GPS Magazine | Winter 2015

Girls Preparatory School | Winter 2015

The GPS Entrepreneurial spirit

At L e a s t O n e

I know there is at least one girl at GPS now who is going to be the next Michelle Phan of IPSY or Kiah Williams of SIRUM or Sara Blakely of Spanx. And I am willing to bet there are many more than one within our current student body.

The history of our school is of women who were problem solvers and risk takers committed to social change. They bucked the educational constraints society was putting on women and did what was right without waiting for someone else to solve the problem.

Dr. Autumn A. Graves Head of School

This is a message that our young women need to hear. The message runs straight from our Founders through today’s GPS classrooms to this magazine’s theme of entrepreneurship. It’s a theme we hope will inspire our girls as they consider their futures.

You may notice a new look to the GPS magazine this issue.

New paper and new design aren’t the only changes we hope to make, however. The next change will require the ideas of GPS alumnae. The newly designed magazine needs a new name, and we hope you will send in some suggestions for the next issue and many thereafter. What do you think the name of the magazine should be? Send your suggestions to magazine@gps.edu or tweet your suggestion to @gpsbruisers and look for the summer issue that will feature the new name and the best ideas we receive.

A 2014 report sponsored by Price Waterhouse Coopers predicts an economic future that differs from what today’s traditional educational system supports. Most businesses will be categorized as either “integrators” or “specialists.” Integrators are large-scale companies that offer solutions to a wide range of consumer problems. Specialists are shortlived companies that provide a focused good or service that identifies and then resolves a problem. These entrepreneurs embody innovation, collaboration, and communication skills using data in a transparent decision-making process. They are a voice for change.

They take risks.

Within these pages are profiles of five alumnae and one current senior who fit the definition of entrepreneur. They are unconventional, bold, enthusiastic, and serious about their businesses, start-ups, and future ventures. Many other GPS alumnae across the United States are involved in start-ups and non-profits or bricks-and-mortar businesses. Others work from home as the CEO and only employee, and others have an idea for a business but just need some encouragement. The lessons learned from our featured entrepreneurs are surely ones that are familiar to them.

At the end of February, GPS is hosting a free entrepreneurship conference for girls and women. GPS is a perfect fit for this event, uniquely qualified to be a place to start discussions of women’s issues like entrepreneurship, and perhaps in later years, topics like personal finance, health and wellness, and volunteerism.

Through expert speakers, proven entrepreneurs, a marketplace of women-owned enterprises, and workshops on Saturday, Feb. 28, we hope to inspire women and girls to add their voices to the growth of women-owned businesses and learn the value of supporting each other.

We’ve named the conference “Mad, Bad & Dangerous” for all those women, like the school’s Founders, who ditch expectations, break ceilings, and do business. Sometimes being risky, unruly, and bold results in a success story, much like that of GPS.

GIRLS P R E PA R AT O RY SCHOOL

HEAD OF SCHOOL Dr. Autumn A. Graves Assistant Head, UPPER SCHOOL Principal Jessica Good Assistant Head Middle SCHOOL Principal Elaine Milazzo Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Thompson Director of Admission Debbie B. Young ’79 Director of Development & External Relations Christa Mannarino DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Bilda Small

Table of Contents

WINTER 2015 Vol 28, No. 1

GPS: The Magazine Girls Preparatory School

FEATURES 2

EDITORIAL STAFF GENERAL EDITOR Anne N. Exum Writers Kathleen Casey Anne N. Exum Katherine Giles ’96 Courtney Lankford ’01 Jordan McCarter ’96 Photographers Med Dement Anne N. Exum Debbie Glasscock Courtney Lankford ’01 Lifetouch Photography Lane Brown Park Gina Wells DESIGN Skrypton Communications

New Entrepreneurial Generation: A growing number of women, including GPS women, are starting their own businesses

6

Priya Boyington ’07

8

Anne Rushing ’03

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Faith McCormick ’99

14 Anjali Chandra ’15 16 Heather Scarbrough Ewalt ’02

31 Laura DuPre Sexton ’03

Inside Back Cover Mary Williams Wolf ’82 remembers her classmate Glynn D. Key ’82

DEPARTMENTS 20 Around School

COVER Head of School Dr. Autumn Graves encourages “her girls” to be the visionary entrepreneurs that the school’s founders were.

(Cover photo by Med Dement) Copyright © 2015 Girls Preparatory School.

All rights reserved.

Girls Preparatory School 205 Island Avenue | PO Box 4736 Chattanooga, TN 37405 Office 423-634-7600 gps.edu

24 Athletics 27

Alumnae News

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Births

36 Weddings Girls Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

By Kathleen Casey

For many years, the so-called “glass ceiling” has left many women frustrated and stymied in their careers, no matter how strong their skills or savvy their strategies.

Today, however, a growing number of women are finding that the best way past the glass ceiling is to fly out from under it completely, opening their own businesses and stepping into the role of entrepreneur.

This special issue of the GPS magazine explores this exciting new trend and features insight from several GPS graduates who have taken the entrepreneurial plunge.

The Economic Impact of Women-Owned Business

During World War II, Rosie the Riveter was an iconic symbol of a new woman’s role in the business world as an assembly line worker. Today’s “Rosie” is no longer content to be a cog in a large company machine. An influx of bright women with vision and confidence are starting their own businesses and creating new sources of revenue and employment.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

The 2013 State of WomenOwned Businesses Report provides a snapshot of the economic impact of womenowned businesses as of 2013: • Number of businesses | 8.6 million • Revenue | More than $1.3 trillion • Providing employment for nearly 7.8 million people • Percentage of all U.S. enterprises | 29%

level of risk aversion and are more likely to carefully consider the issues and problems a business may encounter. This new generation of women entrepreneurs also recognizes the importance of a strong foundation of education.

Today, some colleges and universities are offering MBA or business programs designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

GPS has kept pace with this trend as well, with a curriculum that ensures that every girl obtains the skills she needs to pursue her dream, from encouraging strong vision and creativity, to AP Computer Science and STEM training.

According to GPS Head of School Autumn Graves, curriculum is only a part of the strong offering that GPS provides for girls.

The Importance of Education

Years ago, entrepreneurship was primarily a man’s domain. As noted

by Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic in a Harvard Business Review entrepreneurial blog, many started businesses and were able to secure funding with nothing more than a heavy dose of confidence and an interesting idea.

Chamorro-Premuzic finds that this charisma-based business model is at least partly to blame for the resulting 15% success rate of those entrepreneurial startups.

Today, that paradigm is changing.

Not only are women breaking into the entrepreneurial world, ChamorroPremuzic notes that they bring a higher

“Perhaps the most important thing we offer at GPS is the space for a girl to develop her own voice and the self-confidence that comes from this important practice,” says Dr. Graves. “When you look at today’s Silicon Valley, where so many entrepreneurial ventures get their start, women are in the minority and have difficulty achieving leadership roles.

GPS graduates are equipped with the potential to turn that model upside down. Those skills also translate to success in any career or field of study.”

This new generation of women entrepreneurs also recognizes the importance of a strong foundation of education. Today, some colleges and universities are offering MBA or business programs designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

That voice equips women to deal in a male-dominated business world, whether at the helm of a company or competing for equal time in a corporate conference room.

– continued on page 4

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

GPS sixth grader Gabby Hartung ’21 poses as an updated “Rosie the Riveter” to illustrate a new generation that will confidently start new businesses and become a new generation – and gender – of entrepreneurs.

The Power of Mentoring

Research from the Kaufmann Foundation reveals that women entrepreneurs value encouragement and mentoring far more than their male counterparts, but many do not have those important resources available to them.

In fact, research by Ernst & Young shows that most women report not having positive female role models in the entrepreneurial world, with 60% of

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

women entrepreneurs lacking advisory boards to provide guidance.

Venture Capital: The Final Frontier

Dr. Graves points out that GPS alumnae have an important advantage.

Babson College has done extensive research on the challenges that confront women entrepreneurs. This research confirms anecdotal evidence that women have a much harder time obtaining venture capital for their businesses compared to their male counterparts.

“When a girl leaves GPS, she takes with her a network for life. She has sisters and mentors who are eager to support her in her success,” Dr. Graves explains.

“These relationships are essential in today’s professional world, whether in Silicon Valley or here in Chattanooga’s business community.”

According to the Babson study, although the amount of early-stage investment in companies with a woman on the

executive team has tripled in the last 15 years, this amounts to only 15% of the share of all venture capital invested.

Greater funding opportunities for women are available from the Small Business Administration.

In Chattanooga, a new venture capital start-up supports female entrepreneurs and encourages women to invest in women.

“While there has been progress made, clearly venture capitalists are leaving a lot on the table by not seeking out and being more open to funding women entrepreneurs,” notes Babson President Kerry Healey in a press statement on the research. “Closing the gender gap and providing greater funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs not only makes good financial sense for venture capital firms, it also will drive new economic growth and spur innovation.”

