She Sails 2023

From pups to full-grown companions, see how world-class dogs transform into essential companions for trauma assistance, hearing, developmental disabilities and other therapy work. Meet representatives from the Pets and People Foundation and Guiding Eyes for the Blind and their furry friends to learn more about how these dogs come to be providers of independence, confidence, companionship and therapy. 

Panelists:

Heather Maffie P21, 23, CCTA certified dog trainer and owner and founder of Right Start Dog Training
Priscilla Nellisen '73, puppy raiser and trainer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Moderator:

Sarah Dent P15, 18, 21, Assistant Director of the Dana Fund

Location:

Multipurpose Room, Middle School

What happens when two architects, an interior designer and a landscape architect walk into She Sails and sit down at a panel? You’ll just have to see for yourself. Four women who excel in the often male-dominated field of architecture and design will share their professional experiences and discuss why and how they have pursued their paths. They will share the challenges and rewards of working in their respective areas. Panelists will also provide tips and guidance for others who are considering this line of study and work. 

Panelists:

Samantha Anderson '04, Entrepreneur and Landscape Design Architect
Rebecca Rasmussen Grunwald '73, Entrepreneur and Owner of Rasmussen Architects
Katharine (Kate) Ives '98, Associate at Cookfox Architects
Elise Morrissey '93, Entrepreneur and Interior Designer

Moderator:

Michael Frassinelli, Dana Hall Visual Arts Department Head

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 1

A round table discussion of established professionals who have intentionally embraced a nonlinear path toward developing their careers. Panelists will discuss their journey across varied industries, the impetus that sparked the change, and where they still seek to go. 

Panelists:

Lisa Maxwell ’73, Botanical Artist
Karin Baldwin Quayle ’73, Animal Portrait Painter and Equine Massage Therapist
Jennifer McCabe Regan ’85, Nurse Practitioner 

Moderators:

Lisabeth Jorgensen ’98, Senior Staff Attorney at MetroWest Legal Services
Guida Estrela Mattison ’98, Director of Secondary School Placement, Middle School Health and Wellness at Nashoba Brooks School

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 2

Spoiler alert: your English teachers were right! There’s one common skill that unites this panel of professional communicators: storytelling. Whether writing a novel, crafting marketing content for a tech company, or creating a promotional video that supports an organization’s mission, these alumnae have transformed their aptitude for writing, creativity and empathy into viable, fulfilling careers. Learn about their paths and pivots, sources of inspiration, and where they think the future of storytelling might be headed.

Panelists:

Anna Craven '14, Account Manager at Kickstand Communications
Dana Peters Frizzell '78, Author of romantic thrillers
Nora Panahi '15, Content Strategist at Kickstand Communications
Kate Saliba '93, Head of Creative at Foundation Medicine

Moderator:

Julia Bucci, Dana Hall English Department faculty member

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 3

The term ‘hackathon’ may sound intimidating, but it’s really just a fun way to learn about coding. This She Sails hackathon is available to everyone, regardless of previous computer science experience. The first session of the Hackathon will consist of a Learnathon; student leaders will run workshops on a wide variety of topics, including robotics, game development, and machine learning. The second session will be dedicated to coding and designing a project. This year’s theme is “Rebuild.” The goals are simple: learn something new, create something cool, and collaborate with others.

Student Leaders

Ashley Booth '23
Ayelen Herrera '24
Jacey Li '26
Linghui Liu '26
Bolin Miao '25
Crystal Nwafor '24
Eleanor (Nora) Ryan '25
Eva Scanlon '25
Summer Wu '26
Laura Zhao '26

Faculty Supervisor

Mike Roam, Dana Hall Middle School Computer Science faculty

Location:

Shipley Science Center Classrooms

Sail on, sail far, sail to save the world! Hear from these Dana Hall alumnae who have created careers where they have the goal of helping the greater good through government and non-government services. National and international affairs have never been more important in the current global environment, and there is always more to be accomplished through transcontinental communication.

Panelists:

Anjum Ali ’91, professor of Islamic Studies and an International and Islamic affairs consultant and speaker
Amy Dahm '93, Senior Policy Advisor for AFGfree and National Security Fellow for the Truman National Security Project
Lauren Peters '05, Executive Director, The Center for Health Information and Analysis
Lorrie Walker '93, Health Science Specialist at VA Worcester Outpatient Clinic 

Moderator:

Rob Mather P24, 26, Associate Head of School

Location:

Erisman Student Center Terrace Tent

From advocating on the forefront to working with and supporting people navigating a host of health conditions, hear from accomplished alumnae as they share their twists and turns in the field of healthcare while keeping one thing at true north of their compass: addressing the issue of health equity and focusing on the betterment of society as a whole. Each panelist has a sincere desire to help others through advocacy and care.

