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Collegiate Honors Sarah Dunn for Excellence

8/22/2022

Collegiate is happy to honor members of our faculty and staff for their dedication and passion. This year’s Lower School Hamill Family Endowment Award is presented to Sarah Dunn.

In 2016, Bill and Susan Hamill and their daughters Blake '98 and Carter '01 created the Hamill Family Endowment in appreciation for the excellent teaching their daughters received while at Collegiate. The endowment recognizes and rewards outstanding full-time teachers who have 15 years or less of experience, with a preference for teachers early in their career. The endowment also rewards specific attributes in these young teachers who demonstrate faithful commitment to the teacher-coach-mentor model and demonstrate student success in inspiring student attainment in the areas of critical thinking and problem-solving, accessing and analyzing information and effective oral, written, multimedia communication and more. The Hamills recognize great mentors can come in many forms, and therefore this award is not limited to teachers who are solely classroom instructors.

The following remarks were made by Head of Lower School Debbie Miller at the Opening of School Meeting, held August 2022.

This 2022 Hamill Award recipient is engaged across many areas of School life. She supports her

students and their families — all while bringing together the two worlds of academics and athletics. She prioritizes her connection both with her students and the athletes she coaches. She brings the “team” mindset to all she does and encourages each student or athlete to do their best so that they can reach personal achievements and benefit the whole group. With her guidance, her students experience the satisfaction that accompanies learning and growing into responsible citizens in the classroom and beyond.

This year’s recipient is everything one could hope for in a teacher-coach. She possesses the unique ability to seamlessly and effectively support, inspire and connect athletes and coaches. She is a detailed planner with a keen eye for in-game adjustments. Whether working with elementary-age players at Geronimo, Upper School athletes during the school year or leading coaches through a season, she approaches each event with humility, energy and enthusiasm that are contagious. She provides the opportunity for her players to have the freedom to test the limits of their toughness and for her coaches to demand just a little more from their players.

Our award recipient knows the value of teamwork, leadership and good sportsmanship and is

committed to doing her best. She gives her best to Collegiate as she supports Cougars in the

classroom and on Collegiate’s sports fields. Please join me in congratulating this year’s Lower

School Hamill Award winner, Sarah Dunn.

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