At every key juncture in my life, The Hockaday School has been a catalyst and support for my numerous transformations, even in adulthood.
I am Gano Scurry Ehlers '66, daughter of Marietta Jackson Scurry Ransone '26, sister to Marietta Scurry Johnson '57, and niece of Ethelene Jackson Potts '30. I am also dyslexic.
When I first applied to Hockaday in 1962, I was rejected. I had low test scores. I had managed to keep my reading problem a secret from my family, so we were at a loss. But Mary Reynolds, the legendary Head of Admission, suspected that I might be dyslexic and recommended a specialist. She was the first person to identify my problem.
One day my reading tutor gave me a math aptitude test, which turned out to be part of Hockaday's entrance exam. I did well enough for the school to take a chance on me, and I enrolled as a sophomore in 1964. Hockaday allowed me to work with my tutor during the day, and I made the "B" honor roll. After my father unexpectedly died, Hockaday gave me enough financial aid to continue. This generosity inspired me to achieve despite my disability. I began helping my classmates in math, which ultimately laid the groundwork to my becoming a full-time math tutor, with many Hockaday students as clients.
After retirement, I felt a need to write about my journey with dyslexia, but I lacked the necessary skills. So I turned to the place that had always provided me with answers. I called Liza Lee. She recommended an upper school English teacher who had a master's degree in fiction writing. Liza's instincts were right: My tutor and I continue to work together after six years. I can now convey complex thinking on a page. Hockaday opened the doors that led to my development, and I am giving back through estate planning. I am establishing a scholarship fund dedicated to helping middle-income families send their daughters to this wonderful school.