Westover School Helps Create ‘Moments of Voice for Malala Yousafzai’ Video

Westover School is one of 19 schools affiliated with the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) who participated in the creation of a video entitled  “Moments of Voice for Malala Yousafzai.” 

The video is a tribute to the 15-year-old Pakistani teenager and advocate for girls’ education who was shot while riding in a school bus by members of the Taliban in an attempted assassination in October 2012. Malala is recovering from her injuries in England. The video also is a call for support for girls’ education throughout the world.

Kati Eggert, Westover’s Communications Associate and Videography Instructor, assembled the video, editing from hours of film submitted by 18 schools from the United States, Canada, and Kenya.

In the five-minute video, Westover’s group of two dozen students and faculty can be seen and heard performing a song called “One Voice: A Song for Malala,” which was written in honor of Malala by Marla Truini, Westover’s Theater Program Director. Junior Sophia Lanman was a soloist. Other students singers were: seniors Tora Coursey and Jessica Dierdorff; juniors Stephanie Crudele, Lauren Danielowski, Lauren-Nicole Laurenceau, Lai Penanhoat, Elizabeth Reed, Amy Tiong; sophomores Sarah Basset, Jillian Buckley, Hannah Olshansky, Rachel Pomerantz; and freshmen Priyanka Agadi, Nicole Ganci, Rian Ishikawa, Alex Ivanoff, Katherine Kromer, Brittany McDonald, Jill Moisan. In addition to Marla Truini, who conducted the performance, other participating faculty members were Lisa Marie Buoncuore, Ian Diedrich, and Ben Hildebrand.

According to the NCGS, “A moment of voice rather than a moment of silence” was felt to be the proper way to honor “a young woman who has repeatedly risked her life to make sure girls have not only an education but also a strong voice in this world. Each school community captured on video how it chose to have a moment of voice for Malala. This video is a collection of these moments.”

The “Moments of Voices for Malala Yousafzai” can be found on the NCGS website (ncgs.org) and a second video featuring Westover’s complete performance of “One Voice: A Song for Malala” can be viewed through the YouTube link on Westover’s website (westoverschool.org).

NCGS is a membership organization consisting of over 180 public, religious-affiliated and independent girls’ schools across the country and abroad. NCGS is a leading advocate for girls’ education, acting at the forefront of educational thought, collaborating and connecting globally with individuals, schools, and organizations dedicated to empowering girls to be influential contributors to the world. To learn more and find a list of its current members, go to ncgs.org.

Westover is a selective boarding and day school in grades 9-12 with 205 students from 16 states and 17 countries. The School offers its students more than 20 Advanced Placement courses as well as signature programs in science, engineering, art history, and music.