Photo Caption: Sally with her husband and children for a family photo.
You will be hard-pressed to find a bigger advocate for all things Cincinnati Country Day School than 2005 graduate Sally (Dwyer) Hernandez. Sally began attending Country Day in fourth grade, and since then, Country Day has made an enormous impact on her life.
“I have always loved school, but Country Day made it even easier because they made it fun,” says Sally. “The teachers were just so smart and caring. I always felt supported to be who I was and to do what I wanted; I never felt like I was being steered down a specific path.”
Along with being supported by the faculty at Country Day, she also felt extremely close to her classmates.
“We all really liked being around each other, even with everyone having such a variety of interests,” she says. “People supported each other by going to sporting events or by going to the latest theater production.”
Along with sending her three school-age children (Gracie `36, Abbi `38, and Ollie `40) to Country Day, Sally is heavily involved in almost everything on campus. As part of the Parents’ Association, she is a lead representative for families who have kids in first grade through fourth grade, which allows her to not only help other Country Day families but gives her the chance to “gush” about the school to them. She’s also an active member of the Alumni Council, is co-chairing and sponsoring CountryDate for the second year in a row and regularly contributes to the Country Day Fund.
When asked why she contributes so much to Country Day, Sally says, “It’s important for me to teach my kids to give back to those who have positively impacted your life, to show your heart, and to show how much you care about people who have helped you.”
“I feel privileged to have gone to Country Day,” Sally continued. “I also feel like it’s a duty of mine to give back to the school and show appreciation however I can, whether it’s by volunteering my time or by contributing financially.”
For families that might be nervous about committing to weekly or monthly volunteer opportunities, Sally’s advice is to just get started in any way you can.
“Big or small, getting involved is a great way to show your support or gratitude. You’ll be surprised at how fun it can be to meet new people. The community is a big reason why I stay so involved. Country Day is such a unique place with this incredible community that is so connected and supportive and open to talking to each other; I think it’s the best.”
Photo Caption: Sally and her children, Ollie, Gracie, and Abbi, pose for a photo with Nati the Nighthawk during last year’s Community Night.