Cushing Academy exists for students and develops curious, creative, and confident learners and leaders.
Cushing Today is a publication of Cushing Academy’s Office of Marketing + Communications.
Head of School
Dr. Randy R. Bertin P’21, ’22, ’24, ’25
Associate Head of School
Catherine Pollock
Director of Marketing + Communications
Christian Housh
Director of Advancement
Greg Pollard
Magazine Design Good Design, LLC gooddesignusa.com
Contributing Writers + Editors
Dr. Randy R. Bertin P’21, ’22, ’24, ’25
Christian Housh
Amy Logan
Christine Foster
Photography
Ed Collier
Gary Fournier
Anton Grassl
Tom Kates
Steve Musco
Philip Wexler P’19
Cushing Today welcomes your class notes, photography, story ideas, and comments. Please send them to communications@cushing.org, call (978) 827-7000, or mail to:
Communications Office
Iconic pro-wrestler and actor tells Head of School Randy Bertin how Cushing shaped his life and set him up for success.
ON THE COVER
The new Sawyer-Hopkins Hall, which includes the Lemieux Family Health + Wellness Center, is the latest addition in a series of great transformations of the Cushing campus.
(Image courtesy DiMella Shaffer, architects)
Cushing Academy 39 School Street Ashburnham, MA 01430
Throughout this magazine are links to extra content including photos, videos, and our website. Look for QR codes and links to explore more.
A Path to Transformation THE COMMUNITY JOURNEY
In preparing our new strategic plan — Our Common Journey: Strategic Priorities for Cushing Academy 2025–2030 — we sought the input of alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and students about Cushing’s strengths, potential areas for improvement, and visions for the future. These conversations, which were both reflective and forward-thinking, have gotten me thinking a lot about transformation and how it comes about.
Over the past 5 years, Cushing’s endowment has grown from $29 million to over $84 million; applications for admission have increased 35%; our Annual Fund has leaped from a little over $500,000 to $1.8 million; and our campus has witnessed over $100 million in capital improvements, including the recent launch of the new Sawyer-Hopkins Hall and the Lemieux Family Wellness Center. These milestones were not reached in a vacuum. They came about through hard work, shared focus on our mission, and the unyielding support of our Cushing community. Thank you to each of you who have played an invaluable part in our story.
The Community Journey
As defined in our Portrait of a Graduate, our Community Journey is the one in which we strive to respect, support, and show gratitude. It is the Journey that values collaboration, service, and engagement. It is where we learn to recognize our humanity and our role in being part
of something bigger than ourselves.
Throughout this issue of Cushing Today, you will read stories that highlight the Community Journey at Cushing and how it continues to play out in the lives of our alumni.
You can see it in the stories of basketball phenom Kaleb Joseph ’14, who leaned on his Cushing friends and launched a new chapter that brought him back to campus to inspire our students; of JR Butler ’04, who created the XBL, an “extreme baseball” Penguin tradition that continues today; of neurologist Brigid Dwyer ’02, reflecting on how her experiences at Cushing inform her work with athletes dealing with concussions and brain trauma; and of John Cena ’95, who shared his experiences and donated his time to film a Head of School Holiday video and other admissions material.
It’s Cary and Linda Meadow P’24 helping establish The Cushing Health + Wellness Endowment and Doug Cramer ’83 establishing a fund to raise awareness about neurodiversity. It’s Rachel Sommers Ash ’07 returning to campus to relay her experiences to our graduating class, and Tim Ryan P’23,’27 sharing his wisdom as our 2024 commencement speaker.
I am grateful for the ongoing commitment of so many to our school and our community. What is remarkable about these stories, and so many others, is not only that these Cushing community members had transformational experiences at Cushing — but also that
their Community Journeys led them to give back to the institution and beyond, and in so doing help transform Cushing and the broader community.
As we begin the next phase of Our Common Journey, this kind of community support will continue to play a key role in Cushing’s transformation. Your support and involvement has laid the foundation for our current success and set us up to build for the bright promise of tomorrow. In the true spirit of our Community Journey, I look forward to our path ahead, together.
Sincerely,
Randy R. Bertin, Ed.D. Head of School
On Decision Day, the
Who Are We?
> We are two specific people, but also representative of those who are truly at the heart of Cushing today.
> One of us is a Penguin who graduated more than 100 years ago.
> Together, our time in Ashburnham stretched for nearly three-quarters of a century.
> In some ways, we have been gone from campus for decades now. In other ways, we remain there to this day.
See page 80 for the answer!
class of 2024 sports their college swag in front of the Main Building. For a complete 2024 matriculation list, see page 43.
Our Common Journey
Strategic Priorities for Cushing Academy 2025–2030
Formed over 18 months with wide community input — trustees, faculty and staff, alumni, parents, students, and friends — Our Common Journey charts a path for the next phase of Cushing’s journey. Below are excerpts from the full strategic plan.
Our Common Journey is anchored by six key pillars: 1 2
Strengthening Community and Belonging
Cushing Academy will promote a sense of belonging and foster a warm, accepting culture that values the unique contributions of every member, building on the welcoming and community-oriented spirit that is at the heart of Cushing.
Developing Curious Learners
Cushing Academy will ensure the curriculum fosters an environment that sparks curiosity and joy in learning, challenges students appropriately, and supports the full range of learning styles present within the student body.
will ensure the an environment that sparks curiosity and joy in students and supports the full range of present within the student body
3
Developing Confident Leaders
Cushing Academy will encourage leadership development, collaboration, and teamwork across all areas of student life — in the classroom, in residential settings, and through student activities.
4
Promoting Student Health and Well-Being
Cushing Academy will, through school-wide strategies, help students develop skills to foster resilience, build self-esteem, and promote mental and physical health.
5
Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability
Cushing Academy will foster endowment growth through active fundraising, prudent investment, and strategic financial planning to secure our commitment to excellence in all aspects of the student experience.
Results from Embracing Our Legacy and Positioning for Our Future, our 2017–2022 Strategic Plan
Endowment grew from $29 million to over $84+ million 35% Admissions applications increase $100+ million in capital improvements on campus
Annual Fund went from $500,000 to $1.8 million
6
Celebrating School Culture and Legacy
Cushing Academy will continue to celebrate the Academy’s cherished traditions, reflecting our deep history and sense of community and belonging, while creating new traditions that also preserve the link between Cushing’s past, present, and future students.
Cushing Moments
Amid the splendor of a New England fall, this aerial view of campus includes the new Sawyer-Hopkins Hall and Lemieux Family Wellness Center — highlighting a campus transformed. Read more on the following pages.
Cushing Transformed
NEW SAWYER-HOPKINS HALL AND LEMIEUX FAMILY WELLNESS CENTER ARE THE LATEST SHOWPIECES IN A DECADE OF CAMPUS UPGRADES
To Penguins returning to campus after a decade away, a visit to Cushing Academy today would reveal enormous physical changes.
Over the last ten years, the campus has been transformed. New and updated dorms, a state-of-the-art field house, and an inviting, expanded dining commons and student center adorn the campus. The latest piece — opened this fall — is the new Sawyer-Hopkins Hall and the Lemieux Family Wellness Center. These changes are part of an intentional, comprehensive campus master plan that cements Cushing as a leader in residential student life and support. “First and foremost, our mission is to exist for students,” says Head
of School Dr. Randy Bertin, “and we want to make sure that when students are on campus, they have appropriate spaces for living, learning, competing in athletics, and engaging with the arts.”
