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SUMMER • 2026

SHE

Creates What’s Next

INSIDE A YEAR OF INNOVATION IN THE PROGRAM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

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SUMMER • 2026

Contents ON THE COVER

She Creates What’s Next Explore a year of innovation in the Program for Young Children (PYC) as students developed collaboration, engineering, and design thinking skills, showcased through the School’s first Innovation Convention. FEATURES

A Summer of Discovery 14 Upper School students took their learning beyond the classroom through summer research internships in university labs and professional settings, gaining hands-on experience in fields like engineering and oncology. Consciousness Raising 20 What happens when you connect young women, community members, and alumnae on subjects that matter? On April 14, the culminating experience was about women’s health, financial literacy, and much more. DEPARTMENTS

2 From the Head of School 4 Significantly CSG 38 Class News Unicorn Marketplace 2026 by Brad Griffith P’32

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Head of School: Camille Seals Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing: Marissa Murdock Assistant Director of Alumnae & Parent Engagement: Megan Murray ’11 Assistant Director of Development, Annual Fund & Stewardship: Kirby Boes ’15 Photographers: Kai Binford II, Shermon Bruce, Robb McCormick, Olivia Minnier, Jamilah Muhammad, Marissa Murdock, Nosa Oriakhi Design: Linda Loughran Magazine Production: Fine Point Communications Printer: WestCamp

L to R: Ayla Chodosh ’39, Rawley Drinkhouse ’39, Zosia Sellheim ’39, and Amari Kennedy ’39

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Letter from the Head of School Dear CSG Community, At Columbus School for Girls, we believe girls deserve an education as bold, sophisticated, and limitless as their potential. Academic excellence at CSG is not accidental, nor is it confined to grades, accolades, or outcomes alone. It is intentionally designed, deeply lived, and visible across every stage of a girl’s journey. This issue of Forte offers a powerful glimpse into what happens when girls are immersed in an educational environment built specifically for them. You will see it in our PYC Innovation Convention, where our youngest students engage in design thinking with a creativity, confidence, and intellectual sophistication that inspires them to ask meaningful questions, solve problems collaboratively, communicate ideas clearly, and connect literacy, mathematical reasoning, creativity, and social-emotional learning in authentic ways. You will also see it in our Upper School students stepping into professional science research laboratories and working alongside scientists, physicians, and researchers as emerging scholars in their own right. And you will see it through the work of our Center for Girls’ & Young Women’s Leadership and its Consciousness Raising Series, where students engage deeply with issues impacting women and girls locally and globally. These experiences represent rigorous learning in action in spaces where girls are trusted with complexity, challenged to think critically, conduct authentic inquiry, and envision themselves as leaders who will shape the future of innovation and discovery. At CSG, our students are learning something extraordinarily powerful: how to think deeply, listen thoughtfully, speak courageously, and lead with both conviction and empathy. This is the distinctive power of a CSG education. Research consistently affirms our mission: girls thrive academically when they are centered in the educational experience. What makes the School exceptional is that we have built a program intentionally designed to cultivate extraordinary outcomes rooted in our unwavering belief in the endless capacity of girls. At CSG, excellence is rigorous, ambitious, and joyful. We are not preparing girls simply to succeed within the world they inherit, but rather to shape what comes next. This is what it means to Elevate Excellence. And there is no better place for girls to learn, lead, and thrive. In Strength & Grace,

CAMILLE J. L. SEALS

Head of School Columbus School for Girls

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2025-26

Chris Olsen P’30’32’37, Board Chair Nicci Hicks P’32, Vice Chair Trudy Bartley ’77 Catherine Colinvaux ’82 Denise Page Hood ’70 Liza Kessler ’86 Carey Collins Krug P’29’33 Taylor Lint ’11 Lacey Greenwalt Parker ’04 Matt Skaruppa P’33’35 Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70

Published by Columbus School for Girls for alumnae, parents, grandparents, and friends of Columbus School for Girls. ©2026 Columbus School for Girls Please send address corrections to: Development Office, Columbus School for Girls, 65 S. Drexel Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43209, or by email to development@columbusschoolforgirls.org Columbus School for Girls admits students of any race, color, 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, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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Athletics Highlights The weather may have turned cold, but the Unicorns stayed red hot. From all-state honors and state-qualifying performances to new school records in the 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay, Unicorn athletes excelled at every level. Varsity basketball also made history with a program-record 15 wins. Congratulations to all of our student-athletes on an outstanding season.

Winter Basketball 1st Team Central Buckeye League: Alonna Barnes ’28 2nd Team Central Buckeye League: Caroline Lanning ’27 Honorable Mention Central Buckeye League: Amelia Linscott ’28 3rd Team Central District Division V: Alonna Barnes ’28 Honorable Mention Central District Division V: Caroline Lanning ’27 All-State Honorable Mention Division V: Alonna Barnes ’28

Swim & Dive The team was Central Buckeye League Runner-Up. 2nd Team Central Buckeye League, Dive: Delaney Woods ’26 2nd Team Central Buckeye League, 200 Freestyle Relay: Grace Chapman ’26, Yinan Chen ’26, Caroline Gilani ’26, Emma Mathwig ’26

2nd Team Central Buckeye League, 100 Breaststroke: Grace Chapman ’26 Honorable Mention Central Buckeye League, 200 Medley Relay: Grace Chapman ’26, Caroline Gilani ’26, Margaret Krabacher ’28, Emma Mathwig ’26 Honorable Mention Central Buckeye League, 100 Freestyle: Grace Chapman ’26 Delaney Woods ’26 qualified for the Dive State Championship for the fourth year in a row. She placed 16th overall.

Spring Lacrosse 1st Team Central Buckeye League: Lucia Furci ’28 and Ellie Maksim ’29 2nd Team Central Buckeye League: Sage Fullen ’27 and Emmy Meuse ’28 Honorable Mention Central Buckeye League: Maggie Carney ’28 and Emmy Sloan ’27

Midfielder 2nd Team All Region: Ellie Maksim ’29 Attacker 2nd Team All Region: Emmy Meuse ’28 Honorable Mention All Region: Sage Fullen ’27 and Lucia Furci ’28 Academic All Region: Emmy Sloan ’27

Track & Field 1st Team Central Buckeye League, 100m Hurdles: Hannah Watson ’29 1st Team Central Buckeye League, 300m Hurdles: Hannah Watson ’29 2nd Team Central Buckeye League, 100m Dash: Anjola Awosika ’28 STATE RESULTS:

100m Hurdles: Hannah Watson ’29, State Runner-Up 200m Dash: Anjola Awosika ’28, 9th place 300m Hurdles: Hannah Watson ’29, 5th place 4x100m Relay: Anjola Awosika ’28, Giuliana Underdown ’29, Hannah Watson ’29, McKenzie Wheeler ’27, 4th place

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A Year Framed by “The Art of Reading” This year’s Children’s Book Week theme, “The Art of Reading,” set the tone for a school year in which artistic connections threaded through classes, projects, and field trips across every division. Before winter break, PYC girls and the entire Upper School visited the Columbus Museum of Art. Global travel offered deeper immersion. In Peru, students joined local artisans in Calca for small workshops in weaving, dance, silversmithing, and ceramics. In Italy, they explored Rome and Florence, with stops at the Vatican Museums, the Uffizi Gallery, the Galleria dell’Accademia, the Museo Galileo, the Duomo, the Pantheon, the Palazzo Vecchio, and the Colosseum. In the Netherlands, students paired a visit to the Mauritshuis Museum with a tour of the Anne Frank House. Whether through a museum gallery close to home or a workshop with a master weaver an ocean away, students spent the year discovering how art shapes the way we read the world.

Three Stories, One Stage:

Upper School Brings The Apple Tree to Life In March, the Upper School staged The Apple Tree, a musical from the same songwriting team (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) behind Fiddler on the Roof. The Apple Tree ties together three unrelated one-act musicals, giving students the chance to inhabit wildly different worlds in a single evening. The first act, “The Diary of Adam and Eve,” draws on Mark Twain’s story to explore the inner thoughts of the first couple in Eden. The second, “The Lady or the Tiger?,” adapts Frank R. Stockton’s famous fable into a tale of a barbaric king, his daughter, and the commoner she loves. The closing act, “Passionella,” is a Jules Feiffer riff on Cinderella, complete with fairy godmother, in which a chimney sweep dreams of life as a glamorous movie star. Other CSG theatrical productions this year were A Wrinkle in Time, the Upper School play, and Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. in the Middle School.

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The Art of Impact: The Annual Community Unicorn Celebration In March, Upper School students gathered in the Agnes Jeffrey Shedd Theater for an afternoon of impact. This year’s Community Unicorn Celebration highlighted women in Central Ohio who are experts across artistic disciplines. The theme aligned with Children’s Book Week, which connected art to fields ranging from science to literature. Hosted by the Center for Artistic & Creative Expression, Upper School Institute Fellows moderated a panel featuring Angela Meleca P’27, an arts advocate, strategist, and educator; Stephanie Matthews, a photographer, creative producer, and executive director of A Tribe for Jazz; Rachel Skaggs, an associate professor for The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Endowed Professorship of Arts Management at The Ohio State University; and Leah Wong, a contemporary artist based in Columbus. “Through their work, they remind us that art has the power to inspire, provoke thought, and to bring people together,” Head of School Camille Seals said. Panelists shared insights on their careers, passions, and paths to success. “As a photographer, I had to decide whether a defining moment would end my career or push me forward,” Matthews said. “I chose to persevere, and my career culminated with a billboard in Times Square.” The celebration ignited exploration and creativity for

Upper School students interested in the arts. Whether painting on canvas, developing code for a video game, or creating pigments from natural materials, art remains essential for innovation. “You can’t innovate without art,” said Annie Ruefle, director of the Center for Artistic & Creative Expression.

Form XI and XII Student Research Takes Center Stage at Evening of Inquiry Twenty-six Upper School students brought yearlong capstone research projects to life during An Evening of Inquiry, with nine showcasing TED Talk-style presentations in the Unicorn Theater and the other students leading a poster session in Ruch Dining Hall. Organizers designed the program to point students toward future academic interests. Modeled after collegiate research settings, the poster session provided students with meaningful exposure to a university symposium experience. “The capstone project encourages students to follow their curiosity and take ownership of their learning,” said Dr. Lisa Abrams, computer science and math teacher and dean of Upper School academics. “They’re asking deeper questions, making

connections, and engaging with topics in a more meaningful way.”

books. Explore the list of TED Talkstyle presentations below:

Khadija Fall ’26 examined the limitations of dominant feminist frameworks in her family’s home of The Republic of Senegal, West Africa. She said she focused her research on how feminist frameworks can be applied to Senegal and allow women to be uplifted without pushing a narrative.