Panelists:

Elizabeth (Liz) Cherot ’88, Chief Medical and Health Officer, March of Dimes
Catherine Regan Creedon ’13, Nurse Practitioner
Myisha Rodrigues ’00, Executive Director, NAMI Massachusetts
Sarah Westvold ’13, Statistician and Project Manager at COPPER

Moderator:

Meg Gayton, Dana Hall English Department faculty member

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 6

Join members of BINA Farm and Dana Hall's Karen Stives ’68 Equestrian Center staff and students for an informative and interactive session on equine assisted activities and therapies. BINA Farm brings together individuals with and without special needs by offering a variety of inclusive enrichment programs that help them to both thrive personally and make their best contribution towards the communities in which they live. In addition to a discussion, you’ll see horse therapy in action at the Karen Stives ’68 Equestrian Center.

Panelists:

Janice Gilman, Executive Director, BINA Farm Center
Francesca (Chessy) Stufano '14, Horse Care Coordinator, Karen Stives '68 Equestrian Center

Location:

Karen Stives '68 Equestrian Center

Did you know the average worker will change jobs 12 times over the course of their career? Will you be prepared for the challenges this type of environment presents? What are the most important business and interpersonal skills you need to thrive in each new position or even a new industry? What are some strategies for developing those skills? Our panelists will review the skills they have found most useful in their distinguished careers, and discuss some of the challenges they foresee in the working world during the next 5-10 years.

Panelists:

Joan Haffenreffer Bartsch '73, Chief Administrative Officer, Enterprise Services and Public Affairs at Citi
Jill Crowley Fraser ’78, Founder, Jill Milan and Co-Founder, Virgil's Root Beer

Moderator:

Kate Hirsch Koller ’74, worked at Fidelity Investments and Thomson International

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 4

Dance is a path that requires great discipline, creativity and perseverance — not to mention a deep passion for the art. Hear from an alumna who currently makes her living in the world of dance. Learn about her path as well as her advice in pursuit of this career. Then, join her in a dance composition that will inspire you to get moving!

Panelist:

Oya Bangura '93, Co-Founder of Project MOVE and dancer/choreographer

Moderator:

Devon Fitchett, Dana Hall Performing Arts Department Head and Director of Dance

Location:

Dance Studio, Shipley Center

Regardless of how you feel about social media, there’s no denying its effectiveness and influence in today’s world. And it’s not just fun dances and questionable recipe recommendations: there’s real power in these platforms, but it takes skill and dedication to capitalize on and benefit from that potential. Hear how these alumnae have been able to use social media to their advantage and build their businesses and brands to where they are today.

Panelists:                    

Marcia Crumley '78, Artist and Entrepreneur
Heather Wish Staller '01, Head Chef and Owner, Happy Kids Kitchen
Candace Taylor '09, Dream Doula/Life Coach

Moderator:

Katy Glavin Moss '03, Owner, Katy Moss Interiors

Location:

Fencing Studio, The Shipley Center

Do you love numbers? Does the idea of looking up at the sky at night and thinking about the stars make you excited? Do you have out of this world aspirations?

Women in STEM are on the rise, and the possibilities of what they can do are limitless. Hear from these alumnae who have made it their mission to be leaders in their fields, whether it be analyzing data and statistics, discovering new phenomena in biology, creating connections through TikTok, or managing the cross-roads of physics, astronomy, and electronic engineering. Science is all around us; it’s time to get curious! From the photos on your phone to satellite images of stars light years away, learn how to get savvy about planning your future in the growing world of science. 

Panelists:

Spencer Babcock ’17, Fellowship Manager at Activate
Caroline Cohen ’18, Brand Partnerships Manager at TikTok
Emily Cohen ’02, Senior Scientist, Discovery Biology at Kronos Bio, Inc.
Emily Martin ’14, Senior Business Analyst at Toast 
Kate Okun ’18, Astrophysics PhD Student & Graduate Research Associate at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration       

Moderator:

Pat Townsend, Dana Hall Engineering and Computer Science Department Head

Location:

Temporary Classroom Building (TCB) 5