MOMENT
THE CAMPAIGN FOR BREWSTER
OUR WATERSHED MOMENT
THE CAMPAIGN FOR BREWSTER
The impact of Brewster’s student-centered, team-based education can be fully mapped only with the passing of time. The effect our work has on individual students, our shared academic community, the larger communities we’re a part of, and the world of education itself is exponential.
These widening spheres of influence represent transformation on three levels—education, communities, and lives—each one reinforcing and giving shape to the next. No other boarding school in the country is so intentionally focused on the scaling of its influence. Many in the Brewster family have already joined us in moving toward this visionary legacy, and we thank you—especially as we reflect on the goals already achieved in this campaign. Now we focus on the remaining tasks that will affect generations of students.
Our greatest asset is the time-tested Brewster Model® : an extraordinary culture of teaching and learning for a cognitively diverse student population combined with a potent set of classroom practices. With a growing body of evidence behind us, we know it’s the way education should be.
Brewster has entered a remarkable third century, and we have the mandate—and the will—to make a difference on a larger scale. We have reached an inflection point in our capacity to shape the world as it should be. This is truly a watershed moment.
Our watershed moment.
KRISTY KERIN HEAD OF SCHOOL
OUR WATERSHED MOMENT. HELP US SEIZE IT, TOGETHER. BE A PART OF MAPPING THE FUTURE.
RESPECT
RESPONSIBILITY
INTERDEPENDENCE
INDEPENDENCE
TRANSFORM
The graphic you will see throughout this book shows the bathymetry, or underwater topography, of Lake Winnipesaukee. It is an homage to Brewster Academy’s lakeside location and the vital relationship Brewster shares with its natural surroundings.
VISION
AN APPROACH TO LEARNING THAT HAS THE EXPONENTIAL POWER TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES, AND THE LIVES OF STUDENTS IN OUR CARE.
EDUCATION COMMUNITIES LIVES
PRIORITIES+ PROGRESS
STRENGTHEN THE FUND FOR BREWSTER
When Our Watershed Moment: The Campaign for Brewster began, we shared the ambitious goal of raising at least $1 million each year for The Fund for Brewster. Why? Because strengthening this Fund is essential for supporting our faculty and staff, upgrading existing facilities, and making strategic investments in our academic programs. The positive effects of this campaign goal are already in motion.
REIMAGINE ROGERS
This incredible capital goal has been achieved. Brewster now has a vibrant student center and state-of-the-art creativity hub, with flexible, expanded space designed for socializing, performing, and hands-on learning. It is an award-winning architectural achievement made possible by leaders who believed in the power of Brewster’s vision. And it goes down in school history as the largest capital project ever undertaken by Brewster Academy.
ACTIVATE OUR CAMPUS PLAN
Brewster’s campus plan puts the student experience at its core. We are creating a distinct new dormitory environment for our lower school, reworking campus wayfinding to transform the flow and connections across our residential campus, prioritizing the pedestrian experience, and making key investments in academic and athletic facilities.
ENDOW BREWSTER’S FUTURE
Access to a Brewster education is a barrier we can knock down for students—across the country, across the globe, and right here in our beloved Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There is no better way to ensure our students—who possess a valuable range of backgrounds, perspectives, and unique talents—are able to share their experiences on campus for the betterment of all.
“I didn’t realize how much Brewster would change my life until I arrived here and experienced all that this school has to offer. I couldn’t find this anywhere else.”
— CHRISTA, A STUDENT FROM COSTA RICA, VARSITY ATHLETE, AND AVID CLIMBER
TRANSFORM
EDUCATION
Brewster has been getting it right for a long time. The world of education has noticed.
TRANSFORM EDUCATION
STRENGTHENING THE FUND FOR BREWSTER
At the heart of Brewster’s growth and success is a force that reflects a powerful, collective investment: The Fund for Brewster. Annual gifts from alumni, parents, and friends reflect our belief in Brewster’s mission, leadership, and inspiring vision. Each gift, regardless of its size, helps fuel our students, campus, and programs.
With so much happening across Brewster’s dynamic campus, flexibility is paramount. Thanks to generous donations to The Fund for Brewster, school leadership is able to make immediate investments in our community, responding swiftly to emerging needs and opportunities.
