Only a couple of steps from Saperstein Arch and Hackley’s “Enter here to be and find a friend” motto, students bundled up and braved the cold to celebrate the unveiling of teachers Anne Budlong and Kerry Clingen’s gargoyles, the first female figures in school history.
The tradition of sculpting gargoyles was created in 2003 under the former Head of School, Walter C. Johnson. The distinction is for faculty who served the school for 40 or more years. Before Ms. Budlong and Ms. Clingen, six other former faculty members were honored with gargoyles.
Ms. Budlong has been teaching at Hackley for over 40 years and has been one of the most versatile members of the faculty. She first learned about the computer science field when teaching Logo programming to her students back in the 1980s. Since then, she has flourished in many roles in Hackley’s computer science department across all three divisions of the school. She has also coached on the lacrosse, swimming, and field hockey teams.
Now, Ms. Budlong continues teaching computer science in addition to being a faculty advisor to The Dial, bringing enthusiasm and kindness to every classroom she enters. In an emotional speech to Ms. Budlong during the upper school assembly, Director of Information Technology Jed Dioguardi praised Ms. Budlong for her value as a colleague and, more importantly, as a friend.
“I will always know and appreciate Anne as a colleague, a confident and most of all my friend,” said Mr. Dioguardi.
Ms. Budlong’s gargoyle was installed behind Goodhue Memorial Hall and features emblems for her participation in The Dial and as a coach of swimming and lacrosse. Students and members of the computer science department came to show support for Ms. Budlong as the final scaffolding was removed.
Ms. Clingen’s legacy at Hackley has stretched across the math and science departments for 41 years. She injects life into every class she teaches, from geometry to biology, alongside her trusty pet turtle, Terry.
During the assembly, Chair of the Mathematics Department Diana Kaplan used quotes from Ms. Clingen’s colleagues and students to summarize what she has given to the Hackley community. The words showed a love for Ms. Clingen that is reciprocated right back in her teachings and interactions with her colleagues.
“We are so lucky that Mrs. Clingen continues to teach and inspire students at Hackley and I know I speak for all of the teachers in the room when I say that, regardless of whether or not we achieve gargoyle status, we all hope to leave this kind of legacy behind,” said Ms. Kaplan.
At lunch, Ms. Clingen was treated to a surprise when members of both of her departments showed up with balloons, turtle-shaped cookies, and party hats to celebrate her achievement. Ms. Clingen’s gargoyle was complete with the Pythagorean theorem, a microscope, and, of course, Terry the Turtle. In the bottom right corner, a stack of books reads “Family, Students, Colleagues,” which symbolizes Ms. Clingen’s priorities. Like the quote Ms. Kaplan read from one of Ms. Clingen’s students at the assembly, “Her classroom feels like home.”
The two teachers are now forever physically immortalized with some of Hackley’s greatest, and their teachings have already lived on in their students and colleagues.
