Senior Shamyra Glenn said she was looking for a way to help families in a meaningful way. She found it this summer as a Norton Fellow, distributing care packages for mothers and infants at her church in Bloomfield, Conn.

The Norton Fellows program offers a selected group of Loomis Chaffee students the opportunity and funding to pursue an interest and engage with their local communities over the summer break. Shmayra was one of five Norton Fellows this summer. The others were seniors Roan Cowan, junior Kelly Kassab, senior Simone Link-Staenberg, and junior Blair Sontag. 

Shamyra said the project was “rooted in my faith and inspired by my experience as the eldest sister in my family.” She has three younger siblings and some younger cousins and has helped with childcare at church. “I’ve always loved caring for the little ones in my life, and was excited to extend that care to families in my community,” she said in an interview.

Shamyra said she distributed 60 care packages — 10 each Sunday from July 6 to August 10. Each care package, Shamyra said, included “essentials such as diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, baby blankets, postpartum care, and more.”

Beyond providing essential items for a mother and child, Shamyra felt something else was accomplished.  “I think it also was about bringing others together and showing [that] people still care about each other in this world,” Shamyra said. “It never hurts to lend a hand if you have the time and the resources. It was a lot of work from the budgeting and buying to putting the packages together and hosting the events. I’m very grateful for the support of my family because I could not have done it alone. I really enjoyed it, and it is worth sacrificing your time to help other people.”

Shamyra has had previous volunteer experience through her church's food pantry and in the Loomis Chaffee Community Engagement program. This year she will be involved in the school’s outreach once again. Shamyra also is president of Health Occupations Students of America, treasurer of the Pelican Service Organization, and a violinist in the Orchestra.

She has been playing the violin since she was 7. “I am a shy person and feel in a way the violin can be my voice,” she said. “I really love performing with others on stage and feel music brings people together.”

The other Norton Fellows and their projects:

Roan Cowan

Project: Hosted a two-week robotics camp at a New York high school working with Lego robotics kits.

“I was inspired to design and run this camp by my experiences with the LC robotics team,” Roan said by email. “The team gave me my first look at hands-on programming and engineering, and I quickly realized how lucky I was to have these opportunities. Hosting the camp was my way of sharing these rewarding opportunities with the next generation of potential engineers. During the camp I used preexisting lessons made by LEGO; they ranged from beginner to advanced and allowed the students to build up their programming and designing skills. Throughout the two weeks we did different competitions and gave the kids prizes (snacks and other small things). These competitions were my favorite part as I was able to see the students’ creativity come out as they attempted to come up with solutions to the problems that were presented to them. The teacher who supervised said that this camp was the most engaged that she had ever seen them, and she was extremely thankful and happy to see them excited to learn. ... The kids were so engaged that we even extended the camp an extra day because they wanted to keep building. Overall, the camp was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had and makes me want to continue to help expand STEM access in the future.”

Roan is the engineering captain for the LC robotics team this school year.

Kelly Kassab

Project: Cleanup of the Hasbaya El-Metn community trails in Lebanon.

“On the morning of the event, I was amazed by the turnout,” Kelly wrote in a reflection that was part of the Norton Fellow process. “It wasn’t just adults who came to help but also young kids with eager faces. Seeing so many different people come together for the common good filled me with joy. Once we split into groups and began, the reality of the problem hit us. The amount of trash was overwhelming. People’s reactions were a mix of sadness and frustration: how could anyone treat our beautiful trails this way? However, that shock fueled our motivation. Everyone worked with energy.”

After many hours and many bags filled with trash, the trails took on their “natural beauty,” as Kelly called it.

“We ended the day swapping stories about the strangest things we had found but also reflecting on how eye-opening the whole experience was,” Kelly wrote. “Many admitted they hadn’t realized how bad the pollution was until they saw it with their own eyes. It revealed that without exposure, it’s easy to ignore a problem. But once you see it, it’s impossible not to care. ... I’m excited to host more cleanups in the future and keep building on the momentum we started.”

Simone Link-Staenberg

Project: Worked with San Francisco families navigating early stages of Alzheimer's to help with memory preservation and cognitive support.

“This project, conducting interviews and assembling individualized care packages, was the most inspirational and powerful work I have ever done,” Simone wrote in a reflection.

Simone recounted some conversations.

“One woman told me all about her career at NASA, and her love of hawks,” Simone wrote. “Another lady, an editor, talked with me about her love of words and storytelling, telling me how she was re-reading Nancy Drew. One previous model was recalling fashion shows and magazine covers; even during our visit, despite her struggles with memory, her grace was still astonishing. These extraordinary conversations shifted the way I perceive aging and memory. While dementia can modify the lines of an individual's current reality, it does not lessen the value of their past — it does not take away their ability to experience joy and connection, and it certainly does not take away their dignity.”

“When I created each care package,” she wrote, “I remembered this. I could see each component of the care package — someone's favorite perfume, a childhood snack, flowers their partner used to give them, a photograph of their younger self — signified something about who they are, and offered possible comfort in their current lives. This experience has taught me how powerful listening can be. It’s not just about gathering information, but about acknowledging someone’s existence and worth. I hope to carry that lesson with me as I continue to pursue work that centers empathy and human connection.” 

Blair Sontag

Project: Helped create the Bedford Community Composting Initiative (BCCI) in her hometown of Bedford, N.Y.

“I have always been passionate about the environment and was raised with a great appreciation for nature and the natural world that supports my community,” Blair said in an email.

Composting bins and informational packets on composting were distributed to families who signed up. Fliers were posted around town, and an Instagram and website were launched. BCCI was founded by St. Paul’s School student Luke Childs. Blair was asked to join as a co-founder. They distributed about 25 three-gallon composting bins and arranged weekly or biweekly pickup of the bins. The food scraps were taken to Luke’s home, where they were placed into a composting tumbler. The compost, says the website, “helps nourish a flock of 10 backyard leghorn chickens.” The goal is to give eggs to the participating families and the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, “closing the loop between sustainability and community support,” according to the website. 

“Now that [Luke] and I are back at school, we are relying on our families to continue composting in our absence, and during the breaks we will collect the compost and send it through the tumbler,” Blair said. “We will mostly be waiting for the summer to start distributing the eggs. We also will continue to post on our social media and website during the year.”

Reflecting on this experience, Blair said she was moved by the willingness of community members to participate, and the support she received from family and friends. “It made me understand that if you are passionate about something, the people who love you will be passionate about it, too,” she said.