Alumna Spotlight: Three Questions for Sarah ALTMAN (Bumsted) McSorley '95
Sarah ALTMAN (Bumsted) McSorley '95 has varied and unique connections to Ellis. 1995届的校友, she has also held the titles “faculty kid”, “代课老师”, 和“环保署主席”. Currently, she serves on Ellis’ Board of Trustees, chairing the Development Committee. She and her husband, RJ, are both native Pittsburghers. 他们有六个孩子, three of whom are current Ellis students: Annie, 2027届毕业生, 玛丽, 2028届, 和装备, 2029届毕业生.
在她的职业生涯中, Sarah worked for the NYC Department of Education as a lead special education teacher, 数学教学培训师, and a tutor in city-operated group homes. She has also worked in the fields of family preservation, 寄养预防, 学校社会工作. As a Special Education Therapist in Bermuda, Sarah developed a consultancy practice partnering with families and teachers of students with complex learning needs. 最近, she created an inclusive curriculum and a professional development program for Early Childhood programs.
Unwaveringly dedicated to every community of which she has been a part, Sarah has worked with many nonprofit and charitable organizations. She acted as Board Chair of The Lancashire Foundation and served on the founding Board of Directors for Tomorrow’s Voices, the first Autism Spectrum Disorder program of its kind in Bermuda. 在本地, she has volunteered for 412 Food Rescue, 各各他圣公会教堂, 东区合作事工, 第二丰收节俭, 和圣玛格丽特医院. She currently serves as a mentor for the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, a vocational training program providing opportunities for individuals with significant barriers to employment. Sarah is also a member of the outreach team for Jeremiah’s Place, Pittsburgh’s only crisis nursery.
萨拉拿的是B.A. 在霍巴特获得社会学学位 & 威廉史密斯学院，M.S.Ed in Special Education from Bank Street College, and an M.S.W. 哥伦比亚大学. She talked with us in June about her favorite Ellis memories and experiences.
What is your favorite memory (or place) from Ellis?
What Is Something You Learned at Ellis That You Still Carry with You Today?
What Ellis Experience Do You Attribute to Your Personal or Professional Success?
回来
Unwaveringly dedicated to every community of which she has been a part, Sarah has worked with many nonprofit and charitable organizations. She acted as Board Chair of The Lancashire Foundation and served on the founding Board of Directors for Tomorrow’s Voices, the first Autism Spectrum Disorder program of its kind in Bermuda. 在本地, she has volunteered for 412 Food Rescue, 各各他圣公会教堂, 东区合作事工, 第二丰收节俭, 和圣玛格丽特医院. She currently serves as a mentor for the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, a vocational training program providing opportunities for individuals with significant barriers to employment. Sarah is also a member of the outreach team for Jeremiah’s Place, Pittsburgh’s only crisis nursery.
萨拉拿的是B.A. 在霍巴特获得社会学学位 & 威廉史密斯学院，M.S.Ed in Special Education from Bank Street College, and an M.S.W. 哥伦比亚大学. She talked with us in June about her favorite Ellis memories and experiences.
What is your favorite memory (or place) from Ellis?
[中学 Division Assistant] Marie Kanz used to sit at a front reception desk at the main entrance of the school. 在我的记忆中, 只有高年级学生才有休息室, 所以作为低年级学生, we just plopped ourselves wherever we wanted. My favorite place to be during free periods was in the reception area hanging out, 笑, 当然也困扰着玛丽. 太有趣了. 她爱我们，问问她就知道了!
It brings about this idea of being so comfortable in your community. It’s this idea of, "This place is mine.” This place is mine in that I am so welcome in every space...我是这个组织的一部分. In hindsight, I realize that we were the first people any visitor saw when they came to the school. They got a full, authentic dose of Ellis girls as soon as they walked in. We were likely a little too rambunctious, but there was also something about the comfort level and the ability for us to be whoever we were at that time. 我们过去和现在在这里都很有名.
It brings about this idea of being so comfortable in your community. It’s this idea of, "This place is mine.” This place is mine in that I am so welcome in every space...我是这个组织的一部分. In hindsight, I realize that we were the first people any visitor saw when they came to the school. They got a full, authentic dose of Ellis girls as soon as they walked in. We were likely a little too rambunctious, but there was also something about the comfort level and the ability for us to be whoever we were at that time. 我们过去和现在在这里都很有名.
What Is Something You Learned at Ellis That You Still Carry with You Today?
It really is 1000 percent the power of female friendships and female relationships. My Ellis friendships remain really strong, but so are my relationships with other women from other places—female coworkers and friends, 我的母亲, 我的女儿. 它很特别，而且与众不同. 这种女人把女人抬起来的观念, and that when one of us wins we all win, is something I feel I wasn’t explicitly taught—no one said that to me verbatim in the 90’s—but that was my lived experience at Ellis. Everything worked better when we were supporting each other, 不管是在戏剧里, 或者在球场上, 或者在课堂上. 我是在实践中学到的, and I feel so lucky to have had so many repeated examples of working together with other girls.
What Ellis Experience Do You Attribute to Your Personal or Professional Success?
I legitimately always felt like I was being celebrated at Ellis. Not with accolades or special recognitions, but for being myself. I was a Lifer, so over 13 years I had every phase and fad and haircut, and I tried so many things. I consistently heard this message of "go for it.” Go out for this sport, this play, this club. 那个俱乐部并不存在? 启动它.
Today, I really do not hesitate to put myself forth. It feels natural to enter a situation with confidence because I know nothing else than to say, “为什么不是我呢?”?” There’s no reason not to try something. Even my failures have not been reasons. 失败并不令人沮丧. If it happened, I tried again or I went a different direction. 多么荣幸啊! The notion that there’s never a reason not to go for it is something that I apply in my professional and personal life. Move to another country and create a new career? 为什么不? 在45岁的时候学习滑水? 确定! It isn’t necessarily about risk taking, but it’s more about assuming a successful experience and having the confidence to know I’ll survive even if it doesn’t go according to plan.
Today, I really do not hesitate to put myself forth. It feels natural to enter a situation with confidence because I know nothing else than to say, “为什么不是我呢?”?” There’s no reason not to try something. Even my failures have not been reasons. 失败并不令人沮丧. If it happened, I tried again or I went a different direction. 多么荣幸啊! The notion that there’s never a reason not to go for it is something that I apply in my professional and personal life. Move to another country and create a new career? 为什么不? 在45岁的时候学习滑水? 确定! It isn’t necessarily about risk taking, but it’s more about assuming a successful experience and having the confidence to know I’ll survive even if it doesn’t go according to plan.
