Alumnae Blog

On November 24, 2021 our community bid our beloved beech tree farewell. Our beech tree was more than just a tree, our care for it was a testament to our Quaker values of stewardship and the shade it provided for young friends a reminder of our deep understanding of the joy that can be found in simplicity and commitment to community.

Lincoln School is thrilled to announce that Kimberley Sprague Anderson ’80, co-founder of Plant City and EverHope Capital, will deliver the keynote address at Lincoln’s 2022 Commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 7, at 10 a.m.

Oh, how the weather gods shined on Lincoln School this weekend for the first large-scale gathering of alumnae on campus since the fall of 2019. The Great Reuniting, as the weekend’s festivities were lovingly styled, saw over 150 alumnae—from the Classes of 1946 through 2019—converge at 301 Butler Avenue for a mix of social events and informational sessions about the Lincoln School of today.

Join us in congratulating Lincoln's Class of 2021 as they choose from a diverse and exciting array of colleges and universities! 

Martha Douglas-Osmundson, English teacher and Shakespeare in the City director, shares the story behind and the recipe for Friendship Bread in this guest blog post! 

It is our great pleasure to announce that the Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to appoint Sophie Glenn Lau ’88 as Lincoln School’s 17th head of school, beginning on July 1, 2020.

Lincoln School has a lot of treasured traditions that draw our community–past, present, and future–together, and today we invite you to take a behind-the-scenes look at Lumina, which leads us into Winter Break. 

It’s official! The new Little School expansion has broken ground, kicking off our $5M Building Beginnings campaign, dedicated to learning through discovery and connection through community. This all-community event was a joyous celebration of our littlest learners, with students from all divisions, faculty, staff, parents, alumnae, board members, supporters, partners and more in attendance. 

The 2020 Rhode Island Art Educators Awards have been presented, and Anita Thompson ’83, Visual Arts Department Head, took home two big awards! 

This past weekend, October 4 and 5, Lincoln School alumnae with class years ending in 4 and 9 gathered to reconnect with and celebrate each other. Whether they graduated 5 or 50 years ago, the adage “once a Lincoln girl, always a Lincoln girl” was felt in all corners of Lincoln’s campus.

As a school, Lincoln is shaped daily by the passion and brilliance of its faculty and staff, and this year we’d like to help you–our community–get to know them a bit better!

Anita Thompson ’89, Lincoln’s Visual Arts department head, has been named the Outstanding Rhode Island Art Educator of the Year by the Rhode Island Art Education Association!

On October 4, we will honor the 2019 recipients of Lincoln's three Alumnae Awards. They share a spirit of excellence and a passion to contribute to their communities that is inspiring, and we are excited to share more about them today! 
 

Lincoln Connect is growing!  Our digital home for alumnae is full of opportunities for them to connect, inspire, expand, and grow, and we are excited to shine a spotlight on some of the impressive members that can be found on this exclusive platform.

We are thrilled to announce two Lincoln leaders with longtime service to our community–Jane Palestine Jamieson ’71, the incoming chair of Lincoln's Board of Trustees, and Catherine Syner Shaghalian ’96, the incoming president of the Lincoln School Alumnae Association. 

This week, faculty, staff, and alumnae celebrated the magic and power of Lincoln School on a national stage. Three teams of presenters shared wisdom and best practices at the National Coalition of Girls Schools’ 2019 Dream Dare Do Conference in California. 

Do you ever wonder exactly what the money raised through the Lincoln Fund supports? As we reflect on the end of another ground-breaking year on Butler Avenue, we are excited to highlight a few hallmarks of a Lincoln education that are made possible by the Lincoln Fund.

Ann Palms, Lincoln School’s Director of Athletics, has announced that Lincoln alumna and Lower School teacher Jenn Beneduce Army ’09 will move into the role of Head Varsity Soccer Coach this fall.

Lincoln School's Class of 2019 graduated on Tuesday morning in a meaningful ceremony that brightened the dreary day with hope for the future.

On May 11, 300 of Lincoln’s parents, alumnae, trustees, and friends gathered at the 2019 Spring Benefit to celebrate Board Chair Martha Boss Bennett ’85, P’14,’16,’22 while supporting Lincoln School.

