Thoughtful Philanthropy Addressed at Emma Willard School Commencement May 27

TROY, NY (05/22/2012)(readMedia)-- The senior class at Emma Willard School asked for a speaker on thoughtful philanthropy for their graduation keynoter and they will hear two female movers and shakers on the topic at the school's 198th Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Sunday May 27, 2012. Kathryn Moeller, current recipient of a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, and Class of 1965 graduate Michal Colby Wadsworth will address the class.

Eighty-four girls representing 12 countries and 13 states will earn their diplomas at this year's ceremony. They include 58 boarding students and 26 day students whose hometowns range from Arusha, Tanzania, to New York, NY, and from Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, to Saint Paul, MN.

Kathryn J. Moeller received her doctorate in education with an emphasis in Gender and Women's Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research and teaching focus on the relationship between education, gender, and development. With fellowships from Fulbright-Hays and the National Science Foundation, she had the opportunity to conduct fieldwork on girls' education in the U.S. and Brazil. Dr. Moeller's connection with Emma Willard School began in September 2011, when she facilitated a dialogue on moving beyond an instrumental approach to girls and young women's education at AUDACIA: The Global Forum for Girls' Education.

Michal Colby Wadsworth '65 received her B.A. in history from Northwestern University, and is currently very active in the greater Buffalo community. Michal serves on the boards of The Shaw Festival in Ontario, Canada, The Irish Classical Theater, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Buffalo Seminary, Lakeside Shakespeare Theater in Frankfort, Michigan, and Emma Willard School. Michal is committed to educating young girls on the importance of philanthropy in their own communities, as well as making informative philanthropic decisions. As a result of Michal's leadership and generous support, Emma Willard's student philanthropy group, Phila, was formed with the purpose of exposing students to the work of local nonprofits and the grant process. Since its inception, Phila has awarded nearly $35,000 in competitive grants to admirable nonprofits throughout the Capital Region.

Emma girls graduating this year were admitted to 158 colleges and universities. In the fall, they will matriculate at institutions such as Amherst, Bates, Boston College, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Colby, Cornell, Dartmouth, Emory, Georgetown, Grinnell, Hamilton, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, Lafayette, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, New York University, Northwestern, Rochester, Smith, Stanford, Vassar, Wellesley, and Williams.

About Emma Willard School

As the oldest private girls' school in the country, Emma Willard School has been empowering girls since 1814. Pioneering educator Emma Hart Willard envisioned a world where girls had the same opportunities as boys and where girls could receive unparalleled educational leadership. Emma will celebrate its Bicentennial in 2014.