Because women-run businesses are considered an important part of economic development in the U.S, the federal government is now offering resources to help more women secure the funding they need. The Small Business Administration has devoted a website to the cause, offering advice, links to women investors who are interested in investing in women-run startups, and a host of other resources.

The resource is available at www.sba.gov/ content/womens-business-resources.

In 2013, seven Chattanooga women leaders, including Betsy Blunt Brown ’92, announced a new venture capital start-up, the JumpFund, to support female entrepreneurs. The founders of JumpFund set their sights on encouraging “women to invest in women” and elevate the role of women in business. The female leaders have already provided capital to create opportunities for women in Chattanooga and the Southeast. Their vision is “to establish the Southeast as the nation’s best place for a woman to invest in or start a business.”

A Summit of Support

In February, GPS steps into the arena of entrepreneurship, and like its Founders, seeks to play a viable role in creating opportunities for women.

On the GPS campus, hundreds of ambitious and hopeful women will convene to learn more about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

In partnership with local experts, business leaders, and established entrepreneurs, GPS will extend its classrooms to facilitate learning, hands-on practice, mentoring, and information sharing. The Summit is bold and inspirational. Its title speaks to the energy, perseverance, and attitude it takes for women to succeed as entrepreneurs – Mad, Bad & Dangerous – Ditch Expectations.

Start Something.

“When I look around our school, I see so much promise, so much intelligence, so much creativity, and so much passion,” Dr. Graves says with excitement. “Our girls are clearly primed for greatness. Our entrepreneurial summit will go a step further in equipping girls and women, from GPS and the greater community, to succeed at starting new businesses by connecting them with resources from Chattanooga’s Gig City. They’ll see what’s possible and that others are ready to stand beside them in their business journey.

“GPS girls have been making a mark on the world for many years,” Dr. Graves concludes. “With the added resource of a regional Summit to further support their dreams, just imagine how far they can take their ideas. It will be so gratifying to sit back and watch how they soar.” n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

Favorite GPS class Terpsichord Where she would start a company San Francisco, because it’s a great test market.

Best advice ever received Always have zero emails in my inbox. I’ve been doing it for years now and I think it makes me a more responsive and happier person.

What she’s learned from Her parents I know how much hard work and dedication goes into starting a company.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Growing up

Entrepren

By Kathleen Casey

Priya Boyington ’07 will never forget the eighth grade student at the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy who approached her after a speaking engagement at the school.

“I never thought an engineer would look like you!” the student said.

Priya is the daughter of two software entrepreneurs and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania following her work at an entrepreneurial company in California and plans to follow her own entrepreneurial path.

The confident GPS alumna with a quick wit and warm smile is a living, breathing role model for girls who want to challenge the belief that only men and geeks are interested in engineering.

Priya credits her education at GPS for the building blocks she needed to follow that path, from computer science classes to the school’s high expectations for students. “GPS taught me to persevere, to put in the work, and to have a passionate belief that you can change the world,” Priya says. “That passion pushes me forward every day.

“GPS also taught me to be willing to ask for help.

That’s important for entrepreneurs,” she adds.

“If you don’t know something, you need to find someone who does and then be willing to do the same for others.”

Her advice to girls following the entrepreneurial path? “You need to be able to analyze a situation and make decisions quickly. There are so many facets to business that you learn on your feet,” she says. “It’s important to pick the right people to work with. You need to surround yourself with good people who balance out your skill set.”

What about the element of risk?

Eur

“You have to be willing to take some risk, but it helps to have a passion and belief in yourself, the belief that ‘you can do this!’ ” Priya says. “You need to make calculated risks and grow a business sustainably to make sure it doesn’t blow up.”

Reflecting on her childhood, she says, “Starting a business never seemed risky to me because my parents were so successful at it. I grew up in that space, but I am learning a lot about risk now in the MBA program.”

Girl Power

While Priya sees her GPS education as an important foundation, she gained valuable on-the-job training as well. Before entering the MBA program, she worked as a senior associate consultant with Bain & Company and as an extern for GoldieBlox, a California start-up that creates toys that make basic engineering fun for young girls.

“At GoldieBlox, I learned the value of having a passionate fan base so that your business can grow via social media,” Priya says. “If you deliver great customer service, customers will help you along the way.”

Last year Priya watched that fan base propel GoldieBlox into a contest win for a Super Bowl commercial, a victory over 15,000 companies competing for that time slot.

Priya is a living, breathing role model for girls who want to challenge the belief that only men and geeks are interested in engineering.

“Intuit asked the public to vote for the winners,” she recalls. “First, the public voted for the top 20, then the top 4, and then the top one. And this year the success continued with GoldieBlox having a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

When Priya graduates from Wharton, she wants to work for a start-up company and one day run her own. She also hopes to continue to inspire young girls who wonder if they could be engineers or entrepreneurs, and to let them know that, yes, they can find success in these male-dominated fields. n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

When glass artist-turned-entrepreneur Anne Rushing ’03 reminisces about GPS, her stroll down memory lane feels more like a marathon.

“I was insanely overinvolved. I was editor of the yearbook, co-editor of River Review, I ran tech for the musicals. I was in Select Ensemble and Candlelight Chorus and the glee club and the handbells and the science club.

I did way too much. I didn’t sleep very much. But I loved it! I wanted to do everything that I had the chance to do.” A Renaissance woman, if you will?

“More like jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” she laughs.

At Centre, Anne double majored in history and art, traveling abroad her sophomore year to study at England’s University of Reading. When she returned stateside, she enrolled in her first glassblowing course and was hooked. “With glassblowing there’s so much going on that you can’t get distracted or bored; it really holds your attention, so it’s perfect for someone [like me] with ADD because you’re sitting there thinking ‘what’s the

Making Art Accessible

By Katherine Giles ’96

Anne Rushing, lower right, surrounds herself with women on her Pop Up! Scotland team who know how to have fun.

At GPS, Anne’s demanding academic schedule left little room for Hard work, an adventurous art classes. Instead, she nurtured spirit, and a willingness her creative instincts on her own time (“because you can’t really to ask for favors are do AP calculus on your own”) and volunteered at the Hunter all characteristics Art Museum’s summer camps. that led to Anne’s There she met Tommy Spake, a local glassblower who steered entrepreneurial success. her toward Centre College in temperature of this right now, do I Kentucky. As fate would have need to be heating right now, where are it, Centre’s admissions counselor was my tools...’ You’re thinking all of these GPS grad Susan Hawkins Johnston ’78, whom Anne credits with helping her find her place in the college world.

– continued on page 10 No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

Take advantage of free and low-cost resources offered through your local government, university, or non-profits.

Find the right people to work with and learn the difference between a friend and a business partner.

Pay a lawyer to draw up the paperwork required to protect your intellectual property, your trademarks, and anything else you can’t afford to lose.

different things and looking at the piece you’re working on and thinking about your movements because you have to be aware of other people in the studio.

It’s almost like a dance.”

Graduation brought Anne home to Chattanooga, where the former sorority treasurer worked for three years as a bookkeeper for area businesses, honing her glass skills in her off-hours. Accepted to Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts, she changed course when a phone call from acclaimed artist Stephen Powell, head of Centre’s glass department, drew her back to Kentucky for an intensive graduate assistantship. Just one year later, after a whirlwind admissions process, Anne packed her bags and headed back across the pond to pursue a master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh’s glass program. Unlike the Italian-influenced American glass tradition, which is “extremely technically precise, but a little over the top,” Anne was drawn to the “subtle, simple, more refined” Scandinavian tradition taught in Scotland.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Words of wisdom from Anne Rushing ’03

The seed for Anne’s future business was In 2014, Anne was one of four awarded planted during her second year of grad an entrepreneur-in-residence position school. “We had to put together a onethrough Launch.ed, complete with a day event, a case study of something salary that allowed her to give up her that related to our practice [but was] an part-time job at an Edinburgh cheese area that we might need work on. And shop (“The staff discount was killer.

I realized that as much as I knew about So delicious!”) and devote herself making glass, I didn’t know much about full-time to Pop Up! Scotland. Soon after, the fledgling organization won the exhibition process.” She decided to the inaugural Social Enterprise Award create a pop-up gallery, but in a public in the Converge Challenge, Scotland’s place: a glasshouse at the Royal Botanic premiere business competition, netting Garden in Edinburgh. Her hard work, 7,500 pounds to fund its programs. adventurous spirit, and a willingness to ask for favors –“it’s amazing how often Of course, there have been hard lessons people say yes when you ask them” – along the way. “I’m a person who wants helped to make the event such a success that the RBGE invited her to “Thinking that I can go for stage a month-long exhibition for that summer’s things comes from being at Edinburgh Festival.

