Relaxed, calm, and focused: for a group of Upper School Ashley Hall students, yoga class helps them to begin their day in balance and stress-free. “This class is a perfect way to shape up physically and mentally, and it also complements any fitness regime,” noted instructor Sherry Donoho. “The goal of Ashley Hall yoga is to make students strong, centered, and self-aware. This energizing yoga practice helps students feel invigorated and sets them up for a productive day.”

Offered as a semester-long physical education/wellness elective, yoga class meets first thing in the morning either in Burgess Auditorium or outside around campus. For many students, the chance to exercise while gaining added mental benefits is a definite draw. “I wanted to feel more calm and relaxed for the new year,” said Rylan Kane ’24, who shared that she enjoys pushing herself and learning new yoga poses. “It definitely makes me feel more balanced when managing schoolwork and keeps me calm and ready.”

After a warmup and step-by-step checkup to ensure everyone is performing their moves correctly, Donoho begins the class. “I show them how to move skillfully into downward facing dog, simple crossed leg positions, plank, warrior positions, and many more poses,” she said. “I give options to follow modified moves depending on the student’s ability. We finish class with mindfulness techniques.” 

Her students particularly appreciate gaining the ability to minimize stress. “Yoga has helped me learn how to control what goes on inside my head and how to focus on things like breathing,” said Riley Street ’24. “I am able to focus a lot better during the school day when I have had yoga that morning. When we are in yoga, we learn to breathe and take time to focus on ourselves. It has made it easier to learn when I am not stressing about what I have in the next class.”

Donoho also ensures the class is physically challenging. “Physically, it takes a lot of effort to be balanced and do positions,” Mary Ella Prendergast ’23 pointed out. “I think my favorite thing about yoga is learning new positions every day and working toward harder positions.” For Street, yoga has helped her discover a new athleticism. “I went into yoga thinking that it wouldn’t be as hard as running around in P.E., but I was very wrong,” she noted. “I started out not being able to balance hardly at all, but as the class went on, I have made my muscles both stronger and flexible, so now I am able to do a ton of new poses. Yoga will push you so hard and make you so much stronger.”

Combined, the mental and physical benefits of yoga help Ashley Hall students strike the perfect balance.

As a freshman searching to give back to her community, Sarah McLean ’21 was immediately drawn to a new initiative being launched by the Lowcountry chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS): the Students of the Year campaign (SOY). An annual elite leadership development program for local high school students, the SOY accepts nominations for student leaders to participate in a seven-week competition to raise funds and awareness for LLC. Since its inception in the Lowcountry, SOY participants have raised over $815,000 for LLC to aid in research, advocacy, and patient support of those affected with blood cancers.

Besides the fulfilling work, McLean, whose cousin passed away due to blood cancer complications, recognized that by giving back, she would help ensure that one day no family would have to suffer the loss of a loved one from a blood cancer. Now a senior who has worked with the SOY campaign for the past four years, McLean serves as this year’s Chair of the Student Leadership Team. She recently shared her experience guiding the first all-female SOY candidate class through the campaign season and her deep appreciation for an organization that has profoundly impacted her life.

(Click HERE to learn more about the Students of the Year campaign)

Discuss your work this year as the Chair of the Leadership Team for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Lowcountry Student of the Year program. What have been some of the challenges you have had to overcome because of the pandemic, and what makes you most proud?

McLean: “My work began in the summer of 2020. As the Chair of the Leadership Team, I worked with the team to brainstorm ideas for candidates, listen to ideas, and plan out the new year. At the beginning of this campaign season, I conducted meetings with the team, the manager for the division in the Lowcountry, the Student Leadership Team Vice-Chair, and the Executive Leadership Team Chair. The meetings occurred twice a month, then once a month when our candidate list was set. As the Chair, my job is to answer questions from the leadership team, build comradery, and work with the Vice-Chair to build new ideas and installments within LLS.

In a pandemic year, my roles changed, and the way we went about our tasks was transformed to a computer screen. Instead of meeting at a Starbucks and pitching our campaign to potential candidates or company sponsors, we met with everyone via Zoom. In preparation for these meetings, the student Leadership Team was tasked with reaching out to people within the Lowcountry community to participate in the SOY program. SOY is a very hands-on campaign, and without going forth in society, even masked and distanced, we used virtual methods to tell amazing students about our life-changing opportunity to raise money for cancer research.

