Alumni

Whitney Stengel Kellett '89: Four Generations of A Shipley Education

Leigh Green
Whitney Stengel Kellett ’89 and daughter Abigail ’27 share something special – both of their grandmothers attended The Shipley School. Kellett’s four-generation Shipley family also includes her mother Alice Taylor Stengel ’62, grandmother Elizabeth Avery Taylor ’37, father and former trustee and Chair of the Board Geoffrey Stengel, Jr., and husband, fourth grade teacher Rod Kellett.

As Chief Information Officer for Aqua America, Kellett lends her expertise in information and technology services to driving the company’s development. But what she’s most excited about are Aqua’s many outreach programs and pro bono projects. “Water is a requirement for life and we’re dedicated to providing that to communities local and far,” she says. “It’s extremely rewarding.”

Kellett says her sense of compassion and broad thinking was fostered during her time at Shipley. “There was always an emphasis on the virtue of giving back, of using your gifts for the greater good,” she says.

Kellett appreciates Shipley’s integration of technology into the elementary curriculum. Her third-grade daughter is currently learning how to blog in class. “In a safe, controlled space, they’re providing feedback and opinions and responding to their classmates. They’re learning about technology at a young age, and they’re learning how to use their voice in a respectful, value-added way,” she says. “That’s important.” 

“Technology has helped us advance, but it doesn’t necessarily lead us to be compassionate. We have to teach our kids to be kind and care about others,” Kellett says. “Shipley’s focused on creating well-rounded, compassionate students who can go out into the world and help give back.”
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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.