Mary Grace Chapman knows a little something about school spirit. Having attended Auburn University and Florida State, she experienced two colleges filled with passion and pride. Chapman joined the Trinity-Pawling faculty this fall as a teacher of upper level mathematics; she also serves as Director of Student Activities, a role she relishes.
“I’m a people person and love networking. My goal is to create opportunities beyond dances for our T-P boys to positively interact with girls from Ethel Walker, Miss Porter’s, Westover, or Miss Hall’s and to develop those friendships for four years.”
On October 28, Chapman will take five boys to Miss Hall’s to attend a summit on consent, facilitated by Mike Domitrz, the founder of the Date Safe Project. The students and adults will discuss current events, healthy relationships, and consent. The summit will be attended by students from Salisbury, South Kent, and Miss Porter’s.
Chapman strives to plan fun and engaging events that encourage students to stay on campus during the weekends. To accomplish this, she has spent the fall term listening to students and welcoming their ideas for activities. “One of the seniors asked me to plan a trip to the Yankees wild card game. I arranged for a group of seniors to go and we had a great time. Since then, they’ve been giving me lots of good ideas and helpful feedback. They trust that I’m here for them and will work with them.”
Beyond dances, students have taken restaurant trips, traveled to a Mets game, and the Yankees wild card game. They have gone bowling and attended a bonfire at a peer school with other girls’ schools. “And on a Saturday evening in Gardiner Theater, we screened the UFC fight featuring Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. A new sophomore sparked that suggestion. More than 40 boys from all classes and social groups, domestic and international, attended that event and had a great time, with lots of cheering.” Chapman has planned to take interested students to see some Giants, Jets, and Rangers games as well.
In addition to her work as Director of Student Activities, Chapman also serves as the team statistician for varsity football. Between that and doing duty in a dorm of upperclassmen, she has developed a strong connection with a wide range of students. “I challenged them to get involved and they’re beginning to step up. Their involvement will set the tone for the underclassmen to follow.”