Alumni Updates

October 19, 2021

Dear Fellow Alumni, 

It’s been a busy fall so far at Walnut Hill—students are adjusting to a fully in-person class schedule, settling into their arts routines, and engaging in clubs, affinity groups, and social events on campus. Last week, we celebrated two of our favorite traditions: Class Day (aka Mountain Day), during which each class came together for special activities and excursions, and Class Night, which entailed a formal dinner followed by a schoolwide dance. We are looking forward to upcoming performances and arts presentations, including the fall musical, All Night Strut, the Senior Solo Dance Showcase, and WFMA’s New Ink/Rough Cuts.

The Alumni Executive Committee has also been hard at work thinking about ways to reconnect alumni with one another and with the School, especially as we emerge from the limitations the COVID-19 pandemic thrust upon us. I am writing to you on behalf of the Alumni Association with some important dates, as well as ways we could use your help this year. 

Reunion Weekend
May 20 and 21, 2022 – In Person, On Campus 
Stay tuned for more information. 
To help with your class’s upcoming reunion, please email alumni@walnuthillarts.org. 


Open Alumni Association Meetings 
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 7:00–9:00pm Eastern – Zoom
Thursday, January 27, 2022, 7:00–9:00pm Eastern – Zoom
Saturday, May 21, 2022, 10:00am–12:00pm Eastern – In Person, On Campus

Standing agenda items include:

• Updates from the Alumni Association
• "State of the School” addresses from school leadership—with topics including updates on DEI initiatives at Walnut Hill and the Head of School transition
• Opportunities for discussion

• Most alumni prefer to be informed via newsletter, regardless of graduation year.
• Most are at least aware of the Alumni Association. 
• Many think that the Association should currently focus on DEI initiatives and in-person gatherings. 
• Alumni are split on how Walnut Hill should prioritize its spending. 

Analysis is still pending on other sections of the survey, including those focusing on level of engagement, what keeps alumni engaged, and what keeps alumni from being engaged.


Opportunities to Get Involved This Year

This year’s task forces come as a direct result of input from survey responders and the work done at the Open Alumni Association meeting in May 2021. These task forces will tackle:

• Monthly newsletter spotlight interviews
• Creation of a new “getting involved” website page 
• Reconfiguration of the Class Notes website page 
• Find a Walnut Week, which in Spring 2022 will focus on alumni who graduated over a decade ago and who we still have listed at their parents’ address in our database 

• Feedback Committee for future surveys 
• Alumni Executive Committee
• Alumni Abroad Committee, chaired by Matthew Akitani ’00 
• Membership Committee, chaired by Alessandra Bono Horton ’00 

All opportunities are open to anyone who attended Walnut Hill. Most meetings are held by Zoom, and task forces will meet only a few times. We encourage alumni from all backgrounds to get involved in the area(s) that speak most to you. 

Please complete this Google Form with your interest, and someone from the Alumni Executive Committee will contact you. Questions? Please email alumni@walnuthillarts.org. 

Celebrating ALL Alumni

Be it in newsletter spotlights, through social media, or on our website, we love celebrating the achievements—both in the arts and beyond—of our alumni. To that end, we are creating some new space on the website to showcase all alumni who wish to be featured. On the Google Form, you will be asked for your permission for us to list you as a point of pride. We hope you will allow us the opportunity to show how proud Walnut Hill is of you and your accomplishments. 

It is truly in the spirit of Non nobis solum that we head into this year as Walnut Hill’s Alumni Association. We are excited about the work and opportunities that lie ahead and hope you will join us. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly. 

Best,

Garrett R. Murphy ’08
Senior Development Officer