Summer 2019 Brooks Bulletin

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BROOKS BULLETIN • SUMMER 2019

B OA R D OF T RU ST EES President Steven R. Gorham ’85, P’17, P’21 Andover, Mass.

Vice Presidents John R. Barker ’87, P’21, P’23 Wellesley, Mass.

Whitney Romoser Savignano ’87 Manchester, Mass.

Secretary Craig J. Ziady ’85, P’18, P’20, P’22 Winchester, Mass.

Treasurer Valentine Hollingsworth III ’72, P’17 Dover, Mass.

TRUSTEES EMER ITI William N. Booth ’67, P’05 Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Henry M. Buhl ’48 New York, N.Y. Steve Forbes ’66, P’91 Bedminster, N.J. James G. Hellmuth P’78 Lawrence, N.Y. H. Anthony Ittleson ’56, P’84, P’86 Green Pond, S.C. Michael B. Keating ’58, P’97 Boston, Mass.

Frank A. Kissel ’69, P’96, P’99 Far Hills, N.J.

T R U STEES Cristina E. Antelo ’95 Washington, D.C.

Peter A. Nadosy ’64 New York, N.Y.

Peter J. Caldwell Morristown, N.J.

Peter W. Nash ’51, P’81, P’89 Nantucket, Mass.

W. J. Patrick Curley III ’69 New York, N.Y.

Cera B. Robbins P’85, P’90 New York, N.Y.

Peter V. K. Doyle ’69 Sherborn, Mass.

Eleanor R. Seaman P’86, P’88, P’91, GP’18 Hobe Sound, Fla.

Cheryl M. Duckworth P’22, P’23 Lynnfield, Mass.

Axidi Iglesias ’19 (right) embraces a fellow Brooksian after Boo-Hoo Chapel. The chapel service held directly after Lawn Ceremony gives departing sixth-formers an opportunity to bid the school goodbye.

David R. Williams III ’67 Beverly Farms, Mass.

Anthony H. Everets ’93 New York, N.Y. Nancy C. Ferry P’21 West Newton, Mass.

Jonathan F. Gibbons ’92 Needham, Mass.

Shawn Gorman ’84 Falmouth, Maine Paul L. Hallingby ’65 New York, N.Y. Booth D. Kyle ’89 Severna Park, Md. Zachary S. Martin P’15, P’17 Wellesley, Mass.

Brian McCabe P’18 Meredith, N.H. John R. Packard Jr. P ’18, P’21 Head of School North Andover, Mass.

Daniel J. Riccio P’17, P’20 Los Gatos, Calif.

Belisario A. Rosas P’15, P’21 Andover, Mass.

Juliane Gardner Spencer ’93 New York, N.Y. Ramakrishna R. Sudireddy P’15 Andover, Mass.

Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 Chadds Ford, Pa. Alessandro F. Uzielli ’85 Beverly Hills, Calif.

Meredith M. Verdone ’81, P’19 Newton Center, Mass.

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BROOKS BULLETIN

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Head of School John R. Packard Jr. P’18, P’21

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Director of Institutional Advancement Gage S. Dobbins P’22, P’23 Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Nicole Mallen Jackson ’95 Associate Director of Alumni Relations Carly Churchill ’10 Director of Admission and Financial Aid Bini W. Egertson P’12, P’15

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Director of Communications and Marketing Dan Callahan P’19, P’20, P’23 Director of Publications Rebecca A. Binder Design Aldeia www.aldeia.design

FEAT UR ES

D E PA RTM E N TS

Alumni Communications Manager Emily Williams

16 A Celebratory Farewell

02 M essage from the Head of School

Assistant Director of Communications Jennifer O’Neill

Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and not necessarily of Brooks School.

Correspondence concerning the Bulletin should be sent to Editor Rebecca A. Binder:

The Brooks community celebrated the school year’s accomplishments and the graduation of the class of 2019 during Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day, a two-day affair in late May.

03 News + Notes 36 Reunion Notes

26 A Weekend to Remember Brooks graduates returned to campus for Alumni Weekend in mid-May. The celebrations included campus tours, class dinners and an all-alumni reception that honored retiring faculty Dusty Richard.

mail Editor, Brooks Bulletin 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845 email rbinder@brooksschool.org phone (978) 725-6326 © 2019 Brooks School

ON THE COVER: The bell tower of Ashburn Chapel reflected in the windows of the Center for the Arts.

Alumni Weekend, along with Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day, gives Brooksians of all ages a chance to appreciate and reflect on the past, present and future of the school.

A MESSAGE FROM JOHN R. PACKARD JR. HEAD OF SCHOOL

The Wonder of This Place As we move through May and June every

“ As we move further beyond The Campaign for Brooks, we are actively engaged in a range of potential next steps intent on continuing to take advantage of the place we are so privileged to occupy.”

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year, we find ourselves with so much to be thankful for. We enjoy time with alumni and alumnae who are back to catch up with one another and their school. We celebrate with our newest graduates and their families, with much to be proud of when reflecting on contributions that strengthened our experience together.

We push into June intent on finishing the year well and turn our attention to summer planning and the school year to come. We work hard to close the fiscal year on sure footing and are so deeply appreciative of our community’s Brooks Fund support during the stretch run. In these two months, we see and feel a level of engagement and care for our school that has much to do with what allows us to aim in the direction of realizing our mission: to deliver the most meaningful educational experience our students will have in their lives.

Through it all, however, we do not find much time to pause, catch our breath and take in the wonder of the place where we all go to school together. Each year, sometimes more than once, I will be drawn in a Chapel talk to underlining the importance of doing what we can to stay present and see and feel all that is around us. As the days for the sixth form dwindle, I encourage them to make time to connect with the campus. This year, I asked them to consider walking along the lake with friends before they graduate. I suggested to them that a time will come in their lives when they will return here with spouses, partners, children and friends, and all of them will be astonished by the beauty of this place. Without fail, this point is made over and over again by alums who are back to both visit a school that feels like theirs and to marvel at the extent to which it has

evolved and leveraged the natural wonder of our 270 acres.

As we move further beyond The Campaign for Brooks, we are actively engaged in a range of potential next steps intent on continuing to take advantage of the place we are so privileged to occupy.

At an enrollment conference I attended earlier this summer, a fellow head of school suggested that rather than lament what we might not have in comparison to some peer schools, we should be asking ourselves what “unfair advantages” do we have. Our campus is certainly one such example. You can anticipate future editions of the Bulletin pointing to progress we are determined to make in a range of areas: the woods, and how we can better connect the school to the lake; the manner in which we reorganize our dormitories with community experiences in mind; the way one enters our campus and sees and feels the vistas and views we experience every day; further iterations of a pedestrianized Main Street; and new possibilities with the 75 acres we own on the other side of Great Pond Road. To do all of this work in ways that connect our program to our campus — to become more place-based, if you will — is very much in mind. When looking through this lens and thinking along these lines, I find it hard to believe any school has more unfair advantages of this sort than we do. How exciting.

As we turn our attention more fully to getting our 93rd year off to a great start, we are all acutely aware of the foundation so many have laid through the previous 92 years to position us to have these advantages and opportunities within our reach.

To do our part to ensure this trend continues for those still to come is our goal.

Thank you for keeping the school in your heart and head. Have a wonderful fall.

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N E WS + N OT ES Brooksians dance at this year’s prom. The April event took place at IKON, a nightclub in Boston.

NEWS + NOTES IN THIS SECTION 04 News from Campus 10 Campus Scene 12 Athlete Spotlight 14 Athletics News

NEWS + NOTE S

N EWS FRO M C A M P US

After her Chapel speech, Kippy Liddle Day Speaker Lexi Caffrey ’06 (left) visited the Brooks boathouse with teammate Libby Mulligan ’04 (center) and current Brooks coxswain Caitlyn Ingram ’21 (right).

Celebrating Women in Sport The school’s annual remembrance of Kippy Liddle brought a former national champion to the Chapel podium.

Brooks continued with its annual celebration of the late Kippy Liddle in Chapel in April, inviting former national champion girls 1st crew coxswain and current alumni board member Lexi Caffrey ’06 to speak to the student and faculty body.

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Katherine V. “Kippy” Liddle was a Brooks history teacher, assistant crew coach and dorm parent who died in a 1984 boating accident while protecting the life of a student during a preseason practice with the Brooks crew team on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

Liddle is now recognized each year on Kippy Liddle Day, during which Brooks celebrates the outstanding achievements, accomplishments and character of female athletes at Brooks.

