Meet the Next Generation of Alumnae Giving Back to Chatham Hall

There is something incredibly special about returning to Chatham Hall and finding ways to give back to our School and to the next generation of Chatham Hall alumnae. For Margaret Lewis ’19 and Sridha Chadalavada ’20, that opportunity has taken the form of returning to Chatham Hall as members of our faculty and staff. This year, Margaret joined the School as Riding Instructor & Assistant Equine Studies Coordinator, while Sridha returned as an English & Learning Support Teacher.

Both are young alumnae, both have pursued meaningful experiences since leaving Chatham Hall, and both have chosen to bring what they have learned back to the community that helped shape who they are.

For Sridha, the decision to return is rooted in a desire to contribute to the community that had such a meaningful influence on her own life. “Ultimately, returning to Chatham Hall means contributing to the community that has shaped me,” she said. “My time here felt very formative, and I hope to give other students the opportunity to grow both inside and outside the classroom.”

During her time at Chatham Hall, Sridha embraced opportunities such as Student Diplomacy Corps and iQuest. After graduating, she went on to Pomona College and later completed a Fulbright fellowship in Spain, where she taught secondary school students and mentored students participating in Model United Nations Conferences.

Now, she is bringing those experiences back to Chatham Hall and gaining an entirely new appreciation for the faculty and staff who supported her as a student. “Serving as a faculty member has immensely grown my appreciation for the work that faculty and staff do to support our students so dearly,” she said.

Margaret has experienced a similar shift in perspective.

As a student, she found both academic challenges and lifelong friendships at Chatham Hall. Today, she is able to help provide those same experiences for the students she teaches and mentors. “My time as a student was monumental in my academic development but also in forging lifelong friendships,” Margaret said. “It is such a special honor to facilitate that experience for our current and future girls.”

Margaret’s own path after Chatham Hall included earning her degrees from Sweet Briar College and Liberty University, as well as working in equestrian education, barn management, collegiate admissions, and eventing. She now brings that experience to the Chatham Hall equestrian program, helping students grow not only as riders, but as confident and capable young women.

For both Margaret and Sridha, giving back is deeply connected to the experiences that they valued most as students. Sridha hopes to bring the academic rigor she experienced at Chatham Hall into her work with students. Margaret hopes to foster the “sincere sisterhood” that made her own experience so special. In both cases, what they are giving back is more than professional expertise. They are sharing a piece of what Chatham Hall gave them.

Their stories are part of a larger tradition at the School. They join alumnae faculty and staff members Emma Liss ’19, Isabella Hubbard ’19, Kristin Reese ’08, Vicky Cruz ’10, and Stephanie Wilkinson ’95, who have each chosen to invest their time and talents in the Chatham Hall community.

But giving back to Chatham Hall does not have to mean returning to campus as a faculty or staff member. There are so many ways, big and small, to remain part of the community that helped shape you. You might share your professional experience with a student, mentor a young alumna, serve on the Alumnae Council, volunteer at an event, or lend a particular talent to a School project. You might attend Reunion, reconnect with a classmate, share an update through Class Notes, or simply continue to be a cheerleader and advocate for Chatham Hall. You might also choose to make a gift of any size, helping provide the experiences and opportunities that current and future Chatham Hall students will carry with them long after they graduate.

However you choose to stay connected, your involvement matters.

Our alumnae are among Chatham Hall’s greatest gifts. You are part of the story of this School, and your continued involvement helps write our next chapter, together. Margaret and Sridha are part of the next generation of Chatham Hall alumnae giving back. Their generosity of spirit is a beautiful reminder that our connection to Chatham Hall does not end when we graduate. It continues through the relationships we maintain, the experiences we share, and the ways we choose to give back.

How will you stay connected to Chatham Hall?

Whether you have five minutes, a free weekend, professional experience to share, or the ability to make a gift, there is a way for you to be part of what comes next.