6ABC Chief Meteorologist Cecily Tynan P’26 Visits

On Monday, November 21, Cecily Tynan P’26 visited the Lower and Upper Schools to meet and present to students and faculty as well as to impart lessons from her storied career as a scientist and television personality. 

Lower School science teacher Julie Haines and three student volunteers from the first, second, and third grades volunteered to assist Ms. Tynan through a scientific demonstration on the formation of clouds. Students later pondered what to do when presented with different weather conditions, such as thunder and lighting and tornado warnings. Tynan also taught a lesson about the lake-effect weather conditions that can create strong snowstorms around the Buffalo, New York region. Later, the assembly audience learned that the green screen technology that AIS second graders use to practice mock weather forecasts is similar to what is used by professional meteorologists. This time with the lower school concluded with an enthusiastic round of Q&A. “I’m so impressed with all of your questions,” Tynan said.

Later, Ms. Tynan visited the Upper School Empowering Girls in STEM student organization and shared her journey to become a Chief Meteorologist – noting that her path to being a meteorologist was not linear. She studied journalism and politics in college and considered becoming a lawyer. While working as a news anchor, Tynan had an opportunity to interview for a meteorologist position, an opportunity she had not previously considered but she fell in love with. Ms. Tynan concluded by encouraging the girls to follow their passions and to take chances on opportunities that present themselves, “as you never know where they will lead you.”

Agnes Irwin is so grateful to Ms. Tynan for her visit!