Westover's Former Head of School Receives Honor for Commitment to Education

The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools and the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools have honored Ann Pollina, who served as Westover’s Head of School for the past 18 years, for her lifelong commitment to education, especially for her leadership in girls’ education.

Before her June 30th retirement after 43 years as a teacher and administrator at Westover School, Pollina received the 2014-2015 Ransome Prize at the NCGS’s annual conference in late June at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, Va.

The Ransome Prize, which has been awarded annually in honor of NCGS co-founder Whitty Ransome since 2009, is presented to a woman who has made outstanding contributions to the coalition and one of its member schools to further the NCGS mission to be “a leading advocate for girls’ education with a distinct commitment to the transformative power of all-girls schools.” Pollina is a past President of the NCGS Board of Trustees.

The recipient of the $1,000 prize reflects “a pure devotion to a higher cause, joyfulness in serving others, and the grace and generosity in allowing others to take credit for good work that characterized Whitty Ransome’s own commitment to NCGS.”

Ransome and NSCS co-founder Meg Milne Moulton described Pollina as having “... a deep and driving commitment to girls’ schools.” As stated in the nomination letter submitted on her behalf, “[Ann] is the quintessential teacher for her students, a nurturing administrator for Westover, and an inspiring role model for her fellow educators.”

In awarding Pollina the prize, the coalition also noted that she “has written extensively and frequently travels throughout the country to speak on education, school excellence, and gender equity in education. As a national speaker, consultant, and organizer of symposia on gender equity in education, [Ann] is recognized as an expert on ways to involve girls in math, science, and technology, and serves on the boards of directors for a number of regional and national groups that promote women’s education.”

At Westover’s Orchard Ceremony June 4, CAIS Executive Director Douglas J. Lyons presented Pollina with the 10th annual CAIS Award. In his remarks, Lyons said, “The compass of our lives is supplied by the people we admire. In the world of schools, what we teach is one curriculum, who we are is another. For 43 years, Ann Pollina provided the young women of Westover with the daily example of a modern woman making moral choices, kind and caring choices, also smart and forward thinking choices. Choices that built this school into the lovely and powerful institution it is today. Ann, you are a Head of School so worthy of the admiration so many of us hold for you.”

For a number of years, Lyons noted, “Ann served on the board of CAIS and was a skilled and thoughtful President.” In 2005, under Ann’s leadership, the CAIS Board of Directors initiated the CAIS Award “to recognize, honor, and celebrate meritorious contributions … to the improvement of education for children in Connecticut.”

Lyons noted that Pollina herself presented the first CAIS Award in 2005 to Tod Eckerson of the Westminster School, a former Westover Trustee. “How totally charming and appropriate it is for me to be with Pollina once again as the award is presented, this time not from her … but to her,” Lyons added.

Pollina had been a member of the School’s faculty since joining its Mathematics Department in 1972. Throughout her time as Head of School, she continued to teach a class in AP Calculus.

In addition to her service to Westover, NCGS, and CAIS, Pollina has been a member of the Board of Directors and Strategic Planning Committee of the Maranyundo School in Nyamata, Rwanda, Westover’s sister school for girls, which she helped dedicate at its opening in 2008. She is Past President of the Headmistresses Association of the East and a member of the Headmasters Association. She is on the Commission of Independent Schools of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges.

In 1992, Pollina helped found the Westover’s W.I.S.E. (Women in Science and Engineering) Program, a collaboration originally established with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which aims to encourage young women to pursue careers in math and science. She is also a past officer of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science & Technology.

Captions for NCGS & CAIS Awards for Ann Pollina

Ann Pollina (right), Westover’s former Head of School, with Dr. Maria Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College, at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) Conference in June, where Ann received the NCGS Ransome Prize.

Ann Pollina holds the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools’ CAIS Award, presented to her at Westover’s Orchard Ceremony in June.