By Morgan Kogan, Staff Writer

Trinity Hall made history this past February when students and faculty moved into the new East Wing. The addition includes classrooms, a chapel, offices and two innovation spaces. After years of planning, the community is delighted to call this two-story space home.

The new East Wing addition provides students with ample lockers in addition to more hallway space where students often collaborate together. (Photo courtesy of Shilpa Iyer Photography)

Members of the board, including Mairead Clifford, Robert Egan, Victoria Gmelich and Miriam Tort, as well as Head of School Mary Sciarrillo, initiated the design process for the East Wing. Clifford and Egan served as co-chairs for the construction committee and oversaw every decision along the way. Outside companies, including Sweetwater Construction and Studio Hillier Architects, contributed to the East Wing as well.

“This was a team effort on every level, from the security staff to the faculty to the leadership team; we all worked well together,” Egan said. “Everyone did his or her part to get to the finished product.”

Clifford emphasized the generosity of everyone involved in the community, including the founders and the many donors to the school. “The project is a huge success and wouldn’t have been possible without the entire community coming together. In particular, it’s important to recognize the leadership of our co-founders, Justin and Victoria Gmelich, in their giving and fundraising,” Clifford said.

So far, many students enjoy spending time in the more spacious East Wing. They especially appreciate the extra room and are excited by the opportunities it provides. “I like the innovation space because it not only has the natural light from the garage door, but there is also a lot of space there to collaborate,” sophomore Hannah Wietzke said.

Senior Hope M. (center) and her classmates enjoy working in the brightly lit innovation space on the first floor of the new addition. (Photo courtesy of Shilpa Iyer Photography)

Faculty appreciate the amenities in the East Wing as well, from the plentiful classrooms to the wider hallways. “I love that I can find a lot of quiet places to work,” English teacher Samantha Puma said.

Multiple new offices can be found in the East Wing, including a larger location for Head of School Mary Sciarrillo. “My favorite part is the location of my office,” Sciarrillo said. “I am able to see students arriving and leaving campus, see them walking to and from classes, and […] work[ing] together.”

Egan and Clifford are ecstatic to see what the community does with the resources in the East Wing in the future. Given all of the hard work put into the new building, they have high hopes for the students learning inside it. “We hope that [the students] love it, and that [they] use it to its full advantages,” Clifford said. “I can’t wait to see what becomes of the building.”