On Friday, December 15, four familiar faces were spotted inside 100 East End Avenue. Seated next to Head of School Suzanne Fogarty were Courtney Bowen ’15, Katherine Cornett ’19, Liddy Cotter ’16 and Lisette Watters ’16, the special guests for the third installment of Ms. Fogarty’s Coffee & Conversation series.
“Thank you for carving time out of your busy schedules,” began Ms. Fogarty. “I’m excited to dive in as we have a full discussion ahead of us!”
After sharing brief introductions, the panelists* answered a few rapid-fire questions including whether they’re a Green or Gold (all except Katherine are Gold!) and their favorite Chapin lunch (answers for which included chicken cones, breakfast for lunch, Thanksgiving lunch and muenster bagels).
Ms. Fogarty then began the conversation by asking, “How did you see yourself as a mentor during your time at Chapin?”
Lisette shared that she still keeps in touch with Kindergarten and Class 2 girls that she babysat as an Upper Schooler. “Community is so important. Older students always looked out for me – and still do at alum events. They’re people that I can talk to. I wanted to continue that.”
Courtney, who described some mentoring she received, praised Chapin’s Peer Leadership program (when Class 9 students are paired with seniors) calling it a “transformative and formative experience.”
“My Peer leader is still one of my heroes,” she stated. “These connections that you make [at Chapin] don’t stop – they’re so valuable all throughout your life.”
“I was obsessed with the older girls,” said Liddy, chuckling. “Those relationships were so important to my development. Seeing someone in the next stage – even if it’s just a few years older – is so important.”
Underscoring the benefits of being under one roof, she talked about the mentorship opportunities that begin as early as Lower School. “I still remember my 3rd grade reading buddy, my ‘big sister’ [in Middle School]. Female role models are just so important.”
“Can you speak to how Chapin prepared you for college and life beyond?” Ms. Fogarty asked.
Katherine, who balanced her engineering program and being a collegiate athlete, said time management skills, while Liddy applauded the wealth of experiences and opportunities that Chapin provided. “This school made the best parts of me,” she added.
Courtney noted that Chapin instilled what she believes to be the most important thing – sense of self and confidence. “Seeing girls do everything lifted the bounds on what’s possible. It’s the best thing you can arm a developing person with,” she said.
The next question asked panelists to describe the ways in which they saw older students take on leadership roles at Chapin. “And how did that influence your path?” Ms. Fogarty continued. “How did attending a girls’ school effect your view of the world?”
As an athlete, Courtney also drew on her athletic experiences for her response. Having been at a co-ed school before joining Chapin, she articulated her frustrations at “having the worst practice times, Monday night games, feeling like no one cared about what we were doing. Coming to Chapin and having it be center stage was so fun.”
“It’s incredible to be in a place where you are centered,” she continued. This allows you to advocate for yourself wherever you go, she explained, and knowing “what I’m doing is just as important – just as impressive and it demands the same amount of respect.”
As the youngest on the panel, Katherine shared that she looks up to (then and now) each of the women next to her, adding, “Chapin taught me that I have a voice and it matters. I always felt empowered to use it. I can’t thank Chapin enough for that.”
Attending a girls’ school, Lisette offered, “inspired me to become a leader. I didn’t see myself as one until I saw girls like me take on those roles.”
When asked about navigating some of the challenges women face today, Lisette shared that she’s often motivated to help other women feel comfortable and confident to speak up when they disagree and ask questions. “Women often feel that if they speak up, they have to be right and that’s disappointing, because we’re human, too. We make mistakes. It’s okay to ask when you don’t know the answer.”
Echoing her fellow alums’ thoughts, Courtney added, “Chapin was such a safe environment to learn and try. I spoke up when I was only 20% certain – and, often, I was right.” Whether you succeeded or failed, “having that space to just try makes you realize you’re way more capable than you think. We don’t often get that in a patriarchal society – women feel this pressure to be perfect.”
Liddy, who noted that women shouldn’t feel they have to compete, shared that Chapin infused a belief in her that “your fellow girl is your partner, your teammate – who you’re going to go to the top with.”
“In the reality of our world, there are women who don’t support women all the time. How do you approach that?” enquired Ms. Fogarty.
“A lot of that comes from a scarcity mindset. The thought that there isn’t enough room for us all,” said Courtney. “I feel lucky to have been at Chapin where there was no scarcity mindset. Greatness could be occupied by us all – all women – and because I don’t have that preconception, I aim to build that kind of environment wherever I go for other women.”
In the remainder of this dynamic discussion, the panelists shared opportunities they feel Chapin has for the future, advice for how parents can best support their daughters, and answered parents’ questions. “I admire your wisdom,” said Ms. Fogarty. “Thank you.”
To watch the full discussion, click here: https://chapin.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_ewi31a1e
*Panelists:
Courtney Bowen is a member of the Class of 2015 and received her B.A. from Stanford University in Economics with a minor in Human Biology. She is currently a student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Before starting medical school, Courtney worked in private equity at Altamont Capital Partners for 2.5 years. During her time at Chapin, Courtney, among other things, was a National Merit Scholarship recipient and a 5-letter variety athlete – she walked on to Stanford’s Volleyball team and won two National Championships!
Katherine Cornett, Class of 2019, is currently at BlackRock as an ETF & Index Investing Sustainable Product Strategist. After graduating from Cornell University with a B.S. in Engineering, Earth and Atmospheric Science, Katherine was active in Engineers For A Sustainable World, the Cornell Investment Banking Club, Society of Women Engineers as well as a member of the Varsity Polo Team (which she walked onto as a freshman). While at Chapin, Katherine was in Model UN, a Peer Leader, Admissions Tour Guide, STEM tutor and a Varsity athlete.
Liddy Cotter is a member of the Class of 2016 and is currently an Associate Vice President with Orbit Partners. She received her B.A./M.A. Honors in International Relations from University of St Andrews. While there, she found a lot of ways to engage with the surrounding communities. For example, she worked with the Lumsden Club, a registered Scottish charity with aims to support women’s and children’s charities, and The Winning Women, which was established to connect students from St Andrews with leading women from various industries via a conference and networking reception. Her time at Chapin was filled with many things: Being a Peer Leader, Vice President of Self Government, President of the Debate Team, captain of the swim team and an Admissions Representative.
Lisette Watters, also a member of the Class of 2016, is currently an HR Transformation Lead at IBM, where she has been for the past 3.5 years. She graduated from Bowdoin with a double major in Africana Studies & Government and Legal Studies with a minor in Chinese. She spent her entire junior year studying abroad in China and London. While at Chapin, Lisette was the President of the Dance Club and a Peer Leader. She was also a member of CAP, Choral Club and Chapin’s acapella group.
