BREWSTER THE MAGAZINE OF
BREWSTER
ACADEMY SPRING 2017
THE MAGAZINE OF
BREWSTER
ACADEMY SPRING 2017 H EA D O F S CHO O L Craig N. Gemmell, Ph.D. D IR ECTO R O F A D MIS SI O N A ND EX TER NA L A FFA I R S Lynne M. Palmer ED ITOR , D IR EC TO R O F COMMUNI CAT I O NS Marcia Eldredge
FOLLOW US O N S O C I A L M ED I A
CONTR IB U TO R S Liz Baker McClain, Alicia Childers ’01, Susan Crowley, Jen Dumont, Craig Gemmell, Beth Hayes ’81, Michael Heinbach ’92, Matt Hoopes, Nancy Hughes, Kristy Kerin, Danielle Krause, John Ling, Shirley Richardson, Marcia Trook PH OTOG R A PHY Steve Allen, Brewster Academy Archives, Steve Burgess, Tawna Callahan, Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures, Marcia Eldredge, Maria Found, Michelle RafalowskiHouseman, Phil Stiles, University of Washington Athletics, White House Photo Office D ES IGN Lilly Pereira www.aldeia.design Brewster, The Magazine of Brewster Academy, is published twice a year and mailed to alumni, parents, and friends of Brewster Academy. Brewster Academy 80 Academy Drive Wolfeboro, NH 03894
brewsteracademy.org © 2017 Brewster Academy. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
ON TH E COV E R : Chloe Simon ’17 and Herbie Hazelton ’17 in Wolfeboro Bay.
BOA R D O F T RU ST E E S 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 7 Roy C. Ballentine (Susan ’94, Brian ’97) Chair
Karen Boykin-Towns (Jasmine ’13, Trinity ’19)
Arthur W. Coviello Jr. Vice Chair
C. Richard Carlson Estate Trustee
Robert J. Mueller (GP, Grant ’17) Treasurer Ronn Bronzetti ’92 Secretary Richard W. Blackburn (GP, Kate ’19) Estate Trustee
Beverly Bruce
David L. Carlson ’54 (GP, Chris ’15)
Gabrielle “Bri” J. Gatta ’05 President, Alumni Association
Dr. Craig N. Gemmell (Teddy ’20) Ex Officio
Michael Keys (Matthew ’04)
TRUSTEE EMERITI
Carlos Noble ’70
P. Fred Gridley ’53 (Deborah ’81) Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz Candace A. Crawshaw ’64 (Brice ’18) Daniel T. Mudge James C. Curvey (Tapley-Ann ’98, The Reverend Nancy George J. Dohrmann III Ashley ’02) Spencer Smith (George ’05, Geoffrey ’12) Estate Trustee Karen W. Fix Steven R. Webster (Will ’11, Keenan ’13) (Brooke ’08, Tori ’11)
02 HEAD LINES 03 CAMPUS NEWS 30 A LOOK BACK 32 ALUMNI NEWS 40 CLASS NOTES 48 REMEMBER WHEN?
FEATURES
16 Making Connections
The energy and community within boarding schools has long held a special place for Nancy Hughes, the wife of Head of School Craig Gemmell.
20 Health Care Labyrinth
Through her practice, The Medlaw Group, Kate (Considine) Wallace ’03 is helping others navigate the health care maze.
24 Citizen Science
Brewster’s freshwater ecology students are stewards of the local watershed.
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
02 CR A IG G E MMELL HE A D O F SCHO O L craig_gemmell@brewsteracademy.org
Head Lines A LIFE OF MEANING
I sit in senior administrative meetings and scan the crowd to find a host of people who are paying close attention to all of the facets that make this school effective in serving our students. Our admissions staff employs a host of metrics to evaluate admissibility of candidates; our academic teams map out carefully the academic programs of each student and adjust with great regularity; heating demands and anticipated weather are measured carefully as we lock in fuel prices prior to winter; even our food ordering is managed with great precision based on changing appetites. We are a disciplined organization and measure everything – down to the smallest detail. All of this work has conspired to make Brewster Academy a remarkably effective school. As I’ve stepped back from this discipline and thought about the broad work of this school and others like it, I am reminded of Einstein’s pithy rejoinder: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” And in reflecting on his notion against a backdrop of this impressive, effective, disciplined institution, I’ve been asking myself what ineffable, difficult-or-impossible to measure qualities we will continue to focus on with more urgency given the broader realities of the world. I’ve landed on three “C’s”– culture, community, and character – all of which are, and will continue to be, important defining qualities of this school even if we can’t rely on simple metrics to evaluate progress. Culture (noun): the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a social group Community (noun): a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society Character (noun): qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity Three C’s – all hard to measure, equally hard to shape. And all are, perhaps, antiquated ideas in the era of tweets and Snapchat. Yet I find myself intrigued by them, convinced of their veracity and value both because of the very world in which we find ourselves, and because this world will only become more complex as our graduates grow into adults – for I believe that these three C’s can conspire to make a life meaningful to the self and others – the core work of schools.
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As I’ve thought about these three words, I’ve discerned an implied hierarchy. Our first work is always to shape and strengthen our culture – by clearly defining our cultural beliefs. In other words, how do we expect our students to interact with each other and with those charged with their care? And how can we continue to convey these cultural beliefs crisply, consistently, while more effectively reinforcing these beliefs in what we choose to do and not do as an institution? In reinforcing our cultural values – and shouting them from the highest peaks – we will continue to select for and instill in our students common characteristics that derive directly from the very culture we are endeavoring to create. In so doing, an ever more unitary, coherent community will surely emerge, one that will, I believe, come to be emblematic of all we wish to engender in our students as they head off into an uncertain future. I full well trust that in defining and building from a position of strength a yet more coherent, values-driven culture within the context of a well-developed community, we will unwittingly be instilling in our students a robust, durable set of character traits that will both serve them well here and beyond. Ultimately, in attending ever more vigorously to these three C’s, we will shape the sound character of this fine school, an act that will surely both resonate with the intentions of this school’s founders – including the remarkable John Brewster, who made clear through his last will and testament how extraordinarily important he believed Brewster and other such educational institutions are in positively shaping our communities and future. We are just digging in to the complex, multivariate, and challenging work of affirming and giving concise language to these decidedly aspirational yet immensely critical ideas as a faculty, and the work to date has been remarkably heartening because these notions speak to all of us as teachers and citizens alike. And know that as we do so, we look forward to extending the dialogue about these three C’s to include all Brewster constituencies – graduates, parents, friends, and members of our broader Wolfeboro community. Please call or write or come for a visit to discuss. We surely welcome partners in our quest, for many hands make light work. / BA /
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CAMPUS NEWS
IN THIS SECTION: 04 NEWS 08 ARTS 12 FIELD & GOALS
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04
An Afternoon Brain Boost BY NANCY HUGHES
Senior David Winick (Milton, Massachusetts) and a young mentee work on the applications of their crane.
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If you pass by Tom Owen’s biology lab any afternoon Monday through Thursday between 4-5:15 p.m., the lights will be on – literally and figuratively – for Brain Boost. Brain Boost is the brain-child of our neighbor Helen Rautenberg, longtime staff member and parent educator at The Children’s Center. Eager to offer elementary and middle school children an after-school program that provides students the opportunity to explore the realms of math, science, and engineering in a low-stake, hands-on manner, Rautenberg applied for and received a grant to purchase a wide-range of MindWare products including circuitry and solar power kits. Rautenberg then contacted Brewster’s Head of School Craig Gemmell to consider ways for Brewster Academy to collaborate with the program. Gemmell enlisted the support of Science Department Chair Tom Owen and a model of dynamic community learning and partnership began as Brewster students joined the Brain Boost program as instructors and mentors.
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Both Rautenberg and Owen are wholly committed to the exploratory nature of the program. They want The Children Center’s participants to enter the classroom space and allow their curiosity to direct them. Similarly, Brewster students are encouraged to arrive with an experiment to share with the younger children or to begin exploring on their own with the materials, thus stirring the participants’ interest. This approach has proved itself to be enormously valuable to both younger and older students. Along with enriching their curiosity, the younger participants, Rautenberg explains, “benefit so much from having their interests and ideas respected. “They are learning what they want to learn, and we are also learning from them, and that makes these children feel good about themselves. And knowing these older kids are interested in them! Ah! They are just filling up their self-esteem buckets.” Likewise, Owen sees the benefits of Brewster students having to work autonomously – without explicit adult instructions, and has been impressed with how our students are working with the younger children to develop their inductive and deductive thinking skills and to absorb scientific vocabulary – “What do you think will happen? How can we test your hypothesis?” Owen also enjoys seeing the Brewster kids feed off the younger children’s excitement. Everyone is having fun. What Ana Gonzalez ’18 (Cambridge, Massachusetts) loves most about the program is seeing the kids experience an “ah-ha!” moment. She explains: “Like in math class, when I’m working on a confusing concept, then it all clicks, and suddenly I feel like I understand everything about the universe! When the kids are doing science experiments during Brain Boost, and they ask a question and find out the scientific explanation behind something, you can almost see a click in their eyes; you can see how much they realized. That ‘ah-ha!’ moment is so special; I love seeing them learn so much so quickly.” Gonzalez expresses all students’ feelings about Brain Boost. Sharing Rautenberg’s belief that people learn most effectively through teaching others, Craig Gemmell is particularly attracted to how the program simultaneously places Brewster students in the roles of teacher and learner. He adds, “Brain Boost demands that Brewster kids take initiative and demonstrate empathy, both skills we want our students to develop.” Brewster is grateful to Rautenberg and The Children’s Center for involving our faculty and students in this dynamic, project-based program, and so pleased to be able to share classroom space with the program this year. Brain Boost has illuminated a fabulous form of community partnership. We’re hopeful its lights will shine brightly into the future.
That ‘ah-ha!’ moment is so special; I love seeing them learn so much so quickly.”
W E ASKED :
What at Brewster has prepared you for navigating the world?
CIERA BURDEN ’17, BROOKLYN
Being a tour guide. It has taught me to communicate with and also persuade people with whom I’m not familiar. Giving tours has enhanced my communication skills, and also my confidence, which is a vital part of all aspects of my life.
PAUL RICHIE ’18, DALLAS
Group work with PBLs (project-based learning assignments) have given me an opportunity to work with people I might not normally collaborate with, and most PBLs have a real-world component so I feel like I’m doing something that will have an impact on something or someone.