PLANET IN PROGRESS PODCAST

“And so what I ask is when we are looking to encourage one another, when we are looking to be feminist, how can we do it in a way to make sure that everyone feels safer? How can we do it in a way that makes sure that we don’t need to push what we believe is right upon anyone else and instead encourage people, give these women the tools to say, “You know, this is what I’d like for my life. I believe you have the right to choose what you want to do with your life,” Fall said. The night featured a range of topics from the impacts of the modern urban landscape on bird songs to the intersection of politics and comic

Maddie Metzbower ’26, Molly Jarosch ’27, Frankie Nuyles ’26, Sydney Poindexter ’27 IMPACTS OF URBAN ACOUSTIC LANDSCAPES ON AVIAN VOCALIZATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Marcella Grottoli ’26

TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY: THE INTERSECTION OF COMIC BOOKS AND POLITICS

Colleen Hernon ’26

THE “MIND VS. BRAIN” DEBATE: FROM DUALISM TO MATERIALISM

Anabanel Anne ’26

THE AESTHETICS OF STRUGGLE: ART BORN FROM CONFLICT

Vivian Demko-Garcha ’27

THE SENEGALESE SITUATION: WOMEN’S AGENCY AND THE LIMITS OF DOMINANT FEMINIST FRAMEWORKS

Khadija Fall ’26

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“CSG is the place where I found my voice and nourished my curiosity.” Kendall Leff ’26 has left her mark on CSG. As a National Merit® Scholarship winner, robotics team captain, and self-described lover of learning, she has spent her time at the School pursuing her passions and expanding her horizons. Kendall answered nine questions about her journey, her time at the School, the people who shaped her, and what lies ahead. Here’s what she had to say. IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE YOUR CSG EXPERIENCE IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Empowering, challenging, and curious. I just love learning. CSG has let me take advantage of opportunities like independent studies, specifically in math. I spent almost all my free periods sophomore year in the Math Center talking with Dr. Stephen Lewis about random concepts. This School gives you the space to do that. YOU WERE NAMED A NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP WINNER IN MAY. WHAT DID THAT JOURNEY LOOK LIKE?

I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mom, who pushed me to do SAT tutoring. A big part of it was learning how the College Board asks questions. Over time, I did a lot of test prep and worked with Prep Accelerator the summer before taking the SAT and PSAT. That’s what helped me become a semifinalist, and then I submitted an essay about my journey to be considered for a finalist scholarship. WHAT’S A MOMENT AT CSG THAT REALLY STUCK WITH YOU?

Honestly, some of the moments that are not academic stuck with me the most. Big/Little Sis allowed me to show up for my Little in a similar way that my Bigs were present for me.

WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU HERE?

Dr. Lewis. He’s incredibly curious and open to not knowing things, which taught me that learning is a process. Dr. Hattaway has also been amazing because she just loves what she does and that energy is contagious. All of my teachers have shaped my experience in meaningful ways. WHEN DID YOU FEEL MOST PROUD OF YOURSELF?

I’m the senior captain for the Robotics team, and this year we had to move into a new space with fewer resources. There were definitely lower expectations going in, but we ended up building the most sophisticated robot our team has ever made. I’m proud not just of what we built, but that everyone stepped up and took ownership. YOU’RE HEADING TO THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NEXT YEAR. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

I’m actually starting with a semester abroad in Metz, France, through Georgia Tech. I’m really excited about that, and my cohort will have time to travel and explore before classes fully begin. I’m planning to study mechanical engineering with a minor in Spanish. HOW DID CSG PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT’S NEXT?

The rigor of the classes. A lot of what we learn goes beyond the AP level and prepares you for college coursework, but also leadership opportunities, whether that’s being an institute fellow or teaching a class as part of my capstone. I feel much more comfortable speaking up and taking initiative because of those experiences. WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT CSG?

My teachers. And just the familiarity, knowing the space, the routines, the people. Even as things change, the core of CSG stays the same. FINISH THIS SENTENCE: CSG IS THE PLACE WHERE I…

…found my voice and nourished my curiosity.

A Legacy of Curiosity After more than two decades at CSG, Ann Marie McDonnell and Julie Biswas reflect on teaching, discovery, and the students who carry their work forward. CSG celebrated the retirements of Julie Biswas and Ann Marie McDonnell at the close of the 2025–26 school year, recognizing two faculty members whose impact shaped the Middle School science program for more than two decades. Together, they guided generations of students through discovery, inquiry, and growth, building classrooms where curiosity drove learning, and confidence took root. Fittingly, in August, Biswas and McDonnell will reunite in Madrid, Spain, to witness a total solar eclipse together, reflecting the same sense of wonder and exploration they inspired in generations of students.

Rooted in Exploration, Guided by Ann Marie McDonnell At CSG, Ann Marie McDonnell’s impact was easy to measure — not in test scores or lab reports, but in the crowd that gathered around her to wish her the best in retirement. At this year’s Sisters in STEM launch party, students asked her for photos while reflecting on how she helped them grow not only as learners but also as scientists. Parents shared stories of how their daughters developed under her guidance. It was a scene that captured what McDonnell has built over 20 years: a culture of inquiry and connection. Since joining the School in 2005, McDonnell has served as a Form VII and Form VIII science teacher, Form VII advisor and team lead, shaping the academic experience for generations of Middle School students. In her classroom, science extends beyond content. Students observe, question, test, and revise,

developing the habits of mind that She also created transformative define scientific thinking. learning experiences through travel, guiding students on the Form VII “All students can learn, but not ecology trip to Stone Laboratory and always at the same pace,” McDonnell leading international programs to said. “That’s why we emphasize “When students growth. We remind students, ‘You don’t come back, know this yet,’ and they don’t just give them the space to build underremember what standing over time.” they learned; McDonnell’s influ- they appreciate ence reaches far the foundation beyond the classroom. She led the that helped Green Team for a them get decade, coached LEGO Robotics there.” for 11 years, and enriched student life through clubs such as Reverse Engineering, Chemistry in the Kitchen, and Crafts & Creativity.

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Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, and Iceland. Her commitment to learning has remained equally dynamic. As one of just 20 educators selected for a National Science Foundation grant, McDonnell participated in The Maury Project at the U.S. Naval Academy, conducting ecological research in the Chesapeake Bay and later presenting her findings to students at The Ohio State University. For McDonnell, these experiences deepened her teaching, connecting theory to the real world. But her greatest reward comes from watching students carry that learning forward.

“At CSG, you see your students grow beyond Middle School,” she said. “You watch them build confidence, develop their thinking, and carry those foundational skills with them. When they come back, they don’t just remember what they learned; they appreciate the foundation that helped them get there.”

Julie Biswas Helped Connections Take Root and conversations lead to deeper exploration. For Biswas, that energy defines her work, especially with Form VIII students, who stand at a pivotal moment between childhood and what comes next. graders are this “I’ll miss being “Eighth incredible in-between,” part of the daily she said. “One moment excited to rhythm of the they’re share something new classroom, they’ve learned, and the next they’re trying the energy, to play it cool. I love the curiosity.” that balance. I love that they can get excited about learning and want to keep digging deeper.” Since joining CSG in 1998, Biswas has built a career centered on that passion for learning. She has taught

Julie Biswas’s classroom has always been a place where discovery moves quickly, naturally, and beyond the boundaries of a lesson. Questions lead to conversations,

Looking ahead, McDonnell plans to spend time in her native country Ireland and continue her commitment to community through volunteer work in Columbus. Her legacy at CSG, however, remains rooted in the generations of students she has inspired, one question, one experiment, and one moment of discovery at a time.

Forms V through VIII science and Upper School chemistry, and has also served as an advisor, Form VI Dean, and Form VIII Team Lead. In her classroom, learning has never been confined to content alone. Students observe, question, and push their thinking further, often well beyond the lesson’s scope. “They ask questions that go far beyond the classroom,” she said. “There are moments when you just have to say, ‘Let’s come back to this,’ because the conversation becomes something bigger and that’s where the real learning happens.” That commitment to experiential learning has contributed to her work outside of the classroom. Biswas helped develop one of CSG’s most distinctive learning environments,

Cynthia’s Woods, shaping how the space would function as an outdoor classroom. She also partnered with an Ohio State University professor to bring students into real-world ecological research at Old Woman’s Creek, where they engaged directly in scientific investigation. “We didn’t just talk about science, we did real research,” Biswas said. “Students weren’t just learning concepts in isolation; they were applying them in real environments, asking their own questions, collecting data, and seeing how science actually works in the world.” Her impact has extended across campus life, from advising Student Council and the Rainbow Alliance to leading the Energy Bike Team and Design Squad. She has guided students on travel experiences to Washington, D.C., and the Form VI Camp, creating immersive, collaborative, and deeply memorable learning opportunities. At the heart of her work is a belief in student voice and belonging,

values she has seen take shape not only in her students, but within her own family. “My daughter Sangita ’15 found her voice here,” Biswas shared. “She learned that she has a place in an academic setting, that she belongs there, and her voice matters just as much as anyone else’s.”

CELEBRATION OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE On May 19, 2026, CSG gathered to honor excellence in teaching and the remarkable careers of McDonnell and Biswas. Faculty and staff came together in The Mansion for refreshments and a special program recognizing their lasting contributions to the School community.

As she looks ahead to retirement, which will include time in Portugal and opportunities for travel and community involvement, Biswas reflects on the relationships she has built. “I’ll miss the students and my colleagues the most,” she said. “I’ve made lifelong friendships here, and I’ll miss being part of the daily rhythm of the classroom, the energy, the curiosity, and even just staying connected to what’s new and unfolding in their world.”

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A Summer of Discovery Lab Research Internships Take Students to New Heights On a crisp summer morning, CSG students step into research labs, roll up their sleeves, and begin work that feels both unfamiliar and exhilarating. Data replaces textbooks. Questions lead the way. And learning extends far beyond the classroom walls.

he School continues its legacy of T academic excellence by connecting Upper School students with summer research internships in university labs and professional settings.

hrough these experiences, students gain firsthand insight into the work of scientists, engineers, and medical researchers while they begin to imagine their own place within those fields. Dr. Lisa Abrams, computer science and math teacher and dean of Upper School academics, helps guide that process. Abrams leads the STEM Seminar course, which will expand into two distinct courses for the 2026-27 school year. The current program prepares students for a 6-10 week summer lab internship while also supporting the development of capstone projects. Last year, half of STEM Seminar students secured internship placements in labs across the state, including at The Ohio State University. “A university research lab offers the most authentic environment for this kind of learning, and we’re fortunate to have access to a place like Ohio State,” Abrams said. “Students collaborate with faculty members, graduate students, and often undergraduate research teams. They spend between 5 to 20 hours each week immersed in the work. They collect and analyze data, contribute to ongoing research, present findings, and gain a clear understanding of what it means to be part of a research environment.” That work begins well before summer. In STEM Seminar, they build résumés, practice interviewing, and refine how they present their ideas. Through this process, they develop the confidence to step into a professional lab setting and contribute in meaningful ways.

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“We want students to see themselves in these spaces,” Abrams said. “It’s one thing to study science in a classroom, and another to work in a lab, ask questions, tackle challenges, and realize you belong there.” For many students, those first moments in a lab fundamentally reshape how they understand science.

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“Learning that I could engage in meaningful, collaborative work, especially alongside female researchers studying a disease that is underexplored and disproportionately affects women, completely changed my perspective,” Amato said. Her work continued beyond the summer. Now a published researcher, Amato studies at the Pelotonia Research Center under Dr. Gang Xin, where she examines T-cell function and cancer progression. “This next step reflects how my first experience in a lab changed my perspective. Research went from something that felt uncertain to something I’m genuinely excited to keep exploring,” she said. “Through this experience, I learned that many doctors are not only clinicians but also researchers, and I hope to integrate both in my future work.”

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CAROLINE AMATO ’26 EXPLORED COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH IN ONCOLOGY For Caroline Amato ’26, that kind of mentorship transformed not only her summer but also her sense of what’s possible. Amato began her internship in June 2025 with Dr. Sara Myers P’38’39’39 a surgical oncologist at the Stephanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center. Working alongside an Ohio State medical student and her research partner, Lila Schroeder ’25, she contributed to several projects. These included a systematic review on breast cancer-related lymphedema, a study on burnout among care providers, and a research poster presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons conference.