One of the most important investments we make each year is faculty development. Faculty are the heart of every great school, and their ongoing growth is vital to our mission. Annual contributions to The Fund for Brewster allow our faculty to pursue advanced training and improve their teaching practices. Your support allows our faculty to regularly invest in and improve the classroom experience, ensuring that our curriculum remains relevant and vibrant.
The Fund for Brewster also provides hope and opportunity for many families by opening doors for students who might otherwise be unable to afford Brewster’s transformative education. This commitment to inclusivity enriches our community, bringing a wealth of perspectives and experiences that enhance the educational experience for everyone.
Finally, our beautiful, historic campus is more than just a backdrop to our school’s activities: It is a living part of our learning experience and a source of inspiration. Maintaining and improving our facilities and grounds requires ongoing care and investment. The Fund for Brewster plays a crucial role in preserving the character and functionality of campus, ensuring that it remains a place where tradition meets innovation.
The Fund for Brewster is a testament to our collective faith in the school’s future. Every contribution, no matter the amount, is a vote of confidence in its direction and leadership. It fuels immediate action, supports continuous learning, fosters diversity, and preserves and improves our historic campus. Thank you for your support!
EDUCATION
Founded in 1820,
the Academy was renamed to honor benefactor John Brewster in 1887.
THE ROGERS HAS BEEN REIMAGINED
TRANSFORM EDUCATION
REIMAGINE ROGERS
Phase III of the Reimagine Rogers project is now complete, and Brewster has a legacy building to be enjoyed for generations.
An expansive terrace was the third and final space to open on the Reimagine Rogers project, and students immediately dubbed it their favorite study spot.
The Palmer Cafe has brought a new level of community to Brewster, with an ever-expanding menu of creative treats and beverages students come to enjoy with friends.
REIMAGINE ROGERS
“Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of students, faculty, and staff enjoying the completed Reimagined Rogers makes all the planning, hurdles, and waiting worthwhile.”
—KRISTY KERIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL
The Our Watershed Moment campaign has several important goals to achieve. With robust support and foresight, Reimagining the Rogers Building was one of the first to be crossed off the list. An extension of the original footprint, the third and final phase is now complete, and includes the Tyler Balint ’21 Robotics Lab and a state-ofthe-art ceramics studio. Above this space is an expansive rooftop terrace featuring the Peter Mann Gathering Area. This all joins Phases I and II, which hold The Grayson Student Center, flexible meeting and classroom space, a professional-level dark room, gallery space, The Palmer Cafe and teaching kitchen, The Faith Theater, The Aka Music Practice Room (and additional music practice rooms on the lower level), and The Coviello Dance Studio.
Now that Brewster’s modern hub for the arts and innovation is in full use, we checked in with one of its biggest fans and users, Liam Fahey ’24, about how the changes to the structure have changed the way students experience arts education at Brewster.
Liam is a multi genre artist, but his heart is in performance. “The Faith
Black Box Theater? That’s my thing!” he said, smiling during our interview in a bustling Grayson Student Center near the Palmer Cafe. “I love it because as opposed to a regular proscenium, with stationary chairs, you can be a lot more experimental in the Faith Theater—there are a lot more lighting options, too. We’ve done unique things that we would not be able to do in our older facilities. Same for the dance, digital design, ceramics classes—the new Rogers has really expanded the arts department, and that is really nice to see.”
A Global and Arts Scholar at Brewster, Liam earned several awards at the close of his senior year in spring 2024, including the Fine and Performing Arts Award and having his work “Green” placed in the Brewster Arts Gallery of Excellence. Liam noted that with so many new physical resources now available at Brewster, more opportunities are available to students in the arts, and that leads to a culture of openness when it comes to trying something new. “If you want to do something just say it and someone will help you get it done,” he said. Planning to study theater at Boston University, he wanted to direct a piece to bolster his college resume—his teacher said pick a piece! He met the same positive response when he wanted to try movement direction, lighting, and
Liam Fahey ’24
REIMAGINE ROGERS
“Thank you to all those who made this possible. From one Brewster art alumna to the multitudes who will have access to these new spaces, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
—ALICIA CHILDERS ’01, TEAM LEADER AND ARTS FACULTY
set design. “The Arts department is so supportive and supported here,” he added.
Faculty members agree. “The students are so lucky to have a school that puts the arts on the front burner and supports our creative minds! Brewster can truly serve all modes of intelligence,” teacher Alicia Childers said. “As much as we have loved creating in our little ‘art cottage,’ now repurposed into the Advancement offices, we are beyond thrilled with the new one-of-a-kind ceramics studio in our renovated Rogers building!”
