Alumni News

On Friday, December 6, Drew Dickler '08 came to Germantown Friends School as the featured speaker of the 20th annual Alumni Speaker Assembly, and shared a sneak peek of her memoir-documentary, "Big Bass." 

In early November, Boston-area Germantown Friends School alumni and friends gathered to socialize and build intergenerational community connections at Oxfam America in The North End neighborhood. 

As the featured speaker at the 32nd Annual Mercer Tate '48 Lecture at GFS, Matthew Countryman '81 presented a few interlocking narratives. These included scholarly reflections on the history of Civil Rights movements, as well as stories of his family's multi-generational involvement in education and the ongoing struggle for racial justice.

Cedric Hall '04 credits his time at GFS with instilling the urgency he feels to increase equity in education and pay forward what he experienced as a student. On July 1, Hall was appointed the first ever Vice President of Student Experience at Girard College in Philadelphia.

Jess Beer ’05 played an instrumental role in opening the new Weavers Way Co-op location at 328 W Chelten Ave. in Germantown, just down the way from the GFS Main Campus.

Growing up, Lila Kushner ’18 took dance classes at the Philadelphia Dance Theatre in Mt. Airy multiple times each week. As an Upper School student at GFS, she’d balance a packed schedule of school classes, homework, and activities with hours of dance instruction in the late afternoon and evening. 

One of the most cherished traditions at GFS is Alumni Weekend, which takes place in mid-May each year. This annual gathering provides an opportunity for past GFSers from across the decades to return to campus to share memories and celebrate being together in community. The 2024 Alumni Weekend took place from May 16-19, with over 400 guests, including alumni and their families, retired faculty and staff, and other friends, attending events across the four days.

While on a roadtrip in the summer of 2023, Dickler uncovered a forgotten memory of herself as a second grader in conversation with longtime GFS Phys. Ed. teacher and athletics coach, Cheryl Bruttomesso. Dickler had a vision of the two of them sitting on the steps in front of the Cary Building, discussing her troubles fitting in with the girls in her class. Curiously, she vividly recalled them passing a large plastic fish back and forth as they spoke.

Thomas (Tom) Theodore Loder ’76 will be honored at the 2024 Alumni Weekend with the Susan Quillen West ’49 and David A. West ’49 Alumni Award. The award is an extension of the school community's gratitude to Loder for his decades of support, service, and commitment to GFS.