YINAN CHEN ’26 EXAMINED SCIENCE THROUGH A HUMANITIES LENS Yinan Chen ’26 approached her summer experience with a clear goal: step outside the lab. While many of her peers pursued traditional STEM research, Chen chose a different path. She connected with Dr. Maurice Stevens, a professor of comparative studies at Ohio State. Instead of working in a lab, Chen immersed herself in a humanities-focused academic environment that explored philosophy, society, and the human dimensions of science.

“I had already done a lot of STEM-related work through CSG and my other activities,” Chen said. “I wanted to explore the philosophical side and experience more of that humanity.”

In Stevens’ classes, Chen joined undergraduate and visiting students from across Ohio in conversation-driven sessions that examined complex questions about society, ethics, and what it means to be a thoughtful contributor in scientific spaces. Rather than focusing on technical outcomes, the work centered on dialogue, challenging students to articulate ideas, consider multiple perspectives, and connect academic concepts to lived experience. “At CSG, we have a lot of discussion-based classes, so I felt prepared to participate,” Chen shared. “Those experiences helped me because it was a lot of discussion-based work, talking about topics we don’t usually cover in STEM classes. It pushed me to think more broadly.” Chen plans to major in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University, with the goal of becoming a dentist. “I enjoy touching multiple areas of academic research,” she said. “Blending STEM with the humanities helps me see the bigger picture — not just the science, but what it means.”

We want students to see themselves in these spaces.” LISA ABRAMS

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MARCELLA GROTOLLI ’26 STUDIED ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE THROUGH AVIAN RESEARCH Marcella Grotolli ’26 approached her summer research with a mix of dedication and persistence, often following birds through winding paths at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. Working with Dr. Christopher Tonra, an associate professor of avian wildlife ecology at Ohio State, Grotolli tracked song sparrow territories across the wetlands. Using detailed maps provided by Tonra, she recorded each bird sighting, marking locations and gradually building a picture of where individual birds lived and moved. “I would make a loop and then cut through the middle, listening for birds and marking where I heard them,” Grotolli said. “The goal was to collect enough points to map out each bird’s territory.” Her fieldwork contributed to a long-term study comparing current bird territories with data collected five and 10 years ago, offering insight into how habitats and behaviors shift over time. Grotolli said the work required patience and, occasionally, a bit of determination.

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I wanted to understand how research actually works.” MARCELLA GROTOLLI ’26

“I spent about 30 minutes circling one area trying to find a bird I’d been tracking,” she said. “Then I climbed up onto the observation platform and finally spotted it. That moment felt really rewarding, like I had contributed something meaningful to a bigger project.” The experience extended beyond the field. Through Dr. Abrams’ STEM Seminar, Grotolli explored the academic side of research, learning how to design studies, analyze data, and develop original questions. “I wanted to understand how research actually works, not just doing labs, but building a project from the ground up,” she said. That foundation led her to develop a capstone project focused on environmental science. For two years, Grotolli studied how noise pollution affects bird communication, examining how urban soundscapes influence avian vocalization patterns. “In simple terms, it’s about how noise pollution changes how birds communicate,” she said. “What we do know is that human noise has some pretty serious longterm effects on bird song.” She conducted field recordings, analyzed acoustic data, and ultimately defended her thesis. “Producing something meaningful takes a lot of work,” she said. “But it helped me explore what it would be like to study how humans impact the environment.” Now that she is preparing to double-major in environment and interdisciplinary public policy at McGill University, Grotolli continues to weigh her next steps. “I’m interested in climate change and solutions,” she said. “I’m deciding whether to focus on discovery or helping put them into action.”

SYDNEY POINDEXTER ’27 INVESTIGATED CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS ON MIGRATION Sydney Poindexter ’27 explored how climate change shapes human migration during her time at Ohio State. Working with Dr. Kelsea Best in the College of Engineering’s department of civil, environmental, and geodetic engineering, Poindexter examined how environmental factors, particularly heat, affect people living in urban areas. Poindexter contributed to the project by designing a centralized digital platform to support collaboration across institutions. She built a website that allows researchers to upload and organize data on migration patterns and climate projections. “There’s a lot of historical data on human migration, but the predictions are scattered,” she said. “I created a space where researchers can bring that information together.” Poindexter said she also conducted a literature review focused on the local effects of climate change, analyzing how rising temperatures, air quality, and extreme weather impact Columbus, a region often overlooked in existing research.

“Most studies focus on cities near large bodies of water, like Cleveland or Detroit,” she said. “Columbus is different, so understanding those local effects is important.” Poindexter said one of the most valuable aspects of her experience came from observing how research extends beyond the lab. She spoke regularly with graduate students and faculty about their work and conference presentations. The experience ultimately helped her clarify her own goals. Now, she is exploring interests in food science and agriculture, with a focus on sustainable practices. “This experience helped me realize I want to work on solutions that directly support people affected by climate change.”

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WENDY YI ’26 TRAINED ROBOTS THROUGH AI AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Wendy Yi ’26 explored the intersection of software engineering and robotics during her summer at Ohio State. Yi worked for Dr. Haijun Su’s Design Innovation and Simulation Laboratory (DISL), where she used artificial intelligence, Python programming, and virtual reality simulation to help train robots through human-guided learning.

She focused on software development, building and refining models that allowed robots to perform specific tasks. “I trained a model to control the robot’s movements,” she said. “For example, getting it to pick up a block and place it in a bowl, then refining the model to make it more efficient and accurate.” One of her favorite moments came from an unexpected challenge in the lab. Yi and her team programmed a small robot, named JetBot, to navigate obstacles using image-based data. After collecting hundreds of training images, the robot successfully avoided most barriers but initially failed to recognize certain real-world objects. “We realized JetBot couldn’t identify human shoes,” she said. “We had to collect additional data and retrain the model so it could recognize shoes as obstacles.” Yi said the experience deepened her understanding of engineering principles and reinforced her interest in mechanical engineering as she prepares to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison this fall. “STEM Seminar helped me get this internship and grow my skills,” she said. “All of my science teachers encourage me to ask questions and think beyond the textbook.”

STEM Seminar helped me get this internship and grow my skills.” WENDY YI ’26

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In Conversation: Women, Voice, and the Work of Consciousness Raising

The women’s consciousness-raising movement of the 1960s sparked a cultural shift, encouraging women to examine the systems shaping their lives, share their experiences openly, and rethink ideas about power, ambition, and solidarity.

What began in small discussion circles evolved into a broader movement that challenged societal expectations and reshaped conversations around women’s roles in public and professional life.

“C

onsciousness Raising,” a year-long campus program at CSG, drew inspiration from that legacy. The initiative culminated in an April 14 campus event that invited students to engage in conversations about financial literacy, women in the workplace, identity, government, health, leadership, and the experiences that connect women across generations. Facilitated by Megan Smeeding P’40, the incoming Middle and Upper School dean of students and director of the Center for Girls’ & Young Women’s Leadership, the sessions provided a forum for sharing information, conversation, and contemplation about societal models that often forgot women or treated them as an afterthought. “What are our shared experiences as women and girls within these structures,” asked Smeeding, who formerly taught Upper School history and psychology. “How do we fix them and support each other?”

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IN CONVERSATION

Consciousness Raising reminded me that I can lead with confidence anywhere...” REESE KESSLER ’27

To deepen those conversations, Smeeding partnered with over 45 female professionals, alumnae, parents, and community leaders who shared their own experiences navigating workplaces, leadership roles, and systems historically shaped without women in mind. Over the course of three months, students participated in a series of small-group consciousness-raising sessions, panel discussions, and candid conversations designed to foster reflection and connection. Through these intergenerational dialogues, students explored topics such as women’s health, financial power, and representation in government, while building relationships with mentors and role models. The experience bridged classroom learning with real-world insight, offering students a space to ask honest questions, share perspectives, and hear firsthand how women advocate for themselves and for one another. Eight groups took these questions further, drawing on the PechaKucha presentation format, developed in Tokyo in 2003 by Klein Dytham Architecture, to shape and share their perspectives. Through concise, highly visual presentations, students distilled complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives, practicing both confidence and connection during the mid-April event. The goal was not only to strengthen their ability to communicate with purpose, but also to cultivate a collaborative mindset rooted in listening, empathy, and the power of supporting one another.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN SHAPING THE CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING PROGRAM:

Hannah Watson ’29, whose topic was “Reclaiming confidence to redefine leadership,” said that PechaKucha taught her to deliver a message precisely and to trust in her team. “I learned to walk into the uncomfortable, knowing you belong and deserve a seat at the table,” Watson said. “Trailblazing women also struggle with confidence, no matter how many times they have led, spoken, or managed. I realized that what I say matters.” Reese Kessler ’27 was also a member of Watson’s group. She appreciated exploring the psychology behind women’s minds and the idea behind “tend and befriend.” “It’s when [women] come together and nurture one another in struggling times and then form groups and join hands and hearts to better their communities,” Kessler said. “Consciousness Raising reminded me that I can lead with confidence anywhere, and I can show other young women that they can too. I felt a sense of hope while sitting in the room with women who are already making changes in their own backyards and who let us know that we have other strong women in our corners as we strive to do the same.” That exchange of perspective extended beyond students. Charlene Bridges, a community leader in management

Dr. Bernadette Anderson Edwige Beutel Charlene Bridges Colleen Carow P’35 Clare Ceballos ’95 P’31 Sally Crane Cox ’75 Tenile Davis P’33 Jessica Doucette P’35’36’39 Bernadette Donovan ’95 P’29 Gabriela Edon

Chastity Edwards Tiffany Edwards P’30 Shirley Ellis Allison Evans P’32’34 Leah Evans P’29 Jodi Ford P’35 Lori Gillett P’36 Morgan Green Monika Gunnar P’34’37 Nedra Hadley

“We need women researching women,” Bornino said. “We need to set aside politics and differences and think about what we can all agree on as humans.” Those ideas came into sharper focus through mentors like Bernadette Donovan ’95 P’29, a women’s health and primary care nurse practitioner. Donovan also helped lead the successful launch of a new prenatal service line focused on expanding maternal care access for underserved Medicaid populations in a maternity care desert. technology consulting and a former candidate for local office in Bexley, reflected on the honesty of the conversations. “In that room where we have fallen, how do we get back up?” Bridges said. “It’s not always perfect.” She was struck by the students’ expectations of themselves and their futures. “Their perception is that women can and should expect to lead and grow.” It was this blend of honesty, reflection, and expectation that defined the experience. For Smeeding, the real gift was creating space for girls to find their voices, and for those voices to be heard and supported by one another. In those moments of shared encouragement, the program’s purpose came to life. That sense of confidence and ownership was evident in students like Lily Bornino ’26, who drew on her interest in history and literature to explore women’s health and the evolution of contraception. Framing her presentation as “just women talking to other women,” she highlighted the pioneering work of Margaret Sanger while grounding the topic in present-day relevance.

