Alumnae Awards

The Hamlin Alumnae Association, in partnership with the Head of School, annually recognizes outstanding individuals for their contributions to The Hamlin School and the larger community.

It is the mission of the Alumnae Awards Committee to induct, over a period of time, deserving alumnae and members of the community who work to ensure Hamlin’s legacy.

The Alumnae Awards Committee is comprised of the following individuals:

• Alumnae Association President
• Alumnae Association Vice President
• Two at-large Alumnae members
• One faculty or staff member of 5+ year tenure
• Student Council President
• Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

Each year the Alumnae Awards Committee will call for nominations in the spring from the entire at-large alumnae community. Once nominations are received, the Committee will meet to review applications and the President of the Alumnae Association will make the final recommendations to the Head of School for confirmation. The award is presented annually at the Fall Reunion.

Semper Plus Ultra Award

(Formerly known as the Alumna of the Year Award)

This award is presented annually by the Alumnae Association to an individual for outstanding contributions to The Hamlin School as an active member of the Alumnae Association, Annual Fund, Speaker’s Series participant, Trustee or other volunteer.

Sarah Dix Hamlin Award

The Alumnae Association’s highest honor is given in memory of Sarah Dix Hamlin, the Founder of The Hamlin School. It is typically awarded to an alumna or outstanding woman for her accomplishments in her personal and professional life who embodies Hamlin’s ideals and values as expressed in the Hamlin Creed: Compassion, Courage, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. Candidates for this award may or may not be alumnae of Hamlin.

Outstanding Young Alumna Award

This award is given to a young alumna for her dedication and service to her community, academic, and professional accomplishments and continued connection and service to Hamlin within the first 15 years of her 8th grade graduation.

As of May 2012.

Hamlin Alumna of the Year 2010

Holland Goss Lynch '83

Holland Goss Lynch '83

Holland Goss Lynch was born and raised in San Francisco. After 9 years at The Hamlin School, she went to The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. She received a bachelor’s degree in French from Georgetown University and spent her junior years of both high school and college in France. After working in the library at Georgetown, Holland confirmed her desire to become a librarian. She developed an interest in rare books and “special collections” which includes archival material, photographs, prints, film, and other materials requiring special handling and care.

After graduating from Georgetown, Holland went on to earn a Masters of Library Science as well as a Masters of Medieval History at the University of Maryland, College Park. While in graduate school, Holland accepted a position at the New York Public Library, where she was charged with doing the research and writing for an exhibition about a French 17th century writer named Jean de la Fontaine. That led to a full-time position in the Exhibitions Program at the library which she held for six years.

In 2002 Holland returned to San Francisco and became a full-time mother. Holland joined Hamlin’s Board of Trustees in 2006 and served capably as the Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair during the renovation of the science labs and the creation of Hamlin’s new Movement Space.

Holland’s fellow trustees have noted that “she is a wise and reasonable voice in trustee meetings”, “she listens carefully and always has something profound to say” and that “she is not afraid to disagree with others or to restate what Hamlin’s core values are if she believes we’re off track”. In her speech honoring Holland at the 2010 Reunion luncheon, Head of School Wanda Holland Greene noted that “Holland herself is like a rare book. It’s not easy to find someone like her. She is priceless, and she is someone to be treasured”.

Holland currently lives in San Francisco with her husband K.C. and their three children: Bauer, Anderson, and Evelina.