Sundial Magazine Spring 2025

Sundial Sun The

THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL MAGAZINE

SPRING 2025

TIMELESS IMPACT

CREATING INSPIRING LEGACIES THROUGH TEACHING AND LEARNING

Sundial The

PUBLISHED BY The Ethel Walker School 230 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 www.ethelwalker.org Dr. Meera Viswanathan, Head of School EDITORIAL BOARD Gretchen Orschiedt, Assistant Head for Advancement Marion Paterson P’17, ’19, Director of Alumnae Relations and Major Giving Isabelle Russell, Stewardship and Donor Relations Manager Liss Couch-Edwards ’07, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications PHOTOGRAPHY Liss Couch-Edwards ’07, Tom Kates, Stephen Wang, Spencer Sloan, Katelyn Rodriguez, Ben Barker, Paul Costello CONTRIBUTORS Kim Harris-Thacker P’24, ’27, Dr. Meera Viswanathan Send Class Notes to alumnae@ethelwalker.org Advancement Office The Ethel Walker School 230 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 DESIGN John Johnson Art Direction & Design We make every attempt to publish accurate information. If you notice an error, please let us know so that we can fix it. Thank you.

The Ethel Walker School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national, and ethnic origin in administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Suns vs. Dials hockey game in 1957

IN THIS ISSUE 2 4

Message from the Head of School Empowering Growth: Walker’s Approach to Education

10 From Walker’s Campus to Global Trade

12 Retirement and Legacy at The Ethel Walker School 18 A Walker’s Family Affair

20 From the Archives: A Captivating Story About an Alumna Educator

24 Campus Happenings

30 Walker’s on the Road

34 Remembering Dr. Eric G. Widmer 38 Take Note

69 2024-2025 Board of Trustees 2024-2025 Alumnae Board

70 Advancement Notes On the Cover: Carol Clark-Flanagan P’93, ’97 and Joyce McIntyre P’92 pictured with students and advisees in Chapel

2

SPRING 2025

My very best wishes to you all from Simsbury as we glory in spring verdure and blossoms.

Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude towards this community for supporting me through Eric’s illness this last year and his death. He loved Walker’s and over the last nine years became an ardent believer in the transformative power of a traditionally all-girls school. So many of you wrote wonderful loving notes of encouragement and kind wishes — please know that over the course of the spring, I plan to respond to each of these individually. The flowers, the books, the gifts of food, and friendship truly sustained our family over these last few months. There is nothing like an all-girls school for the care of the soul!

Needless to say, this has been a tumultuous year as well for our nation and the planet, with much change and volatility from weather to the economy to the world order as we once knew it.

What sustains us more generally at these frenetic junctures is our abiding belief in the greater values of truth, goodness, knowledge, beauty, and transcendence as well as our determination to adapt and adjust ourselves to external circumstances as needed to survive and flourish in this world without ever relinquishing our faith in these larger principles. Is this not what education is at its heart — surely a blueprint for living engaged lives of meaning and purpose?

This issue of The Sundial is focused specifically on education and learning in its many aspects from exciting new ventures in courses for students, from college-credit courses at Walker’s to Stan-X to pedagogies to AI and more. What is often forgotten is the centrality of teachers to education.

Teachers are not merely instrumental purveyors of education. It is they who inspire us to learn, however hard the struggle; they bestow on us lenses that transform the confusing, chaotic environment surrounding us to a more sharply defined, wondrous world where we can understand patterns, and make sense of relationships and our places in that world. It is they who help us to make meaning and find purpose.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

DEAR WALKER’S COMMUNITY,

Guru, rabbi, and sensei are terms used in some of the most ancient faith traditions of the world, all translated into English as ‘teacher,’ although conveying much more. Whether it’s the ‘weightiness’ implied by the etymology of guru, the idea of master implicit in rabbi, or the notion of one who has lived before connoted by the characters for sensei, each of these words suggests benevolent reverence for one who guides others on the path to understanding.

It is this benevolence and reverence that characterize the greatest teachers and this is what our faculty at Walker’s aspire to embody each and every day.

Please know that in this topsy-turvy world, we reaffirm with our alumnae and friends of the School these older values of truth, goodness, beauty, and justice standing centerstage in a Walker’s education today.

Sincerely,

Dr. Meera Viswanathan

THE SUNDIAL 3

EMPOWERING GROWTH: WALKER’S APPROACH TO EDUCATION 4

SPRING 2025

AT THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL, empowerment isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a carefully crafted approach that touches every aspect of our educational experience. From the moment students step onto campus to the ongoing professional development of our faculty, we create an environment where growth, innovation, and individual potential are our highest priorities.

THE SUNDIAL 5

The spiraling STEAM curriculum is important because it supports differentiated learning, ensuring students with varying levels of prior knowledge can engage with concepts at their own pace…a spiraling approach enhances critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections, allowing students to see how STEAM concepts apply across different fields and realworld scenarios.

ASHLEY BONET , MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FACULTY

6

SPRING 2025

STUDENTS AT THE CENTER: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO LEARNING AND CURRICULUM Our commitment to student empowerment begins with a flexible, dynamic, school-wide curriculum that recognizes the unique journey of each learner. The “spiral curriculum” approach ensures that students don’t just memorize information, but build comprehensive understanding by connecting topics across disciplines.

In science, math, and English classes, concepts build on each other, with more advanced applications introduced as students progress. This sequencing ensures that students develop strong foundations before tackling complex ideas, fostering confidence and deeper comprehension at each stage.

What is the importance of building a spiraling curriculum? A spiraling curriculum is essential for fostering confidence, competence, and passion in girls by revisiting key concepts and skills over time and building on them at increasing levels of complexity. This approach reinforces learning, helping students solidify their understanding while gradually mastering challenging topics found in science and engineering.

Repeated exposure to STEAM concepts builds resilience and confidence, which are crucial in overcoming societal stereotypes that suggest STEAM is difficult or not for them. This continuous exposure helps normalize STEAM as a space for girls, making it feel more accessible and relevant to their lives.

Additionally, a spiraling curriculum keeps students engaged by demonstrating that STEAM is an evolving and creative field, allowing them to apply knowledge in new ways and develop problem-solving

skills. Furthermore, by mirroring the realworld nature of STEAM fields — where foundational knowledge grows over time — a spiraling curriculum prepares girls to think like scientists, engineers, and innovators, fostering long-term interest and success in STEAM careers.

Our educational philosophy for progressive learning continues to evolve, providing students with a comprehensive and dynamic learning experience that prepares them for future success. Small class enrollments and differentiated learning allow advanced students to explore more deeply while others receive targeted support. This personalized approach ensures every student is appropriately challenged and supported throughout their educational journey.

As part of this approach, we have recently introduced new English and history electives for 11th and 12th grade students.

These offerings include Advanced History – Economics, Introduction to

Allowing students the choice to indulge themselves in courses that we are passionate about is one of the biggest advantages you can provide for girls in education…having a strong education as a woman is a huge privilege, but my experience is even more enriched by the addition of so much autonomy in how I spend my days in the classroom.

KIPLEY K. ’25

Plans to attend Sewanee: The University of the South in the fall THE SUNDIAL 7

Archaeology, Literature and Food, and Advanced English Seminar: The Poetics of Space. In addition, we are also offering advanced courses in partnership with the Early College Experience (ECE) program at the University of Connecticut. These courses are taught by Walker’s faculty who have been certified to teach at the college level by UCONN. Students enrolled in an advanced language course (Latin, French, and Spanish) or history course will have the opportunity to register for college credits, receiving a UCONN transcript along with their Walker’s transcript upon graduation.

History Department Chair Randall Shō Northrop shares, “All of these electives allow students to have ownership over their academic journey and to dive deeply into topics in a way not possible in survey courses.” Our elective offerings also allow us to maximize our faculty expertise while giving students choices that align with passions and interests — even introducing new interests

and passions — and expanding student exposure to a focused content area. These choices empower the student and fully immerse themselves in their academic interests.

INCLUSIVE STRATEGIES: SUPPORTING EVERY LEARNER Inclusivity is at the heart of our approach. Our small class sizes allow for tailored instruction. Through flexible grouping, ongoing assessment, and open communication, we ensure that every student receives the support they need to thrive. New this academic year is the implementation of “office hours,” which are designated times when teachers are available outside of regular class hours for extra help or questions. Office hours are a building block in preparation for college success, which are popular with both students and faculty. They are in addition to other established support

systems: the Writing Center with Writing Fellows (a student leadership role); the Peer Tutoring program, which begins with our junior peer tutors in the Middle School and extends to the Upper School; and Collaborative Learning Groups.

Student support stands as a testament to our commitment to individual success, providing targeted support in myriad ways that help students overcome challenges and discover their potential.

LEADERSHIP GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS Leadership development is woven into the fabric of student life. From the Middle School’s leadership introduction through student government and educational travel experiences, to the Upper School’s expansive leadership opportunities, diverse clubs, and activities, we provide

Office hours have been a great addition to the schedule. I’ve used the time to meet students who need extra help or want additional enrichment, as well as to schedule reassessments or make-up work.

DR. CHRIS SEMK, WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT CHAIR 8

SPRING 2025

students with multiple avenues to develop critical skills: • Student government roles with ongoing training in the MS’s Fab 5 and the US Big 7 leadership roles, Class Officers, Proctors, Cicerones, Ethel Walker Athletic Council (EWAC), and more • Peer support programs including MS junior peer tutoring and US peer tutoring and writing fellow positions, for which students apply • Diverse clubs spanning arts, mental wellness, academics, and community partnerships • Educational travel experiences in both the MS and US that broaden perspectives and push boundaries to explore the world beyond our campus Our philosophy is simple: leadership isn’t about a title, but about exploring potential through varied experiences. Whether they are participating in Model United Nations, diving into philosophy discussions, or creating a literary magazine in Middle School and submitting pieces in our Daemon publication in the Upper School, students find numerous pathways to develop their voice and expand leadership skills and make meaningful contributions to their growth as learners, and later, as doers.

NURTURING FACULTY: THE BACKBONE OF OUR INNOVATION We believe that empowering students starts with empowering our faculty. Walker’s comprehensive professional development approach recognizes that teachers are lifelong learners. We support educators at every stage of their professional journey through a unique five-cohort model: • First Year at Walker’s: Onboarding and community integration • Community and Residential Life: Understanding holistic educational impact

• Instructional Deep Dive: Exploring and refining teaching practices • Pedagogical Risk-Taking: Encouraging innovation and self-reflection • External Professional Engagement: Supporting broader professional growth This approach is more than just professional development — it’s about creating a culture of excellence. We provide clear expectations and encourage professional growth by supporting external professional engagements and work-life balance and involving teachers in decision-making for continuous growth and reflection. Our goal is to create an environment where outstanding educators feel valued, supported, and inspired to bring their best selves to the classroom each day.

THE WALKER’S DIFFERENCE What sets Walker’s apart is our unwavering commitment to recognizing the unique potential of each student and faculty member. We awaken students

to their capabilities in an environment engineered for girls, not only to educate but also to empower them. Students are supported to take risks, explore interests, and push boundaries; they are not only encouraged — they are celebrated.

These empowering growth strategies for students and faculty complement our Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program (WCAP), now in its sixth year, designed to disrupt gendered mindsets to help girls realize their full potential as doers, thinkers, and creators. Collectively, the capabilities — fluencies, discoveries, international experience, agencies, and self-selected — allow for challenge and failure by encouraging girls to be confident and resilient, and to embrace a growth mindset.

Walker’s alumnae are the living proof of the strength of this approach. Their successes, their courage, and their continued connection to Walker’s demonstrate the lasting impact of an education that truly empowers. Our alumnae are lifelong learners with a foundation that began here. l

Learn more about our faculty and our WCAP at ethelwalker.org THE SUNDIAL 9

FROM WALKER’S CAMPUS TO GLOBAL TRADE: AN ALUMNA SHAPES INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE AT THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 10

SPRING 2025

IN A RECENT VIRTUAL VISIT TO WALKER’S, JOHANNA HILL ’90, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL AT THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO), OFFERED STUDENTS A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND SPOKE ABOUT HER REMARKABLE JOURNEY FROM EL SALVADOR TO WALKER’S TO THE HEIGHTS OF GLOBAL ECONOMIC POLICY.

Johanna Hill, who leads the WTO’s

work on economic research, digital trade, intellectual property, and other crucial areas, brought her expertise to History Department Chair Randall Shō Northrop’s Advanced Introduction to Economics: Microeconomics class. Her presentation resonated deeply with students, who were inspired by her professional accomplishments, expertise, and approachable demeanor.

“She was so kind and thoughtful with her responses. Super inspiring to see a person who is so important and smart and yet so humble,” reflected student Stella S. ’25.

With over 30 years of experience in international trade, Johanna’s career path showcases the power of persistence and expertise. Before her current role at the WTO, she served as the Vice Minister of Economy for El Salvador, orchestrating trade policy and negotiations. Her experience extends to advising businesses and SMEs on trade regulations and investment strategies.

Student feedback reflected the impact of Johanna’s virtual visit. Emily P. ’26 noted, “I learned about her timeline and how she slowly went up the ladder in the trade world. It allowed me to have an insight into what the trade world can be like from someone with a position like Johanna’s.”

Students felt such a connection to Johanna through Walker’s and the lens of her career on the international economic stage.

RANDALL SHŌ NORTHROP, HISTORY DEPARTMENT CHAIR

For many students, Johanna’s career progression offered valuable lessons about professional growth. “I think it was inspiring to me in the sense that if you want something you can achieve it, but it might not be right away,” shared Ella S. ’25.

Currently, Johanna also serves on the board of TradeExperettes, a network of women trade experts, further emphasizing her commitment to fostering diversity in international trade leadership. Her journey from El Salvador to the WTO exemplifies the global perspective and leadership qualities cultivated at Walker’s.

Randall confirms that the virtual visit was a resounding success. “Students felt such a connection to Johanna through Walker’s and the lens of her career on the international economic stage,” he said. It was an inspiring virtual visit with an alumna who defines the Walker’s experience and connection. Johanna’s experience and accomplishments demonstrate how strong academic foundations like those fostered at Walker’s can lead to extraordinary careers. l

Brianna M. ’26 summed up the impact of Johanna’s visit: “Hearing from a WTO leader helped me understand what global trade is, what the WTO does, and how global trade occurs today.”

THE SUNDIAL 11

Proud Suns, Carol in her floral orange and yellow suit and Joyce, captured in the “sun” here!

After a combined 75 years in the shaping and care of young minds at The Ethel Walker School, Carol Clark-Flanagan P’93, ’97 and Joyce McIntyre P’92 are hanging up their chalk — and stethoscope.

Their journey from fresh-faced faculty to beloved veterans mirrors the evolution of education itself — from overhead projectors to interactive smartboards, from manila folders to cloud storage. How times have changed, one might think. We sat down with Carol and Joyce to reflect on their decades spent at Walker’s and explore the lasting impact they will leave behind. Though they may be departing campus, their influence will continue to resonate in our community and beyond!

12

SPRING 2025

A TEACHER’S LEGACY: 35 YEARS OF IMPACT AT THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL After 35 years of teaching, Carol Clark-Flanagan P’93, ’97 is preparing to close her distinguished career at Walker’s. Her legacy as a teacher, mentor, and collaborator is firmly etched into the fabric of the community. Reflecting on her time at the School, Carol, affectionately known as “Clarky,” and her journey offer not just a story of teaching, but a testament to the lasting impact a passionate educator can have on generations of young women.

TEACHING WITH HUMOR, HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND HEART Students and teachers have described Carol’s approach to teaching as a blend of humor, passion, and high standards.

While some might remember her as “hard,” Carol sees it differently. “The expectation is always high because I care,” she explains. “I want my students to know they are capable of great things, and that means setting the bar high.” Her grading might have been tough, but it was always rooted in her deep respect for each student’s potential.

Those who experienced Carol’s classroom speak of the energy she brought to every lesson — how she infused history with enthusiasm, often reading alongside students. She reflects, “It’s such a joy to discover a text together, to share that ‘wow’ moment with them.”

Her teaching has never been about simply transferring knowledge; rather it has been about sparking curiosity and instilling a love for learning. As Carol often tells her students, “If you come to class with curiosity, you will leave with something that will serve you for life.”

THE JOY OF COLLABORATION AND COURSE DESIGN One of Carol’s most cherished aspects of teaching has always been the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues. Over the years, she has had the chance to work alongside fellow educators to design and teach courses, particularly within the English, history, and science departments. She describes collaboration as “one of my favorite things to do,” noting how it has given her a chance to create something greater than what any one teacher could do alone.

THE SUNDIAL 13

A standout achievement for Carol was her role in co-designing the Environmental Studies course with science colleagues.

The collaborative effort it took to build the course is an example of what Carol values most in education — making learning interdisciplinary and deeply connected to real-world issues. “We had art components, ethics discussions, and even took the students on a canoe trip on the river,” she recalls. “It was the kind of class that showed students the power of collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking.” Her colleagues made her an honorary member of the science department, for which she proudly displays a framed certificate.

