32 minute read
On Campus and Beyond
In 2019, Dr. Sheldon was one of just 18 former fellows selected from more than 125 applicants to travel to the Galápagos for a pilot alumni program. In this interview, she talks about the program and the trip and how she plans to bring what she saw to life on campus.
FIELD NOTES: Science Teacher Brings Galápagos Experience Back to Campus
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The textbook came alive for Walker’s science teacher Dr. Julia Sheldon when she took a memorable trip to the famed Galápagos Islands as part of an expedition with the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions. From the first day, she was awestruck by the animals around San Cristobal harbor, from crabs to iguanas to sea lions to many different species of birds.
The opportunity to go to the Galápagos was part of an effort by National Geographic and Lindblad to engage alumni of its Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship program; Dr. Sheldon was a fellow in 2014. Her program took her across the globe, including to National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington, DC, as well as to Norway and Arctic Svalbard on an expedition. She also developed an interdisciplinary elective in Arctic studies for Walker’s students.
Could you transport us to what you saw and experienced on the islands?
It was truly a magical place. We woke up around 6:00 a.m., drank amazing Ecuadorian coffee, and ate an array of interesting tropical fruits — all while we watched the sunrise. It was a wonderful way to start the morning. Every day was full of new adventures, such as snorkeling with a very friendly young sea lion who swam right up to my mask before quickly flipping upside down to make a loop and return again.
On another occasion, we visited Genovesa Island and saw many different kinds of birds. I fell in love with birds on my expedition to Svalbard and have been actively birding ever since. The chance to visit this pristine spot and interact with so many unique birds was incredible.
Surprisingly, we also saw some feral animals, including a kitten in the middle of nowhere on our search for land iguanas. We had the opportunity to talk with a veterinarian from Darwin Animal Doctors about the volunteer work he does with dogs and cats on the islands, which was very interesting.
Could you tell us what was so special about going to the Galápagos?
I treasured this opportunity to get back out into the world and experience somewhere so unique, and so dedicated to conserving its uniqueness. It’s a place all my students have heard about and so many people dream of visiting.
I could go on about the trip forever, but a few highlights include up-close encounters with the fearless animals; daily snorkeling trips among penguins, sharks, and sea turtles; and the chance to get to know another fellow, Kathy Eldridge, from Muscle Shoals, AL, and hear about her school community and her experience in Antarctica. These are the unique exchanges that make the program so powerful.
The fellowship gave you the opportunity to interact with National Geographic photographers. This must have been fascinating. Could you tell us more?
I had the privilege of meeting and learning from several National Geographic photographers. It was really a dream come true. I especially remember how photographer C.T. Ticknor shared with me the Hawaiian concept of “kuleana,” the symbiotic relationship between privilege and responsibility. This really struck a chord with me. It has been an important reminder to recognize and utilize the gifts that I have been given and share them with others. My Galápagos expedition is allowing me to find new ways of doing this.
How do you hope to bring what you learned and saw there into your classroom?
The expedition was an incredible privilege that is helping me better understand the world and the big problems Earth faces — and to recognize, and live up to, my own responsibility to help make things better. I’ve already been sharing my experience with students and the wider Walker’s community. It has been amazing to come back to campus and share all I saw.
My goal is to develop an elective course about climate change and to use my experiences in the Arctic and the Galápagos, two wildly diverse and important ecosystems, as jumping off points for the class. It’s clear that Walker’s students are hungry to learn more about how climate change is affecting our planet and will continue to affect it in the future. I was so pleased to see that more than 30 Walker’s students attended the Hartford Youth Climate Strike last fall and that they are ready to take more action.
Experiencing the Galápagos firsthand has given me so many new things to wonder about and has reenergized my teaching at Walker’s. I am so grateful to the National Geographic Society, Lindblad Expeditions, and the Walker’s community for providing me with this opportunity.
In August 2021, Dr. Sheldon was asked back to the Galápagos Islands as a National Geographic Alumnae. The opportunity to bring along her friend and colleague science faculty member Dr. Suzanne Piela to join her on this second trip was a gift. Their mutual friendship and collaboration has brought a wealth of incredible knowledge to Walker’s campus including the Honors Bio Chemistry course through Yale University Small World Initiative (SWI) Crowdsourcing Antibiotic Discovery and also co-teaching a Master Class to alums during Reunion 2022.
The Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speakers Series is made possible by an endowed fund created through the contributions of generous donors in recognition of Margaret Huling Bonz upon her retirement in June 1999 after 11 years as Head of The Ethel Walker School. The endowed fund will be used to bring a distinguished woman visitor to the campus of The Ethel Walker School on an annual basis for the benefit of Walker’s students, faculty and staff. Other constituencies associated with the School community, as well as special guests from the larger community, may be invited to the annual event as deemed appropriate. The priority, however, should always be that of enriching the experience of the students, faculty, and staff of The Ethel Walker School.
Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist Lynn Lyons visited campus as the 2019 Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speaker. During workshops and presentations, Lynn spoke with faculty, students, parents, and members of the local community, using her sense of humor and experience to share insight and engage the community on topics to which most everyone can relate: worry and anxiety.
Lynn, who holds a master’s degree in social work from Boston University and is a licensed clinical social worker, has been in private practice for 28 years, specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children. She travels internationally as a speaker and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools. She is a sought-after expert, appearing in the New York Times, Time, NPR, Psychology Today, and other media outlets. With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, Lynn is the coauthor of two books on anxiety: Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids.
To learn more about Lynn’s work, please visit her website at www.lynnlyons.com.
Sara Bronin
The 2022 Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speaker is Professor Sara Bronin. Ms. Bronin spoke in April 2022 in the chapel to the entire campus community, sharing insight into her background and the many opportunities she has had the privilege to act upon. She did so with humorous anecdotes about her family, experiences, and the amount of luck she has had with all of the doors that opened for her. Professor Bronin is a MexicanAmerican architect, attorney, professor, and policymaker whose interdisciplinary work focuses on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed, and connected places. Her background of impressive roles includes her current one as a Professor of the Cornell College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, an Associated Faculty Member of the Cornell Law School, and a Faculty Fellow of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Among other visiting positions, Professor Bronin has taught at the Yale School of Architecture and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Kleinman Center on Energy Policy and at the Sorbonne University in France. In addition to her work in the education sector, Ms. Bronin is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a past chair of the State & Local Government Section of the American Association of Law Schools.
Professor Bronin is also a published author of several books and treatises on land use and historic preservation law, and she
has written over two dozen articles on renewable energy, climate change, housing, urban planning, transportation, real estate development, and federalism. She is also active in public service and has served on the board of Latinos in Heritage Conservation and as an advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Sustainable Development Code. In 2020, she founded DesegregateCT, a pro-homes coalition that successfully advanced the first major statewide zoning reforms in several decades in the State of Connecticut. She also has won several design awards for her family’s National-Register-listed 1865 brownstone in Hartford, CT. Ms. Bronin holds a J.D. from Yale Law School (Harry S Truman Scholarship), M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholarship), and a B.Architecture/B.A. from the University of Texas. During her years in law school, she clerked for the then-Judge Sonia Sotomayer on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Professor Bronin brought a wealth of impressive experience and distinction to our Bonz Lecture Series this year and is in equally impressive company with our many prior speakers.
The Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speakers Series
We are pleased to announce this year’s 2023 agreed upon speaker is Karenna Gore, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. Watch for more information to be forthcoming.
Past speakers include: 2022 Sara Bronin 2019 Lynn Lyons 2018 Gitte Pedersen-Botero P’21 2017 Tiffany Dufu 2016 Laura Tierney 2016 Maggie Wheeler 2014 Edna Adan 2103 Faith Middleton 2012 Janet Hansen 2010 Pamela Trotman Reid 2007 Abigail Trafford ’57 2006 Marie Wilson 2005 Patricia Marx Ellsberg ’55 2003 Olympia Snow 2001 Gloria Steinem 2000 Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
presented “Unlearning Our Socialization to Build Solidarity” at the fifth Annual Women’s Leadership Conference at the University of New Haven. Workshop participants took a deep dive into the manifestations of internalized sexism and the ways this internalization harms women in their relationships with one another. Under Elisa’s guidance, Walker’s was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Graustein Memorial Fund to support the creation of a racial literacy project at Walker’s. As a result of the grant, four girls and two faculty members attended the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference and Student Diversity Leadership Conference in December of 2019 in Seattle, WA. World Languages Chair Chris Semk
co-authored a book chapter with Juliette Cherbuliez (University of Minnesota), Religion, Ritual, and Myth in A Cultural History of Theatre in the Age of Enlightenment. It examines the relationship between tragic theater and religion in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in France but also in England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Russia.
Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-5) Visits Walker’s
During the 2019-20 school year, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, the U.S. Representative for the Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut, visited campus. She met with student leaders, faculty, and administrators, and addressed the community during lunch. In her remarks, Rep. Hayes encouraged students to use their voices, advocate for themselves and others, and blaze their own trails. In her meeting with the Big 7, Rep. Hayes spoke about the representation of women in politics, and the role schools play in shaping the next generation of women leaders.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Rep. Hayes taught high school history in Waterbury, CT, where she encouraged her students to participate in community service work. She first garnered widespread notice when she was selected Connecticut Teacher of the Year before going on to earn distinction as 2016 National Teacher of the Year. That led to an invitation to the White House from President Barack Obama. In her capacity as National Teacher of the Year, Representative Hayes traveled the country and the world as an ambassador for public education, engaging all stakeholders in policy discussions meant to improve outcomes for students.
Rep. Hayes was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2018, making her the first African American woman and the first African American Democrat to represent the state of Connecticut in Congress.
Director of Social Justice and Inclusion Elisa Del Valle; Science Department Chair Dr. Suzanne Piela; Grants and Foundations Officer Dr. Kim Pereira; Congresswoman Jahana Hayes; Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan; Head of the Middle School and Executive Director of Horizons at The Ethel Walker School Isabel Ceballos; and former Director of External Affairs Michelle Helmin
Distiguished Commencement Speakers
Jahana Hayes
Walker’s Class of 2021 keynote address was delivered by The Honorable Jahana Hayes, U.S. Representative for Connecticut Fifth Congressional District. She detailed three pieces of advice to those assembled after she kicked off her shoes to deliver a passionate address to the graduates of Walker’s 109th Commencement exercises, about living a life of purpose. “Embrace failure. I have failed more than most people have tried. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase,” said Hayes. “Be the best you that you can be. The blueprint for success will look different for each and every one of you. Your gift is different from every other person in this room.” Hayes also added, “Be of service. Live a life of purpose and responsibility. Remember. It is a privilege to serve. The sooner you realize that your gifts are not your own…by giving, you actually receive. You will decide if it will be a moment or a movement.”
Shabana Basij-Rasikh
Shabana Basij-Rasikh was the 110th Commencement Cerermony speaker. The keynote address was delivered on May 29, 2022. Ms. Basij-Rasikh is an Afghan educator, humanitarian, journalist, and women’s rights champion. She is the Co-founder and President of the School of Leadership in Afghanistan (SOLA). SOLA’s mission is to provide access to quality education across her homeland, where girls’ education is often prohibited or forbidden. Noting this point about the obstacles in life, she went on to say, “We aren’t the same, you and I. We come from very different backgrounds and there were very different roadblocks put between us and our education. But we overcame them. We got past them, and we didn’t do it alone — we had our families behind us, we had our teachers behind us, we had people who believed in us and now here we are, together at commencement.” Ms. Basij-Rasikh, in her quiet and understated way, yet with her strong words and powerful message, gave all of the graduating seniors a message of hope for the future as strong, bright, young women. She added, “We aren’t the same, but we are more alike than you might realize, and here is something we share and will always share: As girls, as women, we know that we have the power to change the world.”
The Ethel Walker School Visiting Writer Seminar
The Ethel Walker School Visiting Writer Seminar is a semester-long course in which students have the rare and special opportunity to immerse themselves in a study of one writer’s works. Throughout the semester, students read a critical mass of texts by that writer before the course culminates with a visit by that person to the school. During this visit, the writer will teach master classes, conduct writing workshops, and participate in class discussions. The writer will also deliver a schoolwide assembly and a public reading to our community. The magic of this course is created in the collaborative and symbiotic exchange between the writer and the student. Learning and inspiration move from the writer to the student but also, we hope, from the student back to the writer.
