News

When May Van Norman began looking ahead to her sophomore year in high school, she and her parents, Clare and Linda, knew they wanted more than the limited musical offerings and academic opportunities available in their rural area. The daughter of two musicians and an accomplished French horn player herself, May was seeking a place where she could grow and thrive.

Our Fall 2025 campaign newsletter highlights giving inspired by the experiences of Emma Willard School alumnae. We look toward what's next as we wrap up the Infinite Horizon campaign. 

Through a documented bequest, Claudia and Roger established The Claudia G. Thompson Endowed Scholarship, and they will designate a gift to the Trudy E. Hall 16th Head of School Endowed Fund for Campus Preservation.

We asked Dr. Kate Viret ’83 to share her thoughts on why she stays connected to Emma Willard School. Hear from her in her own words.

Lydia and Doug Hart have established an endowed fund in honor of 16th Head of School Trudy E. Hall to provide annual support for the maintenance and upkeep of Emma Willard's iconic Mount Ida campus. The Harts are parents to C. Beckett Hart ’01, who attended Emma Willard during Trudy Hall's headship (1999–2016)—a time when Doug also served as a member of the Board of Trustees.

For many Emma Willard School faculty, Mount Ida is more than just a workplace—it's their home. The opportunity to live on campus helps faculty build relationships with boarding and day students that extend far beyond the classroom. Whether as coaches, club advisors, mentors, or role models, Emma Willard's on-campus residents are the heart of our community.