Jui Joshi '81: To Be, Rather Than to Seem
When Head of School Gary J. Niels called Jui Joshi '81 earlier this year, her first thought came straight from her student days. "I felt like I was going to the head's office," she said, laughing. "What did I do?"
What she did was build a life around the values she learned at Ellis. A lawyer turned fundraiser, a champion of public media, and one of the School's most devoted alumnae volunteers, Jui is this year's recipient of the Sara Frazer Ellis Award, which recognizes alumnae who embody the spirit and values of Ellis. "I am deeply honored," she said. "I really was not expecting this award."
What she did was build a life around the values she learned at Ellis. A lawyer turned fundraiser, a champion of public media, and one of the School's most devoted alumnae volunteers, Jui is this year's recipient of the Sara Frazer Ellis Award, which recognizes alumnae who embody the spirit and values of Ellis. "I am deeply honored," she said. "I really was not expecting this award."
A School She Chose for Herself
Jui's family moved to Pittsburgh from India partway through her grade 4 year. She already spoke English, having attended an all-girls English school in India, but American slang and turns of phrase were new. When her family toured local schools for grade 5, she made the call. "We drove by several schools, and I said, 'I am not going there'" she recalled. Then they reached Ellis. "This is good." Her younger sister, Saily, Class of 1985, followed her lead.
Jui joined grade 5 about a month into the year and spent her first weeks catching up and memorizing vocabulary lists in a small Middle School room that "felt like a closet." She also read constantly. When classmates reported reading five or six books, Jui reported 22. Years later, pulling random books off the library shelves, she still found her name on the old sign-out cards.
Finding her place took time, but she did it the Ellis way: by getting involved. "I played sports, I got involved, and that allowed me to get to know my classmates," she said. Those classmates became lifelong friends. "Ellis taught me to be independent," she said. "It instilled in me the belief that I had talent, could navigate challenges, and had the determination to persevere.”
Teachers Who Treated You Like a Colleague
Jui played field hockey from grade 8 on and joined the school's brand-new lacrosse team. "Most of us were not good," she said, "because we were learning how to play the game." She took photos for the yearbook, sang in Glee Club, and traveled to New York with Student United Nations, sparking an interest in political science she carried into college. A photography mini-course started a lifelong interest.
She and her classmates also learned to speak up. After shivering through winters in short uniform dresses, her class lobbied for a change, and Ellis added green corduroys to the uniform.
Most of all, she remembers her teachers. Mrs. Callomon, who taught history, political science, and AP coursework, "was so supportive and easy to talk to, and inspired us to do our best." English teacher, Mr. Miller, "taught class like it was a college class and really pushed us." And field hockey coach, Mrs. Vassar, left her with a line she still uses far beyond the field: "If you are going to work this hard to get the ball there, just get it in."
"You became friends with your teachers," Jui said. "They weren't just voices at the front of the class giving you homework." That, she believes, built the confidence to engage with adults as equals, a skill that has served her ever since.
"What Is Development?"
"Who grows up to say, 'I want to be a fundraiser'?" Jui asked. "I literally fell into this profession."
After earning her law degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Jui joined the Law School's alumni council. At one event, the director of development invited her to lunch with a proposition: a role split between development and admissions. "I said, 'What is development? Developing what?'" Jui recalled. She took the job and loved it. She knew the professors and the alumni, and conversations came naturally. She served as director of development before she eventually moved to a different job.
She led fundraising for organizations championing women's rights and public broadcasting, including Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, home of WESA and WYEP. Her philosophy for any non-profit organization is simple: "It has to make the community it serves a better place.” She sees public media as an important expression of that mission, noting that it "is free to everyone. That's a huge service."
She credits Ellis for providing the skills that supported her success. "Ellis gave me the building blocks, and my other educational experiences honed them," she said. "I would have started at a disadvantage if I didn't have the foundation that Ellis gave me."
To Be, Rather Than to Seem
For Jui, the School's motto, "Esse Quam Videri" ("To be, rather than to seem"), has always been personal. "Ellis taught you to be yourself, be proud of who you are, and take that confidence with you wherever you go," she said. "I never felt like I had to play games or pretend to be someone I was not."
That authenticity runs through her service to Ellis. Jui served as treasurer and president of the Alumnae Association, a trustee of the Ellis Board, and now sits on the new Alumnae Alliance Leadership Council. Giving back is a family tradition that stretches back to her grandparents, and Ellis gave her early chances to practice it. Living close to campus makes saying yes easy. "I got a lot out of Ellis, so I am going to give something back," she said. "I have hardly ever said no when asked to serve."
