Marching ahead a look inside - PD sets a strategy for 2030 - Providence Day School
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Fall 2021
Marching ahead
PD sets a strategy for 2030
a look inside
13 GRANT WILLIAMS ’16 MAKES AN IMPACT
16 INTRODUCING PD’S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
25 EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING ENTER A NEW ERA
Q&A stewardship
9page
13page
Q&A: Brian Li Grant Williams ’16 makes an impact
The 21-22 Downing/Williams Endowed Chair of Teaching The PD alum creates a financial aid endowment and
Excellence reflects on his path to PD. will mentor its recipients.
feature feature
29page
45page
The Student Services story A shared responsibility
Team grows to meet PD students’ needs for learning Dr. Jennifer Bratyanski reflects on the importance of
and social-emotional development. civic and social responsibility.
On the Cover
In October, PD held
its first all-ages
pep rally in two
years in Overcash
Stadium to celebrate
Homecoming. Photo
by Mike McCarn.
feature
PROVIDENCE DAY SCHOOL
Glyn Cowlishaw, Ed.D.
Head of School
Jeffrey Appel
Associate Head of School for
Institutional Advancement
Michael Magno
24
Assistant Head of School for
Academic Affairs
Lisa Knight
Assistant Head of School for
Admissions & Enrollment Management
page
Kristen Kral
Assistant Head of School for
Finance and Risk Management
A sense of belonging Todd Swartz
Assistant Head of School for
Tyrone Jean ushers in a new era of Human Resources and Operations
Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging at PD.
PROVIDENCE DAY MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL STAFF
alumni Leigh Dyer '88
Director of Strategic
Marketing and Communications
Jen Duvall
Web & Digital Content Manager
Sean Johnson
Creative Services Manager
Sara Riggsby
Communications Manager
CONTRIBUTORS
Mike McCarn
Photography
65
Christine Long
Designer
page
Providence Day Magazine is published by the
PD Strategic Marketing and Communications
Embracing global learning
Office. The written and visual content of this
magazine is protected by copyright. No part of
this magazine may be reproduced without the
Alex Heintze ’15 has taken a post-PD path that written consent of Providence Day School.
puts his Global Studies Diploma to good use.
This magazine is printed on paper
sourced from forests certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council for their
ecological protections, and contains
>>> More Content 10 percent recycled content.
2021-2022 Board of Trustees.................................................................... Page 5
PD Bookshelf: Corley May......................................................................... Page 7
Charger Connections That Last a Lifetime............................................ Page 53
Class Notes.................................................................................................. Page 71
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine
Alumni Parents’ Portal
Stay connected to PD and each other!
VISIT THE SITE TO:
Use the online directory to connect
with other alumni parents
View PD news and updates
Update your contact information
And much more!
Visit the Alumni Parents' Portal today at
www.ProvidenceDay.org/AlumniParent and look for information
over the summer about logging in to the updated portal.
Questions? Contact Rachel Ellis at (704) 887-7058 or Rachel.Ellis@ProvidenceDay.org
brief
HEADLINES
A word from our Head of School, Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw
Dear Providence Day School community:
As we have celebrated our many successes this
fall, our all-school pep rally on Oct. 1 stands out
as a highlight - the first time all grades and ages
have been able to gather in person on campus in
this way in nearly two years. Through the immense
challenges of the past two years, our school spirit
has never wavered - nor has our work toward
ever-greater senses of connectivity and belonging
among our community.
As PD grows and looks ahead to 2030 and beyond,
it was our desire to preserve those aspects of what
makes PD special that drove the development of
our strategic framework. I’m proud to share that
framework with you in the pages of this issue.
You may recall that in the fall of 2019, you were
Photo by Mike McCarn
all invited to participate in this process via our
strategic planning focus groups. So many of you stepped up - students, parents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, staff, and
Golden Chargers. This is your framework, and it reflects our PD values as a community.
There are six areas within the framework that outline everything we hold most important at PD: our leadership within
the education field; equity, inclusion, and belonging; health and well-being; our world-class faculty and staff; our campus
environment and infrastructure; and the ongoing development of resources to sustain our school’s future. This framework
will serve to guide us as we envision both what our campus will look like by 2030, and what it might become 50 years
from now. Next year, with leadership from our Board of Trustees, you can expect to hear more about our Campus Vision
as we are guided by these six framework principles.
I’m also proud to report that the publication of this strategic framework coincides with the launch of a program that
will help PD better reflect the community we serve. Under the leadership of Marcus Smith, our new Teaching Fellows
program is reaching out to new college graduates with a desire to develop their teaching, communication, and leadership
skills through a year-long fellowship at PD. Our goal is to create a cohort of Teaching Fellows who value our commitment
diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and can help us move that commitment forward. You can read more about it
on the PD website under “Academics.” This is one of the most exciting projects we’ve seen when it comes to making a
genuine impact on our community and the students we teach.
Though we remain in a challenging global environment, it’s clear there is much to be happy and excited about here at PD.
I look forward to continuing our journey toward the future, together.
Cheers,
Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 2
Time capsule memories
As part of the year-long 50th
anniversary celebration during the
20-21 school year, PD unveiled the
contents of the time capsule buried
in 1995 and launched the collection
of memorabilia from the year to
bury for the next 25 years at an
undisclosed location on campus. With
the leadership of grade-level deans,
it is stocked with special keepsakes
from students and faculty, including
items such as the yearbook, school
magazines, pop-culture surveys,
mementos from our very own Queen
City, and, of course, the school’s 50th
Anniversary commemorative book.
We’ll see it again in 2045-46!
Photo by Mike McCarn
Red Dirt alert
Photo by Sara Riggsby
A 14,000 square foot addition is underway behind the McMahon Fine Arts Center and Dining Hall, facing Sardis Road.