“Our focus on residential life is tremendously important to fulfilling our mission,” Bertin says. “What we do differently — and I would argue, better than everyone else — is create community residentially. Having nice spaces for students and faculty to call home is really important.”
A Timeline of Improvements
The changes began in 2016, when the Watkins Field House opened. With three floors and 32,000 feet, it
replaced Heslin Gymnasium, built in the 1950s as the primary gym. It was a welcome improvement for a school where most students play a sport and all do some kind of afternoon activity, leading to high demand for court time and athletic spaces. The facility features a college regulation court, two high school regulation courts, a fitness center, weight room, training room, and locker rooms.
In 2017, the focus turned to residential life. Two new dormitories — Lee House and Sanborn House — were constructed above School Street, housing 90 students in single rooms and eight faculty families in larger apartments and townhouses.
First and foremost, our mission is to exist for students, and we want to make sure that when students are on campus, they have appropriate spaces for living, learning, competing in athletics, and engaging with the arts. The focus on residential life is tremendously important to fulfilling our mission.”
—DR. RANDY BERTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL
After Dr. Bertin’s arrival in 2018, Cushing turned its attention to the dining hall. Originally part of the Ashburnham “Ash” House dormitory, it had been enlarged and renovated in 1986, becoming the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons. In this most recent reconstruction, the dorm, dining hall, servery, and kitchen were gutted and renovated, also allowing for an enhanced Joseph R. Treadwell Student Center and new classrooms. The Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons project also provided an opportunity for less visible, but very important improvements to the infrastructure, with a second steam plant added underneath it, providing relief to the original campus steam plant.
Price Hall
Next came a refresh of Price Hall in 2019, with upgrades to both student and faculty housing to make the living experience more comparable to the newer dorms on campus.
Continuing the residential focus, in 2021 Cooke Hall was replaced by Carlisle Hall and Hancock Hall, new dorms on Drew Common overlooking Quimby Field.
In 2022, Lowe Hall, Cushing’s oldest building — built in 1890 — got a re-do, raising the short ceilings in third-floor bathrooms, updating all the bathrooms, and replacing the flooring in student rooms, following an earlier update of the common areas. Along the way, the Iorio Arena was also updated, including new mechanicals, a new chiller, lights, boards, concrete under ice, a new locker room, and redone bleachers.
The New Sawyer-Hopkins Hall
The most recent project is the new Sawyer-Hopkins Hall, replacing a residence hall by the same name which opened in 1970. The dorm continues to be named for long-time faculty members Marguerite Sawyer, a member of the class of 1917, and Vivian “Hoppie” Hopkins. “I thought it was important to retain that naming. They were such influential educators and strong female role models,” says Bertin. (See page 80 for more on Sawyer and Hopkins.)
The new dorm is both larger and more flexible, allowing use by boys or girls — or both, since it is divided into Sawyer Hall and Hopkins Hall. The number of faculty apartments has doubled from three to six, and the dorms now boast space for 60 students, up from 44.
More than simply providing additional space, the new dorms — in conjunction with the updated health + wellness center — enhance the center of campus, making the entire campus more attractive to both prospective students and faculty members.
DID
“Anytime we’re in a search for a faculty or staff member, they are national searches. We want to cast the net far and wide to find the best individual, no matter where they are, and we want that person to be immersed in our community and live on campus,” says Bertin. “They come with spouses and kids and pets. It should be comfortable and enticing, because it’s competitive to hire teachers. We want to make sure that they’re choosing Cushing, and we’re choosing them, and that we both feel good about that.”
Chief Financial Officer Paul Silva says that it was once typical for boarding school faculty housing to basically be a dorm room with a kitchenette. Now the expectations are different.
“One of the things that we take great pride in, is that we have a variety of families who are invested in living at Cushing, and so we needed a variety of spaces,” he says. The new dorms with enhanced faculty living spaces “give us maximum flexibility in recruiting the kind of faculty we want at Cushing.”
Director of Student Affairs Sarah Catlin says that the students love it too. “There are just a lot of places to gather. Everything’s new. Everything’s updated. The laundry is really nice. The bathrooms are beautiful,” Catlin says.
“I’m particularly excited for Sawyer because it’s a dorm of 24 students, and that will be our smallest dorm. And I think that’s going to be a real opportunity to build on our closeknit community,” says Catlin.
The Lemieux Fam
The Lemieux Family Wellness Center
Now named the Lemieux Family Wellness Center, the Academy’s health center has returned to its home as part of the new Sawyer-Hopkins, and it is bigger and better With 4,750 square feet, up from 2,000 square feet, the center now includes physical and
mental health and wellness services under the same roof, as well as an array of additional medical care options.
Director of Health + Wellness Jessica Patria says the central location and expansion of offerings sets Cushing apart. “We’ve actually grown immensely in the time that I’ve been here,” she says. “We’re offering a lot more services, and are able to serve kids here for things that might previously have required a trip off campus. That’s our number one goal — to be able to keep kids in class, keep them participating in whatever’s going on.”
“The healthcare industry has trended in this direction over the last several years,” says Chief Financial Officer Paul Silva. “We’re adopting best practices within the industry, bringing a closer tie between physical and mental health because of the interplay that those two conditions can have on each other.”
Having all health and wellness services — physical and mental — in the same location will better serve students, allowing for greater visibility and easier collaboration between providers, says Director of Counseling Jennifer Bernard ’90; P’21, ’23. “Our counseling and wellness services are more accessible,” says Bernard. “People see it more because we are right there.”
CE SCH
A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FOR THE MODERN BOARDING SCHOOL
HONORING THE LEGACY OF THE LEMIEUX FAMILY AT CUSHING
For decades, the name Lemieux has been part of Cushing Academy and now it will be forever — with the Health + Wellness Center being named in honor of the family.
Ray Lemieux P’77, ’85 served as Cushing’s Director of Facilities for more than 25 years, and his son Bruce Lemieux ’85, P’13, ’15, grew up on the campus. After college, Bruce returned home to Ashburnham, joining the Cushing faculty and serving in many roles, including the school’s Director of Technology. Ray passed away in 2010 and Bruce in 2020.
Bruce’s wife, Karen P’13, ’15, is also a long-time employee, having worked in the library, in Advancement, and now as Facilities Coordinator. Their older son Tim ’13 and daughter Katherine ’15 are graduates, and their youngest son, Kevin, attended Cushing for his freshman year. Katherine also served for a time as a faculty member in the Visual Arts Department. Bruce’s deep Penguin roots
are also shared with brothers Andy Lemieux, a former faculty member, and the late Steve Lemieux ’77, as well as nephew Matt Lemieux ’01.
Bruce’s death in 2020 hit the community hard. It was especially painful that, because of the timing during the pandemic, there could not be the kind of memorial that would have otherwise been held. “Naming the Lemieux Family Wellness Center to honor Bruce, his dad, the family, and their service to our school, was a meaningful way to ensure a lasting memorial to their legacy at Cushing,” says Head of School Randy Bertin.
NEW SERVICES OFFERED AT THE LEMIEUX FAMILY WELLNESS CENTER
> On-site blood draws, which reduce the need to send students to the hospital and cut back on missed classes.