FOSTERING A GROWTH MINDSET Carol’s career is not just marked by the students she has taught, but also by her own growth. “I’ve always valued learning,” she says. “Teaching is about my growth, too. I’ve never stopped learning.”

With a degree in cultural anthropology from Cornell University, Carol’s path to teaching was unconventional — with work on her own “show” on the Simsbury, CT local TV station — and also deeply

rooted in her love of learning and sharing knowledge. It was through teaching history and English that she found her true calling.

She developed new courses, explored interdisciplinary approaches, and always sought to evolve as a teacher.

Her commitment to growth and discovery has extended beyond the classroom as well.

As Dean of Faculty and coach for squash and lacrosse, she embraced leadership and athletic roles, further embedding herself in the fabric of the school. Her daughters, Nan ’93 and Kate ’97, both attended Walker's, as well as a number of extended family members, adding another layer of connection to the School — family legacy.

If you come to class with curiosity, you will leave with something that will serve you for life.

CAROL CLARK-FLANAGAN P’93, ’97

14

SPRING 2025

THE SPIRIT OF INQUIRY IS THE HEART OF EDUCATION Carol’s tenure at Walker’s also spans a time of significant changes in education.

The rise of standardized testing, the shift toward project-based learning, and the demands of preparing students for an ever-changing world have reshaped how educators approach teaching.

Yet through it all, she has remained committed to a philosophy that values curiosity, intellectual rigor, and the development of independent thought.

The spirit of inquiry, she believes, should be at the heart of education. “We need to prepare students for the future, but that doesn’t mean teaching only what’s trending or what’s relevant at the moment,” she says. “It’s about fostering critical thinking, problem solving, and a love of learning that can last a lifetime.”

In many ways, Carol’s work at The Ethel Walker School exemplifies the ideal of what education should be: a dynamic and evolving process that nurtures the growth of both students and educators.

In fact, a colleague reflects that “I want to be like [Carol] when I ‘grow up.’ [She has] shown me what it means to be a teacher who is always learning, always stretching, always growing.”

A LEGACY OF IMPACT As Carol prepares for retirement, she reflects on what she hopes her legacy will be. It’s not the accolades or awards that matter to her, but the stories that students and colleagues will pass on.

“I hope they tell funny stories about me,” she smiles. “And maybe they’ll exaggerate a little bit, but that’s part of the fun.” One such story will likely be about “cheating on Dogswood Day” — but that's one you will have to ask her about yourself. Carol will always be remembered as a fierce and competitive Sun, dressed from head to toe in her orange and yellow floral suit.

Shakespeare Festival

Her true legacy lies in the students who leave Walker’s with the skills, confidence, and curiosity to engage fully with the world. It’s in the rigorous academic standards she has upheld, the sense of humor she has brought to every classroom, and the deep relationships she has fostered with her students. It’s in the lessons she imparted, both inside and outside the classroom, about the importance of hard work, intellectual curiosity, and the joy of discovery.

An alumna shares: “Clarky was one of the most passionate and inspiring teachers I had the privilege of learning from. I deeply appreciated her insightful perspective on current events and her guidance on how we, as women, can navigate life in a way that empowers both ourselves and our community.”

Carol’s parting words echo the essence of her career: “I always tell my students you measure success by what you bring to the table, not just by what you take away. I hope they take that with them.” l THE SUNDIAL 15

FOUR DECADES OF CARE: A LEGACY OF COMPASSION AT WALKER’S WELLNESS CENTER In the sunlit waiting room of Walker’s Wellness Center, which bears her name, Joyce McIntyre P’92 reflects on her 40-year journey leading health and wellness at Walker’s as Director of Health Services. Her eyes sparkle with warmth as she recalls the countless students who have passed through her doors, each with their own stories, anxieties, and needs.

16

SPRING 2025

“The more the years go by, basically, the more it stays the same — variations of the same theme,” she muses, but the evolution of student healthcare at Walker’s tells a different story. From the “adorable” Russell building with its quaint setup of four bedrooms and two bathrooms, through the challenging years in Galbraith’s single room where creativity and resilience were tested daily, to today’s state-of-the-art facility, Walker’s wellness spaces mirror the progression of student healthcare itself.

Joyce notes that the most significant changes have come in mental health awareness and treatment. “There wasn’t any conversation,” she recalls of her early years. What began with a dance teacher moonlighting as a counselor evolved into a comprehensive wellness program with full-time professional counselors. “The mental health end of it has gotten better and better and better — and more open,” she observes.

Modern challenges have emerged, too.

“Dr. Google,” she chuckles, describing how students now arrive with self-diagnoses from internet searches. But she sees this as part of a broader trend: today’s students are “savvier... worldly smarter.”

Her proudest achievement is the culture she’s built within the Wellness Center.

“The kids have to be comfortable to come to you,” she explains. This philosophy extends to her legendary women’s health class, which she created and has taught for decades. Alumnae across generations still describe it as the “best women’s health class ever” — a testament to her approach of making students “comfortable with uncomfortable subjects, and giving them the knowledge and skills to help keep them educated and safe in their lives.”

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges. Joyce, her team, and the rest of the faculty and staff at Walker’s managed everything from contact tracing to coordinating care for infected students whose parents couldn’t pick them up. They also developed protocols while living through the pandemic. Throughout

it all, Joyce’s commitment to student care never wavered, even if it meant making middle-of-the-night phone calls and making emergency visits to campus.

When asked what led her to nursing, Joyce shared that after starting work as a nurse in a hospital emergency room, she wanted something that allowed her to tend to her young family, and the school schedule allowed for that, including her daughter Jill, who graduated from Walker’s in the Class of 1992. While she states emphatically, “I didn’t set out to save the human race, but what I’ve come to learn is that I like the kids — the girls. I like the schedule. But it’s the kids. They’re funny. They are really, really funny.” She describes her 40 years in four words, pausing thoughtfully before responding: “An adventure. Comfortable. Satisfying.”

Joyce describes one of the most rewarding aspects of working at Walker’s as being able to contribute to students’ growth and wellness.

As our conversation winds down, a student pokes her head in, complaining of a sore throat. Without missing a beat, Joyce shifts into care mode, asking about water intake and symptoms while reaching for a thermometer. It’s a fitting conclusion to our interview; even in her final months before retirement, she remains fully present for each student who needs her.

One alumna noted that “Ms. Mac was always a warm and reassuring presence, someone who made me feel safe and cared for no matter the situation. At the same time, she had a no-nonsense attitude, offering honest advice and practical care that made her both dependable and deeply respected.”

As she prepares to pass the torch, Joyce hopes to leave behind “a legacy with a foundation for the next person to create their own approach.” But her true legacy lies in the thousands of students who have experienced her unique blend of practical care and emotional support — a model of compassionate healthcare that will influence Walker’s for generations to come. l

The mental health end of it has gotten better and better and better — and more open....the kids have to be comfortable to come to you.

JOYCE MCINTYRE P’92 THE SUNDIAL 17

A WALKER’S FAMILY AFFAIR After dedicating 21 years of his career to girls’ education, five of those years to Walker’s, Dr. Ned Edwards P’07, ’10 is retiring from The Ethel Walker School, where his family’s connections run deep and exemplify our School’s tight-knit community.

Tennis Coach Edwards on the courts

18

SPRING 2025

Dr. Ned Edwards P’07, ’10 took the reins of the innovative Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program (WCAP) in its second year, and has been an unwavering champion and advocate for girls’ education throughout his career, a choice he made deliberately after witnessing its transformative effect on his own two daughters.

“Single-sex education for girls is more necessary now than ever before,” Ned emphasized. “Though we’ve come a long way, gender gaps persist in pay and certain vocations like finance — especially the C-suites — tech, and STEAM. The role of collaboration, confidence, competence, developing voice, and the experience of bolstering each other are less prevalent in co-ed schools.”

Ned’s connection to our School began 36 years ago when he received a gray Walker’s sweatshirt as thanks for delivering a chapel talk while serving as chaplain at Miss Porter’s School. “I have not been without one since then,” he noted. His Walker’s family legacy deepened significantly in 1999 when his wife, Gwen Couch, joined as a Middle School English and history teacher and Theater Director, eventually rising to become Director of the Middle School.

The couple’s daughters, Liss and Mega, Classes of 2007 and 2010, respectively, both attended Walker’s Middle and Upper School and were “transformed by the experience,” according to Ned. The family tradition continues today with Liss working in the School’s Marketing and Communications department while married to history faculty member John Monagan. Residing on campus with their two children, they represent the third generation with Walker’s ties. Mega is a member of the Upper School Wellness Faculty at Milken Community School in Los Angeles, CA.

“Being able to enter into that legacy, working with Liss in her role, her husband, John, in the History Department, and seeing my grandchildren almost every day is a dream come true,” Ned said.

“There isn’t a person my age that I tell that to who isn’t insanely jealous!”

As Executive Director of WCAP, Ned helped integrate the Capabilities Approach philosophy with best practices. The program focuses on developing resilience, confidence, and collaboration skills while supporting social justice principles.

“The unexpected surprise was how beautifully it coincides with the best practices of girl-centered education,” he explained. “This meant that what many of us were doing in the classroom was utilizing the Capabilities Approach without knowing it.”

During his final year at Walker’s, “Dr. Nedwards,” as students refer to him, returned to full-time teaching, which he described as “a blessing” that has allowed him to focus on nurturing students’ love of learning. “What I hope they remember is a joyful advocate and coach who believed in them so much that they could learn anything they set their minds to and accomplish anything they wanted,” he reflects.

In retirement, Ned plans to spend time with family, return to his long-neglected woodworking projects, serve as an usher for the Hartford Yard Goats baseball team, and work part-time at a local hardware store. “And like my career at Walker’s,” he added, “I want to be open to whatever else happens to come along. I’m always up for a challenge!” l

Dr. Edwards brought WCAP to life through his commitment to girls education, his understanding of how the brain works and how to meet the needs of adolescents, while building confidence and supporting girls as thinkers and doers.

Mega ’10, Liss ’07, History Faculty John Monagan, Gwen, and Ned at Liss and John’s 2017 wedding in Walker’s Chapel

ISABEL CEBALLOS P’29 INTERIM DEAN OF FACULTY AND HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL THE SUNDIAL 19

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF BAY HANSEN COUDENHOVE, CLASS OF 1920

By Archivist Kim Harris-Thacker P’24, ’27

20

SPRING 2025

A mysterious painting tucked away in a basement office in Beaver Brook sparked the curiosity of our School Archivist, Kim Harris-Thacker P’24, ’27. Who created this intriguing artwork?

The answer revealed a fascinating connection to Walker’s past: Bay Hansen Coudenhove, Class of 1920 — an accomplished alumna who moved seamlessly between the worlds of high society, education, and fine art. Her story, largely forgotten until now, offers a glimpse into the remarkable legacy and lives of Walker’s women.

Ottilie “Bay” Frances Catlin Hansen was born July 3, 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Otto Reinhardt and May (Catlin) Hansen.

Bay grew up mostly in Wisconsin and California, and traveled extensively.

She attended The Ethel Walker School and graduated in 1920. Her sister Mathilde graduated from Walker’s in 1921, and her sister Mary graduated in 1928. Bay’s father was a successful businessman who invested widely. One of his investments played a particularly important role in his daughter’s life.

In the early 1900s, Glendale, Arizona was mostly farmland, made arable by the canal that had recently been built to irrigate the desert landscape. Otto Hansen could see that it was on the brink of tremendous growth, so he purchased land in town and named it Catlin Court, after his wife. He then subdivided the parcels, keeping one for his own family, and hired the Myers and Carrick real estate agency to sell off the other parcels. Performing clerical work in their office was a man whose World War I draft registration card states was tall, of medium build, blue-eyed and brownhaired, with one broken finger on his right hand. The story continues like the plot of a Rodgers and Hammerstein play: teenage socialite Bay Hansen visits a Wild Western town where her father has bought some land and falls in love with a handsome-but-poor office clerk.

Fortunately, the story is much more complex than that.

While few archival documents exist through which to construct a detailed story of his life, the draft registration card that belonged to Bay Hansen’s beau is a regular gold mine. It lists Austria as the man’s country of birth and states that his full name was “Carl Kuno Coudenhove.” At other times in his life, he was known as Karl-Kuno Max Joseph Maria Ludwig Graf von Coudenhove-Honrichs; but most often — and especially in the United States — he was Charles. Perhaps Myers and Carrick had no knowledge that the clerk they employed to document sales of Catlin Court was actually Count Karl-Kuno Coudenhove, of the Austrian noble family of Coudenhove. Surely Bay knew his secret — and she would come to learn others.

As a teenager, Charles had had a dalliance with an Austrian singer and actress, Friederike “Fritzi” Massaryk, that resulted in the birth in 1903 of one child, Elisabeth “Liesl” Maria Karl.

Charles’s family didn’t approve of the match, to the point where one source states that they threatened to place him in an institution for the mentally ill if he didn’t give up the relationship. So Charles and Fritzi went their separate ways, and Charles made a new life for himself in the United States.

She has brought up her own family, cared for ill people, worked for the Red Cross during and after the war, [and] taken responsibility in her work here.…You would look far to find a person with as vivid a personality.

NATALIE GALBRAITH, 1955 HEAD OF SCHOOL

At left, one of Bay’s watercolor paintings “Nullas Horas Nisi Aureas” THE SUNDIAL 21

An article written about Charles, published in The New York Times in 1927, says that he was in the Klondike when World War I broke out in Europe, and that he “managed to traverse Canada and reach Seattle.” His memoirs, published in 1927, speak further of his experiences during the war, even suggesting that he was the confidante of a German spy who intended to arm German-Americans and lead them in an invasion of Canada.

Sometime during the war, Charles moved to Arizona, where he found work with Myers and Carrick, and he and Bay met.

They married in Santa Barbara in 1920, just two months after Bay graduated from Walker’s. The New York Times published their betrothal announcement: “Count de Coudenhove’s family dates back to 1179, and is one of the oldest families in Europe.” Bay’s familial connections were not to be sneered at, either. Another article in the Ajo (Arizona) Copper News wrote of the Hansen family as “prominent in New York and Newport, as well as in France and England.”

The Count and his new Countess resided for several weeks in Ajo before moving to London. Other locations in which they were known to have lived were Germany and Austria. They were the parents of two children: Johann Gerolf Alexander Carl Franz, who died in 1941 at the age of 19, possibly in connection to World War II, and Marie Sophie “Maphie” Valentine Paula Elisabeth Ernestine, who was sent to the U.S. to attend Walker’s for two years, from 1936-1938, and was the first “alumna daughter” at the School.

Maphie was raised speaking French and German, and reports from her teachers state that she thrived at School, despite the language barrier: “Maphie is a joy to us all. She has entered into the life of the School eagerly and has attacked her work with independence. Her disregard of her language handicap has been most courageous. She is very cooperative and intelligent in all that she does.” Maphie’s movements after her graduation are mostly unknown, but she did marry, take on the title Countess, and move to Germany.

Count Charles Coudenhove died in Würrtemburg, Germany on the day of the Battle of Britain (September 7, 1940), although it isn’t clear if his death was a consequence of World War II.

“Chapel in Snow” watercolor 22

SPRING 2025

Bay returned to the U.S. in 1948 and immediately sought work at Walker’s.

Letters in the School’s archival collection state that her earliest employment was as Head of School Natalie Galbraith’s assistant; census reports from the time also list her as a housemother. Later, Bay taught classes in French, German, and religion.

She spent her summers as a camp director in Massachusetts and New York.

In a 1955 letter that Miss Galbraith wrote to recommend Bay for summer employment at a camp, it reads, “Mrs. Coudenhove has great distinction and charm and is a valuable asset to any organization. She has brought up her own family, cared for ill people, worked for the Red Cross during and after the war, [and] taken responsibility in her work here….

You would look far to find a person with as vivid a personality.… She is exceedingly attractive and can win the affection of almost anyone.”

In another letter, Miss Galbraith wrote, “Mrs. Coudenhove.… is a graduate of this School. Unfortunately, she never went to college as she married immediately after she left school, but her life abroad for more than twenty years has given her a breadth of cultural and intellectual interests beyond that of many college graduates.… She has met tragedy in her personal life with fortitude and has a courageous approach to living. Because of her experiences and her understanding of life’s problems she has much to offer….”

A few years after Bay returned to her alma mater to work, British-born Barbara Joan Sindall arrived at Walker’s, hired to teach Latin and Greek. Like many other people at that time, Barbara had personal stories about World War II; but, having served for three years during the war as an antiaircraft gunner for England, Barbara’s stories were particularly exciting. For this reason and others, she was a favorite among students. She and Bay also connected on a deep level, forming a friendship that would last the rest of their lives.

