Colby-Sawyer Alumni Magazine Winter/Spring 2022

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winter | spring 2022

MAGAZINE


NEWS + STORIES

RECURRING

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Building on Tradition: College Announces Plans for New SNHS Building

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College News

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Walking the Talk

Resilience Endures: Class of 2020 Thrives Following A Trying Final Semester

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Sports News

Be BOLD: Recent Alum Credits Initiative for Post-Grad Success

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Portfolio

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News from Alumni Relations

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Something for Everyone: Dartmouth Health Internships Not Limited to Nursing

Class Notes

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In Memoriam

Apprenticeship to Associate Degree: Dartmouth Health Employees to Advance Their Education at Colby-Sawyer

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Lessons Lived: Political Science Professor Simulates History

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Triple Threat: Men’s & Women’s XC, Women’s Tennis Win GNAC Titles

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Colby-Sawyer Biology: Research & Opportunity

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In Fond Memory

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Archives

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Epilogue

10 Bridging the Gap: Program Strives to Acclimate First-Year, First-Generation Students to Campus Life


cover: Jenna Caradonna ’23 commands the stage during a Colby-Sawyer dance club performance in November. this page: A blanket of snow covers the lawn in front of Colgate Hall on a cold winter afternoon. editor Michael Pezone associate editor Mary McLaughlin production manager Gregg Mazzola designer Laura M. Young ’16 staff photographers Henrique Plantikow Christopher Peirce ’18 Michael Pezone class notes editor Tracey Austin printing R.C. Brayshaw & Company, Warner, N.H.

Colby-­Sawyer welcomes letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit and condense them. Please send your letters to editor@colby-sawyer.edu or to: Editor, Office of Marketing & Communications Colby-­Sawyer College 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257 Send address changes to alumni@colby-sawyer.edu or to: Colby-­Sawyer College Office of Alumni Relations 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257


Greetings from COLGATE HALL 2

The academic year is all but finished, and thanks to a vaccine mandate and additional precautions, the college was able to do what it does best — teach and learn in person. Our faculty, students and staff collaborated to make our approach work, and there was a terrific energy among our students this year. A significant highlight of this past fall was at long last being able to hold a modified Commencement ceremony for some members of the Class of 2020, who were forced to leave campus abruptly at the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020. This issue highlights some of the exciting achievements of students and faculty. I am particularly proud of the incredible work being done by our students and faculty as part of the NH-INBRE program, which gives students access to rigorous research projects supervised by Colby-Sawyer faculty. This kind of hands-on experience provides our students an advantage as they apply for their first job or for graduate school. Our faculty are the cornerstone of the teaching and learning happening at Colby-Sawyer, and this issue provides a glimpse into the unique and effective teaching methodology of Dr. Eric Boyer in our history and political studies program. Students have the opportunity in Dr. Boyer’s classes to role-play critical moments in history, and his approach is not only a highly effective way to teach history, but also a favorite of many of the students who enroll in his classes. We are particularly excited that the strategic emphasis on nursing and the health sciences continues to go well. This year we welcomed 24 students in our first cohort of the accelerated bachelor’s in nursing, along with 95 traditional undergraduate first-year majors. We expect enrollments in our health science

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programs to increase by 300 over the next four years, which is the primary reason we are pursuing a new building to serve as home to the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. The building will include state-of-the-art simulation space but will also serve other majors through the inclusion of anatomy and physiology labs and common spaces designed for all students. Colby-Sawyer continues to enroll a student population where more than 40% of individuals are the first in their families to attend college. This issue highlights a wonderful new program for first-generation students that occurred the week before the fall semester began and introduced students to resources that assisted them with the transition to college life. There is also an inspiring story about one of our alumni, who was one of the BOLD scholars, a program for first-generation female juniors and seniors, and completed a BOLD fellowship after graduation. Neither of these programs would be possible without the generous support of donors. I hope you enjoy all of the stories in this issue. My thanks to each of you for your continued support of the college and our students.

Kind regards,

Susan D. Stuebner, Ed.D. President and Professor of Social Sciences and Education Volanakis Family Presidential Chair


BUILDING ON Tradition COLBY-SAWYER ANNOUNCES PLANS TO CONSTRUCT NEW HOME FOR SCHOOL OF NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES by Michael Pezone

Since 1985, Colby-Sawyer College has been graduating cohorts of nurses uniquely qualified to make an immediate impact on the lives of others. What may be lesser known, however, is that the college’s tradition of educating highly skilled healthcare workers dates long before that. Now, more than 80 years following the inception of its nationally renowned medical technology program — a state-of-the-art bachelor’s degree program that prepared students for careers as medical laboratory scientists — Colby-Sawyer is once again set to build on its longstanding tradition of excellence in healthcare.

we will create new and expanded opportunities for individuals to enter, advance and excel in healthcare.” The announcement of a new home for the School of Nursing & Health Sciences and the college’s commitment to increasing enrollment in its health science programs comes at a time when healthcare providers across the nation are struggling to fill workforce vacancies. According to a recent NH Business Review survey, more than 2,000 healthcare worker vacancies in New Hampshire were left unfilled in 2018, with experts saying they expect that number to climb in the future. To address this shortage, Colby-Sawyer has pledged to significantly increase enrollment in its undergraduate nursing program, expand its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and add additional health science programs in areas of specific need. Such anticipated programs include a master’s degree in social work as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

above: An architect’s rendering shows the proposed design of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences building, to be constructed in the current location of the Reichhold Science Center.

Earlier this year, college leadership officially announced plans to construct a new home for its School of Nursing & Health Sciences at the heart of its New London, N.H., campus. This $10.5 million, 20,500 square foot facility will serve as a hub for academic and clinical training for the school’s students, and will provide the space needed to accommodate growing enrollment. “Colby-Sawyer has a robust history of educating highly skilled healthcare workers and we are truly proud to be able to ensure through this project the continuation of that tradition well into the future,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “With this project,

“By investing in this project, Colby-Sawyer has made clear its commitment of ensuring that the next generation of clinicians and leaders are fully prepared for current and future challenges in healthcare,” said Joan G. Loftus, director and chair of nursing and associate professor for the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. “A new health sciences building and simulation center will allow Colby-Sawyer to expand its programming, integrate state-of-theart technology into its classrooms and labs and respond to future changes in nursing and health sciences education.” The two-story facility will include common areas and conference spaces, as well as classrooms, faculty offices, laboratories and a simulation center. More than $7.9 million has already been raised for the project and college leadership anticipates that construction will begin next year. To learn more about the new home for the School of Nursing & Health Sciences or to discuss making a gift, please contact Vice President for College Advancement Dan Parish at 1.800.266.8253. Michael Pezone is director of the Office of Marketing & Communications. He holds a B.A. in journalism from Keene State College.

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College News

davidow center for art + design hosts ‘new hampshire now’ photography exhibition Colby-Sawyer College was one of eight institutions across New Hampshire to host a concurrent exhibition of photography called “New Hampshire Now: A Photographic Diary of Life in the Granite State.” The exhibition, presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, showcased the work of nearly 50 professional photographers who traveled throughout New Hampshire between 2018 and 2020. Collections of photographs were on display in each region of the state, including at Colby-Sawyer’s William H. and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 Fine Art Gallery, with collections designed to resonate with residents of a specific region.

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The exhibition featured more than 5,000 photographs that captured New Hampshire’s people, places and culture through an unprecedented span in time. Images showcased the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, a summer of social unrest following the killing of George Floyd and the pain and resilience of a state as it battled a global pandemic. Exhibitions were also held at the Belknap Mill Society in Laconia, the Portsmouth Historical Society, the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene, the Manchester Historic Association, the Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook. A flagship exhibition encompassing the state as a whole was on display in Concord at the New Hampshire Historical Society.


colby-sawyer earns top ranking in u.s. news & world report’s 2022 best colleges issue Colby-Sawyer College has once again been recognized as one of the top colleges in the region by U.S. News & World Report, earning top 10 rankings in three categories — including its first ever No. 1 ranking — in the publication’s 2022 Best Colleges issue. The annual report, released in September, ranks Colby-Sawyer in a tie for first place in its Best Undergraduate Teaching category for regional colleges in the North, and in the top 10 in its Best Regional Colleges North and Best Value Schools North categories. Colby-Sawyer also earned a 19th-place ranking on the report’s Social Mobility North list. Colby-Sawyer ranks in a tie for first place in the report’s Best Undergraduate Teaching North category, representing the college’s first-ever top billing in the publication. The category recognizes schools where faculty and administrators have “an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching,” according to U.S. News. Colby-Sawyer earned an eighth-place ranking in the report’s Best Regional Colleges North list for a fourth straight year, placing ahead of 41 similarly sized institutions from New Jersey to Maine. The college also improved on its fifth-place standing in the report’s Best Value Schools North list from a year ago, earning a third-place ranking in the category this year.

bar harbor bank & trust receives colby-sawyer’s 2021 community award

college raises record $21.5 million in fiscal year 2021

Colby-Sawyer College selected Bar Harbor Bank & Trust as the recipient of the 2021 Community Award in recognition of its decades-long support of, and commitment to, the college.

Colby-Sawyer College raised a record $21.5 million in fiscal year 2021, more than doubling its previous fundraising record of $10.6 million set in 2019.

The Community Award, formerly the Town Award, is presented annually to an area resident or organization that has demonstrated extraordinary involvement in, and made noteworthy contributions to, Colby-Sawyer. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, known locally as Lake Sunapee Bank prior to a 2018 merger, has been the college’s trusted financial partner for decades and a devoted supporter of its students.

The $21,513,102 raised, the highest single-year total in the college’s 183-year history, represents a 381% increase over the previous year’s fundraising total and includes the largest gift ever received by Colby-Sawyer — ­ an investment of $10.2 million from longtime supporters William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56. The college also saw an 18% increase in overall donors, with more than 2,500 individuals and organizations ­— the most since 2015 — making gifts over the course of the fiscal year.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has supported a wide array of initiatives over the years, with contributions made to the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center, Kelsey Athletic Campus and the Chargers Club, among others. A generous supporter of Colby-Sawyer athletics, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust reiterated its support of the college’s varsity programs in 2019 through a $25,000 corporate sponsorship. The bank has also helped ensure that graduates of area high schools have the financial resources necessary to attend Colby-Sawyer through the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund in 1995. The bank recently renewed that commitment, contributing $30,000 toward the establishment of an additional endowed scholarship to benefit low-income students in the Lake Sunapee region. The relationship between Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and the college also proved crucial during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the advisement of the bank, Colby-Sawyer was able to secure payroll protection loans through the federal government that were key in alleviating financial strain on the college during an uncertain period.

The Davidow’s record-setting gift, which almost entirely benefits the college’s endowment, will fund both endowed faculty chairs and scholarships for years to come, and has the potential to add an additional $5 million to the endowment through matching gifts. Colby-Sawyer’s endowment now stands at a record $62.4 million, an increase of more than 56% from June 30, 2020. Fiscal year 2021 also marked the successful conclusion of the threeyear Trustee Scholarship Challenge which supported 40 different endowed scholarships and added $2.7 million to the endowment. In addition, Colby-Sawyer received a $2.9 million bequest — the largest in college history — following the passing of Gail Graham Lee ’62, and raised more than $340,000 during its third annual Day of Giving in April. More than 1,300 individuals, including alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends of the college, made gifts to the college during the 24-hour event.

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Resilience Endures in the

CLASS of 2020 by Donna Shepard Long

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he Class of 2020 missed out on the last few months of its senior year due to COVID-19. There were no Senior Week activities, no goodbyes to friends and professors and no traditional Commencement ceremony. They entered a job market in which many employers had shifted to remote work, resulting in job offers being accepted without any in-person interaction. But this group of resilient graduates has proven that this pandemic did not define them — in fact, it has made them wiser, stronger and more appreciative. The following are just a few stories from members of the Class of 2020 who are already doing amazing things.

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Katie Bernashe ’20 Katie Bernashe ’20 majored in biology and always knew she wanted to do something with animals. “I actually have a picture in my sixthgrade yearbook where I was asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ ” Bernashe recalled. “I replied ‘zookeeper or animal trainer.’ I like to think I would make my past self proud, seeing where I am now and what I will accomplish in the future.” Bernashe is currently a fulltime zookeeper at The Wild Animal Park in Chittenango, N.Y. She assists with the daily distribution of diets and enrichment to the park’s hundreds of animals. In addition, Bernashe helps maintain enclosures, keeps observations on animal behavior and educates the public through various animal encounters. Like many of her classmates, Bernashe struggled to find an internship during her time at Colby-Sawyer because of the pandemic.

“Originally, I had a different internship lined up immediately after graduation, but due to the pandemic, it was canceled,” Bernashe said. “I ultimately ended up working at a grocery store through the spring/summer and began a new internship in mid-August of 2020. “The pandemic pushed me out of my comfort zone, since I found myself applying to positions further from home — some even across the country — that I wouldn’t have imagined … prior to the pandemic,” she added. “I am proud of how we were able to adapt and overcome the challenges thrown at us when the pandemic first began.” Since so many of our prospective jobs and opportunities were postponed or ultimately canceled, we had to quickly change our plans, and some had to find new career paths to start on. I am incredibly proud seeing my peers accomplish their goals.”

Nathnael Feleke ’20 is a registered nurse in the cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Feleke said he enjoys the challenges and rewards that come with working in a fast-paced unit and added that he hopes to one day travel to underserved countries to provide medical services.

Hunter Heath ’20 Hunter Heath ’20 began working at Subway in the summer of 2014. When his employer mentioned he was thinking of selling in July of 2020, Heath bought the business and became a Subway franchisee. “I was happy to purchase the Subway where I had started working so many years earlier to maintain the high level of cleanliness and friendly service I strived to create while I was the manager,” Heath said. Owning a franchised restaurant means that Heath is responsible for every aspect of the location, including staffing, inventory, maintenance and general operations, while being guided by headquarters. “This means that I must offer certain products, remodel my store according to certain specifications and train my employees according to Subway standards,” Heath said. “The franchise model makes it easier to hit the ground running and operate multiple locations.” Heath said he hopes to eventually own multiple Subway restaurants and continue to build the best team possible.

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Lexi Hamilton ’20 Lexi Hamilton ’20 had known she wanted to join the military since her sophomore year of high school. Planning on attending dental school, Hamilton thought joining the United States Air Force (USAF) would be a good option to help pay for her schooling. “I knew joining would challenge me and help me grow as a person,” she said. Hamilton completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and headed to technical school at Fort Sam Houston, also in San Antonio. She graduated in the top 10% of her class and also passed the Dental Assisting National Board, Infection Control Exam and Radiation Health and Safety Exam.

Sam Thomas ’20 Sam Thomas ’20 recently received a master’s degree in graphic design from the Leeds Arts University in Leeds, England. Since then, he has remained in England doing freelance work for major music labels based in the United States and the United Kingdom. “I’ve been freelancing with one of the ‘Big Three’ in the music industry, working on an album cover, single covers, promotional assets, merchandise runs, as well as CD, vinyl and cassette releases. I also work as an assistant designer for someone at Sony Music and have done some work for a high-fashion apparel company called Brownstone in which my illustrations and graphics were used for garments sold at Nordstrom,” Thomas said.

