Ancients of Impact

How graduates are shaping a changing world.

Since 1843, Ancients have been positively shaping the world with the confidence, curiosity and purpose they nurtured at Miss Porter’s School.

From classrooms to boardrooms, laboratories to legislatures, our graduates make their mark by innovating in their fields, uplifting communities and solving pressing local and global problems. Out in the world, Ancients embody the promise of an MPS education—bringing integrity, resilience and purpose to everything they do.

Celebrating Outstanding Ancients

A woman speaks at a podium on stage with a green screen behind her displaying 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees and images of a softball team.

A smiling woman with gray hair, glasses, and a colorful floral shawl stands at a podium with a microphone, holding a folder. People are visible in the background under a white tent.

Two women sitting close together, smiling and holding bouquets of colorful flowers, surrounded by other people at an outdoor event.

Four people stand at a podium, smiling and laughing. One woman is placing a medal on another woman. A Miss Porters School banner hangs in the background. There are flowers to the right and a seal on the podium.

Five people stand indoors, the person in the center holds a clear glass award. All are smiling, dressed in business or formal attire, with a large arched window and framed photos in the background.

Two women stand smiling together in front of a green banner that reads Celebrating 175 years. One woman gestures with her arm, and both wear dresses and green sashes or accessories. White curtains hang behind them.

Miss Porter’s School proudly honors Ancients whose lives reflect the bold thinking and principled action they cultivated at Farmington. These awards recognize graduates whose vision, leadership and service have sparked meaningful change across workplaces, families, communities and countries. Each Ancient award is a celebration of our shared legacy — of voices sharpened, identities owned and paths charted with courage.

Nominate an Incredible Ancient →

Honoring Extraordinary Service & Devotion

As our most prestigious honor, the Daisy Pin celebrates Ancients whose faithful service to the school reflects the vision and dedication of our founder, Sarah Porter. Through their time, talent and unwavering commitment, these Ancients help Miss Porter’s School remain a place where young women can grow into self-assured leaders who carry our shared values into the world.

2022: Gaylynn Burroughs ’95 P’27

Gaylynn Burroughs is shaping our changing world in ways that address social inequality and create better opportunities for women, children and families.

The Arlington, Virginia-based lawyer is the vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center, a nonprofit organization working for gender justice, democracy and prosperity for working families.

Previously, Gaylynn served for six years as the policy director of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which is dedicated to women’s equality, reproductive health and nonviolence. Her involvement with the foundation began through an internship that she completed while a student at Miss Porter’s School. Gaylynn also served as senior counsel to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Gaylynn’s resolve to advance opportunities for girls has also driven her volunteering for Porter’s; she served on the board of trustees from 2012 to 2021, with the last two of those years in the role of vice president.

A woman with curly hair, wearing hoop earrings and a white shirt with animal prints, smiles warmly outdoors with greenery in the background.

2018: Nancy Klingenstein Simpkins ’74

A dedicated philanthropist who is passionate about making gains in brain science, children’s health, early literacy and the environment, Nancy Klingenstein Simpkins is moving the needle on social progress.

Together with her family, Nancy leads Klingenstein Philanthropies, three foundations that fund initiatives that focus on areas such as neuroscience research, climate change preparedness and children’s mental health. The overarching goal of the organization is to improve people’s health, well-being and education, particularly those with the most need.

The holder of a bachelor of arts degree from Smith College in Massachusetts, Nancy has worked to make a meaningful difference in the world in other ways. She is a founding trustee and the current board chair of The Wild Center, a natural history museum in the Adirondacks. She also volunteers for Columbia University’s Teachers College as a trustee and as an advisory board member of its Klingenstein Center.

In her capacity as a member and then president of the Miss Porter’s School Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2019, Nancy played a pivotal role in strategically guiding the direction of the school, including through the distinct challenges posed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A woman with short dark hair and a purple turtleneck sweater smiles outdoors, standing in front of green foliage.

2015: Anne Stillman Nordeman ’65

For her extensive volunteering at Miss Porter’s School and within her community in New York, Ann Stillman Nordeman is an Ancient with an admirable service ethic.

While a student at Miss Porter’s, Ann served as co-head of new girls, a leadership role that involved welcoming new students and helping them fit in. After graduating, she completed an associate of arts degree at Pine Manor Junior College (now part of Boston College).

