Meet The Girls

atlanta girls’ school

Meet Us

Portraits of Confidence, Accomplishment & Leadership

have a strong sense of who I am.

I pursue my passions.

I am confident.

I use my full potential and work hard whenever I am tested.

I understand and appreciate my place in the

I solve problems.

I respect, value and engage in a diverse community.

students are active in fine arts programs.

Hannah

Vanessa

AGS ‘11 • New York University ‘15

AGS ‘13

“We often say that young people must not let themselves be infected by the cynicism of their elders. [At 14] Hannah inoculated her

“I chose AGS because I wanted a school that was tailored to me. I wanted to be a member of a community that encouraged leadership and

family with the vision to dream a different world and the courage to help create it.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

creativity. I value the AGS faculty because I know they are here to help and I can rely on them for academic as well as extra curricular support.

From my first day at AGS, I’ve always felt welcomed, appreciated, and it has become my second home.“

While at AGS, Hannah led her family to sell their home, move into one worth half as much and use the difference to help a village in Ghana. She wrote a book with her father about the experience, The Power of Half . She did all of this while remaining a leader at AGS as

Vanessa received the 2011 Girl Achievement Award as the top scout in the Girl Scouts Greater Atlanta Council for her outstanding character

a member of the Circle of Sisters, co-captain of Varsity volleyball and co-founder of the school’s Hunger Week. Hannah is the recipient

and leadership in Girl Scouts and in her own life. As a CARE volunteer she has traveled to Ecuador, in addition to multiple visits to Costa Rica

of numerous awards including Glamour’s Amazing Young Women for 2010 and serves on the board of the UN Foundation’s Girl Up

where she worked to restore the biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula and helped high school students with conversational English. Fluent in

program. Hannah and The Power of Half have been featured in The New York Times, on CBS Sunday Morning, and in People and Oprah.

Spanish, Vanessa also has a passion for French and looks forward to continuing her language studies at the college level. She is a member of the Atlanta Ballet and was accepted to the highly competitive Milwaukee Ballet’s Summer Intensive Program in 2012.

Brittany

Ginny

AGS ‘07 • University of Virginia ‘11

AGS ‘08 • Princeton University ‘12

“I was supported in stretching beyond my comfort zone while at AGS. I left high school knowing that I wanted to study the architectural side

“Ginny had not participated much in organized sports before AGS. She joined the JV volleyball team her freshman year and played through senior year. She also played basketball, joined the Varsity track and field team, and managed the Varsity soccer team. Because of these experiences, she now views herself as an athlete for life. Coaches at AGS encourage girls to try something new. Even those who are not the best players feel valued and learn the life lessons of teamwork and dedication.” – Coach Catherine Stansbury, AGS Athletic Director

of urban and environmental planning. I was encouraged at AGS to fill my free blocks in my junior and senior years with additional science and math classes so that I would have a solid start as I began class at UVA in this very focused major.”

Brittany graduated UVA as a Jerome Holland Scholar. She majored in Urban and Environmental Planning, with a minor in Architecture and a concentration in Environmental Science. She is now a Management Development Associate for McMaster-Carr in Atlanta. At AGS, Brittany served as the head of Circle of Sisters twice, the Varsity basketball captain for two years, and a Student Ambassador for five years.

An Art History major with a focus on Architecture and Urban Studies at Princeton, Ginny also serves as a campus tour guide, a trip leader for the freshman orientation outdoor education program and participates in a number of extracurricular activities. In addition to the sports she played at AGS, Ginny was a founding student leader of Girl Talk, served on the Circle of Sisters, was a representative to Congressman John Lewis’ Youth Council, and was Valedictorian her senior year. Following college graduation, Ginny has been selected for a Princeton Project 55 Fellowship and will be working at The Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD.

their coed counterparts on the SAT by an According to the US Department of Education, single-sex education for girls yields superior academic accomplishment.

Isabella

Elizabeth

AGS ‘10 • Scripps College ‘14

AGS ‘11 • Georgia Institute of Technology ‘15

“Izzy graduated as part of a truly close sisterhood of friends who spent some really amazing years together. Izzy has grown to be self-

“I once wanted to sing solos so I could impress people. At AGS I learned that I wanted to perform with other people and that life was more

confident, with a true sense of service for its own sake. She is a scholar who loves ideas and learning. She is far ahead of her peers at other

meaningful when I wasn’t alone. I found my voice on my journey to graduation and shared it through a sport, on the piano, on stage and

schools in so many areas – her independence, her understanding of technology, and her confidence in writing and public speaking. The

off, and with my family and friends. I even taught younger students how to listen to their own voices through my Capstone Project. I will

choice to send Izzy to AGS will stand out as one of the best parenting decisions we ever made.“ – Steven, Isabella’s father

continue to share my voice in college and for the rest of my life.”