Having already been promoted to Senior Airman (SrA), Hamilton currently serves as a dental assistant in the USAF at the Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Mass. Her duties include providing aid during dental procedures, such as crowns and fillings, and taking dental radiographs to ensure each airman is ready for deployment at any time. Hamilton hopes to attend dental school and eventually work as a general dentist in the USAF. She would like to one day specialize in endodontics or oral surgery. “Our class didn't end our senior year the way we wanted, but we have been successful in the real world already,” Hamilton said, adding that she’s proud to be a member of the Class of 2020. “We didn’t dwell on the unfortunate events. It is incredible that my classmates have been able to make the most out of a difficult hand.”

“The pandemic pushed me out of my comfort zone, since I found myself applying to positions further from home — some even across the country — that I wouldn’t have imagined … prior to the pandemic.” – Katie Bernashe ’20 at McDonald’s, which was disappointing. Then my supervisor from my first internship reached out to me in August 2020 and told me about an exercise physiologist position that was open at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.”

Thomas said he is enjoying his time in England and is trying to explore as much as possible. He goes on daily walks to discover new areas and reduce the stress of freelancing. “Freelancing can be unstable and therefore stressful and scary, but it’s also freeing and empowering, as you’re your own boss, make your own hours and control the structure of your life,” Thomas said.

Olivia Goodrich ’20 Olivia Goodrich ’20 was majoring in exercise science when the pandemic hit during her senior year. She had already completed her first internship with the cardiac rehabilitation program at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and still had one more internship to complete before she could graduate. “The pandemic was making it difficult for me to finish my internship requirement,” Goodrich remembered. “I had accepted the fact that for the near future, I would be continuing my work

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Goodrich received the internship, finished her required hours, and was offered a full-time job as an exercise physiologist. Her responsibilities include running stress tests, starting IVs and helping with echocardiograms and nuclear stress tests. She loves that every day is different, and she continues to learn and adapt to new situations. “I am proud to be a member of the Class of 2020,” Goodrich said. “We had a tough start to our professional lives. I see a lot of my classmates that have had success and persevered during the pandemic. I feel that it made us stronger and more resilient.” Donna Shepard Long is the communications and marketing coordinator for the Office of College Advancement. She holds a B.A. in communications from Syracuse University.


A new home for the

SCHOOL OF NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES

There is something truly unique about a Colby-Sawyer nurse.” Chris Charles ’19 Adjunct Professor of Nursing

With its long tradition of excellence and innovation in health sciences, Colby-Sawyer is uniquely positioned to address the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in our region and beyond. The college’s new state-of the-art facility for nursing and health sciences will open in 2024. To learn more about the details and timeline, visit colby-sawyer.edu/building-on-tradition or contact Dan Parish, Vice President for College Advancement at 800.266.8253.


Bridging the Gap Initiative Strives to Acclimate First-Year, First-Generation College Students to Campus Life by Michael Pezone

Adjusting to life as a college student can be challenging for anyone. But for first-year, first-generation college students, those challenges can often feel overwhelming. So when Director of Student Success and Retention Erica Webb was approached about an opportunity to offer programing aimed at acclimating first-year, firstgeneration college students to life on campus, she couldn’t hide her excitement. “If I’m being transparent, I was moved to the edge of my seat. I remember there was a lot of hand waving and I think my voice raised an octave,” said Webb, recalling a conversation with her supervisor about an offer from a supporter to underwrite the initiative. “As a first-generation college student myself, I offered on the spot to create a proposal. Providing a bridge experience for first-generation students is something I’d been dreaming of for several years.” top: Participants in the Bridge program stand for a group photo outside the Davidow Center for Art + Design. above: Members of the Bridge program reconnect during a social event held in December.

The result of that conversation — and months of planning — was “the First- Generation Bridge,” a weeklong program that afforded 16 first-year, first-generation students the chance to move into a residence hall prior to orientation in order to familiarize themselves with all things campus life. Students were given a detailed syllabus that outlined grading criteria, required reading and assignments, and set out on a five-day “semester” complete with courses, community building exercises and down time. In return, students were awarded a single college credit to kick off their academic careers. Webb said the goal of the Bridge program was for students to end the week having developed a sense of belonging on campus, as well as a network of support from fellow first-generation peers and upperclass mentors alike. She said she also wanted students to become familiarized with campus resources like the Student Learning Collaborative and the Baird Health and Counseling Center and to feel comfortable approaching faculty and staff outside of the classroom setting.

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Heald said he supported a program offered to firstgeneration students at Dartmouth College and wanted to help fund a similar initiative at Colby-Sawyer. “I have a strong belief that if a student is good enough to be accepted into college, then that college has the obligation to do everything it can to make that student’s experience the best it can be,” Heald said. “What I hoped each participant would take away from this was both more self-confidence as they enter a new life experience and ... the belief that they belong here and that they earned the right to be here.”

above: Director of Student Success and Retention Erica Webb speaks to students during the Bridge program last summer.

Faculty members have noticed a level of confidence in Bridge participants that’s not always typical among other first-year, first-generation students. But School of Business & Social Sciences Assistant Professor Christina Perez said it’s not long before the confidence rubs off on others.

right: (From left) Karena Czzowitz, Kylie Dionne, Mia Caraballo and Kaylee Beaudry enjoy Tie-Dye Day held last September on the quad.

“When I attended college, I remember the weight of it setting on my shoulders and the feeling of being an explorer in unknown lands,” Webb said. “I had to learn as I went. ‘What’s a registrar? What’s an advisor? Why do credits matter?’ Looking back, I can see the experiences that helped me find my place: a mentor who made me feel safe enough to ask questions, a connection with a cohort of curious peers and learning how my coursework was relevant to the future I wanted.” Jillian Swett ’25, a first-year, first-generation student from Franklin, N.H., said she felt the program gave her a “leg up” over her fellow first-year peers, adding that she would absolutely recommend Bridge to future first-generation students. “I came into the program hoping to gain confidence and a better understanding of how college works, and it did exactly that,” said Swett, a child development education prep major. “The biggest benefit of the program was having a group of people rooting for you as soon as you get to campus. Having a group of people in the same situation to navigate college with makes the transition much easier.” While the idea of providing a ridge experience was something Webb had mulled for years, it was a financial gift from longtime Colby-Sawyer supporter Edward Heald that helped turn that dream into reality. Heald, a graduate of Dartmouth College whose mother, Jane Winey Heald ’40, and sister, Sally Heald Winship ’69, attended Colby-Sawyer, said he was inspired to help fund an orientation-type program for first-generation college students after watching an ABC News segment about the challenges these students face.

“My students who were involved in the Bridge program have by far been the most vocal during class discussions,” Perez said. “(One Bridge student) mentioned the program helped her speak up more in class, which I love because that got the other students chiming in more, too.” For first-year, first-generation student Mackenzie Hopkins ’25, there was one benefit of the program that outweighed all the others. Friendship. “The biggest benefit for me was gaining so many new friends so quickly,” said Hopkins, an exercise science, pre-physical therapy major from Troy, N.H. To find out how you can support the Bridge program, contact Planned Giving Officer Peg Andrews ’85 at 603.526.3726 or pandrews@colby-sawyer.edu.

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round mpus

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hat a year it has been here at ColbySawyer! With something going on around every corner, there was never a shortage of excitement and buzz around campus. We danced in Sawyer Center, sang in the Lethbridge Lodge and welcomed the wintry weather as we ate s’mores over toasty campfires on the quad. From the top of Kearsarge down to the fields of Kelsey and Mercer, we explored every horizon and embraced every moment spent together.

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walking the talk by Jennifer White ‘90

PUT YOUR PURPOSE INTO PRACTICE Colby-Sawyer's Blueprint for a Better World

The “CSC BLUEPRINT” supports students to become healthy human beings, productive career professionals and engaged global citizens. Within a culture that promotes wellness and celebrates diversity, students: explore their own sense of place, purpose and vocation; connect with others and develop their skills through personal and holistic learning; make a difference in their community through transformative education and engaged learning experiences; and put their purpose into practice to discover their potential to build a better world.

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During fall 2021, Colby-Sawyer College launched a program to provide a cohesive narrative about the student experience, weave together several ongoing institutional initiatives and invite deliberate college-wide participation in practices that foster retention. The focal point and central thread of this program is a guiding document for students called the CSC Blueprint. Designated facilitators prompt students to complete specific exercises within their Blueprint at seven common touchpoints during their four years, while faculty and staff in departments and offices across campus seek creative and collaborative opportunities to help reinforce these concepts so they can become part of the culture and lived experience. This process seeks to complement existing efforts and is intended to help students begin to develop resilience and self-awareness, foster a sense

of individual identity and community belonging, clarify their specific interests, skills, and goals and gather relevant experience in preparation for their chosen career. In year one, peer mentors in the First Year Experience (FYE) class introduce students to the eight dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial and environmental. Later, faculty in that same FYE course lead an activity related to identity, belonging and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). Then, Introduction to Academic Writing faculty help students explore their conception of purpose and vocation through a reflective essay inspired by four questions: What are you good at? What do you love? What does the world need? What can you earn money doing?


above: The CSC Blueprint provides students a pathway to customize their college experience and build a framework that allows them to achieve their personal and professional goals.

To develop a strong and multilayered social fabric and sense of place on campus, students’ academic advisors in their sophomore year help them to conceive of and construct a support network map of peers, mentors and professionals. When they are juniors, advisors guide them to identify curricular and cocurricular opportunities to test out potential roles and professions, acquire hands-on experience, develop leadership skills and build their resume. That same year, as part of their internship or preceptorship, they begin to bring some clarity to their career path and life after college by setting goals related to their ideal work environment, salary, level of responsibility, community and living arrangements. Finally, to prepare them for what lies beyond Colby-Sawyer, students review a checklist for graduation during their capstone or senior seminar to ensure they have plans in place to meet course requirements for their major/minor, outline their expected budget, draft a resume, acquire interview skills and/or complete graduate school applications.

To support the CSC Blueprint journey for students, faculty and staff, the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning SharePoint site contains supplemental information and resources (e.g., library toolkits, key contacts, etc.), as well as how-to videos for several of the exercises. The CSC Blueprint aligns with broader institutional initiatives that foster student success and retention, and, as a living document and campus-wide effort, it guides students to customize their college experience and build a framework that allows them to achieve their personal and professional goals. In essence, this program simply provides some focus and shared language for an existing phenomenon on campus that is hard to capture and articulate wherein our students become immersed in an attentive community that catalyzes them to become the best version of themselves. Jennifer White ’90 is the former director of sustainability and innovation at Colby-Sawyer College.

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be BOLD Alum Credits Women’s Leadership Network for Post-Grad Success by Laura M. Young ’16

J

ordan Hewes ’20 knew she wanted to pursue psychology since eighth grade. Her career assessment tests in middle school and high school always pointed her toward the path of psychology, social work and mental health services, and she dedicated much of her college experience toward cultivating that career interest. Despite her clearly defined career goals, however, Hewes took some time adjusting to college life. Not feeling completely at home on campus, she opted to live off campus her junior year. That same year, she received an email from Jen Tockman, Colby-Sawyer’s director of career development and BOLD Women’s Leadership Network, inviting her to join Colby-Sawyer’s inaugural class of BOLD scholars. The email served as a pivotal moment for Hewes, who credits her experience in BOLD with giving her the ability to “break out of (her) shell.”

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The BOLD Women’s Leadership Network is a program that focuses on supporting the career goals of first-generation college students who identify as female and are from rural areas. This groundbreaking program provides students with invaluable opportunities for career development, networking, financial aid awards, financial support for community-based projects, internships and post-graduation fellowship grant funding. Colby-Sawyer was invited to join the BOLD network, a selective group of only six colleges nationwide, in 2018. Hewes and six other qualifying students from the Class of 2020 were included in Colby-Sawyer’s inaugural chapter of the BOLD scholars program. Upon graduating from Colby-Sawyer with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in child development, Hewes was determined to go straight to graduate school. With an Excel spreadsheet of her top choices for graduate school in hand, she set her sights


top: Jordan Hewes ’20 meets with Director of Career Development and BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Jen Tockman.

on institutions with exemplary social work programs. After researching her carefully constructed list of prestigious graduate schools, Hewes decided to apply only to Smith College, where she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work, with an expected completion date of 2023.

above: Jordan Hewes ’20 (front row, middle) stands with other members of Colby-Sawyer’s inaugural class of BOLD scholars. Hewes credits her involvement with BOLD for helping her develop the skills and confidence that enabled her to co-found the Equal Care Fund, a nonprofit that helps individuals with low incomes access sustainable mental health care.

For Hewes, BOLD not only provided a foothold in her desired career but also equipped her with the confidence to speak up about salary expectations and realistic boundaries at work. Hewes said she was motivated by one of BOLD’s many influential guest speakers at Colby-Sawyer. “When it comes to money,” Hewes said. “As a woman in the workplace, I am prepared to sit down and say, ‘This is what I expect for money.’ I would have never done that (before BOLD). I would have sold myself short.”

Hewes has already begun to use those skills in the hectic nonprofit environments in which she has worked. In the spring semester of her senior year at Colby-Sawyer, she began an internship with Hanover Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (HCBT) in Hanover, N.H. The internship with HCBT led her to a BOLD fellowship through which she co-founded the Equal Care Fund, a program that helps low-income individuals in the Upper Valley access sustainable mental healthcare services. The vision of the Equal Care Fund is outlined on the website Hewes helped build: “Through long-term (12-18 months) funding support, individuals will be able to maintain care with quality psychotherapy, psychiatry sessions and/or psychoeducational services that fit applicants’ clinical and financial needs.” Hewes’ tenacity and passion for mental health, as well as her dedication to the well-being of all individuals, makes her a determined advocate for this cause. “I always knew I wanted to run my own business,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about nonprofits, but I’m not surprised this is where I have ended up because I’ve always wanted to help everyone, and that’s the whole mission of this.” To learn more about the Equal Care Fund, visit woodstockcommunitytrust.com/equalcarefund. Donations and volunteers are welcome. Laura M. Young ’16 is the assistant director of the Office of Marketing & Communications. She holds an MFA in graphic design from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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SOMETHING for EVERYONE by Kelly Collins The nursing program at Colby-Sawyer College has a well-known and longstanding partnership with Dartmouth Health. However, the college’s Dartmouth Health partnership also benefits students in a variety of majors, as two graphic design students recently learned. Egann Roberge ’21 was thrilled to find out that he would be able to participate in an internship at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. “I wanted to do an internship to apply what I had learned in the classroom into a real-life field,” Roberge said. “I initially envisioned working in a design firm or with a design-centered business, but I was surprised to find that DHMC was offering internships to non-medical majors. For somebody like me, working in a medical field was something I never believed I would do, but it opened my eyes to the wide range of possibilities.” Roberge completed a marketing and design internship with the Workforce Development Team. He started by learning more about Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the medical field in general before branching out to create infographics for digital and print handouts that centered on and articulated the career paths available to nurses at Dartmouth Health. “I learned a lot of professional skills that I can apply in a variety of ways,” Roberge said, adding that he found the experience invaluable. “Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center gave me the opportunity to apply my skills in a non-design field, opening my eyes to the possibilities for a designer like myself. It taught me the importance of learning my subject well enough before I begin designing and reaching out if I had any questions to better my understanding.” Kennedy Moore ’22, a graphic design major with a minor in contemporary marketing, also pursued a non-medical internship with Dartmouth Health. Moore knew about the Colby-Sawyer/Dartmouth Health relationship but never thought it could apply to her. She was surprised when Colby-Sawyer’s Director of Career Development Jen Tockman suggested she inquire about graphic design/marketing internship opportunities there. Moore soon realized that Dartmouth Health is an organization that encompasses a wide range of departments, each with a different focus.

above: Examples of work completed by Egann Roberge and Kennedy Moore during their internships with Dartmouth Health.