Our Visiting Writer Seminar course is a wonderfully unique way to introduce Walker’s students to real writers. We have been so fortunate to have hosted so many accomplished and award-winning writers of all kinds of genres since our program began. Last spring’s visiting writer was Rebecca Makkai who visited us in April and spent valuable time with our students as well as our wider community.
Immediately after finishing the week on campus on April 7, 2022, she was named a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow by the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Created and initially funded in 1925 by Senator Simon and Olga Guggenheim in memory of their son John Simon Guggenheim, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has sought since its inception to “further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts, under the freest possible conditions.”
REBECCA MAKKAI SPRING 2022 Visiting Writer Andrew Carnegie Medal Winner, 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Great Believers, The Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, as well as the short story collection Music for Wartime. The Great Believers was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and received the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors. Makkai is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is the Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.
Her work has been translated into 20 languages, and her short fiction has been anthologized in The Pushcart Prize XLI (2017), The Best American Short Stories 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2016 and 2009, New Stories from the Midwest and Best American Fantasy, and featured on Public Radio International’s Selected Shorts and This American Life.
MAHOGANY L. BROWNE FALL 2022 Visiting Writer Gund, Mellon, and Rauschenberg Fellow
Mahogany L. Browne is a Brooklynbased performance poet. She received an MFA in writing and activism from the Pratt Institute. Browne is the founder and publisher of Penmanship Books, which she created “as the answer to the performance poet’s publishing problem.” An award-winning performance poet, she is also active in the spoken word community. She has released five LPs of her work and has served as the poetry program director and Friday Night Slam curator for the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.
She is the author of several poetry collections and chapbooks, including I Remember Death By Its Proximity to What I Love (Haymarket Books, 2021); Kissing Caskets (YesYes Books, 2017); Smudge (Button Poetry, 2016), Redbone (Aquarius Press, 2015); and #Dear Twitter: Love Letters Hashed Out Online (Penmanship Books, 2010).
She is also the author of the young adult and children’s books Vinyl Moon (Crown, 2022); Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice (Roaring Brook Press, 2020); Black Girl Magic (Roaring Brook Press, 2018); and Woke Baby (Roaring Brook Press, 2018). In addition, she is the editor of His Rib: Stories, Poems & Essays by HER (Penmanship Books, 2007).
ADA LIMÓN SPRING 2023 Visiting Writer National Book Critics Circle Award Winner, U.S. Poet Laureate
Ada Limón is an American poet, of Mexican-American descent, who grew up in Sonoma, California. She attended drama school at the University of Washington, where she studied theatre. After taking writing courses, she received her MFA from New York University in 2001. Upon graduation, Limón received a fellowship to live and write at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In 2003, she received a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and in the same year won the Chicago Literary Award for Poetry.
She is the author of six books of poetry, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her book Bright Dead Things was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Her work has been supported most recently by a Guggenheim Fellowship. Limón now lives in Lexington, Kentucky where she writes, teaches remotely, and hosts the critically-acclaimed poetry podcast, The Slowdown. Her new book of poetry, The Hurting Kind, is now available from Milkweed Editions.
VISITING WRITER SEMINAR
THE VISITING WRITER SEMINAR is a semester-long course in which students have the rare and special opportunity to immerse themselves in a study of one writer’s works. Throughout the semester, students read a critical mass of texts by that writer, developing a deep and abiding knowledge of the writer’s style, form(s), and ideas. The course culminates with a visit by the author to Walker’s. Through master classes, writing workshops, and readings to the community, students are invited to ask the questions that only the author can answer. At the end of each semester, students in the Visiting Writer Seminar collaborate on a final project in which they conceptualize, lay out, design, and publish a class anthology of works inspired by the works of the visiting writer.