Last month, Lincoln’s Middle School morphed into a design-thinking hot spot, where groups of students dove into the process, tackled real-life problems, and worked together to come up with unique solutions.

On Monday, May 13, almost 200 students from 17 different Providence-area schools came together at Veterans Memorial Auditorium to perform The Tempest as part of Shakespeare in the City.

Each fall, Lincoln School and the Alumnae Association honor three women whose exceptional accomplishments and passion-driven lives have had an impact on our school, on their communities, and on the world. Learn more about each of the three honors (and the 2018 award recipients!) and submit nominations for the 2019 Alumnae Awards today! 

Ana Belliveau ’22 and Anika Istok ’20 blog about their experience with LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae–during which they visited Nicole Gesmondi ’01, Owner and Lead Photographer of Nicole Gesmondi Photographer. 

LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae–took place during the first two weeks of April, and Sophie Rockwell ’22 and Sophie Zakin ’20 reflect on their visit with Stefanie Casinelli Taylor ’97, President of Gennaro, Inc. and  President/Founder of Zaxie by Stefanie Taylor, in this blog post!

Kaylee Martin '19 reflects on her LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae–visit with Jane Pleskunas Pellegren ’07, the Senior Public Health Epidemiologist at the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families in this blog post.

Please join us in congratulating Lincoln's Class of 2019 as they choose from a diverse and exciting array of colleges and universities! 

Mary-Alice Trendell ’24, Holiday Horton ’24, and Dunedin Imbier-Maher ’24 visited Shareen Zaki Knowlton ’88, the Director of Education at Roger Williams Park Zoo, last Thursday as part of LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae Read about their visit in this blog post!

Sarah Caldwell ’23 spent Monday morning with Barbara Cottam Garrahy '77, the Executive Vice President, RI Market Executive and Head of Corporate Affairs at Citizens Bank, as part of LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae. She shares her reflection in this blog post!

Last Thursday, Maleah Weaver ’20 and Maya Kelly ’22 visited Jamie Sweeney ’08, the owner of Pure Barre Rhode Island, as part of LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae. They share their reflection on the inspirational afternoon in this blog post!

This piece originally published in 2019 | Issue 1 of The Lincoln Magazine, highlights Giovonne Calenda and Lincoln's Early Childhood studio. 

LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae–continued on Wednesday when Mary Gueye ’22 visited Prudence Stoddard ’73 at RI Kitchen & Bath. Mary shares her reflection on her experience in this blog post. 

LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s mentoring program that connects current students and alumnae–began on Monday, April 1 when Olive Edelsberg ’24 and Charlotte Lawton ’21 visited Jessica Ricci ’91 in her studio in Downtown Providence. Both students took time to blog about their experiences, and we are excited to share their reflections with you!

During the first two weeks in April students and alumnae will come together during the fourth year of LincUPtoLearn–Lincoln’s innovative (and wildly popular!) mentoring program.

Do you know a powerful and influential local business woman? Nominate her for the 2019 Providence Business News Business Woman of the Year Awards!

Allison Gelfuso Butler ’96 and Jaclyn Sullivan Leibl-Cote ’97–who reconnected at several Lincoln events–reflect on the power of the school's alumnae network. 

Lincoln is on the rise! With an A+ rating from niche.com, Lincoln School was named the third best school in Rhode Island in the 2019 rankings, moving up one place from 2018. 

Wednesday, February 6, marked the 33rd annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a national observance celebrating the extraordinary achievements of women and girls in sports. Here's how Lincoln School celebrated!

We are so pleased to announce a historic $4.5 million gift, the third gift over the one-million-dollar mark secured in the last three years! 

This year’s Morgan Stone ’00 Day, a full day dedicated to exploring issues of racial justice, brought together local leaders and Lincoln School students and faculty to explore a common theme: The Power of Privilege—Race and Capitalism.

New research shows what we've long known—graduates of all-girls schools have a definitive edge over their coeducated peers. This week, the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) released the results of a study that shows statistically significant advantages for girls’ school graduates as they enter university

Myrese Nochomowitz, MPH RD LDN, who led the first Little School roundtable discussion on eating in November, shares her five best tips for parents with picky eaters! 