Caffrey noted at the outset of her remarks that she feels a strong bond with Liddle, having rowed both at Brooks and at the University of Pennsylvania. Caffrey was a two-year captain and three-year coxswain for the girls 1st crew team. She won the crew program’s Courtney Crew Prize twice en route to national championships in 2004 and 2005. This wasn’t planned, though: Caffrey arrived at Brooks intending to play softball.

But, by trying something new and exploring crew, Caffrey told Chapel attendants, she discovered a passion, and she encouraged the audience to do the same.

“As I sat down to think about my time at Brooks, the main thing I looked back on was how much opportunity my classmates and I had, and I’m thrilled to see that has only grown since I have left,” she said.

“I want to make sure you understand the opportunity that comes with a Brooks School education,” Caffrey said. “Look around the chapel at the teachers, coaches, advisors and deans who are present. You have the opportunity to learn from and interact with these special individuals every day.

They all embody the spirit of Kippy in some way. The teachers and coaches at Brooks are always willing to go the extra mile to see you succeed.”

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A LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Three Brooks athletes — Taylor Charpentier ’20, Alex Costantino ’21 and Molly Madigan ’20 — traveled with Assistant Director of Athletics Kerry Baldwin to Cushing Academy to attend the annual Girls in Sport Leadership Summit in April. The gathering, which hosted approximately 100 female student-athletes, coaches and administrators from boarding schools around New England, spent the day in interactive workshops on topics such as conflict management, transitioning to college athletics, leadership skills and creating a positive team culture. The keynote address was given by Meghan Duggan, a Cushing graduate who is the captain of the United States women’s national hockey team. Duggan has won three Olympic medals, including a gold medal last February. She previously won three national championships at the University of Wisconsin. Duggan led a successful strike by the women’s national team against its governing body for gender-equitable treatment in advance of the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation’s women’s world championship.

Massachusetts State Representative Tram Nguyen (front row, center, in blazer) visited an AP Government class at Brooks to talk about her journey to politics.

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Sitting Down With a State Rep AP Government students got to meet and speak with the state representative who represents the school’s 18th Essex district.

As the school year drew to a close, Dean of Students and history faculty Willie Waters ’02 arranged for a special guest to visit his AP Government class. Massachusetts State Representative Tram Nguyen, who represents Andover, North Andover, Boxford and Tewksbury, visited campus to speak with students for almost an hour. The group talked to Nguyen about her career, running for office, what it’s like to be a politician and the importance of young people getting involved in the issues that matter to them.

Nguyen told the students about her path to the Massachusetts Legislature, which began with her working as a lawyer for a legal aid organization. She entered politics, she said, because she wanted to “look into different ways that I could work on policy to impact more people, versus one person at a time, one family at a time.” Students took in Nguyen’s story with an eye toward their own futures. “Talking to someone who is living the life I potentially want to live was so interesting,” says Kailey O’Neill ’19. “As someone who will be attending a liberal arts college and plans to attend law school, it is reassuring to hear that working hard, setting goals and sticking to your beliefs can get you to the place you want to end up in.”

Nguyen discussed a variety of current issues with the students, also. They talked about upcoming legislation, partisanship, the environment and reproductive rights. Before class ended, Nguyen urged the students to get involved themselves. She is the first Vietamese-American woman to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature, and she pointed out that, as someone in her 30s, she is also one of the youngest people in the State House.

“We want to get younger people involved. We want to get younger people into politics,” she said, following up with a challenge: “This year, [one state representative] is only 24 years old. So you guys have about, what, six years left?”

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NEWS + NOTE S

N EWS FRO M C A M P US

S P R I NG P L AY

Mamma Mia! In May, a group of Brooksians staged the musical “Mamma Mia!” on the main stage in the Center for the Arts. Sixth-former Katie O’Brien’s independent course was a study in stage directing, and the final performances brought down the house. “Mamma Mia!” tells the hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father. The tale, which unfolds on a Greek island paradise, uses the storytelling magic of 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA to portray an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.

O’Brien, who has performed in and was inspired by two previous student-directed shows at Brooks,

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says that she’s enjoyed being a part of the independent projects.

She chose “Mamma Mia!” for its music. “The songs are well-known and really fun to sing,” she says, “and I knew that if I did this show people would be excited to do it and watch it.”

Although directing a show is, she says, a lot harder than she thought it would be, she calls the challenge “exciting.” Independent acting projects like “Mamma Mia!,” O’Brien explains, are different from departmental productions because they are not considered an afternoon activity. Students rehearse only after their other commitments take

place. “However,” she says, “these projects provide students who don’t really do theater with an opportunity to perform. I really enjoy this, because it allows me and other students involved to get to know more students, especially those who we wouldn’t necessarily interact with otherwise. I hope the cast learned more about performing and maybe found a new passion! I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with.”

Students, many of whom had never performed before, took to the stage for the spring play “Mamma Mia!” in the Center for the Arts.

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Becoming Brooks Alumni The sixth form was welcomed into the Brooks alumni association with dinner, an inspiring speech from a young alumnus and a chance to reflect on its time at the school.

Racquel Baldeo ’21 (right) with her guest on Grandparents and Special Friends Day.

A SPECIAL DAY ON CAMPUS Brooks welcomed family and other loved ones to campus in late April for the school’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day. The 125 guests to campus had the opportunity to visit classes, eat lunch in Wilder Dining Hall and tour the campus and its spaces on a lively Saturday afternoon. The Center for the Arts was a popular destination, as guests explored the $28 million facility to see artwork, classrooms and facilities, and watch a few student performers in action.

“Our guests walk in with such pure excitement and

The sixth form enjoyed its annual induction into the Brooks alumni association in May. The form was treated to dinner in Wilder Dining Hall with 18 members of the alumni board, including president Jon Gibbons ’92. The group fielded questions and offered advice about life after Brooks, and got to know the alumni association’s newest members.

The featured speaker of the night was Sathvik Sudireddy ’15, who graduated from Harvard University this spring with a degree in computer science. Sudireddy spoke about the lasting connection between members of the Brooks community, a connection that transcends graduation from the school.

“I realized in college that you are not only the reader of your life, experiencing moments as they come, but you are also a writer,” Sudireddy said. “Despite the chaotic, unpredictable nature of life, we still have control over the choices we make.” He urged sixth-formers to “be conscious of the fact that any community that gives to you also grows because of the ways you choose to serve it.”

happiness to be a part of their grandchild’s day,” says Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Nicole Mallen Jackson ’95. “Grandparents and Special Friends Day is a day of sheer joy on campus and one of my favorite events of the year.”

REACHING ATHLETIC HEIGHTS Rower Nate Wirth ’21 took eighth place in the US Rowing Youth National Championship held in Sarasota, Florida, in June. Wirth rowed a 7:24.679 in the men’s youth 1x final. Brooksian Aly Abou Eleinen ’18, meanwhile, made his mark on the professional squash circuit: He won his first professional event in Cairo in July. He began the tournament unseeded, but he climbed the

Pictured above: Brooksians at the Sixth-Form Induction Dinner in May. From left to right: Martin Li ’19, Nick Miller ’19, Myles Pember ’19, Jack Murphy ’19, Brandon Fogarty ’19, Brian Fogarty ’15, Eddie Choi ’19, Deven Kanwal ’19.

bracket to beat longtime rival and Tabor Academy graduate Aly Hussein in the semifinals and current US British Junior Champion Yehia Elnawasany in the finals. And, competitive yo-yo phenom Coco Sun ’17 [Ed. Note: see fall 2015 Bulletin, page 8] won first place in the women’s 1A final at the 2019 U.S. National Yo-Yo Championship in July.

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NEWS + NOTE S

N EWS FRO M C A M P US

Cum Laude Induction A group of sixth-form scholars was inducted into an international society in April.

Nineteen sixth-formers were inducted into the Brooks School chapter of the sixth-formers were Cum Laude Society in April, during a inducted into the Cum special Ashburn Chapel ceremony that Laude Society in April: included the inductees, students, faculty, Amolina Bhat parents and friends.

Eddie Choi The Cum Laude Society, founded in Caroline Cutter 1906 and modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, Jadie DeLeon honors scholastic achievement in secondSarah Fleischman ary schools. Brooks is one of 382 chapters Brian Kang from around the world.

