The Grier School celebrates 170 years of education

HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Pa (WTAJ)– The Grier School crossed a milestone marker by providing 170 years of dedicated academics and the arts.

The all-girls boarding school is located in Birmingham in Huntingdon County. It teaches girls from grades 7-12 in smaller class settings.

In 1853, the school was opened by a local Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. In 1857, it sold to Lemuel Grier. Grier prided it on being an all-girls school focused on sharpening the mind rather than their competitors who schooled on etiquette.

Fifth-generation Geoffrey Grier is now the Head of the School. He continues to build upon rigorous education but also focuses on the signature nationally-recognized programs.

“I’m proud of that today because we were forerunners,” Grier said. “The Grier School was a forerunner of the incredible emphasis that’s given to women and learning today.”

Those signature programs include their riding program, dancing program, and the arts. The Arts are divided into two categories: performing and visual arts. Niche ranked Grier School as the number one school for the Arts in Pennsylvania.

These signature programs are optional for the girls. They are encouraged to go toward where their passion lies. Senior Edith Manfred was looking for a more diverse art program than her middle school.

During her time, she developed a love for photography and plans to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in photography and photojournalism. She’s grateful for the diverse lessons in art.

“I’ve been exposed to many different types of art that I never knew, through my teachers, but also through my classmates,” Manfred said. “We all come from different areas with different experiences. I was exposed to different people who had different art training, and we all come together and create interesting stuff.”

The Grier School is nationally recognized for its rigorous riding program. They offer programs from beginner to varsity level, with girls riding up to six days a week. The school has over 50 horses. They also have three indoor and two outdoor arenas.

Riding Director Chrystal Wood said they have riders who show horses and have gone off to become trainers. The program is considered a top school in riding.

“Each year, I feel the girls get stronger and stronger, and it’s something that we’ve been able to upload,” Wood said. “The girls work hard, and we’re one of the only interscholastic collegiate programs that ride six days a week.”

Their dance program is one of their more popular programs. They offer a variety of levels from beginner to pre-professional level.

Students learn from all dance styles including; jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, and tap. Additionally, they bring in a variety of guest choreographers.

Senior Layla Kurtz and Sophomore Lexi Brickley are in the pre-professional dance program and train 30 hours weekly. They said how they’ve made some of their best friends and created a support system.

The school has over 225 girls enrolled from 28 states and 30 countries. Grier spoke about how they pride themselves on their diverse growth and international recognition.

Senior Chujun Liu is from China and found this school through her parents. She always wanted to attend school in the US to better prepare for college.

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad, and it’s my parents who suggested just going to boarding school in the US for high school so I could better prepare for college,” Liu said.

During Liu’s time at Grier, she completed a college-level workload and received a merit scholarship for her research paper. Liu wants to one day work at a pharmaceutical company developing drugs that cure cancer. She said this dream came about because of her research and studies at Grier.

Senior Kamryn Green came from Lancaster. She described her favorite memories include meeting her lifelong friends.

“I would describe my friendships as lifelong,” Green said. “I love the people I’ve made friends with to death, and I’m glad they’ve been there with me.”

“Getting to know everyone and the amazing support I have through all of my schooling and dance here,” Kurtz said. “It’s definitely made me a better person.”

Green is attending Penn University in the fall majoring in film production. Kurtz is attending St. Francis University majoring in Nursing with a minor in real estate.

All the girls expressed how they feel prepped for college because of their advanced-level coursework at Grier. Bickley said the school encourages everyone to find their passions and create a supportive environment.

Bickley came to the school because it combined her love for both dance and science. Newsweek ranked Grier School as one of the top 20% of schools for STEM in the county.

“It’s such an important place, and it helps everybody bring out their passions, and nobody scared to do what they want to do,” Bickley said. “Everybody is a supportive community.”

Grier also believes the community they reside is essential to their growth. He said how the community embraces their culture and that people coming to the school admire the friendly environment.

Grier believes his great-great-great grandfather would be proud of how progressive and adaptable the school became. He added all the school’s success is from the students and staff hard work and dedication.

“At the end of the day, this is their accomplishment. I’m so proud of the job our staff does here, they’re all phenomenal,” Grier said. “I think it’s our staff and our students who will take us higher. It is not the director of the school, it’s our staff and students.”

For more information on the school, visit their website, or contact Direction of Admissions and Marketing Kara Lawler.