Q&A with 2022 Alumni Service Award Winner, Hakiem Coles ’07
1. What inspired you to get involved with the Black Alumni Association [BAA] and take on this leadership role? What are your goals for the BAA?
I wanted to be a part of an initiative that gave back to the community that helped make me the man I am today. As Black Alumni of this prestigious school, it is important to make sure that current and future students of color know they are not alone and, if they choose, they can communicate with people that know exactly what it feels like to be in their shoes as a minority on a predominantly white campus. Our goals have remained the same, we are dedicated to providing support for black students and their families in addition to providing more educational experiences on this campus through raising funds towards an endowed fund. Once we are able to hit our goal of $100,000 we will be able to support yearly trips to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. I think we need to understand and appreciate our American history in order to build a better tomorrow where people are genuinely empathetic towards one another no matter what they look like.
2. Tell me a little bit about your career and what you do in your current role.
I am the Director of Education for an Adult Trade School, Pennco Tech. The campus is located in Bristol, PA and I have been working there for 8 years now. I have worked on the administrative side of operations and worked my way up to the position I currently hold. I am responsible for over 400 students between our Day and Evening programs. I manage over 25 instructors and ensure that they are providing a proper education to my students. We have Automotive Technology, Collision Repair, Medical Assistants, Pharmacy Technology, Plumbing, HVAC&R, and Electricians. I am in charge of making sure the curriculum is current and evolving with their respective industries in addition to making sure my instructors have everything they need to be the best resource for our students.
3. What about your time at Shipley inspired you to do what you do?
I love helping people, I have been doing it almost my entire life no matter what job title I held at that moment. Shipley has always been big on service in the community and there were people that helped me along my journey on this campus. This is something that will always stick with me because it is a choice to be kind to others, I am prepared to make that choice every day of my life. That personal choice has allowed me to thrive in life because it has never been about personal accolades for me, more so about how I can positively affect the people around me.
4. What advice would you have for current Shipley students?
You are all going to be the future leaders of America in whatever field you decide to enter when it is time for you to leave Shipley. I encourage you all to embrace your journey with the ups and downs that will come with it. Stay true to yourself and fight for what you think is important in this world.
5. What is next? What are your professional and personal goals for the next five years?
The next step for me will be an eventual promotion in the next 1-2 years. That promotion would have me serving as the School Director of my campus. This would make me the youngest and only person of color in my company’s history to serve as the School Director. This would be an amazing accomplishment and I continue to work my hardest to make that eventual transition as seamless as possible when that day comes. I think 5 years from now the BAA will definitely have an established endowed fund on this campus which will really begin the fun of implementing our plans for enhancing the cultural experience on this campus. On a personal note, I would like to think that I have started my family within the next five years with my lovely wife. I strive to be the best son, brother, husband, friend, and boss I can possibly be.
Capping their stellar season, the girls’ played Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in the Final League game, only this time the tables turned and Shipley was victorious.
Shipley's Middle School Latin students took the 2023 National Latin Examination with over 100,000 students from around the world. Thirteen students earned Latin Award prizes and recognition for excellence. Middle School Latin students also competed in The Philadelphia Classical Society's 84th Annual Latin Week Competition - Traditional Artistry & Literary Projects on Classical themes. A total of 30 Middle School students won Latin Awards and recognition for excellence.
The Upper School Administration recognized the outgoing and incoming student leadership officers and presented students with academic, athletic, and leadership awards at the annual Closing Awards Ceremony.
"How can we use the language of art to explore our feelings and beliefs? What do I care about and how can I bring that idea to life? What do I want to communicate?" These are just a few of the questions that Shipley’s Studio Art 3 Honors students grappled with as they completed their protest art assignments. Learn more about this project and how students discover their voice as artists to speak about something they care about.
Shipley’s Middle School Science Olympiad team finished 11th out of 36 middle school teams that participated in the recent States competition. Though it may not have been as good as the outcome the team wanted, the Olympians and coaches came away from the experience with much more than a trophy or gold medal. Learn more about what makes the Science Olympiad experience such an amazing one.