> Designated space for telemedicine calls, where students can make phone calls with their physicians or therapists at home.
> A machine to do electrocardiograms (EKGs) for students with cardiac concerns. Having the ability to do an EKG is especially important because, after COVID-19, there has been an increase in fast heart rates in teens, especially among athletes.
> The ability to start an IV for students who are dehydrated, whether from heat or illness, allows them to stay on campus and avoid a trip to the emergency room.
> A registered dietician who can meet with students to provide guidance and counseling on healthy eating habits, nourishing themselves as athletes, or adjusting to the cuisine of a new country.
> A mindfulness room equipped with aromatherapy, noise machines, comfy bean bag chairs, pillows, and blankets, where students can regroup until they feel well enough to return to class.
> A dedicated medication window, so students who take routine prescriptions can easily pick up their meds.
> A short-stay room with three comfortable chairs that transform into beds. This room is where a student with a headache can rest while waiting for ibuprofen, or someone with a stomach ache can wait for their stomach to settle.
OUR TEAM TALKS ABOUT CONNECTEDNESS, COUNSELING, AND LIFE AFTER COVID
OUR TEAM TALKS ABOUT CON AND LIFE AFTE
AA Cushing Health + Wellness Roundtable
With the opening of the new Lemieux Family Wellness Center, our key administrators in this area share their integrated approach to mental and physical health and discuss how Cushing’s high rating for connectedness helps students stay well.
ith the of the new Lemieux Wellness Center, our administrators in this area share their to mental and health and discuss how rating for connectedness students stay well
The Lemieux Family Wellness Center brings together our health services and counseling office under one roof. What is the significance of this pairing?
Jessica Patria, Director of Health and Wellness: Obviously, physical health and mental health are one and the same, and a lot of things feed off each other. When a student comes in feeling like they’ve got stomach issues, it might be that they’re nervous about a test that’s coming up. Having us all under one roof brings us together so that we can focus on the whole body and the whole mind. We can play off each other and bounce ideas off each other much more easily.
What counseling options are available to students who come to Cushing?
Jennifer Bernard ’90, Director of Counseling: First, if a kid is upset and has emotional dysregulation for any reason, we want to physically get them to the Wellness Center so that we can assess safety and figure out what they need from there. Do they need the nurse practitioner to get involved? Do they need the counseling department to get involved? Where do we need to go from there?
The counseling team will assess the situation. It might be a poor grade in a
class or an interaction with a peer. We figure out how best to support that.
We also provide individual or group counseling for students who need support with any mental health issue, such as anxiety or depression, that they bring or might be diagnosed with while here at Cushing.
Students might have mental health professionals that they work with at home, and they use the new telehealth room to meet with them. And they may want individual counseling to talk about all things Cushing. We can meet them weekly or biweekly to support that. We also collaborate with the home network, so we are all on the same page, supporting that student. It can be designed individually for whatever the family and student want. Some students want counseling weekly for the whole year. Some students might be more anxious in the fall when they arrive because they’re homesick. For some, it might be, for example, that a sports season is stressful, or for many seniors, it’s college stress. Whatever they need, we’re jumping in to support them.
What have been some of the long-term effects of the pandemic on student health and wellness, and how has Cushing adapted to that?
Bernard: Nationwide, from the mental health perspective, we have seen huge increases in anxiety and depression. Medication in general is higher across teenagers and adults, requiring more doctor visits. The use of the telehealth room will be vital for students who need to meet monthly with their psychiatrist for their medication.
The use of strategies and building resilience is really important. Students need to learn how to cope and what strategies to build in their toolbox. When they are feeling anxious, what do they do? We teach mindfulness and breathing techniques. Some students may like to walk outside — we have a beautiful campus. Some students are into fitness and jump on the treadmill — that’s their way of dealing with stress. We have to figure out strategies for whatever our students need.
Cushing was uniquely positioned to emerge from the pandemic. Our academic support program has been around for 50 years and was already equipped and ready to deal with students battling anxiety. Anxiety existed before COVID; it just exploded afterward. We had underpinnings and structures in place.”
—SARAH CATLIN, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Sarah Catlin, Director of Student Affairs: Cushing was uniquely positioned to emerge from the pandemic. Our academic support program has been around for 50 years and was already equipped and ready to deal with students battling anxiety. Anxiety existed before COVID; it just exploded afterward. We had underpinnings and structures in place. I think we’ve been able to take that leadership and experience from that group of academic
support faculty and help the rest of the faculty understand it more. Nationally, school attendance is at an all-time low. That looks different at a boarding school like Cushing, but we’ve been working hard over the last three years to identify students who are having a hard time going to class, look at that avoidance, and run interventions early and often. We were ahead of a lot of schools in that area, and we’re seeing those successes.
Are there other national trends coming out of COVID that you’re seeing manifest at Cushing?
Catlin: One of the other trends I see is students being used to having their bedroom be where they spend all their downtime. From a facility standpoint, we’re extraordinarily lucky to have very updated dorms, which are good places for kids to call home. But one of the things that is encouraged from both the physical and the mental health side is not staying in your room.
We believe engaging and being part of the community is a healthy practice. You can’t try to dodge afterschool activities. You’ve got to go to classes, not just because we told you so, but because we think that you will be a better person for it.
One of the things that I’ve learned about anxiety is that one of the best ways to help kids know that they can do something is to remind them that they’ve already done it. This builds the resiliency
we’re looking for — kids understand that they have done this before, it’s worked out okay, and they can do it again, and it will just get better.
we ’ re for kids understand that have done this before, it’s worked out and can do it and it will get better
A
piece of Cushing’s approach is that everyone knows the students and shares knowledge. How is this approach institutionalized?
Patria: We are around the students all the time and get to know them oneon-one. We can catch them when they start regressing. We’ve had students who are super outgoing and love life, and then suddenly, you begin to see that they’re not going to as many things. We have the ability to intervene quickly. We can pull them back to where they were previously.
are around the students all the time and get to know them oneon-one We can catch them when start regressing We’ve had students who are super and love life, and then you to see that not going to as many We have the to intervene quickly We can them back to where were previously
A is that e stud knowled approac year lookin peer schoo put in plac been helpf health team services, a affairs Th s
Catlin: We did a wellness review last year looking at best practices at many peer schools, and some things that we put in place coming out of that have been helpful. We meet once a week as a health team — health services, counseling services, athletic training, and student affairs. Then, that group meets with the academic side to hear about our students with academic challenges. Is there anything that we can tell the academic side that will help them understand a
bigger, broader picture of what these students are going through? Those communication pieces are fundamental pieces that any school should be doing.
We also take a monthly ‘Penguin Pulse’. We send out an anonymous survey that asks students, ‘How are you feeling?’ That gives us a global look at our student body. We’re able to break it down by grade and by dorm. Not surprisingly, at the peak of college application season, seniors are spiking a little bit higher. On the first survey, the ninth graders were having the most trouble because they were brand new to the school. Each student has an opportunity to provide their name and ask for specific help
or support in any area. We say, ‘Hey, if you’re rating yourself a one or two on how you’re feeling, give us your name, and let us help you get connected with counseling. Or is there anything else that you wish we knew so we could be helpful?’ Early in the year, a new kid might say, ‘I think I’m in the wrong Spanish class, and I don’t know who to ask.’ We’re able to get them connected sooner to support. We’re proud of this ability to share across these internal groups. It’s not a situation where I’m the only one that knows what’s happening with attendance, for example.
