I
A LU M N A E / I
I
J OA N S H AW H E R M A N AWA R D FO R D I ST I N G U I S H E D S E RV I C E
An African Queen in Connecticut This teacher of students with special needs acts locally and globally
2017 RECEPIENT Read more about Brignoli at www.concordacademy. org/jsh-brignoli.
W
NOMINATIONS Do you know a CA graduate who embodies the school’s ideals of service and responsible citizenship? Nominations for the Joan Shaw Herman Distinguished Service Award are welcome at www. concordacademy.org/jsh.
40
She’s called a queen in West Africa, but the term doesn’t translate well. Lyn Burr Brignoli ’62 says it’s an honorific akin to being called a godmother. More than anything, Brignoli is grateful that her title has allowed her to belong to the Nanumba people in Bimbilla, in remote, predominantly Muslim northern Ghana. In this region of extreme poverty, where generations of girls have been denied schooling, Brignoli has been quietly working with community members for nearly two decades to sustain a girls’ education initiative. In the Elizabeth B. Hall Chapel during reunion in June, Brignoli was honored with the 2017 Joan Shaw Herman Distinguished Service Award for her sustained personal efforts on behalf of education both in her Connecticut community, as a volunteer teacher for children with Down syndrome and other special needs, and in Ghana. “Positive change flows from a human connection,” Brignoli said. “I know mothers of disabled children in Greenwich, Conn., where I live, and then I met a mother in Ghana. While they come from different cultures and live in very different worlds, I realized they understood each other. It was a spiritual experience. It shows that the human
C O N C O R D ACA D E M Y M AGA Z I N E
spirit goes beyond any religion, culture, or nation.” Her presentation in pictures for the CA community was memorable for the direct, personal connections she had made in Ghana, her respect for the culture and customs of her hosts, and her unassuming, tireless spirit. Offering a different model for providing aid to developing countries, Brignoli reminded her audience how, when following a local community’s lead, very little money can change many lives. We may ask ourselves whether it’s more important to act locally or globally. Brignoli’s work reminds us that we can do both, and that the connections we make to other cultures can deepen our impact everywhere. The Joan Shaw Herman Distinguished Service Award is the sole award bestowed at Concord Academy. Established in 1976, it honors Joan Shaw Herman ’46, who was paralyzed after contracting polio the summer after her graduation. Although confined to an iron lung, she worked constantly to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Each year during reunion, the Concord Academy Alumnae/i Association presents the award to a member of the CA community in recognition of service to others.
“While they come from different cultures and live in very different worlds, I realized they understood each other. It was a spiritual experience. It shows that the human spirit goes beyond any religion, culture, or nation.” LY N B U R R B R I G N O L I ’6 2
P H OTOS BY K R I ST I E G I L LO O LY