DirectorofStudentSupportServicesKimGolddescribedvarious initiativestakingplacethatsupportthehealthandwell-beingofour studentcommunity.OneoftheseoccurredinNovemberwhenDaryl Bellamy,founder of theFearlessInsideMovement,spoketostudents onallthreecampuses.Darylinspiredstudentstoembracewhathe callsfearlessmoments:transformativeexperienceswherestudentsface fearsandtakeactiondespiteuncertainty.
Kim also outlined the second yearofadministeringtheAuthentic Connectionssurveytostudentsingrades4-12.Theoverarching goalofthesurveyistounderstandbetterhowsafe,supported,and wellourchildrenandadolescentsarefeelingastheygrowupinour community.Usingthebaselinedatagatheredfromlastyear’ssurvey, thecomparativedatafromthisyear’ssurveywillprovideinsightsthat willallowus toengageinmeaningful collaborationacrosscampusesto determinethenextstepsforprogrammingandenrichment.
Wealsofocusedonthe resounding success of a new initiativethis yearinwhichmembersofthe Parents’Associationhosted24different neighborhood gatherings spanning the wide range of townsandcities whereourfamilieslive.Thesegatheringsprovidedafunopportunityfor morethan500BB&Nparentstomeet new families inthearea,identify carpoolandafter-schoolopportunities,andsharesomestoriesandlaughs.
We also took amomenttosharethewidearrayofalumniprogramming takingplaceoncampusandbeyond;I’dlike to focusontwohere.The first isthe BB&N (BuildingBridges & Networks)Connectprogram,which providesaplatformforalumnitoshareinvaluableinsightsandinspiration toour students,showcasingreal-worldapplicationsoftheireducation andthediversecareerpathsavailabletoBB&Ngraduates.Thisyearalone, 15alumnihavereturnedtocampustospeak toa studentclass or club, 11alumniwillhostBB&Nseniorsfor an internship during Senior Spring Project,and20BB&Nteachershaveaskedtoconnect withalumnitosupporttheirworkwithstudents.It’sanincrediblewaytobridge ourrichhistorywithourpresentandourfuture—pleaseemailbbnconnect@bbns.orgifyou’reinterestedinparticipating.Andspeaking of bridging our past and present,wealsohostedafunbreakfastinlateFebruaryforalumniwhosechildrencurrentlyattendBB&N.It wasa blasttohear somanydecadesofBB&Nstoriesandexperiencesgoingbackandfortharoundtheroom!
Finally,Iclosedthepresentationbynotingthatastrongcommunitylikeoursisonewhose membersunitetonavigate challenging times. This was provenyetagainfollowingthe Januaryarrestonchildpornographychargesofnow-formerLowerSchoolmusicteacher JoshuaDeWitte.Afewdaysafterhisarrest we held an Open Forumforallparents/guardians. Duringthisforum,membersofourcommunity,includingtheCambridgePolice,shared informationaboutvarious aspectsof thecase, includingthe factthat,tothebestoftheir knowledge,thecaseagainsthimdoesnotinvolve our students. Among the speakerswasDr. BronwenCarroll,P’28,’31,’35,whosharedadvice—gainedfromherexperienceasapediatric emergencymedicinephysician—onhowtotalkwithchildrenaboutdifficulttopicssuchas sexualabuse,predators, andpornography.Hertalkresonatedsostronglythatsheagreedto leadamorein-depthsessiontitled“WeNeedtoBeTalkingAboutThis”withparentsfrom BB&NandotherindependentschoolsinlateFebruary.Youcanaccessthevideoofhertalk atvimeo.com/bbnschool.Intheinterestofmaintainingfamilyharmony,Irarelytellmy sisters,whoareparentsofyoungchildren,todoanything.But,inthiscaseItoldthemboth they hadto watchthis,asBronwen’spresentationwassimplyamazingandsoaccessible. Ihopethissummarydemonstratesthatthestateofourbelovedschool isstrong.Ofcourse, theyearisfarfromover,andasweroundthecornertospring,wearelookingforwardtoan excitinglasttwomonthsoftheschoolyear.SomebigeventswillincludetheDistinguished Alumniawardsceremony,ourbelovedOneSchoolOneWorldcelebration,the72nd annual BB&NCircus,and ofcourse theClass of2025 graduationonJune6.There’sneveradull momenthereatBB&N,andwewouldn’twantitanyotherway!
Wishingeveryoneagreatspring,
PICTURED
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x 1 x BrentHudson ’27blowsbyadefender. x 2 x JoshuaCurhan’25,KeenanBillings’25,andDiegoAbadie’26getofftoafaststart.
x 3 x AverySarzana’25sendsit. x 4 x BoMacCormack ’25breaksatackledownfield. x 5 x KateTregay’28startsthebreakout. x 6 x AveryHart’25getsupforaspike.
1
WinterSports Wrap-Up
PICTURED
x 1 x NikhilBabbar ’25elevatesforthejay.
x 2 x NoahRosado ’25 brings the puck up.
x 3 x MadelineEgan’25laysitin.
x 4 x LexiMara’25snipesinagoal.
x 5 x Max Laibson ’25 (left) and YoyoZou ’27(right)tradeparriesandthrusts.
x 6 x LiamCunningham’27sizesupan opponentonthemat.
