Creating Connections

Last month, All-School Co-Presidents R. Greene ’26 and P. Wheelan ’26, with the help of Student Council, launched an initiative aimed at making new connections among students: Twin It to Win It.

Students were paired with a new friend in another grade level and tasked with completing a bingo board each month, full of various activities ranging from attending a performance together or catching up with your twin after school to eating breakfast together or sharing a hobby or trend you’re interested in.

The initiative was initially the brainchild of Greene, who talked about community building as one of her priorities in her All-School campaign speech. “I think students appreciate the sentiment behind it, in terms of us wanting to unite students across grades and between the day and boarding student community,” she said.

“My favorite connections are between the seniors and freshmen,” Greene said. “I know it’s a bit of a gap, but I wanted to give the freshman a chance to have a mentor to give them some advice on how to navigate Dana, and it’s nice for the seniors to reflect on all the things they’ve learned along the way.”

Upper School Dean of Students and Student Council Advisor Wendy Skinner said that while the idea started with the All-School Co-Presidents, members of Student Council were quick to embrace it and add their own thoughts to the initiative. “Like any good idea, it was truly a group effort,” Skinner said. “The students started asking, ‘how about this?’ or ‘wait, how about we consider that?’”

Wheelan says that initial feedback has been very positive. “Students are enjoying the opportunity to bond with students beyond their usual circles and daily interactions,” she said. “Rachel and I are working on ways to continue to foster the connections between twins outside of structured activities.”