Beginning in the 22-23 school year, the project will add new rehearsal space for Performing Arts, as well as a greatly
improved dining experience offering age-appropriate dining spaces, a learning kitchen, and faster serving times. In
addition, the Lower School music classroom and Middle School art room will have enhanced, enlarged renovated spaces,
transforming a total of 22,600 square feet.
3
brief
Olympian Alumna
Chargers were cheering this summer
for Anna Cockrell ’16, who won two
national championships competing
on the University of Southern
California track team, in 100m
and 400m hurdles, and went on to
represent Team USA at the Tokyo
Olympics, making it to the 400m
hurdle finals. Watch for a story about
Anna in the Spring 2022 issue of PD
Magazine!
Safety & Security at PD
The Office of Safety & Security has restructured over
the past year and added some new faces to protect
the PD campus. John Tegeler, Director of Safety &
Security, worked with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Police Department from 1986-2015, retiring at the rank
of sergeant, and began assisting with traffic at PD in
1987, where he has remained in different capacities ever
since. Lemar Harper, Associate Director of Safety &
Security, served in the U.S. Navy from 2004-09 and was a
Kannapolis Police Department Officer, and later a School
Resource Officer, from 2010-21. Tammy Stokes, Safety
& Security Administrative Office Manager, is a longtime
volunteer for the Parents’ Association, Charger Club,
and Annual Fund. She has also worked as a PD substitute
teacher and project manager before joining her current
role full-time. From left: Lemar Harper, Tammy Stokes, Photo by Sara Riggsby
and John Tegeler.
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 4
the
Board of Trustees
Providence Day thanks Dr. Chris Mullis ’90, William Lorenz (alumni parent ’12, ’14), and Tom Seddon (alumni parent Photo by Mike McCarn
’17, ’20) for their service. The school welcomes Nancy Downing (alumni parent ’12, ’14, ’17, ’19), who previously served
two Board terms in the 2010s, back to the Board of Trustees.
About the Board of Trustees
Providence Day School’s Board of Trustees serves as stewards of the school who hold “in trust” its mission and reputation. As
such, Trustees accept the obligation to not only preserve but also to advance the institution.
Their work begins with the fiduciary expectations of duty (due diligence on financials), care (executing decisions by prudent
standards), and obedience (to laws and bylaws). Beyond these duties, Trustees focus on policies and strategies that are future-
focused, leaving daily operations to the Head of School.
As with all nonprofit boards, the majority of the work takes place at the committee level. The PD Board of Trustee committees
are Advancement, Buildings and Grounds, Finance, Investment, Risk and Audit, and Committee on Trustees. These groups
study and assess in depth the needs, activities, and performances of the school and make recommendations when planning,
developing, and establishing policy in their respective areas to the full Board.
5
brief
2021-2022
Board of Trustees
Mrs. Kimberly I. Paulk, Chair
alumni parent ’21
Mrs. Monique Allen, Vice Chair
current parent ’22
alumni parent ’18
From the Board Chair
Mr. Robert C. Ziegler, Treasurer
"The priorities for the board this year are: 1. Getting our strategic
current parent ’23, ’24
framework communicated out to the community; 2. Working on our
alumni parent ’20
campus master vision; 3. Focusing on that sense of PD togetherness
Mrs. Lynn Nesta Reeves ’86, Secretary that we are always working on; and 4. Equity, inclusivity, and belonging.
Those are the four things that we think about at every meeting.
Mr. Rajnish S. Bharadwaj
current parent ’24 I think I started volunteering with the school on Ethan’s first day of TK.
alumni parent ’19 So I have volunteered with the community in one capacity or another
since day one. And this is my 15th year. So I probably wouldn’t know
Mr. William C. Blank
what to do with myself if I wasn’t involved with the school in some way.
current parent ’29
It’s really about giving back. I don’t think I can fully verbalize the gift that
alumni parent ’16, ’19
the school has given me and my family over the years.
Mrs. Kelly R. Brooks
current parent ’23 When Steve Barker was the Interim Head of School in 2010, he said
alumni parent ‘21 something (and he said it wasn’t original to him), but I love this phrase:
“All great schools are in a constant state of becoming.” And I think
Mr. Richard K. Brown Providence Day is a great school, and we should always be in a state
alumni parent ’15 of becoming. That’s exciting, positive, and forward-looking, and that’s
where I think we’re at right now, and that’s where I think we should be."
Dr. Abigail S. Caudle ’92
~Kimberly Paulk
Mr. Kieth Cockrell
alumni parent ’15, ’16
Mr. Mohammad Daher
current parent ’27, ’32
Mrs. Nancy W. Downing
alumni parent ’12, ’14, ’17, ’19
Mr. Chad M. Hagler
current parent ’24, ’28
alumni parent ’18, ’21
Rev. Matthew F. Heyd ’88
Ms. Joy M. Hord
current parent ’23
alumni parent ’21
Dr. Sunita Przybylo
alumni parent ’18, ’20
Mr. James J. Ratchford
Kimberly and Shawn Paulk are the parents of Photo by Mike McCarn
alumni parent ’11, ’14, ’20 Ethan Paulk ’21. Kimberly Paulk is the first woman
to hold the position of board chair at PD.
Mr. Edward Yu
current parent ’25
alumni parent ’17
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 6
the PD Bookshelf
Corley May (right) inside "The Studio," a
digital makerspace she helped establish
with Librarian Nicole Collins (left).
Photo by Sara Riggsby
Middle School Librarian Corley May has been at PD for 10 years. a space to study, collaborate, research, and read for the fun
of it.
I started on the Marketing and Communications team, but
when the job for Middle School Librarian came across my While I always look forward to helping students develop
desk to be posted on the website, I felt as though the door their research and media literacy skills, my main focus
to my dream job had just opened. Seven years and one MLIS this year is on the love of reading. I want our students to
degree later, I can confidently say that the Thompson-Jones experience the thrill of finding a new favorite book, the
Library is home. Our team in the library is a phenomenal mix fun of a “serendipitous discovery” on our shelves, and the
of bright, kind, and creative people, and I look forward to warmth that can come from a community of readers who
working with them every day. can come together to pass along recommendations and bond
over shared favorites.