Patria: Weekly, we’re trying to be really purposeful and proactive. ‘What do we need to do to support that student differently this week?’ We’re gaining information and then actively creating a plan and then reevaluating it.
In the NAIS Independent School Health Check (an anonymous report administered yearly), Cushing has had an increase in school connectedness each year since 2019. How does connection affect student wellness, and how does Cushing manifest that?
Catlin: For students to seek help and support, they have to trust the adults around them and feel connected to their school. I think the message is that they believe we’re here for them, that our mission to exist for students is real and true, and that if they need help or support with something, we are sincere in our commitment to do that. Feeling connected to the school is a vote of confidence. They trust that the adults on campus are working for them and ready to help them when things aren’t going well.
How do social media and device connectedness impact students’ well-being, and how does Cushing address those issues?
Patria: Social media can be a blessing and a challenge. During COVID, kids were out for an extended period in isolation, and they could connect with their fellow students on social media. But then it also has negatives to it. Perhaps their boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with them over social media. They’re depressed that they saw some of their friends hanging out, and they weren’t included. So, it has its challenges, too.
Bernard: We talk a lot about everything being balanced. Gaming is fine and is a great way to connect with your friends, but you need to limit your gaming and pay attention to your academics. Being on Snapchat is fantastic, but maybe breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend that way is not the healthiest best practice. So, again, balance and best practices. I think Cushing does a great job of bringing in speakers who spell it out, and educate our students. The more we all know and are educated about what’s happening, the better we do.
Catlin: One of the things that I like about how we treat social media is that the rules that we have for how you treat people are the same whether in person or online. Students who are unkind and unsupportive to their peers on social media will have the same consequence of violating our mutually respectful relations policy as if they say it to a person in class. That is a really important lesson.
The more I read, the more I see, and the more I understand, the more I think we have to support our students in using social media. Teaching them to be responsible users and to help them understand who they are and want to be — in real life
It’s about baby steps. It’s about taking students where they are and supporting them with a little push here and a little push there. ”
—JENNIFER BERNARD ’90, DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING
and on social media — is valuable and important, and is a better use of our time than trying to ban anything. When you look at school connectedness, something I would come back to is that these kids are feeling connected here. When I go into the dining hall, there are some kids who have their cell phones, but they’re engaging with their buddies and sharing a video. It’s a point of conversation, not a point of hiding.
How does this look when we put it all together?
Bernard: I think it’s about baby steps. It’s about taking students where they are and supporting them with a little push here and a little push there. We have all these health and wellness resources to support them. Over the course of a year, or maybe two years, and then all of a sudden, they’re graduating, and they have done it! They’ve built that resiliency. It takes time. It’s not immediate. And by senior year, it’s glorious. For some, it’s a four-year journey. But you know, when you hear those stories at graduation, it’s amazing. All of the faculty are sitting there in joyful tears.
The Cushing Health + Wellness Endowment Boosts Mental Health Resources
The Hea Boo Res
MEADOW FAMILY ESTABLISHES ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT STAFF AND PROGRAMMING
MFAMILY ESTABLISH AND PRO
ore than 1 in 3 school students experienced poor mental health the and half of students
ore than 1 in 3 high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and nearly half of students felt persistently sad or hopeless.
The wellness picture for adolescents represented in these stunning statistics from the Centers for Disease Control Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey conducted in 2021 — and the knowledge that Cushing students are not immune from those challenges — frame the Academy’s careful research, planning and expansion of resources to teach students resilience, coping, and interpersonal tools.
Support from Cary and Linda Meadow P’24 has kickstarted The Cushing Health + Wellness Endowment, which will support staff and programming to strengthen students’ self-esteem, mental health, and emotional processing, as well as their problemsolving, decision-making, and social skills.
The Meadows wanted to help because of their personal experience. Their daughter Ruby arrived at Cushing as a sophomore, having been buffeted, like so many students, by the challenges of the pandemic and by an increasingly “toxic” atmosphere at her previous school. Cary Meadow says that Cushing and its supportive atmosphere changed everything.
“What I saw in three years of school there was that she developed from a kid who didn’t know who she was, to a young woman who loves who she is, knows who she is, and is mature and independent and makes good decisions,” Meadow says. “I attribute that to the school providing this
The experience was just amazing. The Cushing people are a great community. It starts with the most simple thing of all. The mission statement says, ‘Cushing exists to serve students.’ And they do.”
scaffolding that we knew was vital to her development and health.”
Meadow describes sending Ruby to Cushing — thousands of miles from their home in California — as “a very difficult choice, but a very easy decision.”
“It was the acknowledgment that your child is going to experience a much healthier macro-environment by being in a more structured, inclusive community which is a little kinder and a little less comparative,” says Meadow. “The experience was just amazing. The Cushing people are a great community. It starts with the most simple thing of all. The mission statement says, ‘Cushing exists to serve students.’ And they do.”
He especially appreciated how Cushing encouraged students to acknowledge and tackle their challenges. “It is a very healthy environment for mental health,” Meadow says.
Meadow also calls out the robust academic support program. “People’s brains aren’t all wired the same. If you’re seven feet tall and living in a world designed for people six feet tall,
—CARY MEADOW P’24
you’re going to bump your head a lot. What Cushing realized was, hey, we can increase the size of the doorways so people aren’t bumping their heads a lot.”
A 2024 graduate, Ruby is attending Wesleyan University this year. “Cushing understood who my daughter was and provided guidance, support, and direction which she will take to college and beyond. We will be forever grateful.”
Interested in helping support
The Cushing Health + Wellness Endowment?
There are still many ways to get involved. Contact Greg Pollard, Director of Advancement at grpollard@cushing.org for more information. “With an initial goal of building a $1 million health and wellness endowment, Cary and Linda Meadow have been terrific partners in spearheading our efforts with their commitment — this is an endowment that will forever help bolster Cushing’s commitment to health and wellness,” says Pollard.
Cushing Moments
Lily Prendergast ’24 and Brooke Harb ’25 share a moment as they head out to the field between innings. Cushing Softball went 12–5 in 2024, advancing to the semifinals in the Class B WNEPSGSBA playoffs.
Tony Fisher Day
20 YEARS OF GIVING BACK IN HIS HONOR
Tony Fisher ’69 loved Cushing and worked throughout his life to make it even better. After his death in 2003, the Academy launched a day to give back. Students and faculty serve on campus, in Ashburnham, and across the region to honor Fisher’s legacy. Last year — the 20th anniversary of Tony Fisher Day — was a special one. It happened in concert with World Penguin Day and Cushing’s Day of Giving. It was a great day to remember 20 years of service — and what it means to be a Penguin.
ony Fisher ’69 loved and worked throughou it even better After his death in 2003, the lau give back Students and serve on campus, in As across the to honor Fisher’s Last year t of Fisher was a one It in c World and of Giving It was remember 20 years of service and what it means to b
SCAN ME! Watch video about Tony Fisher Day of Service + Day of Giving.
