From the Alumni Association Chair

Dear Alumni and Friends,

During my junior year at the Upper School, I sat in my AP US History classroom every day facing a large banner hanging on the wall. The banner read “Comfort Retards Growth,” and its message ingrained itself into my head as I listened and learned from our indefatigable teacher, Mr. George Henry. This phrase has followed me throughout my life, often as a prodding internal question: Am I getting too comfortable? Am I still growing? The impetus to not let myself get too complacent in my comfortable life influences and propels me forward to this day.

When I joined the Board of Trustees three years ago and became the chair of our Alumni Association, I was pretty confident in my ability to manage the role and looked forward to lots of engagement and connection with my fellow alums. Little did we know that my tenure would span the pandemic and serious introspection from Rowland Hall on whether or not we truly lived up to the promise that we welcome everyone to our community. These often uncomfortable and necessary conversations steadily occurred throughout the past few years, but were primed by the message I was taught decades earlier that growth was on the horizon.

One of the key areas of growth I am most gratified by is the hiring of the school’s first director of equity and inclusion, Dr. Chandani Patel. Working with her this past year and participating in the uncomfortable discussions she deftly moderates is a continual reminder that Rowland Hall is not done teaching me yet.

Our Alumni Scholarship Fund is going strong thanks to all our donors. We had the most new donors this year than ever before, and I love knowing that our alumni see the value in giving students an opportunity to attend Rowland Hall.

I am thrilled that my friend and colleague Becky Webster ’03 is your next Alumni Association chair. She will do an amazing job energizing our membership and building an even stronger alumni network. I look forward to her leadership as we all grow together.

Warmest regards,

Christina Lau Billings ’98, Alumni Committee Chair