GPS and having really great

Suddenly what began as a class project had transformed teachers who let us be a little into something more. With bit weird and crazy and help from the university’s Launch.ed program, Anne supported our individuality.” drafted a business plan and set about planning the festival exhibition, all the while finalizing to make everyone happy all the time. her MFA and its accompanying degree I’ve had to realize: Everyone is not show. “I don’t know why I thought it going to like you, you’re not going to would be a good idea to start a business get along with everyone, and that’s while I was finishing a degree. Luckily, going to be hard to handle, but I’m it all worked out…though once again I learning.” And though juggling a didn’t sleep very much!” growing business with her glasswork The result was Pop Up! Scotland, a is difficult, this Renaissance woman not-for-profit venture dedicated to credits her supportive family and her “bringing art to unexpected places.” By GPS foundation with much of her hosting exhibits in public venues such success. “How to deal with people as shopping malls, pubs, and parks, and a lot of being independent and as well as in rural communities, the thinking that I can go for things organization seeks to combat cultural comes from being at GPS and having poverty by making art accessible, proreally great teachers who let us be viding artists with larger audiences, and a little bit weird and crazy and supsparking creative inspiration. ported our individuality.”

What’s next for Anne?

Planning a film festival held at the University of Edinburgh and in pubs around the city… and transforming Pop Up! Scotland’s early triumphs into a regular salary! Until then, she offers this advice to budding entrepreneurs: “Go for it! I’m not saying quit your job and just do that [one thing] all the time, but you have to realize it’s not going to happen if you just spend an hour here, five minutes there.” Yes, failure is possible. But it’s not the end of the world. “If you go for something and you fail – even if you fail hard – you’re not going to starve to death.

You may lose your savings, you may have to move in with a friend or your parents for a month or so, you may have to take a job you don’t really want to build back up your savings. But at least you can say, ‘I made a go of it and it didn’t work out and I don’t regret that.’” n

“My maternal grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life,” says Anne. “She was very supportive and showed me how to be independent. She passed away while I was in Scotland, so my degree show sculpture, fragile crystalline boats representing vessels of memory, was very much my dealing with the grief of losing her.”

about the author Katherine Giles ’96 College and degree University of Georgia ’00 B.A. English literature Favorite book “I read books for a living. I cannot possibly answer this question.”

GPS in four words or less “My launch pad.”

If you could start a business, what would it be?

“A perfumer who could bottle the scent of books.”

Anne “schmoozes” at the opening of “To the Nth Degree,” a shopping mall exhibition of photography, textiles, video, sculpture, painting, printmaking, jewelry, and glass.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding Faith McCormick ’99 stands before a brand she designed for an investment company in NYC.

At GPS, Faith learned from the faculty to “love what you do for a living.”

What has spurred her success has been capitalizing on relationships and converting her connections into clients.

Designing Her Own Brand

By Jordan McCarter ’96

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

about the author Jordan McCarter ’96 Academic Pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration Favorite book The Picture of Dorian Gray GPS in four words or less A toss up between “We love, extol thee” and “I can diagram this.”

If you could start a business, what would it be?

“A consulting firm to advise families on letting their children navigate college life without being a helicopter parent.”

It sounds strange to say that a marketing professional could run a successful start-up without marketing her own business, but that is what Faith McCormick ’99 has done.

After building a career in advertising, graphic design, and marketing in New York City, she took a leap of, well, Faith, and began her own design and branding agency, Future Perfect. As founder and creative director, she works with a variety of clients to craft their brand through graphic design, print materials, websites, and more. She credits much of her own company’s success, however, not to marketing, but to word of mouth and maintaining relationships.

From Connections to Clients

What was once a “pie in the sky idea” of starting her own design business, Faith says, became a reality in 2011 after leaving a job in which she was unfulfilled. The timing was right for Faith to convert her connections into clients. As an entrepreneur, what has spurred her success has been not just business sense, but capitalizing on relationships she built throughout her early career.

Striking out on her own, Faith didn’t have big-time investors or a set roster of clients. Rather, she leveraged connections from previous jobs and through her extensive freelance work.

“In trading, they say ABC – Always Be Closing; in this business, it’s always be networking,” Faith says. She encourages women to take advantage of mentorship opportunities, connections formed at GPS, and any networking events available. A key component of future success, says Faith, is to genuinely engage with people about what they do. Try not to burn bridges, she advises, because

“you never know which person may pick up the phone to become the next big client.”

which have come in handy for what Faith describes as the “learning process” of running a business.

Of course, Faith’s success isn’t just due to word of mouth, but also to an impressive résumé that she has cultivated in the design and marketing industry. From an internship with Martha Stewart Living to professional jobs in Manhattan advertising agencies to serving as director of marketing for a men’s clothing company, Faith has built a portfolio that has served her well in starting her own business.

The collaborative atmosphere of GPS has also helped her in her career. Faith has found that women in business think not just about “how do we use networking and leverage connections,” but also “how can we be much more inclusive and collaborative.” Faith focuses on giving clients a voice to express what they want for their business.

With an undergraduate degree in media studies from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in art direction from the prestigious Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University, Faith has the academic background to match her career goals. Her talent speaks in some of her designs found on her company’s website futureperfect.is.

The GPS Influence

Traits that have made her successful are evident in what Faith says she loved about GPS, where she felt empowered and girls “had space for self-expression.” Senior English teacher Todd Wells encouraged students to stand up for themselves, which she says was “great preparation for starting a business.” History teacher Linda Mines’ dedication to teaching helped instill the importance of loving what you do for a living. “Everyone at GPS had a love of learning and was taught to think in broader ways,” she says, characteristics

At the same time, Faith argues that it is important for women to know when to say no. “Women in business may be more likely to be taken advantage of,” she says with a cautionary tone, “so it is especially vital for women to recognize their own value and be able to stand up for themselves.”

Because she has built such strong relationships over time, Faith has been able to weather moments of fear and stick to her principles. Her clients have responded positively to her unique vision, her passion for her work, and the fact that she values building relationships. “Working directly with clients and taking their ideas from beginning to end” are keys to her enjoyment as an entrepreneur, she says.

True to form, Faith says she’s open to giving advice and talking to others about working in design and marketing or starting a business. After all, that would just be another important connection to make. n

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

Some entrepreneurs in the start-up world address health issues; some focus on technology; others concentrate on educational ideas and apps.

GPS senior Anjali Chandra combined all three.

Anjali is no stranger to dreaming up innovative ways for learning, nor is she a novice at receiving grants for her ideas.

Anjali heard last year about a competition by Mozilla’s Gigabit Community Fund to provide grants and resources for innovators exploring the use of next-generation gigabit technologies in two cities, Kansas City and Chattanooga. The Fund identified those two cities as “the leading gigabit economies in the US” and “living labs for experimentation and development…” Anjali’s idea, one of the projects ultimately chosen, was GigBridge, a project intended to bridge linguistic

Anjali is no stranger to dreaming up innovative ways for learning, nor is she a novice at receiving grants for her ideas. As one who sees herself as more of a social entrepreneur, at age 11 she started Global Excel, a successful graphic design program shared with students at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA).

divides and improve health literacy in underserved populations through App development.

her research. In her Gigabit proposal, she noted data from the National Assessment of Education Progress showing that Hispanic students perform two whole grade levels behind their peers, with language barriers playing a critical role. Hispanic adolescents are also 1.5 times more likely to be obese than their Caucasian peers.

Like any entrepreneur should, Anjali submitted with her proposal a budget for expenses like supplies, web cams, and mentor stipends. She also did

Building Bridges

By Anne N. Exum

Students learned skills that can turn into jobs and are now ambassadors of health in their community.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

The Mozilla GigaBit Fund is coordinated by Lindsey Frost ’05, but the choice to fund Anjali’s idea was made

by Mozilla, not by another GPS alumna!

Although best known as a popular web browser, Mozilla is defined by Lindsey as “a global non-profit dedicated to promoting openness, innovation, and opportunity on the Web.” As Mozilla’s Community Catalyst, Lindsey says that the thing she does best is “advocate for others; I learned that at GPS, especially how to be friends with and support other women!”

GigBridge, her answer to that cultural problem, was a seven-week pilot program that leveraged Chattanooga’s fiber optic capabilities to introduce Hispanic youth to mobile technology, bolster English language and Web literacy skills, and improve access to health education in minority communities.

Teams of students from CGLA and East Lake Academy met after school with Anjali and volunteer mentors to learn ways to prevent or reduce obesity.

Local health professionals from the UT College of Medicine and Health Department answered questions at one session and even gave the participants ideas for future careers in the health field; workshops on technology provided tools. Then the youthful participants developed individual mobile apps in their native language and received help translating the apps into English.

Every entrepreneur knows the importance of a support network, and Anjali developed an impressive team to teach the students. One of the mentors gave a workshop on how to create a PowerPoint presentation, and the students, working on their own slides, used Google tools beyond the familiar Gmail

and Google Docs. Mentors from IT departments at TVA and UTC, GPS computer science teacher Jill Pala ’97, student volunteers, and Hispanic language translators, including GPS Spanish teachers Brad Akers and Marissia Tiller, assisted the students in using a fun, non-coding based software known as Appy Pie to develop their applications. Student volunteers from GPS included Patricia Royo ’15, Hira Munir ’15, Jen Andrews ’16, and Hannah Faith Greene ’16.

science – STEM fields – “is an educational benefit.” Beyond learning the technical skills, they are also, she says, “becoming ambassadors of health in their community.” Anjali hopes to be a public health professional after college and continue to use unique and effective methods and bridge-building to address health needs and unequal access to health education.

