Jennie launched Brew Lab Tea, which was picked up by big time restaurants and hotels in New York City, and eventually was acquired by tea giant The Republic of Tea. Owl’s Brew takes the same idea, and adds the twist of an alcoholic beverage.
“At Owl’s Brew, we make a great-tasting, completely clean spiked sparkling tea. But I really started just with the idea of making the best beverage I could, from the best ingredients,” Jennie says. She’s committed to keeping her beverages as clean as possible, which she says can be a challenge, especially while trying to grow her business and maintain her core values. “The beverage industry doesn’t typically use whole, real ingredients to create mass-produced products. Often, extracts or flavors are subbed in. I have had to fight every step of the way to create my product at scale using fresh-brewed tea & botanicals and not lab-made flavor additives. When you fresh-brew using whole, real ingredients, you get amazing flavor, and important benefits (vitamin c, antioxidants, polyphenols). Chemical processes used to make ‘natural flavors’ strip these away, which is why it’s always been important to me that we fresh-brew our tea and botanicals.”
Jennie feels strongly that the liberal arts education she received as an English major at the University of Pennsylvania was the perfect “building block” for a career in entrepreneurship – or any field. But Jennie had some unique experiences that certainly helped to grow her entrepreneurial spirit. Her family moved around a lot during high school, and Jennie left GA to attend Choate Rosemary Hall. “I was the only student in my grade at Choate to not apply to college my senior year! I had been studying Latin and Ancient Greek, and instead of going straight to college, I headed to Athens and Venice for a year and hooked up with a British gap year program,” she recalls. And after her college graduation, Jennie says, “I interned at the Kennedy School for Public Policy, which led to my living and working in the Czech Republic for a year, which was terrific.” Jennie also says that GA teachers played an important role in her life. “My Latin teacher, Mrs. Nininger, was so wonderful. Mr. Murdock, my math teacher, had an incredible impact on me. He was so demanding, so brilliant, and so much fun. His class at GA was one of the most memorable academic experiences of my life,” she said.
These days, Jennie is committed to making memories with her family, both “quiet moments and adventures,” and pursuing her passions of reading, traveling and gardening. “Professionally – I love building Owl’s Brew, and am excited to continue to grow our business, bring new team members on, and launch new great products.” Outside of work and home life, Jennie is “part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Professional Women’s Alliance, and we focus on mentoring college students and young alumnae. I also serve on the subcommittee for the WCEDD (Western Connecticut Economic Development District), representing small business in this part of CT.
Jennie’s advice for students and fellow alums who are budding entrepreneurs: “Pursue a liberal arts education and intern for an early stage company! Because communication skills and problem-solving are about 90% of being an entrepreneur!”
January 2023
Faculty Spotlight - MOE TARRANT
What is your role at GA now and what other roles have you played here? Currently, I am a PE teacher in the Middle and Lower Schools, I coach MS volleyball and lacrosse and teach MS team building, I coach varsity ice hockey and am an advisor in the Upper School. In June, I run cooking camps for the GA summer program.
How long have you worked here? This is my 22nd year.
What’s your favorite thing about being a part of the GA community? My favorite thing about being part of the GA community is having lunch with the MS kids. I try to make their day better and they definitely make my day better.
Any particular fun fact, GA related or not, that alumnae should know about you? I always wanted to be a commencement speaker and achieved my goal when I gave the graduation speech for the Farewell to Fours!
- What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’m living it every day! I love being at school every day, I love going home at the end of the day with my wife Elle, and I love spending time with my family, including my ten grandchildren. I don’t know how life could be any better.
- What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear for as long as I can remember is being asked to read out loud. I have dyslexia, which I really haven’t shared with too many people. That fear still has not gone away.
- Which living person do you most admire? My best friend Bobby. We’ve been through a lot together and are as close as ever.
- When and where were you happiest? The past 40 years have been the happiest of my life. And by the way, Elle and I have been married for 40 years.
- Which talent would you most like to have? I wish I could write like Tom Sullivan.
- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would like to be a better speller.
- What do you consider your greatest achievement? Finding success - my job, my family, my friends, my life.
- Where would you most like to live? Right now, right where I am.
- What is your most treasured possession? A small model of a cannon, about three inches long. It was my dad’s and he gave it to me. I have it on my desk and think of him every time I see it.
- What is your favorite occupation? Being a coach and PE teacher.
- What is your most marked characteristic? I’d like to think that it’s my ability to make people feel good about themselves.
- What do you most value in your friends? Trust.
- Who are your favorite writers? James Patterson and John Grisham
- Who are your heroes in real life? My parents and my mother and father-in-law
- What is your motto? NEVER GIVE UP!