ANNE FADIMAN
FALL 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
PAISLEY REKDAL
FALL 2019 Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellow
TINA CHANG
FALL 2021
Brooklyn Poet Laureate
AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL
SPRING 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellow
ALISON C. ROLLINS
SPRING 2020 Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award Winner
REBECCA MAKKAI
SPRING 2022
Andrew Carnegie Medal Winner, 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist
NATALIE DIAZ
FALL 2018 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, Pulitzer Prize Winner
CAMILLE T. DUNGY
FALL 2020 Guggenheim Fellow
MAHOGANY L. BROWNE
FALL 2022
Gund, Mellon, and Rauschenberg Fellow
NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
SPRING 2019 Guggenheim and Lannan Fellow
CAROLYN FORCHÉ
SPRING 2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Guggenheim and Lannan Fellow
ADA LIMÓN
SPRING 2023 U.S. Poet Laureate, National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
EWS Girl Scouts Go for the Gold
Hooray Sunray to Ally Pelayo ’20, Jynaiya Grizzle ’21, Kate Weiss ’’21, Mackenzie Zeytoonjian ’’ 21, and Catherine D.’23, who all earned Girl Scout Gold Awards! The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting; fewer than six percent of Girl Scouts nationally achieve this distinction.
Ally Pelayo ’20 grew up in Hong Kong, where she did the majority of her Scouting. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she and her family returned to the U.S. during her sophomore year. She saw an opportunity for a project related to the environment, having spent many wonderful days hiking in Olympic National Park. In a partnership with the North Olympic Land Trust in Port Angeles, WA, Ally developed a series of informational signs that were installed in the land trust area. She also launched a Love Where You Live: Wellness in the Woods session, inviting community members to gather to practice yoga and learn more about the environment and conservation.
Jynaiya (Niya) Grizzle ’21 has been a Girl Scout since pre-K, so it was only fitting that she recently earned the highest award in Girl Scouting. Fueled by her compassion to help others, Niya identified children who are medically or economically compromised and in need of basic school supplies. Niya’s Gold Award project, The Book Bag Drive, provided more than 100 backpacks filled with school supplies to children at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, children with cancer and blood disorders at Children’s Hospital SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and 15 children in Haiti. Read more about Niya’s project by visiting https://jynaiya.wixsite.com/website.
Katherine “Kate” Weiss ’21 was born in September 2003 at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC), weighing in at a mere 1 lb., 6 ounces. Kate was born prematurely at 26 weeks gestation. When asked about why she chose the project she did for her Girl Scout Gold Award, Kate said, “I was born at 26 weeks and spent almost all the time until full term in the NICU. I did this project to give back to the nurses, doctors, and other staff who took care of me during my two and a half months in the NICU.”
Preterm babies often tug at the tubes and wires they are hooked to during their time in the NICU because they are searching for their umbilical cord, which brings them comfort. Kate crocheted small octopuses to be placed near the babies after proper sterilization. “The tentacles on each octopus are thick enough to simulate an umbilical cord,” said Kate, “bringing the babies much-needed comfort.”
Kate donated 80 octopuses to CCMC that she and other volunteers made for the babies. Throughout her life, she has met many nurses who helped in her care. But, she says, this visit to CCMC was different. “This most recent time was the one that really humbled me as to how lucky I am to be here today.”
Mackenzie Zeytoonjian’s ’21 Gold Award Project, “Give and Receive,” aims to empower children who have different abilities by showing them that all people can make an impact on their community. Through “Give and Receive,” children ages four to seven with differences such as Down syndrome and autism worked together to create beautiful artwork for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The art, displayed on hospital walls, encourages feelings of safety and calm. “My main goal in accomplishing my Gold Award was to promote the fact that these amazing children can give to their community by helping others and develop a sense of empowerment that they did something great for their community,” said Mackenzie. “Together we successfully completed two art programs and created a great partnership with Walker’s dance program! Big thanks to Ms. Soule for all her help in the process!”
For almost as long as she can remember, Catherine D. ’23 has been involved with the Girl Scouts of America. At five years old, her parents enrolled her in a local Brownie troop, and now, more than a decade later, Catherine has stayed committed to the organization’s mission to empower young women to make the world a better place. This year, she achieved the organization’s highest honor, the Girl Scout Gold Award, with a gamechanging project for her community, designed to be accessible worldwide.
Catherine knew quickly that she wanted to focus on an issue that many people around the world face, but one that also hits close to home. She chose to raise awareness around epilepsy, a neurological condition a close family member had lived with for most of their life, and a disorder that more than 50 million people suffer from, as well. Epilepsy causes seizures, and Catherine’s family had taught her what to do in case her relative had one. However, as she talked with friends and family about the condition, she realized a lot more awareness was needed.