TARA FITZPATRICK ’17, WOLFEBORO
Forming close relationships with students, teachers, administrators, and beyond has helped prepare my classmates and me for developing meaningful connections and networks in the real world.
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Q+A
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MEET… J OH N LI NG
Dance + Stage Craft Teacher
JOHN LING has been teaching dance at Brewster for nearly 10 years and StageCraft for three years. He also is a principal teacher with the local Northeastern Ballet Theatre and as principal dancer appeared with numerous professional dance companies, including The Lumiere Ballet, The Eglevsky Ballet, New York Dance theatre, Portland Ballet, Melrose Youth Ballet, and the Granite State Ballet. When did you know you wanted to be a dancer? It was a fluke. Around age 19 a friend convinced me to take a jazz class. To my surprise, I really liked it and continued for a year. I enjoyed it so much I tried ballet.
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After two weeks I knew I wanted to pursue ballet full-time so I quit my job as foreman at a glass shop and started training full-time. For a year I was taught by two Russian instructors and then I began training with the Joffrey Ballet School. Favorite production to perform? Dracula. Favorite production to watch? Swan Lake and Giselle. Where did you learn StageCraft skills? Working in a scene shop in New York that serviced five different theatres including Hofstra University.
Have you styled many buns in your career? No, only my own when my hair was long. Have you ever watched Dance Moms? Never. Can anyone learn to do a split? Yes. Do classical compositions ever get stuck in your head? Yes! Sometimes a song from a long-ago performance like Dvorak’s “The New World” (theme from Jaws) just pops in. If Dancing with the Stars called, who would be your celebrity partner? Emma Watson.
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N E W S MA KE R S
BO O K S H ELF Student Diversity Leadership Conference attendees.
Student Diversity Ambassadors In early December, six students and two faculty members travelled to Atlanta to participate in The Student Diversity Leadership Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. The students (pictured above) were seniors Ciera Burden (Brooklyn), Elena Maloy (Pepperell, Massachusetts), Haitham Al-Zaabi (Muscat, Oman), Kyla Gardiola (Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia), and juniors Sal Fabio (New York City) and Sidhira Johnson (Eleuthera, Bahamas). Faculty members Kim Yau and Shamar White accompanied the students. This multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders from across the country focused on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. “The conference was a “big eye-opener,” Burden shared. “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone, sharing stories about race and stereotypes. Everyone is diverse in their own way but it’s really about how you perceive and project yourself that matters most.”
ISANNE SEL Workshop In January, the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England sponsored an on-campus workshop on social and emotional learning. The day began with Brewster faculty presentations on Brewster’s social and emotional learning program, followed by a student assembly with social sexuality educator and author Cindy Pierce, and then continued with workshops. In speaking to students, Pierce delivered an engaging, no-nonsense, comedic message on navigating cultural, media, and peer pressures around their social lives and sexual relationships.
LLI New England Educators from around New England will gather at Brewster June 19-20 for a two-day conference on emotional and social learning. The Lausanne Learning Institute will host the conference in partnership with Brewster. Dr. Marc Brackett,
See all our Newsmakers online at brewsteracademy.org/news
Cindy Pierce
director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University, is the keynote speaker. The Lausanne Learning Institute, located in Memphis, Tennessee, has offered educational conferences for 15 years, with a focus on technology integration, student-centered classes, and engaging students in active learning. Wolfeboro, Brewster to be Featured on NHPTV Wolfeboro will be the fourth town to debut in New Hampshire Public Television’s (NHPTV) Our Hometown. This series explores the unique stories as well as culture, commerce, history, and people of New Hampshire’s 221 towns and 13 cities as told by the residents of each town. The Our Hometown production crew was in Wolfeboro in early December, and representatives of the Academy were among the storytellers. The segment will air on NHPTV and online this year. Watch for an announcement on Brewster social media.
Sexploitation: Helping Kids Develop Healthy Sexuality in a Porn-Driven World By Cindy Pierce I was introduced to Cindy Pierce’s work when she came to Brewster in January to speak to students and members of the Independent Schools of Northern New England, on campus for a conference. Almost at once I tore into her book, Sexploitation. As a parent of a tween I can safely say this book was both timely and relevant. Sexploitation guides the wayward parent/educator through the fast-paced landscape of sexuality and its interconnection with electronic influences. Pierce touches on topics such as modeling self-worth, teens exposure to porn vs. healthy sexuality, tolerance, gender roles, hook-up culture, screen time, social courage, and current teen vernacular. I found her exploration of balance and contemplative introspection refreshing. Understanding how the enormous power of “always being connected” is influencing our kids, and it is time, as Pierce suggests: “to dive right into conversations with your kids.” Our kids/students may have a lot to digest as teenagers, but we do still have the tools to help them navigate this world. We as educators and parents have the ability to dive in, educate ourselves, pay attention, and ask questions. – Alicia Childers ’01 Student Activities Coordinator
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The ARTS MA KIN G T HEIR MA R K Brewster Academy had 17 students earn awards in the S CH O L AST I C A RT AWA R DS O F N E W H A MP S H I R E competition. Congratulations to our talented students.
27 6 9 12 3
Works of art
Gold Key winners
Silver Key winners
Honorable Mentions
Portfolio Silver Key
To view all of the award-winning artwork, visit www.brewster academy.org/arts
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Gold Key Nicki Aponas (photography) Hailey Buffington (photography) Erika Burgess (photography) Jenna Burgess (digital art) Abbigale DiVirgilio (photography) Hanyue Zheng (photography) Silver Key Nicki Aponas (photography) Caleb Getto (2) (painting; drawing + illustration) Michelle Su (drawing + illustration) Gabriela Umansky (photography) Hanyue Zheng (photography + art portfolio) Jenna Burgess (art portfolio) Minji Kim (art portfolio) Honorable Mention Nicki Aponas (photography) Saige Buffington (photography) Caleb Getto (drawing + illustration) Jaissica Li (drawing + illustration) Julia Shannon-Grillo (photography) Gabriela Umansky (photography) Max Wang (photography) Sam Wang (photography) Yuerui Wang (painting) Tiffany Yang (painting) Hanyue Zheng (photography) Nicki Aponas (photography)
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10 INTERVIEW BY KRIST Y KERIN
On Beacon Hill with Bridget McDonald Watching students become involved in government, politics, and diplomacy and realizing how that engagement can make a difference in their communities, in their country, and in their lives is promising. During school breaks, Brewster students work as interns in city, state, and national congressional and executive offices and some even in diplomatic posts. Here we spotlight one of these students who talks about how she engaged in the political process and what she took away from her experience. This past summer, rising senior Bridget McDonald ’17 served as an intern in the Massachusetts Governor’s Council office. The Governor’s Council is made up of eight district representatives. The Council meets weekly to record advice and consent on warrants for the state treasury, gubernatorial appointments including judges, notaries, and justices of the peace, and pardons and commutations. This internship is designed primarily for college students; however, Bridget was selected as a high school student among a highly competitive field of 500 applicants for roughly 60 spots. Why did you apply for this internship? I worked as a waitress the previous summer and I was looking for something more meaningful, ideally in the Boston area. I’ve always wanted to go into politics, so when I found out about this opportunity, it sounded perfect. It was supposed to be just for college students, but I’d heard that a high school student had been accepted in the past, so I decided to apply. What were your hours and what types of things did you do? I was scheduled to work three days a week but sometimes worked the full week. I had the opportunity to attend meetings with Supreme Court nominees; I notated some of the hearings; I attended congressional hearings and had the opportunity to attend any event that was happening in the state house. What were some of the more memorable events? I attended the dialogue and debate around the transgender
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bathroom bill, and I watched a group of protesters storm the Governor’s office. I was there when the bill passed. That was interesting as it was a full house, whereas many of the hearings are only lightly attended. Ultimately, the bill passed easily. What did you learn most? I’ve always wanted to go into politics. This internship affirmed that interest. In fact, if I go to college in the Boston area, I may run for a council seat. The minimum age requirement is 18 and my boss has offered to run my campaign! Was there anything that you learned that surprised you? It was interesting to see how hard the Council works to make their work as accessible as possible to the public. What surprised me is how few people show up, even for Supreme Court hearings. There was rather light turnout considering these nominees are going to be on the Supreme Court for the rest of their careers and they are going to be making some pretty important decisions on behalf of the state. Would you recommend this opportunity to others? I loved it! I would highly recommend this opportunity to others. I had an outstanding mentor who was all about giving me the best possible learning experience. Each day, he would give me newspaper clippings to read, articles that we would discuss. He collected antique postcards, and he gave me 4-5 postcards of my hometown, Beverly, Massachusetts. Most important, he taught me to question everything, to really open my eyes and see what was happening around me. What is your dream job? I want to major in international relations, and I hope to pursue a career in international politics.
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BA Social TWITTER #GraniteStateAdaptiveSkiProgram
FACEBOOK #matchingsweaters #bestfriends
“ It’s a great day to be a Cat.” Sean Cassidy ’14, (Villanova ’18)
INSTAGRAM #teddybeartoss
O N VIEW A WILDCAT IN BOBCAT NATION Direct from the basketball court of the 2015-2016 NCAA Champions, Sean Cassidy ’14, (Villanova ’18) helped announce Villanova University men’s head basketball coach Jay Wright as Brewster’s 2017 Commencement Speaker. Under the direction of Wright, the Wildcats have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 11 of the past 12 seasons, and over the last three seasons, Villanova has won more games than any program in America (97-13). Cassidy, who is studying marketing and real estate, is a facilities attendant with Villanova Athletic Operations. The community looks forward to welcoming Jay Wright to Bobcat Nation in May.
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Field & Goals
Kate Turner Receives NEPSAC Distinguished Service Award Kate Turner with family and friends, including son Peter Elkins ’90 (third from left).
See all the latest on our sports teams at brewsteracademy.org/ athletics
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BY MARCIA ELDREDGE
Longtime associate athletic director Kate Turner received the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Distinguished Service Award in November. The award is given annually to the individual who has contributed significantly to New England Independent School Athletics and Physical Education through enthusiasm, dedication, leadership, and vision. Turner is only the fifth woman to receive the award, which NEPSAC has presented since 1984.
“Kate Turner has played an integral role in boosting our students’ confidence and getting them to step out of their comfort zone for years, and I could not think of a better person for this award,” said Brewster’s Athletic Director Matt Lawlor. “We need more Kate Turners at our schools. She sees the athletic fields as natural extensions of our classroom and finds a way to get the most reluctant of our students trying something new that they won’t regret.”
