Changemakers
Becky Snyder Fawcett ’88: Helping People Adopt
As a successful nonprofit entrepreneur and agent for social change, Becky Snyder Fawcett ’88, bears little resemblance to the shy girl of her school years. Always a quiet student, it was during her senior year at The Shipley School that Fawcett began to find her voice.
For her senior project, Fawcett wanted to research the impact of divorce on children. It was a personal topic for her, having divorced parents, but stood in stark contrast to the projects of her peers. When she hesitantly submitted her project proposal, her teacher replied, “Why not?”
“So I created a researched advocacy project and an insider look at how children are treated during a divorce and how they excel in spite of it. I think it was the first A I ever received from Mrs. Thomas,” Fawcett recalls with a laugh. She’d triumphed in fixing a lens on a personal challenge and defying the norm.
After high school and college, Fawcett established a thriving career in media and PR before, as she says, “life happened to me.” She and her husband, Kipp, had a difficult time starting a family before ultimately adopting their son, Jake. They were able to meet the financial demands of adoption, but it was not easy. “An average adoption is $40,000 and the average household income in our country is $54,000,” Fawcett says. “For most people, this is a struggle.”
And so, from her kitchen table in 2007, Fawcett founded and launched HelpUsAdopt.org, a nonprofit organization that eases the financial burden of those in the process of adopting through a network of donors and grants. Since then, HelpUsAdopt.org has helped to build over 270 families. The organization raised $1.2 million in 2018 and will increase grants to $500,000 in 2019. “That basically means we’ll be building a family a week,” Fawcett says.
The organization is the only one of its kind in the United States to be based on a platform of family equality and without any religious affiliation while awarding grants up to $15,000. “It’s problem-solving help,” Fawcett says. “I don’t believe there’s a point in existing as a nonprofit if you're not going to solve a problem.”
Fawcett is especially proud of how HelpUsAdopt.org is changing perceptions about adoption. “I love that people look at me and they’re shocked that I’m talking about it so comfortably,” she says. “That, to me, is change.” Her organization grants awards to married couples, single parents, and LGBT families alike adopting from all over the globe.
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Dan Lichtenberg ’99: Investing in a Cleaner, More Sustainable, and Healthier Future
As founder and Chief Executive Officer of Keiki Capital, Dan Lichtenberg ’99 marries his technical and financial expertise with his passion for developing creative solutions to global problems—global warming and climate change, food and water insecurity, income and wealth inequality—and transforming data into actionable intelligence.Read More -
Caleb Balderston '06: Teaching Global Citizens
Caleb Balderston ‘06 joined Teach for America, teaching math in Chicago public charter schools. Working mainly with low-income students of color, it was there that Balderston developed his passion for equity in education. As high school principal at Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Massachusetts he is explicit in his focus on identity work and global citizenship, in addition to academic mastery.Read More -
Erica Burman ’05: Putting a Passion for Social Justice into Action
Since graduating from Shipley, Erica Burman '05 has worked in event production, fundraising, healthcare, and most recently as Marketing Manager for the Delaware County Historical Society. Through her work at the Historical Society, Erica has become an activist in the environmental justice movement. Learn more about her work with CRCQL to eliminate the trash incinerator in Chester, PA.Read More -
Kathy Guy Dawson ’78: Creating a Safe Space for Shipley’s LGBTQ+ Community
Kathy Guy Dawson ’78, an Alumni Council member and former Trustee, became an inaugural co-chair of LGBTQ+ Alumni Association in 2021. She was the first black student in her class and the first member of her family to attend private school. Learn more about this Shipley Changemaker and how she's supporting the LGBTQ+ community at Shipley.Read More -
Rik Morris ’80: Giving Forward to Shipley’s LGBTQ+ Community
Rik Morris ’80 is a strong example of the Shipley spirit and the School’s commitment to supporting everyone in the community. “I don’t believe in giving back,” says the 2020 Alumni Service Award recipient. “I believe in giving forward.” Following his retirement as a Trustee a few years ago, Morris is serving as inaugural co-chair of the newly formed Shipley LGBTQ+ Alumni Association,Read More -
Hakiem Coles ’07: Raising Funds for Shipley’s Black Students and Teachers
“Shipley was life-changing for me. It opened up my world," says alumnus Hakiem Coles ’07. His belief in the power of education to positively impact the lives of other black students inspired him to join Shipley's Black Alumni Association and establish a named endowed fund, the Black Alumni Association Fund, to support the curricular and cultural needs of Shipley’s Black students and teachers.Read More -
Alisha Fairfax ’09: Connecting Shipley’s Black Students and Alumni
As Vice Principal at KIPP DC, a community of high-performing public schools committed to excellence, equity, and justice, Alisha Fairfax '09 relies on her relationship-building skills to drive change and get things done. Relationships have also been at the heart of her efforts in helping to bring together over 100 Black alumni to form Shipley's first alumni affinity group, the Black Alumni Association.Read More -
Joy Styles ’92: Building Bridges through Positive Change
What do recording artists and civil servants have in common? “They bring people together,” says Joy Styles ’92, Nashville's District 32 Councilwoman and one of the first Black female country artists to ever sign a record deal. “The time that I spent at Shipley prepared me to be a trailblazer for my community and society as a whole," she says. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Joy Styles '92.Read More -
