It has been wonderful to watch past students Abby Andrews (2017) and Gabi Palm (2015) compete as part of the Stingers Water Polo team and win Silver at the Paris Olympics. This is an incredible feat and their passion for Water Polo was ignited when they commenced at BGGS.
The success of the Paris Olympics also demonstrated the incredible impact of volunteers, with more than 45 000 individuals contributing to the event’s smooth operation and vibrant atmosphere. Volunteers played essential roles in logistics, hospitality, crowd management, and supporting athletes, demonstrating how crucial their contributions are to the success of large-scale events. These dedicated individuals worked tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring events ran smoothly and participants and spectators had a memorable experience. Their commitment and enthusiasm exemplified the spirit of the Olympics, fostering a sense of community and international camaraderie.
In this edition of Bishbar Blue, we proudly acknowledge all those within our BGGS community, including selfless volunteers, who have made the purposeful decision to give back. Giving takes many forms—whether through volunteering your time, offering your skills, supporting a cause financially, or joining others to advocate for equity and equality. Giving, in whatever form, allows us all to make a lasting impact.
Volunteers are integral to our community and our past students form a pipeline for giving their time, treasure, talent, and testimonials. Over the years, when interviewing alumnae to be profiled in this newsletter, I have noticed that many talk about the satisfaction of being able to give back: to make a lasting difference; strengthen communities; broaden networks; or simply gain a new perspective.
I hope you enjoy reading the stories of Grammar Women: Sister Mary Magdalen OCD (Desley Frost, 1960); Felicia Willow (1996); Fiona Qiu (2017); and Georgia Slade (2003).
Ms Antonia Swindells
Alumnae Relations Manager
Abby Andrews (2017) and Gabi Palm (2015)