2 3
1 1
ArtsWrap-Up
Studentsfromallthreecampuses broughtBB&Ntolifewithmusicand visualartsthisfallandwinter.From detailedceramics,toanorchestra playing StarWars whilebeingledby alightsaberwieldingdirector,the artspastichewasonfulldisplay.
1
2 3 4 5
PICTURED
x 1 x Studentsperform in theGrades3-5WinterConcert. x 2 x CeramicartbyBB&Neighthgraders x 3 x Morse Building students sing at their winterconcert. x 4 x TheUpperSchoolproductionof KingLear:(L. to R.) Salar Sekhavat ’26, MileyChen’25,PresleyJacobson’25,andLaith Diouri’25 x 5 x TheMiddleSchoolartsshowcase:(L.toR.)AnaLongstreet-Lipson ’30, Alaia Hassan ’30, GraceMiller’30,KieranPatrick’30, Abigail Donohue ’30, and Asha Narayan’30 x 6 x TheMiddleSchoolperformanceof MatildaJr.:(L. to R) Carla Miller’29, SiranArakelian’29, EliKesselheim’29,GeorgiaWest’29 x 7 x SettiSekhavat’30andAsterCase’30performatMiddleSchoolWinterfest. x 8 x TheUpperSchool Orchestraperformsthe ThemeFromStarWars at the WinterExtravaganza. x 9 x UpperSchooljazzperformance:(L.toR.)MatthewWalsh’26, AugustInada’26,JackLi’26,RyanClay’26,MatthiasPaulson’26,andMeekaOrtiz’26 x 10 x BB&N’sUpperSchoolChoralebeltsitout.
AnotherBeautifulBivouac
Nothing bringsaclass togetherlike an outdooradventure,and for anincredible71years now,BB&N’sBivouac programcontinuestodojustthat.Whetherpushingtheboundariesoftheircomfortzones,learningabout nature,engaginginteam-andfriend-buildingexercises,orbuildingamini-golfcourseintheircampsiteforsome fun,theresilientmembersofTheClassof2028tackledBivouachead-on.
x 1 x Dylan Cooper-Ewing ’28 on the ropescourse x 2 x HaileyZhao’28andKalkidanShiferaw ’28 on latrine digging duty x 3 x LukasWellesley’28andMac Dimidis’28hardatwork x 4 x MattWang’28andColtonFischer’28,proud“hole-in-one”winners attheirhomemademini-golfcourse x 5 x MatiasEgan’28,KadenFoster’28,JonathanHarlev’28,ChristianChow’28,Benjamin Goldberg’28,andAbelMa’28 x 6 x SabrineSaid’28andEthanYu ’28on avisit to StonewallFarm x 7 x MarinMacDonald’28and VivianLewis-Pierce’28spendsometimewitheveryone’sfavoriteBivouacdogs:Henry(foreground)andLucy(background).
Homecoming
The2024BB&NHomecomingwasanunforgettable celebrationofschoolspiritandcommunity!Wehad spectacularweather and theeventfeaturedawide arrayoffunactivitiesforthewholeschool,including inflatableobstaclecourses,cornhole,andanenergetic DJwhokeptthecrowdentertainedthroughout theday.TheParents’AssociationAffinityGroups’ tables providedopportunities for connectionand camaraderieamongallattendees.Thedaywasactionpackedwithanimpressive lineupof BB&Nathletic gamesshowcasingthetalentanddeterminationof bothgirlsand boys teams.Fanscheered on soccer, volleyball,crosscountry, fieldhockey,andfootball teams,creatinganelectricatmosphereofsupportand pride.Itwasamemorabledayoffun,fellowship,and Knightspirit–goKNIGHTS!
BornfromtheplanofdirectorandtheaterteacherRossMacDonaldbackin2019,thistakeonthefolk talewas writtenbyMacDonald and students Amad Khalid ’26and HannahBrodsky’25.Inthewords of MacDonald,thescriptincorporated“music,movement,andmultipleperformancestorytellingstyles.”
Originally performedin the Lindberg-SerriesTheaterin May,the smallcastof studentsdisplayedabonechilling and intimateperformance,emulating a ‘blackbox’theater experience.Ablackbox set-upincludes anaudienceonthreesidesofamodest,squarestage.Atthefestival,MacDonaldnotedthatthecast performed“fourtimesovereightdaysin one of the originalvenuesof the Fringe.”
Chenfondlyremembersoneencounterwherea“littlegirlpointedmeouttohermotherandstartedtimidly approachingme.Idroppedthe freeze andaskedherif she wantedapicture,andIthinkImade herday.”
Thecast’stimeinEdinburghwasn’talldramaandart.Thegrouphadachancetoexplorenatureandhistory just a shortwalkfromthebustlingcity.MacDonaldandChencited a dawnhikeuptoArthur’sSeatasa highlightofthetrip.Inparticular,Chennotedthattheexcursionupthemountainwas“anicechanceto relax and process thefast-paced performancedays.”