Erika Hernandez-Sanchez P’28 Lisa Hinkelman P’38 Chelsea Honigford P’38 Dominique Jackson Marian Jones P’35 Rachael Jones P’30’35 Felice Kassoy Jessica Ketner ’02 P’30’34’39 Amy Klaben Meredith Lawson-Rowe

“I come to CSG as an alumna, a parent, and a women’s healthcare professional,” Donovan said. “Working within a system that often fails women, I feel a responsibility to equip them early. I want them to know how to advocate for themselves, to trust their bodies, and to support one another in getting the care and respect they deserve.” She added, “What stood out most was the power of connection across generations and roles — student to alumna, daughter to mother, patient to clinician. The girls weren’t passive recipients — they were active participants.” The consciousness-raising movement of the 1960s did not offer neat resolutions or quick conclusions. It asked participants to sit with discomfort, share lived experience, and imagine change that unfolded over time through sustained dialogue and collective awareness. In that spirit, Smeeding noted that students left the program energized for continued conversation and reflection. “The girls said, ‘I want more of this,’” she shared, signaling that the work, like the movement that inspired it, is ongoing.

Stacy Luchin P’39 Kristina Bailey Mattox P’37 Bridget Metz P’38 Monica Moran P’26’30 Carlotta Penn ’99 Dr. Jenell Igeleke Penn P’32 Kim Rice Wilson ’80 Jamie Rizer Leanna Rocheleau P’36 Carolyn Thurman ’04 P’35’37

Shiloh Todorov Jennifer Walton P’34’36 Holly Watson P’29 Tammy Wharton Adrienne Wilson P’36 Deborah Woidtke P’26’27’27

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FEATURE

She

What’s Next: A Year of Innovation in the Program for Young Children

ON ANY MORNING IN THE PROGRAM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN (PYC), THERE ARE PAINTSMUDGED FINGERTIPS, CARDBOARD CONSTELLATIONS SCATTERED ACROSS TABLES, AND TINY VOICES NEGOTIATING BIG IDEAS. Beneath the surface, something more intentional takes shape; this year, CSG’s earliest learners practiced the habits of innovators.

hat work came into focus during the School’s first Innovation Convention, a culminating experience rooted in the mission of The Institute for Innovation & Leadership. Designed as both a celebration and demonstration of learning, the convention invited families, faculty, staff, and students to experience the depth of thinking taking place across all three PYC classrooms. Through interactive presentations and student-designed projects, learners showcased how they applied collaboration, inquiry, and design-thinking to explore complex ideas alongside peers and the music and computer science departments. The experience also reflected strong collaboration among teachers and the Reggio Emilia approach, guided by Jeanette Canyon, the Atelierista (PYC studio teacher), by centering student voice and building learning experiences around children’s natural curiosities and interests.

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SHE CREATES WHAT’S NEXT

3/4 CLASSROOMS

CONSTRUCTED BELONGING THROUGH DESIGN THINKING What began as a simple mark-making invitation in the 3/4 classrooms evolved into a complex, interdisciplinary exploration of belonging, community, and design. Through sustained inquiry, students moved from intuitive expression to intentional construction, creating both a large-scale neighborhood mural and an intricate three-dimensional, interactive community. Students engaged in open-ended markmaking, layering lines, color, and gesture across a shared surface. As they revisited their work, their observations deepened. What initially appeared abstract became representational, and the mural began to transform into what the students named “Our Beautiful Neighborhood.” Through this process, they demonstrated early applications of observation, iteration, and creative problem-solving, refining their ideas through repeated engagement. The work expanded through dialogue and collective decision-making. Students considered what their community required: trees with longer branches, a sky with more space, flowers, rocks, and even a campfire. Houses followed, then tree houses, and even unicorn houses. Each addition reflected both individual imagination and consensus. As the Crane McKee Director of The PYC, Angie McLarty ’94, observed, the significance extended beyond the final product: students were “learning to think collaboratively, to revise their ideas, and to understand perspective,” laying critical foundations for future learning. As the project developed, students naturally engaged in the stages of design thinking — empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing, within a non-linear, iterative process. Their work also revealed emerging mathematical reasoning as they measured, compared, counted, and organized space in meaningful contexts. The addition of self-portrait “dollies” marked a pivotal shift. By inserting themselves into the world they had constructed, students bridged the gap

between creation and lived experience. These personalized figures allowed them to explore scale, proportion, and spatial relationships, while also serving as tools for storytelling. Through this, students demonstrated an integration of narrative development, empathy, and identity. The three-dimensional community expanded in complexity. Students designed interconnected spaces, including a school, town square, roads, homes, and a landscape inspired by Cynthia’s Woods. Small groups engaged in focused design challenges. They debated materials for sidewalks, compared road textures, and constructed trees and a multi-layered mountain through research, testing, and revision. In each instance, students negotiated ideas, evaluated options, and made collective decisions, often through democratic voting processes. The experience culminated in an interactive presentation during the Innovation Convention, where students shared their work with families. Students did not simply display their community; they designed it for exploration, adaptation, and extension over time. This decision reflected a deeper understanding of learning as dynamic and ongoing. In doing so, they developed foundational skills in collaboration, systems thinking, and problem-solving, while cultivating a shared sense of belonging that extended beyond the classroom.

4/5 CLASSROOMS

DESIGNED AND BUILT WHAT DIDN’T EXIST (YET) What began as a room filled with ideas in the 4/5 classroom evolved into a dynamic, interdisciplinary exploration of design, engineering, and problem-solving. Through sustained inquiry, students moved from imaginative thinking to intentional construction, working collaboratively to design and prototype four distinct creations: a movable toy, a rideable unicorn, a helpful robot, and a unicorn castle. At the outset, students generated ideas freely — sketching, discussing, and imagining without limitation. Faculty extended their thinking with a guiding question:

How would it work? This shift marked the transition from creativity to application, as students engaged in a simplified version of the design process used by engineers and innovators: empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing within a non-linear, iterative cycle. Each group approached this process through a distinct lens. The movable toy engineers began with a desire to create something they could sit in, but their thinking quickly deepened as they explored motion and mechanics. Questions emerged about wheels, balance, and structure, transforming their idea into a system that required coordination among its parts. Through experimentation with materials, ramps, and movement, they engaged in early scientific reasoning and mathematical thinking, testing how far and fast their designs could travel. Across the room, the unicorn builders focused on form and stability. They observed a wooden mannequin, studied how its joints moved and how it distributed weight, and applied those insights to

Students discovered that storytelling is not limited to words on a page.” ANGIE MCLARTY ’94

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SHE CREATES WHAT’S NEXT

designs that considered posture, balance, and strength. Their work blended engineering with artistic expression, as they imagined not only what the unicorn would look like but also how it would exist and move through space. The robot inventors grounded their work in purpose. Their central question: How can a robot help people? — guided their exploration of function and interaction. Through early coding experiences, students practiced sequencing and logical thinking, using clear, step-by-step instructions to direct their robot. As they experimented with commands and responses, they developed foundational computational thinking skills, learning that precision and order are essential to successful outcomes. “The designers of the unicorn castle constructed a world rooted in both imagination and structure. They explored shapes, foundations, and spatial relationships, layering narrative elements into their designs,” Canyon said. “As they built, they considered how different spaces function together, demonstrating early architectural thinking and an understanding of how environments support those within them.” Across all groups, students engaged deeply in collaboration. They listened, negotiated, and refined ideas together. They evaluated materials, debated options, and made decisions through shared dialogue, often using voting to determine next steps. As their designs became more complex, so did their questions: How does something move? What makes it stable? What happens if it doesn’t work?

5/6 CLASSROOM

EXPLORED THE ARCHITECTURE OF STORYTELLING THROUGH SOUND AND SPACE In the 5/6 classroom, storytelling did not begin with a script; it began with materials, movement, and possibility. As students designed miniature puppet theaters, they moved fluidly between disciplines, shaping narratives through drawing, construction, sound, and performance. What emerged was a system that integrated visual design, spatial reasoning, and expressive language.

To answer these questions, students turned to experimentation. They tested materials, explored wheels and axles, measured and compared, and adjusted their designs based on observation. Notably, many chose to construct their own components rather than rely on pre-made solutions, prioritizing process, persistence, and problem-solving over ease.

Students first grounded their work in the essential elements of a story. Through shared reading and discussion, they identified characters, settings, problems, and solutions, building a common language for narrative structure. From there, they began to imagine their own worlds, selecting environments and developing characters to inhabit them. Working in pairs and small groups, they negotiated ideas and shaped storylines, balancing individual imagination with collective direction.

The resulting prototypes were intentionally unfinished. Rather than final products, they represented thinking in progress: evidence of iteration, revision, and evolving understanding. Throughout the process, math, science, and design lived side by side. In May, the room held more than toys, robots, or castles. It held evidence of thinking in motion, ideas shaped by teamwork and determination.

The work then shifted into the studio, where ideas took physical form. Students designed and constructed their own puppet theaters, measuring interior spaces to ensure their characters fit proportionally within each setting. As they built, they considered how space functions visually, layering foreground, midground, and background to create depth and clarity. These decisions required both artistic intention and

Throughout the process, the girls engaged in an iterative cycle of planning, creating, testing, and refining. They adjusted designs when proportions felt off, reconsidered story elements when ideas did not align, and revised both visual and narrative components in response to feedback and observation. Collaboration remained central, with partners dividing tasks, sharing responsibilities, and making decisions together. mathematical thinking, as students adjusted size, placement, and scale. Patterns emerged across their work, in color, texture, and form, as well as in the structure of their stories. Students explored how repetition and variation created cohesion and pushed their thinking beyond the story itself to its experience. “Through the puppet theater project, students discovered that storytelling is not limited to words on a page,” McLarty said. “They used design, movement, sound, and collaboration to communicate ideas, and in the process, they learned how creativity and problem-solving work together.”

The puppet theaters ultimately became more than artifacts; they became tools for thinking. Students used them to sequence events, clarify storylines, and develop confidence in oral storytelling. In doing so, they demonstrated an ability to move between abstract ideas and concrete representation, strengthening both creative and analytical skills. “I liked researching mountains for my puppet show,” said Tessa Curtice ’38. “It was my favorite part of the entire project.”