Last week's Fringe Festival—produced by the Class of 2023 under the guidance of English Department faculty member Martha Douglas-Osmundson–was met with rave reviews! 

Ginkgo Room students learn more about birds by performing a dissection with an Upper School Biology class. 

Lincoln School’s Performing Arts Department is thrilled to announce the cast and crew of the spring musical, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winner Rent!

Marney Cumming McCabe '90 reflects on her mommy-daughter date to Lincoln's alumnae event at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 

On Thursday, November 29, Lincoln's STEAM Hub for Girls Art Gallery hosted the opening of its first external exhibit–the Young Alumnae Art Show.

In this guest blog, World Language Department faculty member Carole Figuet reflects on the Upper School French students' visit to see hip-hop artist Webster in concert. 

Tuesday’s midterm elections produced a flurry of firsts, many of which are triumphs for one traditionally marginalized group: women.

Writer, speaker, and Lincoln alumna Pam Sinel Moore '96 shares her story in The Lincoln Magazine's Summer 2018 edition of In Her Own Words, a column featured in Class Notes. 

Learn how Laurel Davis Huber ’69’s favorite childhood book–given to her by a Lincoln School teacher–sparked an investigation that led to her first published novel, The Velveteen Daughter. 

Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, one of TIME’s All-Time Top 100 Nonfiction Books, and the New York Times #1 bestseller The Gene: An Intimate History, spoke to a rapt crowd at Lincoln School on October 18.

Meredith Vieira ’71 Shows a Documentary and Shares Her Story 

Digging into either of Dr. Mukherjee’s works provides an opportunity for understanding, a chance to confront science’s mysteries armed with the knowledge that comes from his years of research and work in the field of oncology. His reflections will always make you think, but sometimes, they will truly blow your mind. Here are a few of our favorites.

Today, October 11, is celebrated as The International Day of the Girl. This year’s theme—With Her: A Skilled Girl Force—asks that everyone stand with girls globally as they rally together, creating and celebrating a potent force for change.

Head of School Suzanne Fogarty asks: is the world ready for a next generation of girls that speak their truth, know their power, and are poised to change the status quo?

Learn about an exciting change coming from Lincoln Connect—giving Kilt Connections, our monthly alumnae newsletter, a new look!

For 134 years, Lincoln has moved forward, not out of step but ahead of it, in our own lane, and to the beat of our own green and white drum. Find out what makes Lincoln alumnae so confident, caring, and connected. 

Have you ever wondered what you’re made of? Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, has, and it’s the guiding question behind his latest book, The Gene: An Intimate History. This work from the groundbreaking doctor, writer, and researcher who will be speaking at Lincoln on October 18, is being made into a three-hour documentary series on PBS that will debut in the Spring of 2020.

Congratulations to this year's Alumnae Award recipients! 

At Lincoln School, we believe in bold minds that forge their own paths. Two such minds are members of the Class of 2018, Portia Gaitskell and Lynn Villarica, who have big plans to thrive at prestigious schools after Lincoln, but not before taking some time to make their mark on far corners of the world.

Leticia Lopes ’13 isn’t afraid to blaze her own trail. Find out how Lincoln connections shaped her path, and why she's a big believer in the power of Lincoln Connect! 

This Mother's Day, we want to give a big shout-out to all the moms in the Lincoln community! Whether you are one, have one, or are missing one, this Mother's Day we recognize and thank all the mothers out there for all they are and all they do to enrich our lives.

Marcia Taylor, the beloved music teacher and member of the performing arts faculty for over 20 years, was recently awarded the Dorothy W. Gifford Chair award in recognition of teaching excellence.

Marney Cumming McCabe ’90 believes that women are the future of finance. As the senior vice president and head of Securities Lending Relationship Management for the Americas at Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston, she has spent the last 18 years in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Stefanie Casinelli Taylor ’97, longtime owner and president of Gennaro, a Rhode Island-based family jewelry company, recently launched her own accessory brand, ZAXIE by Stefanie Taylor. Learn more about her philosophy of women's empowerment, and her committment to allowing each and every woman wherever she is to find her beautiful.