“It was exciting to see the students realize they have the tools to make their own app,” says Alli Crumley, GigBridge’s Project Coordinator. “It really opens up possibilities to them.”

At the end of the program, six teams of students presented their Apps to a GigBridge panel, and two students from CGLA were announced as the winners of the first competition. The winning team received a cash stipend for uploading their App to Android or Apple stores.

Students from CGLA and East Lake Academy “learned skills that can turn into jobs,” says Anjali, adding that the additional exposure to engineering,

“The winning team, and all of the participants of GigBridge, are entrepreneurs!” says Anjali, quite an impressive one herself. n

In order to receive funding, projects like Anjali’s had to do three things: • Integrate with a local organization’s service offerings.

• Have a measurable impact on constituents in their city.

• Demonstrate how emerging gigabit technologies are relevant in people’s everyday lives.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

“Where there’s a Cause, “It doesn’t have to be a perfect idea; just get started.”

When Heather Scarbrough Ewalt ’02 was a GPS senior, she became the president of the Robin Hood fundraiser. Her family had fostered a love of service, and with Robin Hood she got her first understanding of the power of fundraising.

According to Heather, it was amazing to see “how that many girls could raise that much money in such a short amount of time. Getting to see all the [non-profit] organizations impacted from that one week was really exciting to me.”

What Heather Scarbrough Ewalt ’02 has discovered as a co-founder of Causeway: • You’ll wear many hats: manager, accountant, marketing professional.

• You’ll have to think on your feet even if you’re not standing.

• You may have to stay employed in one steady job while starting a new one.

• The direction of the company will be affected by YOUR ideas.

With a degree in journalism from UTK and a master’s from UNC in public administration, Heather began a career in politics, working for Senators Elizabeth Dole, Bill Frist, and Bob Corker in Washington, DC. However, entrepreneurship soon found her. One of her two younger brothers, Andrew, was involved in co-founding Delegator, a web design and development company. Andrew and Steven Culp, wellknown Chattanooga entrepreneur and founder of Smart Furniture, were in the process of getting Delegator off the ground while Heather was working in D.C. and completing her master’s program.

She says, “Just hearing [Andrew] talk piqued my interest, and when I started having different frustrations with either my job or just how the federal government worked, it was interesting to hear how quickly he was moving and doing things.” In politics, she says, “there were a lot of unspoken rules of how things worked, and things didn’t change very often or quickly. If you had an idea for something, you might never see that come to fruition.”

Soon after, her husband Ryan was hired by Volkswagen, and Heather had to decide between staying on the government track, albeit in a smaller city, or switching gears completely. Exciting developments were happening with Delegator, and Heather decided to join their then-small team.

She became a co-founder of Causeway when she heard Steven Culp talk about a business idea he had in the 90s. The Causeway idea was to create one place online where Chattanoogans could rally around – continued on page 18

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

there’s a Way”

By Courtney Lankford ’01

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

17

GPS entrepreneurs – emerging, striving, succeeding

“We talk a lot about how Chattanooga is our business, and as citizens we should approach it that way.

If you see a need, let’s do something about it. Everyone has something to contribute.”

about the author Courtney Lankford ’01 College Major English Literature Favorite Movie Charade GPS in four words or less “Amazing opportunities.”

If you could start a business, what would it be?

“A bookstore.”

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

causes about which they cared. Heather and her team helped flesh out the details of Causeway while working full time at Delegator. Speaking about the first stages of planning, she says, “It didn’t have to be a perfect idea; we just needed to get started and pivot as we went along. See what worked, see what didn’t work, and be transparent in our failures and successes so that the community could learn with us and we could learn from the community.”

A physical presence in the community could come later. Website design and development were what Delegator’s team knew best, and they put those skills to use building an online platform. Initially, Heather and her co-founders managed Causeway in addition to their full-time jobs.

“Delegator has a deep commitment to community involvement, giving its employees a percentage of their time to work on not-for-profit projects,” according to Heather. In this way, she says, “Causeway became Delegator’s way to give back to Chattanooga.”

At first, Heather wore many different Causeway hats, from managing dayto-day operations and meeting with lawyers and accountants to buying ad space, filing taxes, and working with designers. She found that “being able to think on your feet is a huge skill,” and that GPS really taught her “how to continue to learn. I will always be learning in this role, and being able to enjoy that aspect of my job probably stems from learning to love learning.”

Four years later, Causeway has a space on Patten Parkway and a full-time executive director and staff. Causeway is a new breed of company, part old-school

neighborhood involvement and part new-school tech-driven community hub. The company thrives through all kinds of giving: volunteer hours, money, expertise, or material donations, and everything can be pledged through their website. In a sense, the principles used with Causeway are the same ones Heather learned during Robin Hood, primarily that “many people can give a small amount and make a huge impact.”

Many connections are made between Chattanoogans who might otherwise never have met, building a strong community of support and volunteerism.

The major philosophy behind Causeway, as Heather says, is that “as citizens we have to take some responsibility for how things are around us; the government can’t do everything. This is a great way for citizens to take ownership of the city. We talk a lot about how Chattanooga is our business, and as citizens we should approach it that way. If you see a need, let’s do something about it. Everyone has something to contribute.” Causeway is all about making those connections, and, as she explains, “a lot of people do have ideas, they just don’t know what to do with those ideas or how to execute them.

Bringing folks together and giving them some tools or guidance can really make an impact.” Anyone can go to causeway. org and create a profile through which they may donate or start a cause.

Startup culture is uniquely productive and fun, a point made clear when Heather says, “There’s a ping-pong table in the office. I’m not wearing a suit anymore; there is no employee handbook.

There is no HR department. Change is supposed to happen frequently, and you’re expected to come up with ideas and act on those and run with them

yourself and make it happen.” While tech startups, in particular, tend to be male dominated, Heather sees that as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. She says, “I would say a GPS girl is in the best position for that kind of environment, because most GPS women that I know don’t get intimidated easily. I think women are seen as more of an asset, and a lot of companies are looking to hire women. They want someone with a different viewpoint; they’re trying to diversify. I wouldn’t take it as something to be intimidated by. I would look at it as an amazing opportunity.” Now a mom to 14-monthold Ella, Heather is encouraged by the flexibility this unusual business environment offers her. She was able to travel to Germany with her husband and work remotely for a short time, and

your ideas and opinions can affect the direction of the company.” She mentions several faculty members who instilled in her a lifelong intellectual curiosity. She says that she even uses her algebra skills. When asked what she might tell current GPS girls and future entrepreneurs, Heather remembers trying out for and joining Terpsichord.

She says that experience “was so outside my comfort zone and new to me. Learning to be comfortable in my own skin, on a stage in front of a lot of people, can translate into so many other things. I think GPS as a whole just provides so many unique opportunities. You can find what you need there to help you grow into the woman you’re going to be later.” She emphasizes that trying new things, especially when they are intimidating, is especially vital.

she currently spends two days a week home with Ella.

Asked if she sees a return to the public sector in years to come, Heather cites the momentum and excitement and passion of the people involved in Causeway that have “sparked a passion and interest in me, and I don’t see myself leaving this type of work. At this point, it’s just too exciting to step away.” n

Looking back at her years at GPS, she says that the school “helped shape me as a more well-rounded person who was willing to share my opinions and thoughts, which is really important now, working in startup culture, where

In 2014, Causeway expanded from an online platform to a bricks-andmortar business.

• 216 ideas for community projects came through the doors.

• 3,140 hours were volunteered by 292 people.

• 98 volunteers showed up for the Cause mobs with Stringer’s Ridge and the McCallie Wall Mural Project.

• Nearly 700 people gathered at One Table for a city-wide Thanksgiving potluck.

• $162,041 was raised through the crowdsourcing platform.

Current Causes are online for residents to vote for their favorites and contribute in ways that suit them: • Micro Grants • Scenic Streets • Diversity in the Outdoors Scholarship • End Cystic Fibrosis This Decade: A CF Smackdown • Friends of Stringer’s Ridge • STARS Kindness Campaign • Street Store in Chattanooga • What Difference Can 100 Businesses Make?

• Getting Youth Hooked on Jazz • Coat Sleeping Bags for the Homeless

Three Cause mobs – surprise location volunteer activities – started last spring. According to Heather, the staff “had a lot of fun coming up with the idea. A photo of the Stringer’s Ridge clean up crew shows young and old alike. Heather is at the far left of the group.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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A r o u n d S c h ool

The Impact of Art Interdisciplinary at GPS doesn’t just mean writing about an historical period for an English research paper. The Fine Arts department decided during the first semester to take the entire freshman class off campus for an interdisciplinary experience using visual art “as a means to understand how art can reflect culture, race, and social justice,” according to teacher Isabel McCall.

