News & Events

Norfolk Academy’s global network and service-learning opportunities continue to inspire Bulldog alumni long after graduation. The Class of 2019 celebrated its fifth reunion this year, and the class includes a graduate who has just started her second year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cambodia, teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th grade English at the O'Ambel Primary School in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia.

The confidence Gabby Foley ’19 gained at Norfolk Academy motivated her to pursue Peace Corps service. In particular, the rigorous Norfolk Academy English program equipped her with lifelong public speaking and writing skills that she uses daily in her role as an English teacher. Important travel experiences such as the French exchange with Mr. Warsaw and Ms. McCallum and the Italy Odyssey trip with Mrs. Pollio and Mr. Poole inspired her love of languages. Charitable endeavors such as the Paws for a Cause field trips in Middle School taught her the joys of giving to others.

After she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Sustainability from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2023, Gabby pursued a variety of environmental causes. She volunteered with BC Whales, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and protection of cetaceans along the northern coast of British Columbia, and she worked in Norfolk as a deckhand for the Schooner Virginia. In October 2023, she began her service with the Peace Corps in Cambodia.

Peace Corps service offers numerous benefits, including the Coverdell Fellowship, which provides funding for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to pursue graduate studies. Volunteers also receive non-competitive eligibility status for federal jobs, high-quality health insurance, comprehensive language and culture training, generous annual leave and vacation options, and ongoing support from Peace Corps staff. In addition to these institutional benefits, Gabby has enjoyed learning the Khmer language, discovering new species of animals, and trying seasonal fruits each week. 

Gabby is helping to grow the Norfolk Academy global network that inspired her. She is currently partnering with the 5th grade teaching team at Norfolk Academy to create pen pal relationships between her students and Lower School Bulldogs. She is also working with the Global Affairs Fellows in the Upper School to raise funds for a basketball court at the O’Ambel Primary School. During the rainy season, the O’Ambel playfield becomes too muddy for student use, and teachers have also requested a large outdoor space for school events and provincial meetings.

“My education at Norfolk Academy prepared me for this experience in numerous ways, especially through the strong relationships I built with my teachers and coaches," Gabby said.

- Article by Charlotte Hudgins Zito '99, Director of Alumni Relations