Curious about The Center at Lincoln School? Ever wonder how we can be both Quaker and an all-girls institution? Want to know more about how to get rid of the glass ceiling once and for all? Read on! 

The Class of 1968 closed their yearbook with a great hope for the future... we can't wait to hear about all of the ways they've turned thought into action when they celebrate their 50th Reunion on September 21 and 22!

Interested in joining Lincoln Connect, but haven't signed up just yet? Lucky for you, it's now easier than ever! Now you can make the same great career moves, reconnect with past classmates, and learn the latest from our vibrant alumnae community on the go with the Lincoln Connect mobile app.  

A Lincoln School lifer, the current president of the Lincoln School Alumnae Board, and early adopter of Lincoln Connect, Mih-Ho Cha Neenan '81 shares her perspective on the personal and professional value of the Lincoln community. 

Laurel Davis Huber ‘69’s debut novel, The Velveteen Daughter, is the winner of the prestigious 2017 David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction. Congratulations, Laurel!

There is an abundance of fabulous schools in Providence and in Rhode Island, but what we are doing here cannot happen anywhere else: At Lincoln, girls come first. Find out all the ways that makes a difference that lasts a lifetime. 

Amanda Davitt McMullen '88, former COO at Meeting Street, is taking the helm of a beloved local organization, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, beginning May 7.

Four Lincoln community members will be presenting at the National Coalition for Girls' Schools 2018 Global Forum on Girls' Education on June 18–20 in Washington, D.C.!

Congratulations to Martha Boss Bennett '85 on being recognized as the 2016–2017 Girls Lacrosse State Coach of the Year in Rhode Island!

Lincoln Connect, our new alumnae online community, has already seen a number of success stories since its launch. One of them was highlighted by Whitney Doherty, an early adapter of the digital alumnae home, and co-founder at Drive Thru Strategies.

Today, we invite you to take a moment to meet Bliss Matteson '63, as she shares her story of connection and the beauty of the Lincoln community.

Now is your chance to come see the timeless talent of classical pianist Antoinette Van Zabner '69, at an intimate concert on Thursday, March 29 at 7 pm at The Music Mansion (88 Meeting Street, Providence)!

Throwback Thursday: Alumnae Edition! 

We'd like to invite you to take a moment to meet Jane Pleskunas '07 as she shares her story of expansion and connection, and the power of the Lincoln community. 

This International Women's Day, Middle and Upper School students were treated to a talk by Terza Lima-Neves '95, Ph.D., a Kriola, mommy-scholar, professor of political science at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a proud Lincoln girl. 

Introducing ... Lincoln Connect! For months we've been working behind the scenes to bring you Lincoln's new digital home for alumnae. Check it out today! 

A new class of athletes and athletic supporters were inducted into the second-ever Lincoln School Athletic Hall of Fame this past weekend. Congratulations, Lynx! 

Lincoln School's Model United Nations team was ranked one of the top 100 in the country and two of its members were selected as All-Americans!  

Love for Lincoln spans the generations! This February, our alumnae raised over $25,000 to support our innovative academic program, strong traditions, and a vibrant athletic and performing arts curriculum. Check out some of the powerful reasons why these women chose to support Lincoln School! 

The members of Lincoln School's The Plaid Post, a student-written and student-run publication, recently got a chance to interview one of Lincoln's most famous alumnae, Meredith Vieira '71!

We wonder what new memories the class of 1958 will create when they celebrate their 60th Reunion on September 21 and 22?

Throwback Thursday: Alumnae Edition!

Do you remember the songs you sang during Step-Singing? Its been 65 years since the Class of 1953 held their lanterns on the steps, but we bet the can still hum a few of the tunes!

The class of 1948, a group of witty poets. will celebrate their 70th reunion on September 21 and 22—come back through the red doors with them!

Lauren Swick Jordan '88, a writer and autism-acceptance advocate, recently penned a piece for The Washington Post entitled "Helping my autistic son find his place—at school, at work and in life."

Alumna Helena Buonanno Foulkes '82, the president of CVS Pharmacy and executive vice president of CVS Health, is at the helm of a groundbreaking decision to no longer use digitally altered images in their in-store or print advertising. 

