On Friday, November 8, Fay welcomed two speakers  to share perspectives on the veteran experience and the lessons learned from service. 

Fay alumna Courtney Wilson '01 joined Upper School Morning Meeting to share reflections on her service and the lessons she learned about empathy and relationship building. Courtney was a Captain in the U.S. Army, serving from 2008 to 2016, with a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan. Courtney received the Bronze Star for leading troops into combat. Courtney shared several stories from her service that highlighted the importance of empathy as an essential skill for understanding the local communities where she served as well as the people serving alongside her. She recounted a situation where her squad was facing imminent danger and one of her squad leaders had a panic attack. “He was going through something that I was not going through. I couldn't relate to it, but I knew him…he wasn't trying to be disrespectful. He wasn't trying to harm the mission. He was a human who was scared and he was doing what humans do when they are scared.” Courtney talked through the situation with him afterward, noting how important it was to both of them that she was able to respond with empathy and understanding. She also encouraged students to be relationship builders in their own lives. “The relationships that you have today, cherish them and nourish them, because you are going to see these people again.”

At their Morning Meetings on Friday, Primary and Lower School students had the opportunity to meet Pilot, a 9-month-old black lab, and her handler, Jillian Harper. Pilot is in training with America's VetDogs, an organization that provides skilled service and guide dogs to veterans and first responders with physical injuries, PTSD, and hearing or vision loss. Students asked many questions and learned about the critical skills that Pilot is learning to support her eventual owner's specialized needs. For example, while Pilot is learning to sit, lie down, and heel like most puppies, her requirements are often more precise. When Pilot goes into the “down” position, her feet must be pointed outward so that if her person is in a wheelchair, they won’t run over her paws. Since Pilot will be accompanying her owner everywhere, she has also learned the command “under” so that in a restaurant or other public space, she can fit into small spaces like under a seat where she won’t be in the way or get hurt. One of the skills that Pilot is working on is the command “touch.” Eventually, she will be able to open automatic doors and turn on light switches for her owner by using her nose.