With several ‘stations of learning’ outside the Hunter Museum of American Art and several stations indoors, the students heard from GPS teachers in several disciplines, and even from a former faculty member who’s a Chattanooga architect.

The students carried questionnaires with them to guide their activities; they didn’t just observe the paintings and sculpture found there in abundance. In the Sculpture Garden, Fine Arts Chair and Director of Dance Cathie Kasch had the students dancing in front of the sculpture, The Savoy; McCall coordinated a balance activity in front of a Kenneth Snelson metal sculpture, V- X-II; and Laurel Zahrobsky led a movement activity with sculptor Albert Paley’s fence of forged and fabricated iron.

Indoors, Kasch led a discussion on the theme of race and culture, using a Radcliffe Bailey installation; former faculty member and architect Andy Smith joined with English Dept.

Chair Katy Berotti in using a painting by Jack Levine to address social justice.

Freshman Phoebe Mills, when asked what she got from the trip, replied, “I learned to look at different aspects of the works and come to different conclusions based on what I focused on in the piece.” Like Phoebe, students responded enthusiastically to the trip, and several returned to the museum to revisit some of their favorite pieces and to look at some of the work not covered on the trip.

McCall says, “It was a beautiful team effort of cooperation on everybody’s part – teachers, students and the facilities staff.

What a great school!”

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Modeling the “Best” Compromise in the resolution of conflict, negotiation, and standing-up to others who “over-talk” are just three of the many skills learned by participants in the Model UN program.

GPS girls seem to be adept at all three as both of the top two awards went to GPS Delegations at the Southeastern High School Model United Nations conference (SHSMUN) in late November.

Members of the Best Delegation are, kneeling from left, Anjali Ravee, Hira Munir, Cameron Ford, Caroline West, and Lexie Kyriakidis; standing are Tess Shaheen, Anina Mu, Allyce Buniak, Anjali Chandra, and Najia Humayun.

The two awards for GPS – Best Delegation for France and Runner-Up Delegation for Mexico – were remarkable at a conference that hosted 13 schools and 388 delegates. This is the third time in four years that GPS has been recognized as Best Delegation, and GPS is fast becoming the “team to beat” at SHSMUN. “These girls are learning skills that will enable them to deal well in what is termed a ‘man’s world,’” says faculty member sponsor Glen Vey. As a result of their Best Delegate designations, six students are eligible to attend the National High School conference in March. Junior Ayushi Sinha will serve as the 2015 Undersecretary General for next year’s conference.

Ambassadors of GPS As the Admission season winds to a close, GPS thanks the 54 Ambassadors who tour prospective families and are present for Open House, Bruiser Bash, and Movie Night, and are crazy enough to don Christmas sweaters for a holiday card sent to our prospective families. These Ambassadors are masters of time management who can engage in academic classes, study with friends during free periods, participate in after-school activities, and find time for a most important volunteer job: helping prospective families learn more about GPS. Only an Ambassador is up to the challenge of this volunteer work. They are simply and most wonderfully available, reliable, responsible, conversational about their school, and honest about who we are, including our strengths and faults, but delivered with a love for the second home we call GPS.

The runner-up delegation of Mexico includes Leah Baxter, Delaney Swann, Lexie King, Rebecca Torrence, Isabella Cornea, Lori Baxter, and Gabrielle Cox.

— with love from the Admission office: Debbie Young, Michal Howick, Jennifer Williams, and Christie Collins.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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A r o u n d S c h ool

2015 May Day Court A GPS Ambassador, athlete, and president of Partnership in the Community (PIC), Mackenzie Hobbs was chosen by the student body in January to reign as May Queen. The six members of the court, representative in the “highest sense” of the ideals of the school, have all made positive contributions to school life. They include, Angela Bonds, Hobbs, Abby Jansen, Lindsay Rufolo, Nia Sanders, and Katherine Ward. Lindsay Rufolo will be the Maid of Honor. Interesting fact: all are varsity athletes, some in multiple sports, in bowling, lacrosse, cross country, track, softball, rowing, soccer, Terpsichord, and swimming.

Prior to the presentation of the 2015 senior class and the announcement of the Court, senior Savannah Williams took a “selfie” with her classmates. And Dr. Graves took her own “selfie” with Mackenzie Hobbs after announcing her as the students’ choice for May Queen.

The 2015 May Court includes, standing in front from left, Nia Sanders, Mackenzie Hobbs, and Lindsay Rufolo. Behind from left are Katherine Ward, Abby Jansen, and Angela Bonds.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Standing from left are National Merit Semifinalists Kelli Marcum, Hannah Geerlings, Rachel Hudson, Anjali Chandra, and Hannah Thel.

National Merit Program Honors In the years since the Reunion class of 1995 graduated with nine National Merit Semifinalists and seven Commended Students, GPS has celebrated the academic accomplishments of 126 more National Merit Semifinalists, 168 Commended Students, 17 National Achievement Semifinalists, and two National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars.

The Class of 2015 recognized five Semifinalists, three Commended, and two Achievement Semifinalists.

Commended Students are, in front, Sarah Jane Green, Anna Claire Pierce, and Kathleen McDougal. Standing are National Achievement Semifinalists Cami Shands and Nia Sanders.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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At h l e t i c s

Soccer Team Wins State Title Six varsity sports and several Middle School teams finished their fall/winter seasons by February 1, and they brought home a state championship, a couple of third-place state finishes, and an individual state trophy!

It took a penalty-kick shootout and a crucial stop by senior goalkeeper Savannah Williams for the Bruisers to claim their first ever state soccer title.

Scoring in the shootout for GPS were Zoe Rustand, Ellie Haskins, Akia Harris, Keyle Snyder, Kendall McKoon, Emily Large, and Lucy St. Charles.

“We were able to overcome the elements and field conditions through sheer determination,” Coach Patrick Winecoff said.

“It was great to see a group of athletes all pulling in the same direction with the same purpose.”

The varsity cross country team finished the season on a high note.

The team placed third in the state championship race, the school’s best finish in ten years, and was led by All-State performers Carley Braman, a freshman, and Madison Watson, a senior. Murfee Jones, Tori Tomokane-Verville, Margaret Martin, Kate McVay, and Lea Mulligan also ran strong races. With only one senior in the varsity lineup this year, Coach Jeff Gaither’s expectations are high for another top three finish next year.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” says proud Coach Rob Riddle after the golf team returned from the state tournament with a third-place trophy. After ending the 2013 season with a fourth-place finish, the team has definitely shown improvement, with two freshmen leading the Bruisers to victory in the Father Ryan Invitational earlier in the season. Pictured from left are Mary Melissa Manuel, Emily Blake, Hannah Prescott, and Scottie Sandlin.

Taylor Battle, seated left, became the second GPS bowler in four years to win Division II Individual Medalist honors at the TSSAA State Bowling Championships when she out-rolled her competition 192-184. A GPS bowler has qualified for individuals every year since the program started in 2007, and GPS has been represented as a team at the state tournament since 2008. Besides Battle, four other Bruisers competed for individual honors: Taylor Reid, Alyson Parris, Meagan Scott, and Angela Bonds.

Senior Kayla Krueger joined the Bruisers’ team effort at state, which ended in the semifinals. “The season was above everyone’s expectations,” said Coach David McGowan, who is assisted by GPS math teacher Courtney Tallant ’08.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Freshman Maddox Bandy and her mother, varsity assistant coach Meg Glass Bandy ’87, teamed up to claim the national title in the USTA Mother-Daughter Clay Court doubles championship in Florida. Head Coach Sue Bartlett and her daughter Claire ’08 won the same championship in 2003.

More Athletic News • After winning the state championship, several soccer players were named to All-Region and All-State teams. Selected to the TSSAA Div. II AA EastMiddle All-Region were Keyle Snyder, Lindsay Rufolo, and Savannah Williams, who was also named the All-Region MVP. Williams and Snyder were joined by Akia Harris on the TSSAA All-State team. The Tennessee Sports Writers Association also named an All-State soccer team. Included were Harris, Snyder, Rufolo, and Williams.

• Cross country coach Jeff Gaither and his assistant, Jessica Marlier, won the Georgia State Championships at the Carpet Capital 10-Miler. The race is the designated 10-mile state championship by the Road Runners Clubs of America (RRCA). Marlier was the female champion and 3rd overall, with a time of 1:05:13. Gaither was the Grandmaster (50 and over) champion and finished 6th overall in 1:06:54.

Taylor Battle

Alex George

• Varsity Coach Paul Brock reports that the volleyball team had a “rebuilding season” this fall with a lot of young players stepping into major roles. “Ten of our regular season losses were teams in the State Championship games,” says Brock. “Our team continued to improve from the beginning of the season until we lost in the State playoffs. I was really proud of how our team fought to win games.” Seniors on the team were Angela Bonds, Mackenzie Hobbs, Cami Shands, and Reagan Williams.

