Committed to Caring

Tabor Academy strives to prepare students for informed and impassioned engagement with the world through a commitment to lifelong learning and personal responsibility. It has a tradition of fostering care for others and committed citizenship. From refugee protection and resettlement to the safeguarding of children, Lily Coleman ’18, Katherine Kung ’06 and Matthew Reynolds ’82 embody these values in their work, demonstrating that they are ready to sail in fair weather or foul.

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Lily Coleman ’18

As a child, Lily Coleman was captivated by Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat, a PBS children’s animated television series featuring a trio of cats in China. “I was obsessed and became determined to learn Chinese,” she confesses with a laugh. “So, when I got to Tabor, I enrolled in language classes with Ms. [Jocy] Su. I loved it. Studying Chinese opened my mind to different worlds and cultures.”

This fascination with Chinese language and culture also sparked Coleman’s interest in a career path. As an undergraduate at American University, she became proficient in the language and pursued a degree in international relations and affairs. Today she serves as a case manager with the Ethiopian Community Development Council, an organization dedicated to assisting refugees and immigrants successfully settle in their adopted homeland.

Coleman’s focus is elderly social integration. “We give newcomers to the States the tools and resources to be self-sufficient here,” she explains. “We provide everything from ESL classes and temporary cash assistance to elder day care, which is essentially an opportunity for older immigrants to meet others, socialize, and share experiences. These individuals are wonderful—being with them fills my cup every day.”

Coleman has recently been spending a great deal of time with older Ukrainian women, familiarizing them with ESL classes, temporary cash assistance, and other tools and resources they will need to carry on their lives in America. “I’ve been warned that the likelihood of burnout when working in refugee resettlement is high, but I love it,” she continues. “Yes, the pay is modest, but the reward of helping older refugees to feel safe and comfortable in this country is immeasurable.”

And Coleman credits her Tabor AP World History course with former history teacher Wesley Chaput for singlehandedly inspiring her to obtain a degree in international relations and pursue this line of work. “I couldn’t be happier,” she concludes.

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Katherine Kung ’06

At first glance, there wouldn’t seem to be any link between couture and serving the community, but Katherine Kung knows otherwise. Currently the Vice Chair of Fundraising for the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children, Kung is using the formidable creative skills she honed during her time in the fashion industry to help children in need. “Any experience you acquire can be applied in different ways—there’s always a need for creativity in whatever you do,” she asserts.

Creativity has been a common thread in Kung’s journey throughout her career. After graduating from Tabor Academy, she followed her love for fashion, attending the Fashion Institute of Technology and working at DKNYC and Oscar de la Renta before launching her own women’s luxury brand, Kung Katherine, in January of 2014. Then in 2019, her focus shifted, both personally and professionally. “I became pregnant and wanted to start my family where I was raised, so I left New York and returned home to Hong Kong,” she explains.

Once settled, Kung began to look for opportunities to give back to her community. “When I lived in New York, I loved volunteering with New Yorkers for Children, an organization committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children in the city, so when I returned to Hong Kong, I began looking for similar opportunities.” The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children—which serves approximately 3,000 children and their families daily through its nursery schools, day care facilities, and community centers—was a natural fit.

Kung currently serves as vice chair of the fundraising committee, a role she says allows her to leverage the communication and networking skills she refined during her years in New York.

"When you’re building a business, especially in the fashion industry, you’re constantly networking with clients and suppliers,” she explains. “I’ve simply focused those skills on fundraising for the society."

Kung admits that the pandemic has made the past few years more challenging than most. “Restrictions were very tight here during COVID—schools closed and went to online learning, in-person gatherings were prohibited, and volunteers couldn’t come together to serve our constituents,” she explains. But Kung wasn’t dissuaded. “We found creative ways to do fundraising online, including hosting Little Artist and Little Musician exhibitions which employed crowdsourcing to raise funds for the organization. Our donors were generous and allowed us to continue our work. For example, we raised enough money to buy more than 100 tablets for children who needed the devices for online learning. Despite the difficulties, we’ve persevered.”

 

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Matthew Reynolds ’82

Growing up as the Headmaster’s son at the International College in Beirut, Matthew Reynolds experienced life in Lebanon’s rich, multicultural environment, fueling his interest in international affairs. “I wasn’t sure of my path, but thought I would pursue a career in the military or the state department,” he recalls. “I just kept an open mind.”

That approach worked. Following graduation from Georgetown University, Reynolds landed an internship on Capitol Hill which turned into 17 years of service. This was followed by a stint at the State Department and six years with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In 2017, Reynolds transitioned to his current role as Regional Representative for the United States and the Caribbean at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—The UN Refugee Agency. His jurisdiction encompasses the United States and 17 Caribbean countries and territories.

“My two principal responsibilities are to serve as government liaison to UNHCR’s most important political and financial supporter, the United States government, and to provide operational support for refugees in transit,” he explains. “We have a mandate to protect refugees, asylum seekers, the stateless, and internally displaced refugees.”

When asked how he maintains his optimism in the face of such need, Reynolds doesn’t hesitate. “It’s very rewarding to help someone in distress. Every day I go home knowing I’ve helped a real person find food, shelter, safety, and hope.”