Last year, we weren’t able to offer in-person browsing for
Middle School students in the library, and although we made The library is once again a warm, busy, and fun place for
it work with a bookmobile and classroom book deliveries, my students to come together, and I am so happy to be here
heart is so happy to once again be able to offer our students welcoming them again this year.
7brief
MY RECOMMENDATIONS
1 PUMPKINHEADS BY RAINBOW ROWELL
I’m a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell, and this graphic novel (illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks) is a
perfect combination of young romance and autumn ambiance. The plot follows two teenagers,
Deja and Josiah, as they try to make the most of their last night ever as seasonal pumpkin patch
employees. Rainbow Rowell is a master of realistic friendships and quippy, easy dialogue. This
book is just right for reading with some crisp apple cider, ideally with some backyard s’mores
and a crackling campfire. This book is available in our Upper School graphic novel collection.
2 OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS BY JUSTIN A. REYNOLDS
This book is a balance between young earnest romance and magical realism. Our hero, Jack, is
just about to graduate from high school. He meets an awesome girl at a party and then enters
a time loop in which he has one purpose: save her life. As readers, we get to spend time with
Jack and his friends (and bandmates) and parents, and of course, his love interest, Kate. Justin
A. Reynolds perfectly captures the thrill of first love, the sorrow of early loss, and the comfort
of best friends and loving parents. This book is available in our Upper School fiction collection.
3 WILDWOOD BY COLIN MELOY
The Wildwood series is another of my all time favorite fall reads. This is the first in a Middle
School fantasy series which follows a young heroine, Prue, in what begins as her quest to
rescue her baby brother from the birds who kidnapped him and builds to her fight alongside
the creatures of Wildwood for their freedom from a tyrant queen. All of this happens just across
the railroad trestle from Prue’s home in Portland, OR. Wildwood is a little bit of The Chronicles
of Narnia mixed in with a dash of Hatchet, and it’s a book I love recommending to Middle
School readers who loved the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series and are looking for their
next great fantasy adventure. This series is available in our Middle School fiction collection.
4 ELEVATION BY STEPHEN KING
Elevation is certainly a departure from Stephen King’s typical monsters, ghosts, and gore. This
magical realism novella is the story of a small town man who finds that he is losing weight at
an impossible pace, although he never looks any thinner or smaller. Readers follow him as he
finds friends within former neighborhood adversaries, decides who to trust, and figures out
what to do with the time (and weight) he has left. This book is available in our Upper School
fiction collection.
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 8Q +A
with Brian Li on his PD Path
Photo by Mike McCarn
by Sara Riggsby
Brian Li became the third person named to the Downing/Williams Endowed
Chair of Teaching Excellence, a position he holds for the 2021-22 academic year.
The endowment was established in 2018 with the philanthropic support of alumni
parents Nancy and Bruce Downing, parents of Yates ’12, Charlotte ’14, Tommy ’17, and
Michael ’19. Endowed Chairs are synonymous with exceptional faculty and teaching
excellence. The recipient receives a stipend and a professional development award.
9q&a
Q| What was your path to
working at Providence Day?
I grew up in Cheraw, a small
country town in South Carolina, and
went to a very rural high school.
From there, I went to Wake Forest
University where I double-majored
in mathematics and anthropology.
When I didn’t get into graduate
school for anthropology, I decided
to move to Charlotte and give
teaching a try. I taught Pre-Algebra,
Algebra, and Calculus during my first
Photo by Sara Riggsby
year at a local high school. It was
an incredibly difficult experience,
but looking back it makes me really School math team, student council, Mecklenburg Schools, PD has been
appreciate being at a school like diversity club, and a variety of it for me. It has had a huge impact
Providence Day. school-related committees. I’ve also on shaping me into who I am today.
had the pleasure of serving as the When I first got here I barely knew
After I survived that year, I applied
Middle School Diversity Coordinator. how to pay the bills and buy groceries
to all the local private schools here
In that role, I was able to learn so and now I’m married with a first
in town, and serendipitously, PD
much working alongside Dr. Nadia grader and a fourth grader. When I
called me back. The interview went
Johnson [the 2016-21 Director of think about PD, I’ve really grown up
well and I will forever be grateful
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion]. She in this community and it’s shaped me
to [former Head of Middle School]
was an amazing mentor and friend. into who I am today.
Sam Caudill for rolling the dice on a
very inexperienced teacher and for Looking back, I am really proud of
believing in the potential he saw in
me. I can’t talk about my time at PD
how far we have grown as a school in
regards to equity and diversity. Q| What are some of
your most memorable
without mentioning [25-year former As far as the classroom goes, I have moments as a teacher?
teacher] Beth Ralston. She was such a taught 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade math Last year, the hybrid year, was so
legendary Charger who patiently took classes, personal finance, and even difficult for everybody. It really makes
me under her wing and constantly 12th-grade calculus here at PD. My me appreciate what was considered
gave me guidance. She was so favorite role is and always will be a normal year and I will never take
influential in my growth as a teacher. being in front of the classroom with that for granted again. I’ll always
So long story short, I have been at the students. remember how amazing the kids did
Providence Day since 2004! – they did really well with everything
Q| How has Providence we threw at them – and the school
Q| What roles have you had
at Providence Day?
Day impacted you
and your family?
did a really admirable job rolling with
the punches and evolving on the fly.