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When Turner came to Brewster in 1986, she founded the Brewster field hockey program and has coached within the program on and off for three decades, most recently as the assistant for the junior varsity team. Over the years she also has coached in the alpine ski, tennis, and lacrosse programs. Coaching is only one of her assets in Brewster’s Bobcat Nation, though. “One of the many hidden talents of Kate Turner is her effectiveness at crowd control at our prep basketball games in the ever competitive Lakes Region League,” Lawlor shared. “When you have two rowdy upperclassmen chirping opposing teams or officials, there is no better solution to calming them down than having Ms. Turner take her ball of yarn and sit right between them during a heated contest in our gym. In minutes, she will be chatting with the rambunctious youngsters, getting them genuinely interested in the socks she is knitting for her grandson, William. It’s brilliant; the teens calm down a bit and learn about certain knitting patterns.” In the late 1990s she, along with associate admission director Margaret Martin, founded the local Abenaki girls’ lacrosse program, a program that continues to thrive today. She also served on the NEPSAC board for 21 years. After accepting the award, Turner reflected on her decades of experience in independent school sports, which began as a young girl at Beaver Country Day School and Milton Academy. “This was in the ’50s and ’60s and there were virtually no sports programs offered for girls outside of these [independent] schools,”
she said. “At Beaver and Milton, they were not only offered, they were required. The NEPSAC schools were clearly way ahead of the curve regarding the value of athletics for girls. “Although I wasn’t a star, I loved the team sports scenario. If I was cut from one sport, there was another one looking for a few more girls. It didn’t matter – I was on a team sharing all that that means – having 15 or so instant friends, commiserating over having to run a lap, celebrating occasional victories, then going on to play lacrosse for a couple of years at the next level.” She continued, explaining that the federal Title IX legislation enacted in 1972 – giving all girls equal opportunities for athletics participation – “happily began creeping in and many of these girls were looking to us [NEPSAC schools] to take advantage of our focused programs, high level of coaching, and excellent facilities that were being constructed in the style of an arms race.” Knowing how sports and, more importantly being part of a team, can so positively impact kids, Turner has kept her attention on reluctant athletes and participants. “These are the kids whose lives, I believe, we seriously impact by our desire and ability to offer them the team experience and all that that entails,” she explained. “Some go on to the next level, a few go on to play in college, and some simply reaffirm that they hate team sports. … But the result is that for some kids, you actually change their self-perception and, though they probably won’t play lacrosse as adults, they will see themselves as athletes and not be timid about taking on new sports options.”
Round Up In the fall, the girls’ crosscountry team earned the Lakes Region League title (last won in 2003). In November, girls’ varsity soccer coach Matt Butcher earned his 200th Brewster career win. Butcher has coached the team since 2002 and has a career record of 200 wins, 39 losses, 17 ties, and six New England championships. His teams also have won nine of the past 10 Lakes Region League titles. Kate Rendall ’10 returned to campus this fall as an intern in the Athletic Department. Among her assignments was undertaking a complete safety audit of the Kaywin Fitness Center, assisting Coach Matt Butcher with the girls’ varsity soccer program (she’s a former team member), administrative tasks within the department, and coaching the girls’ jv basketball team. Prep basketball player Thomas Allen Jr. ’17 broke a school record in January when he scored 50 points in a game, including 11 three-pointers. Allen. who is from Raleigh, North Carolina, will take his game to North Carolina State University next season.
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SCHOOL SPIRIT 15
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BY J E N DU MO N T
MAKING CONNECT IONS Shaped by her own boarding school experience, educator Nancy Hughes is driven by community and serving others
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at strategic oversight of the program and looking at building possibilities for a sustainable, productive program.”
W
hen Head of School Craig Gemmell arrived almost two years ago, the Academy also gained an experienced educator and master teacher in Nancy Hughes, his wife. Since their arrival on campus, Hughes has integrated into the community in several ways. She has been teaching Advanced Placement English Literature class on Team Yau, in addition to co-teaching an Engage 2 Educate class to juniors in the social and emotional learning curriculum. As a lifelong devotee to the boarding school experience, she relishes any chance she can get to interact with Brewster students. “In the fall I enjoyed getting to know kids from the organizations we hosted at Lord House, like One National Ethnicity (O.N.E.) and the Harry Potter Club,” said Hughes. Because their younger son Jobe is a competitive snowboarder, Hughes spent the winter trimester with him at the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) in Vermont, where she taught seventh and eighth grade English and history. Hughes’ and Gemmell’s older son Teddy is a freshman at Brewster so she also is a Team Cooper parent. Prior to coming to Brewster, both she and Gemmell lived and worked at the Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts. Hughes served in many roles throughout their time
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there. Arriving at Groton in 1994, Hughes first worked as an English teacher and then eventually became English Department head. She served as dean of students from 2004 to 2009, and then as the director of service and leadership from 2010 until their departure in 2013. Because of her strong background in developing community service programs and outreach, Hughes also will be involved in the community service program here at Brewster, an endeavor she began last summer, and which she will continue next summer and into the following academic year. “The service program will be one of the things I will be working on in the spring – kind of looking
A DEEP COMMITMENT TO BOARDING SCHOOLS Hughes has been involved with boarding schools for much of her life, beginning with her own experiences attending Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut. “If I didn’t have a great experience at boarding school myself, I am sure I wouldn’t have pursued the kind of work I’ve done since then. I know I wouldn’t have,” said Hughes. “I had amazing teachers and it was a really supportive, nurturing community. I remember that first week clearly, it seemed like a kind of camp I had never gone to … I loved everything about it: the architecture of the school; the history. It was just this cool place. That got me. I just had a terrific time there.” Based on her own experiences, Hughes believes that one benefit to attending a boarding school was the fact that she was exposed to a more diverse community than at the day schools she attended, living at home. “There was this kind of window into things that I had never had access to,” she said. “Just being with people that I would never have any way to connect with, given the fact that I didn’t live in NYC, or a big urban area, or Washington DC. This is a really important part of what happens at boarding schools.” Since attending Miss Porter’s, and after graduating from Connecticut College in 1989, Hughes has worked in boarding schools for most of her career. She knew that she wanted to be a teacher when she graduated. Her first teaching job was at Pomfret School, in Pomfret, Connecticut, where she and Gemmell met.
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“Craig and I have always worked together – we met working,” Hughes said. “We were really colleagues and great friends before we ever started dating … I think we innately connected because we were both committed to this kind of teaching. We both really respected each other and were attracted to the fact that we shared really similar values in terms of what we think good education looks like.” The couple departed Pomfret to pursue their master’s degrees at Duke University, where they spent two years studying and teaching. Though they enjoyed their time at Duke, both Hughes and Gemmell realized through that experience that they wanted to teach high school, and specifically, that they wanted to work at a boarding school – preferably a small school where they could work closely with kids. One of Hughes’ experiences with a student at Duke, who was struggling with anorexia, illuminated this realization for her. “She became my charge, because I was the only teacher who she really had access to in a big university structure. I was her confidante. I was trying to get her into the counseling she needed,” said Hughes. “That’s when I realized that in some ways it’s just easier to live with them. Getting all of the dots connected in a way that this student needed … was hard from my position as a part-time teacher who lived off campus. It would just be easier if we all lived on campus together and all of the chains of command are focused in the same way as they are at a good boarding school. “I wondered, why is it hard developing a rapport with these kids? And the truth was it was because I didn’t live in the dorm with them, I didn’t eat lunch with them,” she continued.
Out-of-classroom CONNECTIONS made what I did in the classroom so much more efficient and effective. And that was something that was really good for me to figure out pretty early in my career. “All of those connections made what I did in the classroom so much more efficient and effective. And that was something that was really good for me to figure out pretty early in my career.” Hughes and Gemmell left Duke in 1994, headed for Groton School. More than 20 years later, Brewster has been fortunate to steal these two away from Groton, to lead our school and to teach our young people. Among the many benefits these academicians bring to the Brewster community are a strong sense of community service and service to others. As mentioned, Hughes will work with administrators and faculty to develop a more intentional community service program, but the couple will also pursue altruistic endeavors on their own and in the name of Brewster Academy. There are plans to raise funds for a women’s and children’s shelter in the town of Wolfeboro. “If we are in the position as an institution to be able to be helpful, I think it is incumbent upon us to do so,” said Hughes. “That notion of caring for others, helping others, is something that any good educational institution is committed to … just as Brewster is with Wolfeboro.” The shelter is very much in the planning stages, with a site designated, but with many plans and collaborations with townspeople yet to take place. Hughes hopes to involve students with the shelter, and in the meantime, she says that Wolfeboro and Brewster’s own organizations offer many opportunities for students
to give back to the community. Clubs like Best Buddies and Brewster Big Friends, both advised by faculty member Maria Found, have been in place, so there is already a solid foundation of service at Brewster from which to build. In the meantime, Hughes was looking forward to returning to Brewster after the winter trimester at SMS. And, although the family has a home in Vermont where they spend their vacations and where they can be together in quiet and solitude, the busy campus will always call to them, as both Hughes and Gemmell are most comfortable when surrounded by a campus thriving with students and teachers and activity. Hughes recalls that her favorite moments and fondest memories from Groton came from times where that sense of community and of working toward a common goal were most apparent. “I tried to be the last person out on campus [at Groton]. I loved being the last person walking around,” said Hughes. “I used to think of myself as putting the campus to bed. I would walk through the buildings as I went home and would think, ok tomorrow morning I will be back at it. I wanted to be there and in the middle of things. I like that our house at Brewster [Lord House] is in the center of things.” / BA / Jen Dumont is a writing, journalism, and English teacher at Brewster. She taught from 1997 to 2000, left to earn a master’s in English education, and returned to Brewster in 2012.
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The Medlaw Group’s Kate Wallace ’03 Helps People Navigate the
Health Care Labyrinth BY MARC IA N . T RO O K
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ate (Considine) Wallace ’03 is not your typical CEO, JD, LPN – she is actually all of these – but she thinks she might be a fairly typical Brewster Academy graduate. Kate credits her years at Brewster for nurturing her spirit of adventure and independence, while instilling in her an abiding commitment to community and the well-being of others, as well as the courage and discipline to find her own path to making a difference. “Brewster really taught me to think for myself and be really independent and follow my interests,” she shared. “I didn’t necessarily know then that I was going to take this path, specifically, but at Brewster, I felt empowered to be independent, to think for myself. And eventually, I did find my way.”
At Brewster I felt empowered to be independent, to think for myself.