Isabella is studying at Scripps, one of the Claremont colleges, and is a Junior Fellow of the Scripps College Humanities Institute. She is

Elizabeth was named a National Merit Semi-Finalist while at AGS and had an A average that included not only top grades in English,

currently a foreign languages major, with a concentration in French, Spanish and Arabic. She graduated Co-Salutatorian of her class at AGS,

her academic passion, but grades that reach a “perfect” 100 in calculus and physics. As one of the top young vocalists in the country,

having scored an 800 on her verbal SAT. At AGS, Isabella was an AP Scholar, captain of the soccer team, an accomplished artist and a peer

she twice won top vocalist honors in the state. Elizabeth is in the Honors Program at Georgia Tech, majoring in computer science, and

mentor to younger AGS students.

interested in pursuing a career in software consulting. She is active on campus in the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, where she serves as Director of Philanthropy.

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traditional coed schools.

Daisy

Terranicia

AGS ‘12

AGS ‘09 • Bowdoin College ‘13

“For Ms. Hasty, the English language isn’t just a subject, but a refined craft. I think many people can be good teachers, but a true passion for

“Having graduated from AGS nearly three years ago, I continue to appreciate the skills gained and the lessons I learned during my time there.

I developed confidence as a student, leader, and an athlete. I learned the value of maintaining a supportive sisterhood and created lasting memories. Atlanta Girls’ School is truly a special place, and I will forever be grateful for all that I gained as an AGS student.”

learning, knowledge, and the subject is required in those great teachers who have the gift of bestowing their love of learning upon students.

This is what Ms. Hasty has done for me.“ Daisy is the third girl in her family to graduate from AGS. She was recognized as the 2012 STAR Student and is both an all-region basketball and soccer player. Active in student government and student leadership positions throughout the school, Daisy is the Earth Goddess – a spirit leader of the school and tradition at AGS – a Student Ambassador, and Girl Talk mentor. She was recently accepted to the University of Virginia and the honors program at the University of Texas.

Terranicia is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and an Africana Studies major at Bowdoin. In addition to being a top scholar at AGS, she was a member of the track & field team and an active volunteer. She also interned at Cool Girls, Inc., a teenage pregnancy prevention organization. At Bowdoin, Terranicia received the Preston Public Interest Grant, where she interned at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness for a summer. She also created a program entitled LINC, which works to develop a supportive community for underrepresented on campus. Under the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, she has conducted independent research that uses teenage pregnancy as a lens for understanding poverty in the United States. As a first-generation college student, Terranicia hopes to pursue a PhD in Sociology and go into academia.

Olivia

Faculty

AGS ‘12

Suzanne Coleman, Middle School Science Teacher

“She is not only a great volunteer, but a leader of volunteers. Olivia truly inspires and encourages others to participate. Her leadership of others leverages her time to enable greater change within our community. At AGS she has raised the commitment of students of all ages to service, at the same time mentoring kindness and good behavior on all fronts.” – Amy Conlee, AGS Internship Program Director

“I like teaching that science is an ongoing understanding through explanation and sharing through conversation. I love that the girls can see

Olivia was named 2011 “Teen Volunteer of the Year” by the National Association of Fundraising Professionals Atlanta Chapter. In addition to founding many service clubs at AGS, Olivia is a leader for Girl Talk and serves on their National Teen Advisory Board. She has served at the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, worked in the emergency room at Grady Hospital, and tutored at Friends of Refugees in Clarkston and the International Community School. Taking her service abroad, Olivia traveled to Ecuador and Kenya with the CARE Future Leaders Program. A member of the Varsity swimming and volleyball teams, Olivia also enjoys painting. She sees herself in the medical field working with children.

it is more than their understanding today, but that their understanding is contributing to tomorrow’s science. At AGS, we are empowering girls to go out and find their own answers and seek the truth beyond what a teacher tells them.”

A parent of a 2007 alumna, Suzanne Coleman has taught at AGS for 4 years – serving as the 7th and 8th grade dean, as well as a founding teacher of the SMART Girls Summer Camp. Educated herself at an all-girls’ high school and at women’s colleges, Ms. Coleman holds master’s degrees in both education and science. She has over 25 years of teaching experience, primarily at girls’ schools across the country.