December 2022
SHALLIN BUSCH '94
Alumnae Spotlight: Shallin Busch '94
A career in conservation wasn’t always on Shallin Busch ’94’s radar, but ultimately it was the perfect way to marry her interests and make a difference. Now the deputy director of the conservation biology division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal science agency, Shallin’s passions for science and policy have come together in a role that allows her to do research to inform policy decisions with major impact: think climate change.
Shallin’s love of science has been lifelong, and was encouraged at GA by working with Upper School science teacher Claire Gace. “Her AP Chemistry class sparked my interest in working in a lab and the fun challenge of understanding the natural world,” Shallin says. “Mrs. Gace was also such a vibrant, funny, and direct person, which I really appreciated. I was happy to reconnect with Mrs. Gace at the end of her life when we both lived in the Seattle area.” Shallin says Mrs. Gace was one of many impactful teachers and coaches, and shares, “GA gave me an excellent education and the confidence and leadership skills to take on ambitious efforts inside and outside of the classroom. GA also instilled in me the importance of community and the value of taking the time to care for and encourage your peers and people younger than you.”
From GA, Shallin went to Princeton University, where she studied ecology and evolutionary biology, and minored in environmental studies. “I really liked Princeton’s focus on independent work, and got involved with research for my undergrad thesis and another project on tiger conservation,” she shares. Shallin was busy during her time at Princeton. She also rowed crew as a freshman, taught science to local elementary school students, and was volunteer chair for her sorority, to name just a few of her activities!
Shallin spent two years after college working in a fellowship at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s Center for Tropical Forest Science. “This job was a great introduction to how to run a science organization and to working at the science-policy interface at an international level,” she shares. It was also an opportunity to connect with people in her field whose careers were already well established. From those colleagues and mentors, Shallin learned that to build a career as a scientist, she’d need a PhD to continue to grow. Her next stop was Seattle, where she pursued a PhD at the University of Washington’s Department of Zoology.
Shallin says she was lucky to have a supportive PhD advisor who was comfortable with her pursuing a line of research different from his own. “I conducted field research in Panama and Costa Rica, and partnered on lab experiments in Seattle with a fellow PhD student who already had a veterinary degree,” she recalls. “What I find fascinating about getting a PhD is how thousands of small actions taken over the years transform a student from being a consumer of knowledge created by others into being a producer of knowledge. During my PhD, I learned that relationships with other scientists is often the key to success in science.”
Doctorate in hand, Shallin’s next steps were unclear. She knew she wasn’t destined for a career in academia, though that’s the typical path for a PhD in her field. A postdoctoral fellowship brought her to NOAA, where she focused on salmon listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Shallin stayed with NOAA once the fellowship was over, but shifted gears. “I changed my focus to understanding how ocean acidification and climate change will impact ocean ecosystems. Working for NOAA allows me to do applied research with the explicit intent of informing policy and management and to engage in efforts that shape policies and management decisions related to ocean and coastal resources and conservation.” Shallin’s expertise and communication skills have opened up opportunities to influence policy at local to international levels. “For example,” she shares, “I have served on the US Delegation to meetings of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a congressionally mandated group that develops US federal strategy on ocean acidification, and the Washington State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. I really enjoy helping people make scientific knowledge actionable and catalyzing change that benefits society and the natural world.” In the long term, Shallin says, “I hope to continue to combine the skills I’ve learned in my career to help society address challenges related to climate change.”
Outside of work, Shallin keeps busy with her six-year-old son. “We have a lot of fun with family and friends on adventures large and small. At this stage of my life, focusing on work and raising a child is enough,” she says.
For students and alums interested in a path which may not be clearly defined, Shallin offers some words of wisdom, saying, “It is important to remember that there is not one correct path to a fulfilling career; rather, the aim is to find the path that is right for you. One thing that I emphasize with students and early-career people that I work with is that many people have challenges when building their career…. Points of strain in a career can create some of the best growth opportunities, and I think they should be discussed more. When mentoring others, I am open about the challenges I’ve faced in my career, as they have been important parts of my story and development.”
So what does a day in the life of a scientist look like? Here’s what Shallin says:
In my current position, most days are full of meetings and queries that I need to respond to. As such, I typically don’t have the luxury of setting each day’s agenda, as I did when I only focused on research. At the beginning of my career, most of my research was independent, and I found that I craved more interaction and less time working by myself. I started working more in teams, but largely in the lab. When I shifted my focus to include science policy work, I found that my primary duty became writing science papers and reports. Now, I spend most of my time helping other scientists develop their work, making budget execution decisions, and troubleshooting. I enjoy the interactive nature of my job, though now wish that I had more time for focused writing and hands-on work in the laboratory. Finding the right balance is hard!