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Kate is founder and CEO of The Medlaw Group – a personalized health care consulting firm in Boston that pairs skilled patient advocates with individuals and families to guide them through the myriad personal health care decisions and choices throughout their family’s lifecycle, using a case management model. Kate’s firm can work with family members across their lifespan, not unlike the work of a family financial advisor who meets the evolving needs of a family. She goes on to explain, “It might be that their infant is sick, it might be for care of a NICU baby, a husband who might need a kidney transplant, or a family member who needs to be placed in a memory care unit. We are all nurses here and we can work with the whole family across the whole lifespan, combining all different levels of case management. Having someone who can walk
you through the system at any life stage is good for everyone.” Buttressed by education and experience in both the medical (she’s a licensed practical nurse) and legal fields (she holds a law degree as well as a bachelor’s in political science), Kate has the perspective and network not only to connect families with the medical resources they need, but also advocate on their behalf. As nurses, Kate and her team can ask critical questions of physicians who describe diagnoses and treatment plans for families, ensuring the plans are fully understood by their clients. With her own legal background, Kate can weigh in on potential liabilities associated with health care options; indeed, providing her clients with advice on risk management has been welcomed by their physicians as well, she says. Kate continues to expand her experience and expertise to achieve her vision of the organization. She is trying to move away from a primarily fee-based business model toward one that can be affordable to all. At the same time, she has taken on additional graduate study that will further position her and her organization for growth and impact, finishing this year as a registered nurse, as well as with an executive masters in healthcare leadership from Brown University.
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MODELS OF PATIENT ADVOCACY AND NAVIGATION IN HEALTH CARE TODAY
THE FUTURE Kate’s goals for the three-year-old Medlaw Group include serving a more diverse client base, beyond private-pay clients. Having third-party reimbursement would be a welcome change in policy. In the interim, The Medlaw Group has taken on some pro bono cases, as well as fee-based work, to meet community needs. Kate fully expects to move well beyond her Massachusetts base, using Skype and other technologies to convene with medical specialists globally on her patients’ behalf. She would like to grow the firm’s health care education and advocacy work in schools for children with special needs (e.g., life-threatening allergies, autism), in addition to the firm’s work in hospitals and other health care institutions. Kate’s high energy, dedicated focus, and commitment to others have enabled her to skillfully balance her graduate studies and professional work while laying the foundation of her growing patient consulting firm. She has found a creative way to follow her passion, which was a strong tenet of her Brewster education, she says. “Follow your passion … Brewster teachers encourage you to think for yourself and be creative … It’s the culture there. I love Brewster.” / BA / Dr. Marcia N. Trook has worked as Brewster’s Director of Institutional Research and Annual Giving since 2015.
The Medlaw Group is a private-pay patient advocacy agency that works independently of any specific health care organization, medical practice, or facility on behalf of clients/patients. As part of the Affordable Care Act, many hospitals and other health care organizations added one or more new internal staff positions specifically designated to help patients understand and comply with the plan of care their health care providers have designed for their needs. The title “patient navigator” is the one most often used, and can be filled by a clinician (e.g., nurse patient navigator), social worker, or another social services professional (lay patient navigator). Like The Medlaw Group advocates, patient navigators, quite literally, help patients navigate the health care maze to optimize their health care success. They help patients understand their diagnoses and care options, help them choose a course of care that meets their needs, insurance requirements,
and their ability to pay, and – perhaps most important – they stay in touch, advocate for, and encourage patients to stay the course through to successful health care. Patient navigators are valuable in virtually any health care setting. The involvement of the patient navigator in hospitals and clinics helps re-balance the load of primary and specialty care clinicians so they can focus on direct patient care as much as possible. In assisted living and extended care facilities for the elderly, the patient navigator (often titled geriatric case manager) acts as liaison between the medical team and extended family members to advocate on the patient’s behalf. The American Cancer Society helps fund and staff patient navigators who provide information and assistance to cancer patients and their families beyond the health care setting. Although there is an increase in the number of health care facilities that have patient navigators on staff, their workload is overwhelming. Consulting groups such as The MedLaw Group play a critical role in filling the gap and creating new ways that patient navigation can be applied in health care.
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BY MA RCIA E L DRE DGE
Freshwater Ecology Stewards Help Monitor the Local Watershed
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Citizen Science: scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions.
O
n a January morning with the temperature well below freezing and an added wind chill pushing the temperature closer to zero, Brewster’s freshwater ecology class was snowshoeing for data. They are accustomed, and trained, to collect data for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the University of New Hampshire; how they get to their data depends on the season and the elements. On this particular day, freshwater ecology teacher Sarah Tierney deemed the weather too brisk for collection so the group spent their time getting accustomed to their snowshoes (a first for many in the class).
LO CA L WAT ER S HE D
As part of their assessments of the local watershed, students collect data from the following lakes and ponds: Crescent Lake, Lake Wentworth, Lovell Lake, Knights Pond, Mountain Lake, and 19-Mile Bay.
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Throughout the year, Tierney’s two classes spend half of their course time outside wading in rivers and streams, navigating the waters of Wolfeboro Bay in Brewster’s well-used pontoon boat, walking the shorelines of local waterways, and visiting facilities that play a role in the local watershed. In anticipation of the lake freezing and before the end of the winter trimester, some students would have their
first experience “walking on water” and using an auger to drill through the ice to get their water samples. They are citizen scientists on a mission to collect, sample, record, and submit data to help manage the Lake Winnipesaukee watershed. Tierney wanted to make the course, along with the extraordinary natural resource – Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest lake – more relevant to her students. “Some of my students are lifers [four-year students] and they don’t know about their surroundings. Some of the lifers have never been out on the lake.
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Left: Teacher Sarah Tierney assists Chloe Simon ’17 (New York, New York) with a dissolved oxygen test on Knight’s Pond. Above: Wyatt Johnson ’16 (Bloomington, Minnesota) tests phosphorous levels in Lake Winnipesuakee.
“I wanted them to experience the protocols of sampling water to collect data as well as realize the genuine impact that this data could bear on the health and management plan to protect the local watershed and the lakes in their community. … The whole year we are working toward that outside perspective: we start out by investigating our watershed and the human impacts and environmental issues that impact it. Then we transition into learning about our water quality tests and becoming the expert in one particular test.”
Education and Training
For the data to be used in the state’s water quality monitoring program, Tierney had to be certified to take readings and collect data by New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department. Certification included passing state training tests as well as being observed collecting the water to ensure that she was sampling correctly and using the appropriate equipment. “The state needed to make sure that I was teaching the kids correctly and that what I was teaching coincided with the state standards,” she explained.
With the certification, Tierney and her students began contributing their findings to the state and university this past fall. (www.wildlife.state. nh.us/education/watershed.html) At four testing sites on Wolfeboro Bay, the students sample for seven different elements of water quality: nitrates, pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, water temperature, turbidity, and salinity. They then return to the Brewster science lab to conduct the tests and record their data under the watchful eye of Tierney, who then submits the data to the two state entities. The sampling areas on the Bay are GPS coordinates, but to the Brewster students they are the Town Docks, Brewster Beach, “Mitt Romney’s house”, and “Jimmy Fallon’s house” – all locations within Wolfeboro Bay. Senior Tom Scala, a native of the Lakes Region, loves the hands-on component of the class. “Every week I look forward to the lab and the places we visit, like the town water facility. “I’ve learned that the water quality of every lake is different and you notice from the samples how each lake is different. For example, phosphorous levels can differ greatly among the lakes. The average person wouldn’t really think
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SARAH TIERNEY’S DEFINITION OF CITIZEN SCIENCE
For me it’s a way to give back to the community. How can we at Brewster get out of the classroom and do some real-life data and work and how can we make a difference in our surrounding area? We have the equipment; we have the time; we should be able to make a difference.” BRE WSTE R ACADE M Y
about that but now I understand how elements in the water can differ from one lake to another and impact the aquatic life.” The class isn’t all about sampling water and examining data, though. There are visits to water facilities, fish hatcheries, smaller lakes and rivers, schools, and even town meetings. As citizen scientists these students head into the community multiple times a year to present their findings and inform citizens and decision makers. This includes a spring presentation to town representatives from neighboring Brookfield where Tierney’s students are monitoring Kingswood Lake to present a lake management plan for the town. They also instruct local fifth and sixth graders on how to collect and test for the seven variables for which they
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Left to Right: Riikka Kivinen ’17 (Turko, Finland) and Rhyannon Poto ’17 (Auckland, New Zealand) sample for pH in Wolfeboro Bay. / Through nearly one foot of ice on Knight’s Pond, Tanisa Quanpadung ’18 (Bangkok) and Jackson Barber ’17 (Corte Madera, California) use their LabQuest technology to read the water temperature, record it, and compare it to past readings. / Angela First ’17 (Houston) created this storybook to share with local elementary school students.
test, and in doing so incorporate the best practice of peer tutoring. “We test with them on the pond near their school and in the classroom and teach them why it is important to have clean water,” Tierney explained. The freshwater ecology students also educate even younger students through storybooks they created after touring the local drinking water facility. “One of the things we like to do is educate our community on how our tap water is regulated,” Tierney explained. “It gets tested daily and it is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), while bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA only requires companies to police their water once a month and the companies create their own
reports while the EPA is the testing body for drinking water facilities. “Our students even did taste tests; they sampled bottled water and tap water and then debated on their differences.” Bottled water preferences aside, the more objective data from the classes will be part of a 2018 assessment report with recommendations from Tierney and her students on management of the Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Management Plan. Some of these recommendations might include location of buffer zones or restrictions on boating or development permits. She added that Lake Winnipesaukee is unique because of the many towns along its shoreline; thus numerous groups must devise one management plan that all the towns will follow (www.lakesrpc.org/lwwmp/) In the spring, students will select a case law study on an environmental issue brought to a court, such as a wetland permit that might not have been properly executed. They will then have to determine – based on their knowledge and the local, state, or provincial statutes – which party is in the right and which is in the wrong. / BA / Marcia Eldredge is the editor of Brewster and Brewster’s director of communications.
WATERSHED EDUCATION P ROGRAM Electrofishing: students don waders and walk through water; a Fish and Game staff member shocks the water, allowing fish to be caught, identified, tagged, and released. (Tierney is certified in the practice of catch and release for the study of fish.) This practice offers a snapshot of the health of the underwater aquatic environment. Trout in the Classroom Program: students travel to the Powder Mills Fish Hatchery and bring back about 200 brook trout eggs; they monitor their stages of development until the trout absorb their egg sack and then soon after release them into a local waterway. Students select where to release the trout based on data and site descriptions and where they deem the best chance for survival. Last year it was Mountain Lake; this year’s site is to be determined. Tierney is certified in the Trout in the Classroom Program.