As for the future of the arts at Brewster in its
three-level creativity center? “We have such a small, tight-knit group—I hope the arts expand but I hope we don’t lose that,” Liam said. “Students are so involved throughout the process of our theater performances. I like how hands-on the students are allowed to be at Brewster.” In 10 years, he said, it would be amazing to see a museum added to the space.
“I’m going to miss how centralized the arts have been made on campus through the Rogers building,” Liam added, “with people from all sides of campus coming here to one location.”
THE REIMAGINED ROGERS: MORE THAN A BUILDING
VISIONARY GREEN PLANNING
The entire Reimagine Rogers project included sustainable maintenance and construction strategies.
An Air-source Heat Pump as a primary heating and cooling source knocks fuel usage by 70%. A highperformance building envelope exceeds IECC 2015 standards (the old Rogers did not have exterior insulation). And with green choices for interior systems and materials, emissions have gone down 63%!
COMMUNITY HUB
In addition to classes, rehearsals, and club meetings, the renovated building has hosted local nonprofit organizations, weddings, the postCommencement luncheon, and Alumni Reunion events! Truly, it’s a community space to be shared and enjoyed. And to be proud of.
AWARD-WINNING DESIGN
The Reimagined Rogers building’s impressive design has turned heads in the world of architecture. DSK | Dewing Schmid Kearns Architects and Planners received a prestigious Boston Society for Architecture Award for their work with Brewster on this project! And their expertise will continue to guide future campus enhancements.
The Reimagined Rogers project showcases what generosity, vision, and thoughtful planning can achieve.
In this vision of the last phase of the Campus Plan, parking is moved to make way for green space and new buildings, including a thoughtful addition to historic Estabrook.
TRANSFORM EDUCATION
ACTIVATING THE CAMPUS PLAN
For more than 200 years, Brewster’s campus has grown and evolved, nurtured by investments, generous donations, and sheer hard work from generations of leaders and stewards. Now, as we look to refresh our campus master plan, our goal is to bring a renewed sense of connection and coherence to Brewster’s storied facilities and grounds. Our campus isn’t just a dot on a map: It’s a vital part of our learning experience, shaping how students live, learn, and grow together.
Brewster’s campus is a collection of unique spaces, developed in parts and pieces over generations, each with its own story. We’re excited to invest further in these spaces, developing thoughtful connections to bring them together into a more harmonious whole. We’re committed to honoring and maintaining the history of this campus. We’ll emphasize a pedestrian experience while making the most of the stunning views and natural beauty around us to be a source of inspiration.
With expert support from DSK Architects + Planners, Brewster has designed a central academic quad that will serve as the heart of campus, linking Estabrook Dining Hall, the Academic Building, and the new Grayson Student Center in Rogers. This central space will be a hub of activity and a focal point for future campus developments, setting a new standard upon which to build.
The plan includes creating clear and distinct areas for different parts of our school. The academic center will be the intellectual core, while our residential areas will be tailored to the needs of our lower and upper school students. On the south campus, we’ll create a welcoming environment for our younger students, and on the north campus, we’ll enhance the experience for the older students. Thoughtful interventions and updates will improve the ways that everyone moves around campus and feels connected.
We’re also focused on being good environmental stewards. We’ll be reducing pavement, expanding green spaces, and making sure campus circulation is smooth and efficient. By reducing the number of entry points from Main Street, we plan to streamline access to campus, making it easier for everyone to find their way.
In the end, our master plan will improve the living and learning experience for current students and faculty, and will welcome visitors to Brewster in a way that showcases our incredible location and cohesive community. We’re excited to bring this vision to life and continue building on our rich history for many more years to come.
“I am so thankful to be here. Brewster changed the path of my life! I know I’ve learned skills here that will be with me forever.”
—
LUCE (LEFT), STUDENT FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE, RECIPIENT OF THE FAUL SCHOLARSHIP, ATHLETE, CLASS LEADER, AND FRIEND TO LAUREN (RIGHT)
TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES
Rare among private schools, Brewster has recognized the opportunity to partner with our hometown. Our students learn to be engaged citizens in their watershed—and around the world.
Funded Project Breathes New Life into Robotics
IGNITING CREATIVITY
THE NEW ROBOTICS LAB PROVES THAT HOW WE DELIVER EDUCATION IS A VITAL PART OF LEARNING AT BREWSTER— ESPECIALLY FOR HANDS-ON THINKERS.
