Choosing Gratitude: Jane McCarthy Shares the Power of Thankfulness at TA Talk

Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28, Thayer’s Head of School, introduced Jane McCarthy, Assistant to the Head of School, on Wednesday, Nov. 19, for the school’s most recent TA Talk.

“Jane McCarthy is for real,” said Fortunato.

“What you see is what you get, and what we have gotten since she began at Thayer is a cheerleader, a champion, a listener, a baker of brownies and banana bread and cupcakes or whatever adults and students may require or request to brighten their days,” Fortunato added.

He emphasized how deeply McCarthy cares for the Thayer community: “She so genuinely wants to create a space where anyone in our community, particularly students, can come to chat, and laugh, sometimes cry, and get a warm pick me up. She helps us celebrate the good and get through the not so good.”

When asked to describe herself in one word, McCarthy said, it would have to be “grateful.”

“Because Thanksgiving is just a week away…I would like to tell you why gratitude means so much to me,” she began.

McCarthy went on to share her experience working with Travis Roy, a trustee at Tabor Academy. She explained that Roy had been recruited to Boston University and, during his first game, suffered a life-changing injury just 11 seconds into his time on the ice, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

She also reflected on her experience with her daughter’s Brownie troop leader, Noreen, who had cancer. McCarthy visited Noreen’s home to take family portraits with her two daughters. Two days later, she delivered the photographs. Noreen, her husband explained, had been napping at the time. The next day, he called McCarthy to tell her that Noreen had passed away the night before.

Weeks later, McCarthy saw Noreen’s children on television as they held a fundraiser in their mother’s honor. At the end of the news segment, a photo of Noreen appeared on screen—one that Jane had taken during that final shoot.

“Grateful to have captured her at that moment,” said McCarthy.

She reflected on how grateful she was simply to have known Noreen.

To close her talk, McCarthy shared a favorite quote: "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, McCarthy spoke about how important it is to show gratitude, even in the smallest of ways. She ended by encouraging others to “do what you love,” explaining that baking is her own way of expressing gratitude.

She ended her TA talk by saying, “I hope that when you are asking what one word describes you, it’s happy. Happy Thanksgiving.”