Ann’s early career involved a role with the Columbia Broadcasting System. She is currently the director of admissions at St. Bernard’s School, a private K-9 school for boys in Manhattan.

Embracing community engagement, Ann has volunteered for organizations such as the Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund, which funds social service operations in New York City and Northeastern New Jersey, and American Ballroom Theater Dancing Classrooms, a nonprofit initiative that teaches social ballroom dance to fifth graders to foster their personal growth. She is also a member of the Daughters of Cincinnati and the Southampton Garden Club.

Ann has prioritized giving back to Miss Porter’s School by volunteering for several years as a member of its board of trustees, including for three years as its vice president.

2014: Margaret Nash Gifford ’48

Many lives and communities in Ohio and beyond have been positively transformed by the wide-ranging community service contributions of Margaret Nash Gifford.

Margaret’s long and noteworthy track record of addressing inequality in society began with her volunteering for a summer camp for underprivileged children. Keen to support diverse social causes more strategically, she served on or led the boards of several organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood of Northwest Ohio (as president) and Family Services of Toledo (as vice president).

In 1981, Margaret took a significant step forward in her commitment to social impact and formed a consulting business aimed at supporting the success of nonprofits; over the years, she helped 25 organizations improve their fundraising efforts and board functionality.

Margaret’s dedication to uplifting organizations with social missions she believed in extended to Miss Porter’s School. She served as a member of the school’s board of trustees from 1987 to 1993.

historic yearbook photo of Margaret Nash Gifford

2022: Gaylynn A. Burroughs ’95

2018: Nancy Klingenstein Simpkins ’74

2015: Anne Stillman Nordeman ’65

2014: Margaret Nash Gifford ’48

2013: Judith Milliken Holden ’68

2012: Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57

2009: Barbara Higgins Epifanio ’79

2008: Elizabeth Mead Merck ’38

2007: M. Burch Tracy Ford

2006: Marianna Mead O’Brien, P’74, ’76, ’78

2005: Edith McBride Bass ’50

2005: Beverley Waud Sutherland ’55

2004: Missie Rennie Taylor ’64

2003: Isabel Morrell Beadleston ’28

2002: Virginia Wells Truesdale ’52

1999: Judy Olin Higgins ’54

1997: Alice Babst Bent ’27

1997: Sally du Pont Cahill ’47

1996: Jean Marckwald Chapin ’56

1995: Marie Powell Hincks ’45

1994: Emily Ridgway Crisp ’59

1994: Eleanor Ashforth Harvey ’43

1993: Rachel Hammond Breck 1925

1990: Lucy Pulling Cutting ’54

1989: Edwina Shea Millington ’49

1988: Margaret Taube Harper ’53

1986: Caroline Morgan Macomber ’50

1984: Margaret Porter Davis ’52

1984: Lynn Weyerhaeuser Day ’49

1984: Elizabeth Hanavan Hube

1982: Louisa Copeland Duemling ’54

1981: Emily Parsons Ridgway ’29

1980: Polly Fenton Dickerson ’37

1980: Alice Rutgers Dodge ’37

1979: Elizabeth Buffinton Briggs ’44

1973: Nancy Fenton Perkins ’35

1973: Gloria Barnes Van Norden ’41

1970: Dorothy Dennis Marsh 1910

1969: Katharine Derr Barney 1918

1967: Anna Matheson Wood 1901

1965: Mrs. Hollis French

1965: Harriet McClure Stuart 1907

1963: Mrs. Robert Porter Keep

1963: Margaret Porter Ijams 1912

1963: Ellenor Cook Lane 1915

1963: Katharine Bunker Parsons 1918

1963: Eleanor Ames Powell 1924

1963: Mary DuBois Schwarz ’29

1963: Annie Burr Auchincloss Lewis 1920

Honoring Impactful Leadership & Service

The Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 Achievement Award celebrates Ancients whose exceptional service to Miss Porter’s School and the wider world advances our values and improves lives. Through their transformational leadership and steadfast commitment to others, these Ancients inspire future generations to think deeply, live confidently and make their own lasting impact. They are distinctively shaping a changing world.

Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 put her beliefs into action to achieve positive change by advocating for women and families and bolstering healthcare cases. Her husband, William H. Donaldson, established the award in her honor to ensure her legacy continues to inspire MPS students and Ancients to use their gifts in the service of something larger than themselves.