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A LOOK BACK BY SHIRL E Y RIC H AR D S O N
The History Within These Walls
A
s Brewster’s enrollment increased and the school’s programs grew in the late eighties, the vision of the 1990s’ Master Plan and the Brewster School Model began to take hold. To fulfill the vision, the plan sought to acquire contiguous properties to support the Academy’s continuing growth. During 1991 and 1992, the Academy acquired three such buildings along South Main Street – Cate, Chamberlain, and Goodwin Houses. With each building came a history dating to the 1800s. One structure was considered for use as a funeral home, another was a dog kennel and a dance studio, and another was moved from the west side of campus to a place of prominence at the main entrance to the Academy.
CATE HOUSE The first property purchased was Cate House, currently the Office of Alumni and Development. John G. Cate was born February 12, 1827, in a farmhouse in Wolfeboro. He was educated in the one-room schoolhouse in the Pleasant Valley area of Wolfeboro and later at Wolfeborough and Tuftonborough Academy. A farmer, a manufacturer, a trader, and a carpenter, he also served as Wolfeborough Postmaster, a selectman in 1873, a superintendent of schools, a choir member at First Congregational Church, and part owner of the Lake Boot and Shoe Manufacturing Co. In early 1854, Cate built himself a home on South Main Street and moved in with his bride Anna A. Clark, whom he had married on November 7, 1853. Their daughter Maude Cate was born July 26, 1863, and was an 1883 graduate of Wolfeborough and Tuftonborough
BRE WSTE R ACADE M Y
Academy. She became a teacher in the one-room schoolhouse known as Pickering School (the predecessor to today’s Carpenter School). At one time, owners Arthur and Vera Barnard operated a home for the elderly and a dog kennel for large boxers. Later owners, Merrill and David Rich ran a dance studio in the house. Since its purchase by the Academy in 1991, the dwelling has experienced several major internal and external changes, most recently this winter. The Business Office, which had resided in Cate House since 1992, moved to the former Admission Office in late 2016. In October 2016, the Offices of Admission and Communications moved to the heart of campus in the newly designed space above the Kenison Library. Cate House is now better able to accommodate visiting alumni who come in to share memories of their time on campus or to peruse books,
yearbooks, photos, and other historical school materials as well as those alumni who volunteer to assist with archival work for the school. CHAMBERLAIN HOUSE Chamberlain House was built across from Wolfeboro’s Town Hall around 1890 as a summer home for Daniel Chamberlain and his family. Chamberlain was born in Wolfeboro. April 12, 1812, and died in Boston, July 13, 1879 at age 67. At age 17 he found work in Boston where he became a life-long resident. After pursuing different trades, including blacksmithing, he settled into the hotel business and successfully operated notable hotels including old Natick Stage Tavern and old Pearl Street House in Boston, but he was best known as proprietor for the Adams House for 40 years. Chamberlain attributed his success to his natural kindness, his honesty and zealous regard for his word, and most importantly, the encouragement and support of his wife, Maria M. Martin, well known for her strong
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Heraclitus
Cate House: the Office of Alumni and Development; Chamberlain House on the move in 1991; Goodwin House and its many views
Christian character. Daniel and Maria married December 28, 1834, in Wolfeboro. During his lifetime Daniel visited Wolfeboro as often as he could, and his daughter Caroline occupied the residence during the summer months. In 1921 daughter Abbie H. Chamberlain donated this home to the First Congregational Church to be used as the church parsonage. In 1976, the church leased the building to Brewster Academy and it became a boys’ dorm. The Academy purchased the building in 1991 and soon after relocated it, with many of the townspeople watching and encouraging. The old house was jacked up, placed on wheels, and moved about 1/10 of a mile from its location beside the church atop a new precisely engineered foundation at the main entrance to campus. A historic carriage house had resided near the original main house. Due to its poor state, it was unsalvageable but a replica was constructed, using the original
footprint, and it was attached to the Chamberlain House dorm as a faculty family home. GOODWIN HOUSE Goodwin House was the final property purchased during this acquisition period. William (1829-1889) and Martha J. (1837-1911) Jones built this house in 1860, and it was purposefully designed for expansive views in every direction. The large front bay window afforded views of South Main Street, while a tower on the west side offered a clear view of the downtown business area, Wolfeboro Bay, and the Belknap mountains. The Jones’s land also included a large barn and carriage house, which were later purchased by George Carpenter and relocated. The Joneses eventually sold the house to J. W. Goodwin who lived there for many years. In 1971 Goodwin House was purchased for use as a funeral home and underwent major renovations. During that time, a large portico
A LOOK BACK
Nothing endures but change.
was added to the entrance of the house and a rear addition was built to enlarge the structure for professional use. An open porch on the west side was closed in and extensive inside work was done, but the business never opened. Use of the building as a retirement home for the elderly was explored, but that too was never realized. Brewster rented Goodwin House in 1988, extensively renovating to house the business and development and alumni offices. Finally, in 1992 Brewster purchased the property and moved those offices into Cate House. Goodwin was again remodeled for use as a dormitory and faculty housing. As the 1990s came to a close and a new decade drew near, Dolan, Holmes, and Kelley properties along Main Street were purchased. Later four more properties, adjacent to the Academy, would be acquired before two final very significant buildings would become part of the thriving, picturesque campus. / BA / Shirley Richardson, along with her late husband Bob, are the authors of The Brewster Story: A Definitive History of Brewster Academy (2011).
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ALUM N I N EWS
ALUM N I N EWS
ALUMNI NEWS
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IN THIS SECTION: 33 ALUMNI NEWS 35 HOOPLA 40 CLASS NOTES 48 REMEMBER WHEN?
33 ALUM N I N EWS
BY BETH HAYES ’81
BY T H E N U MBE R S S E RVICE Brewster Academy alumni serve in faculty, administrative, and staff positions throughout campus. They teach courses, coach teams, and provide other vital services around campus. Our alumni are excited to come to work each day to work with students and watch them progress toward their goals, give back to a place that is meaningful and special, and spread the BA love!
10% More than
of Brewster EMPLOYEES are Brewster graduates
50%
of these employees are LEGACY FAMILIES, having one or more family members who attended or currently attend the Academy
10%
of Brewster FACULTY are graduates of the Academy
This group of faculty, administrators, & staff represents
150
+ YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE BREWSTER COMMUNITY!
Looking to the Future Through the Lens of the Past We often remind visiting alumni that when they walk through the main hallway of the Academic Building and listen carefully they will hear the sounds of their past – figuratively and literally as the same floor boards that creaked when they were students, creak today. You see, some things do not change, yet some do. That’s the versatile beauty of history – it reflects and explains, it sets the stage for change, and it can show us what should or needs to remain the same. Over the past few years the Academy has made a significant effort to unveil and illuminate its rich past. This history is revealed in many forms: books, photographs, documents, letters, and even dance cards from the turn of the century. From hidden shelves and long-standing files, from campus basements and attics – these treasured items are being carefully documented, photographed, and cataloged by dedicated members of the archives committee. In some cases, as with the John Brewster bust, sculpted by acclaimed sculptor Daniel Chester French, and portraits of John and William Brewster, significant restoration was completed. As a way to illustrate and sequence the Academy’s path from 1820 forward, a timeline is in the works within the Academic Building. Extending from the main entrance down the main hallway toward the Wilson Center, the timeline will eventually be a permanent display. It is fitting that this story about people, lands, charters, wills, and a resolute commitment to educating young men and women, be told in the heart of our campus. John Brewster’s bust, to be placed in a lighted, protective case by the entrance to the Kenison Library, will be the pinnacle of this historical display.
The timeline will share, preserve, and document the evolution of the Academy while offering a window to our past for students, the campus community, and our alumni, guests, and visitors. As Brewster is embedded in the history of its people and the town of Wolfeboro, their histories are embedded in Brewster. A GLIMPSE The “Early Years” (1820-1886) are in the works. These were the days of meetings in Ichabod Libbey’s Tavern to discuss raising funds for an Academy, the days of charters being granted, land being donated, and bylaws put to pen. With the Academy’s proximity to the lake, one of those bylaws stated, “No student shall enter the water for the purpose of bathing more than once a fortnight; nor shall any student remain in the water longer than 10 minutes.” Bylaws, like history, evolve. In addition to the narrative about these cornerstones of Brewster’s past, the timeline will exhibit a photo of Wolfeborough and Tuftonborough Academy from which Brewster Academy evolved; the school’s original charter from June 1820; a portrait of Samuel Avery, one of the Academy’s first financial supporters, trustees, and “dorm parents,” and whose home, is currently a dormitory; and an image of the first school bell which was cast by one of Paul Revere’s sons and resides in the Wolfeboro Town Hall. We will keep you updated as the timeline progresses and hopefully soon you will be able to walk among the turning points of Brewster’s history, atop a few creaky floor boards, of course.
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Members of the Murray family at the ceremony with President Obama and Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden: Roger Murray, Linda Murray, John Murray ’01, Deborah Murray ’99, Jennifer Murray do Carmo, and son Robbie do Carmo ’18. On the right, Deborah Murray ’99 accepts the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.
Amazing Grace: Queen of Code Grace Murray Hopper Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom Posthumously BY MARCIA ELDREDGE
If the name Grace Murray Hopper sounds familiar it may be because President Barack Obama bestowed her, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November. Hopper was among 21 recipients given the nation’s highest civilian honor – presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
The name also may sound familiar because the Grace Murray Hopper Center for Computer Learning resides at Brewster. Grace’s connection to Brewster goes back decades and includes family members who are both past and current students. At the White House ceremony President Obama said, “The gutsy and colorful Grace was sent to work on one of the first computers: Harvard’s Mark 1. She saw beyond the boundaries of the possible and invented the first Grace Murray Hopper
BRE WSTE R ACADE M Y
35 Molly Ingram ’14 was the top finisher for Plymouth State University’s women’s cross-country team at the NCAA Division III regional qualifier in November 2016. She broke the school record for the 6K finishing in 24 minutes, four seconds, 19 seconds faster than her previous school record, and helped the Panthers to a 32nd place finish among the 59 competing teams. Malcolm Collins ’06 and wife Simone Collins were recently featured in D CEO, part of the D Magazine group. The Collins’ are raising funds to acquire an established company using what’s called the “searchfund” model or “entrepreneurship through acquisition,” a relatively new but increasingly popular business model. Joshua Sims ’04, creative director at SmashFly Technologies, was named to Boston Business Journal’s 2016 Top 40 under 40 list in September. “We received well over 300 nominations,” said BBJ Market President & Publisher Carolyn Jones. “The 40 young professionals chosen this year really do represent the best and brightest the state has to offer and it certainly bodes well for the future of the commonwealth.” SmashFly designed a dynamic recruiting platform for recruitment organizations.
compiler, which allowed programs to be written in regular language and then translated for computers to understand. “While the women who pioneered software were often overlooked, the most prestigious award for young computer scientists now bares her name – from cell phones to cyber command we can thank Grace Hopper for opening programing to millions more people, helping to usher in the information age and profoundly shaping our digital world.”
