It was wonderful to welcome back four accomplished Wheeler alumni to help launch this year’s Upper School Unity & Diversity Week, with a powerful keynote panel on the week's theme of “Seeking Justice & Finding Joy.” Eddy Davis ’99, Makeen Zachery ’18, Lee O. Ahlborn ’11, and Nora Stolzman ’15 shared their journeys—reflecting on their time at Wheeler, what led them to their current work, and the importance of finding joy. We’re grateful to these inspiring alumni for kicking off the week, which, as Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging Princess Bomba P’16, P’18  describes, features programming, workshops, courageous conversations, and plenty of celebration related to our ongoing commitment to creating a community of belonging at Wheeler.

Meet our alumni panelists:

🔹 Makeen Zachery ’18 (J.P. Morgan, Founder of Blk Girl Culture)
Makeen created Blk Girl Culture—a platform amplifying voices of Gen Z and millennial women of color—during her senior free inquiry project at Wheeler. She has since raised over $25,000 through the Four Women Fund for Black women in need.

🔹 Eddy Davis ’99 (Breakthrough Providence)
Eddy returned to Wheeler in 2023 to relaunch Breakthrough Providence, a program supporting bright Providence public middle schoolers while providing young educators hands-on teaching experience. A Wheeler and Breakthrough alum, he’s also a dedicated member of the Wheeler Alumni Board.

🔹 Lee O. Ahlborn ’11 (Senior Specialist, Strategic Talent Partnerships, Bain & Co.)
With a background in theater, nonprofit work, and sexual health education and violence prevention, Lee now leads diversity recruitment initiatives at Bain & Company, and participates in affinity programming that fosters an inclusive workplace. 

🔹 Nora Stolzman ’15 (Manager of Community Impact Grants and The Miriam Funds, Combined Jewish Philanthropies)
Passionate about the impact of philanthropy, Nora oversees programs that distribute nearly $1 million annually to initiatives supporting women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals.

Thank you to our alumni panelists for for demonstrating alumni mentorship in practice and Mary C. Wheeler’s mission “to learn our powers and be answerable for their use!”