• The crew team enjoyed a short fall season, competing in only the Chattanooga Head Race, a 5k event, and the Secret City Head Race in Oak Ridge.

The team and GPS Rowing were featured in an article in Get Out Chattanooga as part of a profile of the much anticipated Head of the Hooch race, which unfortunately was cancelled due to high winds on the Tennessee River.

The Varsity A boat finished 2nd in the Chattanooga race and 3rd at Oak Ridge.

“After graduating a strong senior class last year (and having no seniors on the current varsity), our rowers have stepped up,” says Coach Anders Swanson.

• According to Middle School tennis coach Bill Bartlett, the team showcased many new faces this year after the graduation of the large 8th grade class of tennis players last year. Eighth grader Ali West was the only returning starter and played at the number one position all season.

Lindsay Rufolo

• Three seniors, pictured at left, have already signed Letters of Intent to continue their chosen sport at the college level. Taylor Battle will play softball at Tusculum College, Alex George will play lacrosse at Asbury University, and Lindsay Rufolo will play lacrosse at Davidson College.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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F REE t o t h e Co m m u n i t y

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS RENEE AND LILY SANDLER — FOUNDERS OF BLAMTASTIC LIP BALM #LeadLikeAGirl ­— A conversation on how to empower the girls in your life.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

A L UMN A E NE W S

Thanks for your emails full of news and photos.

Thanks as well for sending GPS your updates via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Keep us connected to your moves, careers, travels, and accomplishments by emailing Anne Exum at aexum@gps.edu or Katherine Betts at kbetts@gps.edu Remember that photos should be as high a resolution as possible, and please provide the name of the professional photographer if a caption credit is needed.

’50s From left are members of the Class of ‘57: Mamie Fowler Dye, Betsy Chamberlain Tuller, Nancy Armstrong Perry, Graham Walker Burns and Judy Evans Rowland.

Alice Lupton Smith ’66 first of two collections of poetry.

’60s Alice Lupton Smith ’66 has written two collections of poetry. According to her Facebook profile, I Wonder “is a collection of poems about everyday occurrences transformed into the sacred and the beautiful.” The second collection, A Place Where Secret Shadows Shine, “explores the light and the dark” of life. Both of her books are available on Amazon.com.

For the third year, a small group of friends from the Class of 1967 have visited the vacation home of Dr. Martha McCravey and her husband, Dr. Alan Wood, in Jackson Hole, WY. They are already planning their 4th gathering this coming August. This photo from this past July’s reunion includes, from left, Martha McCravey, Terry Griffith, Karen Wagner Buckner, Barbara Simmons Eustis, Libba McNeill Shumard, Susan Gunnell Collins, and Mary Navarre Moore.

From left are members of the Class of ’67: Martha McCravey, Terry Griffith, Karen Wagner Buckner, Barbara Simmons Eustis, Libba McNeill Shumard, Susan Gunnell Collins, and

’70s & ’80s

Mary Navarre Moore.

Allison Stephens ’79 with Lord Charles Spencer and his wife, Karen.

Five members of the Class of 1957 gathered to celebrate their 75th birthdays on Sea Island. From left are Mamie Fowler Dye, Betsy Chamberlain Tuller, Nancy Armstrong Perry, Graham Walker Burns, Judy Evans Rowland, and the only man present, Graham’s namesake, son Graham Burns.

Allison Stephens ’79 travels in impressive circles in England. She had an opportunity to spend an afternoon with Julie Rowland Maunder ’81, who lives south of London and, according to Allison, “has an amazing fruit, vegetable, and flower garden.” At a Colonial Dames event, Allison had this picture taken with Charles and Karen Spencer. Charles is the late Princess Diana’s brother.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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A L UMN A E NE W S

Alumnae Weekend 2015 | April 24 – 25

Their voices are still being heard Kick off the weekend with the All-Alumnae Party at the Founders House on Friday; join your reunion class on Saturday for Master Classes and be recognized at the All-Alumnae Lunch on Saturday; honor faculty retirees Jessica Good, Betty Jo Horton, and Peggy Michaels at the first Faculty Emeriti Inductions; and party with classmates on Saturday night at Reunion Class Parties.

Visit gps.edu/alumnaeweekend for more information or to register online.

What does it mean to be a member of Bruiser Nation?

As a current or past member of the GPS constituency, you’re still considered a member of the Bruiser Nation. Whether an alumna, parent, grandparent, teacher, or friend, your gifts to GPS are appreciated as we work to reach our $1.2 million Annual Fund goal.

We know you respond as generously as you are able to many causes. Any amount can help us bridge the gap between tuition and the costs associated with educating each girl who chooses GPS as her home away from home, a foundation for her future.

Gifts can be made online by visiting gps.edu/giving

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

’80s & ’90 Tish Shoemaker Gailmard ’80, the Director of Wildlife for Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, was featured in the local Chattanooga newspaper after the Nature Center’s disabled American kestrel was fitted with a prosthetic wing, a first for locallyowned Fillauer Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc. Small world stories are always fun. Molly Bishop Shadel ’87 sent an email to the GPS Communications office asking “What are the odds that Shannon Kimball Horridge ’90 and I would end up with daughters in the same first grade class in Crozet, Virginia, and that Shannon would recognize me after all these years?” Apparently the odds are great. Pictured are Molly and Shannon with their daughters, Lucy Shadel and Greer Horridge, and an unnamed friend.

Malinda Davenport-Crisp ’89 updated GPS on her academic accomplishments and news of her personal life. Malinda says that, “with the excellent foundation GPS gave to me, I graduated Vanderbilt in 1993.”

Becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPS/MHSP), she returned to school and earned her Ph.D. in clinical counseling last May from Trevecca University.

Now the Executive Director of Family Reconciliation Center, a non-profit assisting those affected by incarceration, Malinda was married last June and has two “awesome teenage sons.”

Top row, from the left are Molly Bishop Shadel ’87 and Shannon Kimball Horridge ’90.

A children’s book

by Margaret Cate ’90.

’90s Margaret Cate ’90 has written a children’s book, I Know My Name Is Love, about a rescue dog who is adopted and becomes a therapy dog at a children’s hospital.

Narrated by Tilly, the dog, the book teaches readers about the special traits that lie within every person.

Brooke Good ’92 was appointed in October to a three-year term as a member of the Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council.

Brooke is the founder and owner of Triumph Services, a non-profit in Birmingham, AL, that helps people with developmental disabilities find employment and live independently.

GPS networking and mentoring was on display this past summer when Margaret Cleary Dean ’93 hosted current GPS junior Ayushi Sinha as she attended the ASPIRE High School Mentoring Program in the Applied Physics Laboratory at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Margaret and Ayushi also spoke to the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and encouraged other students to participate in the STEM-related summer experience.

Margaret Cleary Dean ’93 with current GPS junior Ayushi Sinha.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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A L UMN A E NE W S

’90s – continued Natalie Wallace Perdomo ’96 was inducted into the University of the South Athletics Hall of Fame along with other members of the 1999 women’s tennis team that compiled a 22-4 record and 5th place NCAA tournament finish. Natalie’s winning percentage at Sewanee is the 7th all-time highest. (Photo credit: Charlie Watkins, University of the South)

Natalie Wallace Perdomo ’96

Jill Pala ’97 was profiled in her college alumni publication, Xavier Magazine, in an article about girls and computer education. The writer notes that Jill has to recruit girls and “raise the image of girl geeks.” Now chair of the Computer Science Department at GPS, Jill says, “In some sense, every girl that goes into computing has to be a little bit of a pioneer.” Just like Jill.

Jill Pala ’97, with current GPS students.

00s Three GPS students organized their own field trip during the Thanksgiving holiday, networking with a GPS alumna in a STEM field. After a science club trip to Fillauer Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc., Ayushi Sinha, Sarah McDougal, and Jen Andrews pursued a day-long “hands-on, intensive” visit with Laura Webster ’00, an engineer at Fillauer.

Ayushi Sinha, Sarah McDougal, and Jen Andrews with Laura Webster ’00.

In a Washington Post online article entitled “Arts Leaders to be Honored,” the name of Jennifer Goldsmith Clements ’01 was one of several DC residents listed.

Jennifer is the recipient of a 2015 Artist Fellowship by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for her writing. Jennifer, who earned her MFA in creative writing from George Mason University, is a professional writer, editor, and theatre critic in DC. According to the article, she will use her fellowship to compile a book of essays on the performing arts.

Virginia Gregory Watts ’01 has relocated from NYC to Jacksonville, FL, where she is now Marketing and Special Events Development Coordinator at Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails.

Mary Anna Sanders ’01 has joined the medical staff of Parkridge East Hospital in Chattanooga. After receiving a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Atlanta, she completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine’s Chattanooga unit, where she served as co-chief resident. She is affiliated with Associates in Women’s Health.