The mission of Brewster is well known: We prepare diverse thinkers for lives of purpose. The first step to fulfilling that mission is recognizing that “diverse thinkers” means not all great minds think alike. That is why we embrace a bold thought at Brewster: We build environments where students with different learning styles can thrive. For some, a hands-on approach to learning is the on switch that triggers the excitement of discovery and collaboration. Such was the case for Brewster’s Chief Technology and Operations Officer, Peter Gilligan, when he was in sixth grade.
An indifferent student, Peter noticed a couple of old Apple IIe computers stuck in a corner of his social studies classroom, gathering dust. “What are those?” he asked his teacher, Mr. Goff. When he learned they were broken and headed for the dump, he asked, “Can I try and fix them?” It was a life-changing moment for the young student. For three weeks, Mr. Goff ate his lunch in his classroom while Peter, energized and engaged, took apart and worked on the computers—and restored one of them to working order. “How did you know about computers?” Mr. Goff asked. Peter said he just tried and figured it out.
Once again feeling lost and disenfranchised in his
conventional classes in high school, Peter came alive again as part of a 20-student team tasked with building a 19th-century whaling boat using modern-day tools and technology. During the four-year project, Peter built a network and a file server from scratch and helped troubleshoot and solve scores of technical problems. “I didn’t know it at the time,” he says, “but those were my first experiences with project-based learning. They made all the difference.”
At Brewster, he sees how the new spaces made possible by supporters of the Our Watershed Moment campaign are triggering the same love of learning in students today. With the spacious and well-equipped Tyler Balint ’21 Robotics Lab on the lower level of the Reimagined Rogers building, students in Brewster’s robotics program showcase hands-on learning and collaboration at its finest.
Fabricating intricate mechanisms, coding, strategic planning, honing technical prowess, while always keeping an eye on innovation, the Robotics team (Team Torque) has become a bright competitor on the robotics circuit. Gilligan lights up when talking about how much more experiential learning is available at Brewster now that the Reimagined Rogers is online: “3-D printing, water-jet cutting,
THE TYLER BALINT ’21 ROBOTICS LAB
On June 1, 2024, the new robotics lab was formally dedicated and named for Tyler Balint ’21 of Alton, New Hampshire. A young man whose inquisitive mind and quiet presence earned him the respect and admiration of many friends and faculty during his years at Brewster, Tyler was a thoughtful listener who would often check in on classmates going through difficult
times. He blossomed at Brewster while pursuing his twin passions: arts and technology. As an influential founding member of Brewster’s Robotics Team at a pivotal time for the sport at the Academy, he left a legacy that will now grow in this state-ofthe-art space named in his memory. Tyler had just started his college career at Rochester
Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, as a biomedical engineering major at the time of his passing, and his loss has been felt deeply across the Brewster community. Brewster Academy is proud that its robotics lab will always bear the name of Tyler Balint, who embodied the spirit of Brewster with his individuality, academic curiosity, and kindness. CONTINUED >>
Tyler Balint ’21
the ability to fabricate parts with precision, and a lot more,” he says. “There will be kids here who will be fired up about learning for the first time in their lives.”
Advisors Wes Matchett and Tom Hill have seen their students dig into their new lab with excitement. “The space has been designed to be open concept with the modular desks. This allows the daytime class and afternoon robotics to use the same space in different configurations. It also allows us to move the desks out of the way. We need the space to run the robots in our arena,” Tom explained, adding that the addition of an advanced Promethean board has been a game changer. (It is a touchscreen, digital whiteboard that allows students to create designs and save images—and return to them later or send plans via email to team members that have been assigned that task.)
“My favorite thing about Robotics is seeing how everybody has different ideas on how to solve the same problem,” Team Torque member Fatma of Oman said. “I feel like my opinions do matter here, so that has really built my confidence.”
Take
a video tour of the new robotics lab!
A PASSION FOR SERVICE
A PLEDGE TO SUPPORT BREWSTER ALSO LIFTS ITS REPUTATION AS A COMMUNITY HELPER.
Community service opens minds and hearts— enriching people on both sides of the exchange. Even with heavy and challenging courseloads, followed by afternoon commitments and athletics, Bobcats are giving time to service projects both on campus and in Wolfeboro in a wide variety of fun and meaningful ways. It’s given the Academy a reputation for volunteerism, but more importantly, it has grown the bonds of friendship and shown our students what it means to be part of something larger than themselves.
