Scholarship Breakfast

Good morning, and welcome. I am truly delighted to see you all here. Please continue enjoying your breakfast as we begin—this is a celebration, and we have a remarkable morning ahead.

We are especially honored to welcome back a shining example of the GA spirit, Dr. Oluchi Ihionu ’16. Oluchi embodies curiosity, grit, compassion, and ambition—the very qualities we strive to nurture in every GA student. In just a few moments, you’ll hear more about her journey, but I want to acknowledge what a joy it
is to have her with us today. Oluchi, welcome home.

Today, we gather to honor a core value of Greenwich Academy: ensuring that bright, determined young women have access to an extraordinary education, regardless of financial circumstance. Your belief in this mission—and your generous support—make that possible. To our loyal donors, foundations, and partners in this work: thank you. You are opening doors, expanding futures, and shaping the leaders our world needs.

Looking around this room, I see champions for Greenwich Academy. Many of you have stood with us year after year, investing not just in education, but in possibility—in girls becoming scholars, scientists, advocates, artists, athletes, and innovators who enrich every community they join. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and your faith in our girls.

And now, it is my pleasure to introduce someone who works tirelessly to ensure that every deserving student finds her place at GA. Kate Collins, our Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid, leads with remarkable dedication and heart. She and her team are currently in the midst of welcoming our next cohort of barrier-breaking young women (upholding the theme for this year!), and she will speak to the transformative impact financial aid has across our entire community.

Please join me in welcoming Kate.

Good morning! It is a pleasure to recognize and celebrate Greenwich Academy’s financial aid program. My name is Kate Briscoe Collins, and I am the Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid at GA. It is a great honor to serve as a steward of our school’s financial aid program.

Our admission Open House was three weeks ago and it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon filled with hundreds of enthusiastic visitors. The feedback from the day was resoundingly positive. At every turn, I heard comments like, “GA student ambassadors are just so poised and friendly!” and “I want my daughter to be as confident as the GA girls giving speeches” or “GA’s program offering is incredibly thoughtful and exciting - there is so much opportunity here for girls!” I was so proud that GA students receiving financial aid were present at literally every turn -
GA girls receiving financial aid sang with the Madrigals, GA
girls receiving financial aid served our school as Admission Ambassadors, GA girls receiving financial aid sat on student panels during the Open House - and so much more. It was
so affirming.

And while we were showing off and celebrating our beloved Greenwich Academy, multiple families asked me candid questions about financial aid. Folks were eager to know how it works and what costs could be covered. I feel so fortunate that my team and I can assure families that Greenwich Academy is committed to providing a well-funded, inclusive and equitable financial aid program. Having a strong foundation of resources allows for conversations during the admission process that can focus on merit, academic potential, and depth in character as the most important factors. GA is fortunate to offer a full range of financial aid packages for families who qualify–our program not only supports tuition, but can also cover transportation, textbook expenses, domestic and international travel, co-curricular opportunities, and so much more. Currently, twenty-three percent of our students fall under the financial aid umbrella, which includes need-based support as well as tuition-remission. Out of the 95 need-based recipients this school year, 22% are in the lower school, 24% are in the middle school, and 54% are in the upper school.

A highlight of the Open House for me this year was a thoughtful speech from a student I’ll call Suzie. Suzie is a lifer at GA - she has been here since PC and is now a senior! And she has received financial aid covering 80% or more of her annual tuition each year. As she was sharing her personal story with our guests during Open House, I was in awe of all of the opportunities Suzie has taken advantage of. She is currently a meaningful leader in GA’s student government, she is an Admission Ambassador, she is a tri-Varsity athlete, and she is taking multiple AP and honors classes in her final year at GA. Suzie is a GA girl through and through! And did I mention that Suzie also started a Financial Literacy Club in the Upper School with a friend? In her words, “although our resources currently consist of a Monopoly board, $5, and a dream, we’re making it work!” She has a wonderful sense of humor.

I’ll share a powerful snippet from her Open House speech: “This is my 14th year at GA and I feel so privileged to have grown up in such a wonderful place. In addition to its rigorous academics, GA also offers a variety of extracurriculars, has an outstanding and supportive group of teachers and faculty, and encouraging and wonderful students. All these factors combined create an environment where girls discover their strengths, their passions and find their voice.”

Suffice it to say that Suzie has taken full advantage of her GA experience and truly found her voice. And she’s not alone - I am excited for you to hear today from our esteemed alumnae speaker, Oluchi Ihionu, on the countless ways that she embraced GA. Oluchi, please know that you are part of a very special legacy that makes everyone at GA so proud!