A shift occurred as students introduced movement and sound. Puppets became active participants within the environments they created, prompting new considerations: How does a character move through space, and how does that movement communicate meaning? With the addition of instruments and sound effects, students layered auditory elements into their work, using rhythm and tone to enhance action and emotion. FORTE ET GRATUM • SUMMER 2026

2026

COMMENCEMENT

2026

FORTE ET GRATUM • SUMMER 2026

2026

COMMENCEMENT

Meet the Class of 2026 Caroline Lily Amato Anabanel Anne Ava Yolanda Bennett Sophie Childress Bergmann Lillian Elizabeth Bornino Kiersten Brit Cahill Grace Coral Chapman Yinan Chen Taylor Evelyn Clingman Ava Marie DeFelice Hawa Diaw Victoria Bray Dizon

Clara Elizabeth Dye Khadija Adama Fall Caroline Elizabeth Gilani Marcella Suzanne Bauer Grottoli Lauren Grace Hansen Isabella Maria Hensley Colleen Anne Hernon Ariam Kinfe Vivian Elyse Lamendola Kendall Sleight Leff Olivia Grace Malloy Sarah Catherine Martin

Adriana Marie Massimiani Emma Elizabeth Mathwig Amelia M Mazur Isabella Anne McIntyre Priya Tejas Mehta Madeline Grace Metzbower Athalia Bonheur Muhirwa Francesca Lauren Elefaño Nuyles McKenna Elizabeth Rodgers Delaney Morgan Woods Dingyi Ye Jiawen Yi

Where Our Unicorns Are Headed The 36 members of the Class of 2026 earned more than 90 college acceptances and will attend 29 colleges across 14 states and Canada. Colleges in bold italic will welcome more than one CSG student. Bentley University Boston College Butler University Denison University Emory University Georgia Institute of Technology High Point University Indiana University Bloomington McGill University Mount Holyoke College

Muskingum University New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Otterbein University Purdue University Santa Clara University The Ohio State University Transylvania University University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Miami University of Pittsburgh University of Rochester University of Southern California University of Vermont University of Wisconsin–Madison Xavier University

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Real Ambition is about meaning. Before the Class of 2026 collected their red roses and said goodbye to the brick pathways, green spaces, and traditions that have shaped their CSG experience, they heard from alumna Krissy Fenner ’97. A transformational leader and administrator of power for the City of Columbus, Fenner oversees a multimillion-dollar enterprise and advances innovative solutions at the intersection of energy, equity, and urban growth. A dedicated alumna and advocate for the next generation of women leaders, her message reflected the ambition, purpose, and courage that define both her leadership journey and the spirit of CSG. The most important thing you can do as you leave here today is approach the world with curiosity, not conclusions. Don’t show up to a new place, a new job, or a new relationship already knowing what it is. Don’t be that person who knows it all. Show up with questions. Show up open. I recently learned about a Japanese concept called shoshin, or beginner’s mind. The idea is that an expert sees only a few possibilities, but a beginner sees many. You are beginners right now. And I know that might not feel like a compliment, but I promise you, it is one of the greatest gifts you have. Go be global. In your reading, your traveling, your listening, your thinking. Let the world make you larger than you are today. For me, seeing the world differently was important. But the harder journey, and honestly the more important one, was learning to see myself clearly.

To watch the Commencement ceremony and hear the full speech of Krissy Fenner ’97, scan the QR code.

That brings me to a few questions worth carrying with you: What do you actually want? Not what your parents want. Not what looks impressive. Not what your friends are doing. What do you want? What do you value? What kind of person are you choosing to become through the decisions you make? I’ve learned that real ambition isn’t about appearances. It’s not about collecting credentials or looking successful from the outside. Real ambition is about meaning. I’ve also learned that self-knowledge is not selfishness. Knowing who you are is not vanity. It is the foundation. You cannot build a life you love on a foundation you’ve never examined. And perhaps most importantly, you cannot pour from a cup you’ve never filled. Before you can lead anyone. Before you can serve anyone. Before you can change anything, you must do the quiet, honest, sometimes uncomfortable work of knowing yourself. So before anything else: Know your values before the world tries to hand them to you. Know your voice before someone else writes your script. Know your worth before anyone tries to negotiate it down. Know yourself, honestly, fully, without apology, and I promise you, everything else becomes possible. FORTE ET GRATUM • SUMMER 2026

CSG ALUMNAE

A Celebration 11 classes. 200

On April 24-25, 200 CSG graduates returned to campus to celebrate Alumnae Weekend 2026. Guided by the theme “Excellence in Action,” the School honored milestone classes ending in 1’s and 6’s. Through classroom visits, campus tours, and community gatherings, alumnae reconnected with classmates, former teachers, and revisited the spaces that shaped their time at CSG. The weekend also honored Alumna of the Year Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt ’92 and Outstanding Young Alumna Dr. Katherine Carruthers ’07, and welcomed the Class of 2026 into the alumnae sisterhood.

Class of 1966

Class of 1976

Class of 1981

of Excellence in Action guests. 1 Amazing Weekend.

Class of 1986

Class of 1991

Class of 1996

Class of 2001

Scan the QR code to view class photos and alumnae names.

Class of 2006

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CSG ALUMNAE

Class of 2011

Class of 2021

Class of 2016

hen Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt ’92 returned to Columbus School for Girls for Alumnae Weekend, she did so as a trailblazer, mentor, and reflection of the School’s enduring impact.

Honored as the 2026 Alumna of the Year, Judge Beatty Blunt’s career is marked by a historic milestone: in 2018, she became the first Black woman to serve on Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals. Her path to the bench began with academic excellence at CSG. Immersed in a diverse community, she learned to engage with different perspectives, an experience that continues to influence her work today. “I am not intimidated by differences,” she said. “I danced at quinceañeras. I ate my Jewish friends’ Passover food and danced at their bat mitzvahs. I sat with friends who were fasting during Ramadan, and that is part of what made me successful.” From student council campaigns to speaking before large audiences,

Judge Beatty Blunt developed the confidence that would define her career. Judge Beatty Blunt graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College with a degree in psychology before earning her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. She built a distinguished legal career spanning courtroom practice and public service, handling cases involving small businesses, probate matters, and personal injury litigation. She later expanded into public service as director of legislative affairs and counsel to the Voting Rights Institute for the Ohio Secretary of State, where she served as a liaison to lawmakers and election boards across the state. In 2009, Gov. Ted Strickland appointed her to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, where she presided over complex criminal and civil cases. In 2018, she became the first Black woman to serve on the Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals, where she continues to serve.

A Trailblazer Returns:

Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt ’92 Honored as 2026 Alumna of the Year

Despite her accomplishments, Judge Beatty Blunt often points to her CSG experience as foundational to her success. “Everything that I am today, a lot of it started right here at CSG,” she said.

She remains active in legal education and civic engagement and mentors future leaders through speaking engagements, advisory roles, and student programs at CSG. She also shares accessible legal education through her social media platform, #LaurelLaysDownTheLaw, where she explains how the law applies in everyday life.

Today, she continues to serve on legal education boards and remains active in professional and civic organizations while mentoring the next generation. Her message to students is simple: “CSG has taught you more than you think. You’ll figure out what I mean later.”

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CLASS NEWS CLASS NEWS

Alumnae Class News 1955

CLASS REPS: ESTHER WEBSTER SUMMERS ’55 & BOBBIE ISSAC WEILER ’55

Ann Blake Parsons ’55 shares, “I am doing fine, just keep exercising and that seems to help! I am looking forward to making it to my Michigan summer retreat.”

1956

CLASS REP: JOANNA WALZ FOSTER ’56

1957

CLASS REP: MARGIE BARTON WILLIAMS ’57

Jane Lehmann Dodson ’57 is happy in Clearwater, Fla., at the center for Scientology. She has reached the highest level of her church and is working for the good of the planet. Sue Hoover ’57 has sold her farm and moved to town in a house built in 1864. She is active in her church, it is small and there are five members who take turns preaching once a month. She has a knitting group. She keeps up with some of her friends via Zoom once a month. Her husband, Terry, is still working. Her two sons live in Toronto and Austin, Texas. She says the tariffs are hurting Canada. Lanah McNamara Miller ’57 and John are in reasonably good health thanks to modern medicine. She spends the winters in Florida and summers in Columbus. Addie Price Northrop ’57 cruised to Hawaii and Tahiti, saw the Grand Canyon and Sedona and spent

Christmas in Switzerland with her middle daughter. Her youngest daughter’s husband died, and her oldest daughter has returned to Connecticut after 20 years in Texas.

1959

Judy Pass Redd ’57 goes to the gym three days a week, gardens in season, does a lot of cooking for her association of which she is president. Has five great-grandsons living near her and one great-granddaughter due in June in Columbus.

Peggy Matt Varnedoe ’59 shares, Barby Park Goldschmid ’59 died on January 10, 2026, after a long battle with lung cancer.

Molly McDonald Shoemaker’s ’57 husband died two years ago, but she is keeping busy in Ithaca, N.Y., volunteering for the Salvation Army in their food kitchen and with their youth music program. They hold a music camp weekend at Seneca Lake for lower-income youth. She belongs to a book club which sounds similar to our CSG book club. She has a 13-year-old grandson who lives in New Jersey.

CLASS REP: INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CLASS REP? EMAIL ALUMNAE@COLUMBUSSCHOOLFORGIRLS.ORG.

1960

CLASS REP: CAROLYN THOMAS CHRISTY ’60

1961

CLASS REP: JOANN KING SMITH ’61

1962

CLASS REP: PATRICIA TICE OFFENBERG ’62

Margie Barton Williams ’57 shares, “I broke my wrist in December tripping over a neighbor’s doorstep. With hand therapy, I hope to be back out on the golf course next month. We spent Christmas in Salt Lake City with our daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons, ages 7 and 10. We spent the winter in Columbus dealing with more snow than we have seen in a long time. Tom and I are in reasonably good health and enjoying our downsized condo. I can’t believe we have been here for eleven years.”

1958

CLASS REP: JULIE PRICE MYERS ’58

Aase Møller-Hansen ’63 sends greetings from Denmark.

1963

CLASS REP: DOODIE GORRELL FRANK ’63

Martha Wyker Anderton ’63 shares, “Bob and I have enjoyed the peace and tranquility of living in our cabin in Pinetop, Ariz. We moved up to the mountains at the beginning of the pandemic and found that over five decades of marriage prepared us well for isolation. My sister Susie Wyker LaPorte ’60 and I are the only remaining Wyker girls, having lost Becky Wyker Hawksley ’59 and Debbie Wyker Hoster ’61 in recent years.” Betsy Kurtz Argo ’63 writes, “Amid a series of March blizzards, we’re staying at home a lot these days, but I play a lot of duplicate bridge, and we do go to church regularly. Jimmy and I are currently hosting a six-week Lenten Bible study at our home north of Elk Rapids, Mich., attracting up to 15 attendees every week. Apparently, other hosts are attracting five to six folks, but I think our popularity is due to Jimmy’s lovely open bar. Ha ha. We’re also enjoying the National Writers Association in Traverse City and have met such authors as Harlan Coben and Bruce Cameron. Our neighbor’s sister, Erin Bartels, has written several really good novels, such as All That We Carried, and We Hope For Better Things, and we’re hoping we can encourage her to appear — not to mention David Rosenfelt, whose 30-plus novels I have devoured. I’ve been in touch with Nancy Kauffman Sanford ’63, Connie Cosler ’63, Pam Pryor ’63, Martha ’63, Doodie Gorrell Frank ’63, and Andy Smith Lorig ’56, all within the past week or so. Connie Evans Claar ’54, and Nancy Kauffman Sanford ’63 are both just down the road from us. And our kids and grands all came up for a visit over Thanksgiving. Life is good.” Doodie Gorrell Frank ’63 shares, “Ted and I are grateful to be mostly vertical

in our 80s. We are able to enjoy a lot of travel–much of it with a group of friends we have known for almost 60 years. We’re excited to meet Aase Møller-Hansen ’63 and her husband, Wilfred, in Copenhagen this June. We love spending time with our five grandchildren–our oldest is in grad school and our youngest is 11. Ted is on the board of a group of investigative reporters and volunteers building sets for a local theater group. I enjoy playing tennis, participating in several book groups, volunteering for a food pantry, and playing in my garden. We wish everyone a more peaceful 2026.” Cynthia Yenkin Levinson ’63 writes, “I’m still writing nonfiction books for kids. The one that’s currently eating my breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a bio of Lyndon Johnson, which I hope will come out before we all turn 90. It helps to live in Austin near the LBJ Library (I bow down to archivists). Sandy and I also continue to split our time between Austin and Boston, since he teaches in both places, though he promises to retire at the end of 2027.” Aase Møller-Hansen ’63 shares, “Current news — I’m alive and enjoy life. I am still playing a lot of golf. Most summers I spend with my close family, i.e. my two daughters living in Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Seattle, Wash. This June Doodie and her husband Ted will visit us in Copenhagen.” Laurel Scheaf ’63 shares, “It’s never too late. I got married at 75 for the first time to a wonderful, intelligent, accomplished gentleman named Tom Koenig. He was the past president of GMAC real estate and we met at the University of Wisconsin my senior year. And now we live in Naples, Fla., and have a condo in Lake Forest, Ill., outside of Chicago. And I have the privilege of having two stepdaughters in their early- and mid-40s. It is delightful to have the privilege of being a mother. Even though they

don’t really need another mother at their ages, they’re gracious enough to enjoy our interactions.”