My team adjusted to the inevitable and started to use Zoom to conduct meetings. These introductions to LLS included a PowerPoint presentation given by our manager to the SOY candidates and their parents. The students who nominated candidates are also present in the meetings to share their experiences and why they would make amazing candidates. Though it was not always the case that a nominee would agree to participate, we were still able to enlighten the community on what the SOY campaign is and what our mission is to better society. This year, we were able to secure fifteen candidate teams who are the first candidate class to be all girls.

We decided to make our Zoom meetings festive to make online SOY more exciting. This ranged from Christmas outfits and funniest hats to Halloween-themed Zoom calls. We tried everything to make these calls feel as if we were there together. Before each meeting, the manager, Vice Chair, and I would meet to discuss the upcoming meeting, prepare any questions, brainstorm, and review our speeches. My favorite part of these meetings is our Minute for Mission. This is the first minute of each meeting where we share an inspirational cancer survivor video, story, or advancement in the campaign. This Minute for Mission helps us to remember why we are fighting so hard to raise money for this worthy cause.

The first event for our candidates was our workshop where we helped the candidates start to think about their team and campaign and to feel comfortable about their life-changing choice to be a part of the LLS family. Within the workshop, they heard from former candidates, team members, parents, our Honored Hero who is fighting cancer, and a cancer survivor. This year, my leadership team has eleven active members below me. Every candidate team is assigned a Leadership Team mentor, who supports, guides, and teaches. Everyone who participates in LLS supports each other to the point that it is not only a competition but also a support group to fund the same fight.

For our mentees, we went to their houses for a surprise visit, during which we delivered gifts to welcome them and congratulate them on joining LLS. Each week I reach out to my mentees via FaceTime to encourage them, offer support, see what’s coming up, and be a sounding board for their ideas. I am proud of all the candidates who have taken on this fight and are staying committed to their job, even with a hectic schedule and school.” 

How has working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year program enriched your high school years? What do you find most rewarding about the experience?

McLean: “LLS has helped me to find my identity through charity and giving back to people within my community who are battling cancer. LLS is funding research, and being a part of the SOY campaign from its first year in the Lowcountry has allowed me to watch it grow and reach almost everyone in Charleston. What I find most rewarding about being a part of the program is watching students realize they have a voice and can make a difference in a seemingly adult field. Though they have to work harder than anyone, I get to see the smiles that come to everyone’s faces when we lift the numbers at the end of the year, which is the total amount the high school students who are a part of the campaign have raised.”

Why is philanthropy so important to you? Do you have any plans to stay involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society once you graduate?

McLean: “My cousin passed away due to blood cancer complications so giving back in any way helps me to ensure that one day a family will never have to go through the loss of a daughter, son, sister, brother, mother, father, cousin, loved one, or friend. Cancer in particular has affected almost everyone I’ve met, and until there is a cure, I will not stop funding the fight. Depending on where I go to college, I would love to be part of their local LLS chapter. With the adjustment to COVID-19, there might be ways to still participate in the Lowcountry’s chapter via Zoom.

This year I’ve had to be creative in my fundraising, so I suggested making an Instagram account for thrifted and gently used clothes where fifty percent of the profits go back to the LLS. I came up with this idea from watching successful stores on Instagram and added a twist to give back. I suggested it to my Vice President, and together we started our online fundraising store, @lls_thrifted. On the page, we have collaborated with SOY candidate teams to upload their items as well, and half will go to their campaign while half goes to the leadership team account, which funds the SOY campaign.

So far, we have uploaded one hundred and fifteen posts, worked with a candidate team clothing drive, received donations from two candidate teams, used the PSA drive team to collect clothing, and raised around $80 for LLS in three and a half months. The pandemic has made it difficult to reach a large audience, but with the help of social media we can connect with different social groups, adults, families, and friends online through the store. By combining the love for shopping, low prices, clothing from each other, and a wonderful cause, we can spread the word of LLS. This store includes everyone through artistic ability of the logo and fashion selection, social networking, financing, providing a product, communication, outreach, and teamwork.”

Throughout February, Lower School students have celebrated Black History Month by learning about Black history and excellence in the arts, humanities, politics, science, and sports. From meaningful research projects to student-directed video presentations, they have shared the stories of some extraordinary trailblazers!