Brianna Ross ’10: Promoting Equity in Urban Education
As Social Studies Department Chair and Equity Liaison at Deer Park Middle Magnet School in Baltimore County, Maryland, Brianna Ross ’10 says, “I’m focused on interrupting teacher biases, beliefs, and practices that perpetuate inequities while working to build teacher capacity to create inclusive classrooms that reflect the strengths and interests of our students.” Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Brianna Ross ’10.Read More -
Lee Stuart ’71: Organizing for a Just and Compassionate Community
Lee Stuart ’71 has dedicated her life and career to improving the lives of others by providing access to food, housing, education, and a caring community. From the Bronx, NY, to Duluth, MN—she has lived Shipley’s motto, Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing. “I’ve been in some really challenging environments and situations, and it’s a good guidepost,” she says. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker, Lee Stuart ’71.Read More -
Sarah Megan Thomas ’97: Filming—and Playing—Strong, Ambitious Women
A Shipley Young Alumni Award-winner and one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Generation, Sarah Megan Thomas ’97 has just released her third film, A Call to Spy. “I hope my films not only entertain and enlighten but also have a long-term impact, prompting viewers to ask themselves what they might have done in a particular situation and what they can do to help make this world a better place,” she says. Learn more about this Shipley Changemaker.Read More -
James “Jamie” Piltch ’13: Working Toward a More Just and Equitable Society
What does it mean to be an upstanding citizen? How can we work together to create a better society? Jamie Piltch ’13 can tell you. After graduating from Harvard, he travelled over 9,000 miles through 25 states and interviewed over 200 people in his quest to explore what civics and citizenship mean to Americans. Learn more about Jamie and how he's working toward a more just and equitable society.Read More -
Linda Powell Solomon ’77: Supporting Minority Students in Science
Read MoreFor the past 25 years, Linda Powell Solomon ’77 has supported the efforts of minority students working toward a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through the National Science Foundation’s Greater Philadelphia Region Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Linda Powell Solomon ’77. -
Carter Caldwell ’95: Investing in Health Care Research and Treatments
Read MoreShipley Changemaker, Carter Caldwell ’95, now works for his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1999 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. As Program Director of the Penn Medicine Co-Investment Program, Caldwell supports Penn Medicine faculty members who spin out new companies based on their research in cell therapy, gene therapy, and connected health. -
Erik Rehl ’89: Setting the Scene for Leadership Development
Once known exclusively for designing worlds for visual storytelling purposes, London- and Paris-based production designer and art director Erik Rehl ’89 is now creating environments for real people on their journeys through life. His latest endeavor, Mind Environment, aims to help leaders better understand and define their personal and professional purpose in order to live and lead with more self-awareness, focus, and clarity.Read More -
Q & A with Jill Keeney Tuzio ’10: Making a Difference in Patients’ Lives
Jill Keeney Tuzio '10, an oncology certified registered nurse at Penn Medicine, credits Shipley's rigorous academics and strong athletics for providing her with a solid foundation of resiliency, leadership, and courage. These traits allow Jill to advocate for patients and provide the highest quality of care - especially now in the face of COVID-19.Read More -
Todd Kelley ’92: Cleaning Up Neighborhoods, Transforming Lives
Read MoreSince 2013, Todd Kelley ’92 and his company, Graffiti Removal Experts, have been cleaning up Philadelphia neighborhoods and transforming the lives of formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals by giving them opportunities to work. Kelley says his interest in creating positive social change was ignited at Shipley. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Todd Kelley '92 and how he's making an impact. -
Wendy Eiteljorg ’86: Leading the Future of Teaching and Learning
In 2009, Director of Curricular Innovation and Learning Design Wendy Eiteljorg ’86 was named a “Teacher of the Future” by the National Association of Independent Schools for the forward-thinking integration of blogs and wikis into her fifth grade curriculum. Now, this Shipley Changemaker is helping to launch the School’s online learning program, Shipley Learns Online amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.Read More -
Tess Hart ’05: Crafting Community and Opportunity through Beer
As co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Triple Bottom Brewing Company, Tess Hart ’05 believes that craft beer has the power to strengthen community, advance equity, and foster a safer, healthier, and more inclusive society. The name of her business reflects its triple bottom line: beer, people, and planet. Read more about Shipley Changemaker Tess Hart '05.Read More -
Charlie Warzel ’06: Writing with Empathy and Understanding
Read MoreNew York Times journalist Charlie Warzel ’06 says he lucked into his first internship with NBC broadcast news show Meet the Press with David Gregory, which introduced him to the thrill “of being in the center of big stories.” Now, as Opinion writer-at-large for The New York Times, he writes about topics that include media, online extremism, politics, and technology, reflecting his interests and what he loves about journalism: “Following weird curiosities, meeting fascinating people, and learning information before everyone else.” Most recently, Charlie has contributed to the New York Times Opinion Section “Privacy Project” with pieces that explore online privacy, how people can protect themselves, the role of public policy, and more. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Charlie Warzel ’06.
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.