“My internship was based in the Community Relations Department at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD),” Moore said. “I worked with a small team to design a variety of projects for CHaD fundraising events, as these events are crucial to keeping CHaD going and funded in order to best serve its patients. I worked on everything from event posters to newsletters to signage to social media posts to birthday and thank-you cards.” When Moore began her internship, she knew it would be mostly remote because of the pandemic. However, she was pleased to find that she could meet with her team members on an individual basis and work on her projects with their suggestions and input. The experience helped her understand how a designer works and collaborates with others to come up with the best design solutions. “I was able to take the skills I've learned through my time at Colby-Sawyer and implement them in a real-world situation, something that boosted my confidence as a designer and showed me all the possibilities for projects that I could work on in the future,” Moore said. “It was an amazing internship experience and one that taught me so much about my future career path.” It appears the long-standing partnership between Colby-Sawyer College and Dartmouth Health has something for everyone. Kelly Collins is the former director of the Office of Marketing & Communications. She holds a B.A. in communications from New England College.

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From Apprenticeship to Associate Degree

Collaboration allows Dartmouth Health employees to advance their education at Colby-Sawyer Courtesy Dartmouth Health When Diana C. Beaulac, MA, worked as a secretary, she dreamed of being a nurse. But finding the right academic program, enrolling in classes and completing prerequisites was daunting and expensive. “I didn’t know how to get started,” Beaulac said.

“I love being hands-on with the patients, being there for them. It’s beyond rewarding.”

A collaboration between Dartmouth Health’s Workforce Readiness Institute (WRI) and Colby-Sawyer College not only gave Beaulac a start on her nursing school prerequisites, but also allowed her to complete her medical assistant certification, begin a health care career at Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics in Manchester N.H., and earn an Associate in Health Science degree from Colby-Sawyer with minimal cost and full employment at Dartmouth Health throughout her training. Beaulac was the first Dartmouth Health employee to earn an Associate of Science in Health Sciences degree through the Dartmouth Health and Colby-Sawyer initiative to bridge healthcare certification and college education. Accepted students are hired into one of three tracks — medical assistant, pharmacy technician or surgical technologist. They train for their certification in Dartmouth Health’s hands-on classrooms before completing their remaining degree requirements at Colby-Sawyer. This fall, 32 students enrolled in the program. “Some of our new students already have college degrees but are seeking a change and are looking for a career that is more interesting or meaningful,” said Jennifer Holl, MSN, RN, director of professional learning at Colby-Sawyer. “Others do not have a college degree, are working toward greater financial stability and are excited about the possibility for career growth.”

Each track begins with a Dartmouth Health onsite WRI training program that includes classroom learning, hands-on technical skills and certification. “Students then transition to their Department of Labor-approved 2,000-hour registered apprenticeship,” Holl said. During the first six months of the apprenticeship, students can begin the final courses needed to complete their Associate of Science in Health Sciences degree. Students work directly with an academic advisor who is focused on their growth and development and assists in course selection and the transfer of any previous college credits. “It’s a challenging program but all the way through, the WRI team, the clinic staff, my practice managers, my co-workers, the providers, as well as other employees and leaders have been so very supportive,” said Stephen Toegel, a medical assistant apprentice at Cheshire Medical Center who is nearing completion of his associate degree. “They made sure I had the resources to be successful, and with Dartmouth Health’s tuition reimbursement, there was no financial obstacle. I just had to do the work.” With an Associate of Science in Health Sciences under her belt and some nursing school prerequisites completed, Beaulac is starting to work toward a nursing school application. “Through the Workforce Readiness Institute apprenticeship program and Colby-Sawyer’s degree program, I got a start in healthcare and am even more sure that nursing is in my future,” Beaulac said. “I love being hands-on with patients, being there for them. It’s beyond rewarding.”

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lessons lived by madeline dalton ’21, mba ’22 “It's like a sauce, if you will,” Professor Eric Boyer says of his course simulations. “We have discovered during the many times that Paris has been besieged, even a rat tastes good with the right sauce on it. Eighteen-year-olds might consider the differences between voting systems to be a boring discussion — which I also didn't find fascinating then — but put some sauce on it, and suddenly now students get really into it.” Boyer came to Colby-Sawyer in 2008 with his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota, becoming the first political scientist the college had on faculty. He is a big believer in using simulations, in which historical events are role-played in class over the course of a semester, as a tool for teaching and learning. His interest in simulations grew from his love of escapism through board games, and in displaying creativity within the parameters of role-playing games. Unsure of how to put an end cap on his introductory-level government course in 2010, Boyer researched, discovered and then implemented the “Crisis of North Korea” simulation, in which his students were put into groups whose factions had the goal of denuclearizing North Korea.

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This new concept of simulations sparked a deep passion for students in Boyer’s classes, and semester after semester, his students continue to discuss their previous simulations. “They didn’t want to talk about my fascinating dissection of parliamentary systems versus presidential voting systems,” Boyer said. “They would say ‘Yeah, but do you remember when so-and-so threatened South Korea’ and I found that this was really engaging my students, even over time.”

colophon

The headline, biline and quote for this story are set in Bayard, a unique sans-serif typeface designed by Trés Seals, creator of the type foundry, Vocal Type. It is inspired by signs from the 1963 March On Washington For Jobs and Freedom. It is named after Bayard Rustin, who was a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King and one of the most influential and effective organizers of the civil rights movement, as well as a public advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.

Today, Boyer holds simulations in every class he teaches. Boyer said that lecturing with PowerPoint slides — on the March of Japan, for example — makes the subject too easy and comfortable for students. “My hope would be that the simulations create a sense of empathy, which is something that we don’t normally emphasize enough in politics,” Boyer said. “They allow you to put yourself in the shoes of another person to see the world through their eyeballs. If your rule sheet says that you are General Tojo, you're going to do all the awful things that he did, and not only that, but you are also going to understand why he did it. You may not think he is a hero, but you will understand his point of view, and then hopefully, you can take that and transplant it to (the present day).” The excitement behind Professor Boyer's simulations frequently echoes around Colby-Sawyer's campus. Because it is a small school where students have great relationships with each other and with their professors, this learning style resonates well. “Small schools have a natural advantage,” Boyer said. Senior Eric Miller ’22, a history and political studies major, agrees.

above: (Front to back) Caroline Koziol (as George Mason), Jessica Wilson (as Edmund Randolph) and Theresa Page (as James Madison) participate in a simulation of the Constitutional Convention during Professor Eric Boyer’s political science course on the U.S. Constitution.

Miller came to Colby-Sawyer from Chicago, and his first few semesters were a hard transition. Though he considered transferring, Boyer’s classes helped remind him of his love for politics and reinforced the importance of simulations. “Professor Boyer inspired me to go out into my community like a true politician,” Miller said. “With the knowledge gained from his simulations, I am now a student ambassador and a class officer for the Student Government Association. And I have applied for a master’s at George Washington University for their Legislative Affairs Department, and hopefully I will be interning on Capitol Hill as a staff member.”

... even a rat tastes good with the right sauce on it.” – e. boyer “Colby-Sawyer is a small, close-knit community with small classrooms that allow for simulations and engagement,” Miller said.

Miller believes that the simulations he has participated in have given him the skills to put himself out there and thrive.

By the time he graduates in May 2022, Miller will have taken all of Professor Boyer's simulation courses. He sought them out because they brought his academic learning to life.

Simulations offer students the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in multiple aspects of life.

“In the U.S. Constitution simulation, I was Confederalist Robert Yansing at the Constitutional Convention,” Miller said. “My role was to make the Constitution unadoptable, and I would email people outside of class to organize meetings in the dining hall. This escalated into my group and I talking about the simulations at dinner, before class, outside of Colgate in the freezing snow for hours — but we were planning and strategizing. We vigorously exchanged emails, and it became my life.” Boyer also adopted the simulation pedagogy because it allows his students to discuss uncomfortable topics and hold difficult conversations. “Some issues are really hard to talk about, such as race, abortion and gay marriage,” Boyer said. “People freeze up, especially at a small school, where nobody wants to say the thing they believe gets misinterpreted. However, when you're talking about 1993 South Africa, we can freely talk about race. Now students are having thought-out, respectful, civil and productive conversations with affirmative action, but it’s regarding South Africa. It’s easier because it’s not about themselves in today’s day and age. It’s my simulation role talking to your simulation role.”

“What do employers want?” asked Professor Boyer. “They want students who can work in teams, who can think on their feet and who can speak and write. That’s what a simulation is. Students are diving into the simulation history so they understand what is going on, while using the same piece of writing to try and advance their goals. They are being pushed to empathize and look at something that is nebulous and find meaning in it, knowing that someone else is going to find different meaning in the same thing. This then leads you to think on your feet, where students are listening, taking notes, passing notes, conferring, debating, discussing and responding.” Today, Boyer is continuing to write and develop simulations to help students learn content and achieve their goals, and he hopes that others will take on similar aspects of his pedagogy to advance students’ skills and application abilities, especially in regard to their lives in college and beyond. Madeline Dalton ’21, ’22 MBA, of Haverhill, Mass., is a graduate student worker for the Office of Marketing & Communications. She holds a B.S. in communications and is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration.

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portfolio

publications, exhibitions and awards Office of Marketing & Communications Bernard Botchway ’15, who joined the Colby-Sawyer Board of Trustees in 2020 for a three-year term, was recently coronated as the new king of Osu, Africa. Known as Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV in his role as king, Botchway graduated from Colby-Sawyer with a degree in history and political studies before earning a juris doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 2018. In his coronation address, Botchway said his reign will focus on the development of Osu, the education of its children and the skillful development of its youth.

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School of Arts & Sciences Adjunct Professor Alicia Bergeron was recently selected as a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, one of the country’s foremost fine arts organizations. According to its website, the more than 700 juried members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen represent the very best of New England’s rich craft tradition of quality, having met rigorous standards for self expression, vision and exceptional craftsmanship. Bergeron has been practicing photography for more than 20 years, with her current body of work celebrating the shifting light and shadows that only occur in the spring.

Recent graduate Alyssa DeMarinis ’21, a registered nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., was awarded the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in December 2021. The award, bestowed quarterly at hospitals across the nation, celebrates the skillful and compassionate care nurses provide every day. After graduating from Colby-Sawyer, DeMarinis was hired to work on UVMMC’s neurology floor in July 2021. DeMarinis was nominated for the award by a patient’s daughter who cited her caring, compassionate and detail-oriented demeanor.

Cindy Volk Bates ’82, the chief people officer for the Common Man family of restaurants, was recently awarded the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. A resident of Belmont, N.H., Bates began her career with the Common Man in 1992 as a server at the Tilt’n Diner in Tilton, N.H. In 1998 she was promoted to general manager of the diner, and in 2006 she became the Common Man’s first director of training. In her current role as chief people officer, a position she’s held since 2020, Bates leads training initiatives for more than 675 employees, advises on human resources policies and procedures and leads recruitment of new talent.

Olivia McAnirlin ’17, an exercise science major and current Ph.D. student at Clemson University, published the article “Where greenspace matters most: A systematic review of urbanicity, greenspace and physical health” with three other researchers in August 2021 in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. This article was a meta-analysis that concluded that most articles showed that greenspace promoted physical health in both urban and rural settings.

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However, they also suggested that it was more advantageous to live in urban settings in terms of cardiovascular, birth and mortality physical health outcomes. Former college photographer Henrique Plantikow was selected to photograph CeCe Telfer, the first transgender woman to win an NCAA title in the Women’s Division II 400-meter hurdles, for the June 2021 issue of Women’s Health magazine. Plantikow’s portrait and candid photography were featured in a story highlighting Telfer’s struggles as a transgender athlete and her fight to qualify for the Olympics as a member of the Team USA Women’s Track & Field Team. Telfer was later ruled ineligible to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials.

Colby-Sawyer president Susan D. Stuebner recently authored a chapter in the book The College President Handbook: A Sustainable and Practical Guide for Emerging Leaders. The book, published in March by Harvard Education Press, is a comprehensive guidebook that offers clear counsel by highly regarded current and former college and university leaders from across the nation. Stuebner’s chapter is entitled “Managing Financial Resources and Strategic Planning.” The book was edited by James Soto Antony, Ana Mari Cauce, Lynn M. Gangone and Tara P. Nicola.

STATE of the UNION INVITATION

by Michael Pezone

W

hen President Joe Biden addressed a joint session As Kuster’s guest, Clay said he met one-on-one with the state’s senior of Congress for his State of the Union on March representative in Congress over Zoom prior to the President’s 9 p.m. 1, one Colby-Sawyer alumnus was watching as the per- address. He used the time to reiterate to Kuster the importance of sonal guest of a member of Congress. Noah Clay ’20, a federal aid in combating COVID-19 and remind those in Washington, registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at D.C., that despite the rural nature of the state, New Hampshire was Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H., was selected to recently among the states hardest hit by the pandemic. attend the President’s address — albeit virtually — as “We kind of have this small-town feel around here and so I think the guest of U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster. Clay, who is currently places like New Hampshire weren’t really seen as the hallmark of pursuing his Master of Science in Nursing at Colby-Sawyer, COVID,” Clay said. “But New Hampshire these last few months was selected by the four-term Congresswoman in rec- had some of the highest positivity rates in the country. I just want ognition of his service on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. to make sure people know we were largely affected. It takes a A Keene native, Clay began work in the ICU shortly after graduating team to care for COVID patients and it takes resources.” in May 2020, and has spent the entirety of his career treating those Clay praised his coworkers in the ICU for providing each other with impacted by the virus. both the professional and the emotional support needed to adapt “Noah and his fellow healthcare workers are the true heroes behind to the unique circumstance of providing care during a pandemic. America’s progress (during the COVID-19 pandemic), and I’m proud to Clay also credited his experience at Colby-Sawyer for preparing uplift their stories,” Kuster said in a statement announcing Clay’s selec- him for life as a registered nurse. tion as her guest. “It’s impossible to overstate the essential role of our “I think I felt more prepared than most,” Clay said. “Colby-Sawyer Granite State healthcare workers. Throughout every surge and every has an absolutely fantastic nursing program and its partnership variant, they have been on the front lines putting themselves in harm’s with Dartmouth-Hitchcock is phenomenal for its students. Not way to save lives and push back against this deadly virus.” many of my peers had the opportunity to do clinical at a level COVID-19 safety protocols prevented congressional guests from one trauma center and so I felt prepared entering this pandemic. attending the address in person, so Clay watched the event on My experience at Colby-Sawyer is the reason I chose to come back to pursue my master’s degree.” television from his Keene home.

