During her free period, varsity basketball player Hadley Busbee stood by a main campus entrance and wouldn’t budge. Her idol—the coach, commentator, author, and former Women’s National Basketball Association star Lisa Leslie—would be visiting the school, and Busbee wasn’t about to miss a chance to catch a glimpse of her. Leslie’s stardom on and off the court has inspired not only Busbee, but school leaders at Chatham Hall (VA), who selected her as the 2022–2023 Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence, a program that gives students the opportunity to learn from female leaders. About 20 leaders in residence, ranging from author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and anthropologist Jane Goodall to professional tennis player Venus Williams and actress and activist Ashley Judd, have visited the campus since the program started in 2003.
“In small and large group settings, over meals, in classes, via keynote speeches, and in other ways, the students hear the leaders’ stories, their ideas and their voices, which provides a remarkable window through which our students can begin to envision their own futures,” says Beth Stefanik, chief communications officer at the school.
Since leaving the WNBA, Leslie—who was named the league’s most valuable player, led the league in scoring, and received four Olympic gold medals—has developed a leadership academy, coached, starred in a movie, served as a basketball analyst, and authored a book about her experiences. “Life is about how you recover and challenge yourself,” she told one group of athletes during a day of tours and gatherings. “These are going to be the moments that will help you build the woman you want to become. Whether it’s through grades, sports, or relationships. Whatever it is, these are the building blocks.”
When Leslie heard about Busbee’s vigil, she came by to chat, prompting Busbee to burst into tears. “I’ve never been so excited to meet anyone in my life,” said Busbee, who vowed never to wash the shirt she had on for the visit. “She’s been my idol for such a long time.”
Pictured above: Basketball star Lisa Leslie was named Chatham Hall’s 2022–2023 Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence.
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