When the Rotary Club of Wolfeboro needed help with its annual Christmas tree fundraiser a few years ago, someone said, “Call Brewster.”
Serendipitously, T.J. Palmer, then the coach of the rec ski team, was looking for ways his group might get more involved in local service projects. Forty of his skiers went out right away to help, and made short work of unloading and tagging hundreds of trees—and bonded over the experience of having helped out in a time of need.
More recently, when the Winnipesaukee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution needed help creating its “Field of Flags” for Veterans Day Weekend, they called on Brewster. Immediately, students showed up to help plant the flags along the lines that Brewster’s Facilities team volunteered to mark out so the event had the look and feel of military precision to honor
those who served and are serving. The Field of Flags has now become an annual and beloved Wolfeboro tradition, visited by vets and their families throughout the special weekend. Will, a sophomore from Connecticut, said he met a few veterans while helping plant the flags, and thanked them for their service. “This felt so good, because each flag I planted was in honor of someone who served,” he recalled.
After a recent late spring snowstorm, the Girls’ Tennis Teams jumped into action to clear the courts at Zarkin Tennis Complex ahead of a match, knowing that the maintenance crews had their hands full making campus walkways and parking lots safe. The Boys’ Advanced Strength Training group did the same when staff needed a hand clearing heavy snow off the outdoor ice rink.
But these spontaneous bursts of good will and good deeds aren’t the only way Brewster’s students serve their peers and the larger Wolfeboro community. There are dozens of clubs that have formed around the service interests of students, each addressing different needs and passions. A “Brewster Big Friends” group provides child care and creates activities for children of faculty and local families—and learns lessons of leadership, collaboration, and responsibility in the process.
A “Best Buddies” group pairs Brewster students with intellectually and developmentally disabled
National Honor Society members hatched a “Cyber Seniors” program that helps residents of a nearby retirement home learn how to use iPhones and other technology.
Brewster students volunteer in large numbers to train and work with the Special Olympics.
A PASSION FOR SERVICE
Bobcats are giving their free time to service projects both on campus and in Wolfeboro, and it has helped the Academy build a reputation for volunteerism. But more importantly, it has grown the bonds of friendship and shown our students what it means to be part of something larger than themselves.
athletes from area schools, organizing unified games, co-hosting a “Miss Amazing” pageant in partnership with the University of New Hampshire’s Autism Speaks organization, and volunteering at a nearby adaptive skiing program. National Honor Society members hatched a “Cyber Seniors” program that helps residents of a nearby retirement home learn how to use iPhones, set up Facebook accounts, and stay in digital touch with their grandchildren. (On a recent stop at the local pharmacy, a staff member wearing her Brewster name tag was stopped by a Cyber Seniors participant who was effusive with her praise for “those Brewster young people who visit and help us with our iPhones! I just love them!”)
Students have also devoted time to End 68 Hours of Hunger, a state-wide non profit that targets childhood food insecurity. Many have done great work as part of The Random Acts of Kindness Club, or “RAK.” Still others enjoy helping their peers in the Math and Writing tutoring centers. The Environmental Club has hosted successful clothing swaps and influenced the decision to have Meatless Mondays at lunch time in the dining hall. The list goes on and on.
Community service is also woven into Brewster’s athletics traditions. Student-athletes go all out for Play 4 Pink, a fundraiser (and awareness raiser) for breast cancer research. The Nate Billings Classic, named for Nate Billings ’09 who battled and beat cancer while playing lacrosse at Brewster, brings a lot of spirit to the teams who remember and admire his courage. Several teams offer free clinics in their sports to younger players in the local area. Teddy Bears Tosses, bake sales, and other grassroots fundraisers bring heartfelt dollars to the causes that mean the most to individual students, who rally their classmates to participate.
Maria Found, who helmed the community service program at Brewster for many years, passionately believes that the experience of helping others makes people more empathetic and more caring human beings. “It changes who you are,” she said.
Director of Community Service Allie Cooper agrees, and notes that by creating opportunities for students to volunteer, Brewster is helping them build the compassionate traits that will serve them—and the world—well as they take their place in it.
“My perspective on the world is so much bigger now. Not just because of my teachers, but because of the friends I’ve made at Brewster.”