Mae Cooper ’02 has taken a job as a Learning and Development Specialist at George Washington University.

The art of Laura Cleary ’03 was featured in a solo exhibition at the Further Gallery in Atlanta in November.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

A L UMN A E P r of i l e

00s – continued The past year has been a busy one for Courtney Gray Donley ’03. After receiving her master’s degree in clinical mental health she and her husband moved from Wisconsin to Georgia and welcomed their first baby boy.

Meredith Hobbs Arp ’03 worked for two years at Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence. After her second year in a single gender classroom of second grade girls, she received the Teacher of the Year honor. Although she plans to return to the classroom in the future, she’s home this year with her two-year-old daughter, Laine.

Abby Lockerby Medley ’03 is the Executive Director to Elmcroft of Shallowford Senior Living Meredith Hobbs Arp ’03 in Chattanooga. The youngest to be named to that position, she oversees residents, staff, and operations.

Rebecca Taylor ’03 is a Research Associate at the Stanford Criminal Justice Center in San Francisco.

Honor Hostetler Mohney ’05 has been appointed Community Outreach Manager at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. In her new position, Honor will manage the 12 area councils of business professionals in their networking, special events, and civic projects that benefit schools and businesses. She will also direct the Smart Buys member savings program of partnerships.

Robyn Spink ’06 is a medical physicist with the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI).

Marshall Bright ’07 is an intern with Studio 360 at WNYC in New York. The program is a product of National Public Radio.

Sarah Axley ’08 is in her first year of teaching at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, AL. In an email to GPS Math Department Chair Chris Zeller, Sarah writes that she’s teaching AP Physics, regular physics, and advanced geometry. “I’m so grateful to my teachers at GPS for helping me get here. It’s hard to believe that I was in my students’ shoes not too long ago!”

Abby Ellis ’08 received her Navy Pilot Golden Wings upon finishing Flight School and is in Norfolk, VA, being trained to fly the MH 60 S (Sierra) helicopters. Abby is a graduate of the US Naval Academy.

Natalie Berg ’09 graduated from Kansas State University with a master’s in interior architecture and product design and is working at 360 Architecture in Kansas City as an interior architect in Studio Tilt, the in-house branded environments/graphic design group.

Many entrepreneurs would probably describe their business undertaking, start-tofinish, as “an adventure.” That’s certainly the word used by Laura DuPre Sexton ’03, who spent much of 2014 working on a collection of botanical prints now available through her website, Nine Oaks Way. Determined to “find an Laura DuPre outlet for my creativSexton ’03 ity and entrepreneurial drive while being home with my family,” Laura ended up with “an amazing experience and blessing,” that she also describes as “really, really hard.”

Although she “didn’t wake up one morning and suddenly feel super confident or incredibly capable,” Laura admits, she did believe in herself and her idea. “In the mornings, during nap time, and whenever I could, I sat at our dining room table and did the next thing,” she says. That determination seems to be a requisite quality of all entrepreneurs!

Laura used long stroller walks with her son Sawyer as inspiration. She says, “We gathered the Southern oak leaves and acorns, created layouts, took pictures, and then began the creating process.”

Today the Nine Oaks Way website offers nine original botanical giclee prints in stocked sizes of 12x16 and 16x20, along with Laura’s suggestions for framing on a budget and composition. The prints have a soft neutral cream background, which, according to Laura, is inspired by antique botanical prints.

The very detailed botanicals are printed with archival inks on archival paper and should last 100 years without fading, says Laura.

This new venture is a natural outgrowth of Laura’s independent business mind. Since graduating from Auburn University, she has focused on residential interior design and worked with several talented designers. She admits to often recommending botanical prints to clients, and now she has her own collection to complement any décor!

Callie Smith ’09 is the media and account services coordinator at Waterhouse Public Relations in Chattanooga.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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A L UMN A E NE W S

10s Payton Leech ’10 graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, last May from Wake Forest University with a biology major and chemistry/neuroscience minors.

Through the university’s study abroad program, Payton spent a semester studying neuroscience in Austria and traveling throughout Europe. Another semester was spent with Boston University’s School for Field Studies on the island of South Caicos. There she conducted field research that helps provide local government, community, and tourism developers with recommendations to sustain the economic, social, and ecological stability of the island. Payton is now in her first year at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Payton Leech ’10

Kelli Matulich ’10 writes to say she’s excited to finally add five precious letters to her name: BSN, RN. After passing the state boards, she is a licensed registered nurse.

Anisha Sheth ’10 worked at Olsen Law Firm, first as a summer intern and then as a legal assistant, as she pursued her bachelor’s of science in chemistry from UTC. She assisted a number of organizations and attended several events as a representative of the firm, including a number of professional meetings, which inspired her to pursue a law degree. Now a first year at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, she is active in the Association of Women Attorneys, Black Law Student Association, Hispanic Law School Association, and Phi Alpha Delta.

Allison Smyth ’10 graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently in a new job in Los Angeles creating art and drawings for the gaming industry.

Anisha Sheth ’10

In her junior year at Evansville University, Simone Busby ’11 was honored as first-team all-conference and the women’s soccer goalkeeper of the year in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Shelby DeWeese ’11 will be graduating from the University of Southern California this year, and she’s already a published poet. At USC, she wrote for the Daily Trojan and served as poetry editor for Fractal and Teen Ink. Her poems have appeared in publications including The Blue Hour Anthology, The Camel Saloon, and Eunoia Review.

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

’10s – continued When Blair Stewart ’11 graduates from the US Military Academy this coming May, she will become a Military Intelligence officer. “It’s the first real step in determining the future of my Army career,” says Blair, “and I could not be more thrilled or honored to claim this as my profession.” Blair’s email came to the College Counseling office during the Thanksgiving holiday and is full of thanks for her GPS education. “I believe that the caliber of the education I received is unrivalled,” she says, “and I will never forget…the people at GPS who were absolutely instrumental to my education and success.” As a cadet at West Point, Blair has traveled to Africa multiple times, volunteering in Malawi, establishing a military geography program at Uganda’s Makerere University, and working with NGO’s on women’s empowerment in Liberia. She has received her “wings” at Air Assault School and is captain of the Army Sailing Team that beat the Naval Academy for the first time this year. Blair is pictured at “Branch Night,” the event at which she found out that she’d be in Military Intelligence.

For the second time in three years, a GPS senior in the Advanced Placement Art class has had work selected for an exhibition at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. Lauchlan Davis ’14, currently a freshman at UVA, painted Tea and Blackberries in Mary Carrithers’ AP class. The oil on canvas was part of her portfolio reviewed by the AP College Board. The fifth biennial exhibition of student work, which is on display through March 8, showcases “the finest artwork,” according to the museum’s website, and includes 39 works from over 600 submissions statewide. Mary Margaret Groves ’12 was represented at the 2012-13 exhibit.

Blair Stewart ’11

Danielle Sims ’14 has been selected for the Brandeis University tennis team and is pleased to be continuing her sport at the college level.

Only a freshman at UCLA, Bailey Wood ’14 made the varsity 8+ boat and played an important role as the rowing team won the Head of the American against PAC-10 rivals Washington, Stanford, and Cal.

A work by Lauchlan Davis ’14 selected for exhibition in Nashville.

In Memoriam Alumnae

Former Faculty and Staff

Jane Saunders Wythe ’36

Linda Mason, former staff, 1987-2007

Hilda Hude Chapin ’41

Frances N. Wheeler, retired faculty, 1958-87

Helen McDonald Exum ’43

Virginia Cissna, retired faculty, 1963-1980

Dr. Martha McDonald ’44

Andrew Shrum, retired staff, 1964-1996

Marianne Thomas Ozmer ’52 Myra Silver Burden ’60 Anna Reynolds Hunter ’64 Glynn DeVon Key ’82

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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B IRTHS

1 1994 Molly Molina Crawford a son, Jose Townes

2002 Lindsey Longmire Myers a daughter, Katherine “Kate” Elizabeth

1995 Joy Allen Altimare a daughter, Ella Helene

Shea Tankersley Sullivan a son, John Edward “Teddy”

1997 Suzanne Mize Hallman a daughter, Lily Elizabeth 1997 Amanda Thompson Jackson a daughter, Carmen Jilliam 1998 Brooke Curtis Kocher a son, Lincoln Stuart Emily Pala Bandeen a daughter, Laela Adeline Katherine Stohler Dillard a daughter, Frances Eleanor Allison Whitehead a daughter, Ellis Ann Kyle Widmer Morris a daughter, Areli Eliza 1999 Cheryl Burk Parker a daughter, Sydney Kate Helen Joujan Mertens twin sons, Theodore and Benjamin Suzanne Short Junered a son, Dexter 2000 Jenny Caughran Webb a daughter, Blaklee Karter Kaki Rowland Scroggins a daughter, Katherine Roberts 2001 Elizabeth Dowlen Whatley twin girls, Anne Stephens and Margaret Emily Woods Schultz a son, John Daniel 2002 Lauren Baker Moyle a daughter, Elizabeth Grace Deanna Gardenhire Brown a daughter, Eleanor “Ellie” Sarah Christy Johnson Brown a daughter, Charlotte Isabelle Sophie Johnson Taintor a son, Patrick Thomas