Jackie Lappin “This ceremony and the reception Charlotte Marks that follows are demonstrations of our Spencer Pierce enthusiastic commitment to honor schoMaddie Shea lastic achievement at Brooks School,” Stella Si Academic Dean and chapter president Connor Silva Susanna Waters told the audience.

Claire Trustey “When I read these students’ names Lily Valerio and recognize them for their scholastic Tianshu Wang accomplishments, I think about the Katie Warren curiosity driving them to ask questions in Ethan Yang class, the hours in the library searching Caroline Yonce for understanding and the commitment Lami Zhang to skill development enabling them to become independent learners,” Waters reflects following the ceremony. “Some of them get excited about linear algebra or analyzing poetry, just as some love building robots or critiquing economic models.

Their passion has inspired them to apply themselves fully to their studies, and that is definitely something worth celebrating.”

World Languages faculty Lillian Miller, who has taught Spanish at Brooks since 2006, offered the Cum Laude Address. She reflected on her experience as a bilingual speaker and encouraged students to learn a second language. Doing so, she said, will widen students’ horizons and allow them to learn more about themselves.

THE INDUCTEES The following 19

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A group of Brooksians attended a lecture by author Julia Alvarez and got to briefly meet her following the event. From left to right: Aileen Arias ’21, Lily Valerio ’19, author Julia Alvarez, Caroline Samoluk ’21.

A Meaningful Field Trip English faculty Rebecca Binder and Leigh Perkins ’81 took a group of Brooks students to a lecture by renowned author Julia Alvarez at the Lawrence, Mass., public library in April. Alvarez is the author of “In the Time of the Butterflies,” a fictional account of the real-life Mirabal sisters, who led a rebellion against the dictator Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The book is a mainstay of the fourth-form English curriculum, and it explores themes of courage, social justice and oppression.

The lecture, titled “Butterfly Power: An Evening with Julia Alvarez,” was a meaningful capstone to the month-long study of the book, says Caroline Samoluk ’21. “Having the opportunity to see such an amazing author in person was truly moving,” she says. “I deeply related to many of the universal truths she spoke of regarding reading and writing.”

Alvarez spoke as part of the White Fund Lecture Series, which provides a free series of interactive presentations for Lawrence-area adults, youth and children. The White Fund’s cultural conversations feature well-known lecturers in fields such as history, literature, travel, the arts and politics.

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A Tour of History A group of Brooksians traveled to Europe to immerse itself in World War II history.

A group of Brooks students and faculty crossed the Atlantic Ocean to tour some of Europe’s notable World War II landmarks this summer.

The 10-day trip in late June and early July coincided with the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Academic Dean and history faculty Susanna Waters, Dean of Faculty John McVeigh and history faculty Amanda Nasser led the group.

The Brooksians began in London before traveling by ferry across the English Channel from Portsmouth, England, to Caen, France, recreating the route Allied forces traveled on D-Day. The group spent time exploring the beaches of Normandy in France before continuing to Berlin.

Waters says that the trip was in line with the school’s mission. “We believe that providing opportunities for students to get out in the world and experience history where it happened serves to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the human condition,” she says.

“Now more than ever, it proves important that our young people learn from the past. Our students stood in the bombed out ruins of Coventry Cathedral and learned about the congregation’s message of peace and reconciliation in the face of tragedy. They learned about code-breaking in the building where Alan Turing deciphered the German engima code, effectively winning the war and saving millions of lives. They waded in the Mulberry Harbor of Juno Beach among scuttled ships, navigated the artillery craters at Pointe du Hoc and walked the rows of crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery where thousands of American servicepeople are buried. The students touched the Berlin Wall and stood in the crematorium at Sachsenhausen Brooksians traveled to Europe to learn about World War II. Concentration Camp.

Here, they are pictured in front of the Brandenburg Gate It is hard to replicate in Berlin. these experiences confined to the four walls of a classroom, and it proved deeply memorable for these students to have sensory experiences and appreciate the sense of place at these monuments, memorials and museums.”

A New Trustee The school welcomes a new, strong leader to its board.

CHERYL M. DUCKWORTH P’22, P’23 is senior managing director, partner and director of global consultant relations education at Wellington Management Company LLP. She is responsible for a global team of professionals who develop and enhance Wellington Management’s working relationships with investment consulting firms, while also maintaining close engagement with Wellington’s investment and client-facing teams. Prior to her current role, Duckworth spent five years in Singapore as the head of the Singapore office and associate director of research, where she was responsible for the management and regulatory oversight of the business activities of the office and oversaw the firm’s investment resources across Asia. She spent the early part of her career at Wellington as an investment director and as the director of international/global equity product management, working with investment groups to design and develop international and global equity products. Before joining Wellington Management in 1994, Duckworth gained experience in the investment industry at Massachusetts Financial Services from 1988 to 1992. She received her M.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and her B.A. in economics and art history from Duke University.

Additionally, she holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. Originally from Chatham, N.J., Duckworth is an avid soccer player. Her family, which includes Brooksians Tori ’22 and Abbie ’23, loves to travel, ski and hike together. Fittingly, she serves on the finance committee for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

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NEWS + NOTE S

C A M PUS S CEN E

The Brooks campus, as seen from the air in summer 2019. The Center for the Arts is visible in the foreground, between Ashburn Chapel and Wilder Dining Hall. This summer, as part of the school’s campus master plan, the school will reconfigure the parking lot behind the dining hall and extend Chapel Road from behind Ashburn Chapel to the road that runs between the dining hall and the Athletic Center.

NEWS + NOTE S

AT HL ET E S P OT L I G H T

John Fritz ’20 Two-year baseball captain John Fritz ’20 chose Brooks because of its small student body and close, intimate community. Now, he’s a leader for the school and its baseball program.

John Fritz ’20 is all in at Brooks.

All in to his academics; all in to the three sports he plays at the school; all in to Brooks itself. He’s far from the loudest, most gregarious Brooksian walking Main Street, but he seems noticeably at ease in all corners of the school.

Fritz isn’t new to independent boarding schools, by any measure. His parents, both boarding school faculty, raised him on the campus of St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del., before moving the family north to Phillips Academy Andover. He’s tuned in to the bonds, the relationships, the community that make an independent school work. The importance those bonds played in his early life, Fritz says, made choosing to attend Brooks an easy call.

“I’ve always known being a faculty kid,” he says. “I’ve always known the students, and I think it’s easier to do that at a smaller school than at a larger school.” He recalls that, when he was applying to schools, Brooks wasn’t initially one of his top choices. His parents pushed him to visit; he’s glad he did. “When I got to campus,” he says, “it was totally different. I had a great tour with Gus Hoffman ’18.”

His interest piqued, Fritz ended up attending the school’s revisit day that spring, and it was memorable.

“I really had a great revisit day,” he says. “I was paired with [former senior prefect] Jason Gold ’18, and that was the day I knew I wanted to come to Brooks. That was the day that Brooks shone through.

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Brooks felt like a fun school. That’s the vibe I got from School Meeting on revisit day. I thought maybe I wanted to go to a larger school; but then Jason, it seemed like he knew everyone by name on Main Street, and they knew him by name, and I thought that was pretty cool.”

Brooks, Fritz says, has measured up to his expectations: It’s a small community, he says, one in which he knows seemingly everyone, and one that is comfortable, close and inviting, beyond the students and faculty that he shares classes with.

This emphasis on community has driven Fritz to several leadership positions at Brooks. The incoming school prefect and Community Activities prefect has previously worked as an admission prefect and as an alumni ambassador. He’s also a leader for Thorne House, his dorm. All these positions, Fritz says, relate back to his appreciation for and drive to show off the close Brooks community he was initially attracted to: He gets to show the school to prospective students; he gets to connect with the school’s young alumni; he gets to develop and facilitate weekend activities for the entire student body; and, he gets to help create and foster the bonds and friendships in his dorm.

Despite living nearby, he insisted on boarding, saying “I love living with all my friends, and I definitely want to be at school as much as I can.”

Fritz’s leadership and strong appreciation of the Brooks

community show through in his contributions to Brooks’s athletics.

He’s a three-sport athlete at Brooks.

He’s a wide receiver, defensive back and incoming captain for the 1st football team; he plays center for the boys 1st hockey team; and he’s an outfielder, pitcher and two-year captain for the 1st baseball team.

He picked up an All-ISL Honorable Mention nod in football last fall and was named to the All-ISL team in baseball this spring.

