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Dear Friends,

I write to share some important news about our College Counseling Office. At the end of this academic year, Director of College Counseling Patrick Gallagher and College Counselor Adam Ortiz will step down to assume positions at new schools. Patrick will be the new Director of College Counseling at Gonzaga College High School, and Adam Ortiz will join the College Counseling team at The United World College, Maastricht Campus.

Adam began his work in the College Office in 2017 and quickly became a vital member of the college team and our community. The contagious joy that Adam has brought with him to school every day has made him an invaluable member of our community In his short tenure at the School, Adam has worked thoughtfully to guide students and their families through the college process. Adam has also served on the Upper School Equity, Justice, and Community Committee, adding his deep insights into the important work of social justice in our school. We will miss Adam!

Patrick Gallagher joined Sidwell Friends three years ago and has made an indelible impression on our school community. Enumerating the wonderful programmatic improvements that Patrick has introduced, including streamlined College Workshops for Seniors and Juniors, Summer College Application Workshops, and on-site testing for ACT and SAT, does not fully capture the essence of Patrick Gallagher, who has poured his heart and soul into this work. Patrick is a compassionate servant-leader, who has played a significant role as a mentor for colleagues and students alike. Patrick is an extraordinary educator who will be sorely missed!

I am delighted to share that former Director of College Counseling Laurén Carter will return to Sidwell Friends School on July 1 to lead our college office as the Interim Director of College Counseling. As many of you know, Laurén is a true leader in the industry, who served Sidwell Friends as Director from 2013 to 2017. Laurén has more than two decades of experience leading college counseling offices in independent schools. She also held leadership roles for close to a decade in college admissions offices at several universities, including New York University, Manhattanville College, and Ithaca College. Most recently, Laurén served in the college counseling office at Episcopal High School.

We are fortunate to have the incredibly talented Emily Thigpen in our college office, who is delighted to have the chance to work with Laurén again. We have already begun searching for a college counselor to assume Adam’s role, and we are confident that with Laurén’s leadership our college counseling program will be as strong as ever. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Min Kim.

Please join me in wishing Adam and Patrick all the best in their future endeavors.

In friendship,

Mamadou


Mamadou Guèye | Upper School Principal | Sidwell Friends School
3825 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> | Tel. 202.537.8162 | Fax. 202.537.817