Head of School Doreen Kelly became an honorary Ravenscroft alumna with her induction into the Class of 1862 last weekend. The recognition took place at the May 3 All-Alumni Awards Celebration, a festive and well-attended Alumni Weekend event.

The Class of 1862 Award was created in 2000 to honor school employees and volunteers for dedicated service and support, whether in direct work with students or behind the scenes. With Kelly’s induction, the group now has 11 members; three — retired colleagues Carol Miedema, Barbara Jean Warren and Bruce Miller — were in attendance to celebrate with her. 

Dave Monaco, who served as Ravenscroft’s Director of Middle School during the period in which Kelly was making the transition from being Director of Lower School to Head of School, gave remarks during the award presentation. He said:

Tonight, Doreen receives another well-deserved honor as she is inducted as just the 11th member of the school’s Class of 1862. In this season of celebration for Doreen, the breadth and depth of her Ravenscroft legacy has been well and rightfully chronicled. Her tenure will be associated with unique programs like Lead From Here and impressive facilities like the Olander Center for Student Life. Clearly, Ravenscroft today is inarguably better than it was when her tenure [as Head of School] began in 2003.

Noting that he’d prefer to look forward in his remarks — to “frame Doreen’s legacy” — Monaco spoke of Kelly’s ability to inspire through her example of service. He continued:

I want the energy generated by honoring Doreen this evening to power my commitment, and yours, in the days to come, to be stewards cut from her cloth. People others entrust with their shared values …. People courageous enough to dare and to evolve.

Doreen, tonight we recognize and applaud you for what you have done for a school we love. As important, we thank you for what you will do, as your inspiration challenges us to be even better stewards and shepherds.

Kelly was then presented with the award by Alumni Council president Anne Forsyth English ’98.

As Head of School, Kelly had already participated in the presentation of four alumni honors that evening, welcoming filmmaker David Rountree ’93 into the Alumni Association Fine Arts Hall of Fame and runner Wesley Frazier ’13, runner Ryen Frazier ’15 and Coach Greg Long into the Alumni Association Sports Hall of Fame. For the evening’s final alumni recognition, Kelly had the pleasure of presenting Ravenscroft’s Distinguished Alumni Award to Director of Enrollment Management Margaret Mahood Mills ’76, with whom she has worked closely throughout her 21-year tenure.

As she smiled over at Mills and took in the alumni seated around the venue, she said, “I’m one of you now.”

Congratulations, Doreen Kelly!

The Ravenscroft Alumni Association presented a number of awards on Friday, May 3, as part of Alumni Weekend. Go to Our Ravens>Alumni to read additional stories about the recipients of those awards and the many other outstanding Ravens alumni who make our school community proud.