Member of the Board of Trustees,
2003–2011
Karan Sheldon has experienced Milton from many points of view. She lived in Goodwin House and graduated from the Milton Academy Girls’ School in 1973, when Milton had just begun the long trek toward co-education.
Karan became a Milton boarding parent when her daughter Catherine, Class of 2004, joined the girls in Hathaway House. When her son Martin, Class of 2010, joined Grade 7, Karan lived the life of a Milton day parent— and then once again used the lens of a boarding parent when Martin moved into Norris House. And she helped us all see Milton from her seat around the table, from the moment she joined the board in 2003.
No wonder Karan’s sense of the School is so palpable.
No wonder Karan’s commitment to the lively, eclectic Milton she knows is so earnest.
No wonder she has been such an effective touch point for everyone and anyone: alumni, parents, faculty, and both the girls and the boys making their way through Milton.
Karan takes Milton’s intellectual spirit seriously. That is, she’s an advocate and a supporter. Karan and her family advocated for excellence in science with focus and philanthropy, before any architect had hatched a single idea. She has served on the Academic Life Committee during all her board years.
She takes Milton’s living environment seriously. That is, she knows how the character of the School takes shape and affects lives in powerful ways. A member of the Student Life Committee, and in recent years its chair, Karan fearlessly probed with those “real Milton questions,” as we call them. On these committees, and on the Enrollment Committee, Karan has honestly and intently encouraged the lively, diverse and creative life that distinguishes Milton.
Always responsive and willing, Karan participated on the Sustainability Committee, showing students and faculty in that group that trustees care about sustainability—that the commitment comes from the top. Karan also served on the Ad Hoc Governance Committee, once again lending her constructive, thoughtful voice to questions about how the board should operate with best practice standards of excellence.
Karan’s loyalty to Milton is exemplary; her attention to maintaining Milton’s tradition, writ large in the 21st century, is inspiring. She has been a valuable colleague, and a role model. We thank her, wish her well, and feel both confident and hopeful that she will stay close to Milton in the months and years ahead.