INVESTING IN BOLD POSSIBILITIES

Campaign co-chairs, Lucy Smith Conroy ’90 and Merritt Rosen Brizolis ’05, share their why for supporting the Centennial Campaign.

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I still remember walking onto the Country Day campus as a five-year-old in 1978, feeling both nervous and excited.

This school became my second home, a place where I discovered who I was and who I wanted to become. Years later, when I returned to San Diego, Country Day was one of the first places I went to reconnect with community. It felt like coming home.

Now, watching my children navigate the same campus, I see that same spark in their eyes. My oldest has just finished his first year of college, and I am amazed at how the experiences, guidance, and encouragement he received here continue to shape him. My daughter has just stepped into her own collegiate adventures, and our youngest is beginning to explore the endless ways she can learn and grow as a third grader. 

Generations of teachers, coaches, and families have poured themselves into this school, and that legacy lives on in every student. Seeing my children thrive in the same place that shaped me fills me with gratitude and awe, and I know that Country Day is more than a school—it is a community that nurtures the heart as much as the mind.

Lucy Smith Conroy ’90
Co-Chair
P ’24 ’25 ’35

FROM THE YEARBOOK - 1990

THE FUTURE STARTS HERE

My husband, Alex ’01, and I often talk about how Country Day was the most impactful academic institution either of us have been a part of.

We didn’t just attend school here. We grew up on this campus, shaped by its teachers, mentors, and traditions. And now, we choose to send our children here so they could have the same transformative experience.

I’ll never forget sitting in AP English with Mr. Shuck, comparing a passage from Leaves of Grass to a Beatles song. Moments like that stayed with me. Now, I watch my lower schoolers in design and innovation, combining and elevating concepts in ways that are just as magical. 

Seeing our children thrive in the same community that shaped us is an incredible gift. From the extraordinary faculty to the inspiring new spaces, every part of the school nurtures their curiosity, creativity, and confidence. 

This Centennial Campaign supports the holistic environment that sets our kids up for the future they deserve. As an alumna and parent, I know how meaningful it is to show up for the next generation, just as someone once did for me.

Merritt Rosen Brizolis ’05
Co-Chair
P ’35 ’37

FROM THE YEARBOOK - 2005

MEET THE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

  • Merritt Rosen Brizolis ’05

    Co-Chair
    P ’35 ’37

  • Lucy Smith Conroy ’90

    Co-Chair
    P ’24 ’25 ’35

  • Joshua Church ’13

  • Karen Deschaine

    P ’19 ’21

  • Holly DuBois ’97

    P ’26 ’28 ’33

  • Susan Mandel

     P ’21 ’30 ’30

  • Rob McRae

    P ’35

  • Amy Mischler ’91

    P ’30

  • Jennifer O’Brien

    P ’23 ’25

  • Erin Spiewak

    P ’36

  • Sid Voorakkara

    P ’36

  • Lilli-Mari Andresen

    P ’25

  • Lindsay McCreary

    P ’37

  • Geordie Mitchell

  • Colleen O’Boyle

    P ’34

  • Jeff Terwin, Ph.D.