ALUM N I N EWS
A LU MN I IN T H E N E W S HO O P LA A note from MATT HOOPES, former faculty member and alumni correspondent, helping keep alumni connections alive from his home in Eleuthera, Bahamas.
STAY IN TOUCH: Contact Matt Hoopes via email at islesman@batelnet.bs
Welcome Back
Three alumnae returned to campus to join the faculty and staff. Here they reflect on their new roles. Maeve Connelly ’10, History teacher, girls’ varsity ice hockey coach: Having called Brewster home since I was 15, when the opportunity to return to Brewster presented itself, it was impossible to turn down. It truly feels as if I am back home. As with any new job, I’ve been presented with challenges and adjustments, but the welcoming support I’ve received from every faculty member has meant the world to me and has made it an easy adjustment. I remind all my students and the players I coach just how big an impact this place will have on their future. They’ll always carry Brewster in their heart; the views, their classmates, teachers, the overall community will never change. Emma Jones ’11, Assistant Director of Admission: Being back at Brewster, working in admissions, has truly been a full circle experience. Being giving the opportunity to return as a staff member to such an amazing place is humbling. It also is surreal to be working at the same place that helped shape me into the person I am today. It’s been very rewarding to provide students the same experiences I had and hope that they will realize, as I did, that the value of an experience isn’t truly appreciated until it’s left behind. Chelsiea Goll ’11, Girls’ assistant varsity ice hockey coach; alumni and communications assistant: As a Brewster graduate, you never truly leave the Brewster community. It feels as if I’m home again. It’s rewarding to be around my former teachers, which has reminded me of the great people Brewster attracts. Overall, the atmosphere and spirit of the campus hasn’t changed at all. I loved Brewster as a student, and I now love it as a coach and staff assistant. Being able to share my Brewster memories and insights with my players was one reason for returning to such a special place. I also knew I’d be working with people who truly love their jobs.
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Emma, Chelsiea, and Maeve
36 ALUM N I N EWS
David Crisp (far right) with teammates from the 2014-2015 National Prep Championship team: Justin Simon (St. John’s University); Jalen Adams (UConn); and Donovan Mitchell (Louisville).
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My Postgraduate Year David Crisp reflects on his year as a Bobcat
Temperatures dipped into the mid-20s in Seattle for the better part of the first week of January, causing locals unfamiliar with consistent periods of colder weather to act like the next ice age had arrived. David Crisp, who spent the 2014-2015 school year as a postgraduate student at Brewster Academy, and is now a 6-foot sophomore guard for the University of Washington men’s basketball team, faces below-average temperatures in Seattle with a laugh these days. “I thought it was cold here before I went to prep school,” said Crisp, unable to hold back a smile that lit up the room. “When I went up there, the cold’s just like a completely different thing. I might feel cold now, but this isn’t cold.” It wasn’t just climate at the Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, private school that took a little getting used to for Crisp, who helped Rainier Beach High School in Seattle to its third-straight Class 3A state championship the year before arriving on the banks of Lake Winnipesaukee. Crisp, who graduated high school at 17, had already made his commitment to play college ball in his hometown at Washington, but he was about to be challenged like never before, both on the court and in the classroom. “I think being 3,000 miles away from home would be a challenge for any kid, compounded by the fact he was about to come into the prep school basketball and really the whole prep school experience for the first time,” said Jason Smith,
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BY MICHAEL HEINBACH ’92
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38 Brewster head boys’ basketball coach and associate director of admission. “That’s going to be pretty daunting for anyone. But for D.C., he flew in on Friday, and I picked him up. We got him set in his dorm on Saturday, and we had our very first conditioning (practice) at 6 a.m. the next day on Sunday. So he was running for about two hours before a regimented day of orientation right off the bat.” When Crisp speaks of his decision to take a postgraduate year at Brewster rather than go directly from Rainier Beach across town to UW, he sounds confident he made the right choice, not that he’s likely often accused of lacking confidence. “Going out there to prep school, I really didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “My whole life when I was growing up, I was always a year younger than anyone else in the grade I was in. In eighth grade, I wanted to reclassify, but my parents said to just be patient and see how it plays out. “So, I decided I didn’t want to go to college young – I would’ve been only 17 starting out and I just decided that I wasn’t going to do that. I talked to my parents and my AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) coach and they talked to me about Brewster, and I got introduced to Coach Smith. He’s just such a great guy. I came out there and he took me under his wing. He’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met.” Once settled at Brewster, Crisp quickly began to earn the respect of the Brewster community – teammates, classmates, coaches, and teachers alike. Smith recalls that off the court, Crisp often drew a crowd of his peers. “He’s just got this infectious personality and people just tend to gravitate to a guy like that,” said Smith. “He’s a wonderful person that people like to be around. He’s fun and gregarious, but he knows when to draw the line. He always knew when it was time to be serious.” Crisp nearly seamlessly navigated the transition from being one of the focal points of his Rainier Beach Left: After a postgraduate year at Brewster, David Crisp ’15 returned home to play for the University of Washington. Below: David Crisp with friends and teammates Jalen Adams and Jarred Reuter at the Class of 2015 Lobster Bake.
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Crisp nearly seamlessly navigated the transition from being one of the focal points of his Rainier Beach team to an unselfish cog on a Brewster squad loaded with top-flight Division I college commitments and its sights set on a national prep championship. team to an unselfish cog on a Brewster squad loaded with top-flight Division I college commitments and its sights set on a national prep championship. Included among the schools Crisp’s former BA teammates are currently playing at are Louisville, Connecticut, Georgetown, and Arizona. “Coach Smith always kept it real with me,” Crisp said. “Even sometimes, when I didn’t want to hear some stuff … he’d still call me on it, but you could tell it was always in a real caring way. He just wanted the best for me and he wanted me to demand the best from myself.” But as much as he focused on basketball while at Brewster, Crisp also met the academic challenges he faced in his new setting head on. “I’m just really thankful that I went there. That was huge for me because academically, I didn’t really feel strong going into college,” Crisp said. “When I went to Brewster, they were pretty strict on the academics, and I really developed good study habits and all that off the court.” Brewster won both the New England and National Prep championships in the 2014-2015 school year as Crisp averaged 12 points a game with 62 assists on the season. He shot 46 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range, which led Crisp to be ranked as the 17th best point guard in the country and the No. 2 guard in New Hampshire heading into his freshman year of college to play for head coach Lorenzo Romar at Washington. Last year, Crisp played in all 34 of the Huskies’ games as a freshman and averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. As of January 13, in the early stages of this year’s Pac-12 Conference slate, Crisp’s scoring average had nearly doubled to 14.2 points per game. But the midpoint of the season had brought Washington its fair share of struggles.
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Entering a January 7 home game against conference-foe Oregon State University, the Huskies stood at 7-7 overall and 0-2 in Pac-12 contests, which led to a team meeting the night before. That night, Crisp took the floor and reminded his teammates they would face an Oregon State team the next day that handed UW arguably its most painful defeat of the previous season on a buzzer-beater, which likely spelled the end of the Huskies’ NCAA tournament hopes for that season. “I’m still holding on to that memory from last year when we played at Oregon State,” Crisp said. “Anyone who saw that remembers how it ended up. We know that game possibly cost us a tourney run, so I definitely had that on my mind. I brought it up with everybody to make sure everybody knew.” When told Crisp had addressed the team in its meeting, Smith was the least bit surprised. “I think winning was very important to that entire team D.C. played on here,” said Smith. “That year we only lost one game, and we played that team a couple of more times that season and really took it to them. David’s a very competitive person with a desire to win and play hard doing it.” Watching Crisp warm up prior to tipoff against Oregon State, it was hard to tell he had his mind set on revenge and helping the Huskies avoid an 0-3 Pac-12 start. Through stretching, layup drills, and a shoot-around, Crisp appeared almost too relaxed – oftentimes dancing to the music blaring from the P.A. and flashing his grin toward his Husky teammates. “I think any successful team needs a little personality,” Smith said. “Basketball is a long season and you have to have the ability to keep the clubhouse loose.” Crisp said that’s just the kind of guy he is. “My spirit, it’s a happy spirit,” he said. “Any time I hear music, I might be dancing. That’s just who I am. I feel like I can have fun and still be locked in at the same time.” Once the game got underway, Crisp was nearly all business. Against an Oregon State team hampered by injuries, UW battled past a slow start to surge to a 15-point halftime lead. The undisputed highlight had been Crisp’s no-look, alley-oop pass to senior forward Malik Dime, who threw it down with a thunderous, two-handed dunk that brought the home crowd of 7,781 at Alaska Airlines Arena to its feet. When it was over, Crisp had earned his first collegiate double-double, having collected 14 points and 10 assists in UW’s 87-61 win. After facing the media, one of only two Huskies chosen to participate in the team’s postgame press conference, Crisp was just as happy to speak about his Brewster experience as he was talking about the game.
David Crisp ’15 earned his first collegiate doubledouble, having collected 14 points and 10 assists in the Huskies’ 87-61 win over Oregon State in January.
“Coach Smith texts me after almost every game, both him and Coach (Josh) Lee,” Crisp said. “It means a lot that they still stay in contact with me. It shows they really care about me as a person and not just a basketball player. “And I’m just so thankful for that opportunity I got at Brewster. I love all those guys I encountered when I was there, and I know we all wish each other the best in our future endeavors. It was a special time, and I’m really thankful I went there.” Michael Heinbach, a 1992 graduate of Brewster, is a reporter with the Shelton-Mason County Reporter in Shelton, Washington.
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Class Notes SUBMIT A NOTE! We’d love to hear from you. Send a note and/or a photo to alumninews@brewsteracademy.org and we will do our best to include it in the next issue of Brewster.
