By Katharine Pike, Association of Parents and Guardians President

It’s hard to imagine a more deserving recipient of the Alice Strong Award than Roomi Sharma. Named for one of Eastside Prep’s foremost volunteers, the Alice Strong Award is presented each year to one or more members of our community in appreciation for their contribution of time and energy to the people and programs of our school.

Roomi Sharma joined the EPS community in fall 2011 when her oldest son, Ayush, began sixth grade. This past June, her younger son, Arnav, graduated with the Class of 2023 as a “lifer.” During the almost twelve years her children were at EPS, Roomi spent countless hours volunteering across all areas of the school. Roomi was a Class Representative for many years, helping to bring parents together and keep them informed. She did such a great job as a Class Rep that she was asked to be a Class Rep coordinator for all the grades. Fellow Class Rep Coordinator Danielle  Dixon says, “Roomi consistently demonstrates all the attributes of an incredible volunteer. She is compassionate, organized, strategic, good-humored, and generous with her time. As Class Representatives Co-Coordinator, she served as a mentor for me and for the twenty five class representatives, patiently training us, answering questions, and providing thoughtful insights throughout the year.”

The 2022-2023 school year was especially busy with Twentieth Anniversary events such as the Alumni Fall Harvest and the spring anniversary celebration in May. The EPS APG (Association of Parents and Guardians) needed more help to organize these events and Roomi kindly agreed to take a role on the Hospitality team in addition to her Class Rep Coordinator role, and she gave it equal time, energy, and enthusiasm.

In addition to those roles, Roomi consistently volunteered as a Parent Ambassador for the EPS Admissions teamfor several years. She has been a friendly, knowledgeable resource to prospective parents during the admissions season and a welcoming face in the spring as new families join the school. “Roomi typifies the two ideal qualities of a parent volunteer: consistent reliability as well as empathy-driven communication,” says Cheryl Schenk, Director of Enrollment Management.

Roomi is truly a team player who is smart, gracious, friendly, and thoughtful. She has been a constant warm and welcoming presence at so many EPS APG events over the last decade, and she will be greatly missed by all.