Lauren Washington-Alleyne ’05
20th Reunion
I entered Shipley in the 9th grade after graduating from Waldron Mercy Academy. The transition was a bit challenging for me culturally, socially and academically. It was not my first choice, but my mother strongly encouraged (forced) me to attend. The summer leading up to 9th grade, I recall taking math courses with Mrs. Veraldi to prepare me for the math level at which my new peers were working on. As I became accustomed to my new learning environment and teachers' styles of teaching, I learned to love Shipley.
My two favorite subjects included Spanish and Science. I believe I was enrolled in Spanish classes all four years of high school and even Minored in Spanish in college. I heavily gravitated towards the sciences and much of that was due to Mr. Paul Tierney. He, by far, was my favorite and most memorable teacher at Shipley. He was the most kind-hearted and supportive teacher I have ever encountered. My love for the sciences helped to shape my career as I Majored in nursing at West Chester University of PA and am currently a Registered Nurse.
Shipley's campus was beautiful when I attended the school 20 years ago, so I'm simply excited to see all of the modifications and upgrades that have occurred during that time. Driving to school was a big deal back then. When I obtained my senior parking privileges, we had to carpool to school because there were not enough parking spaces in the back lot. As a junior, I parked on the street (in the neighborhood), then at some point, the street signs changed to limit the amount of time we could park on the street. Halfway through the day, I'd leave school to move my car in an effort not to get a ticket. Knowing Shipley now has a parking garage sounds absolutely amazing to me. Overall, I'm excited about the campus as a whole.
My transition to Shipley was challenging culturally and socially. To combat that and become more engaged within the Shipley Community. I became a member of the Black Student Union (BSU) and Girls' Basketball Team. I ran cross country and played JV soccer for a short time, simply to help me get in shape for the basketball season.
Through the BSU, I engaged with students of color, like myself, who wanted to feel a sense of community and comfort. Throughout my four years at Shipley, I was 1 of 2 black students in my grade and the only female. Talk about loneliness; at times, it was the worst feeling possible. Thankfully, through BSU, I met students of color in other grades; and we formed a powerful bond.
We also participated in a high school partnership in which suburban high schools were paired with city (Philadelphia) high schools to engage in leadership seminars, team building, and to simply learn and understand the differences between the two communities. We were paired with Girard College and that was probably one of my best experiences. They'd visit Shipley and vice versa. All of this was made possible thanks to Jen Groeber and Maria Stroup, as these ladies were school counselors, but also our club co-sponsors. These two women were so forward-thinking, progressive and supportive to us, as students of color. I will forever be grateful and thankful for their leadership and support.
In addition to BSU, I started on the Girls' Varsity Basketball team since my freshman year. I had played basketball all my life and being a part of this team was phenomenal. Under the leadership of our coach Eric Gidney, he encouraged us to function not only as a team, but a family. We were an extremely close-knit group and truly enjoyed playing with one another. We'd wear ties on game days and look through catalogues for team gear. We were supportive of one another and that helped tear down my walls of discomfort. Furthermore, circling back to my favorite teacher, Mr. Tierney, as long as I can remember, he and his wife attended all of our home games. It provided such a sense of community, knowing he was present to support us.
In addition to BSU, I started on the Girls' Varsity Basketball team since my freshman year. I played basketball all my life and being a part of this team was phenomenal. Under the leadership of our coach Eric Gidney, he encouraged us to function not only as a team, but a family. We were an extremely close-knit group and truly enjoyed playing with one another. We'd wear ties on game days and look through catalogues for team gear. We were supportive of one another and that helped tear down my walls of discomfort. Furthermore, circling back to my favorite teacher, Mr. Tierney, as long as I can remember, he and his wife attended all of our home games. It provided such a sense of community, knowing he was present to support us.
Honestly, in my perspective, Shipley was a bubble... I wanted to have more awareness and knowledge of local and worldly issues and concerns. Outside of school, I became involved in a variety of community service efforts. This continued in college; as I joined various outreach programs and ultimately became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Through this organization, and it continues today, I was able to surround myself with college-educated women of color who maintain high ethical standards, work towards alleviating issues concerning girls and women of color, and to provide service to all mankind. In providing service to my community, it affords me the opportunity to learn, grow and understand the issues impacting members of my community. Giving back to a community, to your community, is a rewarding experience that we all should partake in. Shipley helped me to understand the importance of engaging with the world beyond Shipley's walls and I thank the school for that experience.