Baseball is Fritz’s primary sport. He loves the sport and cites memories from his childhood of playing on a team coached by his father. “I was on a great team,” he says. “It was a blast.

And then getting here, there’s just nothing better than Brooks in the spring. On those beautiful days, we always seem to have students at our games. Kids carry couches out to the field from Chace House to sit and watch; there’s country music playing on our speakers; it’s such a fun atmosphere to be a part of and to play in.”

Fritz has watched the baseball program evolve as he’s found his place in it. He made the 1st team as a third-former, and he recalls “being the little brother to everyone.” Fritz was the only underclassman on the team, he says, and he remembers the entire team begging the office of student affairs each Friday to give him special permission (which, he says, was always granted) to drive with his teammates to Chipotle for a team dinner.

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John Fritz ’20 is a two-year captain for the Brooks 1st baseball team.

“It was cool being kind of the little brother for a while,” he says, “but this year it was totally different. When I was younger, the team was top-loaded with a lot of fifth- and sixth-formers. This year, we had one sixth-former, and next year, we’ll have three. It’s been a transition learning how to be that team. Being a captain as a fifth-former, also, I’ve had to learn how to be a little more of a leader. That said, we have kids in our program who care so much about this team, and we have a great culture.”

Being a two-year captain, Fritz says, has its advantages. “I learned this year that I have to hold myself in a different way on the field,” he says. “It’s nice being a two-year captain because you have that first year to reflect on. Next year, I’ll be able to meet with [head coach Andy] Campbell, with our assistant coaches, with whomever else is named captain, and we’ll be able to talk about what went well, what didn’t go well, and we’ll have a whole year to do it over again. That will be really nice.”

Fritz has another goal for his sixth-form year: To step back, he says, and to appreciate the conclusion of his time at Brooks while it’s happening. “This year, I got swamped by life a lot,” he admits.

“I had some hard classes, and practice and a bunch of other stuff going on. Next year, my last year, I want to enjoy the moment a little bit more than I did this year. I definitely want to find a way to just take it all in.”

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NEWS + NOTE S

N EWS FRO A M P US AT HL ET I CSMNCEWS

Spring Blooms

Charlie Alcorn ’20 at work for the Brooks 1st golf team.

Brooks notched third place in the ISL with a 9-3-3 conference record in 2019.

The spring season brought success for Brooks teams, as student-athletes performed well in a variety of sports.

GIRLS LACROSSE PLAYS TO WIN The Brooks girls 1st lacrosse team posted a dominant season this spring. The team’s 9–3 conference performance netted Brooks a thirdplace finish in the ISL regular-season standings. The team went on to storm though the ISL Invitational Tournament to close out the season; Brooks made it to the tournament’s championship game before yielding to Thayer Academy.

Incoming head coach Carly Churchill ’10 calls the season one to remember. She notes that the squad’s path to the ISL Invitational championship game required beating St. Mark’s School, which Brooks had lost to in the regular season.

“That game secured our place in the championship and was a true

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testament to the grit, composure and determination that the players embodied throughout the entire season,” Churchill says. “Playing in Harvard Stadium for the championship in some crazy, rainy weather was a very cool experience and although we lost, we’ll carry that experience with us into next season as inspiration.”

Sixth-form goalie Amanda Monahan earned US Lacrosse 2019 Girls’ High School All-America honors. Monahan also took home All-ISL honors, along with Madeline Delaney ’20 and Isabela Miller ’20. Caroline Yonce ’19 and Taylor Charpentier ’20 were named to the All-ISL Honorable Mention team; Charpentier was also selected to play on the New England team in the Highlight Division of the

2019 UnderArmour Lacrosse AllAmerican Underclass Tournament.

“Much of our success can be attributed to the strong leadership of the class of 2019,” Churchill says, naming captains Monahan, Kate Wilson ’19 and Yonce, as well as sixth-formers Taylor Berberian, Caroline Cutter, Ashley Houlihan, and Kailey O’Neill. “Although we will miss that class on the field, I know that our 11 returning players from the class of 2020 will continue the legacy that we’ve created over the past three years.”

This year’s squad had a depth of experience that few could match. Many of the team members also played in the fall on the New England champion 1st field hockey team, or in the winter on the championship runner-up girls

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1st ice hockey team. Two members of the lacrosse team — Cutter and Houlihan — played for all three teams this year.

BACK TO QUNSIGAMOND The Brooks crew program showed depth and heart this season, according to Director of Rowing Tote Smith. He explains that this year’s rowers had to contend with the loss of a talented group from the class of 2018. The 2019 program rose to the call, though, and entered all eight boats in the NEIRA Championships at Quinsigamond.

Smith calls the entry of eight boats at Quinsigamond “a big deal.

We did that with a lot of people who had never rowed before. The entire boys fourth boat were novices. The entire girls third boat were novices who had also never rowed before.

It was really neat from that perspective, that they could become that good in such a short amount of time.”

At Quinsigamond, three of the eight boats entered made the finals.

The boys second boat and the girls second boat made the Grand Finals; the boys finished in sixth at 5:46.706, and the girls finished sixth at 6:30.658. “This shows our depth of program,” Smith says. “Both second boats clicked, and were getting faster and faster.” The boys first boat came in second in the Petite Finals at 5:39.600.

“Having three boats in the finals was a good afternoon,” Smith says.

“We expected this to be a rebuilding year, but we rebuilt faster than I thought we would.”

Smith also speaks effusively of the contribution Carlo Zezza ’53 made to the coaching ranks this year.

“That was a special thing,” Smith says. He explains that Zezza worked in the fall with standout rower Nate Wirth ’21, and continued this spring as a technical advisor to the program’s rowers and new coaches.

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Smith says that next year, he’s excited to watch the program continue to grow. He’s also excited to continue “The Amsterdam Series,” which began this year. The Amsterdam Series is an internal regatta modeled on a regatta in Amsterdam Zezza attends. “We mix up girls and boys, and the kids choose their own boats,” he says. He hopes that alumni will attend and enter their own boats against the current Brooksians.

BOYS LACROSSE REACHES NEW HEIGHTS The boys 1st lacrosse team was hugely successful this year. Brooks notched a 10–5 record in the ISL and a 13–5 record overall.

This record, head coach Dean Charpentier says, is the most successful in years, if not in program history. Charpentier points to a large, talented sixth-form class, strong leadership and an injection of new, up-and-coming talent.

This year, the program boasted 14 sixth-formers. Charpentier credits all of them with providing consistency and leadership to younger players, but he points specifically to his sixth-form tri-captains: defenseman Owen Borek, midfielder Nick Fulgione and long-stick midfielder Michael Hughes. “They’ve all been with me for a long time,” Charpentier says. “They know what the coaches expect, and they know what the expectations are for the program. They’re all great friends, they have a great relationship and they work well together on and off the field. That’s a good model for the rest of the team.”

Charpentier also enjoyed talent down the ranks. New addition Judge Murphy ’20, who plays attack, ended the season as the third-highest scorer in the ISL. Fifth-form attackman Jack Quinn, who returned this year after suffering injury in his fourth-form campaign,

THE NEXT LEVEL

Brooksians play sports in college for institutions ranging from Ivy League universities to liberal arts colleges to NCAA Division I powerhouses.

Please visit brooksschool.org/ athletics/college for an updated list of these graduates.

was also one of the top 10 scorers in the ISL. Charlie Paras ’20, the team’s goalie, was a steady presence in net for Brooks, and midfielder Matt Costantino ’20 notched a strong performance.

“Each year is different, and I don’t expect to pick up where we left off,” Charpentier says. “But, you can certainly learn lessons, take them and put them into effect from year to year. We have these great prospects returning having gone through a fantastic season and learning all these lessons, and that can’t do anything but help moving into next season.”

Charpentier points out that even the team’s five losses were “good losses.”

“All the teams that we lost to were teams that finished above us in the ISL,” he says. “They were either twogoal or one-goal losses. Even the losses were good days.”

Postseason honors abounded for the program: Hughes and Murphy were named All-ISL, and the All-ISL Honorable Mention team included Borek, Fulgione, Paras and Quinn in its ranks, along with sixth-formers Tyler Bodette and Ben Gill. Hughes was also named a US Lacrosse Boys’ High School All-American, and Hughes and Murphy were invited to play in the BostonLax All-American Game.

W MORE ONLINE: Please visit the Brooks athletics website at www. brooksschool.org/athletics for more information on your favorite Brooks team, including schedules, game recaps and up-to-date news.

