The Shipley School is proud to recognize Katherine Preston ’76 as the recipient of the 2026 Alumni Service Award. For more than three decades, Katherine has given generously of her time and talent to the Shipley community — a commitment that speaks to a deep and enduring love for the School where her own education began.

Katherine's service to Shipley spans multiple chapters. She served as an Alumni Representative for the Annual Fund from 1991 to 2001 and as a Class Agent for ten years, maintaining a consistent thread of connection to her alma mater throughout her professional life. In 2017, she joined the Alumni Council, where she has served diligently as Secretary — bringing to that role the same careful attention and care for community that has defined her career in education.

That connection to Shipley is personal as well as professional. Katherine has also served as a substitute teacher at Shipley, returning to the classrooms and hallways where her own curiosity and character were shaped. Katherine's two younger sisters also graduated from Shipley — Alicia Preston Miller ’80 and Shelley Preston ’85 — and her father, Seymour S. Preston III, served as a Shipley trustee from 1976 to 1988. For Katherine, service to Shipley is not just a commitment; it is a family tradition.

Beyond her work at Shipley, Katherine has spent her career as a dedicated educator at independent schools across the region and beyond, bringing the same passion for learning and community to every classroom she has entered. She holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and two master's degrees — an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Lesley University and a second M.Ed. from Eastern University.

Katherine Preston’s sustained loyalty to Shipley, spanning more than three decades of volunteer service and a lifetime of personal connection, exemplifies everything this award is meant to honor. We are proud to celebrate her with the 2026 Alumni Service Award.