Women are history makers. We are rule breakers. We take the lead and pave the way. What do some of the most well-known women of our time have in common? Watch this video to find out.

Lincoln School is thrilled to announce a $1 million commitment from the Murray Family Charitable Foundation. This contribution is the latest in the family's longstanding history of dedication to Lincoln School and a tribute to the three generations of Murray women who have graduated from the school.

Leah Tinberg ’12, a cable harness mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, came back to campus to inspire a class of future female engineers. 

Anna Painter, Lower School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Architecture, Math) teacher, is thrilled to teach in an innovative classroom, one made possible in part by the Lincoln Fund for Annual Giving. 

Lincoln was abuzz this week with recent graduates home for the holidays returning to campus visit, some of whom were lucky enough to snag a traditional sweet treat: friendship bread! 

Once again topping Architect Magazine's Top 50 Firms chart, NADAAA took home fourth place this year. Katie Faulkner '83, founder and principal of NADAAA, is no stranger to being at the top of this list—this is the 5th year the firm has been ranked one of the best. 

Stephanie Olsen Rabinowitz ’99 came back through Lincoln's red doors to speak to Middle and Upper School students about her role as an art director for Blue Apron, and the process of carving out a career for herself.

Who is Henrietta Lacks? A super human. An immortal being. The Mother of Modern Medicine. One of the first people in space. A poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her knowledge and were used to transform the medical world. 

Nancy Dubuc '87, President and Chief Executive Officer of the A&E Network, was included on Vanity Fair's annual New Establishment list, which ranks the top 100 figures "who are setting the global agenda and leading the Age of Innovation."

“I had no idea I would go into business,” admits Becca Knowles Braun '88. "I really didn't think I was a business person. I didn't fit the personality. But from the first day on my first job in actual business, I just loved it.”

Reisha Brown took many lessons with her when she walked out of Lincoln School’s red doors after graduation, but the most powerfully enduring piece of wisdom she left with—the one that has guided her down a remarkable career path from that point forward—is that Lincoln girls can do anything. 

Tennis has been the one constant in Jill Craybas’ life, and the Lincoln School alumna, who was recently inducted into the United States Tennis Association of New England’s Hall of Fame, has known success at every level.

Everyday we challenged the norms, pushed the boundaries and strived for success #LikeAGirl, because [at Lincoln], we did not need a day like today, we simply lived everyday as if it were International Day of the Girl.

A lover of Lincoln School was spotted in the southwest sporting an official "The Future is Female" school bumper sticker!

Lincoln Community Member Professor Richard H. Thaler, aka math teacher Maggie Friedfeld's dad and grandpa of Hallie Friedfeld '15, wins Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences! 

Marema Lo-Plynton '17 and Samantha Shekarchi '17 represent Lincoln at Congressmen Langevin and Cicilline's annual RI Student Reception in Washington, D.C.!

The walls of NADAAA, the award-winning Boston architecture and urban design firm, are disarmingly neutral, the monochromatic loft giving the impression of being a living, breathing blank canvas. Those walls encompass a hive of activity; NADAAA is a busy place, and the fruits of its labor surround the designers, architects, project managers, technicians, and behind-the-scenes people, as if to say, “Keep going; just look at what you’ve already done.” Small-scale models of soon-to-be landmarks grow out of glass-enclosed tables. Photographic patchworks of past and future projects cluster together on the walls, complemented by jutting 3D prototypes below, all of them physical manifestations of the art of progress.

The result is stunning. And one of the forces behind it all is Katie Faulkner ’83.

What do you do when you realize that social media might be making your generation antisocial? If you’re Meredith Sullivan ’17, you put down your phone and pick up a video camera.

One of the first 11 girls to complete the new Independent Study Program at Lincoln, a yearlong, self-directed course on a subject that inspires them, Sullivan chose to shine a spotlight on the effects that imagery and language in social media have on girls and young women.

"Lincoln taught me to never back down, that women can do just about anything, and that our brains, not our bodies, are our strongest quality ... Women have the ability to dominate in any field; women can build and change the world... All of us today are making the slogan 'The Future is Female' a reality."

- Kimani Perry '17