It’s Not a Solution, It’s a Wë Solution

really a meditation, albeit one that might be hard to keep up with if you zone out. Their minds are quick, their hearts big, and they throw out brilliant quotes left and right. They share nostalgia for a time gone by, gratitude for what is, and hope and excitement about the future.

We met up with Laura, a member of the class of 1985, and Liz, class of ’87, on Zoom as they took a break from their workdays. Laura is a senior director and business HR lead for People Operations at Google and Liz is a wealth manager at Ensemble Capital, as well as an accomplished author of mystery books (written under a pen name we took an oath not to disclose). All this after leaving a trail of positive impact in other professional pursuits along the way. “That’s one of the things about San Domenico,” says Liz. “You learn not just to believe in yourself, but also to try to build a toolbox that you can rely on in the future.”

“Yes, It was never just the academics,” Laura adds. “Even though you don’t realize it when you are a kid, it’s the critical thinking skills and the ability to have resiliency that you are learning both directly and indirectly through the role models such as Sister Gerald picking up trash and recycling around campus. You saw her do it, so you knew it was the right thing to do.”

This theme of trying and resiliency comes up often in our conversation: “learning early on,” as Liz says, “that when life happens, and things change, as they always do, you can pivot and try new things. It’s really powerful and important. We’ve both carried that into our lives and it has served us well.”

Laura remembers being introverted when she started at SD, in sixth grade. “We were a big PBS and reading family,” she says with a laugh. “So I was quiet, maybe a bit shy. But it felt safe to try new things at San Domenico. There’s this thing, part of the SD way. It may take a while to trust the stability and kindness, but eventually, the actual physicality of the gorgeous campus, the way that discipline at SD still keeps the student whole, the way inquiry is taught— your questions and opinions matter—once you accept that

SD really is there for you, you start to shed pretense at an early age and get to know your true self.”

This dynamic, they add, plays into how it feels coming back to campus, seeing former classmates, and serving on committees and the Board of Trustees. There is consensus among those with whom the sisters meet that the value and practice of Veritas, of seeking truth in yourself and others, is empowering because you get to know your personhood, your grounding, what you stand for, who you are. When you come back for events like reunion, you see people who are older but they are still the same person. “You didn’t have to fake who you were then, and you don’t have to fake who you are now. You graduate already knowing who you are AND with the ability to keep growing,” Liz reflects. “You don’t get stuck in the door of ideas; you take ideas and keep going and growing,” Laura says.

Speaking of growing, “I was a little unsure about joining the board,” admits Liz, who became a trustee in 2018. “About what it would be like, what I would see, given all of the changes. I have been gratefully surprised to find it is still my SD. It’s a unique position to be an alum and trustee. It was incredible to be in an all-girls school back then and, as I sit in committee and board meetings today, side by side with women and men who are new to the school, I see and feel they get it. They get what SD is, and it is deeply satisfying.”

Like chemistry, the Revenkos explain, the elements have remained the same because the protons, the values, have kept the base strong and consistent. “The changes have not diminished what we had,” Laura adds. “Rather, this is the maturing of San Domenico. The School was strong enough to expand out without losing its essence. It’s not just the graduating of fine young girls or fine young boys. It is graduating fine young individuals who are used to being asked, as we were, ‘What do you think?’ and they are ready to problem-solve, like we were. Like we are.

“During such a tumultuous time in history, being anchored to the strong foundation that is SD is really nice to have,” she notes, reflecting on her current work with the Mission Enhancement Committee, which she joined in 2021. “A touch point that goes back hundreds of years, that you can go back to any time. You also take it with you. Given the global issues of the day, growing up as part of an educational community that included students from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Mexico, and so on, you learn to welcome a diversity of people and thoughts and experiences. It’s an invaluable perspective to hold as part of this bigger DEI conversation, a broader, deeper wovenness to do right by others, which is so Dominican in nature. It’s not a me solution; it’s a we solution.”

The sisters appear to bounce o each other’s passion and intellect. “Yes,” confirms Liz. “Let’s apply the San Domenico way as a framework for problem-solving. This inquiry, reflection, inclusion, seeking of truth, it forces recognition that you are part of a community, and not just the SD community but part of a global community.”

“Which reminds me of this word that keeps coming up in our work on updating the mission statement: wisdom,” says Laura. “And when you know you have wisdom, you have the confidence to use your voice.”

Wise words from two wonderful San Domenico alums.