Harpeth Hall alumnae inspire students to embrace challenges and find their purpose at upper school career day

Claire Tattersfield ‘15 knew when she set out to write her first children's novel, she was going to be “bad” before she was “good.” So, she made a plan. For the next four months, Ms. Tattersfield wrote a children’s book every single day. Some were good, some needed improvement, but it wasn’t until she unlocked a rhyming structure for her writing during that fourth month that she truly found her voice. That work became her debut book, “Cupig: The Valentine's Day Pig,” a New York Times bestseller. 

This lesson aligns with Harpeth Hall’s values of building resilience, empowering confidence, and celebrating intellectual curiosity to embrace challenges as a part of personal growth. Signs hang in every classroom to remind students that the goal is not to be perfect, but rather to put forth your best effort. As over 50 alumnae from across professional career fields returned to campus to talk to students during this year’s upper school career day, this theme was often repeated throughout the afternoon as girls were encouraged to take risks, find their passions, and know that it is okay to not know what you want to be or stumble in your path to finding your career.

“Harpeth Hall students, in general, hold ourselves to very high standards, and that’s really wonderful,” said Madeline Wiseman ‘09 who is a lawyer with the National Student Legal Defense Network. “But also you have to show yourself grace and compassion and know that you don’t have to have it all figured out. … Give yourself room to try new things. High school should be a time of working hard and learning all that Harpeth Hall is teaching you, but also it’s exploring and trying new things, and failing, and experimenting.” 

As a part of that experimentation process, alumnae reminded students that it is okay to make a career change, to find something else they are passionate about.

“When you talk about pivoting [in your career], it's never a bad thing if you find something that you're more excited about,” Terri Beuerlein Lankford ‘98, chief of staff at Google, said. “Always be super excited about your job. If you’re not, you’re not doing the right thing and you need to find something else. Because, no matter what it is, you will be better and you will have more success at something you are super passionate about.”

More than anything, students were encouraged to trust the skills they have learned at Harpeth Hall.

Lindsay Jacques Irving ‘06 discovered that firsthand when she began an internship with the Honorable Ellen Hobbs Lyle ‘75 after law school. Chancellor Lyle told her, “You've already learned how to be a lawyer from going to Harpeth Hall. You already have the skill set.”

“What she meant by that,” Ms. Irving, who is now a partner at Holland & Knight, said, “was that we learned how to think critically, how to analyze problems, how to write clearly, and how to communicate whatever we are trying to advocate for. That’s what you are learning here and that will carry you so far forward in this profession or any other that you choose.”

Harpeth Hall’s career day serves as a powerful reminder to all students and alumnae about the incredible network of successful, driven women who are there to help and support each other throughout their lives. For students, hearing the alumnae’s stories firsthand is a chance to see their own potential reflected back to them as they navigate the rest of high school, college, and their early professional careers, knowing that they have a legacy of Harpeth Hall women standing with them. 

Words of Wisdom from Harpeth Hall Alumnae

“For me, the biggest takeaway from Harpeth Hall was confidence. I discovered who I was and left here comfortable in my own skin. And feeling confident made me more comfortable in who I am as a leader.”

— Neel Webb Young ‘02, Independent Consultant, BMV Luxury Travel

“I think it would tell my 9th-grade self maybe not to put so much pressure on myself, but even today, I can feel the work ethic that is ingrained in me — and that started at Harpeth Hall. So I would say, ‘Capture that.’ If you work hard, it’s going to work out for you. It may not be linear, and it may not be exactly what you picture doing — you may change careers a billion times — but if you work hard and follow what you want to do, you are going to be okay.”

— Kat Ward Booth ‘97, Deputy Criminal Chief, White Collar Crime, United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee

“What I have learned about leadership throughout my time at Harpeth Hall, in college, and in my career is that you don't always have to be the person that's up in front of the room or in front of the class or the person who is the executive in order to be a leader in the environment. Something that really resonated with me at Harpeth Hall is this idea of active followership — being participatory but really intentional in how you choose to be a part of a group. … You don't necessarily need to be the chief in charge to be able to be a leader. I think that a lot of people … lead by how you treat others and how you respect yourself within a group.”

— Claire Perrone ‘12, Director of Operations, Sylvan Health

“Show up as your authentic self. It can be easy to think that you have to be like everybody in the workforce, but your value is also how you think differently.”

— Mary Graham Harvey ‘12, Manager, Brand Engagement, HCA Healthcare

“You can't be afraid of change and of taking a leap. … Once you get into a job, you're like, ‘Okay, I know what I'm doing.’ That's a nice feeling, right? … You know what to expect. …And when you change jobs or industries, you start back over. …You have to be comfortable with that feeling and know that it's okay, that you don't really know anything. …Everyone has been at day one, where they know nothing. And so don't feel embarrassed or intimidated by that. …Sometimes you need a new challenge.”

— Beth Binkley Mason ‘08, Chief Customer Officer, Wayspring

“Don’t look too far ahead. You don’t have to have it all figured out for it to all work out.”

— Sarah Riley Saint ‘12, Lead Epidemiologist for the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System, Tennessee Department of Health

“Sometimes it’s important that if you are nervous about something, do it and learn from it — even if you are not good at it, you will do better the next time. I think Harpeth Hall instills that confidence.”

