The connections made at Waterside are everlasting, especially with the creation of the Alumni Mentorship Program. This program pairs sixth graders with Waterside graduates who already attend their school, and is designed to support our youngest alumni during their middle school transitions.

Sally Letona ‘23 and Ceanna Hidalgo ‘17 both attend Greenwich Country Day School; they agree that the Mentorship Program is a great addition to Waterside’s alumni offerings. 

Sally Letona ’23 at Reveal Day

Sally is a passionate sixth grader; she’s jumped right in and joined the volleyball team at GCDS. Her mentor, Ceanna, is a senior interested in humanities and diversity work at GCDS.

“I’m very lucky and grateful to have not only one, but multiple mentors I can talk to,” Sally said. “They’ve reached out to me with open arms. Not many kids have that kind of support.”

A main goal of the Alumni Mentorship Program is to create a welcoming environment at our partner schools––ensuring each mentee feels seen and heard by someone who understands their background as Waterside alumni. 

Well into her first semester at GCDS, Sally has overcome the challenges of transitioning from Waterside’s small community to a larger one and has found herself making new friends in addition to Ceanna.

Ceanna with a first-grade student at Waterside’s Summer Program

“I work with Sally to understand what her best interests are and see what could promote her passions at GCDS,” Ceanna shared. “The most rewarding thing is seeing my mentee become more comfortable in their new environment, and then seeing her make her own impact.”

Ceanna took on her role as a mentor with confidence as she is one of our alums who has worked as a counselor at Waterside’s Summer Program for the past two years. 

“Waterside connects with their alumni like no other school,” Ceanna continued. “This program is such a great offering to alums who wish they had a mentor when they were younger––having a pre-built friend at a new school is a comforting thing to have.” 

Waterside is able to offer innovative programs like this one due to the support of our Annual Fund, the backbone of the School. This Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll make a gift to the Annual Fund and allow us to continue supporting our students and alumni on their lifelong journey to success.