Church Farm School Welcomes Head of Oprah Winfrey Foundation for Convocation

The Church Farm School (CFS) in Exton, PA, welcomed Rebecca “Becky” Sykes, president of the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and former Associate Head of School at Phillips Academy in Andover, as its esteemed guest speaker at the school’s Convocation ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2015. Sykes was involved with the Phillips Academy for 40 years in various roles—beginning as a part-time receptionist—before joining Oprah’s Foundation in fall 2013. In her role as president, she leads strategic and philanthropic endeavors for the Foundation, as well as supports the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa.

 

Like Church Farm School’s mission of providing a no- or low-cost education to “boys of promise,” the Foundation solicits philanthropic support for girls to attend its Leadership Academy for girls in grades 8-12. According to its website, OWLAG strives “to provide a nurturing educational environment for academically gifted girls who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.” Sykes chose the theme of “hope” for her address, quoting various scripture and poetry relevant to the topic. She noted how important hope is for the girls who attend OWLAG, as they are often coming from horrific circumstances. Beyond a yearly family income of $6,500 or less, the girls who qualify for attendance are also often the victims of abuse—verbal, physical and/or sexual. The full address and full photo gallery can be viewed here.

 

Following Convocation, Ms. Sykes convened with friends of the school at the home of The Rev. Edmund K. Sherrill II, Head of School, and his wife, Lizette. “We were so pleased to welcome Ms. Sykes to campus to address our student body,” says the Rev. Edmund K. Sherrill II, Church Farm School head of school. “The Foundation mission is one that is so close to our own, and we hope that our students were inspired by Ms. Sykes' experiences—both at a boarding school like our own for many years, and now with Oprah’s Foundation.”

 

In addition to Sykes address, Assistant Head of School Chris Seeley and Dean of Students Eric Fulmer handed out awards for the highest and second highest GPA by grade to students for the 2014-15 school year. The winners were (please note this is the listing of students by their current grade):