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Anne-Marie Wheelock Jolley a son, James “Jett” Edward Natalie Wood Owen a daughter, Mary Claire 2003 Jennifer Haddock Easterling a daughter, Tallulah “Tally” Lynne Maggie LaRochelle Richards a daughter, Evelyn Marie

11

Peyton Moss Thompson a daughter, Harper Lakelyn Mary Katherine Roark Harbin a daughter, Annie Caroline Rachel Sherbak Stevener a daughter, Charlotte Lynn “Lottie” Katie Watson Tipton a son, David Knox 2004 Leigh Ann Castleman Sanders twin boys, Andrew and Patrick Conlee Cooper Butler a daughter, Lillian Swint Laura Davis Smith a son, Lyndon Smith Jessica Hulgan Bramlett a son, Charlie

12

Taylor Lee Vinson a son, Morgan “Pate” Lauren Lorberbaum twin girls, Emma Laurel and Paige Devine 2005 Whitney Schultz Phillips a daughter, Paisley Reeves 2006 Paige Chandler a son, Jace Flatt Liz Morton Doak a daughter, Catherine Louise “Kaky” Eleanor Powell Hildebrand a son, Witt Sarah Young Jackson a son, Christopher Steel

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2

3

4

7

6

5

8

1

Ellis Ann is the daughter of Allison Whitehead ’98.

2

Jilliam is the second child for Amanda Thompson Jackson ’97.

3

Lee Ade Stout ’02 sent in this cute photo of her new son, Charlie.

4

Gray Alexander is the son of Courtney Gray Donley ’03.

5

Ella Helene is the daughter of Joy Allen Altimare ’95.

6

The son of Emily Woods Schultz ’01 is named after his grandfather John, GPS swim coach.

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Natalie Nall is the daughter of Whitney Webb Nall ’03.

8

Theodore and Benjamin are twin sons of Helen Joujan Mertens ’99, who, with her husband Marian, lives and works in Nagold, Germany.

9 Kaky, daughter of Liz Morton Doak ’06.

10 Big sister Kate and her twin sisters, Anne Stephens and Margaret, daughters of Elizabeth Dowlen Whatley ’01.

11 Katie Watson Tipton ’03 with son David.

12 Brooke Curtis Kocher ’98 shared this 9

10

photo of Thomas, Rosemarie, and the newest addition to the family, Lincoln.

13 Suzanne Mize Hallman ’97 welcomed Lily Elizabeth in 2014.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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Weddings

1989 Malinda Davenport / Jon Crisp 1997 Anna Joujan / Peter Goss

1

3

1998 April Jewell / Steven Shafer Elke Waffel / Doug Dupuie 2001 Anita Mohan / Nitin Chhabra 2002 Taylor Tucker / Scott Massey 2003 Charlotte Beene / Aaron Wells Abby Lockerby / Seth Medley Lauren Rogers / John Bush Amanda Youell / Brad Peper

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2004 Sally Brock / Sam Lynch Stephanie Hays / Peter David Woolcock 2005 Anne Campeau / Brian Burley Erin Felton / Abel Lopez Hannah Messinger / Dan Fine Mary Helen Miller / Heath Montgomery Chelsey Turnbo-Hardin / Colin Campbell

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2007 Maria Aoki / JB Calpo Grace Robinette / Ian Carruthers 2008 Channing Adkins / John Brogdon Mary Clare Kent / Seth Holm Sarah Galphin / Joel Varnedoe 2009 Becca Murphy / Barrett Johnston Jennifer Zellner / James Purgason

5

2010 Anamarie Ateca / Trask Thomas Joel Davis Hutton Baird / Alexander Ivey Catherine Hitchings / Zach Plating Margaret Welborn / Grayson Todd Lawery

6

1 Anna Joujan ’97 married Peter Goss at the Barn at High Point wearing the vintage Laura Ashley dress she bought in a thrift store in England when she was 16 years old!

2 The DeBarge Vineyards & Winery in Lafayette, Ga., was the romantic setting for the wedding of Bailey Hixon ’06 and Jonathan Bullard.

3 Catherine Hitchings ’10 married Zachary David Plating at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church with GPS alumnae May Hitchings ’13 as maid of honor and Sarah Mastey ’10 and Kathleen Teague ’07 as bridesmaids. (Photo courtesy of jacandheath.com) 4 Charlotte Beene ’03 and husband Aaron Wells. A number of GPS faculty and staff were in attendance, as the groom is the son of PE faculty member Gina Wells.

5 Elke Waffel ’98 and Doug Dupuie were married in June in Denver, Colorado. GPS classmates in attendance were Jennifer Glass and Caty Walker Coffey.

6 Kati Howell ’07 married Bill Schmidt last May in a pastoral setting near Chattanooga. (Photo courtesy of Kenney Photography)

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GPS: The Magazine | Winter 2015

Just a reminder that wedding photos are limited to the bride and groom or a group photo with bride and a few (3 or 4) alumnae attendants. Larger group photos will be shared in the digital Alumnae Newsletters.

IN MEM O RI A M

“Glynn remained a guiding light for so many of us long after leaving GPS. She was starting her fourth year as a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia when I enrolled as a first-year student there, and she continued to be a role model for me in her dedicated leadership, generous mentorship, and widely recognized integrity. Her untimely death is a sorrow, but her memory will long sustain those who knew and admired her.”

Marie Griffith ’85

Glynn was back at GPS in 2014 to see her twin nieces, Calyn and Chandler, graduate from her alma mater.

Remembering Glynn D. Key ’82

By Mary Williams Wolf ’82

This is an edited version of text delivered at Glynn’s memorial service in Washington, DC. Mary was asked to give a perspective on Glynn’s high school years at GPS.

Glynn was as exceptional in high school as she would later be at UVA and in her professional life. She was one of two African American women in our class of roughly 70 students; however, the color of her skin was not what distinguished her. She was bright by all definitions – smart, gracious, funny – and captured us all with her open and curious nature. I have a distinct memory of sitting in the back of math class and noticing her textbook inscribed with GLYNN IS LOVE. From the very start she was telling us something about her view of life while the rest of us simply wrote our names on our books.

Her life would be about service and commitment. During her years at GPS, she distinguished herself as a top student, top athlete, and school leader, but she was equally well-remembered for her lighthearted sense of humor.

She was a solid friend and great human

being. She made her friends feel important. As busy as she was, she made time to send a one-line text or email, usually of a humorous observation or a story she was reminded of.

Glynn’s years at GPS were a microcosm of her life in college, graduate school, and beyond. She always saw the bigger picture and never let ego or pettiness distract her from a larger purpose.

At a memorial for her in Washington DC, Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior, spoke of her success as a negotiator for the contentious Florida Everglades restoration settlement. Through her ability to focus and listen, Glynn could provide an insightful opinion, whether it be in the board room or around the dinner table.

Education for Glynn came as much through books as through her openness to new experiences and her curiosity about people and the world. She had extremely high regard for the wisdom and support of friends and community and facilitated an ever-expanding network of people whom she admired, respected, and loved.

Through her position as General

Counsel at GE, she traveled extensively and was particularly pleased to extend her world to Africa last year. Upon her return, she enthusiastically shared pictures and stories and reminded her friends of the importance of our global humanity.

In her chapel talk, Glynn cited the lyrics from the movie Fame and told us we had not seen the best of her yet.

During the 32 years that followed, we watched her soar, accomplishing far more than even she might have imagined. For those of us who knew her, she will continue to light up our world through memories of all the good times she gave us and inspire us to reach higher through her dedication to a better world. She will most certainly live forever.

Glynn’s family has established the Glynn D. Key Endowed Scholarship Fund at GPS for African American Students qualifying for need-based financial aid.

Recipients will mirror Glynn’s excellence in athletics and academics. Contributions may be made to GPS and sent to the GPS Development Office, PO Box 4736, Chattanooga, TN, 37405, earmarked for the Glynn D. Key Fund.

No Limits. Prepared for Life.

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Chattanooga, TN Permit no. 110

G irls P reparatory S chool 205 Island Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37405

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Women Leading Since 1906 When other schools refused to prepare girls for college, we opened our own school. When other basketball leagues discouraged girls from playing, we started our own league. When other schools’ curriculums were limited by standardized testing, we broadened ours to include forensic science and engineering. When other people said the time had come for women to lead, we said we’ve been leading since 1906.

G I R L S P R E PA R AT O RY S C H O O L 205 Island Avenue • Chattanooga, TN 37405 423.634.7644 • gps.edu Girls Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in any of its policies, practices or procedures.