1945 FACEBOOK facebook.com/ BrewsterAcademyAlumni
Iris (Philippe) Paul and her husband have four sons, four grandchildren, and one great grandchild. She now lives in Redding, Connecticut, after years in Chappaqua and Grand Island, New York, and the Boston area. “I have kept in touch with Lillian (Thomas) Newhall ’45 and Patricia (Williams) Hodgdon ’47 over the years.”
TWITTER @BrewsterAcademy
1950
WAYS TO CONNECT There are so many ways to connect with Brewster Academy. Here are a few options:
INSTAGRAM @BrewsterAcademy FLICKR flickr.com/photos/ brewster_academy VIMEO vimeo.com/ brewsteracademy E-MAIL alumninews@ brewsteracademy.org MAIL 80 Academy Drive Wolfeboro, NH 03894
UPDATE INFO Make sure we have your most recent address and e-mail at alumninews@brewsteracademy.org
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Rolph Carey is enjoying his homes in Columbia Vive de Levine and Bonita Springs, Florida. / Daniel Ford recently had the joy of skiing in Aspen, Colorado, with his teen-aged granddaughters, 50 years after his own ski-bum winter in Aspen. “On Tuesday I could still out-ski them both,” he says. “On Thursday, just the younger one. By Saturday, they were skiing fresh powder through the trees, so I had to give up the contest.”
1957
Carolyn (Haskins) Roth writes, “My dear husband, Wayne, passed in September 2014. I miss him, but I still enjoy living in his dream retirement spot, the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. I am very busy with church and community activities.”
1961
Anthony “Tony” Leitner and wife Jennifer welcomed their seventh grandchild Margot Rose Loeffler in December 2016. Tony and Jennifer live in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and enjoy
hiking and biking the Delaware Canal towpath, and Tony continues to sail in Raritan Bay. Tony and his extended family still own the house in Sanbornville, New Hampshire, where Tony lived when he was a Brewster freshman.
1964
Candace Crawshaw writes, “Turning 70 was kind of a jolt but not much to do about it. I have found that the best thing to do is to stay active and busy. I continue to be obsessed with the archive project at Brewster, and I supported the restoration of various portraits, including those of John and William Brewster. While I spend a lot of time in Wolfeboro, Sarasota, Florida, is my primary home and like every year I am anticipating another wonderful opera season. This year I will join an Opera Tour to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in August. I look forward to seeing many alumni at Reunion 2017. / Russell Dorr delivered the keynote address at the White Coat Ceremony for Boston University’s Class of 2016 Physician Assistant Program. Dorr reflected on the history of the profession and on his role as medical consultant to author Stephen King.
1965
Lester Kligerman has been painting since majoring in art and education at Parsons College in 1969. He taught art in Revere, Massachusetts, for 34 years until he retired 12 years ago. “I have probably made over 1,500 pieces of digital graphic art in Photoshop over the last 15 years.” / Richard Wright reports that he recently had a lung transplant at UCLA and that he is doing fine.
1966
Chuck Goldstein and wife Andee live in Wellington, Florida, where he works in residential real estate and investing, and Andee is a teacher. Chuck also is a Team Beachbody coach. He says, “I would love to see my mentor, Dave Pollini ’57, give my grandsons golf lessons.”
41 Fred MacDonald writes, “In 1967 there were 55 in our graduating class. I went off to college and was lucky that Nixon pulled out of Vietnam as I was number 12 in the draft lottery. I started a job in 1972 at Harvey Building Products in Waltham, Massachusetts, and this March will celebrate 45 years with the company. I’ve been married for 41 years and have two daughters and five grandchildren. My great memories include friends like Bob Black, Frank Red Harris, Chan Pierce, and the late Gordon Otis and the late Alan Shiro.”
1968
Peter McGinn writes, “Best wishes to all members of Bobcat nation. I’m enjoying my semi-retirement and keep an eye on the ever evolving and growing BA. I recently read of former faculty member and BA baseball coach, Don Smith’s passing. He was a very nice man and the kind of guy you’d want your young son to be guided by. I hope members of the class of 1968 will make an effort to attend the 50th reunion in June of 2018.” / David White has spent 44 years in the insurance industry and writes, “my wife and I will devote much of our retirement to our family farm, which was established in 1903.”
1970
This past soccer season, Peter Lally became only the second coach in NHIAA girls’ soccer history to reach 400 victories in New Hampshire.
1975
Scott Swann writes, “I’m doing well, living and working in northern California as a licensed general contractor in Marin County. My best to classes of 1974–1975.”
1976
Tom Trieschmann recently sold his home in Evanston, Illinois, and moved to Wilmette on Lake Michigan. His son Trevor is a program director for
YMCA in San Francisco and daughter Anna works for Root Cause in Boston.
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1978
Scott Mason is a hospital database analyst and lives in southern Maine; he and his wife Candace enjoy their camp up north in the summer.
1979
Kathleen Morrissette writes, “After 18 months of college visits, applications, and many essays, my twin daughters are happily enrolled as sophomores at Wellesley College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. My husband (of 25 years!) and I continue to travel and are starting to plan the next phase of our life now that our daughters are more settled. Retirement is still quite a distant goal, but at least it is on the horizon! Hope all those in the class of 1979 are happy, healthy, and doing well.”
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1982
Kevin Hampsey lives in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and owns Hampsey & Grenier Associates LLC Real Estate. His son Logan is a junior at Conant High School, and Kevin is currently knee deep in basketball as an AAU basketball coach in the Monadnock Region and in his men’s league. “I try to catch an occasional BrewsterNorthfield Mount Hermon game. Coach Smith does a nice job.”
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1983
After Brewster Daniel Epstein earned a teaching degree at Plymouth State University and has lived in Crystal River, Florida, since 1990. He is married and has two children. Daniel has taught elementary grades, served as a middle school dean of students, and he coaches, officiates, and times track and field events. He was named Track Official of the Year in 2016.” / Donah (Brookes) Mori married Glenn Mori in September 2016.
1986
Geraldine Griffin lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters, ages
(1) Carolyn Haskins Roth ’57 (2) Jon Skryzowski ‘65 with Kentucky basketball coach John Calapari in the Heinz Field club room for the Steelers vs Dolphins playoff game in January. (3) Fred MacDonald ’67 (4) Janie Whitney, mother of the late Trey Whitfield ’89, with Indigo Brown ’20 and Nate Clark ’18 at the Trey Whitfield Invitational Tournament. Nate is the son of Mike Clark ’89, who was Trey’s roommate.
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(5) Peter Lally ‘70 and his Manchester Central High School Girls’ Soccer Team. (6) Daniel Epstein ’83 and family. (7) Randy Berenson ’88 and son Zach (8) Twin daughters of Evelyn Eidelman Benbunan ’88, who lives in Alicante, Spain (9) Fraser Lewis Edwards ’91 and husband Brian Kelly at Reunion 2016.
11 and 13. “I left teaching law in 2014 and have happily returned to practicing criminal law as a public defender, full time. I also recently became certified to represent parents and children involved in cases with the Department of Children and Families. It’s rewarding and challenging work, and I love it. I have also found some time to volunteer as a GED teaching assistant, which has been wonderful. I wish I had more time to do that kind of work, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a way to volunteer
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and help others in their community. I occasionally get to see Betsy (Lurie) Ross and Liddie Kimball, but not as much as I’d like.”
1987
Brad Barton writes, “My kids attend St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, Connecticut, and last fall they played Brewster in the New England Soccer Championship.”
1988
Evelyn (Eidelman) Benbunan lives in
Alicante, Spain, and her twin girls are almost 7. / Randy Berenson recently “had the absolute thrill of having an appropriately named ‘Baby Daddy’ microbrew beer with my 21-year-old son Zach who is in his third year at Cambridge University, and he’s simply an amazing person. I feel extremely blessed to have him in my life. I’m now teaching seventh grade U.S. history and eighth grade honors algebra in Lake Tahoe, and I absolutely love the job! Look me up if you’re interested in visiting the Winnipesaukee of the
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1990
Fumitake Kikuchi is CEO of an international trading company for industrial products in Japan. “I am looking forward to building a network of global trading business, and I am also interested in investing in the education for the future of Japan.”
1991
Fraser Edwards has two sons ages 11 and 8, and two step children. “I’m still teaching Barre class and I absolutely love it! We had a great 25th Reunion – I loved bringing the hubby and showing him a dear part of my life. Hopefully more peeps will come for the 30th. It truly was fun. Thank you Brewster for some more memories.” / Hilary Hawkins is the director of trauma services for Portsmouth Regional Hospital. She says her five children are all doing great things, and she and her husband now have seven grandchildren. / Laurence Seiterle writes, “I tell myself and our son and daughter every day, ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life.’ We have another baby on the way, a boy, due in July.” His company was completing an adaptive reuse project of a food truck park and family/community friendly bar north of downtown San Antonio.
1993
Dan McCoy is finishing up his course work for his doctoral in educational administration. / Elizabeth Traverso is building a food blog and her Instagram at healdsburgtable. She and her husband are working on obtaining a license to import wines from Italy and France with an additional focus on scotch.
1994
Jessica Kirshenbaum is still enjoying Naples, Florida, after 13 years and was looking forward to a month-long escape to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Antarctica.
1995
Mary Beth Bender has been teaching children’s yoga classes since 2005, and in 2016 she opened Twist Kids Yoga school in Charlotte, North Carolina. “We are the first official children’s yoga school in Charlotte. My team and I train yoga teachers to teach children’s yoga professionally. Our goal is to continue spreading this work around the Southeast and beyond! I’m extremely grateful for this work. It feels good to be a part of the shift.”
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West (but with better skiing) … I hope that you’re all well!”
1996
Julia Metcalf recently spent time studying architecture in Europe / Andrew Swan and wife Sarah recently welcomed son, Finn Henry.
1998
Evan Sideris and Jenny Fredette were married in August 2016 aboard the Sailing Vessel Pisacataqua, a replica gundalow in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The couple rowed the ship’s longboat up river to their reception at the South End Yacht Club. Evan works for an insurance company in Boston and operates his own Marine Appraisal Business. Jenny is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Portsmouth.
2001
Zac Tartol lives in Scituate, Massachusetts, and writes, “I’ve dedicated my life to helping people get in the best shape of their life. As a public speaker on nutrition and business philosophy, I firmly believe in the power of the mind. My business has opened a number of nutrition club and smoothie bars down the East Coast and into Central America. Brewster was an incredible experience. I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying life.”