1964

CLASS REP: CARLA POLLACK LANE ’64 & LINDA BENUA ’64

1965

CLASS REP: INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CLASS REP? EMAIL ALUMNAE@COLUMBUSSCHOOLFORGIRLS.ORG.

1966

CLASS REP: KATHY ARNOLD WADE ’66

Ellen Chadkin Lerner ’66 shares, “Doing ok...getting older. I too had my cataract surgery last year. Now I need glasses to see up close and read on my computer. I used to see better up close without glasses, but not as well far away. Now my vision is less blurry when I view things up close, but I will probably need new glasses soon to see more sharply. My voice also got older, so I quit the singing group and retired from my position as a cantor soloist for the past number of years at a Reform Synagogue. All my children are busy; two in California, one in Michigan, one in Florida, one in Arizona. We have three grandchildren; two in Arizona and the youngest in Florida. I haven’t met the youngest grandchild yet. My husband retired last year. We still live in the same house in Rochester. My husband wants to downsize, although I am not up for moving. I watch a lot of TV and spend too much time on my computer. I only worked as an RN for a couple of years and then I was a cantor soloist at a small synagogue in a Rochester suburb. I would love to come to the reunion, but I am not planning to travel.” Jane Schiff ’66 writes, “Life in Naples, Fla., is wondrous. So many people from Columbus who I haven’t seen in years

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CLASS NEWS

live here (or are here during season). My three grandchildren are grown and wonderful traveling buddies. We visited Japan and Paris. I am super active in the Jewish community in Naples, having raised the money and participated in all the decisions to build a 21,000 square-foot community center that today sees 4,000 to 5,000 (again, in season) people a week visiting for various programs. In the summer, I still love going up to Maine and visiting friends and family up north.” Kathy McClure Whitlow ’66 shares, “Robert and I just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. He practiced law for 47 years and retired in June. With more free time, we plan to do more writing, movie-making, and spending

time with our 11 grandchildren and four greats. Our four children all live close by, which is really nice. Going back to CSG for our 60th reunion promises to be fun, but also bittersweet, realizing that there is probably no one left on campus who remembers my mother, Katie Born McClure, Class of 1926. Katie was a presence for many years as a student, then alumnae secretary, head of admissions, board member, and assistant head of school, under John Chapman. For years while she was still living, we would share the same reunion although 40 years different, which placed both of us on the Red Team! I will miss having her there. We will certainly enjoy being with those classmates who do come and at the same time miss those who are no longer living.”

1967

CLASS REPS: CAROL BENUA MAJOR ’67 & MARY LARRICK SCHMERTZ ’67

Your class reps are sorry to report the death of our classmate Catherine Cameron ’67, who passed away on March 13, 2026, following complications from a cardiac procedure. She attended CSG in ninth and 10th grade until her father was transferred to Ecuador and the family moved there. Her sister was the late Laurie Cameron ’69. Catherine remained in touch with CSG and with many of her classmates and was a strong supporter of the Class of 1967 College Access Fund — all the more meaningful to Catherine, since she was one of the first CSG students to receive a scholarship.

1968 CLASS REP: PAM LYNN ’68

Top and bottom photos are Sara Smith Harris ’70 and her USTA teammates.

Rosalind Mercier ’68 is still enjoying life in what’s left of her beloved England, in a village near Broadway in the Cotswolds, which was home to artists like John Singer Sargent. She’s very active with the museum, and continues with her portrait career. This past June, she went up to Scotland with a small group of friends, having dinner with Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, Chief of the Campbell Clan, at the family seat Rossdhu on the shores of Loch Lomond, followed by lunch the next day at Inveraray Castle with his nephew, the Duke of Argyll. Rosalind was also in correspondence with Her Majesty Queen Camilla about a book (she has one of Rosalind’s paintings,) the royal stationery certainly caught the postman’s eye! In September, Rosalind attended a French cousin’s wedding on the family estate where she previously lived for two years. And she still has her dear cat, Eleanor, who was rescued from Bexley’s Fifth Avenue years ago and sailed the

Atlantic on the Queen Mary, as well as two new rescues. And she’s happily back in the saddle, taking dressage lessons at a nearby riding academy. She also said, “P.S. I spoke with Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols punk rock fame on his speaking tour, and he remembered me from when I did his make up for American Bandstand back in 1980! Fun.”

1969

CLASS REP: CANDACE CORSON ’69

A huge fan of George Washington, Leslie Huntington ’70 has been getting ready for the 250th celebration of America! She has been visiting many Revolutionary War-era sites throughout Virginia and West Virginia. She is ready to help us all refresh our memories on this part of our Lin history!

Sisters Lesley and Kathy Wilson Muth ’68 both fulfilled a “bucket list” visit to the Philadelphia Flower Show in March. The Philadelphia Flower Show is the longest, continually-running flower show in the world, celebrating 197 years! While there, they met up with Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70, who advised them on where to begin their

Lesley Wilson Schaab ’70 said, ”Several members of the Class of 1970 met for lunch to celebrate the birthdays of Sally Schmidt Austen ’70 and Rose Anne Coleman Kolar ‘70.”

1970

CLASS REP: LESLEY WILSON SCHAAB ’70

Kudos go to Sara Smith Harris ’70, who has been playing a lot of tennis. Her 65+ USTA team qualified and played in the National USTA tournament in Arizona, where the team came in third place! Earlier in the year, Sara went with another USTA 70+ team to a tournament in Oklahoma, where they finished in first place! Sara says she had a great time and met lots of wonderful ladies!

Kathy Wilson Muth ’68, Lesley Wilson Schaab ’70, and Anne Jeffrey Wright ‘70.

Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70 with 3-month-old granddaughter Louisa, March 2026.

While visiting her daughter in Ireland in December 2025, Susan Pierce ’78 had lunch with Susan Lazarus ’78 in Dublin. A CSG reunion!

Front row: Kim Williams ’70, Leslie Huntington ’70, and Lesley Wilson Schaab ’70. Back row: Sally Schmidt Austen ’70, Sara Smith Harris ’70, and Rose Anne Coleman Kolar ’70. Also present but not pictured was Beth Byers Sells ’70.

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CLASS NEWS

visit and the “must-see” exhibits offered. Lesley and Kathy said they had never seen anything like this show and it was a worthy “bucket list” item! Beth Byers Sells ’70 visited a flower show at the Bal Harbour Shop in Florida. Classmates enjoyed the pictures Beth shared from this remarkable show. Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70 shares, “I couldn’t be more thrilled with my new title — grandma! Louisa was born on December 10, 2025, in Philadelphia, and she and over-the-moon parents Abbe Wright and Nick Devlin are all flourishing in their new roles, as am I.” Our class can also celebrate several new grandchildren! August 27, baby boy Ryan was born to Kim Williams’ ’70 son Wesley and his wife; on November 18, baby girl Norma Rose was born to Rose Anne Coleman Kolar ’70 son Mike and daughterin-law, Babs; and baby girl Louisa Wright Devlin was born on December 10, to Anne Jeffrey Wright’s ’70 daughter Abbe and son-in-law, Nick.

1971

CLASS REP: NANCY PACE ’71

bronze in Para Biathlon 12.5km sitting. It was a once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget.”

1972

1975

1973

1976

1974

1977

CLASS REP: CAROLINE FARRAR ORRICK ’72

CLASS REP: SUSIE BAUER ’73

CLASS REP: MUFFY HAMILTON PARSONS ’74

Muffy Hamilton Parsons ’74 shares, “This past March, I had an incredible experience of watching my niece, Kendall Gretsch, compete in the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympics in Tesero, Italy. She won gold in the Para Biathlon Women’s Sprint Pursuit Sitting, silver in Women’s Sprint Sitting, bronze in the Para Cross Country Skiing Women’s 10km Sitting and

CLASS REP: JULIE FEIBEL FRIEDLANDER ’75

CLASS REP: JO LYNN ’76

CLASS REP: CONNIE STABER ’77

1978

CLASS REP: KATE ESTABROOK SCHOEDINGER ’78

Susan Pierce ’78 writes, “I retired at the end of June 2025 from the state of West Virginia after almost 38 years of service. I was the deputy state historic preservation officer for almost 28 years. I currently serve as a part-time certified local pastor of a small United Methodist congregation. My daughter, Catherine, graduated summa cum laude from Capital University in December 2025, with a major in middle school education (math and history). I was sad to learn of Jennifer Emnett Johnson’s ’78 passing in a recent alumnae bulletin. Although she didn’t graduate with us, I enjoyed her friendship in class and on the field hockey team.” Kate Estabrook Schoedinger ’78 is “delighted to share that my debut middle grade historical fiction novel, Death By Molasses, will be out October 2026. The novel is inspired by the true events of the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 and a child survivor who testified against greedy powerhouses to avenge his sister’s death.”

Patty Gretsch, Kendall Gretsch, and Muffy Hamilton Parsons ’74.

Martha Gottling Cottrill ’80, Emily Chapman Blodgett ’80, and Jennifer Johnson Eve ’80 had a great time on a week-long backpacking trip in Escalante, Utah last October. Kasey Stokes, Laura Chu Stokes ’81, and Elaine Chu ’78.

Alyson Leeman ’81 (far left) took her kids to Morocco to celebrate her welldeserved retirement.

Marla Krupman ’81 and her husband.

Top row: Cheryl Cates ’81, Raleigh Burgess ’82, Kathleen Lach-Rowan ’81, Beverly Ax Bradway ’80, Marigene Malone Dolven ’81. Lower row: Barbara Lach (mother of three CSG graduates), Andrea Krupman ’84, and Elizabeth Wolfe Hamrick ’82.

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CLASS NEWS

1979

CLASS REP: MARGIE CUNNINGHAM BASILIADIS ’79

1980

CLASS REP: ROBON WARBURTON DONALDSON ’80

Jennifer Johnson Eve ’80 shares, “Martha Gottling Cottrill ’80, Emily Chapman Blodgett ’80, and I had a great time backpacking to the Escalante in Utah in October 2025.”

Marigene Malone Dolven ’81 is excited about a second grandchild on the way, due in June, and her son, Graham, is engaged to a great gal with a wedding this December.

1981

Michelle Katz Grey ’81 flew to EPCOT to watch her daughter, Hailee Grey, finish the Disney Marathon! Dopey Challenge 2026! 48.6 miles! (Thurs: 5k, Fri: 10k, Sat: Half marathon, Sun: full marathon!)

CLASS REP: MARLA KRUPMAN ’81

Marla Krupman ’81 and Stephanie Halliday Giroux ’81.

Michelle Katz Grey ’81 and her daughter Hailee Grey after Hailee completed the Disney Marathon Dopey Challenge.

Danny Bernstein, Marla Krupman ’81, Chris Ferko, and Susan Dawson Cook ’81.

Shelagh Connor Shapiro ’81 cold water dipping in Lake Champlain.

Wendy Campbell Mangeant ’81 (in the seafoam colored gown) and her growing family.