Whethertheartwasinthestreets,onthestage,orinnature,BB&N’stendaysinScotlandwerememorable. Itmaynothavebeenatraditionalstudyabroadexperience,butstudentshadtheopportunitytolearn aboutdifferentcultures whileseeing picturesquesights and architecture.Chenputs itbestwhen encouragingstudentstoexploretheglobe;“mostimportantly,it’satonoffun!”
• And as this magazinewas going press, GirlsVarsityHockeygotinontheaction bywinningtheirownISLchampionship andqualifyingfortheNEPSACEliteEight Tournamentforthefirsttimeinthe program’shistory.
After writing her junior-year history research paper on the origins of the Cold War, under the mentorship of history teacher Bob Porter, Woo applied for and received, at age 16, her first National Endowment for the Humanities research grant to study the relationship between the Cold War and the origins of the Korean War. Amid tomes and microfilm in the murky basement of Harvard’s Widener Library, entry to which she’d achieved with the ID of a friend’s father, she spent the summer feeling painfully isolated. “I thought, I never want to be a scholar. This is not what I want to do with my life.”
Years later, Woo learned that the process of creating “doesn’t have to be that lonely, that you can create a community for yourself to work with.” Woo has a writing partner, Rachel Kousser, author of Alexander at the End of the World, with whom she checks in daily and shares her writing. “I have people I consider my fairy Godwriters, and I am a fairy Godwriter for others,” she says. “It can be a magically communal experience. That’s something I wish I had known when I was younger.”
Early on, Woo’s parents offered an essential lesson that continues to guide her. When Woo was at BB&N in the late 1980s, few other Asians walked the halls, and she felt like an outsider. Compounding that challenge, she says, “BB&N is the most stressful academic environment I have known. Some of that may have had to do with the culture of the times, as well as the culture of the school.” Woo’s parents’ combined vast life experiences—growing up during the war in Korea, as refugees, as immigrants, as a performing piano prodigy—put academic pressures into perspective. “Their experiences and contexts taught them to appreciate academic challenges as opportunities, and they modeled that active practice of gratitude for me.” They encouraged Woo to pursue what she loved—unrelated to specific goals or earning certain grades—and, defying the Amy Chua-type stereotypical Asian-American parent, asked her to consider what would happen were she to get a C or a D or even to fail. “They said, ‘You still have this life; you still have us. There are bigger things that matter more than the grades.’ And when I was given permission to mess up and told that that was all right, I was able to lead with what mattered, and everything opened up.” Once liberated, she excelled. Later, when teaching freshman composition and a Great Books course at Columbia while working on her doctorate, Woo offered her parents’ alternate approach to her own overstressed students.
Woo herself had focused on the Great Books of western civilization as an undergraduate in Yale’s
Directed Studies program, which effectively allowed her to defer choosing between her dual passions, literature and history, as an academic focus. After some years away from school, she began her Ph.D. in literature at Columbia, but, she says, “I looked at it as an all-you-can-eat learning buffet. There was so much I wanted to read, so much I wanted to learn.” She took classes in history, film studies, creative writing—“whatever I could take, I took. In name, the degree was in English, but I continued to not decide, which has kind of been the hallmark of my life.”
While working on her dissertation, Woo’s guiding principles of pursuing her passions and not confining herself to a single path met with considerable pushback from her professors. Long intrigued by the Shakers, a communal Christian sect, Woo immersed herself in the life of Eunice Chapman, who left a Shaker village, took on the New York State government to obtain a historic legislative divorce, and fought to track down and regain custody of her kidnapped children. While Woo saw a fascinating story of “sex and drama and courtroom intrigue and mob attacks and religious fanaticism,” the dissertation committee questioned, “‘Whose side are you on? Is it the Shakers or Eunice Chapman? You have to decide.’ And I was thinking to myself, I can’t decide because both sides are so compelling in their own ways,” she says. The professors told her, “You’re shooting yourself in the foot in terms of entering the job market,” but Woo didn’t really want an academic job; she wanted to pursue something she cared about—and in her own way. “I didn’t know where it was going to lead, but I was just going to try it,” she says.
In the process, Woo’s resistance to linear narrative, to arguing one interpretation—dating back to those high school DBQs—crystallized. “To do something like that would be forcing myself in a direction that wasn’t authentic to me,” she says. Instead, she embraced narrative nonfiction as a genre, which “allows you to lead with a story. Your strength becomes your ability to look at different perspectives and not choose one. What I initially thought was a really big problem—not being able to make a judgment—turned into something I could work with.” Striving to open her mind to varying perspectives, Woo offers the same opportunity to her readers: “to imagine a situation from another point of view, perhaps suspending judgment even for a moment.” Here, her approach to writing falls into step with her life-guiding principles. “I see the exercise of literary imagination as an act of radical empathy, which is something I personally aim to practice both on and off the page.”
Woo notes that as she gets older, she is increasingly aware of “an intuition, a feeling, some kind of a pulse” that guides her research. Not wanting to sound freaky about it, she likens it to sensing that “there’s something behind the door”—a sense that prompts her to digress, to research, for example, a person whose name has come up but who seems unrelated to her focus. “I think, ‘Let’s just see what happens,’ and then I push through that door and find myself in a new, revelatory space. It’s a discovery that happens in the body, and that’s something that technology, alone, will never be able to do.”