2002
Jillian (Egan) Nickerson and husband Guy, live in nearby Gilford where she is a science teacher and the couple is expecting their second daughter. “Last year we purchased a summer camp on Welch Island on Lake
A Well Earned Diploma Mary L. (Perkins) Cashman ’57 received her Brewster honorary diploma (and her transcript and yearbook photos) on Christmas morning 2016. In 1957, half way through her senior year, Mary left Brewster to marry her boyfriend whose parents had died. The State of New Hampshire was going to put his two younger siblings in foster care unless he was married and could care for them. Mary and her new husband raised his two siblings and were married for nearly 20 years. They also had three children of their own. While Mary had a busy family life and fulfilling work over the years, she regretted not receiving her Brewster diploma. This past fall her daughter contacted the Academy to ask if an honorary diploma could be presented to Mary as a member of the Class of 1957 and on Christmas morning – 59 years after leaving the Academy and much to her surprise – Mary held what she had long wished for. Always a Bobcat.
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(10) Jeff Goldberg married Karen Blum on July 9, 2016. (11) Amanda (Wiggins) Slater ’03 and family. (12) Franklin Pargh ’03 played for Team Israel in the Aleš Hřebeský box lacrosse tournament in Prague. (13) Oliver is the son of Ali (Woodaman) Hutchins ’04. (14) Mike Milone ’05 and his classmates and groomsmen: Austin Burrows, Scott Morgan, Curran Robinette, and Lambert de Ganay.
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IN MEMO RIAM
T R IBU T E S
Helene Wilson
1938 Captain John H. Hooper
In January, Brewster was saddened by the passing of Helene Wilson (Grant ’87, Kirsten ’88). Helene and her husband Grant, who passed away in 2012, were active supporters and champions of the Academy, among many philanthropic and volunteer priorities. The community is forever grateful for the many ways they showed their support for Brewster. Former Headmaster David M. Smith shared the following: Helene, like Grant, faced life full bore. Despite all the serious maladies she has dealt with in recent years she found the strength to do so without a hint of being disabled in attitude or performance. Helene and Grant were two of the most extraordinary people I have ever known, and they played a pivotal role in our school’s history and success. Sheila and I were privileged to feel that we were extended members of their lives.
David Olson
Former Faculty member John “David” Olson passed away on January 10 in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire. David joined Brewster as chairman of the Art Department in 1989. He was joined at Brewster by his wife, Susan Dean-Olson, who taught English. The couple taught at Brewster until 1995. Also on a sad note, in December 2016 the Olson family lost Lauren Malkin-Olson ’93, the wife of the Olson’s son, Adam ’91.
December 6, 2016 Wakefield, New Hampshire
1945 Joyce P. Miliner
September 6, 2016 Wolfeboro
Carra M. (Richardson) Moore
December 21, 2016 Ossipee, New Hampshire
1947 Thaddeus Mielcarz
September 19, 2016 Concord, New Hampshire
1948 Jacqueline H. (Hiler) Clark
August 26, 2016 Keene, New Hampshire 1949 Jean (Corson) Hamlin
November 5, 2016 Ossipee, New Hampshire
1950 June A. (Tutt) Fletcher
October 24, 2016 Sanbornville, New Hampshire
Russell Tupeck
January 6, 2017 Tuftonboro, New Hampshire
Winnnipesaukee, so if you’re in the area, come find us!”
2003
Franklin Pargh recently competed for Team Israel in the Ales Hrebsky box lacrosse tournament in Prague. / Laura (Guerin) Lovett and husband Dax gave up their San Francisco apartment and their jobs to travel. “We have traveled to four continents so far and will be in Europe the next couple of months. We will probably settle in Seattle when we are done traveling.” / Amanda (Wiggins) Slater and husband Sam welcomed daughter Caroline Elizabeth in December 2016. She joins big brother Johnny. The Slaters live in the outskirts of Burlington, Vermont, and Amanda works at a small nonprofit that supports youth garden-based education in schools and communities across the nation. / James Walker has
joined Ruder Finn’s U.S. Corporate Practice as group vice president of Social Engagement & Digital Content. He is based in New York City. / Kate (Considine) Wallace and Gregory Wallace were married in Iceland in September 2016 (see feature on Kathryn’s business on page 20).
2004
Ali (Woodaman) Hutchins son Oliver turned 2 in November “When I am not teaching I am spending time with family and working on my Younique business. As a family we like to spend time exploring and making new memories.”
2005
In October Andrew Hoverson transitioned out of the Marine Corps after nearly nine years, including five and a half in the infantry and three years as the chief instructor for the Marine Corps’ Close
1954 Jacqueline L. (Lord) Murray
September 11, 2016 Laconia, New Hampshire 1962 Donald R. Smith
(and former faculty) December 31, 2016 Plymouth, Massachusetts 1969 William B. Bradford
December 3, 2016 Salem, New Hampshire 1982 Leslie H. Sturkey Jr.
December 31, 2016 East Elmhurst, New York 1992 Sarah E. (Chalmers) Grayson
January 1, 2017 Falmouth, Massachusetts
1993 Lauren L. (Malkin) Olson
December 29, 2016 Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts
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Quarters Battle School. He is planning to finish his undergraduate degree in finance, then begin an MBA, and eventually earn a CFA designation. / Michael Milone married Kaitlynn Cates at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in August 2016. Curran Robinette was his best man and Scott Morgan, Lambert De Ganay, and Austin Burrows where groomsmen.
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2006
Chris Berry writes “I have had a fun ride from attending Roger Williams University to joining AmeriCorps NCC, to teaching outdoor/adventure education in Colorado, New York, and Massachusetts. Of most note, I joined the team at Rustic Pathways, Inc. and had the great fortune of leading service and adventure programs all across southeast Asia since May 2015. During the off season, I help
(15) Melissa (Fortin) Haase ’06 celebrated her wedding to Ashden Haase in October 2016 with Brewster alumni: Melissa’s sister Kristen (Fortin) McLeskey ’04, Kyle Berns ’06, and Scott Cameron ’08. (16) Amelia Kotusky, Ally Churchill, and Alanna Moran, Class of 2016, visited the new Admission Office in December. (17) Amberlee Jones ’08 at her December 2015 wedding. (18) Hannah Pattie ’09 is engaged to Steve Hugel. (19) James Tambone ’10 (20) Kate (Considine) Wallace with her father Peter Considine ’68 at her wedding reception. (21) Sean Cassidy ’14 raised $850 to provide backpacks with basic necessities to the Boston homeless.
with our outreach efforts by visiting schools. Brewster was actually one of my first visits this past October, and I hooked the one and only TJ Palmer into considering a trip to Cuba with his students! I’m excited to see how that turns out.” / Melissa Fortin married Ashden Haase in October 2016 at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, Maine. Brewster alumna (and Melissa’s sister) Kristen (Fortin) McLeskey ’04 and alumni Kyle Berns
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2007
Kelsey (Harger) Cohen married Yale Cohen in December. / Jennifer O’Leary is training as an amateur fighter in Stamford, Connecticut, and is currently undefeated in the 125 lb. flyweight class. When not training, she works full time as an analyst at a hedge fund in nearby Greenwich.
2008
Ethan Bravo and wife Jenn have a new baby daughter, Lila Kennedy. / Amberlee Jones was married in December 2015 and has a 3-year-old daughter who loves science. “I work at Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf as a Sign Language Interpreter in the Department of Access Services on the business and computer science team. I swing dance and have performed at Stompology 2015 and Snow Bound Blues 2016.” / Noah Schmidt is now an associate attorney with Schmidt Salzman & Moran Ltd. practicing real estate tax law in Chicago.
2009
Daniel Csete, a graduate student in sports management at Barry University, is the graduate assistant coach for the university’s men’s basketball team. / Hanna Pattie is engaged and is planning a June 2017 wedding in Aruba. She lives in Boston and works as a social media strategist at 451 Marketing in the North End.
2010
James Tambone has been working as the assistant developer at Atlantic Tambone on a 55+ condominium community, Wenham Pines, in Wenham, Massachusetts. The development should be completed in fall 2017, and James will handle the sales and marketing for all units.
2011
Elizabeth Sterchele is a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, currently stationed at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is the cybersecurity project manager for the Launch and Test Range Systems located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Vandenberg AFB, California. She also is pursuing a master’s in civil engineering at the University of Louisville with a concentration in transportation engineering.
2013
Ryan Coombs is interning with Core Medical Group in Salem, New Hampshire. After playing lacrosse for High Point University, he transferred to Rivier University in New Hampshire to be closer to family and friends. He plans to graduate in 2017 with a degree in finance and accounting. “I miss the Brewster crew and all the great times and people I met while attending the Academy.”
2014
Villanova University junior Sean Cassidy is a facilities attendant with Villanova Athletic Operations. He is responsible for game day management of sports teams as well as event set up and break down. Sean is pursuing a degree in both marketing and real estate and spent the past two summers interning with the Cambridge, Massachusetts, City Hall Finance Department. In December he raised $850 for Backpacks for Boston’s Homeless, and in early January he assembled 23 backpacks to hand out. “It is great to be able to help others once in a while!” / Megan Harp writes “I am currently in three honor societies at the University of Tampa, and I ballroom dance as a hobby!”
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and Scott Cameron ’08 were part of the celebration. Melissa and Ashden reside in Northern Virginia.
Rachael L. Jeffers ’05
Q UICK TAKE RACHAEL L . JEF F ERS ’05
In December Rachael L. Jeffers ’05 became the Academy’s first recipient of The Brewster Pillars Award. This new award honors a graduate who has demonstrated a commitment to community service and giving back to the broader community – an individual whose volunteer and professional work has made a lasting impact on their community. Service is not new to Rachael. At her Brewster commencement she received the Arthur M. Hurlin Award, given to that student who has done the most for the welfare, good name, and progress of the Academy. Rachael exemplifies a generous spirit, a big-picture view, and a desire to serve and educate the communities where she lives, studies, and works. While she brings an easy smile and abundant warmth to her work and volunteer efforts, she does so with strength of purpose and a laser focus. Including her three years as Brewster’s advancement writer, Rachael’s professional and volunteer paths have kept her connected to people, institutions, and to their stories. She is now the development and communications officer for the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
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1906
REM EM BER WH EN ?
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CHAMPIONS
The 1906 New Hampshire Champion Prep School Basketball Team
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JOIN WITH BREWSTER STUDENTS, ALUMNI, THEIR PARENTS, AND GRANDPARENTS IN SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL’S
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