To set the stage for an incredible month, each division’s morning message or meeting incorporated Black History highlights and achievements, and inspirational quotes affirming diversity, equity, and inclusion ran each day on the flat screens throughout campus. The Lower School’s Good Morning Pardue Hall program introduced a weekly student-led feature inspired by the “Because Of Them We Can Campaign,” a nation-wide effort to tell the stories of iconic Black history figures of the past and present. Students from different grades not only enjoyed choosing a significant person to spotlight but also appreciated the chance to share their findings with the rest of the Lower School.

For many Lower School classes, a key element of their activities revolved around honoring the extensive contributions of Black Americans. Before the start of their physical education classes, students gained motivation from Black athlete profiles mounted on the gym bulletin boards. In the third grade, students selected a notable South Carolinian in order to research his or her life story, accomplishments, and impact. Afterward, the girls created biographic posters and recorded their findings to FlipGrid. Anna Decosta Banks, Shirley Tyus, Septima Clark, and Ralph Johnson were just a few of the many role models they highlighted.

While reading the work of poets Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Nikki Grimes and learning about their life experiences, fourth graders analyzed how culture influences literature and perspective and how poetry can promote an understanding of another person’s experience and point of view. As part of their poet project, they not only delved deeper into the life and work of a renowned Black poet but also were inspired to craft a poem modeled on the examples they examined.

Although February is drawing to a close, Lower School students look forward to continuing their research into Black history and excellence and to gaining inspiration from the phenomenal Black men and women of both the past and present.

As part of Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership Program (OLP) spring voyage, fourteen Ashley Hall students and two faculty members sailed for seven days with the professional crew of the wooden 131-foot schooner Harvey Gamage from Brunswick, Georgia. Traveling up the coast as well as venturing east into the open Atlantic Ocean, they encountered stormy weather, torrential rain, and 20-25 knot sustained winds. Their resilience to pull together as a crew is the perfect example of the transformative power of the OLP journey.

A year-long commitment, the OLP is an elective Ashley Hall signature program led by Upper School faculty member Dr. Roscoe Davis, who introduces students to maritime history, celestial navigation, marine biology, and the leadership skills needed to crew a tall ship. Once on board and under the guidance of a professional crew, students learn the ropes, hoisting and dousing gaff-rigged sails, tacking and gybing, gauging weather conditions and sea state, reading charts, joining to the watch rotation, and more.

For many, the sailing trip—which acts as the program’s capstone—is the highlight of their academic year, but this year’s voyage encountered a number of challenges. Initially scheduled for the fall, the trip was postponed, and students and faculty members were required to quarantine for two weeks to meet safety protocols. Then, once underway, the weather deteriorated rapidly. A rough first night particularly tested the girls’ fortitude.

“I learned to never doubt myself on watch,” said Ailish Ward ’23, after a challenging night watch. “My shipmates showed me how to persevere and encouraged me to keep going.” For many of the girls, drawing on a confidence in their shared ability as well as each other helped pull them through. “I learned that I can rely on my shipmates in my times of weakness,” noted Dorothy Fort ’22.

Dropping anchor at Cumberland Island for a several hours to explore its natural wonders, including sightings of armadillos and wild horses, also helped the girls gain their footing. Days later, when Charleston appeared on the horizon, they knew the value of what they had accomplished, together. “I learned just how strong each of my friends/shipmates are,” shared Penny Wallace ’22.

To help her sixth graders gain historical context, Intermediate Program faculty member Melanie Gibson devised a modern-day application: investing in the stock market. “Since we study the stock market crash of 1929 and its effects on the 1930s, I want the girls to have an understanding of what the market is about and how it works, and why it is so important to our economy,” said Gibson. “We discuss the difference between budget money and investment money. We also talk about the mistake that many people in the 1920s made by buying stock with their budget money and worse, buying stock on margin. Many were already in debt due to installment buying. These were just a few of the elements that led to the crash.”