Class of 1920 showing Bay top left

While at Walker’s, Bay developed her skills as an artist. One of her favorite scenes to paint was that of the Chapel on campus. She was skilled in oil and watercolor painting and produced artwork prolifically. Bay was a dedicated

correspondent who traveled as often as she could, and she sent letters and her artworks to friends far and wide — including to a Simsbury shoe salesman and his wife, whose shop she frequented and whom she befriended. One of Bay’s

postcards to this couple is from the Alps, and in it she mentions her very comfortable shoes. Another letter to the couple is accompanied by a watercolor painting of boats at anchor. Bay signed all of her works with her chosen name with a crown above it, as befitting a countess.

Bay retired from teaching at Walker’s in 1962, and Barbara retired in 1966.

The pair then moved to Jeffersonville, Vermont, where Bay continued to paint and Barbara worked as a librarian. They lived together until Bay’s death in 1988.

Barbara died less than a year later.

Bay’s fascinating story lives on in the Archives, which is home to documents about her, her sisters, her daughter, her niece (who also attended Walker’s), and her dear friend Barbara. While the Archives also typically houses Bay’s beautiful artworks, her paintings are currently on display in Bell Library. l

Watercolor boats for Ron Rinaldi, a shoe repairman in Simsbury THE SUNDIAL 23

CAMPUS HAPPENINGS

Winter Dance Concert The Winter Dance Concert, titled “Waves of Emotion,” captivated audiences with its powerful performances, showcasing a dynamic range of movement and expression.

Family Weekend 2024

was filled with connection, laughter, and celebration as parents and guardians had the opportunity to step into their students’ world and share in the experiences that make Walker’s such a special place. A highlight of the weekend was honoring Math Department Chair Jennifer Wall P’22, ’24 with The Anastasia Payne Rooke ’48 Chair in Science, Math, and Technology for her distinguished performance in the classroom and contributions to the life of the School.

24

SPRING 2025

New England Prep School Dance Festival Dancers and choreographers from The Loomis Chaffee School, Miss Porter’s School, and Taft School joined Walker’s as we hosted the New England Prep School Dance Festival this fall. Master classes and a performance of student and faculty choreography allowed dancers to share in their passion for the arts.

The 7th grade traveled to Fairlee, Vermont

to engage in a leadership workshop led by The Aloha Foundation. Students spent three days participating in activities that build leadership skills, community, and confidence while strengthening relationships. The 7th grade also took advantage of winter in New England with their fair share of sledding!

A tradition since 1972, Lacuna is a week during which our

students and faculty step outside their usual routines to explore new passions and skills. Through courses such as Sound To Canvas: How Music Inspires Visual Art, Torque Queens, and Zen and the Art of Lego Building, students receive a unique opportunity to grow and learn. They created custom textiles, became clowns, learned strength and conditioning for athletics, built bluebird houses, and more during this week of faculty-led courses.

MLK Day: Channeling Our Inner Artivist The School honored the memory of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by facilitating a day of programming to celebrate his life and legacy. This year merged the intersection of art and activism under the theme “Channeling Our Inner Artivist,” providing us with an opportunity to reflect on how we as a community can use our creativity to challenge systemic oppression and inspire positive change in the world. A keynote address from award-winning writer, activist, and educator Dariana Guerrero began the day, followed by student-led workshops on dance, music composition, painting, weaving, craftivism, and more.

THE SUNDIAL 25

Mountain Day is a long-standing tradition that bridges the experience of alumnae and current students. We all know and love

the feelings that arise when the surprise day is announced the evening prior. The fresh perspective atop Talcott Mountain, visible from campus, allows us all to get out into the fresh air and be a witness to the colorful splendor of our beautiful landscape and to connect with each other and with nature.

This fall, The Ethel Walker School community welcomed Malinda Lo for the Visiting Writer Seminar. She spoke about the journey to success, the interconnectedness of life, and the importance of thoughtful choices. Reflecting on her own path, Lo encouraged students to embrace their voices and recognize the impact of their actions. She left them with a final thought: “Our paths may never cross again, but we are connected because we shared this moment together.” Learn more about our Visiting Writer Seminar by scanning the QR code below.

26

SPRING 2025

This winter’s Lunar New Year was a festive time at Walker’s, featuring a dinner for members of the Asian Student Collective, dumpling making, a lion dance by a professional company, and the unveiling of Shēng, a stunning Walker’s-themed lion head created by Kate X. ’27 and Nhi C. ’27.

Scan QR code to learn more.

This year’s winter play was a story of magic, adventure, and secrets found in the “realm of imagination” called Elsewhere.

The Old Girl Show and New Girl Show both set

the stage for student (and faculty!) talent to shine, lifted up by the neverending support of our community.

As always, the holidays at Walker’s brought about feelings of gratitude and overall cheer. This year marked a special series of celebrations, including the Holiday Concert and Holiday Ride, reflecting the diversity of cultures and traditions amongst our community members and the general themes of how we all celebrate with family and food.

THE SUNDIAL 27

REUNION IS FOR EVERYONE!

28

SPRING 2025

REUNION WEEKEND: MAKE IT YOUR WEEKEND! MAY 16–18, 2025

Campus will come alive with memories, connections, and celebrations. This weekend is for every alumna — no matter when you graduated!

Reunion Weekend promises opportunities to connect with friends, beloved faculty, and the campus where your journey began.

While we highlight milestone years for classes ending in 0 and 5, we welcome all alumnae to be part of the celebration!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 WALKER’S HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES We celebrate the following alumnae for their contributions and excellence in athletics:

Mary Willcox Knapp ’44, P’80 Ruthann Bowers ’80 Lee Fantasia Burns ’90 Sydney Satchell ’10 Join us over Reunion Weekend as we celebrate these alumnae at the induction ceremony followed by refreshments and an alumnae lacrosse game on Friday, May 16, 2025!

MASTER CLASSES WITH RETIRING WALKER’S FACULTY • STATE OF THE SCHOOL ADDRESS • CAMPUS TOURS STUDENT AND ALUMNAE PANEL DISCUSSION • SPECIAL MASTER CLASS WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT • FRIDAY NIGHT FOOD TRUCKS • SATURDAY NIGHT BANQUET AND PIANO BAR

THE SUNDIAL 29

WALKER’S ON THE ROAD See where we’ve been this year! We hope to see you soon in your area at our upcoming events and gatherings.

Alumnae, trustees, parents and friends of Walker’s gathered on Nantucket, MA in July to hear from Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan, hosted

by Trustee Alex Badger Airth ’83 and Jacqueline Mars P’83. Guests included (in alphabetical order): Patricia and Thomas Anathan P’92, Anne Dobbin Bailliere ’59, Jill Reighley Christensen ’69, Frances Morris Constable ’75, Wendy Hodgkins DeLorey ’83, P’20, Lorna MacDougall Denham ’83, M.J. Levy Dickson ’68, Mia Farnella ’18, Mary Lotuff Feeny ’83, Meg Filoon ’81, Pamela Johnson Gammill ’87, Karen Birnie Garzon ’83, Ann Carol Madonia Hamm ’84, Janet Hedges ’21, Toby Hudson P’24, Trustee Sarah Johnson ’78, P’10, Caroline Olesh ’15, Patricia Olesh P’15, Trustee Tom Regan P’13, Board Chair Kit O’Brien Rohn ’82, Priscilla Reynolds Roosevelt ’59, Lisa Dobbin Sherwood ’57, Trustee Emma Simon ’89, Ann Boland Strachan ’83, Alumnae Board member Eliza Wetmore ’18, and Leila Wetmore ’82, P’18.

A July luncheon in Old Saybrook, CT included, from L to R: Maya Dolphin ’24, Marsha Davis ’95, Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan, Trustee Teresa Younger, Trustee and host Leander Altifois Dolphin ’95, P’24, Sandra Marin Lautier ’07, Courtney Massenberg ’96, Alumnae Board member Kayla Monroe ’12, April Bolton Mwangi ’00, and Cheryl Joseph De Vonish ’96

Want to host an event? Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P'17, '19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org or +1 860-408-4257.

30

SPRING 2025

Walker’s gathering of current and prospective families in Shenzhen, China in July, hosted by Amanda Zheng P’27, included current students and families, newly enrolled families, and prospective families who met with Assistant Head for Admission and Enrollment Pam Safford ’81.

A lovely August luncheon on Fishers Island, NY included L to R: Assistant Head for Advancement Gretchen Orschiedt, former Trustee Alison McCall ’72, Michele du Pont Goss ’59, Kenny King Howe ’57, Carroll Morgan Carpenter ’59, Trustee Emerita and host Margot Campbell Bogert ’60, former Trustee Staley Cayce Sednaoui ’76, Hilary Walker Hotchkiss ’75, Kathy Loomis Harris ’72, Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan, and Roberta Downs Houghton ’58.

A September gathering in Boston, MA included: L to R back row: Elizabeth Cao ’22, Alice Gu ‘22, Alaina Vermilya ’20, Liyanni Vazquez ’20, Laurel Gaddis ’18, Brooke DeLorey ’20, Chappie Wick ’15, Amy Paul P’16, ’18; front row: Assistant Head for Admission and Enrollment Pam Safford ’81, Mary Lotuff Feeny ’83, and Wendy Hodgkins DeLorey ’83, P’20.

THE SUNDIAL 31

Advancement Office travels to Ohio and Kentucky in September included lunch in Louisville, KY with McCall Watson Eng ’81 and Veda Pendleton ’75.

A September gathering in Bermuda included Georgia Paul ’16, Leila Howland Wetmore ’82, P’18, Dana Cooper ’79, and Skyla White ’23.

Faculty attending a December conference in Denver, CO gathered with Colorado alumnae, from L to R: Amy Turner Fraterelli ’86, Lindsay Ewald ’98, Spanish faculty member Nilda Legassa P’23, Barbara McPherson Sanders ’68, Dean of Students Nishette Isaac, Art faculty member Katelyn Rodriguez, Margaret Hegwood ’15, Lisa Howard-Sorrell ’09, and Nellie Speers ’16.

Advancement Office travels to Atlanta, GA in December included a luncheon with, from L to R: Melissa Jackson Loree ’88, Major Gifts Officer Melissa Regan P’13, Sandra Rohde McNamee ’84, and Blair Beuttas ’88.

32

SPRING 2025

A December young alumnae gathering in West Hartford, CT included, L to R: host and Alumnae Board member Kayla Monroe ’12, Ella Samson ’20, Kate Samson ’23, Trustee Leander Altifois Dolphin ’95, P’24, Maya Dolphin ’24, Lena Springer ’13, Paige Williams-Menard ’13, Akira Hippolite ’22, and Karen Santana ’08.

A January theatre outing in London, UK to see a matinee performance of The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver ’67 included alumnae, family, and friends. L to R (excluding guests): Rebecca Williams ’20, Alumnae Board member Fiona de Kerckhove ’89, Tucker Etherington Anderson ’66, Emily Sappington ’06, Melissa Murray Domenig ’77, Sigourney Weaver ’67, Constance Schulp ’15, Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19, Victoria Parr ’89, Fernanda Gilligan Jess ’96, and Allison Hulbert Potts ’96.

Alumnae, parents, trustees, and prospective families gathered in San Francisco, CA in January for a wonderful evening hosted by Kathryn Spector Lasater ’87.

THE SUNDIAL 33

A LIFE OF VISION, EDUCATION, AND LEADERSHIP: REMEMBERING MR. VIS, DR. ERIC G. WIDMER (1940–2025)

Few individuals have left as profound a legacy as Dr. Eric G. Widmer. A visionary educator, distinguished scholar, and compassionate leader, Widmer embodied the finest traditions of global education while consistently charting bold new paths forward.

His educational journey began at Deerfield Academy, where he distinguished himself as both a scholar and athlete. At Williams College, he emerged as a natural leader, serving as class president and student council president while excelling as a running back and lacrosse player. His academic pursuits led him to Harvard University, where he earned his Ph.D. in history and Far Eastern languages under renowned sinologist Professor John King Fairbank.

Widmer then embarked on a quarter of a century of educational leadership at Brown University. As a professor of Chinese and Inner Asian history, he authored the influential monograph, The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Peking During the 18th Century. His tenure as Dean of Student Life and later as Dean of Admission and Financial Aid left an indelible mark on the institution. It was at Brown where he met his wife, Dr. Meera Viswanathan, a kindred spirit who taught comparative literature and East Asian studies, and who is now in her ninth year as Head of The Ethel Walker School.

In 1994, Widmer’s journey came full circle when he was installed as the 54th headmaster of Deerfield Academy – the first alumnus to serve in this role.

After more than a decade in this role, he received an invitation from Deerfield graduate His Majesty King Abdullah II, and became the founding head of King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan, establishing a school and an international community at what would become one of the region’s most prestigious educational institutions.

Here in Simsbury, where he accompanied his wife, Dr. Meera Viswanathan (known to students as “Ms. Vis”), we remember

34

SPRING 2025

Dr. Eric Widmer with deep affection. We knew him as “Mr. Vis,” a name badge he proudly wore to all events. He had the unique ability to make everyone feel valued in his support of his wife and her compelling vision for Walker’s and our students, faculty, and staff. He greeted everyone by name and was present at countless gatherings and events, always ready with a kind word, genuine warmth, and interest. Mr. Vis arrived daily at Beaver Brook on his bike to pick up his newspapers and have lunch promptly when the doors to Abra’s opened. He was ever-present in the Chapel for Thanksgiving and Holiday Vespers, and his enjoyment of the festivities was deeply evident. Memorably, he and Ms. Vis performed an annual holiday tale in which he played the role of a recorder-playing donkey with equal doses of sincerity, humor, and enthusiasm.

Every year at Commencement, Mr. Vis delivered the invocation, which always imparted his deeply abiding love and support of Walker’s, education, and his wife. He welcomed all with his charm and conversation at Debby’s House, where heartfelt toasts, fascinating conversations, and his signature jokes were ubiquitous. While his presence will be missed, his legacy of support and the lessons he imparted will remain with all who knew him.

We celebrate a life magnificently lived in service to others — a life that embodied the highest ideals of education, global community, and human development.

His influence continues to ripple outward through the countless lives he touched, the institutions he strengthened, and the educational vision he brought to life across the globe. May you rest in peace, Mr. Vis.

THE SUNDIAL 35

An essay Eric wrote about his favorite teacher at Deerfield, and the impact of a powerful educator even in the midst of a catastrophe.

Ave atque Vale: to John Dicklow (1917-1956)

By Dr. Eric G. Widmer

If my own experience is any example, the older you get the more you reflect on those people to whom destiny has somehow assigned the task of seeing you through your schooling. And while at every level of your education, there will be teachers of unforgettable influence, it is in the high school years, and in the hallways and classrooms of a boarding school, for those lucky enough to attend one, that the truly transformative connections are made. At least that was the case with me. And of course it happened at Deerfield.

Deerfield by the 1950s had emerged as a school with a distinctive belief in the development of character as a helpful complement to the intellect; and accordingly, an understanding of the investment in the overall education of its students that would be required of its faculty. Of all of Frank Boyden’s accomplishments, perhaps the greatest was his ability to attract, and keep, teachers who were eager to share that commitment with him. The effect on a thirteen-year-old boy entering Deerfield in 1953 was bound to be life-changing.

All the more did that apply to me, coming from a fatherless home, and from a corner of Connecticut where no one in anyone’s memory had ever gone off to boarding school. Can you imagine the impact of entering a largely male world, all the faculty different one from the other, but each offering role-modeling possibilities, and each taking a much greater interest in me than I had ever dared take in myself?

In those years, few of the Deerfield faculty had advanced degrees, least of all in education. To be sure, some had found their way to Deerfield in a retreat from the idea of interacting with a wider world, but that did not mean that they were not good teachers, or that the classroom or playing field was not their theatre, where everyone was on stage together. Who would not have thrilled at the chance to study English with Lambert, Suitor, and McGlynn? Or math with Bill, Nichols, and Hindle? Or science with the Polands and 36

SPRING 2025

Mrs. Boyden? Or German with Hirth and French with Cook, McKenney, and Baldwin? Or history with Miller and the classics with Coffin and Dicklow? Or theatre with Herlihy, art with Bliss, band with Schuler, music (and football) with Oatley? Or to play football for Marr, lacrosse for Hubbard, and tennis for Reade? Or to get your marching orders from Red Sullivan? Or to see in Bob Merriam everything you ever aspired to be? Or finally, to know, because Mr. Boyden made you feel that way, that you were in the right place at the right time, even if, at times, the going was rough?

For none of these wonderful teachers would the terms “professional development,” or “best practices,” or “curriculum mapping,” or “learning outcomes,” or “assessment strategies” have had any meaning. They were good at what they did partly because there was no professional jargon and no one else’s manual that they had to master. Their professionalism was found not in the entrenched approaches of Education Schools whose by-the-book graduates were beginning ominously to appear everywhere. They were good because they manifested an unmistakable interest in the subjects they taught and the students they taught. They were comfortable with themselves and comfortable in the classroom, and they were doing exactly what they wanted to be doing in life, so often with a sense of humor and spontaneity that put their students at ease — long before neuroscientist Antonio Damasio had concluded that in learning, emotion comes before thought.

