Lise’s Lens: May 14, 2026
This week I’m reading a book gifted to me by an alum, thinking about yesterday’s incredible Heritage Fest, learning about WBNA standout Kaitlyn Chen, and celebrating our baseball team!
WHAT I'M READING
King Peggy by Eleanor Herman and Peggielene Bartels
At Alumni Weekend two weeks ago (already!) an alum gifted me with a copy of the book King Peggy by Eleanor Herman and Peggielene Bartels. I decided to jump right into it last weekend, and while I don’t consider it the very best in literary style and elegance, the story is a fascinating one. Imagine working as a secretary in the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, where you’ve been living for over 15 years, when you get a call to return home to your village of 7,000 people, to become king… Well, that’s exactly what happened to Peggy — King Peggy. The authors spare no details, which allows the reader to immediately immerse themselves into what is taking place. You can imagine the setting, the smells, and the sounds as well. The ancestors call and Peggy decides to accept this responsibility and heads to Ghana for her installment or “enstoolment” (she is tasked with choosing what three legged stool she will use for the occasion). Peggy is immediately faced with a village with no running water, doctor, nor high school, and much town corruption. I am still early in this tale of how one woman can transform her village and how it, in turn, transforms her. I’m going to stick with it as I have lots to learn from it and it also takes me out of my own bubble.
At Alumni Weekend two weeks ago (already!) an alum gifted me with a copy of the book King Peggy by Eleanor Herman and Peggielene Bartels. I decided to jump right into it last weekend, and while I don’t consider it the very best in literary style and elegance, the story is a fascinating one. Imagine working as a secretary in the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, where you’ve been living for over 15 years, when you get a call to return home to your village of 7,000 people, to become king… Well, that’s exactly what happened to Peggy — King Peggy. The authors spare no details, which allows the reader to immediately immerse themselves into what is taking place. You can imagine the setting, the smells, and the sounds as well. The ancestors call and Peggy decides to accept this responsibility and heads to Ghana for her installment or “enstoolment” (she is tasked with choosing what three legged stool she will use for the occasion). Peggy is immediately faced with a village with no running water, doctor, nor high school, and much town corruption. I am still early in this tale of how one woman can transform her village and how it, in turn, transforms her. I’m going to stick with it as I have lots to learn from it and it also takes me out of my own bubble.
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT
Heritage Fest
Every year, our annual Heritage Fest, during which community members share food, performances, art, and stories from their respective cultures, seems to grow even bigger and more vibrant. The diversity of this community is part of what makes a CSW education so impactful and so transformational, and I am so grateful to all of the students, faculty, staff, and parents/guardians who took the time to further enrich our community yesterday. The culinary offerings, in particular, have always been a highlight of this event. I love the way that food can foster connection, exploration, and conversation in a way few other things can (especially with hungry teenagers!).
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
I was glad to stumble across this video from The San Francisco Chronicle celebrating WNBA player Kaitlyn Chen (especially now, during AAPI — Asian American and Pacific Islander — Heritage Month). It’s been so exciting to see the WNBA grow in popularity in recent years, and as we know, representation is so incredibly important. I don’t know a lot about Chen, but she’s got a great energy and I’m looking forward to seeing her in action this season. I also like that her popularity is based on representation and especially on her personality and energy, not just the points scored. Her jersey is the 10th most popular at the NBA store.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
I am so proud of the players on our baseball team that just brought home the program’s first league championship title in 15 years!
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.