She sees the relationship as a two-way street. "As alumnae do well in their careers, that elevates the School," she said. "And if the School is fantastic, that elevates the students who were educated there."
A Message for Ellis Girls
Asked what she hopes today's Ellis girls take from her story, Jui didn't hesitate. "They have so much potential. They have the capacity, the education, and all the tools that Ellis gave them," she said. "And now it is up to them to put those resources to use and make the most of the opportunities ahead."
Back
Jui's family moved to Pittsburgh from India partway through her grade 4 year. She already spoke English, having attended an all-girls English school in India, but American slang and turns of phrase were new. When her family toured local schools for grade 5, she made the call. "We drove by several schools, and I said, 'I am not going there'" she recalled. Then they reached Ellis. "This is good." Her younger sister, Saily, Class of 1985, followed her lead.
Jui joined grade 5 about a month into the year and spent her first weeks catching up and memorizing vocabulary lists in a small Middle School room that "felt like a closet." She also read constantly. When classmates reported reading five or six books, Jui reported 22. Years later, pulling random books off the library shelves, she still found her name on the old sign-out cards.
Finding her place took time, but she did it the Ellis way: by getting involved. "I played sports, I got involved, and that allowed me to get to know my classmates," she said. Those classmates became lifelong friends. "Ellis taught me to be independent," she said. "It instilled in me the belief that I had talent, could navigate challenges, and had the determination to persevere.”
Teachers Who Treated You Like a Colleague
Jui played field hockey from grade 8 on and joined the school's brand-new lacrosse team. "Most of us were not good," she said, "because we were learning how to play the game." She took photos for the yearbook, sang in Glee Club, and traveled to New York with Student United Nations, sparking an interest in political science she carried into college. A photography mini-course started a lifelong interest.
She and her classmates also learned to speak up. After shivering through winters in short uniform dresses, her class lobbied for a change, and Ellis added green corduroys to the uniform.
Most of all, she remembers her teachers. Mrs. Callomon, who taught history, political science, and AP coursework, "was so supportive and easy to talk to, and inspired us to do our best." English teacher, Mr. Miller, "taught class like it was a college class and really pushed us." And field hockey coach, Mrs. Vassar, left her with a line she still uses far beyond the field: "If you are going to work this hard to get the ball there, just get it in."
"You became friends with your teachers," Jui said. "They weren't just voices at the front of the class giving you homework." That, she believes, built the confidence to engage with adults as equals, a skill that has served her ever since.
"What Is Development?"
"Who grows up to say, 'I want to be a fundraiser'?" Jui asked. "I literally fell into this profession."
After earning her law degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Jui joined the Law School's alumni council. At one event, the director of development invited her to lunch with a proposition: a role split between development and admissions. "I said, 'What is development? Developing what?'" Jui recalled. She took the job and loved it. She knew the professors and the alumni, and conversations came naturally. She served as director of development before she eventually moved to a different job.
She led fundraising for organizations championing women's rights and public broadcasting, including Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, home of WESA and WYEP. Her philosophy for any non-profit organization is simple: "It has to make the community it serves a better place.” She sees public media as an important expression of that mission, noting that it "is free to everyone. That's a huge service."
She credits Ellis for providing the skills that supported her success. "Ellis gave me the building blocks, and my other educational experiences honed them," she said. "I would have started at a disadvantage if I didn't have the foundation that Ellis gave me."
To Be, Rather Than to Seem
For Jui, the School's motto, "Esse Quam Videri" ("To be, rather than to seem"), has always been personal. "Ellis taught you to be yourself, be proud of who you are, and take that confidence with you wherever you go," she said. "I never felt like I had to play games or pretend to be someone I was not."
That authenticity runs through her service to Ellis. Jui served as treasurer and president of the Alumnae Association, a trustee of the Ellis Board, and now sits on the new Alumnae Alliance Leadership Council. Giving back is a family tradition that stretches back to her grandparents, and Ellis gave her early chances to practice it. Living close to campus makes saying yes easy. "I got a lot out of Ellis, so I am going to give something back," she said. "I have hardly ever said no when asked to serve."
She sees the relationship as a two-way street. "As alumnae do well in their careers, that elevates the School," she said. "And if the School is fantastic, that elevates the students who were educated there."
A Message for Ellis Girls
Asked what she hopes today's Ellis girls take from her story, Jui didn't hesitate. "They have so much potential. They have the capacity, the education, and all the tools that Ellis gave them," she said. "And now it is up to them to put those resources to use and make the most of the opportunities ahead."
Envision Her at Ellis
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