What made GFS special for you? The Alumnae Office wants to know! Share your story by filling out this form.
My Garrison Forest is family! Quite simply, this one word describes Garrison Forest School for me. Countless numbers of Shriver family members, like me, and even some of the boys in our family, due to the early days of the GFS Infantry and current co-ed pre-school program, have attended GFS. And this GFS family extends beyond to include all my friends, day and boarding students alike, teachers and administrators who cared so much about me when I was student and even more so now as a graduate. I love my GFS family! It is truly the best.
-eleanor shriver magee '89
My Garrison Forest is the ability to express my individuality, within a greater supportive community.
-Catherine DiPietro '12
Garrison Forest instilled in me that there is not just one definition of success—there was the girl who is great at math, the beautiful writer, the fearless athlete, the talented pianist. What makes life interesting and fun is when all of these people have a seat at the table and we learn from one another. Nowhere was this more true for me than at GFS.
-Kate Schroeder O’Neill ‘93
For me, Garrison Forest created a space to gain confidence and thrive as a leader.
- Elisabeth Owen Hayes ‘81
Every Garrison Forest experience is unique, just like every Garrison Girl--but we are all connected by the GFS spirit and the memories we share of our days at the Forest. Enjoy the stories of your fellow alumnae, and share your own!
My Garrison Forest is the long list of teachers and coaches who pushed and pulled, encouraged, cared, and motivated me to be my best so many years ago. It is also the members of the class of '83, who are such a very special group of women!
- kit jackson '83
My Garrison Forest is my family! In the 80s, my mom was a beloved fifth grade teacher. In the 90s, my sister and I thrived in various roles as scholars, athletes, artists, musicians and community leaders. We could be anything we wanted to be, and if we failed, we were encouraged to try again. Today, my sister is a beloved upper school history teacher and I have the honor of leading the alumnae board. GFS is our home and for that, I will always be grateful!
- LIZA CORBIN COLE '98
My Garrison Forest is confidence. Because of Garrison, I broke out of my comfort zone and grew not only as a leader, but as a devoted community member.
- Kamber Parker '13
My Garrison Forest is the foundation of who I am today. My strength, my kindness, my intelligence and my drive to keep growing came from all of my teachers, classmates and the staff at Garrison. Garrison Forest built the foundation of me and who I will be in the future.
- holly rocha sathoff '09
My Garrison Forest is where the foundation for the thoughtful, generous, critical, ambitious, intelligent, and appreciative person I have become was built. Also, BJ McElderry changed my life--I'm ever grateful to have had a cheerleader like her.
- Camille McNeal '08
My Garrison Forest is where no matter where you came from you could truly be be yourself--quirky, shy, loud, confused, confident, funny--it did not matter. You could be it all or none of it as long as you were you. WE ARE GFS!
-Maggie Reed Luchini '95
My Garrison Forest is sisterhood, leadership, education and empowerment. I'm so proud to have Samaya walking in my footsteps. She will be nurtured, but she will be pushed and challenged.
Being a Garrison girl has made a fundamental difference to the Garrison woman I am today. I grew in confidence from my time at GFS and have found that the skills I learned, the lessons instilled in me and the foundations I made have been invaluable. It's safe to say that without Garrison I wouldn't be the woman, mother, friend and business owner I am today.
-Ashley Ingraham '95
I arrived at Garrison with trembling self esteem and a fervent desire to absorb knowledge. Garrison helped me to grab, digest, interpret and expand all of my educational, philosophical and theoretical horizons, while showing me how to trust my instincts and build my character. I would not have had to tools to tap into my potential without the guidance of the wonderful faculty and students at GFS
- BROOKE YOUNG RUSSELL '99
My Garrison Forest is the place where my two sisters and I were able to discover our vastly different interests and have our passions supported.
- allie dipietro '15
My Garrison Forest is where I learned to fly. Before GFS, I was the shy girl who did not want to speak out of turn, but the Forest taught me to speak up for myself and have confidence that my opinions were valued and worth hearing. Garrison Forest taught me to be better than I ever thought possible.
- Briana Williams '12
At Garrison my education expanded way beyond the books. Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, I had many experiences and made many friends I would not have otherwise.
- LIDA BLACK BROSS '60
My Garrison Forest is space to be myself, with an incredible support system that challenges, nurtures, and inspires me.
- Dani DiPietro ‘10
My Garrison Forest is smiling, learning, growing, helping, wondering, achieving, expanding, giving, working, and creating.
-katie fink '08
My Garrison Forest was doing my homework on Sunday, December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed and became Pearl Harbor Day. Of course at that time I didn't know where Pearl Harbor was. I told the Whitman house about it!
- Marion Humphrey Milton '46
Garrison Forest instilled in me the value of hard work and overcoming challenges. I am successful today because of this foundation. GFS taught me to dream big, and that’s exactly what I do.
-Jessica Jackson ’01
I've always considered Manor House the cornerstone of the GFS campus. There wasn't a day that went by at the Forest that you didn't at least walk by Manor House. The best part, is that it is still there today. Some of the superficial elements have certainly changed, but the bones - and the heart - are still the same. I'm thankful that this place where I hold so many childhood memories remains such a central part of our campus.
- Morgan Scott '04