“always a Bengal” referred to the preparation and friendships that resulted from my thirteen years at GDS. It was not until I had the opportunity to intern in the Lower School that I realized that this was just the beginning of what this phrase means. As the end of my sophomore year at Davidson College drew to a close, I was deciding where I could complete a flexible internship. I had decided to study abroad for the first half of the summer and was quickly learning that finding somewhere to work for a month was not easy. With some encouragement from my mom, I decided to reach out to my fourth grade teacher and now Lower School Director, Gillian Goodman. My stress about figuring out what to do quickly turned to excitement after talking to Mrs. Goodman. She was full of innovative ideas for the Lower School and gave me the opportunity to work on what excited me the most. During my month back at GDS, I had the opportunity to help develop a Lower School student council, work to incorporate more engineering into the curriculum, analyze data for the admissions office, and more. This serendipitous experience ultimately has become one of the best internships I have had. Not only did I have the chance to work on projects with passionate people, that excited me I was given autonomy. My time at GDS prepared me to be a constructive contributor in the classroom and beyond. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to make an impact on the place that has given me so much. n As a recent alumna, “once a Bengal, always a Bengal” is at the end of every email, Facebook post, or letter I receive from Greensboro Day School. Until this past summer I thought that One of our core values at Greensboro Day School is community. I have felt the power of community as a teacher, as a parent and as an administrator. In the summer of 2017 I had the pleasure of experiencing GDS community in a new and memorable way. Eleven years ago I had the privilege of teaching Katerina Forbis ’15 as a fourth grader. When she contacted me as a sophomore at Davidson, I was thrilled to hear from her. Even better was the news that she had some time available, and she wanted to know if we might work together. Fast forward to August 2017. Katerina spent two weeks working at her alma mater. She brought with her a passion for education, psychology and economics along with a solid work ethic. In the short time she was on campus, Katerina worked with admissions to summarize and analyze survey data, with the Lower School Administrative Assistant to develop a Lower School student council proposal and with me to determine the best approach to purchasing and implementing STEM technology in upper-elementary education. The most rewarding part of the experience, however, was re- connecting with a former student who had become a young adult with creative ideas, important questions and valuable perspective. Following Katerina’s time with us, an idea was born – Bengal Interns. Why not invite recent graduates back to campus on a regular basis to share what they are learning in college and re-connect with former teachers, administrators and friends? Beginning in the summer of 2018, Greensboro Day School will offer four formalized intern programs: One in each of the three divisions – Lower School, Middle School and Upper School, and one in the business office where admissions, advancement, marketing and finance are housed. Internships can be as brief as two weeks and as long as eight, depending upon need and match, and hours can be negotiated. The ideal candidates are alumni preparing to enter their junior or senior year in college. If interns are eligible for course credit or volunteer credit hours towards a college degree, the internship will be unpaid. If work hours are not attributed to course work, there will be a small stipend to recognize intern contributions. If you are interested in being a Bengal Summer Intern, please contact Michael Sumner ’04, Director of Alumni Programs, at alumni@greensboroday.org n with Alumni Summer Interns By Gillian Goodman, Lower School Director My Experience as a Greensboro Day School Summer Intern By Katerina Forbis ’15 GDS Magazine | 39