2026: Elizabeth Blake ’69

An accomplished lawyer who prioritizes using her legal expertise to advance social progress, Elizabeth “Liz” Blake embodies the ideal balance of professional success and humanitarianism.

A Columbia Law School graduate who was recognized for her superior academic achievement, Liz began her career as a corporate lawyer who worked at law firms on Wall Street and in Cincinnati. She later held leadership roles at companies such as U.S. Airways, General Electric Power Systems and Trizec Properties, Inc.

In her final legal role, Liz served as general counsel and senior vice-president of advocacy and government affairs at the housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity International. There, she helped advance law reform to support housing access, gender equity, land rights and proper sanitation for vulnerable people in countries such as Bolivia, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya and Mexico.

Liz’s community service work has included serving on the boards of several civic and charitable organizations, including Westminster Schools, the Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Ohio Board of Regents. She also served terms on the Alumnae Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees at Miss Porter’s School. Since retiring in 2014, Liz and her husband have run the Liz Blake Giving Fund, which works to better the lives of disadvantaged women and children in their community of Atlanta, Georgia.

2024: Andrea Hailey ’99

Defending America’s democracy is no small task, but seasoned voting rights advocate Andrea Hailey has proven she is more than up to the task.

As CEO of vote.org, the country’s largest nonpartisan digital voter engagement organization, Andrea plays a pivotal role in equipping Americans with the information and access they need to cast a ballot. Before helming vote.org, she co-founded the Civic Engagement Fund, an incubator for nonprofit organizations focused on voter empowerment.

A political science graduate of George Washington University, Andrea began her career in the office of former Rhode Island congressman Patrick Kennedy. She has advised multiple political candidates in state and federal campaigns, including former U.S. president Barack Obama.

Outside the political arena, Andrea has promoted action on gun violence by helping Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students conduct more than 100 national town halls about gun violence. She also helped raise more than $1 million in fewer than 60 days to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Andrea has been honored for her considerable accomplishments in political media strategy and fundraising with two Pollie Awards from the American Association of Political Consultants.

From 2010 to 2013, Andrea served as a member of the Alumnae Board at Miss Porter’s School.

2022: Vanessa Roanhorse ’96

When it comes to creating opportunities and prosperity for Native Americans, among those leading the way is innovator Vanessa Roanhorse.

A member of the Diné tribe, the resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is CEO of Roanhorse Consulting, an Indigenous-led social enterprise that promotes self-determination for Native Americans. By providing strategic planning, research and project development support that center Indigenous ways of knowing, the firm is uplifting Indigenous communities.

Vanessa co-founded Native Women Lead, a nonprofit organization that supports the entrepreneurial ventures of Native women. She also advises the Angels of Impact Fund, which invests in women-led community-based sustainable enterprises, and the Decolonizing Wealth Project, which works for economic equity for communities harmed by colonialism.

Other ways Vanessa helps uplift historically marginalized people is by serving on the board of directors of Seven Fires and Native Community Capital, nonprofit organizations focused on Indigenous empowerment; Delta Institute, a nonprofit addressing environmental challenges in the Midwest; and Zebras Unite, a business founders co-op working for a sustainable, just economy.

In 2021, Vanessa’s contributions to social progress were recognized with the PayPal Maggie Lena Walker Emerging Leader Award, which celebrates those working for a more inclusive economy.

2019: Josephine Brodhead Moore ’68

With her deep commitment to urban education, social justice and community development, Josephine “Jodie” Moore has created brighter futures for numerous inner city youths.

The St. Louis native began her career as an interior designer before moving to Pittsburgh in 1980, where she founded the regional office of a design firm. Feeling called to ministry, she enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, which she completed in 1996. While pursuing her degree, Jodie founded the Larimer Avenue Youth Club, a street ministry for at-risk youth in Pittsburgh’s distressed neighborhoods that was supported by five East End churches.

At the same time, Jodie partnered with the Rev. Tom Johnson to create a summer school for teens. In 2001, their efforts evolved into The Neighborhood Academy, a faith-based college preparatory school for underserved youth. She led a $10.2 million capital campaign in 2008 to build the school’s new campus, and in 2015, she spearheaded a $4.5 million middle school expansion.

Jodie is now retired from The Neighborhood Academy and serves as its president emerita, but her positive impact endures: The organization now serves 200 students from 34 zip codes and 100 percent of graduates go on to college.