Cushing Moments
Boys’ Varsity Hockey celebrates a goal en route to a 4–1 victory over Avon Hill Farms in the 2024 NEPSAC Elite Eight Semi-Finals. The Boys’ Varsity team made it to their second championship game in a row.
Art + Warmth = Real Impact
DEBORAH GARDNER RETIRES AFTER TWO DECADES OF PENGUIN LIFE
After nearly two decades, Deborah Gardner ’24 (Hon.); P’16, ’17 leaves the students of Cushing Academy with the wisdom of a gifted, working artist: try, fail, reflect, persist, succeed.
fter two decades, Gardner ’24 P’16, ’17 the students of Academy with the wisdom of a working artist: try, fail, reflect, succeed
In her she made that process
In her classrooms, she made that process — experimenting, having something not turn out quite right, and then picking yourself up to try again — normal and acceptable. “I tried to make
the environment one where it was great if you succeeded, and it was really great if you failed. That just meant, okay, let’s go with this, let’s explore this. Let’s let that failure happen. The world didn’t come to an end. I would say: ‘Let’s just pick up and keep going and find a different way.’”
the environ if you succe you failed with this, l failure hap an end I w keep going
An artist and local resident who has long shown her paintings, ceramics, and jewelry at local galleries, Gardner
began at Cushing in 2005, when she heard about an opening for a summer session art teacher. She brought a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from what was then Bridgewater State College and a passion for pottery, which she taught at the start. Then, after a successful summer, a fulltime position opened mid-year, and Gardner jumped on board.
Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her broad expertise in every medium, including painting, drawing, metalsmithing, photography, ceramics, and stained glass. Gardner embraced the chance to model life-long learning as she learned new disciplines herself along the way. “I also would take classes outside of Cushing,” Gardner says.
Gardner led the department through the pandemic as department chair, successfully ensuring authentic instruction happened in a fundamentally hands-on field.
“I still don’t know how she taught metals with the students learning remotely,” says Jeanine Eschenbach, who has taught with Gardner for several years and succeeded her as department chair. “Obviously, the students were not going to have access to a torch and all the things we could use every day in the studio, but she crafted these beautiful kits with copper wire and gemstones. We packed up these incredible boxes and shipped them everywhere in the world so that the students could have all the same materials to really engage with asynchronous work.”
“When they Zoomed into her space, everyone was working with the same materials. Just the cleverness that she brought to what she placed in those boxes — it’s really remarkable. It made the students feel connected to one another. They were still able to do metals, and they were able to work together.”
Loving that Family Feeling
From the start, Gardner loved the sense of community that existed at Cushing. “We don’t have a nine-to-three kind of teaching situation,” Gardner says. “There are a lot of hours spent together. That’s really nice. I think that that’s particularly true in the art department.”
Then, that bond was further cemented when her two youngest children, Tim ’16 and Linnea ’17,
attended. “When my kids were here, there was even more of a literal family feeling,” she says.
Building Confidence through Warmth with Students
One of the most significant gifts Gardner has brought to Cushing is the warmth that allows students to stretch themselves as artists. One former colleague called her “a literal ray of sunshine.”
“I hope the students that I work with know that I loved them,” Gardner says. Gardner remembers one student in particular who initially was paralyzed by the fear that he would fail and not get an ‘A’ in the class. She managed to convince him it would be okay. “‘Just go ahead and experiment,’ I said. He loved it. He just jumped in at that point. It freed him from that worry about getting the ‘A’ to just doing the work — to figuring it out and playing with it.”
“Her deep passion as a practicing artist led the charge with both the students and with all of us,” says Eschenbach. “It’s a deep deep love of students and learning and being brave — courage and kindness are at the core of her creative spirit. Her empowerment is infectious and really makes our art space and the work we do together incredible.”
As she retires, Gardner says what she will miss most are the students. “I already do miss them, and the year has just ended,” she said during an interview the week after graduation. “Working with them has been the best part of being here. Over the years, several students have said, ‘I had no idea I could do something like this.’ They discovered this new piece of themselves. This year, someone said, ‘I didn’t think I had anything artistic in me. And now I find that I do.’ That is just so wonderful and exciting. That’s definitely my favorite part of the whole time I’ve been here.”
Her deep passion as a practicing artist led the charge with both the students and with all of us. It’s a deep deep love of students and learning and being brave — courage and kindness are at the core of her creative spirit. Her empowerment is infectious and really makes our art space and the work we do together incredible.”
—JEANINE ESCHENBACH,
VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT HEAD
Scholastic Art Award Winners
Cushing visual artists received 1 Gold Key, 4 Silver Keys, and 4 Honorable Mentions in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program. Artist Chunming Liu ’24 won a prestigious portfolio award for her work, some of which is shared below.
visual artists received 1 Gold 4 Silver and 4 Honorable Mentions in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s and most recognition program Artist Liu ’24 won a prestigious award for her some of which is shared below
See our art award winners in the 2024 Cushing Academy Visual Arts Magazine.
Check out more artwork in the 2024 edition of Patchwork, Cushing’s literary magazine.
SCAN ME!
SCAN ME!
2024 Penguins Commit to Playing at the Next Level
Twenty-nine members of the class of 2024 are taking their Cushing-honed athletic skills into college. Their ranks include eleven student-athletes playing in Division I schools, four playing in Division II schools, and fourteen playing in Division III, representing nine different sports.
Congratulations to Dorothy Kuwana ’25 and Ryan Ward ’25 on being elected Student Body Co-Presidents for the 2024–25 academic year!
Few things signal the arrival of Valentine’s Day quite like strawberries,
and a flowing chocolate fountain.
#PoweredByCommunity
Explore this week’s Around Campus showcasing Scholastic Art Award Winners, the Varsity Golf Senior Match, Senior Art Show Reception, and much more!
marshmallows,
The countdown starts now! Today marks the official kickoff to our senior celebrations at Cushing Academy as we begin the 100-day countdown to graduation.
What an unforgettable night at the Cushing Junior/Senior Prom! Our students enjoyed “A Night at the Gatsby Mansion” at Wachusett Mountain.
#ThePowerOfCushing
Kicking off the first full week of spring semester with a snow storm, Penguins had a blast sledding, skating, and getting back into the classroom. #PoweredByPeople
Cushing Academy hosts the 2024 Girls* in STEAM Leadership Summit, filled with hands-on workshops and seminars designed to empower girls in areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. #PoweredByLeadership
Experience the magic of “Flashback” at our Spring Dance Concert! #PoweredByCreativity
Decision Day here at Cushing Academy marks a pivotal moment as our graduating class announces their college choices for the upcoming fall semester.
Around Campus this week features the Lunar New Year, Precalculus: Horizontal Asymptote Rules + Dumpling making. #PoweredByCommunity
Community Lunch isn’t just a meal — it’s a chance to come together, connect, and build stronger bonds within our school community. During this special time, we swap stories, share laughs, and support each other, creating lasting friendships and memories along the way.
Senior celebrations continue with one of Cushing Academy’s most cherished traditions: The Capping Ceremony. #PoweredByTradition
Students and faculty gather together with special eclipse glasses and telescopes to observe this rare phenomenon safely. It was a moment of wonder and awe as we marveled at the beauty of the universe!
The biggest thing about Cushing — what makes it so great — is family.”