Defining scientific research questions and the process of inquiry is an important part of Middle School science. Beginning in sixth grade, students define their questions, then design experiments to help them answer these questions. Eighth graders recently traveled to Saunders Woods to do this work as part of their ecosystem assessment project—just one example of how authentic assessments create meaningful learning experiences.
Shipley’s Track and Field team made School history by participating for the first time in the historic Penn Relays at Franklin Fields on April 27-29, 2023. The Gators ran with courage and grace, making a memorable first impression at this year's Penn Relay Carnival. Before the races, the team and coaches made a promise to each other: "Focused teammates, committed to run for each other," and that is precisely how they competed.
Shipley's Middle and Upper School Science Olympiad Teams competed in the Pennsylvania Science Olympiad State Tournament on April 22 at Penn State Altoona. Fourteen teams earned medals during the tournament.
The Shipley Honors Combo won first place in the Small Ensemble Division 2 category at the National Jazz Festival, held April 22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Trumpeter Aidan Peterson ‘24 won an Outstanding Musician Award and also earned the Judge’s Choice Award.
Ninth grade marks a special milestone that presents a host of different challenges. To more effectively meet students’ needs and ensure that they will thrive within the classroom and beyond, Shipley revamped its advisory program by forming a specialized team to guide ninth graders through this transitional time.
To know Betsy Leschinsky (or Mrs. L, as the kids like to call her) is to love her. She is humble about her role in Shipley becoming a leader in social emotional learning, but Mrs. L’s sweet, gentle demeanor and small stature belie a giant in our community. Learn more about Shipley's beloved Lower School SEED Teacher, Betsy Leschinsky.
Carter Barnhart ’10 is the co-founder and CEO of Charlie Health, with the goal of providing high-quality, personalized mental health treatment to a broader population through a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) that combines group, individual, and family therapy sessions delivered entirely online. In 2022, Carter was named to Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 100 list for her work to rapidly grow Charlie Health.
Chris Lengthorn, Shipley's Director of Squash, dedicates his career to pursing two simple goals: to bring squash to the people and help them achieve whatever their definition of success may be. "I teach students how to manage setbacks and overcome adversity through hard work, discipline and resilience." Learn more about Coach Lengthorn in this Q&A.
When Helen “Honey” Beuf ’78 lost her daughter to suicide, she turned her grief into action. Working with a good friend who is a movie producer, Honey and her other daughter, Tess, decided to produce a documentary film called My Sister Liv. In making the film, Honey says she became aware of unmet needs of kids in learning about suicide prevention and mental health.
Shipley is lucky to have two of its own at the helm of a re-energized Alumni Engagement Office after a two-year hiatus from hosting regional and major events. Aly Mason ’07 took over the role of Director in September 2022, joining Assistant Director Ali Schwartz ’10 in the shared endeavor of connecting with alumni of all ages through robust alumni programming.
“New” traditions can mirror those from the past. And while times may have changed, the goal remains the same: To create a sense of belonging, connection, and school spirit. Learn about two "new" 2022-2023 school year initiatives aimed at generating more school spirit across the divisions.
In Jeff Addis's interdisciplinary Grade 11 Honors American Studies History course, students explore American identity through history, literature, and art. In a recent poetry project, students used visual culture and art to work on writing and voice. Throughout the course, Addis tries to make history real for students, helping them find where their identity and lived experiences overlap with the things they are learning.
Shipley's Middle and Upper School Science Olympiad Teams competed in the Pennsylvania Southeast Region Science Olympiad Tournament on March 11 at Penn State Abington. The teams earned 12 top-three finishes, earning spots at the State Tournament in April.
At the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show, Shipley’s commitment to excellence was on full display through the prize-winning work of the Sprouts, Upper School Horticultural Ecology students, and the Middle School Gardening Club. Shipley alumni also made their mark, with Betsy Hastings Block ’83 and Laura Butera '08 contributing in big ways to the event's success.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.