— ELI, A STUDENT FROM CALIFORNIA, AT A TABLE OF FRIENDS AT THE POPULAR PALMER CAFE
TRANSFORM
LIVES
As we fine-tune The Brewster Model® to meet evolving student needs, we broaden the boundaries of learning to transform lives.
A VISION THAT BEARS REPEATING.
THE CURVEY SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Jim Curvey with the mascots of the two schools he’s transformed through scholarships.
ENDOW BREWSTER’S FUTURE
The Curvey Scholar Program is a remarkable model Brewster seeks to replicate in this campaign by building additional scholarships for talented students from our watershed who will go on to be agents of change in New Hampshire and the world.
Jim Curvey was a Pennsylvania boy from coal country who never forgot his roots. His father began working in the coal mines while he was in grade school; his mother, widowed when Jim was just 12 years old, was a bookkeeper for a newspaper and a coal company. Young Jim’s work ethic was cemented at an early age, and helped him take his place at Villanova University, where he realized just how unprepared he was compared to the students around him—and that education would be the path to change his life. With his degree and determination, he launched a long career in the public and private sectors, eventually rising to the position of president and chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments.
Jim created a scholarship in his family name at Villanova. In 2009, wanting to do something similar for students living in the Lakes Region near his family’s summer residence in Alton, he created a scholarship at Brewster Academy. Since 2009, up to three area students each year have received four-year scholarships to Brewster, based on their families’ financial need. In 2017, they expanded the program to offer Curvey Fellowships that allow students to gain valuable life experiences through travel within the United States or Canada. A third expansion supports one Brewster student with a four-year scholarship to attend Villanova University. The most recent
expansion adds an endowed position to Brewster’s staff—a benchmark step in Brewster’s history that thoughtfully ensures the program has a caretaker well into the future.
The ripples in the pond from the Curveys’ first vision to help students in life-changing ways have grown and intersected, making one thing clear: “We’ve become a model for others to do the same kind of work…it has legs,” Mr. Curvey himself said in a recent interview for Brewster magazine. Speaking about his vision to create educational opportunities, he shared, “Giving money away intelligently is hard. I wanted to be personally involved in both programs.” It’s that personal touch—through meetings with students and check-ins about their incredible global experiences—that creates a bond with the Curvey Scholars and spurs them to emulate their benefactor as thoughtful leaders in the community. Leaders who also share the responsibility of reaching back to help the next group of students succeed.
Imagine the ripple effect of more initiatives like the Curvey Scholar Program. The joy of hearing from more than a decade’s worth of students who have now been transformed by the Program could only be topped by seeing other forward thinkers step up and create their own scholarly legacy.
In the words of one of the first Curvey Scholars, Ashley Rogers ’13, “Being a Curvey Scholar provided me with the opportunity to become the best version of myself as a high school student, and it opened my eyes to the possibility of what I could be and how essential it is to give back.”
THE GIFT OF EDUCATION
ROY AND SANDY BALLENTINE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF A BREWSTER EDUCATION, AND HAVE SET A POWERFUL EXAMPLE FOR LIKE-MINDED DONORS TO FOLLOW.
Roy Ballentine, photographed in front of the school timeline in the Academic Building, joined Brewster’s Board of Trustees in 2006, and was named Chair of the Board in 2015.
The science labs in
are always abuzz with group discussions and experiments.
the Academic Building
THE GIFT OF EDUCATION
I believe that vision is powerful and appropriate for Brewster at this time. Brewster has evolved to the point where it now has the capacity, I believe, to change the way education is thought about and delivered more broadly.
—ROY BALLENTINE
Roy and Sandy Ballentine have been affiliated closely with Brewster since 1990, when their daughter, Susan ’94, started at the Academy. She was followed shortly thereafter by their son, Brian ’97. In 2006, Roy joined the Board of Trustees, and was named Chair in 2015.
The couple knows first hand the smooth runway a Brewster education creates for its graduates, and hope others will see it as well.
“Brewster’s vision is to transform the way education is delivered and thereby transform communities and the lives of students,” he said as the Our Watershed Moment campaign launched. “I believe that vision is powerful and appropriate for Brewster at this time. Brewster has evolved to the point where it now has the capacity, I believe, to change the way education is thought about and delivered more broadly.”