Acknowledging that AI can be useful in digging for information, Woo cautions that automated searches through digitized sources will miss differences in words and names, “the textured pieces of history that yield essential clues and make the work feel magical.” Further recognizing that this generation’s use of AI in academia is probably inevitable, she offers her argument for not using it. “People think it’s a shortcut, but they’re depriving themselves of so many lessons,” she says. “In the process of going down one path and then realizing I need to go a different way, having an instinct about something and then turning in another direction, I learn to fail and pick myself up repeatedly. I can be my best self on the page because I get to write and rewrite and rewrite
again. That’s not just a practice for writing; it’s also a practice for living. Ultimately, that’s what writing is for me—a practice for life.”
“I can be my best self on the page because I get to write and rewrite and rewrite again. That’s not just a practice for writing; it’s also a practice for living. Ultimately, that’s what writing is for me—a practiceforlife.”
Written during the pandemic and the ongoing racial reckoning, Master Slave Husband Wife reads like an integral historic thread in the fabric of the time. Events in the world around Woo inevitably had a hand in shaping her telling of the Crafts’ story. “I think it resonates because a lot of the questions they were raising, such important questions, have haunted us from the beginning of our nation’s founding and are not resolved today,” she says. When she learned the book had won the Pulitzer, she was “blindsided,” she says. “I’m still sort of in disbelief, to be honest.” The first person she called was Ellen and William Craft’s greatgreat-granddaughter. “The Craft descendants are incredible people, and it’s been my honor and also my deep pleasure to know them and to call them friends.”
Although the Craft family has long preserved Ellen and William’s story and academics have recognized the value of their narrative, Woo’s book—named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The NewYorker, NPR, Oprah Daily, and Smithsonian Magazine, among others— can undoubtedly reach a much wider audience. “ThePulitzer represents to me a chance to shine more light on this extraordinary couple—and all they fought for, all they represented, all they’ve passed on,” Woosays. “They were constantly challenging eachother and everyone around them and their nation to be better. They are continually inspiring to me.”
Then and Now: ALUMNI WORKING AT BB&N
Among itsgreatest strengths, BB&N boasts dedicated faculty and staff who regularly impact the lives ofstudents throughtheirwork.The school is fortunate tohave many talentedalumni whohavechosentoreturnthegiftofaBB&Neducationasitwashandeddowntothem.Now it’stheirturntocoachstudentsthroughatoughgame,demystifytheworkingsoftheKrebs cycle, or uncover hiddenstrengthsinayounglearner.
This spring,BB&N’s faculty/alumni tookthe time toshare some “thenandnow”experiences, insights,andmemories oflife at BB&N.
1:What was a memorable experience you had at the school as a student?
EthanRossiter’93: Being a part of the Boys Varsity soccer team that won the Class B New England Championship. I will never forget those teammates and big games. Being a part of the a capella group was also a blast.
Kim Whitney ’91: Academically,thebigassignments like sophomore debates, profile, and history paper. A few times I challenged the administration on issues, and whether successful or not, that helped me learn the importance of using your voice and not being afraid to challenge authority.
David Strodel ’78: I actually have many memories of my time at B&N and BB&N. Coming to 7th Grade from public schools, commuting on the T with my brother from Arlington Heights, great classes and teachers, and loving the athletics in the afternoon. Probably the biggest thing I remember is the merger in 1974 and the Blizzard of ’78 (we missed more than a week of school!). The merger was fascinating because having finished8th Grade when it was still B&N at the Upper School Campus (now) those lower grades went away to Sparks Street along with some teachers, and the Upper School became BB&N for only grades 9-12. It was a lot of change, and my grade was the first one to go through all four years of high school as a coed experience. I think we were proud of that, and overall, enjoyed the integration process.
My class also endured some tragedies with the Washburn incidents and the loss of a dear classmate, April Teruel, our junior year. Those experiences, at different levels, affected our grade tremendously and have continued to throughout our years since
graduation. I wish many of my classmates could spend a day on campus now.
Megan Bounit ’96: I remember all of the Lower School traditions the most—the annual Circus, playing the recorder, Soul Cake, the Maypole, going to Camp Marienfeld for 5th Grade’s Project REASON. I also remember a lot of the projects we made and plays we put on, such as Charlotte’s Web in 3rd Grade. I was an acrobat in the Crossing of the Mayflower play in 5th Grade, and I think of it every time I see the ropes in the LS gym. And, of course, I remember all of my teachers—a lot of them actually still worked here the first time I came back to work at BB&N (2007-2016.)
Anthony Moccia ’10: I have so many positive memories.A few that I remember include spending two yearsas a Peer Counselor, and trying Crew my senior year. Both experiences helped prepare me to be successful when I got to college for different reasons.
Maya Stiles-Royall ’04: During my solo campout at Bivouac, there was a torrential downpour all night long. With only a rope and a tarp, I managed to keep myself completely dry. I remember how magical it was to feel so cozy in my sleeping bag while the rain pounded on the tarp just inches from my head. I woke up in the morning feeling shockingly well-rested and incrediblyproud.
