Westover Reunion Remarks

And yet, in true Westover fashion, the magic of this place prevailed. The seniors walked through Quad together—white umbrellas overhead—stepping into their next chapter.

At Westover, a ceremony like Commencement is both profound and sacred. In a place steeped in tradition, it marks the end of a transformative journey—from childhood to adulthood—with their families and teachers there to witness and celebrate all they’ve become.

One of our international students and graduation speaker Bahar Ateyava who plans to attend Princeton in the fall noted, “Growing up in a very closed country, I never imagined that I could receive a good education—not in spite of being a woman, but because I am a woman.” She shared that over her years at Westover she had learned to think outside the box, express herself through her intellect and dance, and voice her opinions unapologetically.” Does this sound familiar?

And now, just a week later, we welcome you back to campus. And in many ways, your return brings them back too. Instead of 17 or 18, you’re their future selves—five, fifteen, fifty, even seventy years later. It is a gift to have you all back here at Westover. Thank you for making this journey home.

I hope that your time here for Reunion allows you to connect with that 17 and 18 year old version of yourself and to take a moment to be in awe of all you have accomplished since then in building meaningful lives of your own making. Full of relationships, joy and triumph,  unexpected chapters, resilience, and a drive and desire to do good in the world.

And here at Westover, we continue to do the work day in and day out of educating young women to lead lives of consequence. Now more than ever, the world needs Westover women: smart, grounded, capable, and unafraid to face the complexity the world puts in front of them.. 

Pat McPherson, the former President of Bryn Mawr College, once said “The purpose of a liberal arts education is to make your head a more interesting place to live inside of for the rest of your life.” I love this sentiment, and how it captures the power of education to fundamentally change who we are and how we see and understand the world. 

Westover today is built on your legacy—a living history you helped shape during your time and your engagement as alums. It began with the vision of our founder, Mary Robbins Hillard, who, in 1909, imagined a world for girls and women that was bigger and bolder than the one she knew. She partnered with the formidable Theodate Pope Riddle, who designed this campus with intention: a main building that centers community, connection, and sisterhood, where we live and learn together.

The way in which they brought this vision to life affirmed and solidified our mission—constructing these very buildings at a time when women weren’t even permitted to study architecture in college. A boldness that became a part of the DNA of Westover.

Westover experienced this same visionary spirit under the guidance of Head of School Ann Pollina. A young math teacher who arrived in 1972, Ann was an exceptional teacher who became a part of the fabric of this place. She was inspired and inspiring, and channeled the same boldness exemplified by Mary Hillard and Theodate Pope in her own vision for Westover’s Center for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) which was founded in 1992. Ann ensured that every student understood that math and science and engineering were domains for women. It was the first program of its kind, setting a model that would be replicated in prep schools and public schools across the country. Graduates of girls’ schools are six times more likely to pursue STEM fields in college, and Ann’s vision amplified this ten fold.

And today we carry forward this legacy, living and learning together with students from 23 different countries from around the globe. We have built a community designed to center young women’s intellectual curiosity where they are able to follow their passions across academic disciplines. Westover students today embody the values of connection and compassion, forging a student community built on seeing one another fully, centering joy, and including all. They are remarkable, standing tall in the face of a world that is filled with turmoil and upheaval—they refuse to let this discourage them. Instead, they’ve doubled down—centering their power through relationships, love, and a deep understanding that in the global sisterhood that defines this school, it is both our connections and our differences that make us stronger.

Westover students today benefit from academic programming second to none— with AP courses and a range of electives to spark their passion and curiosity. The learning relationships between students and teachers is at the heart of the Westover experience. Students discover their talents and passions on the athletic fields and in the arts, and are immersed in a global community rich in diversity, culture, and lived experiences. Through long-standing exchange partnerships with schools in Jordan, Australia, Spain, and France—and emerging connections in Japan, Quebec, and Zimbabwe—students step beyond campus and into the world.

During their time at Westover, every student becomes a global citizen—bringing their unique background and identity into a community where they become part of something greater than themselves. At Westover, we believe that students can lead from any position. In fact, 90% of our students identify as leaders—whether as one of our eight student heads of school, proctors, spirit heads, or through roles in Dorcas, Chapel, the Rasin Center, athletics, clubs, and more.