The generosity of the community here today creates incredible opportunity and access for deserving GA girls. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your thoughtful stewardship that will further strengthen our programming to ensure that every girl has an inclusive, memorable, and life-changing experience at Greenwich Academy.

Next, I am pleased to introduce our Director of Advancement, Amy Rizzi.

Thank you so much, Kate. Good morning! We truly appreciate all of you being here with us today. Your unwavering support of GA—especially through our robust financial aid program—really changes the lives of so many GA girls. Today’s breakfast is a special opportunity to not only honor your generosity but also to celebrate the achievements of our amazing alumnae who have benefited from this impactful program. It is now my great pleasure to introduce our speaker, Oluchi Ihionu from the Class
of 2016.

You could say that Oluchi’s path to Greenwich Academy began with her parents’ decision to move from Nigeria to the United States to ensure more opportunities for their three children. Oluchi spent her elementary years in public school in New Rochelle. A student of great promise, Oluchi was selected to participate in the REACH Prep program, which not only introduced her family to Greenwich Academy but it also prepared her well for joining the GA community, which she did in Group VI.

Oluchi-I took a walk down memory lane connecting with a few of your teachers, and we’re so happy that so many of them are here today. Our faculty’s guidance and support are critical to the success of all of our GA students–thank you for the important role you play in their lives and thank you for being here today to celebrate such an esteemed GA alumna.

WOW, the accolades are MANY! Oluchi’s energy, dedication, talent, and enthusiasm really shone through in all aspects of her GA experience. Former Madrigals Director Beth Raaen called Oluchi the “quintessential Madrigal” and she was a terrific role model for others, whether it was captaining the tennis team, serving as a member of the Gospel Choir or tutoring chemistry students.

In the words of her Upper School Advisor Edwina Foster, “Oluchi welcomed each day with gusto. Approachable and diligent, Oluchi was firm in her sense of right and wrong. I loved being her advisor and working with such a great example of a GA girl. Oluchi consistently looked for ways to improve her performance, she approached her assignments with curiosity and a determination to succeed. Warm and kind, Oluchi is well-grounded with a good head on her shoulders, and she is wonderfully confident about her beliefs.”

Connie Blunden shared: “If you know Oluchi you know that she is an intellectual powerhouse. You probably also know she's an unstoppable force on the tennis court (and in the gym) and you might even know that she's a talented vocalist. If you were here during her Senior year, you may remember a sensational duet she sang during the Madrigals’ farewell assembly--performed in perfect harmony with her classmate Kate Connors. She's the only person I know who has a necklace pendant of a chemical compound and she's definitely the only doctor I will ever let operate on my eyes!”

After graduating from GA in 2016, Oluchi went on to study human physiology at Boston University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Four years later, she received her Doctorate of Medicine from BU, also earning magna cum laude status. Oluchi is now serving in her second year as an Ophthalmology Resident at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Oluchi’s hard work, enthusiasm, and humanitarian inclination and focus have been recognized numerous times throughout her journey–as an inductee in the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award–and just this past summer, as a recipient of the Teaching Star Award as part of her residency–to name just a few.

In addition to the mountains of research and publications Oluchi has completed, in her “free” time, she also volunteers to help others in a variety ways–giving back at every turn–whether serving as a student leader of the BUSM science teaching enrichment program, as a mentor for REACH Prep, as an intern at the Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx, or as a tutor for high school and college students–helping others, just as she did at GA.

Oluchi will reflect on the many lessons she learned during her time at GA and how those experiences have continued to guide and support her throughout her career. Oluchi, our gratitude is with you—you represent the very best of GA: out in the world, shining brightly and absolutely thriving. Thank you for joining us today…and thank you all once again for your dedicated support–your generosity is what makes a GA education possible for so many talented girls.

Without further ado, please join me in giving a warm welcome to Oluchi Ihionu…

I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you for the opportunity to speak with you today. When I received the invitation to speak at this year’s annual scholarship breakfast, I was ecstatic, and then I got a little nervous because I thought to myself,  “how am I going to describe how much Greenwich Academy has impacted my life in only a few minutes?” I could stand here and talk for days about what GA means to me, but I am on call tonight, so I have to get some sleep! Here is my story about how GA has shaped me into the woman I am today.

I remember stepping foot onto campus for the first time in 2009. At just 11 years old little did I know I was stepping onto the path that would forever change my life. I was excited, I was curious, and yes, I was very nervous, but as soon as I met my first advisor and Spanish teacher, Mrs. Dean, I knew everything would be OK. However, I did have my fair share of struggles in the beginning.  My classmates were one year ahead of me in Spanish and on my first Spanish test, I got a 60%; I was devastated. That was the first time I failed an exam, and I wondered if I was ever going to catch up. These worries began to fade as Mrs. Dean dedicated her after-school hours to review concepts and vocabulary with me. She was so invested in my success and believed in me more than I believed in myself. One week later, I retook the exam and got a 90%.