Much later, when I had returned to Deerfield as headmaster, I frequently reminded the faculty in those turn-of-the-century years that it should be no different with them — that each one of them could surely be that person, if they let themselves be, whom any given Deerfield student might specially seek out. For me above all it was John Dicklow.

He introduced me to the study of Latin in my freshman year. Along with Ernest Coffin and Jack Pidgeon, he had established Deerfield’s reputation in the classical languages. I continued with Mr. Coffin in Latin II, but returned to Mr. Dicklow for Latin III and then Latin IV and Greek in my last year. An immense man in his

physical proportions (or so it seemed to me), and even larger in his brilliance of mind, he filled up his classroom in the basement of the Academy Building, making it his world with a kind of magic I could not begin to describe. Soon it had become my world as well.

Dicklow walked in a funny way, leaning backward as he strode forward. He wore wire-rim glasses and smoked a small pipe, much too small for the large face behind it. There was always a certain scruffiness about him that went along with his irreverence. He was perhaps the most sui generis, or least socialized of his faculty colleagues, who no doubt found him odd, even at Deerfield. But what resonated for me was precisely that awkwardness set against my own, except that with him it seemed unselfconscious.

One day in the fall of 1956, we happened to be studying the Greek imperative and encountered the Socratic injunction “gnothi seauton” — “know thyself” — that is also inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

As we translated, Mr. Dicklow sighed and said to us that we were probably too young to understand what Socrates meant, that it would take anyone a lifetime to know oneself fully, and to accept the result, but we might as well get started.

Beyond that classroom and the limits of our campus and Old Deerfield itself, I knew nothing of John Dicklow, except that he didn’t live in a dormitory or anywhere nearby. But suddenly, in the middle of my senior year, he missed our Greek class. His absence continued. Mr. Tingley came to keep us busy, but something was wrong. Three days later, Mr. Boyden called a meeting of the senior class in Plunkett Lounge, and with a nauseating presentiment I sat on the floor and then heard the worst. Mr. Dicklow had died.

And not just that, he had taken his own life. While my classmates left quietly, collecting themselves and turning their attention to the afternoon’s activities, I returned to my room in Plunkett, closed the door, and wept and wept and wept.

abbreviated would be the chance he gave himself to reach that level of self-acceptance we all deserve. Now I had to grapple with the sad thought of impermanence, intruding upon that halcyon “air of permanence” at Deerfield that Mr. Boyden talked of. And ever since, I have tried to reconcile John Dicklow’s great strength as a teacher with the fragility of his life. There will always be things I cannot know, that Mr. Dicklow himself may not have known, which is one more part of learning about life. Surely, the very act of being a teacher necessitates resilience, the achievement of an ethical equilibrium, and a receptivity towards what life has to offer. But does it not also impose the unfair burden of always being putatively the model who professes, putting the great teacher in a vulnerable position, and inevitably catalyzing self-doubt as well?

Coming back to Deerfield in 1994, I talked about John Dicklow at my installation ceremony. I told the story of “gnothi seauton,” and I promptly asked the faculty to name the Commencement prize in the study of the classics after him. I have thought of Mr. Dicklow often, for he stands for me as one of the greatest of Deerfield teachers, someone who will always remind me that as teachers in the ranks of humanity, our “skill sets” may vary, but in whatever way works for ourselves and our students, we remember, and we transmit, from one generation to the next. The magic of John Dicklow’s classroom — or rather, the memory of it — has been his gift to his profession, to Deerfield, and to me.

Never could I have realized how little help Socrates would be to Mr. Dicklow himself, or how relatively THE SUNDIAL 37

TAKE NOTE The views shared in Take Note reflect the individual voices of their authors and not that of The Ethel Walker School.

1947 Ruth Cummings Mead The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1952 Carol Grady Andrews The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1953 Susan “Susie” Kleinhans Gilbertson The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

SUSIE KLEINHANS GILBERTSON writes: “Hi everyone, happy new year! Long time no hear etc., but we all know why!

Hope you’re doing well, feeling OK and making the best of these golden years.

Wow — can’t believe I’m still here!! Do send some news — all bragging rights reserved for you! Apparently there’s a great group of young Walker’s girls who get together a lot. I love that! I met a bunch of them a few years ago and they were lovely. Naturally. I see MISSY KITCHELL LICKLE’s+ sister often and CHRIS YANTIS DOWNEY and I see each other when she comes to Florida.

Otherwise my life centers around family and friends (who are still here) and treasured books and Netflix!! Still taking courses at Campus on the Lake in FL — loving them, and I think I have my masters degree by now. Miss you all! We were lucky to have such a great class! Much love to all of you, Susie.”

TRISH SUDLER STIMPSON reports that she and John are back in Connecticut.

She had a wonderful trip to Japan with their daughter Courtney last summer.

RUSTY HODGMAN HUFF says, “I am still at Trillium Woods — my 9th year here. I think we had a great class. I appreciate what I received from Walkers. Love to all!”

1954 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

GLENN SHANNON WHIPPLE writes, “Much has happened in the past year!

Fires destroyed many of the houses around us in Ruidoso, but ours was thankfully spared. However, we were having to leave anyway to move to a lower altitude due to the fact that I was not getting enough oxygen and having to sleep with it, so we moved back to Fort Worth, TX, which is home anyway. After a brief spell in our condo, we moved to

Glenn Shannon Whipple ’54 with her dog, Gabby

38

THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL

a lovely retirement community on the Trinity River. Amazingly, the furniture in our condo fit beautifully into the apartment that we selected here at The Tradition so all is well. Oggie and I continue to have reasonably good health which is a blessing, and we acquired a rescue pup who keeps us moving! She’s a funny looking little duck (a shih tzu mix) with an underbite, but very cuddly.”

1955 Tisha McClure Potter The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

VALERIE STODDARD LORING writes, “Seven years ago, Steve and I moved to OceanView, a retirement community in Falmouth, ME. With a congenial group of residents, I enjoy the variety of programs and activities including Mahjong. It will never be home, but it is where we should be with two children living in Maine and one about to build a summer house on Mount Desert.”

Val Stoddard Loring ’55 with husband Steve with Judy Stoddard King ’52

1956 Adrianne Massie Hill The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

My grateful thanks to all of you for keeping in touch with me over many years. We would have no Class Notes were it not for you.

SARA CAVANAGH SCHWARTZ and her late husband, Sandy, started a newspaper in 1980 entitled The Horse of the Delaware Valley. Sara continues to write one or two stories a day as Editor.

She writes, “With a new, additional sales manager, The Horse is doing better than ever, and it gives me great pleasure to keep up with all the news in the horse world.” Sara continues to be an avid gardener as well as a breeder of horses herself. “Last summer my dinner plate dahlias were gorgeous and so plentiful that I was able to give many bunches of cut flowers to friends. My last two homebred thoroughbreds hopefully will be racing with Kathy Neilson and Virginia Korell as steeplechasers this summer.”

PHOEBE HAFFNER ANDREW and I have always been in touch with each other; it was my good fortune to have moved to Seattle in the late 1960s and find Phoebe there. Our children were of similar ages except for Phoebe’s daughter, Louise, who is my goddaughter, the youngest of her children. Phoebe’s family has gotten larger in recent years, but I think that she is fortunate as two of her three sons and their families live in the Seattle area near her. She spends part of each summer in one of the loveliest places I know, on Saltspring Island, one of the Gulf Islands off the western coast of Canada. We continue to share some wonderful close friends in Seattle and from Walker’s. I hope to visit her in Seattle this summer.

CLARINA SCHWARZENBACH FIRMENICH is a faithful correspondent, especially thanks to email. Although it was quite a few years ago, the last time that I saw her was in 2013 when my husband, Mal, and I were in Paris. We visited BONNIE KING HARRISON’s first husband, the late Jean-Francois de Gautret and his wife, Marie-France at their home in Provence. Unbeknownst to us as lunch time approached on Saturday, Clarina literally popped into the garden! I was so excited as I had spoken with her from Paris, never imagining when we visited there with Hillary Alexis, Bonnie’s oldest child, my goddaughter, that we would see her in person! You can imagine that our conversation was non-stop, trying not to be rude to our hosts. Clarina grew up in Rye, NY, where she and I were in school together from the first grade on. Clarina lives with her longtime companion, Dusan Sidjanski, in their lovely house in Geneva.”

GIGI PEARSON SMITHERS and I have talked many times during the past years. Gigi and her [now late] husband Kip, live year round in Vero Beach, no longer on Cape Cod where they spent many summers. Gigi continues to be our talented artist as she creates sailors’ valentines. The custom started long ago when sailors traveled great distances, but especially when in the Caribbean, the sailors made sure to purchase a sailor’s valentine to send home to their loved ones as a memento. I have seen Gigi’s work which is stunning, consisting of a variety of tiny beads, nuts, shells of different sizes, flowers, and birds, all painstakingly applied and framed in a glass-covered wooden octagonal frame.

As Gigi and I both cared for our older husbands in recent years, we have had much to share.

Last October I was in New York to attend the 90th birthday of a very close friend, Nicky Chapin, and fortunately had a date with MISSY TURNBULL GEDDES who came in from Long Island to meet me for lunch. As earlier

written about Clarina, Missy and I picked up as if we had been together the day before. She looks absolutely wonderful, very little changed that I could see, and has that sunny smile and way about her that she did when we were in school. Missy has been involved at Walker’s for many years, and I was pleased to learn more about the approach that the School is taking, specifically the Strategic Plan described in the Spring issue of The Sundial. The plan is tentatively entitled “Leading Out: Girls, Educations and Possibilities.” The thrust of the plan is to help the students move out into the world in new horizons, new worlds of exploration. I recall that when we were graduating our thoughts were really on the “what next” as far as college was concerned, but not a lot of talk or thought about what we might do later on. The emphasis on exploration is very exciting, I think. It was a special day for me to see Missy again.

Over the last year I have been in touch with LINEN MILLER GREENOUGH who lives in Sheridan, WY. Linen and her husband, Doug, live on a ranch filled with animals of all kinds, including favorites of Linen’s — llamas! Linen is fearless when it comes to animals.

Many of their immediate families live on or about the ranch: I forget the headcount but it is large! Linen and I have always shared a particular love for our Episcopal churches, and so continue to compare thoughts and notes about our activities at the moment. I do have to smile when I think of Linen, from Short Hills, NJ, now absolutely a western girl, living in one of the most spectacular parts of the West. I am always grateful for the telephone.

I had a very nice note from KIKI JUDD who continues to live in Larkspur, CA. Before we were at Walker’s together, our parents were good friends, and one summer I joined the Judds who were from Omaha at the Seigneury Club in Canada.

THE SUNDIAL 39

I don’t know where the expression “the elephant in the middle of the room” originated, but it does have application now for all of us who are in those “senior years.” Health! Our watchword, I think, for us and for our loved ones.

Many of our classmates know or have known the effect of illness and aging, and on our families. I hope that we can hold our own as these years march on.

I am so grateful to many of you who have called, emailed, and written to me since the death of my husband, Mal, who died in February of last year. We had a long, happy run of 63 years, and his death is a startling reminder of what it means to be “on our own.” I have been in touch with BARBARA RICHARDS

PITNEY, BARBARA BIDWELL MANUEL, GAIL SHEPPARD MOLONEY, CAROL KEENEY MUNRO, and DOROTHY DOUBLEDAY MASSEY who called me practically the minute that she learned of Mal’s death. It is an understatement to say that this has been the most difficult year of my life.

Shortly after Mal died, my son, Mal, for whom we moved to Atlanta, told me that he and his family had decided to move to Savannah where they have had a second home for many years.

It has been wonderful for us to have lived only ten minutes away from the Hills here, but Savannah is reachable by car in 5 hours, and I will now be the holiday visitor. Their home is lovely with a special “suite” for grandmothers!

I live in a fine retirement community, Lenbrook, here in Atlanta, and so here I will remain as my “medical army ” is at hand when needed. My younger son, Gordon, a bachelor lawyer, remains in Denver but has been a regular “frequent flyer” to see us in recent years.

As always, I love to have any and all news when you have time to write, call, or email. Even though we were barely born when WWII began (and I can’t imagine what was going through our parents’ minds at that time!), I do feel 40

SPRING 2025

that we are living in a similarly turbulent time although with different concerns on our minds.

GAIL SHEPPARD MOLONEY writes, “Loving my seven months a year in Florida! None of my children are nearby: my oldest lives in London, my middle in Scottsdale, AZ, and my youngest in South Strafford, VT, but they and my nine grandchildren all love to come visit whenever possible. My oldest grandson, who is a pilot for British Air, is getting married in June. I am hoping for a member of the “great grands” in the relatively near future!”

1957 Jinny Tilt Sammis The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

LAURIE MACK MCBRIDE writes, “We just went to Pasadena, CA, where our son Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko gave four days of talks about their Grand Canyon adventure. Kevin just wrote a book entitled A Walk in the Park, which you might enjoy. I saw PATRICIA DAY STORM and we had a great catch up.

Now we both are in our mid 80s but going strong. We still live on a beautiful ranch in Colorado and I will walk the Cotswold Way in England with a friend this May. Hope all my remaining classmates are well.”

JINNY TILT SAMMIS says, “My husband, Sam, and I are doing well here in Greenwich. We are fortunate to have our two children and their families nearby, so we see each other quite often. We sadly sold our house in Vermont last fall, so that part of our life is now just wonderful memories. Our granddaughter, a senior at Greenwich Academy, has played varsity sports against Walker’s and has been very impressed with all the facilities. Well done!”

1958 Barbara “Barbie” Welles Bartlett The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1959 Elena Miller Shoch The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1960 Phyllis Richard Fritts The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

CLARA PERKINS STITES shares, “Still at Kendal in Kennett Square, PA. Family all OK, but very worried by news of America.”

1961 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

1962 Sage Dunlap Chase The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1963 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

ANNE BEANE RUDMAN writes, “Michael and I enjoyed Thanksgiving with all our combined off-spring and off-off-spring.”

I recently stopped my full time practice of criminal law in NY where we live

from cancer treatment. I am so lucky my other children live in Southern California. When the wheels fall off there’s nothing like family. I’m still on the Alumnae Board and am in regular contact with the very active Advancement Office. I am so impressed with the way the School is approaching educating the future leaders of our country. I hope you are all doing well!”

1966 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

OLIVE WATSON writes, “Josine and

Anne Beane Rudman ’63 at Thanksgiving 2024 with her entire family, and her grandchildren

(same apartment building for 50 years).

I travel internationally several times a year (West Africa, Japan and Iraq in 2024), as well as still being active on two Boards: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Lawyers Without Borders.

I keep in touch with both NANETTE GRANT BURROWS and CHERYL CLARK CHALMERS as well as BONNIE FRENCH JACKSON’s daughter, Elizabeth. Come visit!”

Best to all. I look forward to reading the Walker’s alum news.”

STEVEE GREEFF STOLLENWERCK

Sarah Elting Doering The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

writes, “I sold my house in Dublin, NH last summer and Jamie and I now live happily full time in Vero Beach, FL doing the usual retiree things which involves a lot of R&R. We spend quite a bit of time every year in Europe relaying visits to see our children and grands. Recently it was wonderful to catch LIZ JACK GHRISKEY and her husband Bill, who were visiting in Vero and with whom we share many friends and fond memories.

1964 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

I campaigned for the vice president and attended an exciting rally in New York City. We spent the summer on North Haven Island in Maine, with many family members. Many of Josine’s friends were able to come visit from Amsterdam and enjoy days filled with fun on the water. With Starlink, Josine is able to work remotely. In the fall we visited Portugal and Paris. My two sons, Wiley and Flynn are living in Houston and New Orleans, working hard. Our dog, Lucy, fills us with joy on a daily basis. I hope all my classmates are doing well!”

1965

SARAH ELTING DOERING writes, “This has been a challenging year. I lost my home and all my earthly belongings in the California Palisades wildfire of January 2025. Three weeks before that my son Leigh died from complications

Olive Watson ’66 campaigning for Kamala Harris

THE SUNDIAL 41

1967 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

DOCEY BALDWIN LEWIS writes, “After a career spent circling the globe, my world has delightfully shrunk to something far more precious — my grandson. Fourteen months ago, his arrival shifted my priorities in an instant, making home the only place I want to be. If fortune allows, I’ll watch him grow into the age I was when I first set off for Walker’s — though what a different world we live in now! This new chapter has me reveling in the joys of domestic life — tending the garden, experimenting in the kitchen, even lovingly restoring antique furniture passed down through generations. My work in handwoven wallcoverings and artisan collaborations in Nepal continues, but thanks to the wonders of virtual connectivity, I can do much of it from here. Downsizing may be in my future, but for now, my historic district home fits me like a well-worn glove, with plenty of space to welcome friends. Old classmates, if your travels ever bring you to the Midwest, consider this an open invitation!”

