A Report From the Women of Deerfield Weekend
by Lee Wicks

Abandon fear. That had to be one of the most popular reoccurring themes of the first Women of Deerfield weekend. Leap into a profession previously dominated by men, or into an academic pursuit way out of your comfort range. Take time off to raise children while friends and family wonder why you are "wasting" your very expensive education. Fail in your attempt to win a spot on the varsity field hockey team, end up in the fall play, and discover a lifelong love for theater. Fight stereotypes. Push yourself up to and then beyond your own limits. And always reach out honestly to other women and share your stories. You'll find inspiration, reassurance, and lots of humor.

The first Women of Deerfield weekend, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of Deerfield's return to co-education and the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Helen Childs Boyden to campus, was in itself a leap and one that went well beyond expectations. 37 alumnae, 30 female faculty members, and 36 female juniors and seniors listened to speakers and participated in panel discussions that could have lasted well-beyond their time limits. The keynote speaker, Janet Hanson, who is a 14-year veteran of Goldman Sachs, the founder of Milestone Capital (an investment advisory firm that manages more than $2.3 billion in assets) and the founder of 85 Broads, a global network of current and former Goldman Sachs women professionals, spoke of her professional journey, struggles, triumphs and the critical role of networking in her career.

More than a week after it ended, Director of Alumni Relations Mimi Morsman was still receiving e-mails complimenting her on her great ideas and tireless efforts on behalf of Deerfield alumnae. Rashiida Richardson '07 sent a handwritten note and said, "The weekend was a huge success, a wonderful time for us younger women of DA to be together and just celebrate womanhood. I hope there is one next year." Natasha Viswanathan '06 (no relation to Ms. Viz) chose e-mail and wrote, "I can honestly say I met at least 15 different women whom I would love to grow to be one day. Ms. Merkel was amazing; her intellect and bright nature drew me to her. She is a biologist which was actually the reason I wanted to meet her. I would love to see myself in her position ten years from now. I think the weekend was a great opportunity for girls to see what can come after Deerfield. We each got a taste of the real world and how sweet it can be if we just stick with it, get our term papers done, trudge through the all-nighters, and graduate with pride. The hope which blanketed us students during the weekend will always be a comfort and a voice in the back of our minds sweetly saying, "You go girl!"

Valerie Idehen '00 wrote, "It was really nice to come to campus and be able to engage in rich discussion and see so many faculty who had a huge impact on me. I made it a point to hunt down Ms. Lyons, Mr. Driskill, Mr. De Bord, Ms. Hannay, Ms. Lyman and was so thrilled to see Mr. Ahbel, Ms. Whitcomb, Ms. Cabral and Ms. Hager, who I haven't seen since graduation! Janet Hanson was, of course, unbelievable and listening to her felt like exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my very early career. I do hope this weekend was the beginning of a beautiful tradition."

Carrie Freeman Braddock '92, a member of the Board of Trustees who left her three-month-old daughter at home and came for just one day, said, "As busy as life gets sometimes, it's so nice to take a step back and reflect-especially with such a thoughtful group of people who share such a strong bond."

At the end of the weekend the word on everyone's lips was MORE. The women of Deerfield, with their shared heritage of excellence, determination and humanity, hope to spend more time together- whether they meet on campus or at regional events across the country.

I am so happy to be a woman! During the first Women of Deerfield weekend, I heard inspirational speeches, participated in interesting panel discussions, conversed about possible career paths, and found a rejuvenated sense of pride in being a Deerfield girl.

As part of the student planning committee, I worked for a year with Mrs. Morsman and four other senior girls to make the weekend symposium the best it could be. Our big assignment was researching the history of women at Deerfield, pre-1948 and post-1989. I paged through old yearbooks, and discovered that there was a "Girls Club" decades ago; I read old copies of The Deerfield Scroll, and found people's first reactions to co-education ("We just scream the school song's right words over the new ones," said one boy); I searched through hundreds of unorganized pictures in the basement of the library to find the best examples of girls having fun. As the weekend drew closer, every new addition to the symposium was a thrill: green fleece vests with the Women of Deerfield symbol (a door with a pink "W" etched across it), pink pencils with green writing stamped with the weekend's title, name tags with a pink "Hostess" ribbon underneath for each student committee member.

The symposium, though, didn't need any of these niceties to make it memorable. The weekend ran beautifully, each part a success. On Friday evening some of my favorite female faculty members spoke about the challenges and rewards of being a woman at Deerfield. A group discussion afterward led to the creation of the Deerfield Academy Women's Network, or DAWN. The plan for DAWN evolved as the weekend progressed, inspired by speeches from Ms. Viz, Ms. Gimbel, Ms. Lyman, and then our keynote speaker, Janet Hanson. Ms. Hanson, who started the first network for business women in 1999, emphasized the importance of women supporting one another. She ended her speech with some tips, the last of which was "most importantly be passionate, compassionate, and have fun." I came away from her presentation invigorated with confidence in the capability of women when we support one another, something we can always work on at Deerfield.

One highlight of the weekend was the dinner Saturday night in the Caswell Library. I sat at a table with friendly alumnae, who were both interesting and interested in me. We chatted about careers, babies, classes, and boyfriends. Ms. Lyman's remarks reminded all of us that we have a strong female heritage at Deerfield (the school's 200 year history has had only 40 years without women). She told us to look out for each other in the stresses and joys of Deerfield life. That night, I walked into the Greer wearing my Women of Deerfield vest, glowing with pride at being a Deerfield girl.

Sunday morning was a time for fun. An alumnae panel, followed by a senior girls' panel, made me recognize that there is a life after Deerfield, and that what I do for myself here will follow me throughout life. Seeing so many women alumnae was a first, and realizing how successful and personable they are now gives me a sense of excitement for the future. I can't wait to come back for another Women of Deerfield weekend, so that I may be a role model for aspiring young Deerfield girls.