Continuum Fall ’26
Continuum
Portrait of a “Winsor Woman”
Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Partridge Heald ’57, P’87, GP’ 18, ’20, ’21 (June 29, 1939–June 12, 2026)
In 1907, 21 years after Mary Pickard Winsor started her school for eight girls in a private home in Boston, a group of parents and supporters formed the Winsor Corporation and the first Board of Trustees of the Winsor School. Fifty years later Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Partridge would graduate from Winsor, one of 42 students educated on the landmark campus in the Fenway. But it was 1988 when, alongside the Calgary Olympic Games and the induction of The Beatles into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, what was perhaps a more singular moment in the evolution of an institution with a mission centered on the education of girls occurred: Betsy Partridge Heald became the first woman to serve as president of the Winsor School’s Board of Trustees and only the second woman to hold a position of that nature at Winsor. Prior to the creation of Winsor’s board, Sarah Wharton Hallowell ’59 (1846–1934) served as president of the Winsor School Corporation and its Executive Committee from 1914 to 1920. Despite a legacy of female heads of school, and decades of growth and change in the school and in the world, there was a 68-year gap in female leadership of the corporation. All of that changed with Betsy, a force of generosity, thoughtfulness, and resiliency, who helped guide Winsor through this important transition and the years of progress that followed. Once Betsy took up the mantle of president of the Winsor board, there has been a female successor in the role of president ever since.
“She loved Winsor deeply,” former Head of School Carolyn McClintock Peter says of Betsy Heald, who passed peacefully after a long illness on June 12, 2026. “She was always thinking about how to preserve its strengths and its history.” But Betsy’s dedication to Winsor’s legacy was as receptive as it was steadfast, as Carolyn, who began her tenure as head of school at the same time Betsy assumed the board presidency, is sure to note: “Betsy was also open to the inclusive community I was striving to develop.”
Betsy came to the Winsor Board of Trustees having attended Smith College of Northampton, Massachusetts, marrying her first husband Gordon Heald, teaching first and second grade at Dedham Country Day School, and raising a family. She gave five years to the board before assuming the role of president after her daughter Kimberly graduated from Winsor in 1987.
“She provided the best possible introduction [to the school],” emphasizes Carolyn, who says Betsy was instrumental in helping her succeed as a new head. “She was cheerful, optimistic, loyal, and trusting…and always ready to listen.”
At the end of her first decade on Winsor’s board, Betsy’s husband Gordon was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and after losing him in 1998, she co-founded the Gordon T. Heald ALS Fund to help provide support to ALS patients and their caregivers. (This fund evolved into Compassionate Care ALS, which now serves thousands of ALS patients throughout the world.) Giving to others was of primary importance to Betsy, and she contributed to many additional nonprofit and volunteer organizations, including the Junior League of Boston (to advance women’s leadership), The Vincent Club (supporting women’s health and well-being), and the Museum of Fine Arts. However, it was said she found her involvement with the Winsor School most rewarding.
“As a member of the very special Class of 1957, she helped to keep those friendships alive, as well as lead other alumnae to support Winsor,” says Carolyn. “She immersed herself in Winsor activities, enjoying the Class IV play, Under the Lights, commencement… even board meetings, which she always ran efficiently and gracefully.”
Betsy was the driving force behind the Class of 1957’s efforts to establish the Class of 1957 Endowment Fund for the Virginia Wing Library—which supports library operations, resource acquisitions, and programs—in honor of the class’s 50th reunion. Today, students know the Virginia Wing Library as one of the most popular spaces to linger and learn on the Winsor School campus, and it boasts an ever-growing and diversifying collection of print and digital resources and educational programming.
Together with her daughter Kimberly, Betsy also established the Elizabeth Partridge Heald ’57 and Kimberly Heald Krawshuk ’87 Chair in Mathematics, one of the first endowed faculty chairs at Winsor, intended to support the acquisition, retention, and scholarly development of outstanding Winsor teachers.
“Betsy and her daughter Kim endowed the math chair at a time when we had few endowed chairs,” says Carolyn, acknowledging the setting of an important precedent at a school that values instruction of the highest quality as well as continuity of faculty through the long-term.
Betsy’s granddaughters Rose Heald ’18, Ashley Krawshuk ’20, and Sarah Heald ’21, followed in her and Kimberly’s footsteps, extending the Heald family’s relationship with Winsor to a new generation, and further exhibiting their deep belief in Winsor’s mission. They also added another role to the list Betsy filled at Winsor in her lifetime.
“Alumna, trustee, parent, grandparent, volunteer, and donor,” wrote Winsor Head of School and O’Donnell Family Chair Meredith Legg P’32 in her remembrance. “Betsy embodied the values of intellectual engagement, service, generosity, and community that have long defined Winsor. Even through significant health challenges later in life, she remained optimistic, deeply interested in the life of the school, and always eager to hear Winsor news.”