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Katie O'Brien ’19 on Prize Day.

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2019

A Celebratory

Farewell The class of 2019 spent a picture-perfect Memorial Day Weekend celebrating its graduation from Brooks. The class spent time with each other, and with faculty, family and friends, reflecting on its accomplishments at Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day.

The Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day Weekend were emotional days at Brooks, as the class of 2019 concluded its journey through its time on Great Pond Road with two days that celebrated individual and group effort, talent and accomplishment. Lawn Ceremony, which was held on the afternoon of Sunday, May 26, gathered the entire school — and family, friends and well-wishers — to award prizes in the arts, athletics and academics. The following morning brought Prize Day to the fore, and diplomas were awarded to the 95 members of the class.

Head of School John Packard began the Lawn Ceremony program by welcoming guests and by stating his pride at “the hard work, exceptional leadership and superb citizenship” that so many Brooks students exhibited this year. Mr. Packard then ceded the podium to Interim Co-Chair of the Arts Department Lance Latham, who distributed arts prizes that recognized a range of talent, from promise in photography to skill in music performance. Student speaker Stella Si ’19 spoke on her journey through the arts at Brooks.

Si has played the piano for much of her life. She was encouraged to try the bass and jazz band when she arrived at Brooks, and she found herself branching out into rock music the following year. Si sung the praises of the new Center for the Arts, and told students that “there is so much potential to what you can do. Who knows what you will find by the time you are

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sixth-formers? Trying new things helps you discover what you love.”

Director of Athletics Bobbie Crump-Burbank next awarded athletics prizes to students who showed success, growth and examples of Brooks values through sport. Brooke Robinson ’19 shared her experience playing soccer and squash at Brooks. Robinson came to Brooks as a highly touted soccer player, and she spoke about the opportunity Brooks gave her to discover new interests. She picked up squash after starting at Brooks and became a key part of an increasingly successful program. She admitted that she faced discomfort trying a new sport, but said that the results justified the risk. “Playing on a Brooks team,” she concluded, “allows you to be part of something bigger than yourself.”

The third part of Lawn Ceremony focused on academic awards, presided over by Academic Dean Susanna Waters. Spencer Pierce ’19 gave remarks in which he called for intellectual curiosity. “The best lessons aren’t answers, they’re questions,” he said. “The ones that make you stop and think and be curious about the world around you and the emotions inside of you.”

Following the awarding by Mr. Packard of school prizes, the crowd dispersed to Boo-Hoo Chapel, a final Chapel service for the student body that ends in a tearful receiving line of sixth-formers bidding goodbye to faculty and other students.

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GRADUATION SNAPSHOTS

Prize Day held an air of tradition and youthful exuberance, as smiling, proud graduates embraced the timeless nature of the ceremony. Mr. Packard opened the morning’s events with a speech thanking parents and the faculty, which ended in the conferring of faculty emeritus status on retiring Brooks faculty pillar Dusty Richard.

“All of [the graduates] have found their way to this day by working hard, opening themselves to new experiences, discovering and leveraging gifts and talents they possess, and by building, leaning on and enriching relationships that have given them the confidence to do all of that,” Mr. Packard remarked.

The ceremony continued with Sixth-Form Speaker Martin Li, who took to the podium to reflect on his own version of community at Brooks. Li, who came to Brooks along with his twin brother, Nick Li ’19, shared that he spent much of his early days at Brooks trying to do the minimum amount necessary to progress through the school. However, as his time on Great Pond Road continued, Li said, he found value in engaging with his classmates, his activities and the school community. “Take a moment to reflect on this family that you sit with today, and appreciate those who have shaped your experiences here,” Li concluded. “Take it from the kid whose sole goal was once hiding from this community: We are better together.”

Mr. Packard distributed diplomas to the class, assisted by President of the Board of Trustees Steve Gorham ’85, before the Prize Day ceremonies came to an end with a benediction.

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[ 1 ] Head of School John Packard (left) greets Jonathan Shaw ’19 (center) during the receiving line following Boo-Hoo Chapel. [ 2 ] From left to right: Maddie Shea ’19, Maryna Hajdukiewicz ’19, Jess Cohen ’19.

[ 3 ] Doris Wong ’19 (right) poses with Maddie O’Brien ’20 after the Prize Day ceremony. [ 4 ] Students file into Ashburn Chapel for the annual Boo-Hoo Chapel service following Lawn Ceremony. [ 5 ] Nick Fulgione ’19 hugs a schoolmate following Boo-Hoo Chapel.

[ 6 ] Sixth-formers on the morning of Prize Day. From left to right: Brooke Robinson, Lucy Verdone, Caroline O’Keefe, Reilly Karger, Ashley Houlihan, Lila Page, Grace Handy, Anicia Depina. [ 7 ] Spencer Pierce ’19 speaks at Lawn Ceremony on his academic experience at Brooks.

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“ The best lessons aren’t answers, they’re questions. The ones that make you stop and think and be curious about the world around you and the emotions inside of you.”

S PE N C ER P I ERC E ’ 19, SPEAKING AT L AW N CER EMONY ON AC ADE MICS AT B RO O K S.

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GRADUATION SNAPSHOTS

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[ 1 ] From left to right: Sixth-formers Charlotte Marks, Sabrina Gribbel, Darya Lee, Caitlin Peirce and Katie Warren after Boo-Hoo Chapel. [ 2 ] Head of School John Packard addresses the Lawn Ceremony audience. [ 3 ] Brooks sixth-form boys on the morning of Prize Day. Standing, from left to right, Ben Heinze and Ben Gill.

Seated, from left to right: Jack Tallas, Liam Carey, Nick Fulgione, Jordan Price, Andrew Kempe, Will Earley, Jonathan Shaw. [ 4 ] Tramie Tran ’19 (left) is overcome with emotion as mathematics faculty Dusty Richard (right) bids

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her goodbye following BooHoo Chapel. [ 5 ] Stella Si ’19 speaks at Lawn Ceremony on the influence the arts have had on her Brooks career. [ 6 ] Percival Sibanda ’19 (left) and Connor Wright ’19 dance down the Prize Day aisle. [ 7 ] Sixth-formers Lila Page (center left) and Kate Wilson bid goodbye to faculty members Shaunielle McDonald ’94 and Deanna Stuart, respectively, after Boo-Hoo Chapel. [ 8 ] Members of the 2018 New England championshipwinning 1st field hockey team pose on Prize Day with the

Frank D. Ashburn Athletic Award (bowl, right), which they won at Lawn Ceremony. [ 9 ] Vicki Haghighi ’19 (left) poses for a photo with Head of School John Packard and her Brooks diploma on Prize Day.

“ There is so much potential to what you can do. Who knows what you will find by the time you are sixth-formers? Trying new things helps you discover what you love.”

[ 10 ] Jack Murphy ’19 (left) escorts Lexie Prokopis ’19 into the Prize Day tent. [ 11 ] Kim O’Neill Packard ’87 (left) affixes the Brooks shield onto the blazer of Connor Silva ’19. Silva was one of this year’s senior prefects. [ 12 ] From left to right: Sixth-formers Colin Voloshin, Michael Hughes and Owen Borek share a moment following Boo-Hoo Chapel.

ST E L L A S I ’ 19, S P E A K ING AT L AW N C ER EM O N Y O N T H E A RTS AT B RO O K S .

