An Update from the Development Office Laura Lee Brown, Anne Finney P'97, Pamela Susi, Joan Carter '81 P'15 There have been some exciting changes in your Development Office. Please welcome Pamela Susi as the new Director of Development. Pam brings nearly 20 years of wide-ranging development experience to the team. Staying on as the Director of Stewardship, Anne Finney P'97 is looking forward to another successful year at Oldfields working with Pam and the team!
Prior to Pam's arrival at Oldfields, she worked at Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, NH, for eight years as the Associate Director of Development, managing the day-to-day operations of a 13-person development office. Additionally, Pam was previously the Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving at New Hampton School in New Hampton, NH, and also worked in the Alumni Relations Office at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, for several years. Pam grew up in Massachusetts and worked in downtown Boston for 10 years at a private trustee and fiduciary company managing the application process for several private foundations and also in the development office of a large Boston-based nonprofit organization. Pam and her family are excited to part of the Oldfields School community and to explore life in Maryland.
Blast from the Oldfields Past! As Betsy Reardon-Williams, English teacher at Oldfields from 1979-1985, was cleaning out her attic this summer, she found some letters her Oldfields students had written to one another as an assignment in 1982. Thirty seven years later, Mrs. Williams kindly shared the letters with the Alumnae Office who sent the letters to their original authors! Shannon Parker Olson '86 and Dawn Erbe-Francis Irwin '86 enjoyed sharing their letters and reminiscing about their Oldfields days with fellow classmates. Thank you to Mrs. Williams for bringing back some fun memories!
Jacquette McGhee '98 Shows Her Largeness of Heart Jacquette McGhee '98 is a frequent visitor to Oldfields, coming back often to share her experiences working for the Department of Homeland Security as a refugee officer. Jacquette explained that Oldfields was her first exposure to an international world that took her beyond her suburban home. When she first met people from other countries, she wondered about the reasons someone would want to leave their country of origin. She began learning about the refugee crisis in the 1990s, and her interest led her to major in international relations at Pepperdine University. She credits boarding school for teaching her how to be independent, a quality she needed upon signing up for the Peace Corps following college. Jacquette shares in her own words why she chose this path and the role Oldfields played in it.
"I have been motivated to 'give back' to society ever since attending the World War II May Program with Mrs. Littlefield. While on the trip, I determined that it was my duty in life to do what I could to protect people fleeing their homes due to events that they could not control. Touring sites in Europe like Normandy, Auschwitz, and Paris, I was able to get a deeper understanding of the importance of sharing the stories of people like Anne Frank. We need to ensure that persecution like she experienced could never happen again. I knew then that I wanted a career of public service, protecting the world's most vulnerable.
For 15 years, I have worked as a refugee officer for the United States Government. I have helped to resettle thousands of refugees from around the world in the United States and other countries by providing them protection through various means. The ability to change someone's life because they fear persecution due to their race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership in a social group is the reason I get up every day. The fact that I can help change someone's life by just doing my job is a success story. Oldfields gave me a framework on which to develop Largeness of Heart and set me on the path of community service for the greater good."
Adrienne Mach '82 shares her voice! Another example of a confident Oldfields girl who has found her voice! Enjoy this video of flight attendant and alumna, Adrienne Mach '82, entertaining her passengers! We will always love you, Adrienne!
Green Wins the Green and White Challenge! The Green Team won the Green and White Challenge, raising $295,733, 18% higher than last year! The Whites raised $268,289, 20% higher than last year! (White Team, don't feel too badly—the Whites won the Green and White Cup again for the fourth year in a row.)
A new challenge has begun! Whites, can you beat the Greens this year? Greens, can you hold onto the lead? Make your gift today!
Thanks to each and every one of you for giving back to Oldfields!
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