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Triple Threat

Men's & Women's Cross Country, Women’s Tennis Win GNAC Titles by Sports Information Three Colby-Sawyer College athletic teams —men’s cross country, women’s cross country and women’s tennis — won Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championships this fall, in their first season back in competition after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams took their conference titles on Oct. 30, 2021. “We had a fantastic season on both the men’s and women’s side,” men’s and women’s cross country Head Coach Ryan O’Connell said. “We had 13 first-years that came in and changed our whole culture and brought some much-needed energy to the team.” One of those first-year athletes was Dylan Flewelling, who led the men to victory with a firstplace individual finish. Flewelling covered the 8-kilometer course at Boston’s Franklin Park in 28 minutes, 4 seconds, helping the Chargers edge out second-place Norwich University by just five points. Flewelling earned an all-conference first-team nod by virtue of his finish as well as both the Runner and Rookie of the Year conference awards. The men’s team as a whole was presented with the Team Sportsmanship award for exhibiting great character throughout the season. The Colby-Sawyer women’s cross country team finished first out of nine teams, with three Chargers earning All-Conference first-or-second-team awards. The women were led by firstyear athlete Samantha Carus, who recorded a personal best time of 24:25 and finished in second place. After an outstanding performance in the conference championships, seven runners from each team moved on to the NCAA regionals in which the women recorded their best finish in program history, placing ninth out of 33 teams. Carus crossed the finish line in 38th place, ultimately breaking the record for the highest finisher as an individual in the NCAA regionals in Colby-Sawyer cross-country history.

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The women’s tennis team finished the fall with an 8-0 record in the GNAC. The Chargers ended the fall season as GNAC champions defeating Regis College, 5-0, in the title match hosted in New London. “It’s easy to be a good coach when you have strong players,” said women’s tennis Head Coach Barry Schoonmaker, who has led the program for 13 years and has won nine conference championships. “This year we had a lot of hungry student-athletes ready to play coming back from COVID, and adding seven first-years to our already solid roster was the perfect combination to success.” Included in that roster were sophomore Lindsay Macdonald, who was named GNAC Player of the Year and first-year student-athlete Grace Carpenter, who was named GNAC Rookie of the Year. and GNAC Tournament MVP. Macdonald finished her first collegiate fall season with 7-2 overall record from the number one singles position and an 11-0 record in doubles. Macdonald credited a lot of the team’s success to its two graduating student-athletes, senior Amira Eid and graduate student Margaret Fox. “The upperclassmen are really nice and easy to talk to,” Macdonald said. “They helped us a lot at the beginning bringing us together. They are really good leaders and helped us grow as student-athletes.” above: Tennis champs Grace Carpenter and Emily Hill share a victory hug. opposite page, top: Members of the men’s cross country team race their way to the GNAC title. opposite page, below: First-year student-athlete Heather Hanson competes for the women’s cross country team.

The women’s tennis team is now preparing to compete for the NCAA Division III Title in the NCAA Tournament, which will be held in May. Both coaches were also honored by the conference for their outstanding work in leading the Chargers to victory. On Nov. 30, GNAC announced O’Connell as the Coach of the Year for both cross country teams. Schoonmaker picked up his fourth conference Coach of the Year honor.

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SPORTS NEWS by Sports Information

FALL SEASON RECAP

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FIELD HOCKEY

WOMEN’S RUGBY

The Colby-Sawyer field hockey team turned in its best season in program history, finishing 16-4-0 (10-1-0 in conference play) and earning its first-ever berth to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title game. The Chargers tacked on a few more firsts during the season as well, successfully defeating both Plymouth State and Keene State for the first time in program history. Some of the team’s top performers included junior Aoife Daly (Harwich, Mass.), graduate student Julia Lanctot (Sandown, N.H.) and senior Jess Shatford (Derry, N.H.), who each received first-team conference honors. Sophomore Aleah Murph (Portland, Maine), graduate student Chelsea Perry (Oakland, Maine) and goalkeeper Lauren Wilkinson (Lynn, Mass.) collected second-team honors, while first-year student-athlete Courtney Larson (Auburn, Maine), senior Chrissy Coffield (North Conway, N.H.) and junior Bella Silva (Danvers, Mass.) were named to the third team. The top-seeded Chargers hosted the GNAC title game after clinching the regular-season title, but fell to second-ranked Johnson & Wales, 4-1.

The women’s rugby team advanced to the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) tournament semifinals for the second time since entering the conference in 2019. The Chargers were dealt a difficult matchup against a top-seeded Bowdoin College team that beat Colby-Sawyer 79-0 earlier in the year, but coach Ed McKenna’s team showed plenty of improvement on its way to a 54-7 defeat. “It was clear, especially in the first 30-40 minutes, that we’ve taken monumental steps toward building a strong rugby program and culture, which would not have been possible without the leadership of our captains and returners,” McKenna said after the match. “I’m humbled to be their coach and excited for the future.” The Chargers finished the season with a 3-4 record with wins against Castleton University, Saint Michael’s College and New England College. The team will graduate two seniors from the team in captains Sophia Zaragoza (Mount Tabor, N.J.) and Bella Paul (Asbury, N.J.).

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MEN’S SOCCER The men’s soccer team finished 5-10-0 for the year, with the Chargers’ best game of the season coming on Sept. 22 in the form of a 5-0 victory over GNAC rival Rivier University. Junior Finn Husband (Elk Rapids, Mich.) led the Chargers with three goals in that effort, while first-year student-athlete Conner McKearin (Proctor, Vt.) netted two. The Chargers finished the season with a total of 18 goals and 192 shots on net. Colby-Sawyer was also awarded significantly more corner kicks than the opposition during the season with 92 opportunities to its opponents’ 62. The Chargers entered the GNAC tournament as the No. 8 seed, setting the stage for a difficult matchup against top-ranked Saint Joseph’s College of Standish, Maine. The Chargers fell in that contest, 3-0, to end their season. Colby-Sawyer was awarded the conference’s team sportsmanship award and senior captain and LGTBQ+ student-athlete of the year nominee Couper Gunn (Easthampton, Mass.) was named to the conference’s all-sportsmanship team.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The Colby-Sawyer women’s soccer team finished the season with a 4-10-1 record, with first-year student-athlete Bridget O’Connell (Peabody, Mass.) leading the Chargers with five goals scored and 21 shots on net. Junior Brenna Humphrey (Cornish, Maine) scored the second most goals with two on three shots. The Chargers’ best game of the season came Oct. 16 against Anna Maria at home where sophomore Kara Keiper (Peterborough, N.H.), first-year student-athlete Halle Pletzer (Barre, Vt.) and O’Connell each scored goals to seal a 3-1 win and improve to 4-7-0 at the time. Senior Sophia DeMarco was honored with the conferences’ all-sportsmanship award, while fellow seniors Lydia Nattress and Rachel Ferrier also contributed to the team’s success.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL The women’s volleyball team finished the year at 12-17, with its most impressive win coming against GNAC rival Dean College on Oct. 8. The Chargers won that match in straight sets, 25-11, 25-17 and 25-14. The women also shut out Elms College, Salem State University, University of Saint Joseph, Fitchburg State, Anna Maria, Emmanuel College and Albertus Magnus. The most impressive set of the season came against GNAC rival and defending champion Johnson & Wales, when the Chargers took a set off the Wildcats for the first time in five years. One of the Chargers’ key players, senior Anna Allen (Los Angeles, Calif.,) collected her 2,000th career assist in a 3-2 win over the Badgers of NVU-Johnson on Sept. 23.

opposite page: First-year student-athlete Courtney Larson moves the ball upfield during the top-ranked Chargers’ GNAC semifinal win over fifth-seeded Elms College. top left: Members of the women’s rugby team participate in a scrum in a match against Endicott College. top right: First-year student-athlete Jadon Baros fires a shot on goal during his team’s shutout victory over Lasell University. middle right: Junior Brenna Humphrey speeds past the opposition during a win over Norwich University. bottom right: First-year student-athlete Audra Fontes sets the ball during a match against Endicott College.

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SPORTS NEWS NEW HIRES

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ZACH GRADY MEN’S SOCCER

DAN KAIGLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

Zach Grady was named head coach of the men’s soccer program in February. He comes to New London, N.H., following six seasons working as an assistant men’s soccer coach at the Division III level. Grady was most recently an assistant coach under coach Mike Pilger at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Prior to his time at Trinity, Grady spent two seasons as the assistant coach at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. Grady is also a renowned coach on the New England club soccer circuit, and is the head coach of the boys’ Elite Clubs National League Team of the FC Stars. He was previously the head coach of Black Rock FC. Grady was a four-year starter at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where he was the leading scorer during his senior season. He was also honored as a member of the All-New England and All-NESCAC teams. Grady completed one season in the United Soccer League as a member of the Western Massachusetts Pioneers in 2015..

Dan Kaigler was named head men’s basketball coach in August of 2021. Kaigler took over at the helm for the Chargers following the retirement of Bill Foti after 29 years at the college. Kaigler came to New London, N.H., after spending the previous season as the top assistant for the University of Rochester men’s basketball program in New York. While at Rochester, Kaigler helped guide the Yellow Jackets through a COVID-19 shortened season and a 4-2 record. Prior to Rochester, Kaigler was an assistant at his alma mater, Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., for the 2018-19 season. While with the Dolphins, Kaigler was tasked with several duties, including recruiting, skill development and film breakdown. Kaigler was an assistant for a Le Moyne team that ended the season with a 18-10 record, including a 14-6 Northeast 10 Conference record.

COLBY-SAWYER MAGAZINE


COLBY-SAWYER BIOLOGY: RESEARCH & OPPORTUNITY by Mary McLaughlin

For graduates of the program, the Colby-Sawyer College biology major has provided a springboard for academic advancement and professional success. Biology alumni consistently point to three factors that have allowed the program to consistently excel: a challenging curriculum, an engaged faculty and an abundance of opportunity to conduct, publish and present biomedical research. The depth and breadth of the biology curriculum expanded significantly in 2010 when Colby-Sawyer was awarded a grant through the New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE), a coordinated network for research and training among nine colleges and universities across New Hampshire. top: (Back row, from left) Maggie Grant ’21, Alex Carp ’22, Kelly Cunningham ’22, Nicholas Genovese ’23, Sophia Loranger ’24 and Professor Emeritus Ben Steele. (Front row) Professor Kerstin Stoedefalke, Assistant Professor Chery Whipple, Alycia Ashby ’24, Monika Adhikari ’23, Sophia DeMarco ’22, Meredith Ellis ’23, Grace McLaughlin ’24 and Malik Newcomb ’22. above: Colby-Sawyer students and faculty present their research at the New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE) 2021 Annual Meeting in Bretton Woods, N.H.

In one of Colby-Sawyer’s earliest NH-INBRE projects, Maria Cimpean ’13 worked with Professor Bill Thomas researching cell-to-cell adhesion. In 2012, Cimpean presented her research at the New England Science Symposium at Harvard Medical School, the Northeast Undergraduate Development Symposium in Biddeford, Maine, the American Society for Cell Biology in San Francisco, Calif., the Eastern New England Biological Conference at Northeastern University and the annual NH-INBRE meeting in Whitefield, N.H. Cimpean said she realizes that it’s not likely that she would have had the same level of opportunity in a larger undergraduate program. “I didn’t understand why small class sizes would be something to look for in a school,” said Cimpean, now a Ph.D. candidate in immunology at Washington University in St. Louis. “Today, I can’t believe how lucky I was. It provided me the opportunity to conduct original research under the close mentorship of a faculty member.” Anishma Shrestha ’17 worked with Professor Jamie Jukosky on a research project she describes as “investigating the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides derived from insects as an alternative

to conventional antibiotics to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.” The project gave her the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where most of the experiments were conducted. Shrestha, who is currently in her second year of a four-year dentistry program at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, said that the experience “played a vital role in developing my professional and communication skills as we were able to present our research findings at different conferences including the annual NH-INBRE conference and New England Science Symposium at Harvard Medical School.” She added that the opportunity to contribute to the research community by publishing their findings was a distinct honor. Ben Maines ’18, who was part of the same project, said that he used his NH-INBRE research to gain the “foundations in science and physiology that I’ve been building on ever since,” especially in his current work at Stanford University, where he is pursuing both an M.D. and a Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability. Hanna Degefu ’20 was involved in a different research project, studying the effects of environmental and industrial chemicals on the model organism C. elegans and different cancer cell lines with Professor Chery Whipple. Degefu, now a second-year Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Cellular Biology program at Dartmouth College, echoed the sentiments expressed by her fellow alumni. “As a member of the NH-INBRE network, Colby-Sawyer gave me the opportunity to have a paid research assistantship position and to take part in established research projects at other institutions,” Degefu said. “All these opportunities gave me the skill set and tools to pursue graduate education in research.”

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news from alumni relations

Homecoming

2022

October 14-16

We look forward to welcoming alumni, parents, family and friends to campus for an in-person Homecoming celebration Friday, Oct. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 16. Join us for campus tours, a Homecoming golf tournament, workshops with faculty and much, much more. Milestone reunion celebrations will take place for all class years ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7. Visit colby-sawyer.edu/homecoming for more information.

Congratulations to the 2021 Alumni Award Recipients In December, the college honored three alumni for their accomplishments, service and commitment to Colby-Sawyer. Lisa Hogarty ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees and a generous benefactor, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Former Winton-Black Trustee and loyal volunteer Sara Hammond ’01 received the Alumni Service Award. The Young Alumni Achievement Award was presented to Arianna Dawley Anton ’11, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. Read more about the award recipients at colby-sawyer.edu/ alumni-awards.

Virtual Alumni Events The Office of Alumni Relations hosts online events that help keep you connected to the college and to other alumni. We hope that you’ll join us for a lecture with a favorite faculty member, a campus update with President D. Stuebner or a panel discussion with alumni who are experts in their field. A listing of upcoming events can be found at colby-sawyer.edu/alumni/events. If you missed a past event, visit the Virtual Event Archive at colby-sawyer.edu/ alumni/events/archive. above: Sara Hammond ’01, Arianna Dawley Anton ’11 and Lisa Hogarty ’81.

CONTACT the Alumni Office: alumni@colby-sawyer.edu 603.526.3426 colbysawyeralumni colbysawyer colby-sawyer alumni group csc_alumni

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Stay Connected with Colby-Sawyer At Colby-Sawyer, we want to be certain you are able to remain connected to the college and your classmates. To ensure that you have access to the most up-to-date information about Colby-Sawyer news and events, please make sure we have your current contact information on record. Visit colby-sawyer.edu/update or call (603) 526-3426 to update your information today.


class notes

visited was as a guest of Ruth Gray Pratt, skiing one winter. I want Ruth to know that she is not the only Gi Gi (last column noted). My great-grandchildren in CA also call me Gi Gi. Are there anymore great-grandmothers out there in our class? Let’s hear from you!

1952

MARILYLN WOODS ENTWISTLE 16 Cooks Mill Road Naples, ME 04055

1953

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1954

Virginia Swain Baratta ’63 and her husband, Joseph, pictured with the family they “adopted” this year.

1945

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Shirley “Shal” Glidden Splaine enjoyed a 3-day celebration of her 96th birthday in Oct. It included lots of family, friends, flowers and pictures. At that time, she was slowly recovering from a bad fall. Luckily, she didn’t suffer any breaks.

