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Under the Trees

Under the Trees, George School’s e-newsletter, is delivered to your inbox on the first of the month. We are excited to share stories of alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and students who are making an impact at George School and around the world. Each issue will also include a calendar of upcoming events and opportunities to engage with us. To ensure continued receipt of newsletters, please make sure to update your information. If you have previously opted out of emails and would like to receive them again, please let us know by contacting the Alumni Office.

March 2024 Issue

Fostering a Lifetime of Intellectual Curiosity

Jonathan (Jon) Stott ’03 saw firsthand how the International Baccalaureate (IB) program shaped his sister’s (Cori ’98) time at George School, so it was a natural progression for him to seek out the IB program once he arrived. The intellectual creativity the program instilled in Jon still resonates with him today.

Dragon Descendants Celebrate Lunar New Year at Pennswood Village

In February, IB students Cecilia Li ’25 and Peter Tang ’25 hosted “Welcoming the Year of the Dragon at our Lunar New Year Celebration: An Intergenerational Experience,” at the local Pennswood Village Community, sharing their pride for their Chinese culture and educating others.

February 2024 Issue

Anima Acheampong ’07: Caring for the Youngest of Patients

Anima Acheampong ’07 is currently a registered nurse at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in California, where she works in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Anima credits George School with teaching her how to effectively manage her time and stay organized, two skills that are critical in her career.

Fostering Health and Well-being at George School

As the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHWC) Administrator, Indira Rodrigo helps in the creation and implementation of policies and procedures to keep the campus community healthy—and she does so with genuine care for each individual student.

Medforum: A Space for Learning and Friendship

At George School, students often enrich their academics and build lifelong friendships through extracurricular clubs. Flora Kim ’24 and Sanjana Bhattacharya ’24 started Medforum to explore the healthcare field, and in return, learned valuable lessons about themselves and each other.

January 2024 Issue

The World of Birds at George School

It’s dawn on George School’s campus. The air is cool, and the sun is just rising over the meetinghouse. While most boarding students are still asleep, Kevin Gong ’25 is found wandering campus, studying birds that live high up in the trees.

IB Group 4 Students Combine Research with Collaboration

IB students showed off some serious science chops at the annual IB Group 4 Science Symposium, designing experiments, conducting research, and interpreting the results in order to answer a scientific question–just as real scientists do.

December 2023 Issue

The Inherent Beauty of Mathematics

Hamilton Davis is the Mathematics Department Chair, but his title might also be Mathematics Evangelist. Talking to him inspires even the most reluctant math student to pursue the subject.

November 2023 Issue

Peter Siegel ’86: The Power of Relationships

Throughout his career, Peter Siegel ’86 relied on his network of relationships for mentorship and support along the way. “Forming relationships is the most powerful thing we can do as people,” said Peter. “My relationships with my people at George School are among the longest lasting and enduring in my life.”

Meredith Meyer Grelli ’03 Distills the Meaning of Entrepreneurship

In keeping up with the mindset she learned at George School, Meredith Meyer Grelli ’03 created her own path as an entrepreneur that led to lifelong learning and teaching. “At George School, I learned to be a strong associative thinker, connecting seemingly disconnected ideas, industries, and wants.

Catherine’s Cookies for the GS Community

Cookies by Catherine, started by Catherine Meurer ’24, delivers hand baked cookies around campus for the George School community to enjoy. Through this initiative, Catherine has learned valuable lessons in running a business and connecting with her community.

October 2023 Issue

Jeffrey Love ’19 Reflects from the Finish Line

Jeffrey Love ’19 has a long list of accomplishments as a runner, but before he stepped foot on George School’s campus, he had never participated in a sport. It became clear early in his first season that he had a special talent for running and competing.

Mike Sherman ’83: Cross Country Lessons for the Long Run

“George School is an accepting community. Our team values reflect the Quaker values of George School and welcome any student-athlete willing to put in the work necessary to succeed,” said Mike Sherman ’83, Head Coach of George School Cross Country.

Margaret Massengill ’26: Cross Country as a Cougar

Margaret Massengill ’26 has made her mark on the George School Cross Country team with her natural talent and passion for running. Since joining the fall of her freshman year, she has led the team in a sport she once viewed as a casual hobby.

September 2023 Issue

Ross Raphael ’05: From Mailroom to Partner at William Morris Endeavor

One of the top agents in the field of media, Ross Raphael ’05 remembers beginning his journey as a lifelong learner at George School. This commitment to lifelong learning and appreciation for the perspective of others led Ross to harness the power of networking in pursuit of a career path.

June 2023 Issue

Class of 2023 Commencement Highlights

On Sunday, May 28, 2023, George School celebrated the members of the Class of 2023 during the school’s one hundred and twenty-ninth Commencement Ceremony in the William Penn Outdoor Auditorium.

George School Celebrates Alumni Weekend 2023

Nearly 500 alumni and friends were welcomed back home to George School during this year’s Alumni Weekend from Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7. Campus was filled with sunshine, smiles, and scenes of friends reminiscing.

May 2023 Issue

Cultivating Human Connection Through Service Learning

Through two service projects while at George School, Whitney Wilkerson ’95 learned the power of human connectedness, and later created the Gateway Fund to create opportunities for George School students to find meaningful experience through service.

The Power of Storytelling

Franklyn Yadaicela ’23 returned from a service learning trip in Athens, Greece this fall. The trip allowed Franklyn and his peers to learn, firsthand, the day-to-day challenges of the refugees, and had a worldview altering experience.

April 2023 Issue

Learning through Profit and Loss: Entrepreneurship at George School

Heather Mooney teaches the new entrepreneurship course that was made possible by the Signature Academic Program implemented this year. Heather is excited to teach a hands-on course that gives students an opportunity to put theory into practice by starting their own businesses.

Building Businesses with a Love for Learning

George School Trustee Peter Vari p ’96, ’08 got his taste for innovation in the 1960s when, as a 14-year-old boy in Soviet-influenced Hungary, he stumbled upon a TV show that introduced him to a love for learning on which he built his life-long career in entrepreneurship.

March 2023 Issue

A Lifetime of Food Adventures

As Director of Student Activities, Shari Rossmann appreciates that students are strongly connected with their home foods, and draws on her own experiences to encourage, teach, and enable students to share these connections.

Food as a Connector

As an author, food stylist, culinary judge, and TV personality, Maureen Petrosky P ’23, ’23 seeks to teach people how—simply—they can build a beautiful life around food.

February 2023 Issue

The GS Student Media Team Takes the Shot

Scholar-athletes are hitting the courts, fields, and track ready to bring home Cougar wins for George School. Three student leaders—Max Forstein ’23, Ria Paladugu ’23, and Emmett Schmucker ’23—are at the ready to capture these moments.

Being in the Right Place at the Right Time, with Eyes Wide Open

Whether traversing the streets of New York City or perched above a Broadway stage, Ashley Garrett ’76, TR is always looking for the next great photograph. Her extensive and beautiful portfolio embodies her mentality that a great photo can be taken anytime and anywhere.