During my time at PD, I’ve been Providence Day is really all I’ve I would also have to say the
fortunate enough to be given a known in my adult life. So the impact part that is most memorable for
variety of opportunities to serve the PD has on me is very large in terms me involves my own kids. Having
community. Some roles I’ve played of the community and the people I my younger son here is the most
include Middle School soccer coach, have gotten to know over the years. rewarding thing – being a teacher
Middle School golf coach, Middle Besides my one year at Charlotte- and having my son here. With
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 10Brian Li received his plaque from the prior Chair, Randy Sienkowski, at the 2021 Commencement ceremony. Photo by Mike McCarn
my older son not being at PD, it’s watching these kids grow up has been and colleague who I regard as being
something I really appreciate and the best part of the job. And when one of the absolute best teachers I
will never take for granted. He loves they graduate and alumni come back have ever worked with and someone
it and his teachers have been great. to visit, it’s surreal for me. Where I’ve always looked up to. That was a
Seeing him on campus is everything else would people come back to see really cool moment for me.
I had envisioned, and while in life their 6th-grade math teacher? What’s
expectations rarely match reality,
this is one of the times where the
unique about PD for me is definitely
the families and students. Q| How do you plan to
use the award?
experience has been everything
I was so excited about it that I made
I hoped it would be. The journey
we have had with Erin Harper and Q| What was your reaction
when your name was
my proposal for using the stipend
that Monday immediately following
the Lower School/Extended Day called as the winner of Commencement! While details are
family so far has been absolutely the Downing/Williams still being worked out, my initial
phenomenal. They are such a special Endowed Chair of plan is to utilize the money to start
group of educators. Teaching Excellence? an investment fund where future
That was really special and it’s a earnings will be used to directly
Q| What is unique about the
students and the community
moment I’ll remember for the rest of
my life. Looking back now I still can’t
support student-led entrepreneurship
initiatives. I’m really excited about
you interact with at PD? believe I won the award. It was truly it and cannot wait to see where this
I’ve always been my most a career-defining moment for me and leads down the road.
authentic self when I’m in front of something I’ll treasure forever. To be
the classroom interacting with the
students. They have always brought
awarded this honor on the school’s
50th year anniversary and in front Q| What do you enjoy
doing outside of PD?
the best out of me, not the other of the Class of 2021, a group that has
Spending time with my family is
way around, and that’s something such a special place in my heart, was
the No. 1 priority for me. I also enjoy
really special and unique about the a dream come true. The icing on top
working out and I try to read as much
PD community. In this community, was the surprise of my wife Mira
as I can about finance, math, and
just walking around campus, and being there in attendance and also
philosophy – a lot of nonfiction.
students of all ages will say ‘Hi’ to having the award handed to me by
you. Forging those relationships and Randy Sienkowski, a friend, mentor,
11Save the Date!
Class Reunions for the 0’s, 1’s, 5’s, & 6’s
R E SCH E DU L E D FOR M AY 7, 2022*
More details to come from #AlwaysACharger
newsletters, social media, reunion coordinators,
and PD Connect at Alumni.ProvidenceDay.org.
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 12
*Pending up-to-date health and safety requirementsGrant Williams ’16
M A K ES A N IMPACT
by Leigh Dyer ’88
Many in the PD community have enjoyed following
the career of Grant Williams ’16, who attended the
University of Tennessee and was selected in the first
round of the NBA draft in 2019 as a player for the Boston
Celtics. Williams recently decided to create the Grant
D. Williams ’16 Endowment to help students attend PD.
A component of the aid award, which is to be given
annually to one incoming student beginning with the
current school year, is the opportunity for the recipients
to be personally mentored by Williams. He spoke recently
about his motivations and hopes for the gift.
Comments are edited for length and clarity.
13stewardship
Q| Why did you decide to
create this endowment?
The biggest reason I decided to
create the endowment was to give kids
who look like me the opportunity to
go to Providence Day, which is a really
prestigious school and something that I
was afforded an opportunity to do when I
was younger (starting my freshman year),
and it allowed me to become the man that
I am today. It allowed me to foster many
relationships and educationally put me on
a sound path to success.
So that’s the thought behind it, as well
as trying to give the community a sense
of togetherness and allow a bit more
diversity.
Q| What are some of your goals
for this endowment?
Over the future, as it continues to grow,
hopefully, it will add more and more kids
to be able to have a close-knit group for
not only mentorship and to give guidance
to, but also to… continue to pay it forward
as time goes on.
This is to help kids not only get to
college but also put them in the best
position possible to succeed. And
then with Providence Day, there is a
lot of opportunity and a lot of great
relationships to be made and lifelong
opportunities to look back at, and great
memories.
I know that in my experience in high
school, I still have friends to this day
from school and we still maintain a
great relationship. So that’s going to
be a huge part as well as being able to
call somewhere home that you wouldn’t
necessarily have had the opportunity to.
As well as to get the provided education
and take that to the next step so that
you’re prepared not only for university,
but for afterwards in life.
Photo courtesy of the Boston Celtics
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 14Q| Why is it important to you to personally offer
to be a mentor as a part of this award?
Because in my opinion, the best way to make an impact is
“
to have a little bit of guidance. Having someone to listen to
your problems (who isn’t) directly tied or invested, as well
as to be able to listen to your failures, because I went to
Providence Day and I understand the dynamic in school and
I can look back to things that I have succeeded with and also
the things that I did not succeed with.
I always say, [it’s important] to be engaged from the
jump and to live, to learn, to always challenge yourself and
I always say, [it’s important]
to be engaged from the
jump and to live, to learn, to
always challenge yourself
and also see different fields,
not only just through sport,
but academically, musically,
artistically, any way possible.
– Grant Williams ’16
also see different fields, not only just through sport, but remember my buddy at the time just started laughing and he
academically, musically, artistically, any way possible. said, “Hey, you learn, you live in your learning.”
And I feel like that’s why as a mentor and having been I remember going to lunch and I used to be (really hungry)
given that opportunity, I can hopefully guide them along the and get two meals. And the lunch lady would let me be
process and give them a little wisdom, as well as a few red negative in my (FLIK) balance. And that’s why I incorporated
flags. If things happen such that, ‘You should or should not lunch into the endowment as well, because those are huge
partake in this.’ things that I looked back towards and were a big benefit
towards me.
