Page 4 - November Newsletter
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Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Complete with cap and gown, as Pomp
Service Commendation Medal, three and Circumstance played, the ceremony
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation was held for the boy and his family.
Medals, and a Joint Service That evening he went to sleep as a high
Achievement Medal. school graduate; he knew his mission
was complete and slept for the last
Miriam Balaban (June 1945) is a time. His family thanked Joan for
scientist, professor, and publisher. making a difference in his life and his
When Dr. Balaban graduated 71 years care. In turn, Joan asked the girls to
ago, the term “STEM” had not been use their gifts to be world changers. "Go
coined. In those 70+ years she was a out and make a difference in the world.
model for women in science. Dr. There are two kinds of people, those
Balaban is recognized as one of the who make things happen and those who
world's greatest experts on the let things happen."
desalination of salt water and the
purification of waste water. Though she Penny Glackman (June 1965)
has gained great regard as a scientist, disclosed, quite candidly, a train of
she is equally passionate about thought that surprisingly would be
nurturing young scientists. To provide echoed by other awardees. She said
venues for young scientists to have she never thought that she would be
their articles published, she founded acknowledged by the President of the
several scientific journals, some of them United States and awarded the
international in scope, and she Presidential Award for Excellence in
continues to serve as a publisher and Mathematics and Science Teaching
editor encouraging young minds in because she was a “devoted
science. underachiever.” She shared that the
skills imparted at GHS helped her
Frances L. Edwards (June 1965), blossom when she found her passion for
Emergency Management and Homeland teaching as an undergraduate and
Security and expert in homeland encouraged the students to find that
security, was unable to attend. In a passion that resonated within them.
statement read by Oren Wyche-Shaw,
Frances shared that the secret of her Julie Gold, Grammy Award–winner for
success were the lessons learned in From a Distance, told the audience that
leadership, critical thinking, research, she didn't appreciate what she had
and ethics during her high school years when she was here. She admitted, like
at GHS.
so many of
Joan Frizzell (1965) is a nurse, the 2016
professor, author, and past President of awardees,
the Alumnae Association. Joan served that she was
as President of the Alumnae Association less than a
of the Philadelphia High School for Girls stellar
for four years, during the busy events of student
the GHS 100th Anniversary. She shared during her
a moving account her time as a critical years at
care nurse and how she cared for a high GHS. But her career has allowed her to
school senior during the last months of travel the world and appreciate the
his life. Knowing that he would not live lessons learned while at Girls’ High and
long enough to see his graduation two is proud to be part of the elite
months hence, Joan arranged for his
graduation in the intensive care unit.
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