C O M M E N C E M E N T | 2015
life, out of nowhere a kick-start
advertising — Burdett arrived on
had arrived.”
Maher Avenue to begin a distin-
Burdett’s story provided a compelling segue to a talk largely about the constant potential for reframed perspective. And who better to give such
Senior Awards Day speaker and 25-year Brunswick veteran Doug Burdett held sway over the audience with his meaningful advice.
nearly three decades. Along the way, he earned his Master of Arts from the Bread Loaf School of English, where
a speech than Burdett, a 25-year
he met his wife, Sarah, Head of
veteran of the Brunswick faculty
Middle School.
who has literally spent the over-
He is — as Philip noted in his
whelming majority of his life on a
introductory remarks — a “school
school’s grounds?
man, through and through.”
He grew up a faculty brat
Indeed, he’s a “school man”
S E N I O R AWA R D S D AY
on the campus of Westminster
who’s seen much in his tenure
‘A Kick-Start Out of Nowhere’
School, in Simsbury, Conn., from
— and worked with a countless
which he graduated in 1983 and
number of adolescent-aged
where his late parents, Bruce
students. Evidently, he’s given
and Peg, lived and worked for 37
the totality of his experiences a
years. From there, he went on to
whole lot of thought.
Middlebury College, majoring in AS ASSISTANT HEADMASTER AND Director of College Guidance Doug Burdett began his remarks at Senior Awards Day, he recalled the
“Challenges, disappointments,
English and earning his Bachelor
and obstacles have a way of
of Arts in 1987.
looking insurmountable one
And in the fall of 1990 — after
minute and less significant the
cold and dreary morning when he learned he’d been selected to speak at
toiling (no doubt, successfully)
next,” Burdett told the Class of
the kick-off-to-Graduation event.
for two years in the world of
2015. “Sometimes in the imme-
It was the first day back from
years, who arrived on scene (and
Spring Break — Monday, March
stage) at the call of Headmaster
30, at 8 a.m. to be exact — and
Philip. Ramos was retiring.
it was snowing, despite the fact
Burdett thought of the
that spring had officially begun
moment to follow as one of many
the week before.
at Brunswick that parents and
Oh, the winter that would never end. At Morning Meeting, Burdett
outsiders never even hear about. “Boys who didn’t even know the man stood for a good long
bumped into three lacrosse
time to honor his commitment
players, all nobly attempting to
to our place,” Burdett said. “He
hide their obvious frustration
raised his arms in sincere affec-
after losing to Deerfield two days
tion and celebration.
earlier. In that quick snapshot of
30 | TIMES
guished career that now spans
“And his obvious love for
the ’Wick community, Burdett
Brunswick was thrown right back
recalled, things appeared just a
at him with corresponding enthu-
little bit glum.
siasm from a roomful of teenage
Cue Willie Ramos, a fixture
boys. Suddenly, the day was just
on the maintenance staff for 33
a bit better. As it so often does in
OF BRUNSWICK • FALL 2015
THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE CUM LAUDE SOCIETY Kevin Griffith, Jack Turchetta, Kirk Meyer, Cooper Robinson, and George Goodfriend