Ed Bourget ’96: The most memorable experience of my BB&N years was attending the Avon Old Farms Hockey tournament over winter break. Our team enjoyed a successful third place finish with only 12 players and we traveled 7 hours in a snowstorm to get to the tournament. When we arrived, we made it in time for the opening dinner where all the teams sat together in the mess hall at Avon and then we played
three days of hockey. It was so enjoyable to be with my friends, teammates, and coaches representing our school on a big stage with college and NHL scouts in the stands.
Lauren Hoyt ’08: I remember Bivouac fall of 2004 extremely well. I remember all the girls in my squad and am still friends with some of them 20 years later! I loved building the A-frame and all the time we got to spend team-building and just being together up at that beautiful property. I also remember my Senior Spring Project in the spring of ’08 being a wonderful time—I got to learn how to play guitar and I had (technically) my first teaching gig—helping out in the 6th Grade Spanish classroom at the Lower School. All these years later I teach full time at the Middle School and it’s fun to think of how I've come full circle.
ElliotCless’02: I still remember each BB&N Orchestra and Chamber Music concert that I performed in, and now it brings me joy as a teacher when I have the privilege of bringing one of my favorite pieces from high school into the current repertoire. I also remember almost every Varsity Basketball game, especially our team’s small number of victories and the slightly larger number of games when I scored a lot of three-pointers!
Julia Kobus ’05: The Chorale trip to Italy in my junior year—it was incredible to share music and connect with different communities around Italy through our performances. My Season of Service (it was called something else but that’s what it’s called now) at a
localafterschoolprogramsparkedmyloveofworking with young people and was an inspiration for my career path in education.
Kate Piacenza ’17: A memorable experience that I had as a student at BB&N was playing a hockey game at Fenway Park and going on a soccer pre-season trip to Europe.
2:What is one of the most valuable things you learned or took away from your BB&N student experience?
Ethan: How to work hard...what it really means to study. When I graduated and went to college, I felt prepared for any academic challenges.
Kim: I definitely came away from BB&N with the ability to write essays. That has helped me throughout my whole life since writing a persuasive, clear essay helps with most any kind of writing you do in any job or field.
Brianna Smith ’10: Time management and the ability to ask for help and ask questions. With a robust class schedule, playing three seasons of sports, extracurricular activities, and not living close to school, I learned how to use my free time wisely and prioritizeassignments.
David: I really learned to love the process of learning and how different courses and disciplines required differing approaches. My teachers by and large were
3:What has been a significant change at the school since your time as a student?
Ethan: Many of my friends played three varsity sports. The kids who were decent athletes played a different sport each season. (And you didn't need to be a stand out.) It is very different now with how sports are specialized and the top athletes may only play one sport, maybe two.
Kim: The school is more focused on mental health and appreciating students with different learning styles. I would like to see that continue so BB&N (and independent schools in general) can be more representative of the world we live in, and inclusive not just of students from different backgrounds but of students with differing forms of intelligence or creativity.
Brianna: I think when I was a student there was a lot more school spirit overall within the student body. Everyone was all in support of each other and just bled Blue & Gold.
David: Wow. So many. In fact it is easier to think about what hasn't changed! The buildings have changed and adapted, the curriculum has expanded, the athletics are more specialized. Students continue to grow in their own experiences of leadership. I think that the thing that has not changed (especially for
Juniors and Seniors, but even starting with younger years, is the relationships between faculty and students. High standards remain but the connection around tasks and learning feel like they did when I was a student. I remember as a Senior working with a long-time biology teacher named Ms. Ruth Griffin who helped me dissect a cow's eye and shark. I learned a lot through my time working independently with her.
I think one major change has been the level of growth in diversity. In my class, the Class of 1978, you could count the number of students of color on one hand. While there is always room for ongoing growth, we are a vastly different place due to the commitment of people like Lewis Bryant and the present DEIG Team. The conversations around race and ethnicity that the school was able and willing to have under the longterm commitment of Mr. Bryant and others have made profound change possible, change that needs to, and will, keep on.
Megan: Definitely seeing the school through my lens as BB&N’s Technology Officer for this question—I would have to go with technology! We have come a long way from programming a green turtle to draw shapes on the screen of the Apple IIe computer!
Maya: Throughout my time at the Upper School, I spent countless hours tucked away in the darkroom, which was hidden at the very end of a hall on the ground floor. Part of me loved how out of the way this space was, but it also felt symbolic of the
3: Anthony1Moccia ’10, Upper School Science Teacher and Coach 4: Kim Whitney ’91, Senior Campaign Communications Officer, Vanguard FacultyAdvisor,andUpperSchoolPsychologyteacher(Left)andBriannaSmith’10,AssociateDirectorofAlumni EngagementandCoach
It made me want to pursue a career in a field where I could help students grow and where what we did mattered right along with how we did it together.
Megan: A lot of alums from my era will remember having their teeth pulled out by First Grade teacher Mrs. (Helen) Landess.
