Alumnae Return to Celebrate Women’s History Month at GPS

Girls Preparatory School marked Women’s History Month yesterday with its third annual alumnae panel, welcoming five graduates back to campus to share their journeys from GPS to college, careers, and leadership.

Head of School Megan Cover opened the gathering by reflecting on the school’s 120-year history and the bold vision of its founders. “In this 120th year of GPS, we honor our past while looking forward to the future,” she said. “The women on this stage today attended GPS from 13 to 40 years ago. They chose their own unique paths. They discovered what they were passionate about and forged impressive careers from the opportunities they pursued. They represent the potential in each girl.”

Moderated by Director of Student Life and Middle School Dean Lauren Lawrence Swanson ’09, the panel featured five accomplished alumnae:

• Anne Campeau Burley ’05 (Director of Polypropylene Technical Strategy at INVISTA)
• Alexis Crutchfield ’13 (Chattanooga-based attorney)
• Nandy Hurst Millner ’84 (Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor with Merrill Private Wealth Management)
• Dori Thornton Waller ’99 (Event Planner, Founder of The Social Office)
•  Dr. Talene Yacoubian ’89 (Professor of Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Assistant Dean of UAB's Medical Scientist Training Program)

Before the schoolwide panel in the morning, each alumna visited classrooms to speak directly with students, sharing more personal insights and answering questions in smaller settings. They later joined upper school students for lunch, creating space for follow-up conversations and one-on-one questions.

Career Favorites

When asked about the favorite part of their careers, the alumnae highlighted growth, service, and lifelong learning.

“My favorite part is that I get to go into and research across a variety of industries, markets, people, and places,” Anne shared. “I learn something new every day. As a lifelong learner, getting to always be learning is something that just really brings me joy.”

For Alexis, the most meaningful moments come through service. “The work that I do can be really heavy, but the best part of my job is connecting with people on a daily basis and being able to help them in some of the tough times of their lives.”

Dr. Yacoubian described the variety in her work as both challenging and energizing: “What I really like about my job is that it's never boring and every day is very different. I go from being in the clinic, to teaching students, to then running a research lab.”

Dori reflected on the satisfaction of seeing hard work come to fruition: “At the end of an event when all the guests are leaving and we've done our job, their feedback and their takeaways are always a favorite.”

Lessons from GPS

Throughout the conversation, the alumnae credited GPS teachers and experiences with shaping their paths.

Anne recalled a pivotal moment in ninth-grade physics: “It was in ninth grade physics when Ms. Strunk looked at me halfway through the year and she goes, ‘You're going to be an engineer one day.’ And I was like, ‘I don't even know what an engineer is.’” Ms. Strunk was right was right.

Dr. Yacoubian encouraged students to keep perspective: “I would have told my younger self not to worry so much about what others are thinking because most of the time they're not even really thinking about what you said or what you did.”

Nandy offered a powerful reminder about confidence: “Invest in yourself, recognize all the beautiful, unique parts that are only you, and invest in that.”

And Alexis urged students to show themselves grace: “It’s okay to make mistakes and learn along the way. That's how life is. You learn by making those mistakes and growing through things.”

Student Q&A

During the student Q&A, middle and upper school girls asked thoughtful questions about challenges, motivation, trade-offs, and advice for the future.

When one student asked if they had ever felt like they “couldn’t do it,” Dr. Yacoubian responded candidly: “I think I've had that sensation or thought frequently over the course of my career.” With experience, she explained, she learned to lean on friends and family and “just grin and bear it and do what I needed to do to sort of overcome that hurdle.”

Nandy reinforced the message: “Every time you do something hard, recognize that you've done something really well and that you can do hard things.”

Core Values

In closing, Lauren asked the alumnae to reflect on which of GPS’s core values—respect, honor, curiosity, individuality, and relationships—has stayed with them most.

Dori emphasized the power of connection: “I think that you are who your relationships are, and those are important,” noting she's still in regular contact with many of her GPS friends.

Alexis highlighted respect: “Holding that respect for yourself and knowing what boundaries you have is very important in going through life.”

As the panel concluded the message was clear: the GPS experience does not end at graduation. It evolves, strengthens, and returns in the form of women willing to share their stories with the next generation.

In the words shared at the start of the program, “The success of every woman should be an inspiration to another.” Yesterday’s panel made that inspiration tangible for every girl in the room.