On January 9, 2008, twenty two alumnae returned to St. Margaret's from far afield to visit, enjoy a luncheon, and participate in a panel discussion. The discussion covered many topics concerning the transition to college and the ways in which the St. Margaret's education helped them adjust to school life after St. Margaret's. The group brought a wide variety of experiences to share with the 11th and 12th grade classes, who were reminded of the value of a St. Margaret's education.
A luncheon was held in the Mezzanine of the Community/Technology Center for the alums to visit and catch up with faculty, staff, and their friends who are still students at St. Margaret's. Afterward, Aubrey Sozer, '07 (Virginia Tech), Susannah Orem, '05 (Roanoke College), Abbey Potter '06 (University of Mary Washington), Ligon Brooks '07 (College of William and Mary) , and Michelle Burch, '07 (University of Virginia), as well as several other alums, were kind enough to volunteer their time and knowledge to a panel discussion, which was moderated by Hannah Kessler and Leandra Osei of Mr. McDowell's student leadership class. The questions, prepared by the Leadership class prior to the event, included questions about dorm life, study habits, and attending classes with boys as well as advice on making the transition to a new school and college life.
As they shared their experiences and passed along advice about life after St. Margaret's, it became clear that all the alumnae have a great appreciation for the education, study habits, and well rounded approach to school that St. Margaret's provided for them. While many have found that it is difficult to structure your time after leaving the St. Margaret's environment, they also felt that the study skills and organization instilled at St. Margaret's helped them find their niche academically and socially in college by teaching them what time of day their classes should be scheduled and how much time they should spend studying outside of class. Michelle Burch, '07, was especially glad for the relationships she had with her teachers, saying that being comfortable with teachers during her time at SMS made it easier to approach college professors and ask for help.
The afternoon was complete with a stop for dessert at Ms. Kollaros's home in McCuan House, where the girls were able to catch up and reminisce about many fond memories of St. Margaret's with Ms. Kollaros, other faculty, and their fellow alums.
Many thanks to all the alumnae that took the time to come and participate! The experiences of our alums are an invaluable resource as we prepare the next generation of young women to graduate from St. Margaret's. We look forward to welcoming many more successful St. Margaret's grads in the years to come!
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