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Prize Winners 2019

PRIZE S

Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day saw dozens of prizes awarded to students who have excelled as ARTS AWARDS The George A. Tirone Prize: awarded by Mrs. Randolph Muto, in memory of her father, to a middle school student who shows unusual promise in the visual arts: Arooj Kamran ’21 The Henry M. Buhl Photography Prize: Xijin Zheng ’20 The Russell Morse Prize: awarded to an upper school student who has made distinguished contributions to the visual arts at Brooks: Grace Hawkins Handy ’19 The Parkman Prize in Drama: given in memory of Terry Parkman to a student who has worked long and hard backstage with no thought of any reward: Gabrielle Xiu Stuart ’19 The Knowlton Drama Prize: given in memory of Warren Knowlton of the class of 1967, and awarded to a member of the Brooks community who has shown those qualities of loyalty and devotion to drama, and versatility and enthusiasm in work before and behind the scenes, that were typified by Warren Knowlton: Katherine Maeve O’Brien ’19 The Music Prize: awarded in recognition of dedicated, longterm study of an instrument or

voice that has resulted in the highest level of musical performance in the graduating class: Katherine Maeve O’Brien ’19 (vocal) and Mathias Tankersley ’19 (instrumental) ATHLETICS AWARDS Independent School League Award of Excellence: recognizes a female athlete and male athlete at each ISL school for exhibiting the Independent School League ideals of integrity, sportsmanship, fair play and good citizenship while participating as a multi-sport athlete during their Independent School League career: Nicholas Stephen Fulgione ’19 and Ashley Susan Houlihan ’19 The Athletic Prize: an annual award to sixth-formers who, in the opinion of coaches, have distinguished themselves in sportsmanship and athletic ability, and whose achievements have demonstrated an outstanding record in the athletic life at Brooks: Owen Borek ’19 and Michael Rudd Hughes ’19; Caroline Joy Kukas ’19 The Kerri Ann Kattar Prize: awarded annually by the faculty to that female member of the graduating class who, by her warmth and generosity of spirit toward others, by her outstanding contribution to Brooks athletics, by her

“ All of [the graduates] have found their way to this day by working hard, opening themselves to new experiences, discovering and leveraging gifts and talents they possess, and by building, leaning on and enriching relationships that have given them the confidence to do all of that.”

H E A D OF SC H O O L JOH N PACKAR D, SPEA KING ON PR IZE DAY

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presence alone, has added that precious quality of kindness for which we remember Kerri Ann Kattar: Sabrina Grace Gribbel ’19 The Frank D. Ashburn Athletic Award: given by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Cogswell to honor an outstanding individual or team performance in which intangible extra qualities have added a special flavor to the school: 1st Field Hockey Team ACADEMIC AWARDS The Publications Prize: awarded to a student whose diligence, devotion and skill have contributed significantly to the successful production of a Brooks publication: Emily Hye In Choe ’20 and Yan Si ’19 The Wilder Speaking Prize: given by John G. and H. Todd Cobey Jr.: Hongru Chen ’22 The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Latin: Katherine Elizabeth Warren ’19 The Spanish Prize: Charlotte Jane Marks ’19 The Rene Champollion French Prize: Edward Geon Young Choi ’19 The Charles C. Cottingham Class of 2008 Chinese Prize: Anh Tram Tran ’19 The A. G. Davis Philip Prize: given by the science department to an individual who has demonstrated an interest in and who shows considerable promise in science: Jason Milton Silverman ’21 The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal: for excellence in mathematics and science: Emily Hye In Choe ’20 The John J. Cabral Prize: given to the Brooks student who has shown a high degree of interest in physics and for the depth of involvement

in the subject: Sarah Mary Fleischman ’19 The John B. Melvin Computer Science Prize: Jirayu Burapacheep ’19 The Nicholas J. Evangelos Science Prize: Dokyung Yang ’19 The Mathematics Prize: Tianshu Wang ’19 The Howell van Gerbig Jr. Prize: given for the best essay on the development of political institutions, for her essay titled “The Politics of Pollution”: Jessica Rose Cohen ’19 The Richard K. Irons Prize: for the best essay on a pressing problem in American history or international relations, for her essay titled “Rembrandt’s Paintings: Vulgar Nudes or Simply Naked?”: Anh Tram Tran ’19 The Michael W. McCahill Prize in History: awarded to a sixth-form student who has demonstrated a love for the discipline by taking a wide and rigorous program in history, a mastery of analytical thinking and writing, an enthusiasm for the craft of historical research, a delight in the exploration and exchange of ideas, and an empathy for the human condition: Yinlan Zhang ’19 The E. Graham Ward English Prize: awarded to a student who has demonstrated a love of literature in all of its forms.

This student is a talented reader and writer gifted with the ability to respond to literature both analytically and creatively: Katherine Elizabeth Warren ’19 The Columbia University Club of New England Prize: awarded to a fifth-former who has demonstrated an ability to combine academic achievement, personal character,

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scholars, artists, athletes and members of the Brooks community. extracurricular contribution to the school and accomplishment in and dedication to a field of interest meriting personal recognition: Nicholas George Carabatsos ’20 The Harvard Club of the Merrimack Valley Prize: awarded by the Harvard Club of the Merrimack Valley to a fifth-former nominated by the faculty for high academic achievement, leadership and active participation in school affairs: John Elliot Fritz ’20 The Phillips Brooks Prize: donated by the Phillips Brooks Society, awarded by the school minister in memory of the Reverend George Frederick Vought, and presented to a sixth-former who, during their time at school, has followed in the path of Phillips Brooks by offering constant love, exemplary service and good humor to the community, and by setting a high standard for others: Lirianna Valerio ’19 The Oscar M. Root Prize: given

by Morgan H. Harris Jr. and awarded to a member of the Brooks community who, during the year, has exemplified certain characteristics with which Oscar M. Root for many years enriched life at Brooks. These characteristics include excellence in the sciences, devotion to nature study and a sense of humor, which provided a rare overview of life: Caitlin Rose Peirce ’19 The Jolene and Stephen C. Eyre Prize for Scholarly Achievement: awarded each year to the ranking scholar in the sixth form: Anh Tram Tran ’19 SCHOOL PRIZES The Malcolm G. Chace III Prize: awarded to a third-, fourth- and fifth-former who, in the judgment of the head of school, has made the most personal progress during the year: Third form, Rayden T. Waweru ’22; Fourth form, Amma Boamah-Appiah ’21; Fifth form, Matthew William Costantino ’20 The St. Lawrence University Prize: awarded to a fifth-former who has displayed a significant commitment

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to community service: Daniela Reyes ’20 The Leonard S. Perkins Prize: awarded by the faculty to that member of the fifth form who makes an outstanding contribution to the life of the school: Madeline Stone Hesse ’20 The George B. Blake Prize: awarded in recognition of extended, voluntary and generous service to others: Colin George Khater ’19 The Kilborn Bowl: given by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Kilborn for the greatest all-around improvement: Victoria Elizabeth Haghighi ’19 The William R. Ferris Jr. Prize: given by Howell van Gerbig in honor of William Ferris ’60 and awarded to a sixth-form student who stands out among their peers for the depth and range of their intellectual curiosity, energy and creativity. A nominee for this prize is presented to the faculty by the six faculty members who hold endowed chairs: Anh Tram Tran ’19 The Headmaster Emeritus Prize: awarded by the faculty for any reason it considers appropriate: Andrew Edward James Chidi Iferenta ’19

The Russell Prize: given by the late Richard S. Russell and awarded by the faculty for an outstanding single contribution to the life of the community: Katherine Maeve O’Brien ’19 The Dunnell Prize: given by the faculty in honor of Jacob Dunnell and William W. Dunnell III, who jointly gave 57 years of dedicated service to their students and the school, and awarded to a sixth-former who has worked without fanfare to better the school: Sarah Mary Fleischman ’19 The Thomas Perkins Brooks Jr. Prize: given in memory of Ensign Brooks, who was lost in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and awarded annually by the faculty to a member of the sixth form who, during their career at Brooks, has met certain requirements of development, leadership and responsibility: Lawilliam Deonte Stevens ’19

The Faculty Prize: given by George C. Haas and awarded annually to a student who has made outstanding contributions to the life of the school: Connor Matthew Silva ’19 The Head of School’s Prize: given in memory of George B. Case Jr.: Jadie DeLeon ’19 FACULTY PRIZES The Reverend George F. Vought Prize: given by the Sette-Ducati Family and awarded by the head of school to honor a member of the faculty who, in their first few years, has made special contributions to the school and exhibited notable professional growth: Amanda Julianne Nasser

The Trustees Prize: awarded by the faculty to any member of the school community who has served beyond the call of duty: Amolina Atul Bhat ’19

The Harvey P. Hood Prize: awarded in recognition of special interests such as working with young children, making things with one’s hands, and in memory of a lively, gentle view of life: Martin Nicholas Graham ’19 The Allen Ashburn Prize: given by the late James D. Regan and awarded each year by the faculty for any purpose it deems suitable: Tianshu Wang ’19

Jadie DeLeon ’19, >> one of two of this year’s senior prefects, receives the Head of School’s Prize on Prize Day.