Allotted a hypothetical $1000, each student researched companies she believed had investment potential and examined past yields before selecting three or four companies to pursue. For two weeks, they tracked each day’s closing price and recorded their losses or gains. “We discussed that it is important to buy different types of stocks so that their portfolios are diverse; they might buy a tech stock, maybe a retail stock, or manufacturing,” noted Gibson. “This all leads to great discussion about smart investing, which did not happen in the 1920s.” At the end of the project, students wrote a paper to analyze their results and to reflect on the experience. For many, it was a chance to learn from history and prepare for their own futures. Several students shared the following:

“I learned that the stock market is extremely unreliable and you should not put your savings into stocks. I enjoyed choosing which companies to pretend to invest in. It gave me the opportunity to make my own decisions and prepare for investing in real life. Overall, I think learning about the stock market is not only an interesting topic, but it will serve me well in later years when I decide to invest my money.” —Elizabeth Brisson ’27

“I thought it was very fascinating how you could think one of your stocks was going to increase, but it ended up decreasing immensely. Something so small like the weather could affect the stock market and make it drop. I really enjoyed learning about the ways of the stock market and really love this project!” —Amelia Finnegan ’27

“When we finished recording in the two weeks, we added and subtracted our stocks to see how much we gained and lost in this time period. I lost $85 and gained $4. I really liked finding out how much I earned and gained in the end. I also liked making my bar graph when we finished. It is a very fun project, and I think Mrs. Gibson should do it every year.” —Quinley Winters ’27  

“During this project we learned how to manage stocks wisely. I thought that seeing the market going down and up was fascinating, because it was like an economic roller coaster! I really enjoyed making the graphs, because it was fun to see the information more visually and how much money we made. Even if we weren’t really making money, it was still exciting!” —Leighton Staebell ’27

“Some of the activities that we completed were recording our stocks when the stock market closed (at 4:00 p.m.) and making two graphs on Google Sheets, one to represent our gains and losses and one to represent the stock price at closing. The most fascinating thing that I learned from this project was how the stock market affected The Great Depression.” —Nettie Carter ’27

“I loved how hands-on this project was, and I learned so much more about the stock market. Even though I’ve already invested a few hundred dollars in stocks, I only really began to see how complicated the process of it was. I love to ask inquisitive questions and really display my new-learned knowledge in handmade graphs. This fun experience was a great way to learn more about the complexities of the stock market and how you have to be smart with your choices.” —Veda Patel ’27

Last month, a group of Upper School students and faculty members joined fourteen other independent schools across the southeast to attend the 2021 Virtual Low Country Student Diversity Conference, an initiative to bring students together for leadership training, professional development, and networking. Now in its second year, the conference is annually hosted by Savannah Country Day School to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For attendees, it was a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of DEI work and discover ways to offer their own contributions.  

“It was our second year in a row of sending students and faculty to engage in this timely, meaningful work that aligns with our commitment to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community,” said Director of Student Affairs Carrie Singh. “Additionally, because we want to foster a culture at our School that affirms all students and allows for all students to feel a sense of belonging, this kind of opportunity gives us the chance both to practice the skills we need to be agents of change, such as civil discourse, and to connect with students from other backgrounds and communities and hear about others’ experiences. Exploring complicated topics with a diverse community offers a richness that is immeasurably important.”

A major goal of the conference was to create ninth through twelfth grade leaders who will be catalysts for change in the areas of social justice and equity on their campuses. After listening to speakers in themed workshops, students divided into cohort groups (several facilitated by Ashley Hall faculty members) to share their own perspectives. “Having the opportunity to interact with other students concerning issues of social justice and equity influenced my experience by seeing and listening to what their points of view were while we listened to the workshops,” said Nadiyah McGill ’22. “I appreciated how there were people of all races who cared to learn about DEI and wanted to make a difference. I hope this conference influences others that there are many people in the same age group as us who are actually educated on the social and diverse problems we have in the world.”

Another impactful element was the chance for students to participate in self-identified affinity groups. “I participated in the Latinx heritage affinity group and spoke with three other girls with a Latinx heritage,” noted Ellerbe Mendez ’23. “We had honest and meaningful conversations about our experiences and discussed some poetry that the leader of our group showed us. It was the most helpful and meaningful part of the diversity conference because we were able to share personal experiences that we all related to and understood. It is not often that I have a supportive space to talk about the topics we were learning about that day with people who truly related to me.” 

Afterward, students agreed that the day-long experience was valuable in allowing them to broaden their knowledge and collaborate with their peers on important DEI issues. For many, the experience also inspired future goals. “The conference influenced my understanding of the history of racism, the importance of diversity and representation, and the harm that generalizing a group of people can cause,” emphasized Mendez. “This experience left me more eager to be conscientious of how I can work towards more equity and diversity in my day to day life.”