Jesse Sarzana ’93: Mr. (Jim) Vershbow was my coach for two seasons in high school, and really stands out as someone who shaped my life. I never had him in the classroom as a math teacher, but he was someone I respected greatly and was an excellent role model. It was partly due to his example that teaching and coaching resonated as potential professions for me following college. And Mr. (Leigh) Hogan was a tremendous advisor—very helpful.
Maya: Mr. (Al) Rossiter. He believed in me at a time when it felt almost impossible to believe in myself. Because he cared about what I had to say, I started to care too. He made me feel seen, understood, and unconditionally supported, and this is now something I aspire to pass along to my own students at BB&N.
Ed: Robert Porter (now deceased), US History teacher, had a lasting impact on me as a student because on my very first day of school, he made me feel comfortable and a valued member of his class amongst a bunch of strangers. He also took the time to invest in me as a writer, even though he was a US History teacher. Mr. Porter always connected with me on a personal level, and pushed me to be a better
student in all areas, even when I didn't want to be a good student. He inspired me to be a lifelong learner, and transformed me into an engaged student.
Lauren: I took chemistry with Mr. (Byron) Bowman my senior year and I'll never forget how patient he was with me. Sciences and math don't come naturally to me and I remember being very stressed about how I was going to achieve a good grade in that class. Mr. Bowman was never too busy to help me or offer make up work, he never made me feel like I couldn't do it. He was also one of the only teachers I remember that told me it was OK if I never got the A+; what mattered most was that I kept trying and never gave up on myself. That was only possible because I knew Mr. Bowman was never going to give up on me. I am a teacher now and it's become an essential part of my teaching practice to impart that same feeling of patience and confidence in my classes.
Eliot: I had tremendous teachers across the board. Of course, Brian Reasoner was one of my early musical mentors who always believed in me, and even attended my Masters recital six years removed from my BB&N graduation. My advisor, Byron Bowman, was so warm, so astute, and such a tranquil presence in what sometimes felt like a turbulent ride through adolescence.
Kate: The faculty member that had a lasting impact onmeasastudentwasMs.(Allison)Kornet.Itookher Public Speaking class my senior year and she helped
me improve my writing and encouraged me to have confidence speaking in front of others. She makes time to connect with each student and make them feel supported, which allows her to challenge them as students and give valuable feedback. Additionally, Ms. Kornet has a unique way of pushing students to develop important life skills in the classroom while also accepting and understanding their passions outsidetheacademicrealm.
5:When was the hardest you laughed during your time as a student?
Ethan: Two friends got into a hotdog eating contest at lunch. (They cut up the dogs in plates of beans.) The contest ended (at maybe hotdog number 21) when one friend got up and vomited in the trash can at lunch. A very angry teacher came over to our table (as we were laughing) and said, "This is a cafeteria not a carnival." (I think this line was said with maybe choice language.... but that was a funny moment!)
Brianna: Seeing the superlative for me that said I am most likely to attend the next 50 Strawberry Nights… and here I am 15 years later planning Strawberry Night.
David: Doc Walters made me laugh A LOT! He had a knack for making physics very fun even though it was tough. One day he rigged up a trash can in the physics lab so that it was hanging from the ceiling and we got one of the Varsity Baseball pitchers, Aaron Prince I believe, to throw a baseball the length of the classroom into the trash can to measure the
deflection and calculate (I think) the velocity. All was set up and then Aaron (again, as I recall) missed the trash can and hit the clock. We were all laughing so hard that we could hardly stand up.
Megan: Definitely hanging out with my friends in Middle School. Those memories last a lifetime! When I went away to boarding school, my parents threw a surprise going away sleepover party with six or so of my closest friends, and I still have the photos. After all these years I’m still in touch with my bestie from grades 2-8, Alayna Barnes-Nessa.
Maya: Honors Physics with OB (Bob O’Brien). My friends and I still laugh about the problem sets that he would write playfully mocking our high-school social dramas. He taught me that you don't have to naturally excel at something in order to have a complete blast learning. I got some of my worst grades ever at BB&N in OB's class, but I never felt more motivated to grow and improve.
Ed: In between periods of a Belmont Hill game. Everyone on that team will remember the funniest moment of the season.
Eliot: My group of friends was glued to the periodicals section of the library. Except, when we became too boisterous, the librarians would warn us, and eventually the kindest, fairy-godmother-esque presence of Ms. (Sandy) Dow would soothingly say, "you are now invited to leave." She never raised her voice and always had a smile on her face, and yes, this happened more than once, so it became a
favorite saying in our friend group. We had so much respect for Ms. Dow, although this was a bit of a catand-mouse game. Looking back, I think she knew that we needed that niche of solace and solidarity within theschool.
Kate: The hardest that I laughed as a student was when teachers did skits imitating students at Senior Dinner
6:What’s something about you that most studentsdon’tknow?
Ethan: That I played a sumo wrestler in a play the spring of my senior year.
Kim: Most students don't know I went to BB&N. A lot also don't know I am a published novelist.
Brianna: I won most school spirit my senior year and was on student council.
David: I got to go to BB&N because my dad helped coach the football team with Mr. (Jack) Etter and BB&N found a good amount of financial aid to help my brother and me go to BB&N. My dad, who was a Head of School at Lexington Christian Academy but loved the people and pursuit of excellence he found at BB&N, was committed to education—this place opened many doors for us. It was a big commitment by our family and by the school to make it all work and I am grateful to still be a part of this community.