Marla Krupman ’81 and her husband Danny are still on the road traveling the U.S. with plans to head up the West Coast and across Canada this summer. Meanwhile, they recently spent time in Arizona and caught up with Sue Dawson Cook ’81 and her husband (who shared lots of great Tucson travel tips!). They enjoyed dinner with Kathi Kontras ’81 and her family, while traveling to see the tennis tournament in Palm Springs. During a quick trip to Chicago, Marla had a delicious dinner out with Dara Pizzuti ’87 and her husband. They passed through the East Coast for the fall colors and were treated to a lovely overnight stay and a terrific home cooked meal in Rye, N.Y., by Leigh and Stephanie Halliday Giroux ’81. Kathe Lach-Rowan ’81 hosted a holiday gathering that included a number of CSG gals. She is looking forward to big plans for a trip to Japan with her husband and two sons in May. Alyson Leeman ’81 took her kids to Morocco to celebrate her well-deserved retirement. Extra bonus — her daughter got engaged in Portugal after that. Laura Chu Stokes ’81 is sorry to miss seeing everyone for the 45th reunion! Fully retired after almost 50 years of teaching, she’s enjoying a more relaxed living pace, traveling often to NYC to visit her daughters, both living in Manhattan, one as a music therapist and one a pastry chef. Laura recently met up with her sister Elaine Chu ’78 to catch a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Britain’s Atlantic Slave Trade, why have some people told mistruths about his father’s identity, and what does this have to do with 16th-century feminist protests and employee benefits? These were not topics I anticipated when I began searching for Malachy in 2005. This fun book (https://a. co/d/07XBKKRD) is part memoir/part biography/part Enola Holmes-ish, and, yes, there are hints about Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Sedgwick in the narrative. Currently working on the fourth book in my Nancy’s Neighbors series of biographies about people who grew up in the early 20th century, a series written for middle graders to read with their families. Thanks, Mr. Guy, for the Russian History class! My books and publications on gender, empire, national security, and counterterrorism are available in libraries around the world, including the former Soviet bloc. Two of them are Disobedient Histories in Ancient and Modern Time: regionalism, governance, war and peace and Matriarchy, Patriarchy, and Imperial Security in Africa: Explaining Riots in Europe and Violence in Africa.”

1983

1984

CLASS REP: COLLEEN DUFFY ’84

Rebecca McCabe Ibel ’84 shares, “My daughter Sarah Elisabeth Ibel ’26, who was a Unicorn from 2009-2024, will be graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy in May. We will celebrate this summer with a big family bash — my mother’s 85th, my 60th, and Sarah’s graduation. Sebastian and I have just returned from Accra, Ghana, where we traveled with an arts patron group, meeting with artists, galleries, dignitaries, and visiting historical sites. Cathy Jones Williard ’83 and I traveled to Los Angeles in February to meet with artists and plan shows for Contemporary Art Matters. It’s an exciting and busy time!”

1985

CLASS REP: ROBIN IVES CANOWITZ ’85

Michelle Kozak ’85 shares, “On January 12, 2026, I was sworn in

CLASS REP: AMY DUNNING SHEEHAN ’83

1982

CLASS REP: LESLIE ROGOVIN FOX ’82

Marsha Robinson ’82 writes, “My latest book was released in February. When Capitalism Was Kind, or: How Malachy Postlethwayt-England’s Most Improbable Economist-Almost Saved the World. Whose idea was it to stop

Rebecca McCabe Ibel ’84 and Sebastian in Accra, Ghana, March 2026.

Michelle Kozak ’85 was sworn into her second term on Grandview Heights City Council after being reelected last November.

FORTE ET GRATUM • SUMMER 2026

CLASS NEWS

by Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor to start my second fouryear term on Grandview Heights City Council after having been reelected last November.”

service and spend a lot of time with animals, especially my cat, Woolly. I also enjoy genealogy research, long walks, and staying involved in my local community!”

1986

1987

CLASS REP: SANDY KIM ’86

CLASS REPS: MAGGIE MCLEOD BOWERS ’87 & BETH OFFENBERG SAUER ’87

Van Malviya Wilson ’86 writes, “I still live in Mountain View, Calif. After receiving my MBA in 2020 and my MPP in 2022, both from Brandeis, I have been employed with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and work onsite at the Stanford School of Medicine supporting genetics and evolutionary biology research with the Kingsley Lab. I am grateful to remain connected to CSG and currently serve as president of the Alumnae Association Board, helping bring alumnae together across generations. Outside of work, I run a small cat care

Some CSG Alumnae from the Class of 1994 met up in Carefree, Ariz., to celebrate 50th birthdays — Samantha Kanter Summer ’94, Michelle Heumann Ross ’94, Amanda McElory Moore ’94, Alyson Ferber Abramson ’94, and Katie Taub Pearce ’94.

1988

CLASS REP: CATHY KURTZ VRENNA ’88

1989

CLASS REP: KATHERINE ELPER GABRON ’89

Jennifer Nash Humphrey ’89 shares, “The bad news first: my sister, Erin Nash ‘91, and I lost our dad just after the new year. He lived with my spouse and me for six years, so it’s been a surreal loss. We miss him an awful lot. On a brighter note, my businesses are doing very well. I have added more

Leah Djourabchi, Justice Jackson, Monica Welt ’94 P’34.

classes at The Well, Hilliard’s new recreational center, including floating sound healing experiences in the lap pool! You can find all of my events at www.effortless-spirit-healing.com and @effortlessspirithealing on Instagram and Facebook + new website coming soon! I continue to amass a wonderfully fun roster of furry clients through my house and pet sitting business, which also includes home services. I’ve even talked a few friends into joining me, so I can funnel work their way when I’m already booked. It truly is the best job — hanging out with dogs, cats, birds, and all manner of animals, getting fresh air on walks, and enjoying the dopamine rush that only a snuggly fur friend can provide. You can find me at @wag_n_watch on Instagram.” Meg Mass ’89 writes, “I’m writing from Costa Rica where I’m visiting with my mom, Dr. Leslie Mass, and my awesome son, Nemo. Nemo is a circus artist based in Brussels, so it’s a rare pleasure to have a vacation together. I left academia a few years ago to live in Vermont, where I run the HOWL Gender Justice Retreat and split my time between farming, teaching, and hoarding art supplies.”

Dr. Ashley Love ’01 met up with Quiana Sloan Agbai ’98 at Harvard University in September 2025.

1990

CLASS REP: JAN KNIGHT RAUSCHENBERGER ’90

1991

CLASS REP: MICHELLE CONGBALAY MCMICHAEL ’91

1992

CLASS REP: BETHANY BRODERICK ’92

1993

CLASS REP: MARNIE STEIN ’93

1994

CLASS REP: JESSICA BAILEY RUSH ’94

Alyson Ferber Abramson ’94 spent a few days celebrating 50th birthdays in Carefree, Ariz., with fellow unicorns. Monica Welt ’94 was recently sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court! In her new role as General Counsel at Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), one of her key job responsibilities is submitting briefs to SCOTUS on behalf of some of the largest U.S. retailers. This required her to become a member of the SCOTUS bar. Monica and her daughter, Leah had the exciting opportunity to meet Justice Jackson.

1997

CLASS REPS: JULIE FERBER ZUCKERMAN ’97 & KRISSY ROSE-ANDERSON FENNER ’97

1998

CLASS REP: MIRANDA MARTIN WARREN ’98

1999

CLASS REP: AMANDA MOORE MCGINNIS ’99

2000

CLASS REP: JENNIFER GOOD SKROBARCEK ’00

2001

CLASS REP: JANIS PENN BOND ’01

This past August, Dr. Ashley Love ’01 accepted a position as a faculty member in the Social Foundations & Leadership Education in the College of Education at the University of North Georgia, in Dahlonega, Ga. (if you’ve seen the Netflix series “His & Hers,” it is set in this Northeast Georgia town).

Dr. Love works with pre-service teachers at UNG. Her research explores pathways to cultural competence through international field experiences and experiential learning approaches. Returning to academia has been busy, but she was able to meet up with friend and fellow CSG alumna Quiana Sloan Agbai ’98 in Cambridge, Mass., this past September, during a college visit for her daughter, Chloë (Athens Academy ’27).

2002

CLASS REP: JANE ALEXANDER ’02

2003

CLASS REP: AJ JACOBSEN ’03

2004

CLASS REPS: CAROLYN THURMAN ’04 & CAREY RABOLD WOODRUFF ’04

2005

CLASS REP: ARIEL HAYTAS BOWLBY ’05

1995

CLASS REPS: AUDRA LONGERT ’95 & BERNADETTE KUHNSMAN DONOVAN ’95

1996

CLASS REP: MOLLY SCHIRNER FORTUNE ’96

Heather Daye ’05 married Guillaume in February 2025.

Heather Daye ’05 and her husband welcomed their son Quentin in June 2025.

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CLASS NEWS

Heather Daye ’05 is excited to share that she got married to her now husband, Guillaume, in February 2025, and they welcomed their son, Quentin, in June 2025. The second location of her pilates studio, Studio86 Fitness, opened in Westerville in October 2024.

2006

CLASS REP: MARIELLE PERRAULT MCGREGOR ’06

Katherine Lin ’06 writes, “After teaching high school math for 15 years, I made the decision to run my chess nonprofit, Columbus Chess Academy, full-time. This year, we expanded our program to 23 schools! I also

was hired as a Deputy Arbiter for the U.S. Chess Championships/Women’s Championships, where I got to meet the top chess players in the United States and preside over their games. It’s been a great journey so far!”

2007

CLASS REPS: ZOE VAN DYKE ’07 & KATE VORYS ’07

Hannah Scheckelhoff Javelly ’07 shares that after over a decade in NYC, she and her family have relocated to Miami, Fla. Hannah also celebrated her seventh anniversary with WeWork, where she is in-house counsel.

2008

CLASS REPS: MEGAN FITZMARTIN ’08 & ALEXANDRA ROBERTS ’08

Teresa Eigel Shepfer ’08 shares, “I got married in our backyard in Columbus in October 2025 to Ty Shepfer, officiated by Greg Smith (father of Courtney Smith ’08). Because it was family only, I celebrated a few weeks before with friends, including many from CSG!”

2009

CLASS REPS: PATRICIA AREHART ’09 & LAURA RAINES ’09

Caroline Elia ’09 and her husband, Dean, welcomed their first child, Madeleine Alice Petrone, on November 26, 2025. Everyone is doing well!

2010

CLASS REP: KELSEY KLOPFER TACCA ’10

Hannah Scheckelhoff Javelly ’07 with her husband, Alex, daughter, Cora (age 5), and son, Miles (age 1.5).

Alyssa Wagstaff Wernet ‘10, vice president of Demo Diva.

Wedding shower for Teresa Eigel Shepfer ’08 at Kara Bolon Burmer’s ’08 beautiful home!

Taylor Lint ‘11 and her husband.

Alyssa Wagstaff Wernet ’10 shares, “I welcomed my second baby boy, Crew, at the end of 2025, and was promoted as vice president of Demo Diva, a female-owned demolition and construction company based in New Orleans, La.”

2011

CLASS REP: ANNA VUTECH ’11

Taylor Lint ’11 got married May 30, 2026.

Sam Wobst ’11 shares, “I am settling into life in the Pacific North West! I’m still working in startups. I will graduate with a master’s in human-centered design and engineering from the University of Washington in June. A few months after graduation, my fiancé, Lucas, and I will be married in a small ceremony on Orcas Island.”