November 2022
ANNIE WEINBERG '06
Alumnae Spotlight: Annie Weinberg '06
Annie Weinberg ’06 knew she wanted to play a part in making the world a better place. It took a brief stint in financial services after graduating from Middlebury for her to realize that education was where she would make her mark.
Now, Annie is the Founder and Head of School at Alexander Twilight Academy (ATA) in Boston. ATA is “a free, longitudinal catalyst program that provides hard-working, high-potential Boston-area students from under-resourced backgrounds with the highest quality educational and life-enriching opportunities.” ATA, which is named after the first Black American to graduate from college in the United States, is a middle school, admitting students in 5th grade, but is committed to serving them and their families as they apply into top ranked high schools, colleges, and begin their professional pursuits. The program is rigorous, running year-round, and Annie says, “We have taken best practices from all different types of educational institutions and brought them together to form one organization…ATA develops leaders who will change the world and empowers the next generation of great thinkers, creators, and changemakers to live meaningful lives of passion and purpose.”
The program was piloted in the summers of 2018 and 2019 with great success, closing achievement gaps in a matter of weeks. With students and families deeply invested in the program, ATA launched in the fall of 2020 in spite of the global pandemic, with a virtual program. “In addition to our academic achievement and growth data, I am most proud of the fact that our community had 100% attendance, every class period, every day. As an organization, we took the radical stance that in order to do justice to our students and families, we needed to run every day from 8 am- 4 pm with live classes and electives,” Annie shares. With a return to in person learning for the ’21-’22 school year, Annie says the outcomes were extraordinary, with 100% of students at or above grade level in ELA and Math. Annie also shared, “83% of our students scored at least one grade level above in ELA and 77% of students scored at least one grade level above in Math. Additionally, 35% of our students grew over two grade-levels in one school year.”
Annie’s passion for education was ignited when she was a student at Middlebury College, where she majored in American Studies, but took advantage of a wide array of class offerings. “While I did not know it at the time,” Annie shares, “One of the classes that was critical to me finding my calling was called ‘Education in America,’ which studied the structural and systemic inequities in the American education system.” Outside of her academic pursuits, Annie served on student government, was a peer writing tutor, and played varsity tennis, captaining the team in her senior year. She started her career in finance, but quickly pivoted to pursue her passion, and took a job teaching Global Studies in East Harlem. At the same time, she began working toward her Masters in Teaching Social Studies at Columbia University Teachers College, which she says, “provided me with the technical experience and pedagogical toolkit to be an effective educator.” Annie’s days were spent teaching 50 students per class for four to five class periods a day, and her evenings were spent on her own schooling. “On a daily basis both in East Harlem and later in Boston, I was both inspired by the greatest manifestations of hope — my students, their work ethic, and their potential — and disheartened by the most blatant realizations of inequity— a school system that continually fails low-income students of color,” she says.
Annie shares, “The greatest challenge to the work we do is fighting systemic and structural inequities that inhibit progress to access and equity.” From helping families to navigate standardized testing fee waivers to managing multiple application portals, to helping manage time constraints and language barriers, ATA provides their families the support they need, but Annie’s goals are far reaching. “I also want to have the ripple effect of what we are doing in Boston help to dismantle the systems and structures inhibiting students from accessing and succeeding in the places and spaces they deserve to be at— places and spaces that will only be enriched and enhanced by their presence at the table.”
Her GA experience continues to play an important role in Annie’s daily life. “Many of the habits of mind and skills that were nourished by my experience in the classroom at GA are core to Alexander Twilight Academy’s pedagogical model: critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity,” she says. Annie shares that it was teachers like Sharon Dietzel, Candace Barackman, Pat Carter, John Booth (at Brunswick), among many others, who helped nurture her ability to speak up and empowered her to challenge the status quo. “And Moe Tarrant, who never coached me, but still goes out of his way to text me on my birthday sixteen years post-graduation. Every child deserves a champion,” Annie says, “And I feel so lucky to have had so many champions at GA.”
Outside of ATA, Annie is mom to a one year old daughter, Sidney, and wife to husband Carl. The sports lovers also have two dogs, Kevin Garnett and Deion Sanders. “We love the Boston Celtics, but I will never abandon my New York Giants roots for fear of being disowned by my family,” Annie jokes. “Spending time outside and getting exercise are two things that allow me to refuel and I am a big believer in the power of a delicious meal.”
Annie’s Words of Wisdom for Students and Alumnae:
As you dream of your future college and career opportunities, whether in education or in a completely different career, remember that, despite what others may tell you, no one has it completely figured out. Keep a flexible mindset and be tenacious in pursuit of all you imagine for your future. No path is linear, so deeply invest in the journey and seek out a group of mentors and friends who will be willing to guide and support you along the way. Always follow your heart and realize that your uniqueness is your superpower.