2017: Anne Firestone Ball ’51

Opening doors to better life opportunities to disadvantaged residents of Greenwich, Connecticut, was the mission and life’s work of Anne Firestone Ball.

Anne was a longtime champion of Family Centers, a nonprofit organization offering education, health and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. Serving on the organization’s board of directors for 21 years, including as chairperson for four terms, she supported its delivery of programs in areas such as early childhood education, adult literacy and job training. Family Centers honored Anne’s extensive contributions with its Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding Volunteerism Award.

Miss Porter’s School held a special place in Anne’s heart, and she cared deeply about empowering its students to realize their full potential. She served as a trustee to the school from 1989 to 1995, including a one-year term as vice president. Anne was also a representative for her class. Her legacy of generous giving to Porter’s is reflected in the Anne Firestone Ball ’51 Fund, which her family and friends established as a testament to her affection for the school.

historic yearbook photo of Anne Firestone Ball

2026: Elizabeth “Liz” Kilcullen Blake ’69
Retired Attorney, Volunteer &Philanthropist

2024: Andrea Hailey ’99
CEO of Vote.org

2022: Vanessa Roanhorse ’96
Co-Founder, Native Women Lead
CEO of Roanhorse Consulting LLC

2019: Josephine Brodhead Moore ’68
Co-Founder and President Emerita, The Neighborhood Academy
Master of Divinity, advocate for social justice

2017: Anne Firestone Ball ’51
Community volunteer and philanthropist

2015: Louise Vietor Oliver ’62
U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO
Expert in education, philanthropy and public policy

2011: Louisa Copeland Duemling ’54
Philanthropist and conservationist

2009: Tracy D. Gary ’69
Founder and President, Inspired Legacies
Donor, activist and philanthropist

2007: India Howell ’75
Founder, Rift Valley Children’s Village, Tanzanian Children’s Fund and Rift Valley Children’s Fund

2005: Isabel Van Devanter Sawhill ’55
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute

2003: Agnes Gund ’56
Founder, Studio in a School
Chairman Emerita, Museum of Modern Art
Chair, NYC Art Commission

2001: Elizabeth Cushman Putnam ’51
Founder, Student Conservation Association

1998: Elizabeth May ’72
Executive Director, Sierra Club of Canada

“Among the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow, who will have to wrestle with the ongoing problems of poverty, illness, education, toxic wastes, the elderly, and so on. I believe if we can make students aware at an early age of the many needs in a community, they will carry this concern with them into adulthood.”

Honoring Competitors & Leaders

The Athletic Hall of Fame at Miss Porter’s School celebrates Ancients, teams and coaches who’ve expanded the limits of what’s possible in their sport. Embodying discipline, resilience and teamwork, inductees played competitively, led with heart and helped build the strong, growing tradition of exceptional MPS athletes we’re so proud of today.

2025: The 2004 MPS Varsity Softball Team

In 2004, the Miss Porter’s School varsity softball team achieved perfection with a 17-0 record, capturing both Founders League and Western New England Prep School Girls Softball Association Class A Championships. This historic season crowned Coach Mel’s nearly 20-year tenure, during which she built a dynasty with over 100 wins and developed numerous collegiate athletes.

But Coach Mel’s impact extended far beyond the scoreboard. A trailblazer for equity and inclusion, she eliminated financial barriers to ensure every player accessed the full team experience. Her mentorship created a culture where #GirlsWinHere—fostering bonds that went beyond softball and teaching lessons about resilience, teamwork and leadership that shaped young women’s lives.

The first complete team inducted into the MPS Athletic Hall of Fame, the 2004 varsity softball team represents both a moment of athletic perfection and the lasting influence of a coach who believed in limitless potential. Their legacy continues to inspire generations of Porter’s athletes.

2021: Mercedes “Ellie” Large ’81
Soccer, Lacrosse and Golf

Mercedes “Ellie” Large is a distinguished athlete, entrepreneur, business advisor and community volunteer.

A varsity soccer player, Ellie was a top performer at all-state and regional prep school competitions. While earning her bachelor’s degree at Tufts University, Ellie co-captained the lacrosse team to its first-ever undefeated season and became an All-American lacrosse player, which earned her a spot in Tuft’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

After earning her MBA at Harvard Business School in 1993, the resident of West Hartford, Connecticut, went on to hold strategic roles at organizations such as The Hartford, Travelers Insurance and Ernst & Young. Returning to Porter’s, she worked as a senior development officer. She also led her own business consulting firm and with her husband started a computer gaming center, The Bleeding Edge.