—STEVE JACOBS ’24 (HON.); P’02, ’04
“IT’S BEEN A BLESSING TO BE PART OF COACHING FOR SO LONG”
Leg Coa Ret afte
Legendary Hockey Coach Steve Jacobs Retires from Cushing after Three Decades
Fthree (Hon ); P’0
or three decades, Steve Jacobs ’24 (Hon.); P’02, ’04 was at the helm of Cushing Boys’ Ice Hockey, most of them as head coach of the varsity team, as he grew the program into a national powerhouse. His record is remarkable: 636–126–38. As he retired from Cushing last spring, he left a legacy of excellence — both in numbers and, more importantly, in building a team culture that values leadership, community, and family.
Creating an Impact at Cushing
Jacobs arrived at Cushing in 1985. He grew up playing football, hockey, baseball, and track at Hudson High School before doing a postgraduate year at The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall). In college, he earned a football scholarship at UMass Amherst.
After eight years of coaching hockey at a public school, the Cushing coaching job opened up. “I was excited to go to another level and be part of a community like Cushing,” Jacobs recalls. “I had gone to prep school and loved the atmosphere. I was lucky enough to get the job.”
Initially, Jacobs was the assistant athletic director, coached hockey, and taught health and study skills. By 1997, the hockey coaching job became a full-time position, although Jacobs continued to do some admissions work.
Those early years looked different than hockey does today. The team took a bus each day to play at the public rink in Gardner, MA. Jacobs remembers eating box dinners on the floor of Heslin Gymnasium after practice.
A huge turning point for the program came in January 1995 when the Theodore L. Iorio Arena opened. The multi-million-dollar facility upped Cushing’s game, allowing the Boys’ and Girls’ teams oncampus access to one of the finest hockey facilities in prep sports.
“He’s had a hand in all of it, whether it be getting the right players on campus or working with donors to build the arena that allowed our program to just take off,” says Bill Troy P’10, P’11, who served as assistant coach for many years. “I think you’ve got to tip your hat to Steve for being part of that. He’s brought in some amazing kids over the years. He’s a great recruiter, which means you need to be a great judge of talent. He has earned a lot of respect from a lot of people for what he’s done here.”
As a coach through 2007, his teams never had a losing season. More than 250 players he coached played in college, seven of them playing in the Olympics. More than sixty made it on the ice as professionals, including Brad Malone ’06, Conor Sheary ’10, Dave Warsofsky ’09, and Keith Yandle ’05
A particular highlight was sharing the ice with his two younger children, Steve Jr. ’02 and Lauren ’04, who both played hockey at Cushing. “I didn’t go to college hockey because I wanted my kids to be part of that community,” Jacobs says. “I didn’t want to miss that.”
You Can Come Home Again
In 2007, Jacobs was offered “a crazy job” developing hockey programs at a big athletic complex near Atlanta. He felt it would be great for his family and a new challenge.
He wasn’t there long when regret set in. “My wife and I kept looking at each other,” Jacobs recalls. “’Why are we in Atlanta?’ I wanted to get back north.” Cushing never left Jacobs’ heart. He returned for the golf tournament every year and sent players from his program up north to become Penguins.
After five years away, Jacobs jumped at the chance to return to New England. He started a junior hockey program in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. (“Just to get back home, so to speak,” he says.) In 2016, he was offered a job in the alumni office at Cushing.
In 2017, the stars aligned again, and Jacobs was back on the ice as the hockey coach, including leading the team through the challenges of the pandemic. He spent four years in that role before becoming Director of Boys’ Hockey for the final three years of his career.
“He did such a great job with the kids, and he made it so fun,” remembers Ryan Bourque ’09, Cushing’s current Boys’ Varsity Hockey Head Coach. “He had a swagger to him. When you thought of what Cushing hockey was, it’s no mystery or secret as to why they had so much success. Those teams played with so much confidence and so much competitiveness. They were relentless with the way they went about their business. I think it all starts with your lead. No one entailed those qualities more than Coach J.”
Cushing expressed its gratitude in 2016 when Jacobs and his family were surprised by the announcement that the ice surface would be named the Stephen Jacobs Rink. “That was kind of like, ‘Wow. I can’t think this is even happening,’” recalls Jacobs.
Even amid success, for Jacobs, the people were always what made Cushing so special. “It’s the community. Support from the community. Support from the administration,” he says. “Wayne Sanborn ’99 (Hon.), P’02 was the athletic director who hired me. His support always pushed me and inspired me. Those are the things that always made me stay at Cushing for so long.”
Jacobs also credits his successes to his family, especially his wife, Debbie. “We made it fun and every day about building leaders and growing our culture,” he says. “That’s the reason for so many wins and championships, but it’s not the most important thing; it’s about growth and development. The biggest thing about Cushing — what makes it so great — is family. Cushing is a big family; we always try to create that in our locker room. We are a family, and we’re going to do everything the family does and support each other.”
Jacobs plans to stay close to Cushing during retirement. “Cushing has always been a huge part of my life,” Jacobs says. “It’s been a blessing to be part of coaching for so long.”
The Bourque-Cushing Connection Continues
RYAN BOURQUE ’09 RETURNS HOME TO LEAD BOYS’ HOCKEY
“Obviously, I was born into a hockey family.”
These words of Ryan Bourque ’09 are a massive understatement. Bourque has had a hockey stick in his hand since toddlerhood. He recalls spending snow days playing hide-and-seek in rinks and being wrapped in athletic tape to create a makeshift mummy.
Bourque is, in fact, a member of one of hockey’s royal families. His father, long-time Boston Bruin Ray Bourque, is one of the most decorated National Hockey League defenders of all time. Ryan and his brother Chris Bourque ’04 also
have had successful pro careers.
“I was super fortunate and blessed to be able to go to NHL locker rooms at a very, very young age,” Ryan Bourque says.
And when the Bourque brothers enrolled at Cushing and skated as Penguins, Cushing became a key part of their family’s story. This year, Ryan extends that connection, returning to Ashburnham as the new head coach of Boys’ Varsity Hockey.
Starting his Cushing Connection
Ryan Bourque’s earliest memories of Cushing begin in 2001, Chris Bourque’s first year. Ten-year-old Ryan and his parents were regulars at Iorio Arena,
bringing along their new dog, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, tucked in his mother’s purse. Ray Bourque had retired from hockey in 2000, and he assisted coaches Steve Jacobs and Bill Troy with the Cushing team.
“That was the year that I fully fell in love with the game — and it was straightforward from that point on,” Ryan says. “I learned pretty quickly what the Cushing experience means. I was at Cushing as much as I could be. I was a super fan. I was in the student section. I was wearing a helmet on the bench. I looked up to those guys like they were rock stars or NHL players. It even got to the point where, when I got old enough, I skated with them in practice.”
“It’s such a special family and such a special place — and it still holds a dear place in my heart,” he adds.
Just a few years later, it was Ryan’s turn to become a Penguin. He remembers transitioning to living in the dorm and handling the responsibilities and challenges. “I was such a kid at the time, barely even through puberty,” he says. “I was probably 100 pounds and just wanted to be a part of it.”
He was a sponge, soaking up what he could learn from older players like John Frey ’06, Aaron Bogosian ’06, Tom Bardis ’06, Brad Malone ’06, Sean Coughlin ’07, Rich Bachman ’06, and Damen Nisula ’06. “It was just such a cool and instrumental experience for me and my career,” Bourque recalls.