And once again, we are called on to imagine a world for girls and women bigger and bolder than the one before us. We are building programs like the Westover Institute to provide students with innovative learning environments to explore big questions, apply their learning, and develop their passions.  And we are grateful to the Class of 1965 for infusing this program with the funding it requires to take flight through their generous Reunion gift this year, raising $140,000 for the Institute and $130,000 for the Westover Fund. Thank you.

Westover’s new Oxford Tutorial Program and the Teaching and Learning Center for Academic Engagement ensure that intellectual growth and academic engagement sit squarely at the center of our work. These unique programs have come to life through key educational partnerships with organizations like Challenge Success affiliated with Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and funded by a generous alum. Together we are building meaningful programming for today that draws on the best of Westover and ensures our students develop the skills to think critically, engage deeply, and learn how to thrive in a complex and changing world.

And as Westover’s proud head of school it is my purpose and calling to shine a light on our beloved school and ensure that our mission continues forward. And I can say without reservation—both as the head of school and as a Westover parent of a graduating senior—that we continue to deliver on our mission to empower young women to lead lives of consequence.

From the new frontier of artificial intelligence to the rollback of women’s reproductive rights to the deepening polarization in our society at large, the world that awaits our graduates is as complex as ever. It is for these reasons — now more than ever — that we need Westover women in the world, poised and ready to meet these challenges head on with their intellect, agency and voice, creating a more just, equitable and sustainable world. 

And as I look at the road ahead, I can also share that Westover has faced significant challenges in the recent past—impacts from the global pandemic and a period of leadership instability that strained Westover’s institutional resources, enrollment, and financial standing. And while being a girls-centered school is our greatest strength, it also leaves us more vulnerable to these types of internal and external forces. Educational peers like Taft or Choate, Andover or Exter with their legacy as boys schools are fortified against these types of challenging chapters by longstanding patterns of philanthropy directed by generations of male donors. 

And while I can share that the incredible work of the Inspiring Women Campaign—and the generosity of our alums—has provided us with the endowment and resources to weather recent challenges, we are not out of the woods.

We stand at another pivotal moment in Westover’s history, we are called—just as those before us were—to rise with courage and conviction. In the 1970s, during a similarly uncertain chapter that many of our returning alums here this weekend experienced, it was the belief in this place, the generosity of spirit, and the strategic investment of those who loved this school that ensured Westover’s survival and its next 50 years of excellence.

Now, it’s our turn.

On campus, we are working with urgency and intention to chart a clear and sustainable path forward—investing in our core revenue engines like admissions and development, advancing a strategic plan for financial and organizational health, and refining our academic program to align with both our mission and the needs of today’s students. At the heart of all this work is a deep commitment to the people who bring our mission to life—our faculty and staff—by building trust and strengthening our culture of community and collaboration.

After four years of declining enrollment, we have seen two years for enrollment growth - moving from 142 students to 188 total students enrolled for next year. We have found new pathways to tell our story through a research based communications strategy that allows Westover story to be told authentically and boldly on platforms and in ways that build connections with future students.  

We have seen similar signs of growth thanks to generous alums who have stepped forward during this pivotal period, raising an extraordinary $2.2 million to date to help ensure we can meet our operational needs as we work to grow tuition revenue. Their belief in our mission—and in the young people we are educating—has given us the momentum we need to move forward. 

And I believe, with a deep conviction, that we can move forward. I have seen where we’ve come from. I know where we need to go. And I am confident that we have the power—together—to ensure that future generations of Westover students will be educated in this exceptional environment, shaped by its history and inspired to lead us into the future. 

While the challenges we face are complex—demanding creativity, grit, and a full team effort from our Board, faculty, parents, and alums—I can’t think of a more worthy place to step into the arena for and am determined and resolute having signed on with the Board’s confidence for at least another five years. Each of you is a powerful reminder of the lives indelibly shaped by this school and the extraordinary potential of a Westover education to impact the trajectory of a life.

This is not just my work—it is our work. It is the continuation of this experiment that began in 1909 to imagine a big, bold wondrous tomorrow for women and girls. It is the work of believing in our selves to create a world we imagine. Of investing in young women. Of creating a future only they can imagine—and then giving them the tools and education they need to lead us there.

Welcome home—and thank you for being part of this extraordinary story.