Retiring Faculty 2018

Patricia B. Davison

Director, Academic Skills Center
Coordinator, Student Disability Resources

PA Start Date: 2000

Ms. Davison was the best advisor that I could have asked for. I would not have survived Andover without her! No matter what challenges I faced, I knew that I could go to Ms. Davison and she would help me through. The Andover community will miss her dearly.”

Charlie Budney ’12

Pat, on top of your myriad responsibilities both on campus and at home, you somehow found time to be a wonderful friend. Even when we haven’t talked for weeks, we manage to pick up right where we left off.”

Belinda Traub

In her own words...

My interest in advocating for individuals with disabilities started in childhood. My dad was born in 1920 with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which affected the right side of his torso, most noticeably with an underdeveloped and atypically formed right hand and webbed fingers. Having a disability has a powerful impact on one’s life. For my dad, it was particularly difficult because his disability impacted his everyday life and was so visible.

Patricia B. Davison (center)

Patricia B. Davison (center)

Despite this syndrome, my grandparents were undeterred! My dad played on the tennis team, learned how to type and write as a ”righty,” and went on to graduate with a nearly perfect GPA from MIT. The message my siblings and I learned was: A disability does not define you. With the right resources, support, determination, and grit, you can find ways to succeed. Use your talents and strengths to compensate.

In 2000, Phillips Academy hired me as a one-year interim replacement for the director of the Academic Skills Center during her leave of absence. I was thrilled to join this community, and my first order of business was to form a committee to look at the essential elements of a Phillips Academy education, both inside the classroom and out, and to design policies and procedures for providing consistent, reasonable, and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. After 18 months, we rolled out a protocol that served as the prototype for all of our peer schools.

In the intervening 18 years, I also served as an academic advisor. My prior training as an advisor at Bradford College made my learning curve at Andover much more manageable. Advising is perhaps the most important role at Andover. The exposure to students is energizing. Serving as a guide along their journey is both humbling and inspiring. Many students continue to stay in touch long after they’ve graduated. Sharing in the joy of their ongoing accomplishments is a bonus.

As a track official, I have enjoyed working with students in another venue, providing an expanded perspective of students outside of academics. This experience has added to my appreciation of the many demands on students’ time as well as the gifts they bring to other aspects of their lives.

I had the pleasure of being the sole advisee of Mrs. Davison in the class of 2016, and she is one of the biggest reasons that I cherish the memories of the four years I spent at Andover. She not only encouraged me to take certain classes over others that she knew would be a better fit for me, but she also was always available to talk whenever I needed.”

Felipe Chamon ’16

There have been so many committees and admission events and so much travel with the Office of Academy Resources that have allowed me to work alongside colleagues from nearly every facet of school life. The care, concern, and commitment that each of them has demonstrated is nothing short of inspirational.

While I may not be working at Andover, I am not yet ready to give up advocating for individuals with disabilities. My website will launch this summer, offering support services to individuals who could use a helping hand.

Patricia B. Davison

I've been in awe of the incredible job you’ve done in your role at the Academy since I arrived on campus back in 2001. Your thoughtfulness, care, and attention to detail are evident in all that you do. I can’t imagine how the school will ever replace you.”

Matt Lisa

Years at PA: 18

Swan Song: Davison selected Haben Girma, a disability rights advocate and the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, as a recent All-School Meeting (ASM) speaker. This was the first time in her PA career that Davison brought an ASM speaker to campus.

Gubernatorial Invitation: In 1977–1978, Davison was asked by Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis to serve on a state task force to assess special education services.

Retirement Plans: “Retirement will provide me with more time with my husband, children, and grandchildren—the mainstays of my life. I look forward to finding a work/life balance that feels sustainable.”

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most. “You always said hello when I saw you around campus, which meant a lot to me,” says Hector Kilgoe ’11. “Being at Andover can make you feel like a drop in a very big bucket, and you made me feel like I mattered. Thank you.”

Kilgoe is not alone in his appreciation of Davison, whose bright smile and patient manner have comforted hundreds of students and faculty members during her 18 years at Andover.

Andover can be a difficult school for any student. For those who have additional obstacles, it can feel nearly impossible. But Davison has seen many positive transformations. “These kids have taken incredibly difficult situations, and instead of being deterred, they have catapulted themselves to success.”

Davison’s interest in disability services is personal. Her father was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which affected the right side of his body and right hand. Despite this, her dad went on to play tennis and graduate from MIT. Davison learned that you could indeed overcome physical limitations.

As a young girl, she volunteered at a school for children with significant disabilities, and in ninth grade she created the club Volunteers in Service to Exceptional Children, which developed weekly instructional and social activities. By the time she was ready for college, her career path had been determined.

One of the first committees that Davison worked on at Andover helped to develop policies around consistent, reasonable, and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. The program that was introduced less than two years later became a model for other prep schools.