Ellie is an avid golfer who in 2018 won the women’s club championship at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford. She has also twice won the individual title in the Endicott Cup, a tristate golf event.

Ellie has served on the boards of organizations such as Foodshare, Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Hartford Youth Scholars and the YWCA of Hartford. She has also volunteered extensively for Porter’s as a trustee, Alumnae Board member, class representative, reunion committee member and chair of the annual giving committee.

2019: Corinne “Coco” Schoeller Hein ’11
Crew

A preternaturally gifted rower who made her mark on the sport at the highest level of competition, Corinne “Coco” (Schoeller) Hein exemplifies athletic excellence.

Having started her rowing career at Miss Porter’s School, Coco graduated in 2011 as captain of the team and had the distinction of being one of the top collegiate rowing recruits in the country. At Brown University, home to an internationally renowned rowing program, she helped lead the women’s team to several key victories. As team captain, she played a critical role in securing three Ivy League Championship titles at NCAA Division 1 rowing competitions. The team also achieved a first-place ranking among collegiate rowing teams in the U.S. In 2015, the university bestowed Coco with its Marjorie Smith Award, which is presented to the outstanding female varsity athlete of the year.

Coco’s illustrious track record in collegiate rowing earned her a spot on the women’s team of USRowing. Over five years of competing — including as the only woman from the United States — on its elite Senior National Team, she secured gold and silver medals at multiple national and world rowing championships.

Retiring from the U.S. National Team in 2018, Coco is the most decorated and accomplished rower among Porter’s alumnae.

2018: Kathrine Fugge McNamara ’06
Swimming

As Miss Porter’s School’s most distinguished swimmer, having set multiple records during her time at the school and later at university, Kathrine Fugge McNamara reflects what is possible when talent intersects with perseverance.

Competing on the Porter’s swim team throughout her four years at the school, Kathrine demonstrated extraordinary natural talent in the pool. She excelled at the 100-yard freestyle, and her achievements in the event include setting a new record among New England preparatory schools and scoring the 11th-fastest time in the 2004 All American swim race. In total, Kathrine set more than 50 school and pool records in her first three seasons as a Porter’s swim athlete.

After Porter’s, Kathrine went on to enjoy an illustrious tenure on the Division 1 swim team at Northeastern University in Massachusetts. Her accomplishments included setting six different school records in freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and individual medley events. She was named the most valuable player for all four of her seasons on the team.

In 2018, Porter’s honored Kathrine’s swimming feats by inducting her into its Athletic Hall of Fame. Her outstanding performance in the pool has provided inspiration to subsequent swim team members to strive for excellence.

2018: Carol Semple Thompson ’66
Golf

A standout golfer whose many victories over more than four decades of competition earned her some of the sport’s highest honors, Carole Semple Thompson has opened new doors for women in golf.

Between 1965 and 2008, Carole racked up 62 wins in amateur golf — a track record that makes her one of the best female golfers who never turned pro. Carole’s first win was at the 1965 Western Pennsylvania Women’s Championship, when the 16-year-old beat her mother in the finals. She went on to achieve further success at high-profile amateur golf competitions. Notably, she scored four consecutive wins from 1999 to 2002 at the United States Golf Association’s Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

In 2015, Carole helped advance gender equity in golf by becoming one of the first 14 women to be admitted into The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, which until that point had been a men-only venue for 260 years.

Carole was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame and the Hollins Athletic Hall of Fame at her alma mater, Hollins University in Virginia. Carole was also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Miss Porter’s School.

2025: 2004 Varsty Softball Team

2021: Mercedes “Ellie” Large ’81 – Soccer, Lacrosse and Golf

2021: Dorothea “Dotty” Morrell-Coleman ’26 – Tennis, Skating, Skiing and Sailing

2019: Pamela B. Bent ’62 – Lacrosse & Field Hockey

2019: Corinne “Coco” Schoeller Hein ’11 – Crew

2018: Carol Semple Thompson ’66 – Golf

2018: Kathrine Fugge McNamara ’06 – Swimming

Nominate an Ancient

To nominate an Ancient for the Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 Achievement Award or the Athletic Hall of Fame, please fill in the nominee’s information on the form below.

Nominations submitted after July 1 will be considered for the next award cycle.

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