A Commitment to Building Confidence
When I first came to Ellis in 2017 I had a chance to meet a wide variety of Ellis alumnae of all ages. I was so impressed by these women, by their passion for their work and interests, their authentic warmth and lack of pretense, and their confidence. They embodied our mission—to develop girls and young women to become bold, authentic, intellectually vibrant changemakers—and were truly inspirational.
During my four years at Ellis, I’ve been particularly interested in and committed to the many ways in which Ellis students develop confidence. Like all the most important qualities that our girls develop, it doesn’t look the same in all students. Some are naturally more extroverted and jump quickly into conversation or adventure while others take more time, or express themselves in subtler, quieter ways. We welcome this variety of styles and personalities and never expect there to be only one way to be successful at Ellis, or in life. Likewise, confidence doesn’t develop in a linear fashion or at the same pace for all young people. In fact, most students will naturally hit bumps in the road as they grow and develop that can shake their confidence.
I’d like to suggest that it is, in fact, those kinds of bumps and challenges that provide some of the most important opportunities for growth in our students. We know that some of the best learning happens when children have to work especially hard at something, when they don’t glide easily through experiences with all hurdles cleared away for them, but when they have to do something that truly feels difficult. I often talk with students about the feeling of strength they develop by having to wrestle with a challenge—a particularly hard assignment, a sport they are learning and not yet very good at, a first experience on stage, a very busy exam schedule that requires lots of advance planning.
As young people encounter such healthy challenges, with teachers and families providing encouragement but not trying to remove all obstacles, they grow their muscles of resilience and grit and the all-important sense of themselves as someone who can successfully handle challenges. That sense is, I believe, what gives us the strength and belief in ourselves that allows us to welcome new adventures, seize opportunities, and tussle with both the welcome, and not always welcome, problems that may come our way. It’s a sense we want each and every Ellis student to grow during their time with us so they leave us truly ready to take on the world.
I’d like to suggest that it is, in fact, those kinds of bumps and challenges that provide some of the most important opportunities for growth in our students. We know that some of the best learning happens when children have to work especially hard at something, when they don’t glide easily through experiences with all hurdles cleared away for them, but when they have to do something that truly feels difficult. I often talk with students about the feeling of strength they develop by having to wrestle with a challenge—a particularly hard assignment, a sport they are learning and not yet very good at, a first experience on stage, a very busy exam schedule that requires lots of advance planning.
As young people encounter such healthy challenges, with teachers and families providing encouragement but not trying to remove all obstacles, they grow their muscles of resilience and grit and the all-important sense of themselves as someone who can successfully handle challenges. That sense is, I believe, what gives us the strength and belief in ourselves that allows us to welcome new adventures, seize opportunities, and tussle with both the welcome, and not always welcome, problems that may come our way. It’s a sense we want each and every Ellis student to grow during their time with us so they leave us truly ready to take on the world.
What a delight to see all that growth happening at Ellis!
