PA Spotlight: Rachel Winer Sticklin

Tell us a little bit about your family - your kids, how long you’ve been at SSFS, what brought you here, etc. 

My family and I joined the SSFS community in fall of 2019. My youngest was starting kindergarten and my oldest was in fourth grade. Now they’re in 5th and 9th grades. We were relocating from Baltimore, where we attended Baltimore Friends School, and we wanted to continue their education in a place centered on Quaker values. I am Jewish and my husband was raised Lutheran - we sort of view Quakerism as a compromise between our faiths.

How long have you been active with the PA? What roles have you played?

I first got involved in the PA as an auction volunteer in the winter/spring of 2020. It was a nice way to get to know fellow parents as a new member of the community, and I love event planning so it was a fun opportunity to use that skill. Then I volunteered to be a Grade Rep, and again, I got to flex some event planning muscles that I don’t usually use in my day job. Things kind of just grew from there, and I became an Assistant Co-Clerk, then a Co-Clerk, and now Mentoring Clerk. I’ve also Co-Clerked a number of PA events, including Friends Days and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch.

Why do you choose to volunteer your time to the PA at SSFS?

My husband and I try to “Let Our Lives Speak” just as we expect our kids to do. So we believe it’s important to create the community that we want to be a part of by giving back. I’ve been able to draw on my professional experience in communications by leading PA communications efforts. Hopefully these efforts make families feel welcome and part of a vibrant community. 

What’s your favorite part about being active in the PA?

Without a doubt it’s the connections I’ve made to other parent volunteers. When my kids were younger, I was so appreciative of the relationships I had with parents of older kids, who were able to provide insights into my Middle School and Upper School questions. And now that my kids are older, I have great relationships with parents of younger kids. It’s a wonderful full circle moment!

What’s your favorite PA-led event and why?

When we were a new family, I remember attending Friends Day and appreciating the opportunity to meet other families and gain connection to our new community. I love the community party atmosphere of that event, where we just celebrate each other and being together. That’s one reason why I like to co-clerk that event; it’s really about paying that forward, and welcoming others to our community the same way I was welcomed. I do also love planning the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Lunch too. Sign me up for any opportunity to show our amazing faculty and staff how much we appreciate them! 

What do you think you’ve gained from being active in the PA?

As I said, the relationships and connections I’ve made with other parents have been the best part of my PA experience. Also, I really have gotten a lot of good life experiences from this - I never did a lot of event planning before becoming active in the PA, and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy it. And the communications I do for the PA help me keep my professional skills sharp. All in all, I think I gain just as much from volunteering for the PA as the PA gets from me!