“I was surprised by how many of my peers knew little to nothing about the disorder, let alone what to do if they ever came across someone experiencing a seizure. I saw an opportunity to combine my love of science and medicine with my passion for public service, all while developing a program and materials designed to educate and empower people throughout our communities,” explains Catherine.
Catherine dove into planning her project in her local community of Los Angeles, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, she quickly had to pivot her plans. She moved online and expanded her geographic range, reaching out to the Epilepsy Foundation in Connecticut, as well as to hospitals and universities both in Connecticut and California, eventually building a team of people that she interviewed over the internet and by phone. Her final project is a self-produced mini-documentary, along with a number of additional tutorial videos, all of which are posted on a dedicated YouTube channel. She also created several downloadable resource documents, with editorial reviews from some of the top experts in the field.
“Perhaps the single most exciting part of the journey was when I was finally able to post and present my finished products, and I began to receive notes and comments from people around the world,” says Catherine.
Back on campus, Catherine is busy balancing all her other activities — as a Cicerone, a member of Northfield League, a co-head of Science Club, and an Honor Board representative — and is the first to point out that this latest accomplishment is just one more milestone she could not have reached without the help and support of many others. In addition, she says her project helped give more direction to her future: “My Gold Award project has strengthened my desire to have an impact on community health, whether as a physician or in some other role I have yet to discover. Who knows? I’m hoping I can continue to stay focused while remaining open to new opportunities and experiences ahead!
Jordana Doshna ’21: Flying Solo
Jordana Doshna ’21 has a unique view of the world — quite literally. She recently earned her pilot’s license to fly solo and spends any chance she can soaring thousands of feet above us all.
“The most amazing part of piloting is seeing the world from a different perspective,” she says. “It’s like looking at the little villages they set up in museums but very realistic. My favorite thing is flying over the coast and looking at the waves on the beaches. You don’t realize how small they are.”
Jordana got the idea to start flying by accident. Her family lives near the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. They are part of the Sponsor Family Program, which pairs a Coast Guard cadet with a local family. The Doshnas’ first cadet, Ryan O’Neill, went on to flight school and returned with many stories, inspiring a young Jordana.
She started her own flying career slowly, but quickly fell in love with being in the air. In between schoolwork and all her other activities, including time spent on the varsity field hockey, lacrosse, and ski teams, Jordana has been training at Coastal Air in Connecticut. She says one of the most terrifying parts of the preparation has been practicing stalls. But nothing has been more exhilarating than her first trip up alone.
“It was so peaceful, yet overwhelming,” she recalls, describing it as one of the biggest adrenaline rushes she has ever experienced. “I went home and ran the fastest three miles of my life!”
Jordana is working toward getting her full private pilot’s license as soon as possible with the intention of being a Coast Guard rescue pilot. But before that, she has plans to try to leave a piece of her love for flying at Walker’s. She started an organization called Flight Club this year, hoping to connect to people who have similar interests — and perhaps even inspire them to take up a new view of the world.
Valarie L. ’25 Takes to the Sky
Then, eighth-grade student, Valarie L. ’25 shared her experience of flying a plane for the first time, inspired by her aunt, pilot Patricia White, pictured right.
“I have several cousins who are pilots — however, the cousin who inspires me the most is my cousin Patricia (Pat) White. My cousin Pat joined the Air Force when she was 18. She was the first African American woman to complete undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, in Oklahoma. She received her wings from 1st Lt. Pete Hargrove, the instructor pilot. She is also the first Black woman to graduate from the Air Force Academy to complete pilot training.
Pat is a Gulf War veteran and has been a pilot for over 35 years. Currently, Pat is a first officer for United Airlines on the 787 aircraft. She has been piloting for United Airlines for 28 years — and her flight assignments are mostly international — Germany, Japan, Australia, India, and Israel, to name a few destinations. When I was 10 years old, Pat told me that I could fly with her when I turned 13. I was so excited for this summer because I was turning 13. COVID-19, however, stopped our plans. In 2018, my cousin Pat flew across the country from Nevada to Connecticut to attend a Girls in Aviation program with me just for the day. I felt extremely proud because she was the only African American pilot at the event and she flew so far just to support me.