Q| What are some of your memories
of your own PD mentors?
Hopefully this endowment allows you to be more at ease
and comfortable within the school and allows you to create
Some of my favorite memories from back at Providence those relationships earlier and not feel out of place.
Day were not only tied to my basketball coach, Brian Field
Q|
’94, but others that were involved. My English teacher, Mr. It’s remarkable for an alumnus from a recent class
(Matt) Spence; my science teacher, Mr. (Brian) Ludwig; my to give a gift of this scope and impact. What message
math teacher, Ms. (Neely Porter ’92) Gutierrez; throughout the do you have for alumni who might be
time they offered me great advice. Even Ms. Gutierrez telling hesitant to be involved at a young age?
me to go to Duke, even though I didn’t have Duke as an offer
(laughs). She was so much of a positive impact in my career. Words of advice would be just to pay it forward to the
kids. As much as... it’s nice to donate and to help the campus
And that’s something where I look back to all the advice grow itself, I feel like it’s a little bit more impactful to truly
they gave me, whether it’s about studies, whether it’s about be involved in students’ lives and making sure that they feel
a certain equation, or whether it’s about what they learned not only comfortable, but prepared enough, not only just
from the path that they went on. And that’s where I always academically, but through social inclusion as well as self-
say having a mentor, not only through sport, but off the confidence, self-worth. Because that’s something that I think
court, is invaluable. I struggled with a little in the past while I was at Providence
I remember my friend Devon Dotson (’18) came in his Day.
junior year. (Dotson went on to become a Kansas Jayhawk
and now plays for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls). And he was just
as shell shocked as I was coming into a new community; Q| Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I’m thankful for my experiences at Providence Day.
establishing new relationships is always hard.
I’m just super excited for the future of this endowment. To
Coming from a public school, private school is so different. see how this will grow and hopefully over time will be a more
First day on campus, I walked in and I had the basketball consistent thing and that other donors will participate. And
shorts, T-shirt and slides on. And they looked at me and said, we’ll have a community that as we say, can diversify as well
“No sir, that’s not how we do things.” It was funny, though, I as be a lot more inclusive.
15Framing
PD’S STRATEGY
Setting priorities for 2030 — and beyond
I
By Leigh Dyer ’88
n November 2019, PD invited many hundreds of people about when COVID hit that we were thinking, ‘OK,
- current parents, students, alumni, alumni parents, actually we’ve kind of got this framework together,’ ” said
faculty, staff, and Golden Chargers - to participate in Seddon. “And it was really good to be able to come back
planning for the school’s future. Consultants led 17 focus six months later and say, ‘What have we learned?’ And I
groups to kick off the school’s strategic planning. A few think it was a good test.”
months later, just as the school’s Board of "Each focus group spoke in support of maintaining our
Trustees were about to turn the results into commitment to academic rigor; and to our commitment
a strategic framework for Providence Day, to contributing back to a global society," said Dr. Glyn
the global pandemic arrived. Cowlishaw, Head of School. "There was also a groundswell
A year later, it became clear to trustees of recognition for our great faculty, and support for our
that the pandemic had not derailed the commitment to equity, inclusivity, and belonging. You see
strategic planning process - if anything, Seddon
all of this reflected here in this framework."
it strengthened it. The Board’s strategic Adds Kristen Kral, Assistant Head of School for Finance
framework committee, led by alumni parent Tom Seddon & Risk Management who helped draft the framework:
(James ’17 and Katy ’20), emerged with a series of six “What I was most impressed with was how the
goals, all of which had been drafted prior to the pandemic framework held up - the primary goals that we laid out
- but all of which appeared prescient afterward. as a community. Those goals held up and did not change
“The last two or three years have shown us that things coming out of this pandemic.”
happen in the world that you can’t foresee. It was justour
SIX
goals
1 Leading the
Education Field
2 Equity, Inclusion,
and Belonging
3 Health and
Well-being
4 Our Faculty
and Staff
5 The Campus
Environment
6 Resources
for the FutureProvidence Day
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
Mission Providence Day School exists to inspire in its students a passion for learning, a
commitment to personal integrity, and a sense of social responsibility.
Context As a leading TK-12 independent school, Providence Day School is known for its
innovative approach and focus on Global Studies, as one of just six schools nationwide
to offer a Global Studies Diploma and a Round Square school; for its emphasis on social
responsibility, proud to be “a private school with a public purpose”, including dozens
of community partnerships and its unique Freedom School site; for its commitment
to education in science and technology, and the application of innovation to teaching;
for its accomplished scholar-athletes, who win state and local championships and go
on to Division 1 teams and pro leagues including the NBA, WNBA, and MLS; and for its
deep focus on the arts, dominating regional and statewide honors. The school’s greatest
strength is its faculty, who serve as national AP readers and hold 101 master’s degrees and
15 Ph.Ds; their accolades range from a Regional Emmy to a Newbery Honor Book Award
to an American Geographical Society Teacher Fellowship.
Our nearly 4,000 alumni attend the most competitive colleges in the U.S. and worldwide,
including top universities in Europe and Asia. Merit scholarships topped $17.3 million
in 2021 and increase each year. A PD graduate is prepared for life, not just college. Our
graduates act purposefully and ethically, improving the lives of others.
Throughout its 50-year history, Providence Day School has been distinguished by its
tendency to never feel satisfied or complacent with its position but to always strive for
its next level of leadership excellence. We are proud to build on the foundation that has
been laid down so far, but eager to find ways to better serve our students and families
and create positive change in the world.
Following recent recognition by the Southern Association of Independent Schools
accreditation committee for its national leadership in independent school education, this
strategic framework provides the outline for Providence Day to define its own success
and emerge as a truly global leader.
