I arrived at Nightingale in ninth grade, and while I don’t have a vivid memory of that first walk into the school, I do remember how different the building was then. The entrance wasn’t the blue doors everyone knows today—those didn’t exist yet. We used a door on the side of the building closer to Madison, and the new building wouldn’t be constructed for years. Even without a clear picture of that moment, I remember the feeling of entering a place that was smaller, more intimate, and very much in transition to a school that would later grow and change, just as I did.

Academically, I gravitated toward history more than anything, a passion that eventually became my college major. I’ve always seen history as a way of understanding stories; how people, decisions, and systems connect. That way of thinking still shapes how I approach finance and business today, because markets are ultimately driven by human behavior and narrative. I also continued Latin, which I had started in Class VII at my previous school and took through Class X at Nightingale. It gave me a foundation in structure, discipline, and language that I still appreciate.

Russian was another defining part of my academic experience. The class was tiny; just me, two other girls from my grade, and a boy from Collegiate who came over for lessons. I loved the intimacy and the challenge, and it stuck with me so much that I continued Russian during my freshman year of college.

But more than any single subject, Nightingale gave me confidence. Growing up in an environment where girls were celebrated gave me a deep sense of belonging. My ability to walk into a room full of men and know I deserve to be there comes directly from my years at Nightingale and from leaders like Ms. McMenamin, then the head of school, who made sure we understood that our voices mattered.

When I arrived at Princeton, I carried that confidence with me. I had spent my formative years in a place where intelligence in girls wasn’t just accepted; it was celebrated and that mindset shaped how I showed up academically, socially, and intellectually from day one. Nightingale actually has an important place in Princeton history—the valedictorian and salutatorian of Princeton’s Class of 1973—the first class to include women, were both Nightingale alumnae!

I didn’t always know I wanted to work in finance. For a long time, I thought I’d end up in fashion. After graduation, I started interviewing on Wall Street somewhat unexpectedly, not through the on‑campus process, just exploring on my own. I ultimately landed in the municipal bond industry, which happened to be the business my family was in. It wasn’t a predetermined plan, but once I stepped into it, the work felt familiar and the path made sense. It’s where I stayed.

Today, I’m a managing director at Rockefeller Capital Management in our Chief Client Office, a role that brings together the meaningful shifts of my forty years on Wall Street. It allows me to use the full range of my experience in finance and leadership while tapping into the extensive network I’ve built over decades. My focus is helping people and companies find the right solutions across their financial lives from wealth management to investment banking to private equity and it’s work that feels both strategic and genuinely fun.

Seeing a new generation of students, especially my own daughters, move through the same hallways I once did has been a powerful blend of continuity and pride. As a parent of two lifers in the Classes of ’14 and ’22, watching them experience the same rituals that shaped me was deeply meaningful. I am also incredibly proud that both of my daughters went to Princeton after Nightingale. And while my days as an active member of the Nightingale community as a parent and as a trustee are behind me, my commitment has never wavered; I’ve maintained, and will continue to maintain, an unbroken record of giving to Annual Giving every year. More importantly, I carry with me the privilege and the obligation  to help carry forward the same confidence Nightingale instilled in me, ensuring that other women feel empowered to walk into any room knowing they belong there. 

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