#1 — What brought you to Emma Willard School?

I came to visit Emma Willard after meeting with our former head of advancement, who was in Chicago to visit an EW alumna. She invited me to consider coming to EW to be part of the Advancement Team as a director of major gifts in the Midwest and West. After leading a hospital foundation in Kansas City, I wanted to get back to supporting education and being in a school community, which I had done previously at the university level. 

On my visit to Mount Ida, I was lucky enough to receive an in-depth tour of campus led by a student who researched the architecture of the school and wrote a book for her Signature project. I also observed two classes (history and English), and heard the orchestra practicing. I shared lunch with students and met faculty members and the head of school. By the end of the day, I was excited to join this wonderful community—I loved the mission of Emma Willard, the magnificent campus, and the feel of the entire school.
 

#2 — What is a typical day in the life at Emma like for you?

The fun thing about working in Advancement is that there isn’t a typical day. On some days, I’m traveling across the country to meet with donors to discuss their interests in philanthropy and supporting the school. On other days, I’m meeting with faculty and senior administration to discuss the needs on campus. I’m fortunate to work collaboratively with members of the Advancement Team, the senior Admin Team, faculty, and other staff members. My role also involves a good deal of travel to support our head of school in outreach to key alumnae and donors to the school. When I’m in the office, I work on budgets, goal setting, proposal writing, and event planning. 

#3 — What is one thing about working at Emma that would surprise people?

When I tell people about Emma Willard, they are often surprised to learn that alumnae of the school are so close to each other and so supportive of the school. For many people who did not have this experience in high school, college is when they were able to find their voice and make life-long friends. But for so many Emma Willard students, that happens here first. It is a life-long connection to the school; I feel very fortunate to learn the stories from these dedicated alumnae of the transformations they experienced as young teenagers and to witness some of those momentous moments for our students here on campus.

#4 — What were you like in high school?

I was a focused and diligent student, and while I enjoyed the academic studies, I excelled in the arts. I played violin in orchestra as first chair, played in a string quartet, studied piano, was editor of the yearbook, and was involved in school theatre productions. I was also fortunate to have a small group of serious, close friends who were as active and involved in school life as I was.