’08 Guest speakers bring worlds of experience to campus

Preeminent activist, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and leader in the fight against apartheid, the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu spoke to students, parents, faculty and staff, and trustees at Holton-Arms in November 2008. His 20-minute speech invoked laughter and brought tears. And while he spoke directly to the young, his message of youth and change resonated with everyone. He spoke about God working through the young to bring about change, how young people “change[d] the moral climate” to end apartheid, and how the young voters galvanized to elect Barack Obama as the first Black president. His visit to Holton was covered in the Washington Post, Nov. 19, 2008.

”The Holton community knows Susanna as a visionary leader who had a positive impact on a generation of graduates. But, her reach goes well beyond River Road. In 2009, Susanna founded One Schoolhouse, formerly the Online School for Girls, and served for seven years as a trustee. To date, 15,000+ students and more than 12,000+ educators from more than 1500 schools across six continents have taken programs from the organization Susanna started. Susanna’s impact is worldwide.

From Brad Rathgeber, One Schoolhouse Head of School & CEO