Jesseca Ferguson ’67 participated in this art exhibit in Poland in January, 2025

1968 Kimberley “Kim” Smith Niles ’68 The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

BARBARA MCPHERSON SANDERS writes, “We moved from snowy Steamboat Springs to the college town of Fort Collins, CO. We are loving not having to shovel feet of snow! And we are enjoying the vibrance of the town and the youthfulness of Colorado State University with all the available activities. Being a gardener, I am thrilled to be living four blocks from the CSU Flower Trial Gardens! Nice to be able to walk the neighborhood, meet friends at a coffee shop, and just walk on a level path rather than all those mountain hills.”

326 Garfield St Fort Collins, CO, home of Barbara Sanders McPherson ’68

1969 Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

EVIE CARTER COWLES writes, “Reynolds and I are still living on our farm outside of Charlottesville, VA. We have been enjoying a fair amount of travel to Montana, Abaco, and England. Reynolds just had a revision on a 17-year-old knee replacement so we are grounded for a while. Sorry to have missed seeing everyone at Reunion.”

BARBARA BURKE VALK says, “I am now officially retired and spending time with my new granddaughter Lucie whose family (Joanna and Anthony) live nearby in NYC. This fall I stopped by a neighborhood deli only to bump Docey Baldwin Lewis ’67 and family, October 2024

42

SPRING 2025

into LISA PAGLIARO SELZ. Hurray for serendipity! Recently my siblings and I sold an old family home out on Long Island which was a difficult but inevitable decision. Now the dust has settled, and we hope to travel more. My best to everyone!”

KATY MURPHY INGLE says, “Greetings from wintry Chicagoland! Bill and I are fine and had a good year. The highlight was having both of my kids visit: Daniel and his wife Luci in July, and Gina and her husband David with the entire family (five kids ages ten and under) in September. We thoroughly enjoyed showing them around Chicago and taking them up to enjoy the Ingles’ lake cottage in Wisconsin. We had to recuperate after that! I’m still painting and gardening. My best to everyone for a great 2025!”

SALLY RICHARDSON THOMPSON writes, “Retired with my husband in Raleigh, NC and three children with our combined 13 grandchildren. I ride two or three times a week, have a black goldendoodle puppy and am active with friends, church and family.”

SUSAN NICHOLS FERRIERE says, “After an idyllic summer in the Adirondacks with beloved friends, we set off for

Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa ’69 and family in Sedona

Europe in the fall, spending time in a much-changed Zermatt followed by Geneva and culminating in a wonderful stay in Paris with a childhood friend.

We are indulging our love of travel as often as possible! Our 2024 ended and our 2025 began with a return to the Adirondacks, magical under the snow.

We have been lucky to see a number of Walker’s friends here in NYC during these past months and hope that this happy trend continues in the New Year.

NYC definitely has its pre-COVID vibe back, indeed even better than ever!”

our furniture was gone and gave us the royal treatment, turning stress into conviviality. I saw JEAN-ALICE UEHLINGER KOCH this summer under very sad circumstances at the funeral of her husband, but we also were able to enjoy moments of conviviality with her goddaughter, my daughter Emily.

I live near KATY MURPHY INGLE in the Chicago suburbs, so luckily the conviviality happens on a more regular basis. I would love to see anyone reading this if you come to Naples or Winnetka.”

LAURIE CHERBONNIER NIELSON writes,

GURUKIRN KAUR KHALSA shares,

“My 103-year-old mother sold her house in West Hartford this fall. As is so often the case, it was MALLY COX-CHAPMAN to the rescue! She took us in when all

“Our biggest news is the arrival of our second grandson, Rama Singh, on July 2nd to Har Rai Singh and Shiva Shakti.

I went out to Florida to help out for a

Katy Murphy Ingle ’69 with daughter Gina and family at husband Bill’s 80th birthday party

Katy Murphy Ingle ’69’s latest painting: “Chicago Peace Rose” (acrylic, 12" x12") — from her garden

THE SUNDIAL 43

week after the baby was born, which was a great joy. I had forgotten how much work a baby is in the beginning!

He is doing well and getting very big.

In September Jodha and I went to the Crownpoint Navajo Rug Auction in New Mexico for the first time. I have loved Navajo rugs since I was a child and have been to various auctions. This one was different in that the weavings were all new and brought in by the weavers themselves. We ended up getting four rugs at that auction, and two more in Gallup on the way back.

Finally, I have been keeping up with my plein air painting. I won an honorable mention at the fall show of the Arizona Plein Air Painters.”

showed that my lungs and inflammation were increasing my biological age. I quit smoking decades ago, so I was concerned. A CT scan eventually led to robotic lung cancer surgery in November at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. The cancer was Stage 1A. I didn’t need chemo or radiation, and I only lost 10 percent of my lungs. I was very fortunate to have caught the cancer early. I had good lung function and no symptoms. My doctor did not want to prescribe a lung cancer screening test because I did not meet Medicare’s guidelines. I had to be very insistent, and I now firmly believe we need to be proactive about our health.”

JANE SHANHOLT SACASA says, “I

am still happily living in Colorado Springs and am retired from being an elementary music teacher for 14 years now. I have a hubby, two daughters, one step-daughter and one step-son, two grandsons, two step-grandsons and two dogs! I keep busy with a small choir I’ve sung in since 1980, volunteering at the Humane Society, advocating for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), and dog agility and Nosework classes. I have two new knees and a new hip on

have much to be thankful for in 2024.

My daughter Alejandra married Will Harbaugh on June 1st at a glorious, outdoor wedding in East Hampton.

They are expecting a baby girl in early April, which is very exciting for Orlando and me. I was curious to know whether losing some weight before the wedding improved my health, so I took the GrimAge Test, an epigenetic test from the Clock Foundation. The results

GINGER BEVIS LITTLETON writes, “I

the way in April. I also enjoy traveling with my hubby on Road Scholar or Outdoor Adventure Travel tours to Patagonia, Tanzania, Galápagos and Costa Rica. What a privilege it is to live on this huge yet shrinking planet supported by a loving family! I appreciate my privilege.”

MALLY COX-CHAPMAN says, “I am still involved in an environmental funding group and my board commitments, and Jim is relishing his last year of Yale Divinity School. We took a wonderful trip for three weeks hiking in New Zealand with six friends, with a stopover in Fiji to snorkel (a lifetime high for me). We spent a month in our tennis community in Florida, savored every day we had in Maine, and relished having our kids and littles nearby. At this stage of life, when everything can change in a minute, we are grateful for life on an even keel. Change is simmering. In June we bought a condo and rented it immediately to give us this year to declutter forty years of life in our beloved house. The trigger? On our second visit to the condo, Lucy said, “Mom. Dad. This is beautiful. And it will let you do 75% of the deaccessioning now, when you have energy and each other.” I had a sudden understanding that if we didn’t make a move, it would fall to her. The good news is that we utterly enjoy giving things away.

Reading old files is a kick. When we staged a tag sale, we put up an easel saying that all proceeds would go to the best organization for homeless people we know. Instead of bargaining with us, buyers threw in an extra ten or twenty to support the endeavor. It was fun. I am going to miss our beautiful house and its mandate to be generous. But I’m pretty sure other adventures await.”

LINDSEY HULBURD WALKER writes, “I

Ginger Bevis Littleton ’69 with husband and dogs in Leadville, CO at 10,260'

44

SPRING 2025

am still living in Charleston, SC, loving the low country beauty and relishing time with my daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids, Cole (4) and Grant (1-1/2). Helping the boys learn and watching them grow is the best gift! My

Cole and Grant, grandsons of Lindsey Hulburd Walker ’69

photography and travel continue to be a passion. I’ll be traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico next. I hope everyone is well, and I think of you and times at Walker’s often. Sending love!”

RUTH HARRISON GROBE writes, “Until recently, I have been having the happiest life with a wonderful husband, and happy, successful children and grandchildren. I was doing lots of meaningful volunteer work with the YMCA and with Connecticut’s disability community. However, in the past few weeks, my outlook has radically changed, and I need to say something that I NEVER before thought was appropriate for alumnae notes. (I am still not sure it is appropriate, but the situation is so dire that I believe I have to speak out). I am deeply concerned about the future of my country, the world, and the survival of humanity because of the chaos currently going on in the federal government. I deeply respect debate over different viewpoints and wrangling to find compromises, but violation of constitutional norms and incompetent, inexperienced executive function only leaves us vulnerable to attack from the outside or catastrophic errors from the inside. Democratic ideals have been the bedrock of American identity from the very beginning of our nation, and we desperately need to return to them, even if they are not always perfectly lived out in government policies and procedures.”

Cindy Emerson ’70

1970 Gail Chandler Gaston The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

CINDY EMERSON writes, “In May of 2024, I married my partner of 14 years, Tom Vogelsong, and decided to change my name back to Emerson (from Keefer). We had a tiny family wedding in Kennebunkport, ME and then celebrated with two parties, one on each coast.

We also enjoyed travels to England, Scotland, and Vancouver, BC, and visits with family and friends all over the US, including a stop in NYC to see Walker’s classmates, GAIL CHANDLER GASTON and WHITNEY DE ROULET BULLOCK. Gail hosted a dinner party where I saw SUSAN NICHOLS FERRIERE ’69 and LISA PAGLIARO SELZ ’69 for the first time in 50+ years! We are trying to stay as active as possible — skiing, pickleball, bicycling. In addition, I work at Del Valle Winery in Livermore, CA a few days each month for fun.”

Cindy Emerson ’70, Gail Chandler Gaston ’70, Lisa Pagliaro Selz ’69, Susan Nichols Ferriere ’69

THE SUNDIAL 45

Nine members of the Class of 1972 gathering at Murrells Inlet, SC at their “Sisterfest” 2024: Cynthia Anderson-Barker, Mimi Mead Hagen, Jane Hadden Geisse, Tori Reeves Spaulding, Beryn Frank Harty, Aimee Gilleaudeau Lundy, Deidra Roach, Prisca (Priscilla) Cushman, Karen Brooks”

BETHY KIENDL DE HAES writes, “My husband, Charles, had to go into a care home early last year. His enjoyment of life is very dependent on my visits, so travel these days is difficult.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join you all at Reunion in May, but shall be thinking of you and look forward to seeing the photos. Have fun and best wishes to all!”

1971 Cynthia “Cynny” Smith Evanisko The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Marie “Betsy” Ballenger The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Deborah “Debbie” Seaman The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

46

SPRING 2025

1972 Gilda Rogers The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

SARAH HOUSE DENBY writes, “My son Ted, who lives in Lausanne, is expecting another daughter this July, making our grandchild total up to nine — five boys (ages three to ten) and four girls (five, two, two months and soon to arrive).

At 6'6" and with a shaved head, Ted loves being a girl daddy — his head is a perfect venue for stickers etc. Daughter Lisa is much closer in Philadelphia with Zeyney, age five, and Amtrak is the perfect way to visit. Our house was filled this Christmas with both kids, spouses and girls — perfect controlled chaos! And, it was the first time both kids had been in our home together since 2019 Thanksgiving! Last fall we had a lovely cruise from London to Bordeaux, then drove across France to Lyon, which was wonderful — stopping in Toulouse (gorgeous small city) and Bourges. Stayed in a lovely AirBnB on the Saône River with my son and family which worked out beautifully and was a great chance to speak French. A week in

Aruba in January was a perfect chance for warm weather and warm seas, and in March we will go bonefishing (look it up if you don’t know it — it’s an amazing experience) in the Bahamas. A road trip down the East Coast to DC (with stops to visit kids and grandchildren) in early April, then Paris in May since I need to see Notre Dame all sparkling white — when I lived there (directly across the Seine) it was grey, inside and out. So a revisit is necessary, with maybe a side trip to Warsaw to visit a friend. Summer is home in Rhode Island where visitors are welcome, and I play bad golf. If you’re on the East Coast, stop by! Xoxo, Sarah.”

JOANNA BETTS VIRKLER says, “My little grandson and I are happily living near uptown Charlotte, NC now. On Feb. 4, I welcomed a great granddaughter into the world! She and her parents live in Texas, but they are close to my heart…”

CYNTHIA ANDERSON BARKER says, “It has been a challenging time in Los Angeles. The fires hit my brother’s home in the Palisades. He saved his house but ended up in the ER with smoke inhalation. Everything outside on his property burned including a shed

with all my mother, DIANA WANGER ANDERSON ’47’s, mementos. My brother and his neighbors, most of whom lost their homes, have banded together to support each other during the long process of recovery and rebuilding.

They are inspiring! One of my passions is helping low-income street vendors and immigrant workers. Every day I get calls for help. Many are afraid of immigration raids. I am working with community groups to help overcome their fears and provide education about their rights. My husband, a retired immigration lawyer, is always helpful. On the home front, our son will complete his master’s degree in cybersecurity in June. He worked hard and earned his accomplishment.

So, there is some light at the end of the tunnel! Looking forward to the next gathering of our classmates. The gathering last October at Murrells Inlet was great!!!”

KAREN BROOKS says, “Wonderful Sisterfest 2024! A group of nine hardy classmates got together in Murrells Inlet, SC. We played a hysterical game of miniature golf that included CYNTHIA ANDERSON BARKER falling in the very blue (fake) stream to retrieve her ball, walks on the beach across the street, swimming in the heated pool, a sunset cruise, and lots of cooking and eating

out. What a treat to once again share time together reliving memories of our time at Walker’s and creating new ones.”

REGINA SCRUGGS shares that she caught up with “Star Trek” star George Takei in Houston on Oct. 5, 2024. Takei was the featured guest at the concert, “Liberty,” by the Apollo Chamber Players. George, now 87, narrated a work by composer Marty Regan called “The Book of Names” (referring to the 125,000 names — including his family — of the Japanese-Americans interned during World War II). George and Regina joked around at a post-concert reception, comparing gray hair!

trips to California, Denver, Maine and Florida to see friends and family. I’m still going to remote Montana twice a year to help trail cattle for a working ranch as well. I am so very grateful for good health that lets me do all these things; however don’t ask me about any movie, movie star, book title, author, TV show or anything else that requires remembering a name!!! Hopeless!!”

JANE HADDEN GEISSE writes, “A definite highlight of my year was our reunion at Myrtle Beach. It was a smaller group, so I missed a lot of you, but the upside was I got to know those who came much better, which I really enjoyed. We walked the beach, saw local points of interest, ate great food, and played an epic round of miniature golf where Cynthia managed to fall into a large water hazard. Hilarious and she was a great sport about it!! Other highlights included a trip to Dallas where I bought a fabulous cutting horse (having a blast with that), and

Actor George Takei with Regina Scruggs ’72 in Houston, October 2024

THE SUNDIAL 47

something I had always wanted to do, and now I am playing regularly once a week. My days are rich with meaningful activities, spending time with my family, connecting with friends, and giving back through volunteer work, like packing snack bags for school children in need.

I’ve been trying to learn or do something new each year. Who knows what 2025 has in store for me.”

Gretchen Dingman ’72 and Eden Brown ’72

had a fulfilling and active year balancing family, personal growth, and community involvement. My granddaughter started college at UNT Denton, just 30 minutes away, making Maurice and me the go-to family members when she needs anything — and we both enjoy being there for her. I also pursued a personal interest by learning to play Mahjong,

busy trying to stay warm, keep the bird feeders full, and remaining sane until I can get back in the garden and play with the bees. I decided that it was time to fully retire and taught my last class at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in November. I am now fully immersed in multiple volunteer projects among which are helping at the Philadelphia Airport USO, working with the unhomed and fostering rescue dogs. I decided to celebrate my 70th birthday by taking my grandsons (8 and 10) on a big trip. The

Grandsons of Jill Englund Jensen ’72

Beryn Frank Harty ’72 shares photos of her travels over the last year

GILDA ROGERS writes, “I have

48

JILL ENGLUND JENSEN writes, “I am

three of us spent 10 days in Costa Rica.

Besides seeing volcanoes, poisonous frogs, monkeys and snakes, we did some serious zip lining. I was mostly able to keep up with them, but did struggle on the 540 steps down and up from a waterfall. My watch told me that I had just climbed the equivalent of 52 flights of stairs. The titanium knees held up! I had such a wonderful time with them, I am planning another trip for next summer. We will be heading for the Galápagos — I hope. Like everyone, the cascade of governmental shenanigans has me nervous and scared for our futures. I hope that, by this time next year, there will be happier things to talk about.”

SPRING 2025

BERYN FRANK HARTY says, “Rick and I have been continuing our international travels. We’ve recently completed a trip from Miami, FL through the Panama Canal, down along the coast of South America, through Patagonia, across

the Drake passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, and then back up the coast of South America, ending at Rio de Janeiro.

We’ve done a lot of bird watching along the way.”

MIMI MEAD-HAGEN writes, “My husband Lee and I are training a sweet puppy for the Seeing Eye Organization.

