The class of 2024 are 'Almost Alumnae'

Harpeth Hall is part of the foundation upon which Jennifer Braden Myers’ family was built.

Her grandmother and great-grandmother attended Ward-Belmont. Her mother, her aunt, her sister, and all her girl cousins went to Harpeth Hall. She was a member of the Class of 1988, and when her daughter walks down Souby Lawn in May as part of the graduating Class of 2024, it will mark a fifth generation of alumnae.

“We all feel so connected to this place,” Dr. Myers said.

Yet, even with the school in the fabric of her family history, it wasn’t until she was a medical school resident that Dr. Myers truly understood how Harpeth Hall shaped her. She was working a late-night shift in the ER, passing time in conversation with the attending physician, when she mentioned she was from Nashville.

“Then, I know where you went to high school,” he replied. “I’m married to a Harpeth Hall graduate, and you can spot you all from a mile away.” He commented that Harpeth Hall women tend to be confident, intelligent, hardworking, and driven. She understood then the enduring importance of her alma mater not only in her own family’s history but for so many young women.

“It is infinitely valuable to be taught at a school which has as its singular focus to educate girls,” Dr. Myers said as she addressed the 106 soon-to-be graduates and their mothers and special guests at the annual Almost Alumnae luncheon.

For the seniors, May’s graduation closes one chapter of their lives and starts another. Dr. Myers is confident the Class of 2024 is ready. Harpeth Hall, she reminded the girls, has fully prepared each and every one of them to take on the challenges college presents.

“Harpeth Hall is not an easy school. You have worked hard and likely, and even hopefully, had some moments of failure and times of resiliency through your time here,” she said. “I think a place like Harpeth Hall challenges you to push yourself and make mistakes. Life from henceforth will throw you curveballs, and having some experience with challenge, failure, and perseverance will be incredibly valuable.”

And, she told the girls, the Harpeth Hall community will continue to support them. Whether they are the first in their family to attend Harpeth Hall or part of a tradition, graduation doesn’t mark an ending but a continuation of a deepening connection.

“Your journey as part of the Harpeth Hall community is really just beginning,” said Ellen Green Hoffman ‘04, Harpeth Hall’s alumnae board president. “You will soon be part of an alumnae network consisting of over 5,000 alumnae across the country and around the globe.”

Dr. Myers encouraged the seniors to mentor the generations of Harpeth Hall students who will follow them. This community is filled with women across the globe who are eager to help foster the careers of their fellow Honeybears, she said.

Senior Karis Elgy, president of the senior class, treasures that woman-centric community spirit.

“Every woman here, whether it be an alum, teacher, staff member, a mom of the class of 2024, or all of the above, you have modeled and instilled in all of us the power to self-advocate and the ability to be confident, whether we know the right answer or not,” Karis said to her classmates and their guests at the luncheon.

“These women have all supported us through our trials and tribulations and have allowed us to stand on their shoulders in hopes that we reach and strive for more. And it is because of them that we will be ready and prepared to not only uplift ourselves but also the new girls we will be encountering in the coming years.”

The Class of 2024 is the foundation of today and the future.

The Almost Alumnae luncheon also celebrated the 47 students who have attended Harpeth Hall for eight years. Congratulations, Honeybears!

Jane Altman
Lilly Bartholomew
Madeline Bell
Sarah Braam
Liza Brown
Lilly Cashen
Baker Cheek
Witt Culpepper
Shaffer Dale
Marit Davis
Karis Egly
Anna Grace Farner
Olivia Finlayson
Evelyn Fish
Macon Fowler
Josie Garrison
Charlotte Hagood
Helen Harrington
Mason Hart
Josephine Hinds
Sarah Hinds
Anna Li Hornsby
Alex Hu
Michelle Ikejiani
Elizabeth John
Isabel Johnson
Anna Kerr
Ashley Knight
Jamisyn Larkin
Caroline Luttrull
Nia Maddux
Ivey Mayes
Taylor McCall
Macy Mertz
Kate Morad
Grace Moran
Taylor Perkins
Lainey Porter
Eden Powell
Shreya Priyadarshi
Lila Jane Pulliam
Sarah Reynolds
Kaytlin Small
Lexi Stewart
Gigi Williams
Abby James Witherspoon
Lauren Wynn