At Walker’s, we learn that girls are capable of accomplishing anything that males can achieve. My cousin Pat is my hero pilot. She has broken a few barriers — she was the first African American graduate from the Air Force Academy to complete pilot training, she is one of a very few African American female pilots, and she is just amazing. I want to be a barrier-breaking, over-achieving, brave, and amazing OBGYN who can also pilot a plane just for fun.”
Although I couldn’t fly with my cousin Pat this summer, I was still determined to fly when I turned 13. On July 13, I copiloted my mom’s friend’s small aircraft out of Brainard Airport in Hartford, CT. We flew over East Hampton, Middletown, Newington, Cromwell, and New Britain. We could see Long Island Sound from where we were. Taking off and landing in a smaller aircraft feels different from a larger aircraft. When we took off, I could feel more turbulence, however, the landing was smoother. I think the scariest part was when I turned the plane around. I thought I was turning the wheel too much. Being up in the air felt scary, thrilling, and breathtaking. I know cousin Pat is proud of me for achieving my goal of flying at the age 13 and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Walker’s on the Road
The Young Women of Color Conference was recently held at Miss Porter’s School. Christina Fares ’22, Jynaiya Grizzle ’21, Asha Haug ’22, Vanessa Lois ’21, Grace Mugo ’21, and Nafarrah Ramsey ’21 attended. Students from area schools gathered to talk about issues affecting young women of color. The day’s activities were organized by student leaders.
Nafarrah Ramsey ’21, Jynaiya Grizzle ’21, and Vanessa Lois ’21 Photo by Stephen Wang Photography
Xia Cui (mother of Yifan M. ’23); Lingli Deng (mother of Sisi Feng ’20); Jiqi “Jack” Huang (father of Tian Huang ’21); former Director of International Enrollment Suzanne Buenaventura; Ailing Si (mother of Siqi “Alisa” Z. ’23); Lizheng “Jenny” Huang (mother of Tian Huang ’21); Lihua Chen (mother of Zixi “Keira” Wang ’21); and Lingling “Shelly” Han and Dayuan “Jack” Gu (parents of Zhiyi “Alice” Gu ’22)
Before the pandemic hit, Walker’s former Director of International Enrollment Suzanne Buenaventura was in Shenzhen, China, visiting with consultants and prospective families. She found time to visit with parents of current Walker’s students. “It was such a pleasure to be able to enjoy a lovely dinner with Walker’s Shenzhen families. It’s such a gift to be able to connect with parents and be so warmly welcomed during my visit,” said Suzanne. “They are so very grateful and comforted by all of the love and attention their daughters receive during their time at Walker’s. I am thankful to be able to share a glimpse of their daughters’ lives in Simsbury.”
Exchange Program with St. Catherine’s School
Four students traveled to Melbourne, Australia just before COVID-19 hit, with math faculty member Daniele Ness for a two-week exchange with St. Catherine’s School. Vanessa Lois ’21, Jynaiya Grizzle ’21, Sophia Botero ’21, and Kate Weiss ’21 spent time with their host families, attending classes and activities at St. Catherine’s, and exploring the area.
“Traveling to Australia was both a captivating and astonishing experience,” said Vanessa. “What wowed me in Australia was how kind the people there were. My host family made me feel at home far from my own. I got to see new things, fulfilling my dream of meeting a koala, and I even got to feed kangaroos. I have made lasting friendships with the girls at St. Catherine’s and my classmates. I have learned that traveling, especially with girls at Walker’s whom I would not normally speak to, brought me closer in touch with the core of the school’s foundation — community.”
Traditions: 2019-2021 School Years
Mountain Day
Each year in the fall, the entire Walker’s community participates in Mountain Day to celebrate the successful start of the school year. Most years Mountain Day is a tightly kept secret until the day before. With COVID-19 in our midst, the last few years adjustments were made to accommodate the current need to be in compliance with state mandates with an altered schedule, groups sectioned off by grade as well as locations. However, we persevered and went out to enjoy the day in nature! Recent locations to keep tradition alive included: Talcott Mountain, Great Pond, Town Forest Trail, Stratton Forest and Penwood State Park.
Opening Days
Thanksgiving Vespers