“Betsy overcame many obstacles with courage, never feeling sorry for herself,” remembers Carolyn. “She was truly a ‘Winsor Woman,’ through and through.”
Community Service in Action at Cradles to Crayons
In January, Winsor alumnae spanning the Classes of 1955 through 2025 came together for a morning of community service at Cradles to Crayons in Newton, combining meaningful volunteer work with the opportunity to reconnect across generations.
Working alongside Cradles to Crayons staff, volunteers helped inspect, clean, and refurbish donated shoes and winter boots as part of the organization’s “Quality = Dignity” process, which ensures every child receives thoughtfully prepared essential items. By the end of the morning, the group had refurbished 70 pairs of shoes and boots for local children in need.
The event also built on the generosity of the Winsor community. Donations collected at the Alum Holiday Party helped support the effort, allowing alums to extend their impact beyond the volunteer shift itself.
For many attendees, the morning was just as much about community as it was about service.
“It was a real pleasure to spend some time with other Winsor alums at the Cradles to Crayons Community Service event this past January,” shared Betsy Parrot ’65. Adding, “I was so glad that I signed up and would do this again! The best part of the time was reconnecting with other alums from so many different classes—we had a great day!”
The community service outing reflected a shared commitment to giving back while strengthening connections within the alumnae community. We look forward to offering more opportunities for alums to volunteer together in the future.
Young Alums Connect Through Art After Dark
Young alums from the Classes of 2011 through 2025 gathered in Boston in May for Art After Dark, an evening of contemporary art, conversation, and community.
The evening began at the Institute of Contemporary Art, where attendees explored the galleries and had the opportunity to spend time with Sara Macaulay, longtime Visual Arts Department head and Eleanor Thomas Nelson ’49 Chair in Fine Arts, ahead of her retirement at the end of the 2025–26 school year. Afterward, the group continued to Trillium Brewing Company Fort Point, where they enjoyed drinks and conversation with classmates and fellow alums. Hosted by Young Alumnae Committee co-chairs Anu Gupta ’13 and Holly Breuer ’14, and planned with support from alum intern Jenni Vega ’22, the event welcomed recent graduates from across 15 class years.
Art After Dark concluded this year’s Young Alumnae Committee events, which offer recent graduates opportunities to gather throughout the year. Other events this year included an Under the Lights Happy Hour in the fall, and winter cocktails and mocktails where young alums assembled care packages for the recently graduated Class of 2025. Together, these gatherings help young alums strengthen existing friendships, network with fellow graduates across class years, and stay engaged with the Winsor community.
Although the ICA’s exhibitions provided the backdrop for the evening, the highlight for Sara Macaulay was spending time with former students.
“The Young Alum event at the ICA was wonderful. When I initially heard about the event, I was excited about the opportunity to see some art, especially the Carrie Mae Weems exhibit, as she is an artist that I include in my art history classes. In reality, connecting and catching up with my former students and advisees was far more interesting than the art, and I never made it past the lobby!”
Despite the rainy evening, young alums embraced the chance to catch up with one another, spend time with faculty, and celebrate the friendships and connections that continue long after graduation.
Newsmakers: Leading at Law School: Alumna Elected Co-President at H.L.S.
Winsor alumna Ifeanyi Umunna ’20 has been elected student body co-president at Harvard Law School for the 2026–27 school year. After graduating from Winsor, where she served as class president and Model United Nations club president, Ifeanyi attended American University. Graduating in 2023, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government with a minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies. During her undergraduate years, she served as president of the Black Student Union and student director in the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, earning summa cum laude honours and induction into Phi Beta Kappa. In 2024, Ifeanyi headed across the pond to Cambridge University, earning a master of philosophy in criminology as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.
Ifeanyi’s work experience has included an internship in the office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and a year spent working in the offices of U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch. She has also held roles with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Policing Equity, as well as an internship with the Office of the Public Defender in Maryland, where she worked on juvenile justice matters. As an undergraduate, she founded ZeEntry, a nonprofit initiative focused on bridging technological gaps in the criminal justice system by connecting justice-involved individuals with Gen Z volunteers.
Ifeanyi spent the summer of 2026 working at the UK’s Public Defender Service in London, supported by the Chayes Fellowship, awarded by Harvard Law. As she returns to Harvard, she will continue to focus her studies on criminal justice reform while advocating for her fellow students as co-president.
