LinkUs 2023

LINKUS

C otting School’s Alumni Newsletter

2023 Alumni Reunion Recap

It’s always a marvelous occasion when former students come back to campus! On May 21, over 100 Cotting alumni, friends and family members gathered for the annual reunion in the Campus Center. They enjoyed refreshments, participated in fun activities and, most importantly, had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.

The place was brimming with joy as Falcons aimed for a strike in the bowling alley and admired the student art work that adorned the walls. The usual display of yearbooks going back decades provided laughs and trips down memory lane. President Irish addressed the crowd and specially acknowledged the HOPEhouse program and all it accomplished throughout its tenure. We were pleased to honor HOPEhouse staff and students, past and present, during the event. Alumni Association President Caroline Steaurt ’11 also spoke, reminding everyone to submit their alumni dues, which help support activities like the annual senior trip to Cape Cod.

It’s always a pleasure to bring our community together, and we are grateful for the involvement and support of Cotting alumni and their families. Thank you for attending and for keeping in touch!

Delaney Supple ’20 and Sam Erickson ’18 at the reunion.

Justin Cermenaro ’20, Daniel Sicard ’18, Alexandra Talbot ’20 and Brenna Siegfriedt ’17 caught up with each together in May.

ALUMNI UPDATES

1975

Richard Murphy is currently employed at Horace Mann Educational Associates as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Coordinator for Central Worcester. In November 2019, he founded the Ayer Film Society, which hosts monthly movie events in collaboration with both the Ayer Library and Valley Cast at the Singh Performance Center in Whitinsville, Mass. In 1993, he graduated from the Andover Newton Theological school with a divinity degree. Prior to that, he graduated from Gordon College in 1980 with a bachelor’s in political science.

1977

Barry Stafford is a captain in the Boston Fire Department, currently in his 39th year, and is looking forward to retirement next year. He is married with three children, all of whom have graduated from college. His oldest is married, his son is engaged and the youngest is living at home in Hopkinton, Mass., where they have resided for 32 years. Barry owns a home in N.H. near Waterville Valley that is his happy place, and he is looking forward to spending more time up there. He’s also a big Disney fan and hopes to someday introduce his grandkids to Walt Disney World!!

1985

Pearlie (Bullock) Burke has been married for 27 years and has three grown children.

1993

Sarah Collins retired from Whole Foods after 22 years of employment! She moved to a new group home in Littleton, Mass., in May 2022. Sarah and her boyfriend David will celebrate 13 years together in August 2023.

1994

Cathy Hofferty transferred to LABBB Collaborative before graduating and is currently working one day per week at Duluth Trading Company in Burlington, Mass. She lives in an apartment complex and has staff come in a couple of days a week to help with her grocery shopping, meal planning, laundry, cleaning, exercise and appointments. She has always wanted to attend the reunions and other events, but it unfortunately hasn’t worked out yet.

1995

Erik Kruszewski recently returned from California, where he attended a graduation at the Defense Language Institute, toured the Monterey Bay region and visited Stanford University and Hearst Castle, where he enjoyed the architecture, artifacts and lifestyle reminiscent of the gilded age.

Peter Garron ’15 came to the Project Bridges Breakfast to represent the Lincoln Public Library. He is seen here with his colleague Debbie Leopold and HOPEhouse student Meghan L.

Zachary Dagle ’11 with his parents, Stephen and Wendy.

Gregory Walsh is keeping busy with family and friends. He goes to chess club, bingo and mahjong weekly. He also enjoys movies and the theater. Gregory recently saw Beehive at the Greater Boston Theater in Stoneham, My Fair Lady at the Opera House in Boston and Cher and Bee Gees tributes at the Norwood Theater. He also attends Braintree Town Council meetings and Commission on Disability meetings weekly on Zoom.

2003

Alana Russo shares that since Bitty & Beau’s closed, she’s taking a break from work. She went to Paris in June 2023 with her family! Later this summer, she will get a labradoodle puppy! As a member of the board of The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, Alana is helping to pass important legislation that will help persons with limitations and disabilities. She continues to be an active member on the Bedford Housing Authority board, where she speaks on behalf of younger residents like herself. Last but not least, she belongs to a social group called Springboard and also keeps in touch with her friends from Cotting!

2004

Eleanor Jones started working at Plan in Quincy during the month of January.

Elia Veloso is still working in home care with the elderly and has a brown cocker spaniel named Bruno.

2005

Tyler Lagasse writes that he was in Orlando, Fla., in June for the 2022 Special Olympics USA games and finally won a gold medal in golf! He also attended the 2022 US Open in

Brookline, Mass. Tyler currently works at the PGA Superstore in Natick, Mass. Just recently, he joined the STARS of the Spectrum Golf League, supported by the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism. On April 23, 2023, he sang the national anthem with the Spectrum of Sound choir at a Woo Sox game. He will accompany the choir at Fenway Park for the 25th anniversary concert for the Flutie Foundation in August. On November 10, 2022, Tyler’s brother Clint and his wife Nicole welcomed their third child, Carlin, who joins her brothers, six-year-old Kiefer and three-year-old Camden. Tyler’s mother Deborah is happily retired and his Memaw is 90 years old.