Hockey — and Life — Beyond Cushing
Bourque’s first stop after Cushing was USA Hockey, where he played on gold-medal-winning teams in the World Under-18 Ice Hockey Championship and the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Bourque then played nine seasons of professional hockey in the American Hockey League — with the Connecticut Whale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hershey Bears, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and Charlotte Checkers — and in the NHL with the New York Rangers.
“Being able to play with my brother for four seasons [across several different teams] was extra special and something I’ll always remember,” Bourque says. “Not every pair of brothers gets to live a real-life experience like that, doing what you love and being able to compete and battle alongside each other every day.”
By 2022, Bourque had become a coach, first as an assistant and manager of hockey operations for the South Carolina Stingrays and then as an assistant coach with the U.S. National Under-18 Team as part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
I want to continue the legacy. I think the biggest thing is that you want to be successful on the ice and take the program to new heights. But I also want to develop good people at Cushing.”
Returning to Cushing as Head Coach
In March, Bourque picked up his phone while on a road trip in Sioux Falls and found missed calls from his wife, brother, dad, and Coach (Bill) Troy, telling him the head coaching job at Cushing was open. After three seasons of success at Cushing — including two #1 seeds in the Elite Eight — Coach Paul Pearl was moving on to the Athletic Director position at Dexter Southfield. “I almost needed to do a double-take, because the fact that I was even considered for a position like that — I was honored,” he says. “I was going to do whatever I needed to do to make it happen.”
Bourque takes the helm of a seasoned staff, including Associate Head Coach Dan Fontas ’98, P’26 and Assistant Coach Tyler Stillings. He plans to continue prioritizing outstanding play and the sense of family he remembers. “I want to continue the legacy,” he says. “I think the biggest thing is that you want to be successful on the ice and take the program to new heights. But I also want to develop good people at Cushing.”
Bourque is especially excited about having his wife, Maria, and sons, Ryder and Jackson, be part of the Cushing experience. “All I could think about was my two boys, being able to run around campus and have that playground at
their fingertips every day. They’re going to be part of such a vibrant community.”
There is a lot of enthusiasm and optimism around the new regime.
“We are thrilled that Ryan has returned home to Cushing,” said Dr. Randy Bertin, Head of School. “Having skated as a Cushing Penguin, Ryan knows firsthand the values of our program and our commitment to our students. His experience and expertise from his success in nine seasons of professional hockey give him invaluable knowledge and insights to impart to our players as they develop their skills, and we look forward to this next great chapter of Cushing hockey.”
—RYAN BOURQUE ’09, HEAD COACH, BOYS’ VARSITY ICE HOCKEY
Cushing Moments
Student performances fill Cushing with music, from chamber orchestra (above left) to the C-Tones, Cushing’s choral group (above right), to the Winter
musical Pippin
Making Beauty That
Outlasts Any Challenge
Head of School Calls on Graduates to Embrace their Resilience
With the Class of 2024 before him at Commencement, Head of School Randy Bertin recounted their unique journey at Cushing Academy. This was the class that received their acceptances on March 10, 2020, and then witnessed the world close down around them just days later as the COVID pandemic took hold.
“What was supposed to be a moment of celebration quickly turned into a period of profound uncertainty and upheaval,” Bertin recalled in his commencement address. “We were told we just needed to wait two weeks to flatten the curve, but those two weeks turned into months, and our initial anxiety turned into weariness.”
Bertin spoke of the students’ resilience during “unforeseen challenges and unprecedented obstacles.”
“It was a period marked by sacrifice by all but also defined by moments of profound growth and resilience,” Bertin said. “You managed to create moments of joy, laughter, and camaraderie. Despite wearing a mask and socially distancing 24/7, you found innovative ways to connect, inspire, and uplift one another.”
As they move beyond Cushing, Bertin called on the graduates to be kind and generous, to serve others, and to bring light into the
world. “Your journey will undoubtedly have challenges and uncertainties,” he said, “but remember that within you lies the strength and courage to overcome any obstacle that may come your way. Penguins have tremendous capacity.”
Bertin pointed to the example of impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who continued to create art despite pain in his hands from rheumatoid arthritis. “When his friend, the artist Henri Matisse, asked why he would subject himself to such suffering, Renoir replied, ‘The pain passes, but the beauty remains.’”
“Think about that,” Bertin urged the graduates. “The pain passes, but the beauty remains. Like Renoir, you have faced and will continue to face challenges that may bring discomfort and require sacrifice, but also like Renoir, the beauty you create in your lives, the moments of joy, the connections with others, the achievements great and small will endure.”
“The world awaits the beauty that you will bring into it, beauty that will outlast any challenge, beauty that you will have the unique power to create,” Bertin continued. “Paint that canvas and let your life be a vibrant work of compassion, resilience, and dreams fulfilled. The colors you choose, the strokes you make, the stories you tell, and those told about you will be your legacy. Paint boldly, with your heart as your guide, and watch as the world is transformed by your impact.”
Congratulations, Class of 2024! We look forward to seeing the beauty you create in the world!
SCAN ME!
How Many People Will You Bring To The Top With You?
Valedictorian Rachel Adegoke Inspires, Connects on Her Way Through Cushing
In a beautiful valedictory address, Brown University-bound Rachel Adegoke ’24 used her experience of climbing Mount Monadnock on Mountain Day as a metaphor for what she learned about herself at the Academy. Here is a bit more about the 2024 valedictorian, woven with excerpts from her speech.
“For context, I’d never stepped foot on a mountain before Cushing. Imagining what the view could look like, I envisioned myself surrounded by my people. I immediately knew what that would mean for me these next four years, making sure that everyone around me knew that they had me in their corner.”
Rachel entered Cushing as a ninth grader from New York (her family has since moved to New Jersey) in the fall of 2020. “There were 10 girls on my floor, and we were in ‘waddles’ or groups,” she recalls. “[Because of the pandemic] you couldn’t eat outside of the waddles, or hang out outside of them. It was crazy. It was nothing like what I expected.” Rachel was lucky enough to also have her brother, Isaac ’22, on campus.
“I had a different point of familiarity with my second year at Cushing, being my first Mountain Day… We had the mindset of just making it to the top as fast as we could. I didn’t care about doing it for myself. I wanted others to see me.”
Rachel began playing a public role early in her Cushing Journey, getting involved in the Cushing TedX project, recruiting and preparing speakers. By her senior year, she was comfortable as a public speaker and introduced the Honor Code at the start of that term. “I feel like I’ve been learning how to advocate for myself throughout my time at Cushing,” Rachel says.
She also played a part in Community Lunch, which provides a forum for students and faculty to share their stories more broadly. “It’s just interesting to see the way that people in the community take up their space by telling their story.”
“We made it to the top — or, rather, the false summit that I thought was a top — my sophomore year. So I didn’t even make the school photo taken at the actual summit. I decided
that the view looked pretty enough from where I was, and so I lingered around.”
Track was a pivotal part of Rachel’s Cushing experience. “It’s the community I warmed up to most on campus, in part because we have such amazing coaches,” she says. “It’s a great community of people that are all passionate about the same thing, and it’s super motivating and uplifting to see the way that you grow over the years.”