18Six strategic goals
1 Leading the
Education Field
Providence Day will lead the way in educational
excellence, aspiring to be one of the best schools
2 Equity, Inclusion,
and Belonging
PD will create a climate of inclusion so that all
members of the community truly belong and are
in the world. connected to each other and to the world.
Our scale means we can aspire to Our aspiration is to be a place where
be ‘best' in many areas, so whatever all members of the community truly
combination of talents and interests a student belong. And that is also a high aspiration, and it’s
has, we can serve them.” not defined by our actions or our intentions; it’s
– Tom Seddon defined by how the students and the community
members feel themselves. And that I think is an
important reframing. We want everybody to feel
A relentless drive for innovation is needed to keep like they truly belong, not just be accepted.”
PD at the leading edge of private, independent
education. Our size lets us provide a wide range of
opportunities for students and fulfill our mission
to impact many students’ lives. We will continue A world-class education happens best in an
to carefully and thoughtfully manage enrollment environment composed of dynamic individuals
growth to preserve the sense of belonging that is with a rich diversity of culture, religion, race, sexual
special about the PD community. orientation, socioeconomic status, countries of origin,
language, political opinions, cognitive perspectives,
• Develop and raise the profile of the PD Passport, and other cultural identifiers.
our TK-12 global education framework to develop
young people equipped with essential skills, • Affirm PD’s commitment to becoming an anti-
necessary knowledge, and good character. racist community.
• Continue PD’s tradition of innovation and excellence • Establish PD as the school of choice for its focus on
across academics, technology, athletics, and the arts. diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ensure students are building enduring life skills by • Prioritize equity initiatives, recognizing that each
nurturing character dispositions like perseverance, individual has unique needs to be successful and to
self-motivation, empathy, and courage. fully benefit from a PD experience.
• Deliberately manage enrollment growth to ensure
students continue to have an exceptional TK-12
experience at PD.3 Health and
Well-being
We will support the health and well-being of the
PD community – students, their families, faculty,
4 Our Faculty
and Staff
PD will recruit and retain the educators essential
to be a world-class school.
and staff.
This is something that came up way The core of what creates the experience
before the last year or so, and is now a for our students is the faculty. And so if
super topical area. We had actually put that type we want to have a world-class experience for the
of focus in there coming out of what we were students, we must have world-class faculty.”
hearing from a lot of students and parents two,
three-plus years ago. Our students are driven
to achieve, but they need an environment where PD aspires to be a school-of-choice for outstanding
they can build enduring happiness.” educators who share a passion for our mission,
embrace our core values, and are committed to
being part of an intentional educational community.
• Provide a total compensation package that makes
Our students—and our faculty and staff—are driven
it possible to attract and retain great faculty and
to achieve but require an environment of safety,
staff in a competitive market.
care, and support in which to learn how to challenge
themselves in constructive, healthy, and sustainable • Focus on innovative professional development for
ways. PD faculty and staff.
• Create a comprehensive PD health and well-being • Attract, retain, and develop a diverse faculty and
plan. staff that represents the breadth of the families and
communities we aspire to serve.
• Launch a school-wide conversation about what
constitutes success for students.
• Incorporate well-being into the way PD educators
design their courses and engage with students.5 The Campus
Environment
We will create a campus that can deliver a world-
class education.
6 Resources
for the Future
PD will build the resources it needs to sustain the
school’s future.
We defined our campus environment We’re trying to really manage our
as both physical and virtual. It’s the responsibility over a multi-decade (time
buildings and the technology infrastructure frame). How can you deliver a great service, not
that provide the direct ability to deliver this just to the students next year, but the students
educational experience that we want, and we 20 years from now. What do you have to do
can’t really know what’s going to change. (It’s) today? Just as we benefit a lot from decisions that
this idea of flexible spaces.” were made by people in 1999.”
Our built environment and technology infrastructure Sustaining the school’s success and viability for
has a direct impact on our ability to support our decades to come requires careful management of
goals and is a crucial part of creating the culture of resources today, but also a larger endowment to
the school. We will invest in and evolve the physical provide greater long-term stability and opportunity.
and virtual campus to:
• Increase the endowment to a target of $55 million
• Implement the campus master vision in stages by 2030.
to ensure we can support our strategic goals and
deliver a world-class educational experience with • Expand our community’s participation in planned
flexibility and resilience. giving by emphasizing its importance through
education and awareness.
• Ensure that all PD spaces from TK-12 match the
quality and utility of our newest buildings.
• Enhance safety and security for all members of the
community.
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 21“ Our desire to preserve those
aspects of what makes PD
special drove the development
of our strategic framework.
This framework will serve to
guide us as we envision both
what our campus will look like
by 2030, and what it might
become 50 years from now.”
– Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw,
Head of SchoolContinued from page 16 Kral, who is also an alumni parent to lifers Andrew ’12 and Molly ’16, said the framework resonates for another reason. “Being an old timer with PD, some of those core values that were here from when I first got to know the school 20 some years ago, (those values) are still there. We still know who we are.” “It was very intentional and very conscious to try to loop in as many people and viewpoints as possible. It was very important to us to create a strategic framework versus a plan. Something that wouldn’t be pulled off the shelf and dusted off, but rather a living, breathing document that could flex as we, as a community, have to flex, as we grow and evolve,” said Kimberly Paulk, chair of the Board of Trustees and alumni parent to Ethan Paulk ’21. “It really does try to capture who we are and who we strive to be,” Paulk adds. “People who read it, I hope that they can see that in it.” Seddon uses the metaphor of a map - the destination can change, but the map can still guide to a new destination. “One of the things I have really come to appreciate, working on the board, is that in business, you like to think you’re thinking long-term, but long-term is two or three years. Versus in education, you really do need to think 10-plus years ahead. The kindergarteners who just entered the school today are our class of 2035, and it’s just mindblowing. This is an institution where truly you do have to plan 10, 15, 20 years ahead, with flexibility.” Seddon has high hopes for what the school will be like in 2030 - which isn’t that far away. “I’d hope that we are seeing a really broad range of students feeling like they are having a fantastic educational experience and that it’s inspiring them to want to in return give back to making the world a better place,” he said. “I’d like the alumni to look back and say, ‘Wow, I feel like PD really made an impact on my life in a positive, positive way. And I was lucky to be there.’ ” Photo by Mike McCarn
Established by the Off ice of
Institutional Advancement,
PD NetWORK engages the Providence
Day community to provide internship
and mentorship opportunities in a
range of industries for our alumni to
develop their professional experience.