A few months later, I found myself chatting with Mrs. Dean after school. She said to me, “you know Oluchi, you started the year behind everyone else but now I can confidently say that you are one of the best students I’ve ever taught.” She made it clear how much potential I had and I knew then how much more I wanted to do at the next stop—upper school.

As some of you—or a lot of you—in this room may know, being a GA girl in the Upper school comes with a lot of challenges; evolving friendships, adjusting to having boys in the classroom, the path, and most importantly, the academic rigor. Looking back, I see now it was an immense opportunity for growth. I started to find my voice through courses like Ms. Blunden’s class in U.S. History with a focus on civil rights where we learned to critically analyze policies that shape how we view our government today and Mrs. Meyer’s English class where we read books by iconic authors such as Toni Morrison and Junot Diaz. I didn’t just find my voice through academics though. Being part of the Madrigals helped me discover my love for performing. Singing beautiful harmonies with my fellow GA classmates created memories I’ll always cherish. Whether in the classroom or on stage, my time in the upper school was filled with enjoyment for learning.

Before I knew it, I was finishing my final year at GA and preparing to go to college. I was worried about making new friends, navigating the campus, and how I would manage living away from home for the first time. Everyone was telling me how difficult college would be, especially for pre-med students. I was shocked to discover that in some ways college felt easier than my final years at GA—that academic rigor came in handy. I was fortunate to attend Boston University with my fellow advisee and close friend Daniella Lazarus, who was also on the pre-med track. She and I were in most of the same classes, and we were determined to stay on top of our game. When course syllabi were released, she and I would write down the dates of quizzes and exams in our planners. If there was an exam scheduled in three weeks, she and I would be ready to sit and take it in two weeks. Our friends would often ask us how we were always so prepared, and we would simply say, “that’s the GA way”. I hadn’t fully appreciated how much GA prepares young women for college until I saw my classmates struggle to adapt to college-level coursework. Time management and organization were new
skills for most, but these were skills that I learned in my early days at GA.

After what seemed like the shortest four years of my life, I graduated college and stayed at BU for medical school. I won’t lie to you and say medical school was easy, but it was fun. Fun is probably not how most would describe medical school, but I absolutely cherished every moment I had while there. It was the place where I could finally explore my love for the human body and learn all its complexities. Were there some days when I wanted to quit? Absolutely. But it was during those times where I would reflect on the lessons I learned at GA and tapped into the potential so many of my teachers saw in me. And after what seemed like endless hours of studying, late nights, and occasional tears, I graduated and was ready to start my residency training as a surgeon.

Residency has tested me in ways I never imagined — through sleepless nights, moments of self-doubt, and the emotional weight of caring for patients in their most vulnerable moments. It’s a journey marked by constant challenge, but also by incredible growth. What has kept me grounded through it all are the tools I first began building here at GA: the ability to think critically under pressure, to communicate with empathy, and to lead with integrity. GA taught me to ask hard questions, to never shy away from discomfort, and to believe that resilience is a muscle you strengthen with use. Those lessons became my foundation as I navigate the highs and lows of medical training, and they continue to guide me as I grow—not just as a physician, but as a person committed to serving others.

My love for medicine has led me to consider the rigorous path of pursuing dual fellowships in uveitis and neuro-ophthalmology. These are complex, highly specialized fields that sit at the intersection of medicine and ophthalmology, requiring close collaboration with many medical subspecialties. The road will undoubtedly be challenging—intellectually, emotionally, and logistically—but I feel prepared to take it on. And that is because GA has instilled in me a quiet confidence: the ability to face difficulty with grace, to persist without losing compassion, and to meet uncertainty not with fear, but with determination and poise. That confidence has become my compass, and it’s what drives me to better care for my patients.

None of this would have been possible without the education and mentorship I received at Greenwich Academy—and the incredible generosity of the donors who make that education accessible to girls and young women who look like me. Your support doesn’t just fund classrooms or programs; it cultivates confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose. GA shapes future leaders, thinkers, and changemakers—young women who go on to face some of the world’s toughest challenges with clarity, empathy, and strength. I am one of many whose dreams took root in that community, and every step I take—from the hospital floors to the fellowship programs ahead—is a reflection of what was planted here. And of course, I’d be remiss not to mention perhaps the most practical and enduring lesson GA taught me: never underestimate the power of a good planner. Thank you.