— Hayley Phipps Robinson ‘04, Associate Veterinarian, Belle Meade Animal Hospital

“Believe you are in the room for a reason. [If it is a room of most men], make sure you highlight the diverse opinions you can bring as a woman. … Puff up your chest and make sure your voice is heard.”

— Abby Sinks Spaulding 2003, Owner, Financial Planner, Continuum Planning Partners
 

Thank you to all of our alumnae participants!

• Virginia Ballard 1981 - President, Calton Consulting Services
• Marnie Reasor 1991 - Homeopathy consultant, Resplendent Healing
• Jennifer Moroney 1994 - Attorney, Moroney Law Group, PLLC
• Susanne Davis Reseland 1996 - Financial Advisor/Member, Davis Reseland LLC
• Kat Ward Booth 1997 - Deputy Criminal Chief, White Collar Crime, United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Beverly Hodgson Conley 1997 - SVP, Client Experience and Investment Operations Manager, Truxton
• Terri Beuerlein Lankford 1998 - Chief of Staff, Google

• Megan Youngblood 1998 - Associate Vice President, Vanderbilt Health Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Megan Casey 2000 - Director of Ecommerce, Rich Products
• Tricia McWilliams Ward 2000 - Consultant, Purpose Possible
• Michelle Gaskin Brown 2001 - Senior Manager, Public Policy, Amazon
• Mary-Grace Harvey Robb 2002 - Relationship Manager, VP, FirstBank
• Neel Webb Young 2002 - Independent Consultant, BMV Luxury Travel
• Abby Sinks Spaulding 2003 - Owner, Financial Planner, Continuum Planning Partners
• Elizabeth Conrad 2004 - Senior Manager, Publications and Data Management, Amgen Inc
• Berry Kennedy 2004 - Chief Operating Officer, Terraformation
• Hayley Phipps Robinson 2004 - Associate Veterinarian, Belle Meade Animal Hospital

• Amanda Powell Smith 2004 - Managing Director, Ankura Consulting
• Sarah Baker Daugherty 2005 - Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Lifepoint Health
• Hadley Miller 2005 - Principal / Relationship Manager, Diversified Trust Company
• Lizzie Napier 2005 - Nurse Practitioner, Women Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Katie Shaub Thackston 2005 - Senior VP, Strategy & Product, IVX Health
• Betsy West 2005 - Global Senior Manager, User Centricity, Mars
• Meg DeLozier Ferguson 2006 - Plastic Surgeon, DeLozier Plastic Surgery
• Lindsay Jacques Irving 2006 - Partner, Holland & Knight
• Caroline Anderson Millican 2006 - Pricing Strategy, Sr. Planner, Nissan Motor Corporation

• Kate Steele 2006 - Co-Owner, H Three Events
• Jillian Peterson Wright 2006 - CEO, Onsite Women's Health
• Caroline Tanner Everett 2007 - Director of Corporate Responsibility, AllianceBernstein
• Reed Pankey 2007 - Sr Transaction Manager, Amazon
• Laurie Spradley 2007 - Vice President of Operations, Goo Goo Cluster
• Katie Best Hardy 2008 - Senior Manager, Accenture
• Beth Binkley Mason 2008 - Chief Customer Officer, Wayspring
• Clair Bartholomew 2009 - Senior Recruiter, Main Street Rural Health
• Phoebe Carver Lane 2009 - Director of Strategy & Partnerships, One Acre Fund
• Elizabeth Floyd Read 2009 - Communications Manager, Harpeth Hall
• Madeline Wiseman 2009 - Counsel, National Student Legal Defense Network

• Ash Grewal 2010 - Head of Brand Partnerships, Kit
• Mary Lynne Graham Kaatz 2011 - Financial Advisor, Baird
• Becca Factor Lapidario 2011 - TriStar Division Director, HCA Healthcare
• Joanna McCall 2011 - Senior Research Analyst, Greater Nashville Regional Council
• Sara Anderson Tynes 2011 - Assistant Vice President, Aon
• Mary Graham Harvey 2012 - Manager, Brand Engagement, HCA Healthcare
• Claire Perrone 2012 - Director of Operations, Sylvan Health
• Sarah Riley Saint 2012 - Lead Epidemiologist for the State Unintentional Drug Overdose
• Reporting System, Tennessee Department of Health
• Warner Tidwell 2013 - VP of Touring, Crom Tidwell Merchandising
• Mary Eugenia Hunt Smith 2014 - Owner, Mary Eugenia Interior Design
• Claire Tattersfield 2015 - Associate Editor, Penguin Random House
• Lucy Smith 2016 - Senior Associate - Audit & Advisory, LBMC
• Elizabeth Tirrill 2016 - Associate Attorney, Neal & Harwell, PLC
• Helen Lazenby 2017 - A&R Coordinator, Sony Music Publishing
• Maggie Tattersfield 2018 - Assistant Agent, The Cat Agency, Inc

Thank you, also, to the Winterim Internship and Academic Travel Panel participants: Allison Oldacre Griffin '03, Reed Pankey '07, Katie Nicholson '16, and Marguerite Coombs '18!