Female Leadership Flourishes at Grace
In February, George Davison announced the appointment of Lorry Perry as the next Head of High School. With two decades of experience under her belt, Ms. Perry is more than ready to replace the retiring Hugo Mahabir. Ms. Perry will be Grace’s first female Head of High School, and her appointment reflects a greater leadership shift at Grace.
2021-2022 has been a year full of flourishing female influence throughout the high school, beginning with the election of our Student Body President, Lola J. ‘22. After succeeding James D. ’21, Lola proved herself to be one of the most convincing leaders Grace has ever had, cementing herself as a school-legend. Lola classically refers to her reign as the “reinvigoration of the StuLead.”
Continuing this reinvigoration after Lola’s departure from the school will be Karis B. ‘22, who has also served on the student council since her sophomore year. She also looks to continue the still-growing movement of strong female leadership that Grace has seen in the past couple of years.
Working closely with Lola’s Student Government was fellow senior Madison K., who assumed the role as the leader of the Student Diversity Council. Madison’s SDC work moved Grace closer towards its missions of diversity and inclusion.
Along with Ms. Perry, other administrative appointments will have see female faculty transition into critical roles at Grace. After years of being a revered dean and teacher, MiChelle Carpenter will step into a new position as the first Assistant Head of the High School Division while Kim Chaloner, the current dean of community life, is becoming the Dean of Faculty.
In the words of Mr. Davison, they will collaborate with Ms. Perry to “provide a sturdy mix of continuity and innovation.” As Ms. Carpenter takes on her new executive role, Peggy Chan, the math department’s curriculum coordinator, will step in to become a dean of the sophomore class, joining Ms. Wood, and Caitlin Hickerson, a history teacher and student activities coordinator at Horace Mann, as our third female dean.
In an email earlier this year, Mr. Davison announced that Saara Mahjouri will be the next Assistant Head of School, replacing Robbie Pennoyer, who is moving up to take the helm from Mr. Davison. Ms. Mahjouri is currently the Upper School Head at the Bank Street School and has “a wealth of experience as a Learning Specialist.”
This year, the Gazette also mirrored Grace’s progress, guided by the editor-in-chief, Ava A. ’22, and managing editors, Naaz V. ’22 and Olivia B. ’22. The potent trio brought the paper to greater heights this year, overseeing record viewership.
This turn towards female leadership has allowed Grace to take a step towards more diverse and well-rounded administrative and educational leadership. The school must continue to make administrative progress for the years to come.