Convocation a Night to Remember

The class of 2011 and their families will long remember their Convocation, when they gathered in USN’s historic auditorium—almost the last time they will sit together as a class—to hear this year’s PDS/USN Distinguished Alumnus share some of what he has learned since he was in their place.

See photos of Convocation.
Gideon Yu has accomplished many things since he graduated from USN in 1989. He earned an engineering degree from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as Chief Financial Officer for both Facebook and YouTube, negotiating business deals with mind boggling price tags. Business Insider described him as “the guy who crafted the biggest deal in the Web 2.0 era, selling YouTube to Google for $1.65 billion.”

And Gideon attributes his success to his high school math teacher, Debbie Davies, who retires from USN this year. At Senior Convocation last week, Gideon said, “If I were to be completely honest about Ms. Davies, outside of my mother and father no single person has made this much of an impact on my life. Nobody’s even close.”

Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a check which he presented to the school to establish the Debbie Davies Endowed Chair for Excellence in Teaching. It was a dramatic moment, and it answered the question posed by every teacher who has spent long after-school hours helping a student. Yes, such efforts make a difference.

Debbie Davies says, “While Gideon is gracious in his praise of me, the real credit goes to Gideon. He was a wonderful student to work with - hard-working, energetic, funny, appreciative and very kind.”

When Gideon Yu agreed to come to Nashville as USN’s 2011 Distinguished Alumnus, he stipulated two conditions. He would honor Debbie Davies, and he would find a way to speak to the students that broke the Convocation lecture mold. So the seniors sat in the front rows near him and asked him questions. 

He talked to them about self-acceptance, excellence, and facing challenges. When they go to college, he said, their greatest challenges are "not going to be academic because what you’ll find is that University School is much harder than any school you’ll go to. It is actually the growing up part…getting comfortable in my own skin was probably the best thing I got out of education."
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School News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Eighth graders practice their Chinese during a field trip to Sichuan Hot Pot & Asian Cuisine.

    Through play, Josephine Huang teaches Chinese and molds lifelong learners

    Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.
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  • Stokes earns Excellence in Auxiliary Award

    Director of Auxiliary Services Rebecca Stokes was given the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative’s award for her work including students in the selection of a new playground, transitioning the school bookstore, refining registration systems and processes for summer camps & enrichment activities, and expanding the school’s cultural and holiday celebrations to be inclusive of USN’s diverse student body.
    Read More

  • Preview USN on November 14

    University School of Nashville welcomes prospective families to tour the Edgehill Campus, speak with students, faculty, and administrators, and learn about our K-12 school's academic, athletic, and arts offerings. Sessions will take place at 9:30 a.m. for Middle & High Schools and 1 p.m. for Lower School. Let us know you are coming at  usn.org/preview.
    Read More
Archive

Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on Winged Deer Trails, HS Makes Podium Appearance

    Steve Smail
    Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
     
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  • HS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
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  • MS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
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Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.