Celebrating Commencement

In 2020 and 2021, Waynflete hosted its Commencement ceremony outdoors at Thompson’s Point—one of the few venues that could accommodate our community while ensuring that we could adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Thompson’s Point staff members were so accommodating to our needs that we moved our ceremony to their Brick South facility in 2022. The large indoor space with outdoor access has been a perfect fit and has allowed us to host a celebratory cake gathering following the ceremony.

2022 College Matriculation

American University

Bates College (3)

Bennington College

Boston University (2)

Bowdoin College (5)

Brandeis University

Broward College

Brown University (2)

Bryn Mawr College

Champlain College

Clemson University

Colby College (2)

Connecticut College (3)

Dartmouth College

Davidson College

Dominican University of California

George Washington University

Grinnell College

Haverford College

Howard University

Ithaca College

Macalester College

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Mount Holyoke College

Occidental College (3)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhode Island School of Design (2)

Saint Anselm College

Saint Lawrence University

Salve Regina University

Sarah Lawrence College

Sewanee: University of the South Skidmore College

SUNY at Purchase College

Syracuse University (2)

University of Alabama

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Denver (3)

University of Maine

University of New England

University of Southern California (2)

University of Southern Maine

University of Tennessee Chattanooga

University of Virginia

Vassar College

Villanova University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wellesley College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)

Jessica Nowinski ’88

I attended Barnard College after graduating from Waynflete, where I intended to major in theater. A vacancy in a research lab (announced in my Intro to Psych class) changed my plans. I worked for four years in a laboratory dedicated to the study of speech perception and eventually completed a doctoral program in cognitive psychology at Stanford University. Upon completing my PhD, I again veered from my intended path, scrapping my plan to go into academia and instead accepting a post-doctoral fellowship at NASA Ames Research, where I studied human memory performance on aviation-related tasks. A year later, I was hired as a research psychologist in the Human Systems Integration Division where, 22 years later, I serve as the deputy division chief. At Waynflete, learning was valued as a pursuit more than as a means to an end. Now, as a parent in Silicon Valley, I recognize how lucky I was to be educated in that environment. My desire for knowledge and healthy skepticism, fostered at Waynflete, are essential to a career in science. Working at NASA, I’ve indulged my desire for continued learning. I have had the opportunity to expand my skills and knowledge by serving in a variety of roles, conducting research, developing research portfolios, and most recently advocating for and supporting researchers in my own field. These are occupations I would not have dreamed of when I started college as a theater major. Being open to unexpected opportunities and following my curiosity has led me to a rewarding career.

Kai Thaler ’05

After Waynflete, I studied political science at Yale University, focusing on political conflict and violence. I followed these interests through research gigs in Portugal, South Africa, and Colombia, then worked for the organization Humanity & Inclusion on armed violence and disabilities. Returning to school, I got my PhD at Harvard University, examining how victorious rebel groups have governed—for better and worse—in Liberia, Nicaragua, Uganda, and beyond. Since 2018, I have been a professor of global studies at the University of California-Santa Barbara, researching and teaching on conflict and violence, protests, and democracy and authoritarianism, especially in Africa and Latin America.

Waynflete allowed me to pursue my interests and deepen my curiosity about places and experiences far different from my own, though I still had a lot of growing up to do. The ability to take small classes in high school like African History and the Vietnam War in Film and Literature, Waynflete’s excellent writing instruction, and lasting friendships have all continued to influence me long after high school. I am grateful for these opportunities, and that they continue to be available to new generations of Mainers.

Phoebe Suva ’13

I attended St. Lawrence University after Waynflete, majoring in government with a gender and sexuality studies minor. I spent over five years in Washington, DC, doing federal and state policy advocacy. Most recently I was the policy manager at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a reproductive justice organization focused on building power among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls. I covered the organization’s policy work on reproductive health and rights, immigration, and economic justice. My favorite part of my job was having the opportunity to lead NAPAWF’s work on the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act (HEAL Act), which would remove barriers to immigrants accessing health care. I recently returned to Portland to spend time with my family and recover from the fast pace of DC. I plan to attend graduate school for social work in the fall.

I am so grateful to Waynflete for providing such a strong community of teachers and mentors. It was in Debba Curtis’s classes, where I learned about the Constitution and the Supreme Court, that I discovered my interest in politics and social justice. Beyond fostering my academic passions, Waynflete faculty like Cathie Connors, the cafe ladies, Phuc Tran, and so many others provided space for me to grow and feel confident in myself.

Brandon Carter ’03

I did a sociology semester in the Big Apple my junior year at Williams and fell in love with the design of the city. Within days of moving there, the financial crisis of ’08 hit and I thought I might have made a mistake! I was lucky to land a temp gig working for a media licensing company, then moved into business development for Sesame Workshop, facilitating licensing deals between Sesame Street and fashion brands.

The tech startup scene in NYC was really taking off—the “Silicon Alley” craze—and I took a marketing role with a high-growth adtech company. As anyone who’s ever worked at a startup knows, you wear a lot of different hats. I learned a ton about digital marketing, branding, and communications. Today, I’m a director of strategy at a marketing agency that’s trying to help brands master digital platforms, be disciplined communicators, and create what feels like one-to-one communication with their audience.

Waynflete had a big impact on how I think and navigate shared space. I’m a naturally opinionated person, but Waynflete nurtured my ability to develop and express a unique point of view, defend it, and live with the fact of disagreement without making it personal. I call on those instincts every day as a creative consultant and strategist. You have to convey conviction, expertise, and firmness in your ideas, but you also need to hold safe, respectful spaces for others to do the same. That’s what nearly all my classes at Waynflete looked and sounded like.

Nondini Naqui ’98

I went to Wellesley College after Waynflete, which was an incredible experience. Waynflete prepared me well, for which I am incredibly grateful. I was one of the only first-year students to come in with my own anthropological fieldwork; as a sophomore, I had the opportunity to build off that work. That foundation put me on a path to understanding people and their needs, which lent itself to my future in marketing and driving change. If you don’t have the humility to admit that you don’t know everything, and the curiosity to understand mental models and motivations, then how do you build something impactful? Waynflete instilled the values I needed to move forward.

I look back fondly on my time at Waynflete. Although the school has certainly evolved since I graduated, the values, the focus on the student, and the top-caliber teaching continue to be a big part of the school. Waynflete has been on my mind lately as I start to look at schools for my two-and-a-half-yearold son. As I research and visit pre-K schools, I think back to my family’s experience. I’m constantly drawn to schools and communities that remind me of what we experienced at Waynflete, because I want my son to be surrounded by caring people, strong values, and opportunities to love learning.

Waynflete Reunion 2023

May 19–20, 2023

3s and 8s – Come celebrate with us!

Waynflete alumni— come back to campus and celebrate with fellow classmates and friends! Participate in classroom visits, attend the boathouse ribbon cutting ceremony, watch alumni lacrosse games, attend awards ceremonies, and gather for an evening celebration!