A new leadership summit brought together female students and alums for a day of conversation and mentoring
This March, a group of 16 female students had the chance to step into the professional world, meeting alumnae who not long ago were in their shoes. The Women of Williston (WOW) student affinity group, advised by Associate Dean of Students Kate Garrity, took part in a two-day leadership summit, visiting alumnae at their places of business in Western Massachusetts and New York City.
“I wanted the girls to see all these alums out there in the big world doing great things,” Garrity said. “And know that there is legitimate, genuine support for students among women out there in the workplace.”
The summit grew out of work that began in 2022, when the alumni office marked 50 years of coeducation at the school with Women of Willison gatherings in major cities like Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Programs celebrating Northampton School for Girls and women in our community have continued since then, and this year, the alumni office, the Dean of Students office, and the student WOW affinity group teamed up to launch the inaugural leadership summit.
Spanning two days, the summit was everything the students hoped it would be and more. By getting the chance to talk to alumnae who also shared the Williston experience, students were able to get valuable insights about how to prepare for the professional world.
“This is my first year at Williston, but already I feel more pulled into the community, and I was able to see all the different things that people have done as an extension of Williston. A lot of them connected their journeys back to their time here,” said Gabby Kim ’28. “And I think that was super empowering and something unique to this school, specifically.”
The excitement the students felt was also shared by the alumnae. Kristyna Frantz ’10, who hosted a stop in NYC at her worksite, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the decision to participate was almost instantaneous.
“The alums laid out a clear path and told us that if we’re determined and putting in the work, we’re going to succeed.”— Sadie Dripps ’26
“I had such a positive experience at Williston, and I’ve stayed connected with my friends and a lot of the faculty and staff,” Frantz said. “I want to keep giving back, so I was very pumped to be asked.”
In addition to the stop to see Frantz at the Fed, students also met with professionals in several different areas of work (see the rundown in the timeline, at right). For Sadie Dripps ’26, that bit of show-and-tell really hit home as she prepares to head off to college.
“They were very inspiring and reassuring that we’re going to make it,” Dripps said. “I admire these women who are so sucessful—but how can I get there? The alums laid out a clear path and told us that if we’re determined and putting in the work, we’re going to get where we want to go.”
After the workplace stops, the day concluded with a networking event at the New York Athletic Club, where a dozen mentors—including those from the earlier stops—met with the 16 students to talk about a little bit of everything. It was, according to Izzy Jimah ’28, the cherry on the proverbial sundae.
“The second I walked in, I could feel the energy,” Jimah said. “They took their time and energy to meet us, and they were so willing to talk and were so open about not only their own experiences at Williston, but their jobs and how it can all tie back to their alma mater. I think that’s a very special connection.”
With the excitement of the summit still fresh, Garrity and Deleney Magoffin, Director of Alumni Engagement, are already looking ahead to next spring’s leadership summit and imagining new ways to connect Williston women across generations. “It was just such a positive experience for everyone,” said Magoffin. “The alumnae and students effortlessly found common threads in their experiences, and there was a sense of shared respect and joy throughout the summit.” (Interested in getting involved? Contact alumni@williston!)
The Summit Timeline
Dinner at joe’s
The first night of the leadership summit was local, as the group went to Joe’s Cafe in nearby Northampton to talk with owner/operator Meaghan Sullivan ’01. Sullivan talked about her experience as a business owner and entrepreneur.
Fed Building
The first stop in NYC was the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to see Kristyna Frantz ’10. Frantz gave the group a small tour of the building, then answered questions about her role as a Marketing and Communications Specialist.
lunch and learn
Lunch and Learn
For lunch, the group met up with Miranda Gohh ’13, who is currently working to produce two shows on Broadway. Gohh talked about what she does as a producer and her advocacy efforts in the theater world.
IBM Headquarters
After lunch, half of the students went to IBM to talk with Meaghan Koch ’09, an Associate Partner in Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as Elis Shin ’09, who stopped in to talk about her work as a Deputy Director at Open House New York.
Ford Foundation
The other half of the group went to the Ford Foundation to meet Tolu Onafowokan ’05 and hear about her work as a Global Director of Strategic Communications. While there, the students also met other empowering female leaders at the foundation
Mentor Event
To cap off the day, the group went to the New York Athletic Club for a networking event. Twelve alums, including those from earlier stops, talked with students and gave guidance on how to use their voices and stay open to new opportunities.