Volunteers, engaged alumni, and parents who support the School and our students, are vital to the Trinity-Pawling community. Emily Zhu P’17, who lives and works in her native China, has become a bright thread in the fabric of Trinity-Pawling’s volunteer structure.
Zhu’s love for Trinity-Pawling and gracious outreach has been invaluable to the process of introducing new Chinese families to the School in the spring and summer, and she has become an integral part of our International Student Orientation in September. “Every good beginning is one half of the success, so it is very important to be a volunteer from March to September,” said Zhu. Her standard greeting to new families: “Welcome home! Let our great love surround your sons.”
Zhu and her husband are avid travelers and have visited over 30 countries with their son Zimo. Because of her own experiences traveling, and due to her cultural and linguistic fluency, when Trinity-Pawling faculty members visit China, she is happy to accompany them as they navigate their way to meetings, and bridge the language gap as Headmaster Bill Taylor communicates with parents.
Zhu remembered how their family found a “home” for Zimo at Trinity-Pawling. “Zimo’s goal was to study law in America and he independently set out to find a prep school to lay the foundation for his dream,” she reflected. After interviewing at 10 schools, Zimo chose Trinity-Pawling for himself. “He liked the idea of an all boys campus because he felt there would be more hands-on experiences in the curriculum, and that students would have a special bond of brotherhood,” Zhu recalled. “I liked the idea of Zimo growing up in the beautiful natural environment with a warm-hearted community that was like a big family,” she continued.
“Our family, like your school, is full of love. So when I was asked by Trinity-Pawling to volunteer and help communicate with other Chinese families, I was very happy to help,” concluded Zhu.
Thank you Emily Zhu P’17 for your dedicated support of Trinity-Pawling!
Visit our parent page on the website to learn more about volunteer opportunities at Trinity-Pawling!