2013

2012

2015

CLASS REPS: ANGELA MENTEL ’12 &

CLASS REP: EVLIN HOGAN ’13

2014

CLASS REP: HANNAH BARENDS LOY ’14

CLASS REP: KIRBY BOES ’15

JORDAN JAMES ’12

Sam Ziegler Laviola ’15 shares that her husband, Colin, and their 2-year-old daughter, Halston,

Alexandra Verzella ’15 and Mike Cassidy got engaged in Switzerland.

Kirby Boes ’15, Katie Belfance ’16, Maggie Wagenbrenner ’17, and Nicole Narcross ’16 at Katie’s rehearsal dinner.

Ryan O’Hara ’16, Hanna Carmon ’16, and Eleanor Smith ’16 at Katie Belfance’s ’16 wedding.

Katie Belfance ’16 and EB Bordow.

Colleen Kelley Burns ’17 and her growing family.

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CLASS NEWS

welcomed their second baby girl, Elliana Edwin-Rose Laviola, on March 9. Alexandra Verzella ’15 got engaged to Mike Cassidy on February 11, in St. Moritz, Switzerland. They met in New York City during their plastic surgery research year of medical school at NYU. Alexandra is currently a plastic and reconstructive surgery resident at OSU.

2016 CLASS REP: EMMA KEMP ’16

Katie Belfance ’16 married EB Bordow on April 25 at the Chicago History Museum. She and EB met during freshman year at Denison

University. CSG classmates Kirby Boes ’15 and Nicole Narcross ’16 were bridesmaids. Fellow unicorns Eleanor Smith ’16, Ryan O’Hara ’16, Hanna Carmon ’16, Maggie Wagenbrenner ’17, and Katie Wagenbrenner ’19 were also in attendance. Katie and EB relocated from Cleveland to Chicago shortly after their wedding.

gym she owns, King’s Athletics, and is entering her fifth season as a CSG volleyball coach.

2017

McKenzie Yates ’17 is the Vanderbilt Alumni Columbus Chapter president.

CLASS REPS: MARISSA MADISON ’17 & MIA GEORGE ’17

Colleen Kelley Burns ’17 celebrated her daughter’s first birthday in February and her second wedding anniversary in April. She’s expecting a baby boy this summer. CC D’Arms ’17 is currently attending Georgetown Law School. Mia George ’17 completed her MBA from University of Connecticut. Skylar King ’17 is teaching a resistance bands workout class at the

Anna Tierney ’17 and Grace Tierney ’17 completed a Half Ironman.

Vanderbilt Alumni Columbus Chapter President McKenzie Yates ’17, with fellow CSG and Vanderbilt alumna, Alexandra Verzella ’15.

Anna Tierney ’17 and Grace Tierney ’17 completed a Half Ironman together in Maryland! Blythe Yaffe ’17 married Scott Hevel in May.

2018 CLASS REP: JULIA LUNT ’18

Julia Lunt ’18 shares, “I recently matched at Virginia Tech Carilion for my dermatology residency! I knew I wanted to be a doctor from the time I was about 10. I broke my ankle, saw an orthopedic surgeon, and thought he had the coolest job ever (and he was a CSG parent!) My love for medicine continued through the CSG May Program my junior and senior year when I shadowed orthopedic surgeons and a rheumatologist (also all CSG parents). I kept in contact with them throughout college and medical school and reached out to other CSG parents and alumnae that were in dermatology once I decided it was my intended specialty. These CSG contacts were instrumental in finding mentors and support! They dropped everything to allow me to shadow them and answer my questions. CSG gave me the confidence and skills to succeed in medical school, including speaking up, hard work, dedication, and pushing myself beyond what I thought possible. I can’t wait to serve my community as a dermatologist! If any current CSG students would like to connect about medical school/ dermatology they can reach out to me at jlunt00@gmail.com.”

Blythe Yaffe ’17 & Scott Hevel’s engagement photoshoot.

2019

CLASS REPS: ELEANOR RICHARDSON ’19 & MACKENZIE PETERSON ’19

2020

CLASS REP: AMIRAH LOMAX ’20

2021

CLASS REP: ALYSSA CANOWITZ ’21

Nyah Funderburke ’21 writes, “I competed in the 2024 Olympic Trials for Swimming in the 100-meter

backstroke. And for LA2028, I’m making a goal to try to make the Olympic team for women’s flag football!”

2022

CLASS REPS: CARLY PRIEST ’22 & EVELYN MCCARTHY ’22

Riley Murphy ’22 shares, “I’m in my last year of undergrad at the University of Miami, and I will graduate in May 2026, with two bachelor of science degrees in health sciences and public health. After my internship at United Healthcare and my continued volunteering and internship with VITAS Healthcare, I decided to pursue a

career in health management, specifically long-term and hospice care. I will continue my education in the fall pursuing a masters of health administration at the University of Miami Herbert Business School! I’m looking forward to growing both professionally and personally in Miami in the next few years!”

2023

CLASS REPS: CAMMIE KLEINMAN ’23, KAYLA KIRBY ’23, & MAYA HOWARD ’23

2024

CLASS REPS: YORI O’NEAL ’24 & ADDY OSGOOD ’24

2025

CLASS REP: JANIE MAHAN ’25

Skylar King ’17 is entering her fifth season as a CSG Volleyball coach.

In Memoriam If you wish to send condolences to family members, please contact the Development Office at development@columbusschoolforgirls.org

Brenda Jeffrey Milum ’51 March 21, 2026 Sandra Yenkin Levine ’53 October 11, 2025 Barby Park Goldschmid ’59 January 10, 2026 Catherine Cameron ’67 March 13, 2026 Bob Lunt, Susan Lunt, Julia Lunt ’18, and Annabelle Lunt Mahoney ’16 celebrating Julia’s match at Virginia Tech Carilion for her dermatology residency.

Nyah Funderburke ’21 competed in the 2024 Olympic Trials for Swimming.

Brooke Ketner Farthing ’71 April 11, 2026 Marrisa Tanner ’05 October 1, 2025

FORTE ET GRATUM • SUMMER 2026

CLASS NEWS alumnae profile

Purpose in Practice: Teresa Eigel Shepfer ’08 In a quiet conference room or across a screen connecting teams from Columbus to China, Teresa Eigel Shepfer ’08 builds something that cannot always be measured on a balance sheet: connection. As the leader of employee engagement, inclusion, and corporate philanthropy at Designer Brands, she works at the intersection of business strategy and human impact — designing systems that help thousands of employees find purpose through giving. As a student at CSG, Shepfer remembers a moment that stayed with her long after graduation, a canned food drive organized through service club. What began as a spirited effort among friends quickly became something more meaningful. For the first time, she saw the needs within her own community, recognizing her ability to help meet them. “I think it was the first time I really understood that people in my immediate community needed support,” Shepfer said. “And that it was something we could actually do something about.”

“Start where you are. The scale does not matter as much as the intention. Over time, those small acts of engagement can grow into something far greater.” After graduating from Miami University (OH) with a business degree, Shepfer entered the logistics industry, traveling extensively and working in a field largely dominated by men. The experience was formative, pushing her to develop confidence and adaptability in unfamiliar environments, but she found herself drawn toward spaces that felt more aligned with her values as well as more collaborative, people-centered, and purpose-driven. Shepfer’s path led her into healthcare and eventually into corporate philanthropy, where she discovered what she now describes as her “dream role.” At Designer Brands, she has built much of the company’s giving infrastructure from the ground up, including the establishment of

a formal charitable foundation. Under her leadership, the organization’s giving has grown, expanding both in scale and in reach. Her work is as strategic as it is personal. On any day, she may be coordinating volunteer opportunities, partnering with nonprofits, or identifying ways to ensure that resources, whether financial or material, are used thoughtfully. The challenge, she notes, is not a lack of need, but how to meet it effectively. What anchors her work is clear: belonging is not simply about representation, but about how people feel within a community. It is an idea she carries into every initiative, whether she is supporting employee resource groups or building partnerships that extend beyond a single city or country. Shepfer sees a direct line between the values she practices today and the experiences that shaped her at CSG. The School’s emphasis on service, coupled with an environment that encouraged leadership and self-discovery, created the foundation for a lifelong commitment to giving. Her advice to current students reflects that same clarity: “Start where you are. The scale does not matter as much as the intention. Over time, those small acts of engagement can grow into something far greater.” For Shepfer, the lesson is enduring. She continues to support the CSG community through her involvement with the Alumnae in the Classroom program and her service on the Alumnae Association Board — further reflecting her enduring commitment to both students and fellow alumnae. In a world defined by complexity and constant change, the act of showing up for others remains both powerful and necessary and, perhaps, the most meaningful work of all.

“ I Arrived Ready for a Change — I’m Leaving Forever Grateful.” DE AR CS G CO MM UN

ITY,

Forte et Gratum!

ed for what dy for change and excit rea rls Gi for ol ho Sc s the time, but I I arrived at Columbu d our School motto at oo rst de un lly fu I re uld challenge was ahead. I’m not su nt, something that wo ere diff g in th me so to in see. Looking knew I was stepping in ways I couldn’t yet me e ap sh t how deeply ly ate im ult t, I was reminded of jus ou pme, support me, and cla ior sen nt ce ce that has been s during the re proaches, leaving a pla ap n tio around at my classmate ua ad gr As . us fluenced all of than I ever expected. this community has in s feels more emotional ar ye en sev st pa e th my second home for , but to grow into not only to participate ed ag ur co en s wa I rase, but as a lived onment where each year, not as a ph g in CSG has been an envir an me w ne on k y, and an all-girls her power” too ions, dedicated facult dit myself. “She will know tra g on str of on nfidence, curithe combinati more meaningful — co far g in experience. It has been th me so to in ned opportunity environment that tur ssroom. extends beyond the cla at osity, and growth th in new spaces, rning, to push myself lea my in ly ep de ge ga things, to it means to en rney, from trying new jou at At CSG, I learned what Th g. din lea to rience here. ply participating , has defined my expe les ro ip and to grow from sim rsh de lea to in d, to stepping becoming more involve with responwhat it means to lead me t gh tau ar ye is th at I learned uncil President as the role itself was wh nt Serving as Student Co rta po im as t jus t daily, soccer conviction. Bu enged and inspired me all ch o sibility, empathy, and wh s nt de stu e ld me accountable, . I grew alongsid urses, editors who he co s ou from those around me or rig in ed riv Leadership at r, peers who th dership can look like. lea l tfu captains I played unde gh ou th at wh le around me. rs who modeled ve example of the peop cti lle co and past student leade e th by t bu le, fined by one tit CSG has never been de : Big/Little e rooted in community ar G CS e fin de at th s tive matches, and , the memorie and retreats, competi ps Outside of formal roles tri ss cla , ies on all, built a and blazer cerem experiences, big and sm ese Th sister activities, ring s. on mm co ior ared in the sen countless moments sh after I leave. will stay with me long at th od ho ter sis of se sen dships I’ve made ampions, and the frien ch d an s or nt me t tan overwhelming ve been cons has given me, I feel an G CS The faculty and staff ha g in yth er ev on t aped this journey. ng. As I reflec and the people who sh s, ge here will remain lifelo en all ch e th es, the experienc sense of gratitude, for ever grateful. CSG, I will always be for to d an , 26 20 of s as Good luck to the Cl Go Red Team! ace, With strength and gr

Delaney Woods ’26 cil President 2025–26 Student Coun

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