1946

RAMONA “HOPPY” HOPKINS O’BRIEN 54 Texel Drive Springfield, MA 01108

1947

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1948

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1949

ELIZABETH REYNOLD MATTHEWS elimtth@aol.com

1950

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1951

BARBARA EASTERBROOKS MAILEY smlbluebird@outlook.com As your new class correspondent, I do have a couple of updates. I had a surprise telephone call from Susan St. Clair Moore recently. She lives in Milford, NH, at Ledgewood Bay Assisted Living Apts. She says she has already made many new friends but misses her own cooking. While living in MA, she and I took walks with our dogs almost every day. I do miss this close friendship. However, I also moved 2 ½ years ago from So. Hamilton, MA, to Windham, ME, where I purchased a ranch style home for one-floor living in a very rural setting. I take long walks, no matter the weather, with my Golden Retriever, Manny. This keeps me fit and healthy. One of the last places I

JO-ANNE GREENE COBBAN jjcobban@ne.rr.com Helen Johnson Sargent and Dick continue to reside at Dick’s home in Lake Wylie, SC, and return to Helen’s home in Kennebunk, ME, for the summer months. It’s an easy driving trip with just 1 overnight stop in PA. They remain in touch with Nancy Paige Parker in Marblehead, MA, and will be stopping for a lobster roll with her en route to ME. Helen and Dick treasure having visited 44 of the 45 official Presidential sites throughout the US, with only Teddy Roosevelt’s in Oyster Bay, NY, remaining. Although they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, they are resigned to social distancing and wearing masks indefinitely.

1955

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1956

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Judy Davis Somers has moved to assisted living in Aiken, SC. Her sister Joyce also lives there. Judy would love to see any classmates who find themselves passing through Aiken.

1957

JILL BOOTH MACDONELL jillphotoart@yahoo.com Another year has ended, and it’s

Linde Keleher McNamara ’67 (center) with her daughter, Diana, and son, Kyle.

time to remember classmates from those years we spent in New London and the memories that we share. Thanks to those who sent notes updating us on your lives. Suzanne Vander Veer continues to gather classmates, and last summer Diane Shugrue Gallagher, Janice Eaton Atkins and Kim Yaksha Whiteley visited her in Villanova, PA. They explored the Philadelphia suburbs, swam in the pool, took garden walks, drank wine and relaxed in her Jacuzzi, and ate fun dinners and brunches with lots of laughs and wonderful memories. In Oct. 2022, she, Shugrue, Kim, Janice, Robin McDougal, and Elaine McKenzie Kutrosky will travel to a spa in Santa Fe for a week. Suzanne says “Come join us! Never stop having fun!” We all took so much with us from CJC; it’s so wonderful to keep sharing time together. A note from Kim Yaksha Whiteley added to Suzanne’s news. She said Emily Barry Lovering had shoulder surgery, Lois Hanewald Ward has moved and Robin McDougal updated her mountain cabin. Shugrue cancelled her New Year’s Eve birthday bash because of COVID. She retired in Oct. 2020. Elizabeth “Bibby” Grayson Deal attended a granddaughter’s wedding last Aug. As for Kim herself? She is “just staying put and letting the grandkids make the news.”

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Happy Anthony Griffiths and Clark continue to enjoy their home of 64 years, with several gardens around the house — herb, flower and vegetable. She also has a greenhouse, where she starts herbs and flowers for both her own gardens and the garden at the Enfield Shaker Museum, where she was the herbalist for 25 years. She still helps out there occasionally. Happy and Clark skied last winter and bought their Vail Value Pass for this year. One of the

Karen Siney Fredericks ’71 with her husband, Doug, and their grandchildren.

benefits of our age is that Vail offers a good price and a number of areas where they can ski for free. Happy and Clark went to Colby-Sawyer this past Aug. for President Stuebner’s annual summer reception, which as always was a fun time to see friends and hear the latest news about the college. Carol Glock Seving celebrated her 85th birthday in May with family and friends. She is still driving and living in her own house. Carol enjoys the game of bridge, which she learned to play in the basement of Page Dormitory. Bettie Lucie Perreault has retired from the corporate

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world, but with the commitment to keep involved, active and contributing, which sort of backfired on her. She’s back in local town government, currently as chair of the local fire commissioners, secretary of planning & zoning, and a member of the the Citation Review Board. Her family is all nearby, with eldest grandson having a thriving masonry business, daughter supervising a customer service department, and youngest son head of the local high school history department with a number of publications and videos for local historical societies. Bettie is very proud of her 5 grandsons and one granddaughter. She would be happy to welcome classmates who are in the lower CT River Valley, so get in touch if you’re anywhere near there. Sadly, we’ve heard that Helen Culliton Whalen passed away in 2019. This past year, Norma Jackson Gerrie and Carol McMahon Ehnat have also left us. Our condolences to their families. I, Jill Booth Macdonell, am recovering from 2 arm surgeries and am thankful to Bettie Lucie Perreault for helping me with the news. I’m processing older age (not old age), practicing 12th Step Spirituality, and continuing to advocate for the homeless. Send news!

1958

CINDY GRINDROD VAN DER WYK cindyvanderwyk@gmail.com I, Cindy Grindrod van der Wyk, was glad to see 2021 come to an end and I look forward to a better 2022. Up until last year I was doing great, but I recently recovered from carotid artery surgery (94% blockage). I have a 9” incision, but I am alive! I now have 2 great-grandsons, whom I hope to meet someday. My family is scattered all over.

Susan Whalen Frechette ’77, Sandy Warner Vanlerberghe ’76, Janet Dreher Hart ’76, Carolyn “CVV” Van Vleck ’75, and Kristin Dabrowski Gould ’76 got together for a mini-reunion in Sept. 2021.

I still love Denver, but I struggle with the altitude. I have been living with my daughter and son-in-law, which has been very helpful for me. I hope to get back to playing more bridge now that senior centers are opening again. I send my best to all of you. Please send your news for the next issue. Dibbie Spurr Appleton has an old friend from college who lives in Bermuda, who happens to have a summer cottage in New London. Dibbie and her daughter, Whitney Holloway, visited New London last summer. They had a lovely tour of our college, which Dibbie shares has changed so much since we were there. She said it was great fun to see the new buildings and remember the old times! Dibbie was due for a new right knee in Feb., but other than that, she is very well. Dibbie shared that the best moment of the year was having a security guard in the Pittsburgh airport tell her in Sept., that she had to take off her shoes, as she was too young to go through security wearing her sneakers! “I could have kissed him on the spot! He did

not believe I was 83 and I had to show him the evidence,” said Dibbie. It’s been a very long time since Ginny Blackburn Grandell responded to our plea for class notes. She is now 83, but still going strong. She shares, “We graduated a long time ago, and I have been married just as long. George and I have had a wonderful life together. We have 3 children. Our daughter is 59, our twin sons are 57 and we have 4 grandchildren. We’ve been blessed with good health and are still living comfortably in our home of 50 years. I have great memories of my time at Colby Jr. and have not forgotten the wonderful friends I made while there. My education served me well and I have been rewarded with good jobs. I extend a big thanks to Colby Jr. for all I brought with me wherever I traveled. It was and still is a good ride. I am very blessed!” Sandy Clare Fessenden and Peter are still at Vi senior living at Highlands Ranch in CO. Vi was shut down during the COVID crisis, but they are now back up and running. Sandy’s granddaughter


transferred from UC Boulder to Willamette University this fall, and her grandson is applying to colleges. Her grandson is the goalie for his high school soccer team, and they played in the CO state championship game this year. Meredith Chase Boren lost her husband in 2019. They had been married for 60 years. She is glad to have family and friends nearby. Meredith is still on the board of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage, which raises funds for the restoration of architec-

Charles, Theodore and Adeline, the children of Melissa Estabrook Pillsbury ’09 and Andrew Pillsbury ’07.

turally historic properties in the state. She received a wonderful surprise phone call from Pat Cusumano Matthews once this past year. She also hears from Monica Wetterberg Gustafsson on occasion. During a recent clean out, Meredith found her 1958 Colby Jr. blazer!

1959

MARSHA HALPIN JOHNSON marnamhj@gmail.com Brief messages from Marilyn Winn Goodwin and Carol Hamel Wrentham indicate

that life goes on and all is well. Marilyn remembers wonderful times at Colby-Sawyer and was so glad she chose to attend a small college.

1960

PATTY CANBY COLHOUN pcccolhoun@gmail.com I did not receive much news this time, probably because we have not done much due to COVID19. I was sorry that our fall alumni weekend was canceled, as I was to induct Judy Butler Shea into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame. Judy spent part of her summer in Canada and then was on to FL, where her husband, Jim, enjoys warmer weather. Judy continues to play paddle tennis and garden. She did visit with Marcia Goodale MacDonald, who lives in Saratoga Springs, NY. Susan Atkinson Lukens’ husband passed away in 2019. She has 4 children: a son in London, a daughter in the London suburb of Hampstead, a son in Westport, CT, and a daughter in Burlington, VT. She enjoys her family and grandchildren, and she plays paddle tennis and golf and hikes to stay fit. Ann Parsons Klump was planning to return for our delayed reunion. We will try another year. Debbie Twombly has lived in the Sierra Foothills of northern CA with her husband, Alfred, for more than 30 years. Her family is spread out with sons in FL and Victoria, BC, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren in CA, FL, BC and TX. Debbie and Alfred worked for years doing technical writing for grants to provide funding for programs that help youth and adults identify vocational avenues and employment that match their inherent interests and skill sets. This involved working with justice departments, probation, juvenile hall, jails, alternative

(Standing, l to r) Lisa McIntyre Matschner ’90, Deirdre Meredith Busse ’90, Laura Hockmeyer ’91, (seated, l to r) Jennifer Dubose Lombard ’93, Shannon Scully ’91 enjoyed a get-together in New York in Oct. 2021.

schools, traditional high schools, junior high schools and nonprofits. They continue to promote vocational programs and mentorship wherever they go. Thank you, Debbie! Haydi Caldwell Sowerwine didn’t do much traveling during COVID, but they did go to their cabin in MT during the summers of 2020 and 2021. Both stays were longer than usual, as they had their son, who has ALS, and his wife with them. They didn’t think he would ever be there again after summer 2020, but around April 2021, he said he wanted to try to go. He is now on a ventilator most of the time. They have a fancy van which takes his automated wheelchair. Although he was reluctant to get it, he now loves and depends on it. This past summer they got a hospital bed in the cabin and signed up for hospice so they could have a phone number for medical emergencies. They were very helpful. He was happy to be at the cabin, even though they had a bit of time when they couldn’t see the mountains because of smoke from CA. The Sowerwines enjoyed a big group (22) for Thanksgiving — all family! The grandchildren have so much fun together. The following day they enjoyed a

family bowling outing. After Thanksgiving, David and Haydi went to CO to see a longtime friend who is failing from a stroke suffered in 2014. They also managed to visit another couple who did work with them in Nepal. I, Patty Canby Colhoun, have stayed very busy, as I am the senior warden for St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Boothbay Harbor, ME. Our minister resigned, so the work load fell on me to keep the church going through COVID and while we found a new minister. It has been very interesting and I have met many interesting ministers. A new minister has come and the church will grow again. Also, as chairman of the St. Andrews Village Association, which involves 25 cottages and a relationship to Lincoln Health, I have been coordinating many issues with the powers that be. I had 2 hip replacements last Jan. and April, so I wasn’t going anywhere. In June, I had lunch with 7 alumni in Harpswell, ME, arranged annually by Beth Bryant Camp ’92 from the Alumni office. My daughter, Ann, came from Paris for 2 weeks in Aug., and we taste tested at least 5 different lobster rolls. I planned to visit Paris for 2 weeks at Christmas. I just

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Chris “Koz” Kozlowski ’95 and Christen Wallingford Kozlowski ’96 with their sons, Dom and Gabe.

returned from a week in Cedar Rapids, IA, where my son, CB, and his family moved this past summer. Wonderful to see them and his in-laws! This gave me the opportunity to return to Keokuk, IA, where we had lived for 16 years, 38 years ago. Caught up with a number of friends! On a sad note, I wish to extend condolences to the families of Ann Skeels Nielsen who passed away on 11/4/20, Judy Gemmill D’Errico who passed away on 2/6/2l, and Betsey Foss Dinsmore who passed away on 9/11/2021. These ladies were all wonderful members of our class and will be missed by many.

1961

LYNNE GOODWIN HORN joly7@aol.com Susan Olney Datthyn recently heard from her dear friend Susan Heath Bint. She also heard from Martha Clark at Christmastime. The 3 women were dormmates in Shepard.

1962

TILDA MACGREGOR HUNTING tildah@gmail.com

1963

DONNA DEDERICK WARD meadowoodfarm@comcast.net

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Greetings from snowy VT. Thanks to the 8 classmates who sent in notes. Cliff and I, Donna Dederick Ward, are still at Meadowood Farm, working hard and enjoying our guests. We have been so fortunate that all the folks we’ve had stay with us are the best! We’ve made so many friends who return to visit. Most want to stay longer, so now we do more monthly than daily reservations. As the holidays are here, we look forward to partying with friends and guests, then taking off for FL to relax. We have tenants here for the winter months that watch over the farm while we’re fishing. Classmates, if you’re ever in the area, stop by the Meadowood Farm in Shaftsbury, VT. We’re between Bennington and Manchester, with full view of the Green Mountains. Karen Archambault Hubbard shares, “It’s certainly been an unusual year with COVID safety being at the crux. Masks have been the major fashion statement and all small social gatherings have been outdoors. We spend most of our summers and fall in CT, leaving for Marco Island in mid-Dec. We spend Christmas holidays in Chicago and New Year’s in San Francisco with our grown children; back to Marco Island

until mid-April.” Karen and Skip spend as much time as possible outdoors, walking trails or beaches, playing golf, fishing and kayaking in FL and the estuaries of CT. They are blessed with good health and consider themselves very lucky to have found ways to adapt to our changing world. Life is relatively quiet for Pam Rich Marston. She plays on 2 traveling tennis teams and enjoys the camaraderie. Her town activities (local historical commission and garden club) are via Zoom. Church is on Zoom or in person with a mask. Pam sees her grandchildren (age 7 and twins age 5) frequently and looks forward to skiing with them on the weekends. I heard from Phyllis McPherson Grandbois, who said, “Donna, we are neighbors in a way. John and I moved to Ashland, NH, 6 years ago and

Baratta adopted a family this year. Lee Rademaker Meyer and her husband Peter have spent their retirement years on rural property near Front Royal, VA, that they purchased in 1974. They have 27 acres that is bordered by the George Washington National Forest. For years, their jobs were in the Washington, DC, area, where they had an apartment and spent weekends on their country property. During these pandemic years, they feel fortunate to live in a place that gives them plenty to do, has beautiful outside areas, and is near some of their family. When Lee attended the 50th Reunion of our class, she reunited with Derrick “Ricky” Vanderwaart Boulay and Julie Hodgson Broom ’64, as well as others. Lee shared, “After that, I kept in touch with Ricky, who lived in VT,

Derek Hosgood ’95 and Allison Latham Hosgood with their daughters, Hope and Page.

built a home overlooking Little Squam Lake. It has been a peaceful and perfect way to spend pandemic days.” Phyllis hears from Maureen “Murph” Murphy Gormley and always receives a Christmas card from Mary Lue Adams. Phyllis would love to giggle with others about Colby times. Virginia Swain

and I visited her once on the way home from a Canadian vacation. She was a unique individual who unfortunately battled Parkinson’s Disease and passed away in March 2021 in Morrisville, VT.” Martha Hale Williamson says that year 2 of the pandemic was better than year 1, now that they


Aaron Sherman ’97 with his children, Iziah, Arianna, Adam and Lorenzo.

are vaccinated and boosted. The Williamsons are in their 2nd year at a continuing care retirement center, the Mayflower, in Winter Park, FL. Martha shares, “I find that the main topic of small talk isn’t weather; it’s food. There is much controversy over the proper preparation of green beans, long vs. short cooking, al dente vs. soft with meat. I am extremely comfortable here because the atmosphere reminds me of dorm life. My dorm life began in 9th grade so it’s very familiar to me. The only difference is that there are men here.” Martha sends regards to all of her Burpee pals.

and West Chester, PA. Kay and Brian are still enjoying retirement. Marty Conant married her husband, David Levin, in Oct.1996. In 2019, they left Arlington, MA, and bought an early 1800s farmhouse in Milton, NH. After years of plowing, shoveling and roof raking, they decided it was time to move, and they now live in

Ramsey Canyon Nature Center.” Ann Franklin Ewig and her husband, Tom, have left NJ after many years and are now settled in their home on Lake Sebago in ME. They are still looking for that perfect condo in New London. Hedy Ruth Gunther and Bruce are doing well and keeping busy. Their twin granddaughter and grandson are now driving. Hedy says, “It doesn’t seem possible!” I missed getting together with Betsy Myers Hunnewell again, so we will try for late spring. If there are any South Shore, MA, classmates who want to join us, we would love it! If you are interested, email me and we will plan a date, place and time.