Megan: I was a competitive gymnast growing up, so I didn’t participate in sports at BB&N. I went to “sicky study” with a few other students who did homework during sports so we could attend our athletics after school. I went to Groton, where I picked up soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse, so I actually played against BB&N in high school. I ended up playing soccer and lacrosse in college and post-collegiately, and while working at a PreK-12 independent school in Connecticut I was still very involved in athletics, coaching soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse for the school and gymnastics outside of school.
Maya: I used to live on a school-bus that ran on vegetableoil!
Ed: I am a devout Christian and follower of Jesus Christ.
Eliot: Entering the BB&N Orchestra in 9th grade, I felt the challenging symphonic repertoire was a bit over my head, though also tremendously exhilarating and inspiring. My violin playing improved significantly throughout high school. Now, I’m always aware of that step up for most of the 9th graders, and I find opportunities for peer mentorship and lots of positive encouragement—the Orchestra still plays a lot of tough music, yet always fun and rewarding!
Kate: Something about me that students don’t know is that I love to golf and surf in my free time.
7: (Bonus Question) Best cafeteria food during your time as a student?
Ethan: I always loved the chicken nuggets...and I still do!
Kim: Peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. Both are now relics of the past. Also the crusty mac & cheese. We don't have that anymore either.
Brianna: I would have to say chicken patty or grilled cheese, especially on game days—and of course the Tortillasoup!
David: The best cafeteria food ever is what we have now, it’s never been better! Chef Keith before, and now Chef Jim and their staffs were/are amazing. My favorite "memory food" was when we had Table Talk Boston Creme pies regularly on Fridays when I was a student.
Megan: I attended BB&N from Beginners through 8th Grade, so I never went to a cafeteria. We brownbagged it every day. A favorite lunchtime activity was trading snacks with friends (“my Doritos for your fruit rollup?”), something students don’t do anymore due to the prevalence of allergies.
Anthony: Hands down, chicken finger day!
Maya: RIP to the Fro-Yo machine.
Ed: Easy...soft serve ice cream bar.
Eliot: Chicken patty day was always the longest lunch line. I hate to admit how good those were now that I’m a vegetarian!
Julia: Frozen yogurt machine!
Kate: Chicken fingers of course!
Megan Bounit ’96, Technology Officer2: Rory Morton ’81, Upper School Dean of Students and Coach
Jesse Sarzana ’93, Major Gift Officer and former Middle School Math Teacher and Coach
2025TRAVEL GRANTRECIPIENTS TRAVEL DESTINATION
ATLEFT:
| 1 | Courtmache (in the foreground) mid-hike | 2 | A view from the Spanish Pyrenees on a circuit hike called La Porta del Cel
Theendowedscholarshipfund,establishedin1998byMikeandMarthaBucuvalas,isnamed theJohn&ArchontoulaBucuvalasScholarshipFund,inmemoryof Mike’sparents.Mike shared,“Myparentsheldastrongconviction thata good education is fundamental to longtermsuccess.Andtheyalsorecognized that the best educational opportunitiesformedid notliewiththelocalpublicschoolsysteminSomerville.Theyworkedlong,longhoursto covertheexpensesassociatedwithmy B&Neducation. But withoutthe assistanceof B&N’s financialaid,eventheirhardworkwouldnothave been enough. So partneringwithBB&N wasimportanttousinordertocontinuetoexpandopportunitiesfordeservingstudentsatthe school,justasmyparentsandB&Ndidforme.”
TheBB&NFundistheschool’stopgivingpriority,andthesupportofourcommunity—alumni,parents,past parents,grandparents,faculty,staff,andfriends—helpsusclosethegapbetweentuition,endowmentincome, and our operatingcosts.
“No words canadequatelyorfullycapture the light thatwas CassidyMurray. She was a trulybeautiful personwhogracedusallwithherkindness,boundlesspositivity,andhersparklingsmileandspiritin thetimeshewaswithusatBB&N.IspeakformyselfandmyMiddleSchoolcolleaguesinsharinghow significantlyCassidyimpactedsomanyofus—IcontinuetoseeCassidyinthebeautyeverywhereinlife.”
Buildingon theschool'srichhistoryofforward-thinking andprogress,thisendowmentwilldirectlysupportboth currentandfutureinitiativesthatenrichtheworkofour facultyandstudents.Additionally,ifparentsfromtheClass of2025reach 90% participationinthiseffort, the senior studentswillhaveanopportunitytochooseoneofthree locations on campus to name fortheirclass.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING SENIOR PARENTS FOR THEIR SERVICE ON THE CLASS OF 2025 SENIOR PARENTS’ GIFT COMMITTEE: CO-CHAIRS
Friday,October 18wewelcomed back alumnifrom1952-1974for our Golden AlumniLuncheonheldattheUpperSchool CommunityRoom.Thiswasourfirsteventfor ReunionWeekend2024.JedLippard,Chief Learning Officer,Dr.Jennifer Price,Head of School,andTaraGohlmann,ChiefOperating/ FinancialOfficeransweredquestionsfrom alumniaboutthestateoftheschool.Wehad currentseniorsKateRice’25andMiaGrossLoh’25talkabouttheir time at BB&N,clubs, athletics,andclasses.