Interested in learning more
about internship opportunities
with PD NetWORK? Please
contact Lynette Allison at
Lynette.Allison@providenceday.org
or (704) 887-7056.
Presented by
Save-the-Date
F O R T H E 2 3 RD A N N U A L
Alumni Spring Classic
Golf Tournament
Cedarwood Country Club • May 9, 2022
R E SCH E DU L E D
We hope to see you there!*
*Pending up-to-date health and safety requirements
More details to follow. If interested in sponsoring or participating, please contact
Steve Bondurant ’98 at (704) 887-6039 or Steve.Bondurant@ProvidenceDay.org.
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 24PD
welcomes
Tyrone
Jean
as the Director of
Equity, Inclusion,
and Belonging
As told to Sara Riggsby by Tyrone Jean Photo by Sara Riggsby
Tyrone Jean joined Providence Day School in July 2021 as the national speaker and presenter and is a trained DEI professional.
new Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. He brings a He serves on the National Advisory Council of the National
wealth of experience and knowledge of diversity, equity, and Conference on Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education and is an
inclusion (DEI) from higher education and will lead PD in the alumnus of the Social Justice Training Institute.
M
advancement of a strategic vision for equity, inclusion, and
y title is Director of Equity, Inclusion, and
belonging.
Belonging, but my greatest titles are father and
Prior to joining the PD community, Jean was the Assistant husband. My wife Isabel, we’ve been married for
Dean of Students and Director at Elon University’s Center for six years. We have two kids; Mateo is three years old and
Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education. In that role, he served Micaela is five months old [at this writing]. So, they are
students, faculty, and staff by providing visionary leadership, my everything, my world, and I do everything for them. I
strategic thinking, and content expertise in the areas of race, often reference my family because that identifies who I
ethnicity, and diversity education. He led university-wide am as a person. I’m a family man first, but I’m also deeply
educational workshops and equity initiatives in fulfillment of passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and spent
Elon’s strategic plan. But most importantly, he worked to create my entire career working in the higher education sector
a community of belonging for all students. He believes strongly with DEI.
in being able to meet people where they are and assists them My passion really comes from personal experience. I grew up
in creating pathways for development. He possesses a deep in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood and my high
philosophical understanding that DEI is a shared responsibility school was very diverse, with probably 80% students of color
within a school community. from different ethnic backgrounds. From there I went to UVA
Prior to his work at Elon, Jean was at Duke University, where which was a huge cultural shift for me because, for the first
he was the Associate Director at the Center for Multicultural time, I was in a predominantly White environment.
Affairs. Before that, he was the Assistant Dean in Duke’s Housing, I was able to witness and observe my experiences and
Dining, and Residential Life Office. He holds a B.A. from the exposure to racism at that time in my life. I couldn’t make
University of Virginia and an M.A. Ed from Virginia Tech. He is a sense of that at 18 years old – I couldn’t understand why it was
25feature
happening – so I spent my college years I’ve been working in higher His level of questioning never left me
trying to search for and understand education for the past 15 years and I’ve or escaped me, so in my interactions
the ways in which identity shapes learned that working with students with students, I think, what if we ask
human understanding and interaction. really is about asking the right different questions to kids at a younger
I ended up switching majors about questions and sometimes guiding them age? Not about who do you want to
five times before landing in African to answers that lie within. In my own be or what do you want to be as a
American studies and I stayed in that K-12 experience I often got asked the professional when you grow up, but
because I felt like the material and the question, “What do you want to do what problems do you want to solve in
coursework spoke to me, spoke to when you grow up? Who do you want the world? That sort of shift in thinking
humanity, and allowed me to engage in to be?” As a young child, I wanted to be allowed me to ask that question to
skills that it brought out of me. a lawyer – it was my No. 1 pursuit – and college-aged students.
I always said it but I never questioned
I had this thirst for knowledge and why I wanted to be a lawyer. That is, At that point, I realized that college-
thirst for truth that I started to pay until I had some experiences in college aged students had to engage in so
attention to when I was in college and where I did an internship with a lawyer much unlearning at the collegiate
that has been the driving force – that and he would ask me questions about level before they could engage in the
hunger for truth – in my pursuit to do why I wanted to pursue law as a career. relearning process. They came to us
DEI work professionally and make my We had conversations about his over having preconceived notions of who
career out of it. For me, DEI work is commitment to his work and under they thought they were, or there was
more of a calling. This is how I plan to commitment to his family and there a misalignment between who they
leave my mark on the world. was a values realignment for me. wanted to be and who their parents
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion summary report
A multimedia report summarizing PD’s work in diversity, equity, and inclusion
published earlier this year. To view it, use the QR code or follow the links from
https://www.providenceday.org/about/equity-inclusion.
https://www.providenceday.org/about/equity-inclusion
"
The work outlined in this summary report demonstrates that diversity,
equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been woven into the fabric of PD for over 20
years, making it the leader in the greater Charlotte area; yet, great work lies ahead.
To help kick us off, we have renamed the Office of Equity and Inclusion to the Office
of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB), a reflection of the depth and breadth of
the office’s mission and the community we desire to cultivate at PD. Belonging is
an essential part of our community and we are committed to ensuring that each
member feels valued, validated, respected, included, and supported. It is my belief
that equity, inclusion, and belonging are a shared responsibility and I look forward to
leading, serving, collaborating, and celebrating.”
