Learn Dana's
Drive to Thrive

Subject: Remembering Dana Chang ‘25

Audience: Nutshell (students, faculty, staff, dorm parents, board, families) and Class of 2024 families

Dear Walnut Hill Community,

It’s been a wonderful start to the Fall Semester this school year. Such a strong start makes it feel like we have been holding classes for weeks when, in reality, it is only the second week of classes. It brings a smile to my face to breathe in the vitality of campus life while we navigate the next chapters of our pursuits. I remain thrilled to be a part of this community.

We went through some difficult times last year as a community. It goes without saying that the memory of our late friend and student, Dana Chang ’25, has remained as present as ever on campus. I have maintained contact with Dana’s parents, John Chang and June Song, and I can say, without a doubt, they are the strongest family I have ever known. Every day without their precious Dana is painful beyond compare, and yet they manage to look forward, turning the tragedy of her death into a celebration of life. Jenny Elowitch and Walnut Hill Trustee HaeSun Paik ’83 have been amazing supporters for them during this time, as well, and I thank them deeply for their generous time and open heart.

Dana’s legacy has already made an impact on current Walnut Hill students. Last spring, we named our Friendship Award (one of Walnut Hill’s highest student honors), after Dana, and we offered two NEC Prep merit scholarships to Daniel Ma ’25 and Andrew Li ’25 in Dana’s name at our annual Awards Ceremony, in cooperation with Dana’s family. I am overjoyed to know that this sort of support, in Dana’s name, will continue through the years and that she will forever be connected to Walnut Hill.

John and June have asked me to share a few details about Dana’s passing with our community. Up until recently, the medical cause of Dana’s death was unknown. However, now that the family has received the autopsy report, we now know that Dana died from a rare, anomalous defect in her coronary artery that was never diagnosed during her lifetime. No one could have known she had this condition, as most people with it require life-saving surgery as an infant in order to survive. It’s truly astonishing that Dana led the life she did for as long as she did—running every day and maintaining a high-energy practice and performance regimen with this life-threatening condition.

It is with this newfound sense of hope and purpose to honor Dana’s life that her family has now established the Dana Chang Foundation. By creating this new organization, John, June, and Dana’s sister, Dayoon, will support young artists through their educational careers, providing them with opportunities and resources that will go a long way in developing their potential. Additionally, the Foundation will raise awareness about the importance of the early diagnosis of heart anomalies. Again, my deepest thanks to Jenny Elowitch and HaeSun Paik for the countless hours they have spent with June and John this summer to realize their vision.

There will be a concert to kick off the launch of the Foundation at Jordan Hall in Boston on Monday, October 21 to which our entire community is invited. Student tickets are free, and we will have bus transportation for any students who would like to attend. Performers will include Dana’s friends and classmates at Walnut Hill and Dana’s aunt (and renowned Korean gayageum player) Youngsook Song, in addition to our Grammy Award-winning quartet-in-residence, the Parker Quartet. This will be a touching tribute to Dana and will launch the Foundation to be an enduring tribute to the phenomenal person she was.

Let’s keep Dana in our hearts as we head into this semester. It’s a new school year, a new season, and new possibilities await us with the memory of Dana serving as our guide.

Sincerely,
Eric Barber Head of School

The Dana Chang Foundation Inaugural Concert
Monday, October 21, 2024
7:30 PM
Jordan Hall, Boston, MA