Beth Fleischer has lived in a house on Orchard Avenue in West Newton, Mass., for almost five years! Pathway to Possible helps her and her friends coordinate activities. Three days a week, Beth really likes going to CHAI Works in Waltham, Mass. Additionally, her dog volunteer work at Schultz is her favorite activity! On the weekends you might see Beth in Natick, Mass., at Skyline. She still loves seeing her Cotting friends!

2006

Kathleen O’Donnell attends Opportunity Works in Newburyport, Mass., where she has been since graduating. She goes to the Special Stars dance program out of Salisbury, Mass., every week and goes to a social club called Horizon Club weekly. She loves taking walks on Hampton Beach all year round and was excited to become an aunt for the sixth time this spring!

2008

Kate Dewhirst shares that after 10 years of living in Norwood, Mass., she moved back in with her parents to be able to get better medical care and live closer to her brother and his children. She still goes to Jewish Family and Children’s Service

at CHAI Works in Canton, Mass. She misses going to Cotting and the great staff and teachers who give their all to Cotting students. She continues to think very highly of the school!

2010

Alex McDonald is in the House of Possibilities day program. She continues to enjoy Saturday sports at Cotting, time with her family and going to camp at Zeno Mountain Farm in Vermont.

Guy Martineau goes to his program in Beverly four days a week and enjoys playing games on his Switch console, listening to music and talking with friends.

2011

J.R. Foley has been enjoying time with family and friends. He also has a beautiful girlfriend named Celia Walsh.

Samantha Ferreri just started going to Open Roads in Plymouth, Mass.

Caroline Steuart recently got a job at Marshalls in Burlington, Mass., and is loving it. She belongs to a couple of social groups where she gets to have fun with friends. She has been working with the Brandeis women’s soccer team for seven years. Caroline continues to play a lot of sports, including baseball, basketball, soccer, bocce, swimming and sailing. She also sings in a chorus. Overall, she is very busy and very happy!

Alex McDonald ’10 and her mom, Sharon, at a Falcons vs. Road Runners basketball game.

Thomas Lydon shares that, last November, he started a job as a patient care coordinator for Hearing Life, a company that specializes in distributing hearing aids to those who need them. He says, “It’s been a weird first few months so far, but the people who work there are excellent!”

2012

Chris Campbell is studying moral philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Katie Atchue is currently attending Liberty Adult Day Health five days a week. There, she plays bingo, does group exercise, plays board games, enjoys crafts and bakes. Katie loves playing with her five-year-old nephew and three-year-old niece. They have a lot of fun together! She shares that she is also still sewing and makes a lot of pillows for her program to use as bingo prizes. She also still loves being a Falcon, and enjoys participating in alumni basketball and soccer. Once a Falcon, always a Falcon!

2016

Megan Leyden traveled to Ireland with her family this year. She enjoys volunteering at St. Michael School, where she reads to various classrooms. She has also been volunteering once a week with Habitat for Humanity. She plans on joining a local basketball team in North Andover in the fall this year!

2017

2014

Mia Cappuccio is looking for vocational training and employment opportunities. If any fellow Falcons know of any leads, please email advancement@cotting.org and we will put you in touch with Mia.

Brenna Siegfriedt is still working at the Boston Ballet as a teacher’s assistant and the Caning Company of The Northeast Arc. She also started a new job with Art-Reach that works with the Massachusetts Cultural Council to help make art accessible for all people who have disabilities throughout the state. She recently welcomed another nephew named Landon Mark Davidson. Finally, she remains active by working out five days a week.

2018

Samuel Erickson attends The Price Center Day Habilitation Program and Spaulding Rehabilitation. He has begun vocational training, as well. He enjoys visiting his brother in New York City and his Nana in Worcester, Mass. Go Red Sox!

Marianne Mahoney enjoys hanging out with friends and going to her day program.

Davis Raymond started horseback riding again after the barn was closed for a bit. He is very happy that they are open again!

Andrew Mahoney is 26 years old and works at Options Unlimited at Beaver Brook, where he helps with Meals on Wheels and Meadow Mist Farms. He also takes care of the property at Windrush Farms in North Andover. This year, Andrew became an uncle to his niece Lucy. He is also proud to share that he is a leader-in-training for Waypoint Adventure! He participates in many Waypoint events and fundraisers and is especially looking forward to being a leader for his peers. He has traveled a lot, but in particular, Andrew enjoys visiting his sister in Washington, D.C. and brother in Delray Beach, Fla. Finally, his trip to Alaska was filled with lots of wildlife and his first ride on an ATV!

Elise Dion ’18 read to Cotting students at Trunk or Treat in October 2022.

Kaila Macleod ’13 with EB Barrett ’19 at the reunion.