To ensure that Brewster remains accessible to high-potential students, regardless of their ability to pay, Roy and Sandy established the Ballentine Family Scholarship in 2016, a scholarship that is spent in full each year to open doors for current students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend. The couple has shared often how gratifying this personal commitment has been. Their first year as benefactors stands out: “Sandy and I had the wonderful experience of
providing four years of financial support to a young woman who is truly extraordinary and would never have had the opportunity to be educated here without our support. When she arrived on campus, we had the opportunity to get to know her and we met regularly with her throughout her stellar Brewster career. We are very proud to have been able to support her and see her move into her life as an adult.”
Inspired by their experience with this student, Roy and Sandy expanded their scholarship to support three students each year. In addition, they’ve committed to an enduring gift through their estate plans to ensure that their scholarship support continues in perpetuity in order to open doors and change the trajectory of students for generations to come.
Those who support financial aid at Brewster find that meeting the students who benefit from their generosity is a highlight of their year. Luncheons and other special events created to connect donors and students are always filled with gratitude and joy, a potent combination for Brewster’s future.
For those considering a visionary gift to support financial aid at Brewster, Roy has one simple message: “Do it. You will never regret it and you make more of a difference than you’ll ever know.”
CARING FOR OUR HISTORY
Bobcat Nation has seen its core facilities, as well as its residence halls and faculty housing units, take giant leaps forward. In the past two decades and even as recently as 2024, important buildings were imagined from scratch (The Smith Center athletic complex), reimagined (The Grayson Student Center at Rogers), or beautifully renovated (our lovely and historic academic building, the “Ac”). The success of these projects shows in how Brewster students are using these spaces, learning in a community where how we deliver on the promise of a Brewster education is as important as the curriculum it entails.
Our campus master plan highlights more exciting additions and improvements to Brewster’s lakeside campus—plans that have ripened with critical assessment and thoughtful expert input. Now, we are ready to begin.
Brewster’s capital investments are critical to the school’s success as the Academy competes into the 21st century for students, faculty, and friends. School leadership and our donors recognize these facilities’ importance and the importance of ensuring their completion in a timely fashion and with high quality.
The results of donors’ generosity have already captured the eyes of prospective families. “The
first year we were able to hold Registration in the newly opened Grayson Student Center,” shared Editorial Director Suzanne Morrissey, “I overheard an awestruck 9th grade boy say to his father, ‘This is even better than the pictures online! That never happens!’ It was so charming.”
Brewster’s new and historic buildings present a challenge, however: All of them are new only once. Maintenance and upkeep requirements and costs begin within a year of a building’s completion and continue into future decades. Historic buildings need constant and specialized upkeep and care, as does the waterfront that makes this campus unique among its peers.
To maintain the new and historic buildings and the unique waterfront campus, we plan to establish an endowed fund for building and ground maintenance. This fund will ensure ongoing support for the upkeep, repair, and enhancement of the school’s facilities and grounds in perpetuity.
“At Brewster, modern technologies and opportunities dovetail with impressive historic buildings. It brings a sense of gravitas to the student experience, and frankly, makes Brewster an alluring place to live, work, and learn for all of us,” says Kim Yau, Director of Institutional Strategy and Grants.
OUR WATERSHED MOMENT
THE CAMPAIGN FOR BREWSTER
Brewster’s vision is bold: An approach to learning that has the exponential power to transform education, communities, and the lives of students in our care. Through the Campaign for Brewster and the shared belief of alumni, parents, and friends, we are realizing that vision.
Our world-class campus will be optimally suited to serve the needs of our program and individual learners. We will enjoy a growing reputation as an educational leader in the world of independent boarding schools. Students from all socioeconomic backgrounds will have increased access to Brewster regardless of their ability to pay. By significantly raising our endowment, we will fuel a virtuous cycle in which surplus funds are strategically reinvested into our campus, people, and programs.
Our graduates—to a degree even more remarkable than at present—will grow into confident, compassionate adults capable of changing the underlying conditions of others and the world for the better. The impact of our investment will be exponential. We have the compass points, the will, and the mandate.
In support of Brewster’s mission and vision, this historic campaign dramatically scales our influence. The impact of this campaign will be felt in ever-widening circles spreading from the work we do in our classrooms and on our campus to Wolfeboro and New Hampshire and the world beyond. And it will reverberate, returning dividends to Brewster that will strengthen and sustain our institutional health for decades to come.
Thank you for being at the core of this incredible moment.