We have good friends that were doing this and we helped them out by watching their cute pup and I got hooked on the idea. Not long after signing up, a tiny black lab was delivered to our door. We went to puppy club meetings and have a list of commands we have taught our pup, “Zeke,” who is a quick learner and is very sweet. He will be returned to the seeing eye group in the near future, which will be good timing as we are making plans for other adventures! With warm wishes, Mimi.”

Rosalind Brock Milton ’73 shared a Christmas photo of her whole family. L to R: James (Susanna’s husband), Bob (her husband), Ros holding Susanna and James’ baby girl Cecilia, Susanna (her daughter), Alex (her son’s fiancée) and her son Christopher

Susanna studying at Culver Academy in Indiana and Christopher at Woodberry Forest in Virginia. We, all three, have very fond memories of our years there.

I had hoped to get to the last big reunion, but logistics just didn’t work. I am in close contact with LIZ PAXTON O’BRIEN through whom I hear news of other fellow alumnae. Best Regards, Ros.”

1974 Vanessa Guerrini-Maraldi Wilcox The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

VANESSA GUERRINI-MARALDI WILCOX writes, “Hello Classmates, I heard from so many after the reunion last May

1973 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

ROSALIND BROCK MILTON writes, “Bob and I still live at the farm, Kilnside Farm, where we moved in 1987. We are both retired, me from teaching and Bob from Landscape Design and Construction, but still run the farm with a few cows, sheep, and horses and a small farm shop selling our home reared beef and lamb, cider, honey, and eggs. Christopher, a polo coach, works on the farm with us and his fiancée, Alex. They plan to marry next year. Susanna and James live about half an hour away from us and their daughter Cecilia is now 16 months old. Both Susanna and Christopher went to the USA on the ESU scholarship program, as I did over 50 years ago, The Class of 1974 shared photos from their time at their 50th Walker’s Reunion last May

THE SUNDIAL 49

50

Vanessa Guerrini-Maraldi Wilcox ‘74 and her granddaughter, Ottavia Wilcox. Her first grandchild for her first Christmas at 11 months. Vanessa loves being a Nonna and is focusing on the JOY!

Vanessa Guerrini-Maraldi Wilcox ’74 and family on Cape Cod in August, 2024. L to R: newlyweds Giacomo and Julia, Daniel, Francesca with Ottavia, Vanessa, John, Liz and Will. Also their wonderful dogs: Layla and Dingo and Clipsy the cat. The gang’s all there!

that you had a great time reconnecting with one another. My special thanks again to LIZ PALMER HIGGINS, who reached out to so many of us to make the 50th reunion so special. I was sad to miss that special event due to my daughter Julia’s wedding in Italy on the same weekend. Here is my family all together on Cape Cod in August 2024 gathered for a clambake. We were also back together for Christmas which was the best present of all. Wonderful to be a grandparent to Ottavia who just turned one on January 20, 2025. Thanks

to those of you who sent holiday cards.

Come visit in NYC. We share lots of memories for sure. Cheers! Vanessa”

David, Jacob and Aaron Tessler, family of Cyndi Donn Tessler ’75

Catherine Terry Taylor ’79 and Victoria Veh ’76 at a production of “&Juliet” in Providence, RI

SPRING 2025

1975 Veda Pendleton The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

CYNDI DONN TESSLER writes, “Hi girls, I hope all of my favorite Suns and Dials are well. Jacob and I are splitting our time between Norfolk, VA and Longboat

Key, FL. If anyone is on the west coast of Florida, I would love to see you and catch up! Our boys are in DC and Chicago. I live near one of my favorite people in the world, CAROL HOFFMAN JASON. 50 years!!! WOW, feels like we were jamming with BaNaNa in the Butt Room just a little while ago.”

1976 Ourania “Nita” Koutsoukos The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

VICTORIA VEH writes, “Providence neighbors CATHERINE TERRY TAYLOR ’79 and VICTORIA VEH ’76 attended a performance of “&Juliet” at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

Wondering what Mrs. Nelson would think about this feminist upending of a Shakespeare classic?”

1977 Juliet “Julie” Ward Flood The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

CECILY CHILTON MATTHAI writes, “My husband Bruce and I are retired and still in Baltimore. Bruce is a beekeeper and I love my chickens! We are enjoying a lot of travel. I have a nurse-midwife daughter in Fort Collins, a NICU nurse in Denver, and a son in the Navy stationed in Norfolk, VA. Best to all of you!”

FRASER NELSON says, “Rewiring after a fabulous and varied career in social justice, though this is no time to stop fighting for our democracy! Spending time skiing, exploring, and local politics/ community work. I was so happy to drop in on Trish and Sheba this summer while on a 22 state road trip in my van. Sending this note in from Tangier, Morocco and hoping everyone is terrific and ready for a revolution!”

JULIE WARD FLOOD writes, “We’ve just finished our 24th year in Wilmette, IL, just north of Chicago. My husband told me we’d be here two to three years, so clearly he can’t be trusted! But aside from the weather, and missing the East Coast, we have a full life with much to be grateful for. Our daughter Catherine (Cat) just completed her fifth season of volleyball at #1 ranked University of Pittsburgh and will finish in May with a Masters degree. Pitt won four ACC Championships, and appeared in four consecutive NCAA Final Four Championships so it’s been quite a ride — for all of us. We’ve had tons of fun following her all over the country for games. My husband retired reluctantly as an American Airlines pilot at the mandatory age of 65 — but has now come out of retirement to taxi planes on the ground at O’Hare for British Airways. I just retired after 14 years at a nonprofit, and, unlike Brian, plan to stay retired. I’m looking forward to being just a volunteer — and to putting those BA travel privileges to good use traveling somewhere besides college stadiums!

Love to see anyone who finds themselves in Chicago.”

Members of the Class of 1977 together on Nantucket. Back row L to R: Lisa Lorillard Halsted, Kim Bourne Fisher, Todd Taylor Estes; front row Annfaye Sternberg Milkes, Mary Gorter Krey

In 2022 after our 45th reunion, I went to Nantucket with TODD TAYLOR ESTES,

MARY GORTER KREY, KIM BOURNE FISHER and ANNFAYE STERNBERG MILKES. We had a blast reconnecting

(see photo). Hope everyone attends our 50th!!!”

LISA LORILLARD HALSTED writes, “I have been living in Mill Valley, CA with husband, Scott, for the past 37 years.

After a 40-year career in adventure travel, I sold my company. I am plenty busy with four kids, one grandchild (see photo) and multiple non-profit projects.

Julie Ward Flood ‘77 with her husband and daughter Cat at the University of Pittsburgh

Lisa Lorillard Halsted ’77’s grandson, Wesley

THE SUNDIAL 51

LUCY WEST ENGEBRETSON writes, “Wow it has been a while. I currently live in New Jersey with my husband Mark. We have been here 36 years and raised four children: Kelsey, Nick, Ollie and Emily. We have seven grandchildren and so enjoy having family gatherings. Cheers to the Class of 1977!”

1978 Katharine Swibold The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

ASHLEY LICKLE O’NEIL writes, “Hi, all! Time is flying too quickly and like all, our family is growing. I’m a grandmother of two now! India turns five in May and Hayes (our April Fools Day baby) is almost one. I’m happy two of our daughters moved back east from Chicago. Morgan is in Riverside, CT and Tyler is on a traveling nurse (labor and delivery) assignment at Weill Cornell in NYC. Colby continues to work remotely for Meta, so can travel the world…as long as there is good internet! Pierce and I are thrilled to have her here in Palm Beach six months of the year. I’m in my eighth year as a real estate agent for Brown Harris Stevens in Palm Beach

Ashley Lickle O’Neil ’78 with her family

52

SPRING 2025

Lucy West Engebretson ’77 and family in Fall 2024

and in my fourth year with Sotheby’s in Kennebunkport, ME. Please reach out if in either spot. I’d love to hear from you. Lastly, there are so many Walker’s women down here in Palm Beach having fun together, including SARAH JOHNSON’s 65th Motown party!!”

MARIA HAMPTON KLIMCZAK writes, “My husband and I celebrated 35 years of marriage by renewing our vows in Ireland this past year. Our three children are grown — our oldest Frances is working for an IT startup in Boston after a stint in the Navy and two graduate degrees from Yale. Our middle son, Walter III, is a partner in a litigation firm in Stamford, CT. Our youngest works for GE in Saratoga. No weddings

or grandchildren. We are enjoying an empty nest. I plan on celebrating my 65th Birthday in Provence in the fall.

I see KATHARINE SWIBOLD, VAUNE HATCH, LAURA MCINTYRE SHAW and SUSAN MCNEIL and I often Zoom, which we started doing during COVID. It is a treat to be able to visit with them and they all look fabulous.”

KATHARINE SWIBOLD writes, “I still work as an administrative assistant at the Horace Mann School Nursery Division on the Upper East Side in NYC. I serve as the Secretary of the Walker’s Alumnae Board (I love getting

KC Wideman ’77, Ashley Lickle O’Neil ’78, Lissa Crichton ’78 and Sarah Johnson ‘78, P’10

to support our wonderful alma mater and work with Walker’s women from all generations!), as our class correspondent, and as my Smith College class treasurer. I continue to photograph my commute every day — check me out on Instagram and Facebook. My husband claims that my organization of our family’s holiday entertaining is up there with the plans for D-Day. I always keep our freezer filled with cookies — I made 14 different cookies for the holidays this year! My husband — a sole practitioner attorney who works out of our home — and I see as much live music as our calendars and bank account will allow in our spare time and get together with family for holidays and celebrations. No exciting travel plans at the moment, though we are spending a few days in Washington, DC over my spring break and will be visiting family and friends in New Hampshire and Maine in July. Our son Adam lives in Brooklyn with his wife and cat. He is currently using a generous severance package from Hodinkee, the company where he was working that was sold and his department discontinued, to figure out next steps. He is interested in doing historic preservation work and is

applying to master’s programs in library and information science. Our daughter Hannah continues her freelance “UX” (user experience) writing work for Bacardi and performs standup comedy in Barcelona and environs where she has lived since 2015. In addition to performing in English, she performs in Catalan (including on the main stage at the Cruilla Festival in Barcelona), and (rarely) Spanish, helps to run the Comedy Clubhouse as the booker, and records voiceovers. She was one of the organizers of the first, successful, Barcelona Fringe Festival. Her Cabenuva commercial ran in North America (and may still be running). Let me know if you are visiting Barcelona. She has a great Google doc with recommendations, and she loves meeting new people!

Classmates LAURA MACINTYRE SHAW,

“Still living in NY between Long Island

son Peter married Uliana in September, 2023. My younger son is marrying Emma October 18, 2025. I am blessed as both girls are incredible!”

Victoria Falk Michaelis ’78’s son Peter marrying Uliana in September, 2023

Victoria Falk Michaelis ’78’s son Drew and fiancée Emma

Victoria Falk Michaelis ’78 with sons Peter and Drew at a wedding near Cambridge, UK

MARIA HAMPTON KLIMCZAK, VAUNE HATCH, SUE MCNEIL and “get together” via Zoom calls periodically, one of the few good things that came out of the COVID pandemic period. I hope everyone is spending quality time with friends and family.”

STEPHANIE BATTLE-HORSKY writes,

Stephanie Battle-Horsky ’78’s family, who she says are her “focus, identity, well being and legacy!”

and Manhattan from time to time.

My daughter’s growing up so fast, nine years old now, in the 4th grade and loves swimming, science and her friends. My mom has joined our home for the past eight years. We’re celebrating a 17th wedding anniversary this June and have been together over 20 years. The best is yet to be!!”

VICTORIA FALK MICHAELIS says, “My

THE SUNDIAL 53

1979 Karen Polcer Bdera The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Johnny Hogan (son of MARY ANN

“MARES” KELLY MACDONALD ’79) and Scout O’Donnell (daughter of KEMBLE “KEMI” LICKLE O’DONNELL ’79 grew up like brother and sister since their moms, Mares and Kemi, have been best friends since 1972! On October 12, 2024, at the duPont Chapel in Montchanin, Delaware, Scout married Griffin Pugh.

Walker’s friendships are the best! Go Suns! Kemi was head of the Suns 1979!!!

Johnny Hogan with Scout O'Donnell at Scout’s wedding to Griffin Pugh

“Anticipation of Things To Come,” by Hope Thurston Carter ’80

in Bermuda last September. It was fun seeing some of the new young and seasoned equestrians of Bermuda at the Walker’s event she helped organize.

I also had lunch with DAR REIMER BARRETT and her husband when they visited the island a few months ago. It’s always so lovely seeing classmates from long ago and I hope to see some more in the near future. Warmest regards, Dana”

as a bee designing. Last year, I launched a cashmere collection which is now part of my island inspired brand. I also illustrated a children’s book written

by Mary Beth Lacy, who is based in

California. The book is called Octopi Are Very Sly, and the book is selling in the U.S., the U.K., and Bermuda. If that’s not enough, it seems I am now being asked to design wedding invitations and everything that goes along with planning a wedding these days (menus, RSVP cards, weekend itineraries for the guests, etc.). I continue to be a contributing illustrator for The Bermudian Magazine, for a fun column titled ‘Letter from London’

by Winifred Blackmore. The illustrations can be seen along with the column in the physical printed publication as opposed to the online issue. I am still splitting my time between NYC and Bermuda and trying to keep up with my dear 92-year- old mother!

I had the opportunity to meet with LEILA HOWLAND WETMORE ’82 when she was

Karen Baldwin ’79’s son Zac and his ceramics

Karen Baldwin ’79 is building a beach house and a small hotel in Charleston, SC

KAREN BALDWIN shares, “No grandkids yet! My husband Dan and I are building a small hotel in Charleston, SC, and a new beach house! Been a very busy year! My son has started a beautiful ceramics line in NYC and my daughter Olivia Zimmerman is 30 and doing documentary film work, living between New York and Brazil!”

DANA COOPER writes, “I am still busy

54

SPRING 2025

DAR REIMER BARRETT writes, “I have 4 grandchildren — my daughter, Amanda and her husband, Frank have a son, Landon, who is 10 and a daughter, Virginia, is 6! My son, Alex and his wife, Min, have 2 girls: Avery is almost 3 and Riley is 9 months! Life is great here in Greenwich, CT. I feel very lucky that

Karen Polcer Bdera ’79 at her 24th NYC Marathon

I continue to see so many of my Ethel Walker classmates on a daily basis. Go Walker’s!”

KAREN POLCER BDERA writes, “After last year’s 45th Walker’s Reunion, I am already thinking about 2029! My younger brother James passed away last July, and I was so pleased to hear his name read and the bell being rung in his memory at this past year’s Walker’s Memorial Chapel. I managed to finish my 24th NYC Marathon in November of 2024 – this was my redemption run, as I broke my ankle at the start of the 2023 race. We will see if I have another one in me. Nick and I are doing well, and continue to enjoy our trips to sunny Aruba, walking and running in our local parks.”

Mary Ann “Mares” Kelly MacDonald ‘79 with her husband, Michael MacDonald, sister in law, Deanna Kelly, nephew Patrick Kelly, niece Dr. Ann Marie Kelly, brother, Dr. John D. Kelly IV, niece, Joanna Kelly, Esq. and son Johnny Hogan, in NYC celebrating Johnny’s graduation from Fordham

CYNTHIA REED KLEIN says, “My

LELA SCHAUS PHILIP says,”I’ve

husband Eliot and I are still working with retirement on the horizon. We are both playing a lot of paddle tennis during the winter and much of our time up in Acadia during the summer where we do a lot of hiking. When we are up there I get together with MARGOT ROSS ROSE ’80 and WENDY BUCK BROWN which is always fun. The three of us always meet for lunch in either Northeast Harbor where Margot and I are, or in Blue Hill where Wendy is. Our youngest daughter, Emilie, is engaged, with her wedding happening 10/2025 so we are planning that. I did see Trina Jones Stillwell for a wonderful gathering/dinner before the holidays.

Looking forward to our 50th reunion, and hope everyone will attend!”

jumped into grandmotherhood with outstretched arms! Tom and I are so lucky to have these cuties close by. I still keep busy creating watercolor artwork for wedding invitations.”

MARY ANN (MARES) KELLY MACDONALD says, “I would like to

Lela Schaus Philip ’79 and her grandbabies!

thank all of my Walker’s friends for all of their prayers and well wishes during my recent three abdominal surgeries. I am grateful to be alive. Although I live in Naples, FL, I often go to NYC to see our son, Johnny Hogan, who is an Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley. While in NYC, I would love to see my Walker's friends who I greatly cherish. If you ever visit Naples, please reach out to me at maryann@macluxuryteam.com. Sending love to all Suns and Dials! xxoo Mary Ann (Mares)”

LESLIE TIMKO writes, “Enjoyed a lovely lunch with KAREN POLCER BDERA in NYC in January. Reconnected with NILA HOLLFELDER-GRAY and MARES KELLY MCDONALD, who both have children in NYC so hope to meet up with them in the city soon!

