Almost a decade ago, Dean of Teaching and Learning Emily Pressman had an idea for community-building among the freshmen girls on Pell Dorm. “We want our students to be able to see, imagine, and pursue all the different ways to be an amazing St. Andrean,” says Pressman. Who better to exemplify various pathways to Sainthood than the senior class? “Wisdom Wednesday,” a weekly post-Chapel senior talk, was born. The tradition has been going strong in Pell since 2016.

Seniors across all dorms sign up to offer intimate chats on healthy relationships, lessons forged from failure, how to take good risks, what it means to be a good roommate, and more. “One of the critical things the III Form has to figure out is navigating the rooming process, which can be emotional,” Pressman says. “To hear from seniors who thought it was the end of the world when they were paired with their roommate and three years later, they’re close friends who still live together, that’s a powerful story.”

Also powerful is talking through smart risks, Pressman says. “You can see those moments during students’ first year when [Wisdom Wednesday] guidance shaped a decision they made whether to try something new or to take a different perspective.” When those III formers become seniors, Pressman delights at the “full-circle moment” when they return to deliver their own talk.

This fall marked another significant moment for Wisdom Wednesday. Not only did Pressman begin her first year of dorm duty in Founders Hall, where all male students live, Wisdom Wednesday also made its Founders debut.

When Founders dorm parents Gabe Perla and Ben Horgan learned about Pressman’s tradition, they wanted make it theirs, too. “When we were thinking about meaningful functions, this seemed like a great fit,” says Perla. “It was the coolest dorm tradition we heard about.”

Wisdom Wednesday has evolved since its first iteration to include adults in the community, particularly those adults who are  St. Andrew’s alumni. Founders’ first Wisdom Wednesday featured Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Will Robinson ’97 P’26,’28, who spoke about healthy relationships. “It’s important for students to build relationships with adults, particularly those in positions of authority. This conversation was a place for them to hear about a serious topic, but also have fun,” says Perla, who notes that the last few minutes of the talk were reserved for a “speed round” where students could ask Robinson less-serious questions like, "What’s your low-stakes hot take?" and "Favorite Dining Hall meal?" “Ultimately,” Perla says, “St. Andrew’s is a place of respect where how we treat each other matters. We’re doing this work to teach them what kind of community we want to live in.”

Will Harrington ’29 enjoyed the gathering. “Mr. Robinson talked about how important it was to get to know your whole grade,” Harrington says. “It really stuck with me, looking around the room, that not only will I be with these people for the next four years, but these people might be at my wedding. These friendships will go beyond high school, so it’s important to care about these relationships.”

Also in the room to witness a bit of SAS history was Pressman.  “It was a wonderful moment,” she says, smiling.