Thehighlightofthegathering wasundoubtedlythenostalgic touroftheLowerSchool campus,ledbyHeadofSchool Dr.JenPrice.Herengaging storiesandreflectionsbrought backfondmemoriesfor attendees,manyofwhom sharedtheirowncherished experiences.Thetour underscoredthesignificance ofaBB&Neducationfrom beginnertosenior,reminding everyone of the enduring communitythatmakesour schoolsospecial.
Liferandalumnieventsare heldthroughouttheyear,here in Cambridge andacrossthe country.Weoffertheseevents asopportunitiesforalumni toconnectwitheachother andwithBB&N,andhopeyou willjoin usforan upcoming eventinyourarea.Visitbbns. org/alumni/update-yourinformation/toregisterforthe BB&Nalumninewsletter and stayupdatedonalumnievents.
ALETTERFROM ALUMNICOUNCIL CHAIRARIANESCHWARTZ’01
AsChairoftheBB&NAlumniCouncil(AC),I’mthrilledto sharewiththeBB&NcommunitytheroleoftheAC and ourvisionforourworkandengagement.
RoleoftheBB&NAlumniCouncil
TheACcomprisesadiversegroupof28BB&Nalumsacrossgenerationswhovolunteertheirtimetobuild aninclusiveandengagedalumnicommunitybothtodayandfora sustainablefuture. We’reeagertoconnect people —bothvirtuallyandinperson–anddosobyengagingwithalumsandcurrent students through avariety ofinitiativesacrossourcommitteeandtaskforcework;seebelowforsomehighlights:
1.The2025PitchCompetitionTaskForcefinalizedtheplanningprocessfor the 2025 Pitch Competition to ensurewerana successfuleventwithfuturesustainmenttopofmind.TheCompetitionwasheldMarch1, 2025.
2.TheAlumniAwardsCommitteeworksalongsideBB&Ntoselectnomineesandcreateatransparent, accessibleawardsprogramthatisrepresentativeofthealumnicommunityandcelebratesallaspectsofthe schoolmottoof Honor, Scholarship, and Kindness. The ceremonywilltakeplaceMarch31,2025.
We’reeagerto havemore members of the community get involved.Reachoutto BriannaSmith’10,bsmith@bbns.org, AssociateDirectorofAlumniEngagement&Giving,ifyou're interested!
1 2
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PICTURED
x 1 x MalloryCarrol‘11withBB&NalumniTaliaMeracdo‘11,SilvanaNorton‘11,DremeFlynt‘11,NateCronin‘11,MikeVentresca‘11 andPatMay‘11 x 2 x FrontRow:CherylPapasP’08,‘09,‘14,CarolineBrewster‘09, DeliaPapas‘09,JordanWright,RosieJohnson Conneely‘09,JennModicaO’Phelan‘09.BackRow:JohnPapasP’08,‘09,‘14,NickPapas,NicoPapas‘08,MikeDiChiara‘09,Olivia Crowley-Gottlieb‘09,SamRudford‘05,JuliaBeatyMacDonald‘09,JoePapa‘09,EmmaFrangules‘09,DantePapas‘14 x 3 x Front Row: Lisa Berk‘10, JoelleRebiez‘10,MorganDove‘10,CeliaAlvarez‘10,EmilyBlossom‘10,KaraLehman‘10,KatieTang‘12, BackRow:ScottLehman‘12,JoePapa‘09,EmmaFrangules‘10,PeterHeye ‘10, Adam Morollo‘10,LaurenGuarente‘10, DanLehman‘15,GregTang‘10,AndreJoseph‘10,JoeBradlee‘10,ChrisAulet‘10 x 4 x EmilyBono‘12andCraigPerkins
x 4 x AuroraWozniakTaylor,daughter ofNickTaylor‘08andAlixWozniak‘10 1 2 3 4
PICTURED
x 1 x ChristopherCunninghamand JuliannaCunningham‘10with daughterAugusta.
x 2 x NickTaylor‘08,AlixWozniak‘10 withdaughterAurora
x 3 x ZacharyFranklinShawsonof LauraLindelShaw ‘00 andChris Shaw
InMemoriam
JayMoskow’48 January20, 2024
RaymondMoskow’49 October2,2024
John Biggio’50 July21, 2024
CharlesBonnano,Sr.’53 October8,2024
AmedineAllisBella’54 October11,2024
GardnerMurrayStultz’56 October18,2024
CharlottePrattSudduth’57 February10, 2024
ThomasM.Hennessey,Jr.’59 January25, 2025
CharlesDiman’61 October2,2024
MyronTutunjian’70 September15,2024
NicholasMooreWiedman’93 August 2024
FriendsofBB&N
Dr.VincentPatalano
Fatherof DianePatalanoLong’78, Vincent Patalano’8 0, StevenPatalano’81, Sylvia PatalanoStenson’83 Grandfather of Steven Patalano’14 and MarcusPatalano’17 February18,2025
