A Note From Chris | Celebrating Whitfield Alumni

Dear Friends,

One of the real pleasures of being head of school is meeting and getting to know our talented and accomplished alumni. In the past two years, we have hosted a series of formal and informal alumni get-togethers in cities all over the country, re-connecting with far-flung graduates in Chicago, Denver, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles–and, of course, here in St. Louis (we have events later this year in Washington, D.C., and Dallas). 

Part of the fun is listening to the stories people have to tell about the Whitfield they remember–from the very small school started by Barnes and Cole to the goldilocks-sized community we know today. They talk about the teachers they knew and loved, who challenged and supported them, nurturing talents and passions they sometimes didn’t know they had. They reminisce about great sports teams they played on, laugh about the funny or stupid things they did when they were in school, and also speak movingly about the strong friendships they made, the relationships that have lasted a lifetime. 

I’m also always interested in hearing about–and consistently impressed by–the amazing things our alumni are doing, the range of skills and interests they have, the careers they have pursued, the many and varied forms of success they have found. If I mentioned names, I’d inevitably leave someone out, but I’ve spoken with investment bankers and doctors, film producers, DEI practitioners, and commodities brokers. Talent agents, teachers, and philanthropists. Law partners, sculptors, software engineers, and journalists. Our alumni are entrepreneurs and run family-owned businesses–and also work in the kinds of name-brand companies we encounter every day, including Google, Netflix, Shell, NBC News, and Uber, to name just a few.

What really inspires me and affirms the value of what we do at Whitfield is the gratitude and affection I hear when I talk with the extended Whitfield family. On the one hand, I hear over and over how well prepared our graduates and alumni feel (and felt) when they arrive at college. From writing essays to writing code, from small seminars to research laboratories, Whitfield alumni feel equipped for the academic challenges they face at some of the best schools in the country.

Just as important, our alumni talk about the values they learned at Whitfield and that still give their lives purpose and direction. I recently spoke with an alum who is leading the globalization efforts at a major tech company, ensuring that speakers of more obscure languages and dialects around the world can access and use the internet. I was fascinated by his story and asked him how he got interested in doing this work. He noted that he was already coding when he was a student here but, crucially, he also traced his “global perspective” back to his years at Whitfield, where he was encouraged to see himself as part of a world-wide community. For this young alum, thinking about his place in the world–and how he could serve others–truly became a “habit” of mind and heart.

To be sure, preparing students for the academic challenges of college is a core part of the work we do every day. And, clearly, we do that well. But, just as important, we work to prepare alumni to become responsible citizens and good human beings. As we say in our mission, our overarching goal is to inspire our students “to lead lives of curiosity, integrity, and purpose.”

With gratitude and warm holiday wishes,

Chris Cunningham, Ph.D.

Head of School