A Tribute To Ms. Shelby Stokes
After eleven years at Riverdale, Ms. Shelby Stokes, Dean of Faculty and Upper School English teacher, bids farewell to Riverdale with a wealth of memories and invaluable contributions. In an interview with The Riverdale Review, she looks back on her multifaceted role within the Riverdale community and the cherished moments that have shaped her as an educator. Stokes discussed her wide-ranging experiences here, from teaching “Constructing America” to leading electives like “Black Literature” and “Contemporary American Horror Stories,” emphasizing the privilege of guiding students through meaningful academic and personal journeys. She urges students to seize the boundless opportunities afforded by their education. “Remember the tremendous access that a school like Riverdale gives you,” she implores, “and never take it for granted.”
As Stokes embarks on her next chapter as an English teacher at St. Luke’s School in Connecticut, she leaves behind a legacy of unwavering dedication and passion. Just as she has taught students about the “Music and Writing MVPs” of the Harlem Renaissance in Constructing America, Stokes herself has become an undeniable MVP in Riverdale’s heart.
Riverdale Review: “What is a moment you will never forget from your years at Riverdale?”
Shelby Stokes: “There are so many. I feel really privileged for the I’ve gotten to teach the students here, from Constructing America to electives. I was a graduation speaker one year, which was a huge honor and was a terrifying moment but it was also a lovely opportunity to tell an entire grade how I felt about them. I was the first person to give the “Why Learn?” speech, and that was something I feel really proud of. It started a tradition that has continued on for the last several years.
RR: “What were your goals for Riverdale when you joined? Did you see them materialize?”
SS: “I didn’t think that I would be an administrator; Riverdale made me see myself differently in ways that I could never have imagined. I’m incredibly grateful to the institution and people in the institution who saw that in me and who pushed me to articulate the kind of work that I could do in a school. And so, that is not something that I ever expected or anticipated, it was just sort of like a happy accident. One thing that I did not get to was creating a continuing evaluation program for faculty so faculty are evaluated in the first three years that they’re here. I wanted something that was a little bit more rigorous and formal. That would have taken a couple of years to build out, but I never got the chance to do it. It was definitely on my long-term to-do list. What if we had something that was a lot more formal, where people had to write something, and it was more like what you see when people first come to Riverdale?”
