Alumni Share Lessons Learned from FWCD

What stays with you after you leave FWCD? That question was at the heart of the Upper School Alumni Panel on Wednesday, September 23. Mark Davidovich ’05, Executive Vice President, Fort Worth Market Leader, at First Financial Wealth Management; Michael Gratch ’98, Founder and CEO of Flow Therapy; Anne Kelly Lewis ’02, Owner at Fine Art Appraisal, LLC; and Lisa Slaughter Stovall ’99, Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department at Harris Southwest, spoke to students in the Upper School Commons. Now working in financial services, entrepreneurship, fine arts, and emergency medicine, the four alumni shared a bit about their careers and how FWCD experiences helped shape them.

For Davidovich, one of those lessons came through academic struggle. After transferring to FWCD in seventh grade, he initially struggled in science and math. Rather than defining him, those challenges, which included failing a test, taught him how to fail, regroup and, ultimately, keep learning. “I became passionate about studying and succeeding,” Davidovich said. He encouraged students to remain curious, embrace opportunities and understand that their path may not be a straight line. 

Lifelong learning resonated throughout the conversation. Lewis described how an FWCD Art History course sparked her interest and eventually led to a career in fine art appraisal. She also talked about the School’s emphasis on research and learning how to find and evaluate reliable sources. She uses these skills every day when researching works of art and determining their authenticity and value. Lewis also shared that theatre and public speaking opportunities gave her practice standing up and speaking in front of her peers and others; skills that she continues to use today. 

“There was so much support at the School,” Lewis said. “My experiences and all the teachers fostered my confidence to really explore what I was learning.” 

As an Emergency Room Nurse for 21 years, Stovall relies on her medical training every day, but she also draws on something she first experienced at FWCD. “The main thing I learned from Country Day was community,” Stovall said, citing the relationships she had with teachers and coaches, who today rely on her in her profession. “To come back and take care of people … who have poured into my whole life is very special,” she added. 

Gratch echoed the importance of relationships while also challenging students to think about what they are learning beyond simply acquiring information. As technology makes information increasingly accessible, he said, the ability to ask good questions, build relationships, stay curious and think critically will become even more important. 

All four alumni talked candidly about failure, not as something to avoid but as part of the learning and growing process. 

Davidovich talked about his academic setbacks and how teachers helped him turn them into opportunities to improve. Stovall recalled not playing well in a soccer game and not earning a part in a theatre performance. Instead of letting those things get her down, she worked harder. Lewis described not getting into her college of choice when her best friend did, and how she grew from the disappointment. Gratch shared that he was a “mischievous” student whose parents sent him to an East Coast boarding school. When it was not the right fit, he returned to FWCD with a newfound perspective that helped him find a sense of purpose. 

All four panelists remain connected to FWCD as alumni, some as parents and family members. They continue to see FWCD in a different light because of their life experiences. An FWCD education is not simply about preparing students for college or a career. “It is about developing curious, confident, resilient people who know how to learn, how to connect with others, how to navigate setbacks and how to pursue what matters to them,” Gratch said. 

Davidovich, Stovall, Lewis and Gratch may have followed different paths, but their message to students was similar: Keep learning. Stay curious. Build relationships. Take risks. Learn from setbacks. And make the most of the people around you.