Gordonians in the spotlight

Yes, that was Lower School teaching assistant Bithja Meus being interviewed by Brianna Medina on the little field yesterday afternoon. They were filming for a Rhode Island PBS series called Black Joy; Ms. Meus talked about growing up in Elmhurst, traveling to Haiti and volunteering for local nonprofit A Leadership Journey.

Yes, that was a Gordon fifth grader profiled in Motif magazine last week. She was interviewed as one of the first Rhode Islanders under the age of twelve who got the COVID vaccine once it was approved for ages five and up.

Yes, that was Joanne Bland talking about Civil Rights history and activism in the fourth episode of the HBO Max series "We're Here," which spotlights LGBT communities in small cities and towns across the US. Ms. Bland is a longtime friend of Gordon School, having hosted hundreds of Gordon eighth graders in Selma, Alabama during the Civil Rights Trip and serving as Commencement speaker in 2010.

 

Yes, that was Maude Smith-Montross '20, above second from left, winning a gold medal at the Head of the Charles. Her Narragansett Boat Club team won the Coxed Quad event in the under 17 age group at this legendary rowing event.

Yes, that was Leenah Gibbs '19 and Monique Pond '20 emceeing Wheeler School's multicultural showcase last Friday. The showcase also included Assi Coulibaly '08, who is teaching West African dance there, as well as Wheeler's high school a cappella group, which is one-third Gordon voices -  Leenah, plus Theo Duarte-Baird '18, Myles Johnson '19, Audrey Lee '19, Pepper Travers '20 and Andrew Song '20.

Yes, that was former Gordon parent Richard Seymour being inducted into the New England Patriots' Hall of Fame. The legendary defensive end sent his children Richard and Kayla to Gordon in the final years of his time in Foxboro.

 

Yes, that is Gordon parent Christine Chitnis tagged by Britney Spears on Instagram yesterday afternoon. Spears had posted a photo from Chitnis' 2020 book Patterns of India, a book that drew on Chitnis' decade of travels in Rajasthan with her family.

Yes, that was Roman Hayda, father of Artym Hayda '11, Maya Hayda '13, Taissa Hayda '14, profiled on Channel 10 for his work helping with Haiti's recovery from the August earthquake. 

Yes, that was Maya Longo '20 in Bill Koch's Top five high school soccer performances column a few weeks back. She was singled out for her two goals and two assists on behalf of Lincoln School.

 

Yes, that was Head of School Noni Thomas López at Congressman Cicilline's annual Women's Luncheon today. She was joined there by a dozen Gordon parents past and present including Helena Foulkes, Linda Shumate and Sally Lapides, above, as well as Angie Ankoma, Lisa Carcieri, Johnnie Chace, Sarah Cotter, Meredith Curren, Marianne Monte and Krystle Tadesse.

Yes, that was Caroline Powell '18 captaining the Moses Brown Field Hockey team as they went into the state finals earlier this month. She helped lead a team that also included Sophia Clyne '21, Claire Fay '18, Izzy Cummings '21 and Ava Giardino '20.

Yes, that is Gordon parent and Associate Director of Admissions Angela Alston serving as the new president of the Rhode Island Coalition of Black Women.

 

Yes, that was a Gordon sixth grader finishing first place in the youth division of the Providence Monster Dash last Sunday. The race attracted a large crew of Gordon athletes, ranging from Lower Schoolers to Gordon's Chief Financial Officer, all running in costume for a good cause.

Yes that was Gordon parent Leah Hopkins helping to lead a recent RISD Museum workshop on best practices for teaching and learning about Native culture, history, and art. She is the new Community Engagement Specialist at the museum, responsible for working collaboratively with Indigenous and Tribal communities to develop, implement and evaluate programming and education initiatives that best improve the visibility and promote the perspectives of Indigenous populations in New England.

Yes, that was Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning Alethea Dunham-Carson in East Bay Newspapers last week. They ran an item welcoming her to her new position at Gordon.

 

Yes, that is Dylan Bean '18, Harry Jellinek '20, Vivian Miller '18, Kavi Mongia-Gasper '18, Emma Platt '18 and Aaron Sucov '18 making up half the cast of Moses Brown's production of Hamlet this weekend. Their other show, Sense and Sensibility, is directed by Ursula Talbot '18.

Yes, that is Gordon parent Kilah Walters-Clinton honored as "a community visionary focused on equity" in Rhode Island Monthly's current issue. She was one of two winners of the 2021 Christiana Banner award, given annually to "leaders who advance equity and promote diversity across Rhode Island."

More Gordon names in the spotlight

Seen a Gordon family member standing out in the crowd? Tell Mr. Griffin at 401 480 9933 or news@gordonschool.org