International Women's Day
Burke’s had the honor of hosting Commander Rebecca Calder, USNR, (Ret.) at our annual International Women’s Day Assembly.
Rebecca Calder graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover in 1994 and the United States Naval Academy in 1998. She earned her designation as a Naval Aviator in July of 2000, and began her career as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot where she has served in multiple squadrons. She flew missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch in 2002 and in support of Iraqi Freedom in 2008.
She attended the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (commonly known as TOPGUN) in 2004 where she became the first female pilot to graduate from the elite program. She has accrued over 2,500 flight hours and 421 carrier-arrested landings. She became the first woman to have her basketball jersey (#32) retired from the United States Naval Academy in January 2014. She was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, and inducted into the Andover Athletics Hall of Honor in 2008, as part of the inaugural class. She transitioned to the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2011 and retired in 2023 after 25 years of service.
She attended the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (commonly known as TOPGUN) in 2004 where she became the first female pilot to graduate from the elite program. She has accrued over 2,500 flight hours and 421 carrier-arrested landings. She became the first woman to have her basketball jersey (#32) retired from the United States Naval Academy in January 2014. She was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, and inducted into the Andover Athletics Hall of Honor in 2008, as part of the inaugural class. She transitioned to the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2011 and retired in 2023 after 25 years of service.
She shared her story about how she started flying F/A-18s and the three most important life lessons it taught her—the importance of passion, perseverance, and purpose. She emphasized to all the students in the room, “You can be anything you want—let your dreams drive you.”
Rebecca Calder joins a long line of esteemed Burke’s International Women's Day guests that have included Vice President Kamala Harris, Judge Abinanti, a Yurok Chief Judge, Michaela DePrince, a renowned ballet soloist at the Dutch National Ballet and co-author of the books Hope in a Ballet Shoe and Ballerina Dreams, Mayor London Breed, Audrey Cooper, former Executive Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, and the athlete and conservationist Kim Chambers.
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.