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COLLEGE S

Looking Ahead The class of 2019 will attend a variety of colleges and universities around the country. The group is well-prepared to take on its next academic challenges as it pursues the next level of academic excellence. The class is expected to matriculate at the following schools: Bard College Bates College (3) Boston College (2) Boston University Bowdoin College (2) Bucknell University Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo (2)

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Middlebury College (2) New York University (6) Northeastern University (5) Northwestern University

Clarkson University

Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences

Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University (2) Davidson College Elon University Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University (2) Georgetown University Gettysburg College Harvard College

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Miami University, Oxford

University of California, Santa Barbara Colby College (3)

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University of Massachusetts, Amherst

University of Notre Dame

University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Providence College (7) University of Rhode Island Saint Anselm College (2) St. Lawrence University (2) Smith College Southern Methodist University Stonehill College Syracuse University (4)

Haverford College

Trinity College (2)

Hobart and William Smith Colleges (3)

Tufts University University of Vermont

College of the Holy Cross

Virginia Tech

Indiana University at Bloomington

University of Virginia

Johns Hopkins University

University of Washington

Kenyon College

Wake Forest University

Lafayette College

Washington University in St. Louis

Loyola University Chicago

Williams College

Macalester College (2)

University of Wisconsin, Madison

“ Take a moment to reflect on this family that you sit with today, and appreciate those who have shaped your experiences here.

Take it from the kid whose sole goal was once hiding from this community: We are better together.”

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[ 1 ] Sixth-Form Speaker Martin Li ’19 on Prize Day. [ 2 ] Brooke Robinson ’19 following Boo-Hoo Chapel.

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2019

A Weekend to

Remember Approximately 200 Brooksians returned to campus in mid-May for Alumni Weekend. The contingent spent time reuniting with friends and watching the Brooks of today in action. Saturday night also gave the community a chance to recognize Dusty Richard on the eve of his retirement.

Alumni Weekend welcomed alumni from all class years, and particularly those from class years ending in 4 or 9, to spend two days — including a perfect spring Saturday — on Great Pond Road. Alumni Weekend is held while students are still on campus.

This gives graduates a chance to fully engage with the life of the school: They sit in on classes; eat at Wilder Dining Hall; and hobnob with the Brooksians of today while also reminiscing with their own friends and classmates.

The celebratory atmosphere kicked off on Friday.

Faculty opened their classroom doors to graduates, who were invited to sit in on classes with current students.

The Ashburn Luncheon, which members of the FDA Society and alumni celebrating their 50th reunion and beyond attended, was hosted by Head of School John Packard. Following lunch, members of the 50th reunion class of 1969 enjoyed a student-led tour of campus, including a tour of the new Center for the Arts. Alumni were also welcome to peruse the school archives, which displayed materials from the school’s history. As the day drew to a close, reunion classes congregated at various on- and off-campus locations for class gatherings.

A beautiful Saturday dawned at Brooks, and alumni were waiting for it at the boathouse. The Alumni Row started the day at 8 a.m., followed by a continental breakfast in the Center for the Arts. Following an admission open house, alumni gathered in the black box theater in the Center for the Arts for the Alumni in the Arts Career Panel. The panel, hosted by the alumni

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board and moderated by noted architect Patrick Curley ’69, featured graduates who have focused their careers on artistic professions.

Lunch in Wilder Dining Hall gave way to the Arts Quad and a new location for Family Fun Fest. The space proved an ideal location for all things kid, and the next generation of Brooksians were thoroughly entertained by a bounce house, outdoor activities and ice cream from Benson’s Homemade Ice Cream. Among other invitees, the children of Rachel and Tyler Finnegan ’99, Joe and Noelle Brussard Levis ’04, and Bonnie and Dave Pope ’99 attended. The afternoon offered a slate of home games, a crew regatta, a campus tour and a chance to attend an open play rehearsal in the main theater of the Center for the Arts. The class of 2014 also found time to gather for a raucous cornhole tournament. The winning duo is unclear — the score got lost in the fun — but Andrew Swapp ’14 and Geoff Fulgione ’14 claimed victory.

In a departure from previous years, when they were scheduled for the morning, services were held in Ashburn Chapel in the afternoon. The Alumni Chapel and Awards service, presided over by Mr. Packard, gave alumni a chance to applaud alumni award winners and reunion achievements, and also gave graduates a moment to reflect on their own days at Brooks in a familiar and meaningful space. Former school trustee Ashley Wightman Scott ’84, P’11, P’14, who served as campaign chair for the school’s recently completed $60 million, five-year campaign, received the Alumni Bowl. James O’Connor ’99, meanwhile, received the

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Alumni Weekend attendees enjoy a stunning day on the lake.

Alumni Shield award. He is an investment advisor who promotes economic growth and foreign direct investment into Afghanistan, and who also advances climate change mitigation and adaptation with a variety of governments, banks and private financial institutions. The school awarded the Distinguished Brooksian award posthumously to Esmond Bradley Martin Jr. ’59, a hero to the conservation world who investigated and uncovered illicit trade that led to regulations on the sale of ivory and other materials. Tony Milbank ’59, Martin’s roommate at Brooks, accepted the award on Martin’s behalf.

The evening festivities — cocktails, dinner and dancing — were held under a tent behind the Athletic Center, and Brooksians of all class years came together with current faculty to celebrate the school and each other. The highlight of the night, though, was a recognition of longtime mathematics faculty and boys 1st soccer coach Dusty Richard P’99, who retired this spring following 41 years of service to the school.

Mr. Packard took to the podium to speak on Richard’s long career at Brooks, and the many meaningful ways in which he had an impact on his students, athletes, advisees, residents and colleagues. “Candidly, I feel that whatever I share with you this evening will come up short of conveying the depth of my appreciation for and admiration of all Dusty has done during this stretch of the school’s life,” Mr. Packard said.

“There is always more, a moment here, a story there, and a connection of some kind that held and made a difference.”

Sunday morning allowed Alumni Weekend attendees one more chance to sit down together, as the school invited them to have brunch in Wilder Dining Hall before going their separate ways.

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“ The relatively strong state we find ourselves in is due in substantial part to both the time and care our alums share with the school and the ways in which they live their lives.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL JOHN PACKARD, SPEAKING IN ASHBURN CHAPEL AT THE ALUMNI CHAPEL AND AWARDS CEREMONY.

5 [ 1 ] Peter Cross ’63, P’07 (left) with his wife, Ileana Farjado, at the Head of School’s House on Friday. [ 2 ] Nicole Carosella ’99 (left) and Casey Pellerin Westguard ’99 enjoy their Saturday night at Brooks. [ 3 ] Will Denson ’69.

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a bounce house, face painting, lawn games and an ice cream truck. [ 6 ] Elan Kapadia ’09 (left) and Jess Kapadia ’04 share a laugh in Wilder Dining Hall. [ 7 ] Members of the class of 2014 congregate at Brooks.

[ 4 ] The class of 2014 was well-represented at the Saturday night affair.

From left to right: Jordan Lassiter, Emma Goff, Will Adie, Maddie Nash, Rachel Feingold.

[ 8 ] Former professional soccer player Charlie Davies ’04 (second from left) walks the Brooks campus with his family on Alumni Weekend.

[ 5 ] Family Fun Fest debuted in the Arts Quad this year. It attracted future Brooksiams with

[ 9 ] Alumni from reunion and non-reunion years gathered on Saturday night to bid farewell to

longstanding Brooks faculty Dusty Richard P’99.

From left to right: Richard, Sathvik Sudireddy ’15, Seiji Engelkemier ’15, Coco Sun ’17, Caitlin Kluchnik ’15. [ 10 ] From left to right: Arch Bell ’94, Frank Cannava ’94, Ham Potter ’74 and Peter Cross ’63, P ’07 fill out a four at the Alumni Row on Saturday morning.

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[ 1 ] From left to right: Diana Oehrli ’89, Sally Milliken ’88, Kathy Palmer Smith ’88 and Caitlin Kluchnik ’15 take to the water for the Alumni Row.

[ 4 ] Members of the class of 1969 tour the Center for the Arts.

[ 2 ] Dusty Richard P’99, who retired from his 41-year tenure at Brooks this year, was honored at Saturday night’s all-alumni dinner and reception.

[ 5 ] Members of the class of 1989. From left to right: Scott Lambert, Tanya Moore Jessup, Rhonda Taylor MacDonald, Leah McLaughlin, Cary Morrison Cauthen, Ariane DeBreaux Triay, Alison Vaill Mastin.

[ 3 ] From left to right: Bradlee Jackson ’09, Kelsey Gillen ’09 and Chrissy Cornish ’09 at Brooks on Saturday night.

[ 6 ] Brooksians Ham Potter ’74 (left) and Chris Boit ’74 take in the boathouse on Saturday morning after the Alumni Row.