NANCY MACK VON EULER writes, “I started a new job as the CEO of the Norwalk Community College Foundation at the end of June. I have been fortunate to spend my career working for nonprofit organizations with compelling missions and the NCC Foundation is no exception. My daughter. Sarah started her first job as a newly minted Physician Assistant the week after I started my new job.

She is doing inpatient neurology at NYU-Brooklyn and living in Park Slope. It’s great to have her close by after many years attending school in North Carolina and then Virginia. I got a chance to see DANA CARTER LANGE briefly in December and hope to have a chance to catch up with more of my wonderful classmates soon!”

THE SUNDIAL 55

1980 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

After retiring from her day job as a Project Manager for the Perrigo company a few years back, HOPE THURSTON CARTER has recently been busy teaching herself how to paint watercolors. Having spent many years as a creative photographer hobbyist, Hope delights in learning and experimenting with watercolors brings her many joyful moments. You are never too old to learn new things!

SHANNON YOUNG RAY says, “As I write, I am impatiently awaiting my fourth grandchild, a girl to be named Chloe Grace Ray, daughter of our middle child, Peter and his sweet wife, Lauren. She is due any day — preferably by tomorrow as Breck and I leave for Egypt in two days. This is a bucket list trip and we can’t wait to go, but would love to meet Chloe first! We continue to enjoy being grandparents to our grandson Breck III (8), and his sisters Madison (7), and Margo (2).

Blessed that Breck, Jr. and Meredith live in Fort Worth, as will Chloe, and we can see our grands anytime. Our girls, Megan and Taylor, work and live in Dallas but come home frequently to see family and friends. Carson, our youngest son, works for JP Morgan Chase in NYC and loves his life there.

It’s always wonderful when he makes it back home. No downsizing for us — we are keeping rooms for everyone to come visit! Hoping to make it back for our 45th. Would love to hear from any classmates passing through DFW— I have a room for you!”

Class of 1980’s Elliot Buck and Margot Treman Rose on the green in their signature performance golf apparel. Photo by Brooke Hummer Mower ’80.

cell phones, but after years of helping older folks, hearing their frustrations about their phones, and not finding a book simple enough for them to use, I decided to create one. It is my sincere hope that Cell Phone Help: A Guidebook will help people to stay connected with their family and friends.

So, that is what I have been up to plus working, doing self-tapes, making little movies and having fun taking photos — @luemcwilliams if anyone wants to view ’em.”

LUÉ MCWILLIAMS writes, “I have attached the cover of my forthcoming book: Cell Phone Help: A Guidebook that will be available on Kindle. As an actor, I never intended to write a book about 56

SPRING 2025

The cover of Lué McWilliams ’80’s book

ELLIOTT BUCK ’80 and MARGOT TREMAN ROSE ’80 are delighted to introduce the launch of Elliott & Rose — a brand inspired by their love of golf and dedication to cultivating a dynamic, supportive community of women who share their passion for the sport. To learn more, please visit their website (elliottandrose.com) and follow Elliott & Rose on Instagram (@elliottandrosegolf) for the latest updates on their line.

DEANA WASHBURN writes, “Fall 2024 gave me the opportunity to celebrate another beautiful mother of the bride and Walker’s bestie: DARIA BLACKHAM. Daria co-hosted a glorious waterfront wedding on a perfect October afternoon, that of her daughter Taylor Lopez-Balboa and Taylor’s groom Peter Moran, at the Stamford, CT Yacht Club. Guests were treated to some of the most unique and heartfelt vows I’ve ever heard, as well as a raw bar on the dock, a celebratory cannon blast at sunset, dancing into the night, and plenty of toasts to the beaming couple. When not busy planning weddings (or recovering

inical Psychologist

ng frustrated n to help you.”

r Business Owner & s on Wheels Senior

from them!), Daria works for the New Canaan school district, using her skills as a social worker to support middle school students with learning and social challenges.”

JOANIE LEVINESS ELBOURN writes, “The past year brought us two new granddaughters: Sylvie Wynn in May and Olive Joan (!) in August. Sylvie’s dad, our son, Tom, is in a Ph.D. program at Boston College while he continues teaching at Assumption University. His wife, Alisha, is an RN, and their son, Tommy, Sylvie’s brother, will be four this fall. I take care of Tommy and Sylvie at least one day a week. We were pleased when they all moved from Worcester to

CELL PHONE HELP: A Guidebook

ten a step by eople who gy and the user connection blessing!”

Daria Blackham ’80 and her "mini me," daughter Taylor Lopez-Balboa, at Taylor’s recent wedding

with a userheir journey d stress free. es learning an ay connected,

one minute from our home in Gardner, MA. As mom, I do fret over Tom’s long commute to BC. Eldest daughter, Claudia, and her husband, Josh (Olive’s parents) live in Wakefield, MA. Claudia has been with IBM (tech writer) since she graduated from college at 19 — ten years ago. Josh works for Tulip in Boston.

Daughter, Hannah, graduated from UMASS in May. She had taken some time off to work full time and save money for schooling and a car — she graduated with no debt and paid for everything with cash. Smart girl! Youngest (25) daughter, Abby, has her associate’s degree and continues studying voice over and working at Walmart. Abby and Hannah have made it their mission to

visit every town/city in MA. They visit local attractions and businesses, keeping detailed accounts of what they enjoy.

If anyone has suggestions of what to see, let me know! I am blessed to have my 90-year-old mother living one mile from our house. Sadly, my 63-year-old brother, Steve, died January 30, 2024, from the lung condition he and I and another brother inherited. Alpha 1 Antitrypsin deficiency is a ‘fast track to COPD/lung disease, and smoking makes it an express train.’ My sweetheart turns 70 this year and has been retired for almost three years. It has been quite an adjustment for us both :)”

CELL PHONE HELP: A Guidebook

Shivers, Executive llage Senior Center

By Lué McWilliams

ntless people learn s book is a direct e is also an actor, hotographer. er mantra: ng. She hopes this onnected with their

Daria Blackham ’80’s daughter Taylor’s wedding in October, 2024

• Find your iPhone images from A to Z • Find easy tips to remember the images • Find what the images are used for

By Lué McWilliams

Grandchildren of Joanie LeViness Elbourn ’80

THE SUNDIAL 57

1981 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

DEB LOVEN GRAY writes, “Still living in Coral Gables, FL and enjoying being in touch with Palm Coast Walker’s friends, Sue Kostick and Laura Whiteman. I am breeding Goldens, still riding when it is not too hot, and consulting for fundraising and events with several organizations.”

Deb Loven Gray ’81’s four children; Nick, 22, Elsa, 17, Jackson, 19 and Hudson, 21 with pups from her recent litter of Golden Retrievers

KATE PRIBOR SCHULTE says, “I took an amazing trip to New Zealand to compete in the 70.3 triathlon World Championship race in December, 2024. My daughter, Becca, also competed in the race and we both finished in the top 10% of our age groups! We toured a lot of NZ and it is a beautiful country. There is nothing more satisfying than sharing a challenge with your children!”

Mary Bebel Schinke ’81 was featured in a Wall Street Journal article “Baby Boomer Women Are Now Deciding the Fate of Trillions of Dollars.” Scan QR code to read the article.

Never a dull moment with Elizabeth England ’81 and Meg Filoon ’81 at Mama Ricotta’s in Uptown Charlotte, NC

58

SPRING 2025

Kate Pribor Schulte ’81 hiking the Routeburn Trail on New Zealand’s South Island

1982 Cynthia Vega The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1983 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

ALINA “NINA” MURPHY writes, “2024 was a big year in the Murphy (de la Sierra) household. Our first grandson, Xavier Leonidas Marcos was born in New York on July 11 and we were able to spend the month up there enjoying him!

Additionally, our youngest daughter, Alina, was married in November to Mitch Pattullo here in Miami — AND I had a few Walker’s alums at the wedding to help celebrate — see picture.

I am also including a picture of our expanding family. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2025!!”

Walker’s group at Nina de la Sierra Murphy ’83’s daughter’s wedding. L to R: Louisa Cecil Shiland ’83, Vivi Carrera-Justiz Brown ’84, Mary Lotuff Feeny ’83, Mari Pedroso Campano ’84, Nina de la Sierra Murphy ’83, Ini Consuegra Cummins ’83, and Garrett Handley Dee ’83

LAURA SCOTT writes, “My husband, son and I traveled west last summer.

The main adventure was a 70-mile wilderness trek my son completed with his Boy Scout pack at Philmont Ranch, NM. On our way to Yellowstone we stopped to visit SARAH WROBLE MARCIKONIS in Longmont, CO. Here is a picture of that visit. Sarah is still bicycling like crazy with her 500-mile tours. She is amazing!”

Nina de la Sierra Murphy ’83’s growing family

LYNN O’KEEFFE EGAN says, “Still living in Louisville, KY, working part time as a hospice physician. Elizabeth Egan Thompson (30) had a baby boy in May 2024. I am thoroughly enjoying grandmother duties! Stewart Egan (25) is spending her summers as a class IV/V white water guide and winters teaching skiing in Utah. I am still riding and have two dressage horses I am enjoying immensely.”

Sarah Wroble Marcikonis ’83, her husband Mike, Laura Scott ’83, Laura’s son Fiske, and Laura’s husband Ralph

THE SUNDIAL 59

Melissa Haller-Jones ’84 and Laurann Claridge ’84

1984 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

MELISSA HALLER JONES writes, “LAURANN CLARIDGE and I got together at Chefs for Farmers this past Fall in Houston, TX. It is so nice to have a Walker’s classmate nearby and she is just such an amazing person and good friend.”

After four successful years in San Francisco, KATHLEEN SULLIVAN and her wife, Dr. Rebecca Levison, are moving back to Oregon. Kathleen is fortunate to work remotely with UC Berkeley CITRIS and founded a new company called Evergreen Fitness to help older adults remain independent, active and fit throughout their life course.

Dr. Kathleen M. Sullivan ‘84 at an event honoring Dr. Marcy Adelman in San Francisco

LACY FRAZER writes, “It’s hard to believe it’s been almost five years since our 35th Reunion on Zoom! In these last five years, my two sons graduated from film school and are working as cinematographers and editors. Fun fact — my oldest son worked as an editor on almost all the Superbowl commercials this year. My daughter is finishing her Junior year of college, a psychology major like her mom. Hard to believe all three kids will be adulting by May of 2026! I continue to work as a personal empowerment coach and motivational speaker (dabbling in book writing and filmmaking on the side). I love being out in the garden, studying astrology (a 4,000-year-old system of psychology), and cuddling with my three King Charles Cavalier Spaniels! Wishing all my classmates, as well as the Walker’s community, well as we all move forward in the unfolding of 2025!”

Assistant Head for Advancement Gretchen Orschiedt, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani '85 and Board Chair Kit O'Brien Rohn '82 together in NYC

1985 Elizabeth Porter Giddings The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Esther Pryor The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Lacy Frazer ‘85

60

SPRING 2025

Children of Lacy Frazer ‘85: Joseph (23), Jack (24), Caroline (20) gathered together for Joseph’s graduation from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts - School of Filmmaking

Thatcher Chamberlain Carter ‘86’s dog Bailey experiencing a new climate!

Tahra Makinson-Sanders ’86 at a cycling training camp in Mallorca

1986 Tahra Makinson-Sanders The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

TAHRA MAKINSON-SANDERS writes, “Still enjoy living in Tiburon, CA, although California in general is getting to be a tough place to live. Is anyone else daydreaming about retirement yet?! If so, where will you retire? I am looking for inspiration. 2024 was rough medically: I had a hip replacement and two rotator cuff surgeries. I wanted to reward myself and motivate myself to get back in shape, so I went to a six-day cycling training camp in Mallorca, which kicked me into shape! Being the only woman among mostly 24-year-old guys I was chasing all day up mountains :(”

AMY “THATCHER” CHAMBERLAIN CARTER says, “After 30 years of living

Adicia Cohen-Johnson ‘86 and her husband, Myron and and with lifelong friends from Walker’s

woman 40+ (especially those that don’t like having their picture taken). We offer headshots, personal branding, boudoir and beauty photo shoots. I was a teacher for 17 years and then decided to make the big pivot and follow my entrepreneurial spirit. Our studio is in our barn on our property. If you’re in the area, get in touch! We’d love a visit.”

and teaching in California, my husband Ross and I have moved to Bath, Ontario in Canada. Back on the East Coast!

I’ve got my first novel coming out in May (called Razed), and I’ll try to do book events in Boston and New York this summer. Email if you want details (thatchercarter@yahoo.com) or find me on Facebook.”

from serving as a middle school administrator in December 2023. She is now serving as an adjunct assistant professor at Temple University and as an educational consultant. Her areas of expertise include developing critical consciousness of students to improve their academic experiences, developing effective professional learning communities, restorative practices, and cultural proficiency. She has also been busy with her non-profit organization that provides free educational services to youth in the Philadelphia area. She is Mimom to seven grandchildren and she and her husband are enjoying the time they have to support them at all of their various events. Adicia still connects with

SONJA NEILL-TURNER ’85, CONSTANCE KOSSALLY ’85, LAMONDA WILLIAMS ’87, WENDY MARTIN ’87 and NICHELLE DAVIDSON BUSSEY ’88. They get

KELLEY SCHULER NORCIA writes, “Celebrating ten years in business this year as a portrait photographer in Clinton, CT. We love photographing

ADICIA COHEN-JOHNSON retired

Kelley Schuler Norcia ‘86 of Kelley Norcia Photography

together at least twice per year.

THE SUNDIAL 61

1989 Marsha Davis The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1990 Amanda Pitman The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

STEPHANIE BOTHWELL GRILLO writes, Heather Wanatowicz Rems-Korwin ’87’s book and yoga practice

1987 Lori Stewart The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

HEATHER WANATOWICZ REMSKORWIN writes “My yoga studio, Sanctuary Power Yoga, has been open for 14 years this year! We have a thriving community in the studio and I also have a YouTube channel, “thebentyogi” where I share classes. A couple of years ago, I published a book about life and yoga. Yoga has been my passion for over 25 years and I love sharing it with others and seeing how they benefit. My husband, our son and I (and our dogs) live in Northwest CT, in the town where I grew up. We live near my family with our two dogs and love this little corner of the world.”

“All is well in southern Connecticut where I run my own property management company and real estate firm. Both of my sons have graduated and one lives in Charleston, SC, where he is a special needs teacher and my other son lives at home and is working as a mechanic. I look forward to seeing many classmates at our reunion this year.”

AMANDA PITMAN says, “This is my second winter in Ithaca, NY and I’m still adjusting to colder temperatures, less sun, and more snow. I’m starting my third year with Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement working with the Food & Ag Innovation team on several different initiatives

supporting small to mid-size farms and other food businesses. I love what I do but miss the East Coast. Caught up with TANYA OUHRABKA in Rhode Island this summer and hoping to see KATE GRAETZER, who is in Albany, NY, soon.

Looking forward to catching up with the class of 1990 in May.”

1991 Sarah Keefer The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1992 Whitley Ram Schoeny The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1993 Augusta “Mimi” Morrison Harrison The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

JENNIFER JACKSON writes, “October was a very auspicious month for me to spend time with alumnae from Walker’s.

The first opportunity was completely

1988 Carolyn “Carrie” Pouch The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Susan Lins Jackson ’66, Jennifer Jackson ’93 and Mandy Eastman ’93 in NYC, October 2024

62

SPRING 2025

Jennifer Jackson ’93 in DC with Kathryn Spector Lasater ’87, a fellow Dial!

unexpected. My husband and I were meeting dear friends of ours in DC for dinner and they brought their friend along. She and I were talking about where her kids went and currently go to boarding school and she happened to say, I went to an all-girls school in CT named Ethel Walker’s!!! It was one of the funniest and happiest coincidences that has happened to me. It turns out, we are both Dials too! (Which means of course that it was meant to be that we would meet one day)! My fellow Walker’s alum and Dial is KATHRYN SPECTOR LASATER ’87. The second opportunity was when my son and I took a special trip with my mother SUSAN LINS JACKSON ’66 (also a Dial) to NYC and met up with my best friend, AMANDA EASTMAN ’93 (a Sun) and her son for lunch and a Broadway musical. It was a wonderful afternoon and having the shared experience of Ethel Walker’s across two generations made the reunion that much more special. On January 29, 2025, I walked out of USAID for the last time, having spent a decade as a communications advisor for the agency on Middle East affairs, conflict prevention and global health. I am a patriot and dedicated public servant and very proud of the work I carried out on behalf of the United States to make the world a better place. As a mentor and agency leader recently said, “Great countries do great things.”

Every day I worked for USAID, I felt that I was contributing to the greater good of our country and the world. It was a tremendous gift to draw so much purpose from my job. Unexpected change can also open opportunities.

One of those is spending more time with my soon-to-be middle school son, Alexander. Another is growing my professional organizing business, JLJ Organizing, which has been on hold for the past few years. I’m grateful for the love and support I’ve felt from the lifelong friends I made at Walker’s.”