Bill White and Ryan Connelly ’15 at the reunion.

Sylvie Lammert has been volunteering at different places in her hometown. She also really enjoys singing with the SNAP Chorus and hiking with Waypoint Adventure. In her free time, she loves hanging out with her friends!

2019

David Veronelli attends Gordon College twice a week and a community-based day program three days a week. He works on a building’s custodial and maintenance team.

Mariana Vetoulis-Acevedo goes to a day program in Somerville called 3L Place two days a week, which offers many fun activities, like going outside and taking walks to Starbucks. She took a course at MassBay Community College last semester. Mariana is hoping to start going to Community Rowing, Inc., again so she can get back out on the water and practice rowing, one of her favorite pastimes. She has been to Greece a couple of times to visit her dad’s family, most recently in April, and they had a lot of fun celebrating Greek Easter together.

Natalie Lyons attends HMEA Employment Program in Franklin, Mass. She is still working at Tri-River Family Health Center, which she started doing while a student at Cotting. She also recently started a new job at Blessing Barn, a bookstore in Mendon, Mass.

2020

Joseph Scarlata has been going to a day program and just hanging out.

Delaney Supple enjoys riding horses and going to Find Your Stride at Lovelane with other Cotting alumni. She also goes to The Price Center three days a week with Sam E. and to Waypoint on Wednesdays to walk with friends. Delaney feels happy and excited at chorus with her silly friends!

Lucas Mahegan continues to work at a woodshop in Merrimac, Mass. They are busy building lots of things, including tables and benches, as well as cutting boards and tack boxes. He loves going on hikes twice a week with friends from Cotting through Waypoint Adventure! Lucas also enjoys horseback riding and getting together with family and friends. He is proud to share that he’s an uncle now to his nephew Sunny and loves spending time with him! He also loves going to Maine to visit his sister Rosie and brother-in-law Sumner and to hang out with his brother Sean! Life is good!

2021

Peter Sclafani attends a new day program called Opportunity Works in Haverhill, Mass., and sees some of his Cotting friends (Kyle R., Alexi D. and Olivia L.) there. He absolutely loves it! There is class time, just like at Cotting, where they learn topics in math, reading and social studies, but there is also time to have fun and socialize. They go bowling every week and will go to a Fisher Cats baseball game this summer. They have also gone to Polar Park to see the Woo Sox play. Lastly, Peter enjoys attending concerts and, so far, has seen Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini and Garth Brooks.

Kyle Reilly attends Opportunity Works in Haverhill, Mass., with Peter S., Alexi D. and Olivia L. His favorite classes are music and cooking.

Sara Young was a Boston Children’s Hospital LEND Fellow for 2022. Sara was also an EPIC Service Warrior for 2022 and has been promoted to EPIC Service Leader for 2023.

Elise Dion ’18, Rebecca Kourepenos ’18 and Anthony Longo ’20 at the reunion.

Lucas Mahegan ’20

Will Piotrowski goes to the CHAI Works Day Program, does volunteer work and goes to the YMCA. Sometimes he sees friends for movies or dinner. He also enjoys hanging out and going on trips with his brothers and parents.

M.E. Leon works at the Lincoln Public Library and still goes horseback riding at Lovelane.

Jamie Davidge enjoys going to Find Your Stride, a discussion group for young adults at Lovelane. She likes catching up with other Cotting alumni there, including Sylvie

Celebrating Love: Meet Author Esther Greenspan ’08

In her recently published book, “Special Soulmates: A True Love Story”, Esther Greenspan ’08 and her partner Jonathan delve into their experience of falling head over heels. Each of them doubted they would ever find love, but then love found them. This heartwarming memoir tells their story in 18 revelatory chapters, including “Love at First Sight”, “Angels and Miracles” and “Secrets of True Love”.

The authors describe their intimate bond and reveal their genius for connection: laughing, crying and celebrating together, writing poetry and singing to each other, soothing each other’s fears and sorrows and listening to each other’s dreams. Esther writes, “Thank you Cotting School for all you’ve done for me and thanks for your support for my book!”

IN MEMORY

We send our condolences to the family and friends of the following Cotting alumni who have passed away:

“Special Soulmates: A True Love Story” is available for purchase on Amazon at https://shorturl.at/lmuY0.

Attention Alumni!

Thank you to Caroline Steaurt ’11 for her leadership as president of the Alumni Association these last four years. Her five-year term as president will end in May 2024. The vote for a new president will take place at the alumni reunion next spring. If you are interested in learning more about running for this position, please contact Mike Drew at mdrew@cotting. org or (781) 862-7323 x168.

Esther Greenspan ’08 with her book

L., M.E. L., Katie F. and Delaney S. Caroline Steaurt ’11, Katie Atchue ’13, Zoe Clapp ’21 and Andrew Mahoney ’19 looking ready to play soccer last fall.

Susie M. Orlebar ’82 Frankie Vigorito ’22

Alumni Association President Caroline Steaurt ’11