Newsmakers: The Pride of Winsor: Alumnae Honored at Inaugural Commonwealth Pride Award
This summer, Winsor alumnae Polly Crozier ’92 and Lisa Krinsky ’81 both received inaugural Commonwealth Pride awards from the Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus at the State House. The LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus hosted the event “to highlight and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of LGBTQ+ individuals in our Commonwealth.” Polly and Lisa were among more than 100 honorees whose work has touched the LGBTQ+ community in every area of life in Massachusetts.
Polly, a Winsor trustee and graduate of Yale University and Boston College Law School, received the award for her work on LGBTQ+ rights with GLAD Law, where she has worked since 2016. Before GLAD, her work in private practice focused on LGBTQ+ probate and family law, and she has been involved in landmark trial court and appellate litigation involving assisted reproduction and parentage. Polly’s work focuses on youth and family issues, including updated family laws in several states (including Massachusetts) that ensure LGBTQ+ families have equal access to the legal recognition of their relationship to their children.
Lisa was honored for her leadership of the LGBTQIA+ Aging Project at Fenway Health and the Arlington LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission. The project, which Lisa directs, works toward community, inclusion, and equity for LGBTQIA+ older adults, ensuring that they can age with dignity and respect. A leader in the field of LGBTQIA+ aging, Lisa has also developed multiple trainings on LGBTQIA+ cultural competency for aging service providers, and has worked on a variety of practice and policy issues in Massachusetts, improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ and HIV-positive older adults. She is a founding commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Aging and the Arlington LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission. Lisa is also a founding board member of LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., which developed The Pryde, New England’s first LGBTQ friendly affordable senior housing community.
Coming Home for Alumnae Weekend
Alumnae Weekend 2026 welcomed Winsor graduates back to campus for a full slate of events: award presentations, panel discussions, campus tours, a lacrosse game, and a set of science-themed master classes taking place in the newly renovated science wing. Attendees had the chance to reconnect with classmates and faculty, mingle with other alumnae, and reaffirm their commitment to supporting Winsor’s work in the world.
The Alumnae Weekend luncheon included presentations of two awards: the Alumnae Service Award, presented by Director of Engagement and Events Becky Withiam to Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01, past president of the Alumnae Board and a Winsor trustee. Ms. Withiam praised Ashley’s dedication to service during her time on the board, noting that Ashley’s relocation to Texas for a new job has proven a challenge, but never a barrier. “Ashley approaches everything she does with both practicality and enthusiasm,” Ms. Withiam noted. “Your dedication, drive, perseverance, and deep loyalty to Winsor have made a lasting impact on this community.”
Myriam Poznar, assistant director of alumnae engagement, presented this year’s Young Alumnae Service Award to Holly Breuer ’14, co-chair of the Young Alumnae Committee and the Community Engagement Committee on the Alumnae Board. “She is incredibly organized, full of creative ideas, and possesses a ‘can-do’ spirit that makes every project better just by her being involved,” Ms. Poznar said of Holly. “She doesn’t just fill a seat on a committee; she drives the conversation forward and makes sure every alum feels welcome.”
The weekend’s master classes included a deep dive into the history of science education at Winsor with a pop-up exhibit and other interactive elements spearheaded by Winsor Archivist and Library Assistant Chelsea McNeil. Attendees were invited to share their own “eureka” moments by recording mini oral interviews, identifying archival photos, and sharing their own scientific knowledge.
Ken Schopf, science faculty and Essential Chair in Science, led a session called “Set in Stone,” a paleobiology class featuring a display of fossils more than 350 million years old. Mr. Schopf also shared some of the questions and approaches that inform Winsor’s Upper School paleobiology elective.
Kimberly Ramos, assistant head of school and science faculty, taught a session titled “Out of Thin Air: Gas Laws in Action,” which focused on the behavior of gaseous molecules and the myriad roles they play in everyday life.
This year’s Alumnae Weekend dinner included remarks from Allison Kaneb Pellegrino ’89, P’21, ’22, president of the Winsor School Corporation. Allison took a moment to honor Winsor’s retiring faculty and staff, then introduced Head of School Meredith Legg P’32, who presented the Julia Lyman Simonds Award to Dr. Kristine Guleserian ’86, director of the Congenital Heart Surgery Program at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas. “Kris understands service: not only saving lives when possible, but honoring them always,” Ms. Legg noted. “It is a gesture of tenderness from someone whose work requires both extraordinary toughness and extraordinary heart.”
Ms. Legg also shared some of the lessons from her first year leading Winsor. “There is magic in Winsor—but not the mystical kind,” Ms. Legg told the audience. “Winsor magic is the kind that amazes because it comes from deep study and consistent practice on the part of the magician.” Ms. Legg highlighted the extraordinary educators working at Winsor, and the need to continue investing in both faculty members and students through the Winsor Leads campaign. “Girls’ schools are paramount to our future,” she said. “As our girls rise to meet the challenge of the day, so too does Winsor rise.”