[ 7 ] From left to right: Alex Ameter, Jess Kapadia ’04 and Lyly Njinga ’04 under the tent on Saturday night. [ 8 ] Members of the class of 1989 enjoy a sunny afternoon watching the Brooks crews race on Lake Cochichewick. [ 9 ] Chris Wright ’69 tries to conjure good luck at the Endicott Peabody statue in the Link.

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ALUMNI AWARDS

Alumni Awards Brooks proudly awards three distinctions on Alumni Weekend: The Alumni Bowl award, the Alumni Shield award and the Distinguished Brooksian award.

The three honors were conferred in Ashburn Chapel by Head of School John Packard.

Distinguished Brooksian Award

The Distinguished Brooksian Award honors a member of the Brooks community whose life and contributions to society exemplify the nobility of character and usefulness to humanity embodied in the spirit of the school.

esmond bradley martin jr. ’59

(posthumous): “Through his life’s work to eliminate the trade of rhino horn and elephant ivory, Martin personified many of the core values we hold ourselves accountable to and celebrate here at Brooks,” Mr. Packard said about Esmond Bradley Martin Jr. ’59, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Brooksian award. “His moral center was beyond reproach,” Mr. Packard continued, “and his commitment to social responsibility and doing what was right was absolute.”

Martin was a researcher and conservationist who actively fought to protect numerous animal species. [Ed. Note: For more detail on Martin’s life and his remarkable

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advocacy work, please see winter 2019 Bulletin, page 54.] Martin was killed in February 2018 at his home in Kenya.

Over the course of his career, Martin authored many influential and groundbreaking reports on the smuggling and trade of rhinoceros horn and ivory from African nations into countries around the world, including the United States. His reports were instrumental in curbing illegal wildlife trafficking, and his research has informed decisions regarding the protection of endangered species.

Bradley gathered his data in an unconventional way: He often went deep undercover, documenting and photographing illegal sales and trade in secret. Bradley’s work, Mr. Packard noted, was extremely dangerous; he once had to disguise himself as a woman to escape a hotel after receiving a death threat in the middle of the night.

Martin stayed in contact with Brooks throughout his life. He occasionally mailed handwritten notes and cards to the school’s alumni

office, which often included photos of him with his wife, Chryssee, along with elephants, cheetahs and other exotic animals, including their pet warthog. His research partner, Lucy Vigne, said that Brooks “must be proud of encouraging a young boy to develop such a passion for discovery and learning throughout his life; now his legacy lives on, with many more involved in curtailing the illegal rhino horn and ivory trade and aware of the need to secure the future of wildlife on our planet.”

Alumni Shield Award

The Alumni Shield Award recognizes an alumna or alumnus who graduated from Brooks fewer than 25 years ago who has made significant contributions in the field of his or her endeavor.

james timothy o’connor ’99: Through his position as an investment advisor, O’Connor promotes economic growth and foreign direct investment into Afghanistan, and advances climate change mitigation and adaptation with a variety

B RO O KS BULLET I N

Left to right: Head of School John Packard addresses alumni on Saturday afternoon in Ashburn Chapel.

Tony Milbank ’59 accepts the Distinguished Brooksian on behalf of Esmond Bradley Martin ’59, who was given the award posthumously.

James T. O’Connor ’99 accepts the Alumni Shield award in Ashburn Chapel.

Ashley Scott ’84, P’11, P’14 accepts the Alumni Bowl award at Alumni Weekend.

of governments, banks and private financial institutions. Following his time at Brooks, O’Connor received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and an MBA from Boston University.

O’Connor works with the American and Afghan governments to promote economic growth and development in key industries identified by the Afghan government, with a focus on promoting exports and trade ties in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.

O’Connor also focuses on climate finance. He works with emerging markets, developing countries and private sector banks to promote investment in ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Among other examples, Mr. Packard explained, O’Connor works with the government of Mexico to integrate climate change considerations into their financing operations, and he works with the government of Mozambique to incentivize and mobilize private capital to develop clean energy resources.

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Alumni Bowl Award

The Alumni Bowl Award, given by the Brooks School Alumni Office, recognizes dedicated and thoughtful service to this school.

ashley wightman scott ’84, p’11, p’14: “Our school thrives today

due to the support and care of our alumni,” Mr. Packard affirmed before awarding the Alumni Bowl to Ashley Wightman Scott ’84, P’11, P’14. Scott was, until recently, a school trustee and campaign chair of The Campaign For Brooks. She has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for the school in a variety of roles: school trustee; class chair; class correspondent; reunion chair; parents committee member; phonathon participant; admission volunteer; and reception host.

“She has truly worn every volunteer hat this school has to offer and takes on each role with the same level of commitment and passion,” Mr. Packard said. And, he continued, the most notable of her service to the school was as campaign chair, where she played a key role in helping the school meet the campaign’s goals:

the renovation of Ashburn Chapel; the construction of Anna K. Trustey Memorial Field; the construction of the Center for the Arts; the pedestrianization of Main Street; an increase in professional development support for the faculty; raising the amount of financial aid support the school offers to its highest levels; and maintaining a strong Brooks Fund.

Mr. Packard spoke about Scott’s constant presence on campus throughout The Campaign for Brooks. She frequently “stopped by for status updates and strategic prep work ahead of board meetings,” he said, “and her willingness to go anywhere and meet anyone propelled us through as successful a fundraising initiative as the school has ever had.”

“Ashley’s connection to Brooks is deep,” Mr. Packard concluded, “and her belief in the school inspires others. This has been so throughout her life. What a great match she and Brooks have been.”

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ALUMNI SNAPSHOTS

[ 1 ] The scene at the dinner and dance on Saturday night. [ 2 ] From left to right: Sharon Richard, faculty emeritus Dusty Richard P’99 and Reshma Taufiq Pendleton ’94. [ 3 ] Abby Skinner ’14 dances the night away. [ 4 ] J. W. Patrick Curley ’69 (foreground) speaks at the Alumni in the Arts Career Panel in the black box theater on Saturday morning. Other panel participants were, from left to right, Tjasa Owen ’89, Max McGillivray ’12, Nicole Carosella ’99 and Ted Lyman ’69.

[ 5 ] From left to right: Pradeep Kapadia ‘74, P’04, P’09, Mark Shields ’74, Chris Volk ’74, Ham Potter ’74, Kari Chen, Chris Boit ’74. [ 6 ] The scene at the Ashburn Luncheon in the Dalsemer Room on Friday. [ 7 ] Brooksians reunited at Head of School John Packard’s home on Friday. From left to right: John Bowen ’69, Bayard Coolidge ’69, Karen Carhart W’69, Ash Kissel ’69, P’96, P’99.

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B RO O KS BULLET I N

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“ Our mission seeks to deliver the most meaningful educational experience our students will have in their lives. Over these 41 years, Dusty has been a missiondelivery machine.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL JOHN PACKARD, SPEAKING ON SATURDAY NIGHT ABOUT LONGTIME BROOKS FACULTY DUSTY RICHARD.

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PARTING SHOT

A table and chairs provides a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy the Brooks campus.

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B RO O KS BULLET I N

THANK YOU! Your support of the Brooks Fund is critical to the school’s success, and we’re thrilled to announce the final Brooks Fund tally of roughly $2.375 million! This figure represents the largest annual giving number in eight years. This growth has allowed us to increase the Brooks Fund’s contribution to the school’s annual operating budget from 10 percent to 12 percent in recent years.

We’re grateful for the two donors who introduced a $200,000 matching challenge; we’re grateful for all of you who helped match it; we’re grateful for the 1,697 donors who gave to the Brooks Fund this year; and we’re grateful for the 345 donors who have joined our giving ranks and increased the Brooks Fund total by $400,000 during the past five years.

We’re proud to rely on all of you in the greater Brooks community who helped us reach our goals this year. We couldn’t have done it without you! We look forward to your continued support in the future as we work to ensure that Brooks continues to provide a meaningful educational experience for our students.

B RO O KS SCHOOL BROOKS FUND

Three easy ways to give: Credit Card — Check — Stock. Visit www.brooksschool.org to make your gift.

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Please join us for the following upcoming events! Visit brooksschool.org/alumni/events for details and to register.

September 17 Fenway with Brooks September 29 Cider Hill Farm Alumni Event October 28 New York Reception November 9 Alumni Homecoming December 20 Young Alumni Holiday Party

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