SHAYNA COHEN writes, “With my four children (23, 21, 19, and 17) now fairly independent, I’ve embraced a new chapter — entrepreneurship! In March 2024, I founded FIT FOR YOU, a women’s-only strength training gym in Avon, CT, just down the street from Walker’s. What started with just three clients and five classes per week has grown into a thriving community of women and 17 weekly class offerings — and I recently brought on an additional coach to support the demand! My time at Walker’s instilled in me the importance of empowering women and girls, both in sports and in life.

That same spirit of strength, resilience, and community-building inspired FIT FOR YOU, where we focus on smallgroup metabolic strength training to help women feel strong, capable, and confident at any stage of life. Much like Ethel Walker’s mission of uplifting and supporting women, my goal is to provide a space where women can thrive, challenge themselves, and build lifelong strength. Also, as a proud mom of two Walker’s alumnae (Classes of 2020 and 2021), it’s been especially meaningful to create this space. To all local alumnae — come check it out! I’d love to reconnect and introduce you to the FIT FOR YOU community.”

NAN FLANAGAN writes, “Spending the year celebrating my 50th (!!) including a trip to San Diego to compete in the US Tennis Association National Championships. My team placed 10th in the country, not what we hoped for but not too bad for a 50-year-old. My son is officially a teenager — almost the same age that we were when we arrived at Walker’s as freshwomen. Time flies.”

1994 Philippa “Pip” Eschauzier Earl The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Larissa Fernandez ‘96 and family: husband Luis Sanchez, son Luis and daughter Angela

1995 Nicole “Nicky” Lewenson Shargel The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1996 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

LARISSA FERNANDEZ writes, “We are happy to be healthy and settled within a beautiful suburb west of The St. Louis Arch — “The Gateway to the West.” Our youngest daughter is now ten and a successful entrepreneur with her small business “Spice Bagels,” supplying handbag accessories, jewelry, and keychains with the design focus of colorful Bagels. Check out her Facebook Page — “Spice Bagels.”

Our oldest Son is now 18, and getting ready to attend the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy with a focus in Biomedical Sciences. After many family struggles and life impacting moments, we are happy to be settled in such a family focused area with wonderful activities and adventures to be had. This spring we plan on exploring the hiking

THE SUNDIAL 63

2002 Holly Jackson The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

CAITLIN TURNER LAFFAN writes, “I am

Camille Obering Musser ’96 with Phoebe Welsh Muzzy ’74

Camille Obering Musser ’96 with Ellen Krimmel Besobrasov ’78

trails in Missouri. If you are in the area, don’t hesitate to join us, and bring your hiking boots!”

2000

CAMILLE OBERING MUSSER says, “I was delighted to welcome Ethel Walker alumnae ELLEN KRIMMEL BESOBRASOV ’78 and PHOEBE WELSH MUZZY ’74 to my private art space, Guesthouse, in Jackson Hole, WY this summer.”

1997 Alicia Benedetto The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Allison Quigley The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2001 Alicia Little Hodge The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

still happily settled in East Haddam with my husband Patrick and our two boys Cale (14) and Reed (11). I spend my free time running, gardening and taking care of our flock of chickens. We enjoy family time vacationing in the mountains and attending renaissance faires!”

2003 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

EMILY LAWRENCE WALBERG writes, “I’m excited to be six months into a new role as Director of the Emmanuel Fund at Emmanuel College in Boston, where I have the luxury of working remotely a few days a week. My daughters are now three and six years old, and my

Karen Crowe The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1998 Brooke Berescik-Johns The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

1999 Vivienne Felix The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Emily Lawrence Walberg ‘03’s daughters, Maddie and Coco, at Christmas 2024

64

SPRING 2025

2005 Emma Bedford-Jack The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

KATHERINE RODRIGUEZ COLONE

Joanna Szymanski ‘03’s daughter Heidi

Katherine Rodriguez Colone ‘05’s daughter Esmerelda

writes, “Lots has changed in the Colone household! We now have a 19-monthold little girl named Esmeralda! I never got a chance to announce her birth, but she is healthy and happy (and a little spunky). So happy to be a first-time mom and excited for all the adventures that await us!”

husband and I spend most of our time chauffeuring for playdates and birthday parties, in addition to updating our 250-year-old home. I hope everyone is well!”

2004

TING CHU-RICHARDSON WAYMOUTH

JOANNA SZYMANSKI writes, “My

Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

writes, “I’m not sure what the last update was, but I have two kids, ages four and seven, and live with them and my spouse in northern Virginia. In 2023 I made a major career change, and am now a community organizer for climate action.”

husband, Ryan McDonald, and I welcomed our first daughter, Heidi Isabelle McDonald on October 27, 2024!”

SARAH PRAGER writes, “I got married

Sarah Prager ‘04 and family. Photo: Brooke Seminick

Meredythe Goethe ’05 swimming with tiger sharks in Hawaii

in October 2024 in a ceremony in western MA with just me, my spouse, and my two kids (8 and 5). It was a perfect day. I’ve written four books, the most recent being A Child’s Introduction to Pride published in May 2023. I’m a full-time writer and speaker (a dream come true) and I give talks on LGBTQ+ history to schools, companies, libraries, and other groups. You can find out more at www.sarahprager.com/ speaking.”

MEREDYTHE GOETHE writes, “Hello, Walker’s! I’m writing from Brooklyn, NY where I work for a fintech start-up as the VP of Operations and live with my partner, two kids and three dogs.

My respite from the chaos includes traveling, scuba diving and training for my fourth marathon. I am lucky to frequently visit fellow Walker’s Dial KRISTI SADOWSKI ’02, and can’t wait to see everyone this spring at Reunion!”

THE SUNDIAL 65

Marilla Pender-Cudlip Cherveny ’06 married Luke Cherveny on March 16, 2024 at the Providence, RI Public Library. Amanda Phelps ’06 was a bridesmaid.

2006 Ebony Moses The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Marielle Vigneau-Britt The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Alle Shane The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Jeanette Pelizzon The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

JEANETTE PELIZZON writes, “I am still based in San Diego, CA — the longest I have lived anywhere since my Walker’s days at this point. I am fully running my digital design agency, Neon Seahorse Design, and taking on clients around the world. Remodeling a 1950s beach

bungalow that will hopefully be done by the time the next Sundial magazine prints. Spending time surfing, hanging with my dog, Bob, and trying to take advantage of all the fun that SoCal has to offer. Come visit!”

2008 Kathleen Kirby The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

MARILLA PENDER-CUDLIP CHERVENY writes, “2024 was an exciting year for me — I got married in March and live with my husband Luke in Somerville, MA. Let me know if you’re in the Boston area so we can grab a coffee!”

2007 Emily Casey Talbot The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Taylor Cousins Scott ’09 with her family, and her new twins Sawyer Blake and Savannah Jean

66

SPRING 2025

Rachel Keeney Sherland ’10 as a midwife, graduating from Frontier Nursing University and at her wedding

2009 Caitlin Moss The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

TAYLOR COUSINS SCOTT writes, “Conner and I welcomed twins on August 19, 2024! Sawyer Blake and Savannah Jean Scott are thriving and we are so in love!”

2010 Marianne Pettit Watt The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

RACHEL KEENEY SHERLAND shares that she was married on November 23, 2024 to Spencer Sherland and is a Long Island-based community midwife attending home and hospital births.

Rachel became an APRN/Certified Nurse Midwife after graduating from Frontier Nursing University, and previously earned her MSN/RN from Johns Hopkins and worked there for two years.

ALEXIS STEPHAN WESTCOTT writes, “I am living in West Hartford, CT and working as an inpatient heart failure PA at Saint Francis Hospital. My husband and I just welcomed our first child (a boy!) in August 2024. I can’t wait to see everyone at our reunion this spring!”

2011 Kelsey Ballard Rogers The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2012 Jordana “Monet” Clarke The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2013 Ameena Makhdoomi The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Paige Williams-Menard The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2014 Olivia Aker The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Taryn Anderson The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Brittany “Britt” Camacho The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Artemis Talvat The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

THE SUNDIAL 67

Lisa Volg The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

STEPHANIE CRUZ writes, “In 2025, I will graduate Family Medicine residency and start practicing as an autonomous family medicine physician in Florida.”

2015 Talia Basch The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2016 Georgia Paul The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2017 Idabelle Paterson The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

68

SPRING 2025

2018

2021

Caroline Strapp The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

2019 Katherine Dunn The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

ELISE NAMNOUM graduated in 2023 from Boston College, and after working for a year in insurance risk management and consulting, is now pursuing a law degree at New York University with a focus on litigation.

2020 Brianna Vega The contact information for our class correspondents has been removed to protect their privacy but we want to hear from you! Please send your news to alumnae@ethelwalker.org.

2022 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

2023 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

JESS HOSIER writes, “I am doing better than ever.”

2024 Your class needs a correspondent!

Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 at mpaterson@ethelwalker.org if you are interested.

2024–2025 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Katharine O’Brien Rohn ’82

Mary Lou Cobb

Emma Simon ’89

Sarah Gates Colley ’75

CHAIR Conservation and Education Nonprofit Leader Darien, CT

VICE CHAIR Managing Director Marketing, Virtus Investment West Hartford, CT

Thomas Regan P’13

TREASURER Partner, Brown Rudnick LLP Avon, CT

Michaelynn Ware P’28, ’29

SECRETARY Head of Legal Affairs, Enterprise Wireless Solutions at Ericsson Farmington, CT

Alexandra Badger Airth ’83

Director, Mars Foundation Board Newport Beach, CA

Margot Campbell Bogert ’60

Trustee Emerita Board of Trustees, The Frick Collection, and World Scout Committee Bedford Hills, NY

Elizabeth Rockwell Cesare

Trustee Emerita Former Head, King Low Heywood Thomas School Norwalk, CT

Principal Consultant and Founder, Cobb Education Consulting, Founder, The Cobb School West Simsbury, CT Trustee Emerita Retired, Goldman Sachs Hobe Sound, FL

Dr. Eleanor Daugherty P’26

Vice President for Student Affairs, Georgetown University Washington, DC

Margaret G. Davis P’26

Owner, Sienna Mountain Ranch Petaluma, CA

Harriet Blees Dewey ’60, P’86, GP’21 Trustee Emerita Educator and Philanthropist Ridgefield, CT

Leander Altifois Dolphin ’95, P’24 Managing Partner, Shipman & Goodwin, LLP Hartford, CT

Jean Moore Edwards ’69

Owner, Moore Ranch Vineyards Saint Helena, CA

Ximena E. Eleta de Sierra ’83

Charles Hirschler

Beth Strapp P’18, ’21

Toan C. Huynh ’93

Kelly Lee Tang P’27

Sarah Johnson ’78, P’10

Jamiah Tappin ’00

Managing Member, CHMBR Partners LLC Greenwich, CT Independent Director, Bankers Financial Corporation New York, NY Managing Partner, NY Carbon Palm Beach, FL

Cynthia Kirkland Kellogg ’60

Conservationist, Nonprofit Leader and Philanthropist Hanahan, SC

Barbara Thomas Kennedy ’69

Manager, Standard Enterprises, Inc. Charlottesville, VA

Dr. Shelley Marks ’81

Surgeon, Palo Alto Medical Foundation San Francisco, CA

Letitia McClure Potter ’55, P’85 Trustee Emerita Greenwich, CT

Alvaro Rodriguez P’24

Director, Enterprise Project Management, OhioHealth Westerville, OH

Senior Vice President, Berkeley Healthcare Financial Lines Granby, CT Chief Data Scientist, Bendable Labs New York, NY

Director, Health & Racial Equity, Grantmaking, Health Resources in Action Boston, MA

Cynthia T. Vega ’82

Managing Partner, C.T. Vega & Asociados, SRL Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dr. Meera Viswanathan Ex-Officio Head of School, The Ethel Walker School Simsbury, CT

Teresa C. Younger

CEO and President, Ms. Foundation for Women Brooklyn, NY

Nonprofit Arts Foundation Leader Panama City, Panama

2024–2025 ALUMNAE BOARD Dr. Samara M. Khalique Grove ’00

Alicia Little Hodge ’01

Kristen T. St Louis ’21

Charlotte Weidlein Lenzner ’05

Sarah Shaw ’23

Silvia Manent ’08

Caroline M. Strapp ’18

Eliza Pell David Massaro ’92

Eliza Wetmore ’18

Eda E. Bell ’12

Kayla A. Monroe ’12 Enfield, CT

Chenxi (Rita) Xiang ‘24

Chadds Ford, PA

Fiona de Kerckhove ’89

Dele R. Odumosu ’12 Brooklyn, NY

Le (Sarah) You ’22

Newbury, United Kingdom

Sarah Elting Doering ’65

Jeanette C. Pelizzon ’07

Malibu, CA

San Diego, CA

Nicole Hart Dunn ’96

Tracey S. Reifler ’82

CO-CHAIR Salem, VA

Cynthia T. Vega ’82

CO-CHAIR Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Katharine Swibold ’78 SECRETARY Tarrytown, NY

Weatogue, CT

Washington, DC Bronxville, NY Concord, MA Avon, CT

Bronx, NY

Southwick, MA Granby, CT Darien, CT

Stanford, CA and Chengdu, China Boston, MA and Wuhan, China

Seattle, WA

THE SUNDIAL 69

BE PART OF THIS HISTORIC $2.5M GIVING OPPORTUNITY YOUR IMPACT ON WALKER’S FUTURE CAN GO ONCE, TWICE, OR THREE TIMES AS FAR! A visionary anonymous donor who deeply believes in Walker’s mission has stepped forward with an extraordinary opportunity: a $2.5 million matching gift opportunity for donors of the Annual Fund for Walker’s. This represents the largest matching gift in our School’s history.

WHY DOES IT MATTER? This transformative matching opportunity not only opens many doors but also plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Walker’s and the bright minds within it. This is more than a fundraising campaign — it’s a testament to the belief in Walker’s mission and our collective community joining together. By doubling our Annual Fund, we will create lasting positive change for current and future generations of students.

YOU CAN BE PART OF

IN MATCHING GIFTS FOR WALKER’S EVERY NEW AND INCREASED GIFT OVER $250 IS ELIGIBLE FOR A MATCH INCREASE YOUR GIFT FROM LAST YEAR AND A LEADING DONOR WILL YOUR IMPACT Join us with your increased giftMULTIPLY at support.ethelwalker.org $250-$500 INCREASED GIFT 3:1 MATCH of the difference $501-$999 INCREASED GIFT 2:1 MATCH of the difference $1,000-$25,000 INCREASED GIFT 1:1 MATCH of the difference Learn more and make your gift at support.ethelwalker.org

LET’S MAKE HISTORY TOGETHER! Your participation in this historic matching

opportunity will help shape Walker’s future.

Together, we can create an even stronger

• Pledges can be fulfilled through June 30, 2025

grateful for your support.

• Your support at any level makes a difference

foundation for excellence in education. We are For questions about the Annual Fund for

Walker’s or matching gift opportunity, please

contact us at giving@ethelwalker.org or use this QR code to make your gift today!

70

• All new or increased gifts and pledges of $250 or more will qualify for the match

SPRING 2025

MEET WALKER’S ADVANCEMENT TEAM Gretchen Orschiedt Assistant Head for Advancement gorschiedt@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4260 Je Banach Advancement Research Manager jbanach@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4255 Kathryn Bratslavsky Advancement Associate kbratslavsky@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4251 Allie Harris ’13 Advancement Communications Coordinator aharris@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4249 Marion Paterson P’17, ’19 Director of Alumnae Relations and Major Giving mpaterson@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4257 Melissa Regan P’13 Major Gifts Officer mregan@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4259 Isabelle Russell Stewardship and Donor Relations Manager irussell@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4332

At the heart of Walker’s mission is our commitment to prepare students to make a difference in our world.

Whether you are an alumna, parent, employee, or friend of the School, you know that service to others and a philanthropic spirit are central to who we are and what we do.

When you give to Walker’s, you participate in something bigger than all of us: a tradition of giving since 1911 that spans generations of Walker’s women, their loved ones, and countless friends and supporters. Whatever method is best for you, we thank you for making Walker’s a philanthropic priority.

Please let us help facilitate your giving. Contact us at any time about making gifts via phone, mail, online, recurring, planned, in-kind, cash wire, or stock.

We are here to help.

Liana Sowa Advancement Database Assistant lsowa@ethelwalker.org +1 860-408-4258

WAYS TO GIVE Online: support.ethelwalker.org By mail: Annual Fund for Walker’s The Ethel Walker School 230 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 By phone: +1 860-408-4260 Venmo account: @EWS1911

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID HARTFORD, CT PERMIT NO. 1382

230 Bushy Hill Road | Simsbury, CT 06070

Walker’s Swimming was named New England Champions this March, bringing home the Division III trophy! The team finished a historic season with its first NEPSAC Championship in program history.