1965

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Suzi Sincerbeaux Brian lives in AZ, but returns east to VT every summer for about a month.

1964

KATHRINE CONATHAN REARDON kathyr1230@aol.com I, Kathy Conathan Reardon, hope all of you are staying healthy in these unprecedented times. Both Jack and I have had our booster shots but are being very careful. He has been quite ill but slowly on the mend. Kay Guilkeson Hughes and her husband, Brian, recently moved from Highlands Ranch, CO, to St James Plantation, Southport, NC, exchanging the mountains for the beach. They enjoy being able to see their East Coast grandchildren in Parkville, MD,

(L to r) Susanne Day Teachout ’01, Danica Letarte Medeiros ’01 and Maranda Egerdahl Crockett ’01 gathered for a mini-20th reunion.

Hereford, AZ. Marty shares, “We love it here and have made some wonderful friends. The hardest part was moving so far away from family and friends. The good news is that they all come for visits! We have mountains here, so I continue to hike as well as volunteer at the

She plays a lot of golf and pickleball and enjoys hiking. Suzi has 3 lovely daughters and sons-in-law, and 5 incredible grandchildren.

1966

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1967

SIS HAGEN KINNEY kinivan06@gmail.com I heard from several people this time, and I appreciate the news. Sadly, Anne Baynes Hall reported that our classmate Madeline Colgrove Hartley passed away on 8/16/2021. Ann Wesson Alves gave thanks for the updates you all provided for our class. Ann enjoys reading all the news and indicated that after she retired from many years with Marriott, she and her husband, Michael, moved from MA to Davidson, NC, to be near their son and his family. They are enjoying exploring NC life, especially in the summer on Lake Norman, and Ann declares that NC is a beautiful part of our country. Ann is enjoying helping her granddaughter, Kelly, plan her April 2022 wedding. Ann sends best wishes to her classmates for a happy and healthy retirement! Beth Holloran Bourguignon sends greetings from New England. She enjoyed another wonderful summer on Long Island in Casco Bay, ME. Her son, Greg, works from home full-time, so he was able to enjoy the summer with Beth and the dogs. Her 6-year-old grandson, Drew, loved being an island boy for weeks at a time as his parents, her daughter, Amy, and son in law Mike, made sure he had lots of time with Beth. Family traveled from Yakima, WA, for its annual NE pilgrimage after having to forgo 2020. Beth is still working part-time in administration at the Needham Children’s Center along with CSC alums Susanne Day Teachout ’01 and Carolyn Day Reulbach ’09. Beth has been at NCC for 41 years and is now enjoying the flexibility of some office time coupled with work from home. She has lived in the same house since 1972 and said that home

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Courtney Norris Francisco ’02 and her sons pose with Victor the Charger during a visit to the Colby-Sawyer campus.

projects present their challenges, but she’ll take them on versus the challenge of moving! She, too, sent good wishes to everyone in the class of ‘67 for a happy and healthy 2022. Allison Hosford and husband, Roger Knight, are still at Two Pond Farm (West Milford, NJ), still farming and, gratefully, still

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healthy. They are no longer raising turkeys, raise no more than 6 pigs a year and are down to 6 ewes and a ram and only 100 hens. Allison still spends her Tuesday mornings on her farm water coloring with fellow artists. Due to COVID, she hasn’t shown in any of the local art shows for 2 years. At Christmas time each year, Allison and Roger handle Christmas tree sales at her family’s choose & cut Christmas tree farm, Bear Swamp Farm, also in West Milford. In 2020, they sold out in 3 days, and they believed the same would happen in 2021. After Christmas, they get to rest for a few months. She said the fall leaf colors reminded her of New London, and she hopes that all is well with her CSC friends! Linde Keleher

McNamara and her husband, John, are still running LindeMac Real Estate in Hanover, NH, and still love their business. She is also still doing her marine biology, and most recently was in Mexico swimming with gray whales and doing research. Linde’s daughter, Diana, who lives in Scotland, spends a lot of time in the states with her husband on business trips, visiting Linde and John and also visiting Linde’s son, Kyle, and his wife, Michelle, in NC. Kyle’s 4 daughters are Emma, 21, Lily, 19, Grace, 17, and Chloe, 8. Deborah Brakeley has lived in British Columbia since 1970, currently living in Vancouver. She is semi-retired as a counselor and collaborative divorce coach and is fully engaged in many life interests. She helped found Collaborative Divorce in Vancouver and keeps in touch with Collaborative Practice worldwide. Deborah is grateful to have 4 children and 8 grandchildren living in various places in North America. As for me, Sis Hagen Kinney, I’m still loving life in the beautiful NC Blue Ridge Mountains, in the area called Linville Land Harbor. Although Bobby and I haven’t been hiking as much lately, due to one medical issue after another, we are both pretty darn healthy for our ages! We enjoy visiting with family, including 3 sons and a daughter, with 2 granddaughters and 3 grandsons, ranging in ages from 6 to 16! I was thrilled to get back on skis in Feb. 2021 for the first time in 22 years, and hope to go again during the winter of 2021-22. We returned to New England in late July 2021 for a memorial service for my sisterin-law. More frequently, we travel back to Newport News, VA, where our daughter and her family are now homeowners. This is where Bobby and I lived for 23 years, before moving to

SC and then NC. I continue to be active in my church in Valle Crucis, as well as in the community of Land Harbor. I extend a warm welcome to anyone from CSC traveling in the western NC Blue Ridge Mountains.

Stephanie Kimball ’08, her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Sally Elizabeth.

1968

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Rebecca Grimmett Steiner remembered classmate Elizabeth Meacham Frattare, who passed away in Dec. 2020. Rebecca and Elizabeth attended the same high school in Rochester, NY, and they took a tour of Colby Junior College together, both eventually deciding to attend. Rebecca enjoyed visiting New London and Colby-Sawyer for the 50th reunion with Wendy Robertson Chase. Rebecca keeps in touch with Kristen Karlen Davenport and other classmates.

1969

DEBI ADAMS JOHNSTON navypub@aol.com

1970

GAIL REMICK HOAGE gail@michaelsschool.com Although COVID still seems to be upon us, especially in NH, our classmates seem positive


alumni. Sue Pomerantz spent the holiday in sunny CA with family, and Lynn Winchester spent time in NJ, also with family. Beth Constantinides Meurlin spent her time busy with all the kids and grandkids, especially since it was her birthday…the big 70! For me, it is always good to stay in touch with our classmates who, over the years, have become so special in our lives. Please jot me a note for future class notes columns.

1971 Stephanie Guzzo Ireland ’07 and James Ireland Jr. on their Oct. 30, 2021, wedding day.

that all will change with time so we can get on with our lives. Although she missed seeing her sons and grandchildren at Thanksgiving due to COVID, Beth Roland Hunter is positive to see them at some point by Feb. Great attitude, Beth. Beth sends her thanks to everyone on the reunion committee for their time and thoughts in planning for our 50th reunion. Great to hear from Margot Kurtz Forbes, who really enjoyed seeing those on the Zoom reunion. She retired in June 2020 from singing in preschools, thanks to the pandemic, but the outcome was positive. She loves retirement, finding herself tending a vegetable garden and happy to read more than ever. Even with COVID, she was lucky to be able to see her son, Andrew, and his family, as well as her daughter, Eleanor, and family. As with all of us, she is hoping for a more normal existence soon. We extend our deepest sympathy and friendship to our friend Deborah Marcoux Deacetis on the recent loss of her wonderful husband, Angelo. Despite COVID, great news for the holidays from other

ELLIE GOODWIN COCHRAN elliegc51@gmail.com Greetings! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the activities the end of the year holds. Our year is ending with Dave scheduled for a hip replacement and our daughter Sarah moving to her 1st home with two other developmentally disabled women. It is a big move after having her with us for over 40 years, but she’s excited and we think it is going to be a great fit for her. Karen Siney Fredericks ended the fall with retirement and a move from Irvine, CA, to Broomfield, CO. She traded one amazing view for another, and has the bonus of being near her daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandkids. She loves the mountains, and her husband is enjoying the great fly fishing. June Bates Fitzpatrick was disappointed that our 50th reunion was canceled. She is now a snowbird from Naples, ME, to Naples, FL. She enjoys jet skiing, golf and swimming, so life is full. Jennie Kroll Hollister and husband, Kevin, sold their house in Boston and moved to Washington, DC, to be near their daughter Zoe and her family. They love living on Capitol Hill. They were there to meet their new grandchild, Magnolia, who was born in June. She joins

Lauri Baudanza Dublikar ’07 with her husband, Dominic, and their children, Frankie and Ryder.

brother, Beckett, age 4. Their daughter Grace lives in Australia with her family, which includes Jackson, 12 and Sebastian, 10. Jean Bannister reports she eased into the big 70 with a surprise party featuring Susan Rich Daylor on Squirrel Island, ME. Diane Brinley Wright couldn’t join due to a sick spouse, but was there in spirit. New addition to the Bannister family is Bennett “Bennie” Louise Shaheen, born 6/26/2021 and named after her great-grandmothers, including Joan Wild Davidson ’45. Bennie joins her brother, Brooks. Jean loves grandparenting and travel and took advantage of a trip to the Azores this past June. Nancy Bokron Lavigne retired this year after 37 years as a realtor. She’s spending lots of time with Pilates, StretchLab and chiropractors to keep her back in order. I know I can relate to that! Her husband also sold his business so they hope to spend more time in Cabo. Nancy keeps in touch with Nancy Gardner and Sally Leyland Barlow and was sorry to hear of Ann Grinnell’s passing. We are hoping for a better year in 2022 and the chance to celebrate our 50th!

1972

KELLY GRAVES dikeroka@aol.com Hope this finds you all well and having made it through the winter without illness. As I write this, the next variant of the hated virus is upon us and threatening everyone’s fun for the holidays. I did not get any updates from you all for this column, so I guess I will need to make things up. Just kidding! Our 50th reunion is bearing down on us for Oct. 2022. I hope you are in touch with your Colby-Sawyer friends to make plans to return to campus to celebrate our time and experience at this wonderful college. I have even reached out to some faculty with whom I remain friends to see if they would consider returning to reunion weekend for a visit too. Hopefully, COVID will allow us to gather, since most of us were denied our 50th high school reunion celebrations. I had a lovely lunch with Deborah Ross Chambliss at a restaurant on the banks of the Chesapeake. It was 61 degrees on Dec. 16. After lunch we had a catchup call with Nancy Bianchi Miller in NH, who was in the throes of preparing for an early Christmas

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1975

JILL MCLAUGHLIN GODFREY jillgodfrey25@gmail.com

1976

Those gathering to celebrate Lindsey Santoro Meyer’s ’08 wedding day were (l to r) Zach Ackles ’07, Kim Simard Ackles ’08, Ryan Meyer, Lindsey Santoro Meyer ’08, Betsy Landry ’08 and Mike Cataldo.

celebration with her family. Deb is in the midst of renovations on her condo in Sanibel Island, FL. Between delays and shipping issues and cancellation of the refrigerator order, I found her remarkably chipper. I know it will be well worth the stress and angst when the job is completed. Lucy Main is now a St. Petersburg, FL, resident for 6 months of the year, though her heart remains in Malone, NY, and is happy to return there to enjoy the spring and summer months. Melissa Barrett retired at the end of 2021. After attending medical school from 1980 to 1984, she served as an internal medicine physician. Melissa was looking forward to more opportunities to travel and spend time with family and friends. I had the chance to call Lydia Biddle Thomas in NYC on the occasion of a milestone birthday we are all facing this past year or this one. We chatted away for an hour, like we had just seen each other. Lydia is retired and happy to have the flexibility to move around and travel, except travel has been limited, as we know. I saw Kathy Norris in Oct. at a small gathering of high school friends (Kathy, Lydia and I all attended the same high school). She retired a year ago and is

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so enjoying her new freedom. She said she is in touch with Cherry Semple White periodically. Finally, I came across Sharon “Missy” Spreter Lee via Facebook and Instagram. Missy and I went to grade school together, then rediscovered each other at Colby-Sawyer after high school. Missy lives in NJ and is an accomplished painter. I have enjoyed seeing some of her artwork on Instagram. It was fun to reconnect. So, that’s all I know. Please join me in looking forward to our 50th reunion in Oct. 2022. The more of us the merrier, and if tradition holds we will finally be the class that gets the tour boat ride on Lake Sunapee! Also, in honor of our 50th reunion, please consider a donation to the Colby-Sawyer Fund this year. The college is better than ever and working as hard as ever to prepare their students for the future needs of our world. It is money well spent. Send me your news!

1973

NANCY MESSING nrmessing@aol.com

1974

SUE BROWN WARNER warners@optonline.net

JANET SPURR spurr1@msn.com Janet Dreher Hart hosted a mini-reunion at her home in Westborough, MA, in Sept. Those in attendance included Janet, Susan Whalen Frechette ’77, Sandy Warner Vanlerberghe, Carolyn “CVV” Van Vleck ’75 and Kristen Dabrowski Gould. Susan lives in Great Barrington, MA, Sandy lives in Denver, CO, Carolyn lives in Brandon, VT, and Kristen lives in Kennebunk, ME.

Kristin Costello ’08 with her daughter, Evelyn.

1977

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1978

JODY HAMBLEY-COOPER RUBIN jcooper323@aol.com

1979

DEBBIE BRAY MITCHEL dbraymitch@gmail.com

1980

NATALIE HARTWELL THRASHER lifegrd121@aol.com

Hello, classmates. I can’t believe it has been 41 years since we graduated and started a new life, jobs and family. Staying in touch is truly important, as each day is a gift. We realize that more, as a few of our friends and classmates have passed on, Catherine Flynn Cray, just this past summer. I heard from Karen Wessel Cohen, from MD. She is doing well with her occupational health business. She sent a beautiful photo with her husband, 3 sons, daughters-inlaw and 2 grands. I (Natalie Hartwell Thrasher) have also included a photo of my family, vacationing on Jekyll Island, GA, with my husband, 3 of my 4 daughters, sons-in-law, and 3 of my 6 grands. Life is good. Patricia Joy Stewart has been in touch with Kay Kendrick Reynolds ’78. Kay has formed a Facebook page for Abbey Dorm. They often see Karen Griffiths Smith ’78, Karen Huntley Freeman ’79, Morah Alexander ’78 and Sue Gallup Filin ’77. Patty went on to share, “These CSC friendships are the dearest in the world.” Thank you, Patty Joy. I hope the rest of you will drop me a line so I can update our classmates in the next issue.