– Tyrone Jean, Director of Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 26wanted them to be, and that sometimes Fostering Inclusion, Respect, and
created conflict for what they wanted Multiculturalism (AFIRM), as well as our
to pursue as a career. I met a lot of larger community..
students who were really oriented
I hope to provide a strategic
toward social justice, toward humanity,
framework for how we move forward
and they were receiving messages from
around this and make sure that we
their parents that they should go into
are focused and on track with what
finance, medicine, or law but it was not
we committed to. There’s a lot of
"
congruent for them.
terminology in DEI work that people
This led me to wonder what it would get lost in, but at the core of it we are
be like to work at an institution where trying to transform the hearts of people.
So as we roll up
you could ask the question at a much So many terms – diversity, inclusion,
our sleeves and younger age. My hope and my goal are multicultural education, equity,
get our hands dirty in the not to have people major in humanities antiracism – all of these terminologies
and social sciences, my goal and hope have their own respective meanings but
messy work that is DEI, I
are that students can think differently at the core of all of them is that we are
hope that same energy about problem-solving and then enter looking at humans and getting people to
will sustain itself and the collegiate world asking a different engage across differences and foster a
set of questions. That may impact sense of belonging.
continue to have people what they major in, if they combine
The community I find here is special.
invested in my work. I majors and minors, what programs they
Everybody is invested, everyone has the
pursue, what clubs and social things
firmly believe that DEI is same goal, to have the most successful
they do, and that has a greater impact
students having the best experience. As
a shared responsibility on the world.
I’ve met with parents, alumni, current
and while it’s my role to I’ve thought about my transition students, faculty, and administrators,
lead it, I’m not the only from higher education to K-12 as an it’s all consistent that we are working
opportunity to work with younger toward the same thing but sometimes
person doing it. I would
students and have an influence on an we have different pathways to get there.
like everyone to know institution where we are looking at Everyone has been super welcoming to
that they have a role in it problem-solving at the K-12 level. We me and very inviting, not just to me but
are developing their DEI lens so they my family. Being a family person that’s
and they should be just can understand that there are inequities really important to me. What I have
as committed as I am, out there in the world that they may appreciated most about the community
not experience in their own community thus far is the willingness.
fully knowing that we are
but they do have a social responsibility,
So as we roll up our sleeves and get
going to make missteps.” which is part of the mission of
our hands dirty in the messy work
– Tyrone Jean Providence Day.
that is DEI, I hope that same energy
My role is evolving. One thing to will sustain itself and continue to
note is that DEI work at PD has been have people invested in my work. I
in existence for 20+ years and it has firmly believe that DEI is a shared
evolved in every year that it’s been in responsibility and while it’s my role to
existence. My role as I view it is to lead lead it, I’m not the only person doing
the institution and provide a strategic it. I would like everyone to know that
vision of where we are going while they have a role in it and they should be
honoring where we have been. I think just as committed as I am, fully knowing
Dr. Nadia Johnson [director of DEI at that we are going to make missteps.
PD from 2016-21] did a phenomenal We are not perfect, but our goal is not
job of outlining and detailing where we perfection but to make progress and
have been and it’s my job to inherit that advance. If we can keep that front and
and take it to the next level for grades center collectively the institution will
TK-12, along with our alumni via Alumni advance, and in turn, so will society.
27feature
Providence Day School's
Anti-Racist Task Force
by Jana Dorsey
In 2021, not only did Providence the primary mission of the TIMELINE:
Day commemorate 50 years as an group is to “provide strategic 2004
institution, but 20 years since the and goal-oriented solutions to Parents’ Multicultural
founding of the Office of Equity, ongoing racial equity issues in Task Force
Inclusion, and Belonging. In 2001, the PD community to school
the Office of Multicultural Affairs administration and the Board 2008
(OMA, now EIB) was established. of Trustees, informed by best Multicultural
practices in education, anti- Advisory Board
One group in particular that racism scholarship, data from
worked closely with OMA was recent school-wide racial climate 2020
the Parents’ Multicultural Task assessments, and community Anti-racist Task Force
Force, which was spearheaded feedback.”
by the Board of Trustees in 2004.
By 2008 this group became the Members of the Anti-Racist Task
Multicultural Advisory Board. Force include a cross-section of
stakeholders, bringing in a range
In 2020, in the wake of the killings of perspectives and experiences. In MORE ONLINE:
of George Floyd and Breonna summer 2021, Bobrow, Sergew, Dr. To see the Anti-Racist Task
Taylor and an accompanying Stephen Hancock (alumni parent – Force introduction to the
community-wide anti-racism ’25, ’20, ’17) and Amy O’Neil (current PD community, click here.
movement, Providence Day parents & alumni parents – ’25, ’23,
School acknowledged and ’21), Givin Van Dam (current parent
addressed its founding as a white – ’27, ’26, ’24), and Tyrone Jean/Jana
flight school. Coupled with this Dorsey (Office of Equity, Inclusion,
acknowledgment comes the drive & Belonging) came together for
to continuously hold ourselves a retreat to reflect as well as plan
accountable as a community. and set goals for the 2021-22 school
year.
Recognizing the need to address
these issues, the now-dissolved
Multicultural Advisory Board Anyone interested in more
became the Anti-Racist Task Force information about PD’s Anti-Racist
in the summer of 2020. The Anti- Task Force is welcome to reach out
Racist Task Force is a parent and to Jana Dorsey, Associate Director
alumni-led group committed of Equity and Inclusion Outreach,
to supporting Providence Day at jana.dorsey@providenceday.org.
School’s stated objective of Follow the office at @pdinclusion on
becoming an anti-racist institution. Instagram and Twitter.
According to the founding co-
chairs, Anna Bobrow ’10 and Ned
Sergew (alumni parent – ’17, ’19, ’21),
PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine 28You can also read