Head

Faculty Melissa Bobeck, PhD, Upper School Science Teacher

Pinney Allen, Head of Atlanta Girls’ School

“I love teaching here, as I have the opportunity to see a girl through many different lenses. I may be a girl’s chemistry teacher, but I may also

“What we offer a student is confidence – confidence in herself as a scholar, as an athlete, as a performer, as a thinker, as a doer, as a writer, as a friend. More simply put, AGS makes our students confident as people, allowing them to be able to take action, not stymied by events or obstacles. Our girls do not know any better than to … fill in the blank.”

be her advisor, I may also be her coach, and I may also be her club sponsor. One of the things we really work to do here for girls is teach them how to be leaders – by giving them the skills, the knowledge, and the character to do just that. My goal is that during their time in my classroom, girls will grow as scientists and creative problem solvers. The world needs them. “ Melissa left her postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University to teach science because she discovered her true passion was education, specifically challenging students to think deeply, ask good questions, and solve problems using the scientific method. Now in her second year at AGS, she is the 9th and 10th grade dean, teaches upper school science - including AP Chemistry and AP Physics - and coaches middle school basketball. Melissa received her doctorate from the University of Michigan, her master’s degree in teaching from Emory University, and her bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University.

A 30-year leader in the Atlanta legal and business community, and a leader in the non-profit community on issues of education and women and girls, Pinney Allen joined the AGS community as Head of School in 2008. She graduated with an AB in economics, summa cum laude, from Harvard University and a JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters and 18 pets: 3 dogs, 4 cats, 3 goats, 1 parakeet, 2 chickens, 2 horses, 1 llama, 1 pig, and 1 miniature donkey.

Parent

Parent

Ann Mashburn, Entrepreneur

Tony Perez, AGS Director of Technology

“Atlanta Girls’ School is a big part of our lives. We have five daughters. Our oldest daughters graduated in 2008 and 2011. Two are currently

“AGS has embraced the philosophy that technology is an essential tool for educating tomorrow’s leaders. We want each girl to see her computer as a way of expressing herself. What she creates on her laptop is a reflection of who she is. What she puts on the Internet reflects her as well. Our mission at AGS is to safely and smartly help girls find their place in this new, technology-driven world – giving them more than an edge as they advance to college and the world beyond.”

attending, and one is waiting in the wings. I am so grateful to AGS because it has been an amazing experience for each of my daughters.

AGS has brilliantly sought out each girl’s strengths and built on them. I have daughters who shine academically... athletically... socially... on the humanitarian side – all with different learning styles. Each girl is recognized for her gifts and pushed to be her very best. My girls are in an environment that helps them feel empowered to take chances. Individual attention and open communication on all fronts make me feel certain that we all are in this together, with the same goal – excellence. This may look different for each of my girls – but I absolutely love that this school can SEE the difference.”

Originally trained as an actor, Tony Perez was smitten with technology and gadgets on his first day at work at the Sarasota French Film Festival when he was given a Mac IIe. In 1997, he opened the Atlanta office for Yahoo! and later founded two technology service companies.

At AGS since 2009, Mr. Perez has found his true “dream position,” where his passion for sharing technology’s creative and transformative qualities is combined with his desire to make a difference in the lives of the people around him. In addition to keeping AGS wired for success, Mr. Perez is an active mentor to the AGS Garden Club and proud parent, class of 2016.

Here you will find classrooms where girls drive their learning.

Teaching is purpose-built to empower girls to identify their passions, expand their intellectual horizons, and realize their dreams.

The incredible dedication of the faculty and staff at AGS stems from a true desire to see every girl happy and successful, not just academically, but in all aspects of a girl’s life.

- AGS Parent

From my experiences at AGS, I gained tenacity, flexibility, balance, confidence, optimism, and the list goes on. These attributes continue to benefit me at college and as the director of a non-profit children’s bilingual theatre company.

- Jordan, AGS ‘11, Bryn Mawr College ‘15

I teach in order to learn. I love to collaborate, and I find great opportunities for working with others in the art studio.

I believe that education is the most powerful tool for social change.

- Corinne Dedini, Academic Dean (BS, University of California, San Diego; Masters, Princeton Theological Seminary)

The girls at college who went to all-girls’ schools are more poised, intelligent, and confident.

I am grateful for all the help and guidance AGS provided for me.

I would not be as confident or successful in college as I am now.

- Kelsey, AGS ‘10, Elon University ‘14

I teach for the ‘a-ha’ moment, for that precious instant when a student suddenly understands a difficult concept, makes a connection with previous ideas, and sees the patterns within the bigger picture. I am here to foster intellectual curiosity.

- Gabi Frega, Science (BS, Emory University; M.Ed., Georgia State University)

- Jonathan Grainger, Art Department Chair (BFA, Georgia State University)

My family describes AGS simply; it is a leadership school for girls. The school offers countless opportunities for girls to lead and learn to take charge of their lives.

- AGS Parent

AGS is a place where every great thing about your daughter will be noticed and celebrated-where tolerance and acceptance are the order of the day.

- AGS Parent

In our own

I love sharing vital experiences with my students and helping them develop different perspectives on their world.”

- Melissa Hankinson, Science Teacher (BS, Ecology, The University of Georgia; MA, Secondary Science, Georgia State University)

Heritage. Innovation. Confidence.

3254 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 404.845.0900 atlantagirlsschool.org