1981

PAM AIGELTINGER LYONS pamalyons@verizon.net

1982

SUSAN HOLDERNESS CUSACK sehchoy@aol.com

1983

GAIL SMART SCIBELLI gail@famapr.com

1984

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED


1993

DAWN HINCKLEY prettygyrl911s@gmail.com

1994

JULIE CAMP camp_julie@hotmail.com

Charles Belvin ’08 and wife, Jocelyn, on their wedding day.

1985

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

STACEY BANKS NIEMAN sniemana@gmail.com Marc Wysocki is attending Moravian University to pursue his doctorate in athletic training. He hopes to complete his degree by the spring of 2025.

1995

ALLISON LATHAM HOSGOOD ahosgood13@gmail.com

He’s offered up his place as a home base for anyone who’d like to visit! He has a spare bedroom and lives right next to two hotels. Stefan is working as a government contractor in Reston, and recently received a promotion. Congratulations Stefan! He’s also happy to be traveling again, taking regular cruises and loving life. Jill Rivers reports that 2021 was a difficult year. She lost her dad to cancer much quicker than expected. In June, she said goodbye to her dear friends and Singapore, a country in which she lived and loved, for a decade! Since then, she’s been living in her parents’ home in SC, helping her mom adapt. She is taking

1986

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

1987

KYM PRINTON FISCHER mkjfischer@yahoo.com

1988

MELISSA CLEMONS RUSSELL melissarussell6699@outlook.com

1989

CAROLYN CHERUBINO MCGRAW mcgraw.carolyn@gmail.com

1990

CLASS CORRESONDENT NEEDED

1991

GRETCHEN GARCEAUKRAGH redsoxfan78210@yahoo.com

1992

BETH BRYANT CAMP ecamp@colby-sawyer.edu JENNIFER BARRETT SAWYER jjmasawyer@comcast.net

Sarah Zirnkilton ’10 celebrated her marriage to Corey Hotham with CSC friends (back row, l to r) Justin Varney ’10, Erin Varney, Kim Shannon Daubert ’10, Ryan Daubert, Corey Hotham, Sarah Zirnkilton ’10, Max Johanson ’10, Shayln McEntire Johanson ’10, Trevor Davis ’08, Michelle “Mickey” Lapan ’10, (front row, l to r) Brittany Mailman ’10 and Liz Cotreau ’10.

Wendy Mansson Olsen and her family still live in Lake Oswego, OR. Wendy and Robyn Ryan Packouz got together with their children and husbands last summer. Wendy is finishing her master’s degree in school counseling and will be certified K-12. Stefan Schwarz bought a condo in June in the same building he was renting. He’s laying roots in Reston, VA, about 15 miles from Washington, DC.

her “mock-retirement” as a rare opportunity to try new things. She has been given the gift of time to explore, develop and learn new entrepreneurial ventures, which connect her passions (teaching, creating photo books for others and online tutoring), as well as learning to play golf. Jill planned to return to her condominium in MD in early 2022. The last year was also challenging for

Amanda Jones Doucette ’10 and Brian Doucette ’09 with their three children, Camden, Madelyn, and baby, Kathryn.

Allison Latham Hosgood and Derek Hosgood. An unprecedented snow and ice storm hit central TX last Feb., which led to broken pipes and water damage. After 2 ½ months of bathroom and master bedroom repairs, a hailstorm hit, requiring a new roof…all while preparing to sell their home. The family took a much-needed break to CO in July before returning to TX to close on the sale of their house. In Aug., Allison, Derek and their daughters finally moved into a new home just a couple of miles away in Round Rock, TX. Their new home is a smaller, one-story home with a half-acre. It’s a step toward downsizing they say. The Hosgoods daughters, Hope and Page, are now 20 and 17, respectively. Hope is a junior at University of TX, San Antonio, studying public health and psychology. Page is a junior at Round Rock High School. Derek is teaching physical education in the Austin Independent School District. He’s recently taken up disc golf. Allison works for a small HR Consulting company, AustinPeopleWorks. Chris “Koz” Kozlowski reports that things are going great for the Koz family! They had the best season ever in the catering and

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1997

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Aaron Sherman works as a math interventionist at the Pell School. He recently adopted 2 former students: Iziah (12) and Arianna (11). They join his previously adopted sons, Adam (13), and Lorenzo (21). Laura Powell has been working at the Junior League Thrift Shop in Ardmore, PA, for 9 years. She ran her 1st in-person marathon in 2 years in Bucks County, PA. Ashley Finethy Wheeler ’11 and her husband, Matt, welcomed their son, William Richard Wheeler, on Sept. 28, 2021.

food truck world. Sons Dom, 15, and Gabe, 13, worked with Koz and his wife, Christen Wallingford Kozlowski ’96 in the food truck all summer. They have the first bar trailer in NH and have been setting up at events all over NH! Christen has been crazy busy in the real estate world as well. The Kozlowskis bought a camp in the Northeast Kingdom in VT and hope that everyone comes to visit someday!

1996

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

JAMIE GILBERT KELLY kellynewhouse2015@gmail.com CHRIS QUINT christopher.quint@gmail.com

1999

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Hilary Hawkins is the nurse manager of the emergency department at DHMC. She is also currently working on her MSN at CSC. “What a long, strange trip it has been. Healthcare friends, stay true and strong! This weird journey isn’t over! Hope you all are safe and healthy!” she shares.

2000

TARA SCHIRM CAMPANELLA taracampanella@gmail.com

2001

DANICA LETARTE MEDEIROS danicamedeiros@gmail.com Tracey Guarda Perkins reports “20 years since graduation! I am still living and working in the New London area. Keith Perkins ’99 and I are celebrating 18 years of marriage. Our daughter, Abbey, is 13 and in

COLBY-SAWYER MAGAZINE

together. This fall, Maranda Egerdahl Crockett and Susanne Day Teachout and I got together for a visit to CSC and enjoyed a mini 20th reunion of sorts. It was great to see the campus and remember old friends. We capped off the weekend with a stay in Boston and winning big at the Encore casino. I’m looking forward to being your class correspondent for a while. Feel free to reach out to me any time!

1998

JENNIFER PRUDDEN MONTGOMERY jenpmontgomery1978@gmail.com

40

8th grade and son, Ben, is 8 and in 2nd grade. We are that family that never sits still. Skiing, boating and beaching are what keep us busy. To pay the bills, I work as a gift officer at Proctor Academy, and I connect with Proctor alumni and parents for engagement and gifts in support of the school. So yeah, when I ask the class of 2001 for support of the Colby-Sawyer Fund, it is just an extension of my real job. I am still in daily contact

These close friends and bridesmaids had a Colby-Sawyer photo opportunity before Jenna Payton LeBlanc’s ’09 wedding. Pictured are (left to right) Laura Nitu Rafferty ‘07, Leah Salach Adams ‘07, Amy Beaton Burke ‘07, Jenna Payton LeBlanc ‘09 and Kim Walleston St. Lawrence ‘09.

with Amanda “Mandy” Eaton Casey and Taber Lightfoot DeBenedet (thank you, Marco Polo app) and we carve out the time to see each other in person as much as possible. So, really, 20 years have passed, but in many ways, I am fortunate to be surrounded by the things that keep me connected to CSC on the daily. Sending love to my classmates.” My family (Danica Letarte Medeiros) and I just moved across town in Reading, MA, after living here for 8 years. Our daughters are 14, 7 and 6 and keep us busy. I’m building 2 social media-based businesses and my husband’s IT position is partially remote now. The pandemic has brought us all closer

2002

NIKKI FOWLER MARTIN nicole.martin3@gmail.com Neill Ewing-Wegmann has been a production manager at Trueline, a digital publishing and marketing company, for the last 5 years. After the lockdown, the company opted to stay working fully remote. His kids are now a senior and a 7th grader. Neill continues to create and exhibit his paintings. Courtney Norris Francisco shares, “After a 15-year break, I am riding again and welcomed our new horse, Gracie, to the family. My boys and I had a fun-filled 2-week New England camping adventure in June and stopped by campus (wow, has it grown!)


We hiked to the top of Sunapee to see the lake. I had a big women’s camping adventure to WY and Corey Felton ’03 came to the rescue by replacing my son’s Jackson Hole hat that flew off his head on a boat to yet another camp out on an island. We did a lot of camping this summer and really enjoyed the outdoors!”

Carrie LeBeau ’20.

2003

LISA NOYES HARDENBROOK litha81@gmail.com Karissa Pignone Fitzell is teaching 4th Grade in Londonderry, NH, and very much enjoying her 19th year. Her girls are now 11, 9, 5 and 2 and keep Karissa and her husband, Connor, busy and entertained. They purchased their forever home in Salem, NH, in Dec. 2020, and they look forward to making many memories in their new abode.

2004

ERIC EMERY ericemery20@gmail.com

2005

MONICA MICHAUD MILLER michaud_monica@hotmail.com

2006

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED

2007

STEPHANIE GUZZO IRELAND stephanie.guzzo@gmail.com ASHLEY RODKEY rodkeyah@yahoo.com Lauri Baudanza Dublikar is working as an academic advisor and adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University. She and her husband welcomed their 2nd child, Ryder, in Aug., just after moving to Litchfield, NH. Ashley Rodkey recently moved to South Hadley, MA, and works as a special education teacher in Chicopee, MA. Amanda “DQ” LeMarier became a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist (OCS) in July 2021 and has started to TA within the doctor of physical therapy program at Duke University. Stephanie Guzzo Ireland married James Ireland Jr. on 10/30/21, on Tilghman Island, MD.

2008

SARAH HEANEY PELLETIER sh.heaney@gmail.com Charles Belvin married Jocelyn Ward on 6/26/21, at Winvian Farm in Morris, CT. Kristin Costello and fiancé Ryan McNally welcomed their daughter, Evelyn Stacy McNally, on 7/1/2021. Lindsey Santoro Meyer married Ryan Meyer on 9/18/2021 at Portsmouth Country Club in Newington, NH. Anthony Riso ’16 of Anthony Riso Photography photographed their wedding. Stephanie Kimball and her husband, Michael, welcomed their daughter, Sally Elizabeth La Fleur, on Christmas Eve, 2020.This past Sept., Stephanie’s photography business

Kara “Shea” Anderson Palmer ‘12 and Gregg Palmer ’12 (front) were joined by their Colby-Sawyer friends on their Oct. 2020 wedding day. Pictured are (l to r) Eric Shenson ’11, Michelle Naugler Stoddard ’12, Chris Casey ’12, Natalie Castile ’12, Nikki Humphrey Kersey ’12, James Hall ’12, Amanda Markos ’12, Kerri Mellon ’12, Michele Lewis ’13, Jon Goddard ’11, Michelle Havey Goddard ’10 and Chris Mailhiot ’12.

Oh Shoot Girl was named top 3 by The Day publication’s Readers’ Choice Awards, recognizing the best businesses in southeastern CT. In addition to her doing her photography, Stephanie was appointed vice president of global marketing at JMJ Associates. She is now leading their marketing team and helping deliver breakthrough safety, sustainability and performance solutions.

2009

NICOLE POELAERT COSTANZO nmpoelaert@gmail.com ELIZABETH CRESSMAN ecressman1986@gmail.com Aubrey Thomas earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Northeastern University and is now working as the assistant town administrator for the town of Shirley, MA. Jenna Payton LeBlanc married husband, Rey LeBlanc, in Meredith, NH, on 9/6/19. Several CSC alumni were in attendance.

Melissa Estabrook Pillsbury and Andrew Pillsbury ’07 added another member to their family, Adeline Mae Pillsbury on 7/3/2021. Big brothers Charles (7) and Theodore (5) adore their baby sister and take their roles very seriously. Elizabeth Cressman is working as the family childcare coordinator at SMOC and helps oversee 15-32 family childcare homes, depending on the day. She is also on the MetroWest Ashlee Coalition, where they are supporting a family from the country of Togo seeking asylum in the US. During her free time, she enjoys horseback riding and spending time with family.

2010

BRITTANY MAILMAN bjmailman@gmail.com Sarah Zirnkilton Hotham celebrated her marriage to Corey Hotham on 7/17/2021. Amanda Jones Doucette and Brian Doucette ’09 welcomed their 3rd child, Kathryn Marie, on 7/15/2021. She was 7lb 12oz and

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STACY HANNINGS stacyhannings@gmail.com

volunteered with former CSC Archivist Brantley Palmer over the summer, an experience she really enjoyed! This year, Wilson enrolled in the dual degree History/Library Science Master’s Program at Simmons University in Boston, MA.

2015

2018

2016

2019

2013

MATT MULDOON mattmuldoon123@gmail.com

2014

MOLLY PAONE mollypaone1109@gmail.com

Kailene Laundry Jones ’17 is pleased to share that her daughter, Alyvia, is an LL Bean cover model.

20 inches long. Her big siblings, Camden and Madelyn, are so in love with her!

2011

JOHN CHARLES MCCARTHY johnmccar.11@gmail.com Chelsea Catanzarita Daneault and her husband, Josh Daneault ’09, welcomed their 3rd child on 10/16/2021, a little girl named Wren Louise Daneault. Ashley Finethy Wheeler and her husband, Matt, welcomed their son, William Richard Wheeler, on 9/28/2021.

2012

COURTNEY PIKE courtney.pike@fliptable.io KASSIE PIKE kassandra.pike@gmail.com

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COLBY-SAWYER MAGAZINE

HERMELLA GIRMAY TEKLE-SHIRLEY hermella.tekle@gmail.com

2017

MORGAN WILSON morganwilsonportfolio@gmail. com Since graduating with a degree in sport management and playing 4 years of varsity tennis, Dean Boodakian is now a head tennis professional at a premier club in Ann Arbor, MI. He works with several elite junior players that are highly ranked in the Midwest. He also recently completed his 3rd full season as the head men’s tennis coach at Concordia University, Ann Arbor. Dean has recently become a homeowner, purchasing waterfront property and a pontoon boat. Dean shares, “I am very thankful for my time at CSC and the connections I was able to make, which helped get my career going. I love what I do for work and thank professors Stacey Watts, Russ Medbery and Jean Eckrich for pushing me to go after my dream and be successful in my field.” Kailene Laundry Jones was pleased to share that her 4-year-old daughter, Alyvia, was recently featured on the cover of the LL Bean catalog. Morgan Wilson recently accepted a position as a reference assistant at the University of New Hampshire Special Collections and Archives. She also

BEN MAINES benmaines@stanford.edu

WILL HYLAND willhyland207@gmail.com

2020

CARRIE LEBEAU canne5515@gmail.com Jacob Feinberg is currently working at the NH Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Laboratories in the radiochemistry department. However, during the year before this position, he was involved in the COVID-19 response. On a daily basis, he was running COVID PCR tests, as well as doing sample intake and logging into the lab prior to testing. As of Aug. 2021, his daily routine has been testing environmental samples of foods (produce, eggs, meats, etc.) with different radiation detectors to find out if any radiation is present in the samples. Erin Chute is working at the National Alliance of Public Safety GIS Foundation as its visual communications specialist. She designs various print and web collateral for NAPSG, as well as some of its partners. Recently, she had the honor of designing a logo for FEMA’s PrepToolKit. Carrie Anne LeBeau is working behind the front desk of a privately-owned integrative primary care center in VT. Soaking in all the medical cases and prescribed treatments that go in and out of the clinic only adds to her growing interest in entering

Jacob Feinberg ’20 delivers the Commencement speech at the Class of 2020 Commencement celebration.

the medical field at some point. She brings energy, compassion and creativity to her current position and cannot wait to see what the future holds. Over the winter, she could be found hiking the various local green mountains, expanding her love of 3-season hiking to 4-season hiking and backpacking.

2021

CLASS CORRESPONDENT NEEDED


in memoriam

Dorothy A. “Dot” Egan Faculty Emerita Faculty Emerita Dorothy A. “Dot” Egan died March 9, 2022, at New London Hospital in New London, N.H. She was 88.

Dorothy A. “Dot” Egan, seen here in a photograph published in the 1977 Colbyan, worked at Colby-Sawyer for 34 years.

Dorothy’s career at Colby-Sawyer College spanned 34 years. She grew up in Hartford, Conn., and was a graduate of Mt. St. Joseph Academy in West Hartford. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in German from Connecticut College and a Master of Arts in English from Trinity College in Hartford, and she completed additional graduate work at Boston College, Harvard University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She worked as a secondary school teacher in Massachusetts and Connecticut before coming to Colby Junior College in 1962 to teach English. Dorothy was appointed dean of studies at the college in 1976. As dean, she identified a need among students for robust academic support that would strengthen and supplement their coursework. In 1983, she stepped down from her role as dean and took a sabbatical year to pursue doctoral work. She returned to the college ready to launch a center for peer tutoring on campus that would provide oneto-one peer support in all levels of study, with well-trained tutors who focused on the academic goals set by students being tutored. In 1987, Colby-Sawyer launched the Academic Development Center. Now known as the Student Learning Collaborative, the center, housed in the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center, is often referred to by the Admissions Office’s student tour guides as “the most important floor on campus.” Dorothy was awarded the Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching when she retired from the college in 1996. She continued to live in New London, and in 2005, she established the Egan Peer Tutor Fund to provide support for tutor development and a peer tutor scholarship at Colby-Sawyer. Dorothy was a cofounder of the College-Community Council in New London in 1979 and was a reader for the Talking Books Division of the New Hampshire State Library. She was a member of the American Association of University Professors, the American Association of University Women, the National Council of Teachers of English and the New England Association of Teachers of English. She enjoyed handwork, gardening, music, reading and her beloved Dalmatian, Destiny.

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in fond memory 1940 Harriet Wickman Gorman September 17, 2021 Margaret “Peg” Van Duser Hurlbut November 29, 2020 1942 Harriet Figley Urschel June 12, 2018 1943 Jean Stewart Hilton October 9, 2021 Mary Scheu Teach October 5, 2021 1944 Laura Stone Cutler March 23, 2021 Jane Titus George March 27, 2021 Nancy Garretson Hunter December 6, 2013 Sallie Sparks Kendall April 26, 2021 Janet Smith Patterson June 30, 2016 1945 Janice Murray Carpenter October 16, 2019 Ruth Gay Frederick January 25, 2021 Geneva Graves Warner April 26, 2021 Harriet McKenney Zimmerli August 22, 2021 1946 Dorothy Wallsten Drake July 20, 2020 Ann Marie Clark Gallagher May 24, 2017 Betty Richey Gill January 31, 2013 Nancy Olcott Moreland January 22, 2021 Mary MacMullen Watts May 16, 2020

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Beverly “Bebe” Walker Wood August 14, 2021 Barbara Lutz Zakel February 21, 2021 1947 Virginia Horton Adams January 6, 2021 Constance Budgell Brettell February 21, 2014 Ann Porter Colley December 31, 2014 Joan “Jo” Rosie May 17, 2021 Virginia Poor Soucy January 25, 2021 1948 Sylvia Jacobs Alden March 2, 2021 Katharine “Kim” Sutro Dougherty June 2, 2021 Muriel Schlott Feeney January 1, 2021 Jean Cummins Kurtis August 30, 2021 Heloise Pike Mailloux July 9, 2021 Jane Huntington O’Brien June 3, 2021 Janet West Williams March 2, 2020 1949 Buffy Boffa Cafritz May 5, 2021 Constance Apostoles Dimou August 9, 2021 Constance Dickinson Johnson January 4, 2021 Janet Sargent Russell April 16, 2021 Lois Patterson Sligh September 23, 2021 1950 Joan Eaton Mauk July 23, 2021 Jeanne Fraleigh Pulford November 2, 2021

Alice Morris Schrade September 1, 2021 1951 Patricia Olmsted Bailey January 2, 2020 Cornelia Bingham Boland November 3, 2021 Carolyn Kennard Christopher November 25, 2021 Ann Swearingen Colombo March 14, 2021 Beverly Cushman Knudsen April 3, 2021 Mary Geissler Nilsson January 16, 2021 Bernice Patkin Shuman February 23, 2021 Janice Rundle Trucksess August 27, 2021 1952 Anne Day Jordan December 14, 2021 Joan Rablin Keppler June 12, 2021 Kristine “Kris” Eldridge Osborn August 23, 2021 1953 Virginia Farnsworth Allison April 28, 2021 Victoria Sawdon Banghart December 26, 2021 Marilyn “Lynn” Pond Bonasia March 11, 2021 Jane Borden Brogden August 22, 2019 Georgene Haney Campion May 20, 2021 Victoria Pessolano Carbone July 1, 2017 Martha Jost Claxton April 4, 2021 Paula Shepard Holland February 11, 2021 Sonia Collom Oram May 3, 2020

Diane Eppel Schryber June 20, 2007 Patricia Stevens Wesselhoeft October 15, 2020 1954 Nancy Tripp Herrington February 24, 2021 Sara Hay Nichols June 5, 2021 Patricia Jezierny Short January 25, 2021 1955 Marilyn Good Dillman February 4, 2021 Nancy Keyes Dooher April 21, 2021 Barbara Lowe Flood January 15, 2021 Cynthia Cheney Gilmore November 12, 2021 Janet Healy Holmgren March 8, 2021 Constance Duford Larouche February 3, 2021 Barbara Frostholm Vreeland April 1, 2021 1956 Nancy Morris Adams October 14, 2021 Sandra Fishbein Channen January 3, 2022 Mary Gale Gilchrest February 1, 2021 Janet Burgbacher Nilan May 21, 2021 Alice Taeffner Schauf September 18, 2019 Joan Muller Weinstein January 23, 2021 1957 Sylvia Hamlin Blishak July 21, 2021 Maria Roehrig Chernin November 7, 2011 Ann Wade Clark September 25, 2021


in fond memory Sally-Ann Dutcher Coash February 10, 2021 Norma Jackson Gerrie May 3, 2021 Mary Anne Sullivan Martin November 11, 2021 Nancy Kiener Schullinger November 7, 2021 Carol Dornemann Sellman May 30, 2021 Kathryn Stott Shaw October 31, 2021 Althea T. Weeks December 18, 2017 1958 Mary A. Connare July 30, 2021 Mary-Ellen Kimball Egan May 13, 2021 Charlotte “Gail” Heckman Johnson June 30, 2021 Elizabeth S. Ledyard July 11, 2021 1959 Patricia Timmons Fuller September 25, 2020 Nancy Hearn Peffley April 1, 2021 Norma D. Penney January 17, 2021 1960 Judith Gemmill D’Errico February 6, 2021 Elizabeth Foss Dinsmore September 11, 2021 Sally Pearce Gibbons February 14, 2021 Fredrica “Ricky” Furlong Mack December 15, 2021 1961 Anne “Nannie” Whitney Clements March 10, 2021 Sally Cook Gregg November 16, 2021 Prudence Jensen Heard June 4, 2021

1962 Karen Brown Dufault November 7, 2021 Judith Adams Kraybill January 8, 2021 Mary Prince Noll June 26, 2021 1963 Derrick “Ricky” Vanderwaart Boulay March 4, 2021 Evelyn Seeman Clegg October 16, 2021 Marilyn Lamar Coldwell June 24, 2021 1964 Elizabeth “Liz” Ridley Mills June 15, 2021 1965 Mary Allen Chaisson April 8, 2021 Linnea Hammersten Gordon May 14, 2021 1966 Diane Ewer Harrison December 14, 2021 Betsey Janes LaRose August 6, 2019 Jean Henderson Wegener May 29, 2021 1967 Madeline Colgrove Hartley August 16, 2021 1968 Cynthia Howe Schad October 15, 2021 1969 Theresa Elliott Graichen April 22, 2021 1970 Janet Aery Cavanaugh March 2, 2021 Constance A. Kastberg October 29, 2021

1972 Penelope “Penny” Pearson October 20, 2021 Charlyn S. Quinn September 7, 2016 1973 Joani Farquhar Bishop July 16, 2021

1998 Dorothy E. McLennand August 31, 2021 Former Faculty Bernard A. Streeter November 11, 2021 Former Trustee Lois M. Johnson Muller November 2, 2021

1978 Mary Anne Stolt Hadwen December 2, 2021 Patricia Raymond McNall December 25, 2013 1979 Cynthia Kroeger Lyle September 6, 2012 Jennifer “Jenn” Mackay Windle April 11, 2021 1980 Catherine Flynn Cray July 15, 2021 Jennifer Dean Ordelheide September 5, 2020 1981 Michelle Raiford February 17, 2020 1982 Joyce Palmer George December 17, 2021 1985 Margaret “Peg” Grant Marty October 5, 2021 1990 Frances Howe Smith June 9, 2021 1992 Lori R. Boisselle September 12, 2017

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archives

A History of Ski Day by Brantley Palmer

Colby-Sawyer College has a robust history of daylong traditions and festivities offered to students. There are long-running traditions that continue to this day, like Mountain Day and Winter Carnival, celebrations that petered out after several decades, like May Day, and a handful of short-lived traditions that lasted only a couple of years, like Goat Day and Kids Day. One of these lesser-known short-lived traditions was Ski Day. Much like its fall counterpart, Mountain Day, this spring semester celebration gave students a day off in March beginning at 10 a.m. The tradition ran for roughly a decade and a half, beginning in 1968 and ending in the early 1980s.

Students enjoy costumes and competition at the college’s annual Ski Day held at the former King Ridge Ski Area each spring from 1968 to the early 1980s.

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archives

After 10 a.m., students and faculty made their way to nearby King Ridge Ski Area for a day of ski races. King Ridge opened in Sutton in 1961 and lasted until the 1994-95 winter season. During its time as a ski slope, it had many connections to Colby Junior and later Colby-Sawyer College, including to U.S. Representative and member of Colby-Sawyer’s founding family, James Cleveland, who held an initial ownership stake. The King Ridge slopes had an Alice in Wonderland theme, and the races were generally held on the Tea Party slope. Students were split into four divisions depending on their skill level, from beginners to those with substantial racing experience. Some years featured tray races and tube races in addition to slalom races. At the 1978 Ski Day, obstacle course races were introduced. These were created with the non-skiers or inexperienced skiers in mind. Competitors were paired off and required to pull their teammates on toboggans, run through slalom poles, walk on their knees, walk through hoops, go over and under ropes, carry eggs on spoons and then race to the finish line — all while wearing wacky costumes. Students donned their costumes, often organized around a theme, before they left campus to invade King Ridge, much to the dismay of regular skiers and staff. A costume contest was judged by residence hall, so different halls could coordinate costumes. The biggest difference between Ski Day and Mountain Day was that instead of the surprise of Mountain Day, students were given advance notice of when Ski Day would occur, probably so students had time to plan their costumes. After the ski races and obstacle course, students ate a hot lunch of grilled food cooked up by the Student Government Association. Ski Day finished up back on the Colby-Sawyer campus with cross country races to top off the day.

Brantley Palmer is the former college archivist. He holds a B.A. in film production and critical studies from Keene State College and an M.L.I.S. from Simmons College. He currently works at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H.

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epilogue

A Canadian Renaissance by Lynn Garrioch

L

ast May, I left my professorship at Colby-Sawyer College and started my new role as the equity officer at a public school board in Ontario. I weathered a trying move home to Canada during the pandemic and a provincial lockdown. I spent many nights homesick for New Hampshire wishing I could carpool to the college with Professor Cahoon again or waste 30 minutes arguing with Professor Coy about his ridiculous politics. However, as I reflect on the past year, I am grateful I moved. My dad died Dec. 7, nine months after my move. Luckily, I was able to spend his last days reminiscing about our family (mis) adventures. Less than a month after my return to Canada, the world learned about a mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of a former residential school. The Canadian “nice” image was indelibly tarnished. For decades, Indigenous children in Canada were removed from their families and homes by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and forced into boarding schools. These residential schools operated in Canada between 1874 and 1996 and the children were often subjected to severe abuse. We know at least 3,200 children died while attending a residential school. However, experts estimate more than 6,000 children never made it home. Since May, many other mass grave sites have been uncovered on former Canadian residential school sites.

After 20 years as a professor in the School of Business & Social Sciences, Lynn Garrioch recently left Colby-Sawyer to return to Canada, where she serves as the equity officer of a public school board. During her time at the college, Garrioch served as the faculty moderator and chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion task force, as well as the Teaching and Enrichment Committee and the Assessment Committee. In 2019, Garrioch was a member of the team that secured a fiveyear National Science Foundation grant that launched Colby-Sawyer’s EMERGE Scholars Program, and in 2020, she was awarded the Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching, the college’s highest teaching honor.

As non-Indigenous Canadians have been grappling with these gruesome discoveries and starting the reconciliation process with our Indigenous brothers and sisters, we have had to acknowledge the pervasive systemic racism throughout our society and institutions, including our school boards. Anti-Indigenous racism is prevalent in Canada at the individual, interpersonal, institutional and systemic level, but so is anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia. We have entered a period of renaissance. It is no longer acceptable to pretend systemic racism, marginalization, sexism, assimilation, implicit bias and microaggressions do not exist in Canada. It is no longer acceptable to ignore Canadian history and teach only about the contributions of European settlers. It is no longer acceptable to inadequately teach children who belong to a specific racial group. Activists throughout this country are demanding we face our traumatic history and create a more inclusive country. They are demanding our schools lead the charge. This is where my new professional role comes in. Currently, I work for a school board that, in theory, protects and promotes a tradition of educational excellence. We serve more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and adult/continuing education students throughout 50 school campuses. Our students are from 118 countries. Despite living in a province that is ethnically and racially diverse and home to many newcomers to Canada, we are only beginning our Indigenous and racial reconciliation in our schools. I work with the board’s senior staff, school administrators and staff to help create more inclusive schools in our district so every student can reach their potential. My job ranges from sitting in long administrative meetings to working with student activists on school campuses to doing presentations and workshops on culturally responsive pedagogy and racism. I am happiest when I am working directly with students, and it reminds me of my work at the college. I know when I am working with students, my work matters. Both my former colleagues and students at the college have helped shaped who I am as an equity officer. When I am sitting with idealistic grade 12 students who want to change the world, I am grateful for the skills and knowledge I honed over the last 20 years at the college. My hope is I will continue to learn from the great folks at the college (especially from my sociology colleagues) and occasionally I can share my new world with you all.

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