“My second go at this thing called Mountain Day; I started with a plan of going past the false summit… I was going at my own pace and at times, adjusting to those
around me, encouraging as many people as possible along the way so that they too could experience the feeling at the summit…I knew I would reach a summit, but recalling my ninth grade image of myself and others, I asked myself, ‘How many people will you bring to the top with you?’”
For Rachel, it’s the relationships at Cushing that have shaped her most profoundly. “I think I’m most different because of Cushing in terms of my confidence,” she says. “When you’re in a community of people that support you and are constantly uplifting you, you can become your best self.”
“This year, my final year at Cushing, I asked to go on an early bus, an opportunity reserved to seniors who have never made it to the top. Although I made it up in the past, I wanted to be there for my friends who hadn’t, to lift them up and show them that they could do unimaginable things, if only they had the power to believe.”
That confidence allows Rachel to do the unimaginable, too: “I feel like the confidence I’ve gained at Cushing allows me to recognize how much potential I have. I never feel like I’m too scared or that I can’t do something. It’s never been a question of whether I can. It’s just like, ‘How can I?’ and ‘Who can help me do this?’”
“I had always believed that I had to make the most noise for people to hear me, that I always had to be at the top of the mountain. Little did I know that the moments before the top speak volumes. I’ve learned to stop climbing mountains for the world to see me. I’ve learned to start climbing them for me to see the world and all it has to offer. I’ve opened up the world that I saw, and I’ve learned that it is okay to slow down in my journey, to help those others along the way, in theirs.”
Most of all, she will miss the people at Cushing. “The simple moments have allowed me to interact with the community on a deeper level,” she says. “Sharing my experiences and my story has allowed me to get deeper with people.”
“In Patchwork magazine [Cushing’s literary journal], we have entries that are really short,” Rachel recalls. “Mine was something about being courageously raw. That’s how my journey has been throughout the four years.”
“I’ve learned to stop climbing mountains for the world to see me. I’ve learned to start climbing them for me to see the world and all it has to offer.”
Tim Ryan P ’23, ’27
Shares His Mother’s Wisdom
“ Four lessons (plus a bonus!) for the Class of 2024
So graduates, I have a confession to make. I let my mother down all the time.”
Commencement speaker Tim Ryan, dad to Jamie ’23 and Luke ’27 started his speech to Cushing’s class of 2024 with that frank admission. (Then the U.S. Senior Partner at PwC, one of the world’s largest professional services firms, Ryan is now the Head of Technology and Business Enablement at Citi.)
The most important lessons in his life, Ryan said, came from his mother, who raised four children in a blue-collar home in Boston. He went on to share those nuggets of wisdom along with an honest and self-examining example of each one from his own life.
Don’t worry about what others think about you and be proud of where you came from. Ryan began by describing his move-in day at Babson College in 1984. “I was there at orientation with my dad, who took an hour off his lunch break. He worked for Boston Edison. He had his jeans, white t-shirt and his steel-toed boots on…I started to see people around me who didn’t look like me. I saw cars — I couldn’t even spell where they came from. And I saw wealth that I never imagined.”
He then admitted: “I will never forget slowly moving away from my dad because I was a little bit embarrassed, because I didn’t fit in…that night, I was laying in the dorms, and I realized I had let my mother down. I had nothing to be embarrassed about who I was. I should have been proud of my dad that day, not embarrassed.”
Treat everyone, no matter who they are, with respect and kindness.
Ryan recalled a few years later, that he and his peers made fun of a co-worker at the supermarket where he worked, who didn’t work as hard. “He was a little bit different, and I was leading the pack.
The store manager walked by and pointed at me, and he said, ‘Knock it off. He’s giving you 100% of what he can give you. What more do you want?’ And I immediately recognized, I had let my mother down.”
When you make a mistake, own up to it.
Ryan pulled the curtain back on his role in a tough professional fumble — when one of his employees mistakenly handed the wrong envelope to the presenter making the Best Picture announcement at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Sitting in the audience as the CEO, Ryan knew it was on him to acknowledge the error. “We are in the moment with hundreds of millions across the world, and we made a mistake,” he said. “My mother’s voice came through…within 28 minutes, we had an apology out on behalf of me and our entire firm…When you make a mistake, own it,” he told the graduates.
When you are making a decision, put yourselves in other people’s shoes.
The pandemic brought tough choices for business leaders — lay off employees or swallow decreases in profits. In a team meeting, Ryan recalls a colleague saying “The people we are talking about laying off, that’s someone’s son, someone’s mother, someone’s father. Those people are counting on us for paychecks to pay for school, pay for dreams, to pay for retirement, to care for someone that is sick.”
Ryan’s powerful takeaway: “We made the decision to have shared sacrifice together, because that could be us someday.”
Bonus Lesson: Always work hard and never give up.
For this final lesson, Ryan brought a prop — his high school report card, printed from microfiche. “I will spare you the entire report card, but I do want to let you know I got an F in biology, a D+ in geometry, a D- in English. I did get a B- in history. My class rank is printed on this piece of paper. It was 333, out of 550 people. One of my teachers wrote on this report card. She said, “Timmy did well… in spite of his issues.”
“If I didn’t follow my mother’s lessons, I wouldn’t have the privilege of standing here in front of you today,” Ryan said. “I wouldn’t have had the privilege of traveling to 71 countries. I wouldn’t have had the privilege of meeting two US presidents, of meeting movie stars, actors, CEOs, and getting to experience the joy of leading 75,000 people through the good and the bad. And I wouldn’t have the joy of having the most important people in my life sitting in those first two rows right there.”
“You have an amazing future in front of you. I don’t know what it is going to bring. But if you follow those lessons, I can guarantee you that your lives will be filled with joy,” Ryan concluded. “I can’t wait to see what you are going to accomplish. To the class of 2024, don’t let your mother down.”
College Matriculations
American University
Babson College*
Bentley University*
Boston University*
Brandeis University*
Brock University, Canada
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Colby College
Colorado College*
Colorado State University
Connecticut College
Elon University*
Endicott College*
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franklin Pierce University
Furman University
Gardner-Webb University
Gettysburg College
Hampton University
High Point University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges*
Howard University*
International Christian University, Japan
International School of Management, Germany
King University
Lafayette College
McGill University, Canada*
Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Merrimack College
Michigan State University
Mount Holyoke College
New York University*
Northeastern University*
Pennsylvania State University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University*
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*
Roberts Wesleyan University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rollins College
Salisbury University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Southern New Hampshire University
Springfield College
Suffolk University
Susquehanna University
Syracuse University*
The George Washington University
The New School
The University of Tampa
Towson University
University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts, Amherst*
University of Massachusetts, Boston*
University of Miami*
University of Montana
University of New Hampshire*
University of
North Carolina, Charlotte
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh
University of St Andrews, U.K.
University of St. Thomas
University of San Francisco
University of
South Carolina, Columbia University of Vermont*
University of Washington*
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Villanova University
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University*
Western New England University*
Wheaton College, Massachusetts
* Multiple Students
In every school, there are teachers who aren’t always front and center, but are the backbone of the community, quietly impacting students and transforming lives.
Stirling Ince has been one of those people at Cushing Academy. Over 24 years, the English as a Second Language (ESL) and Spanish teacher, cross-country, and track-and-field coach has been an invaluable mentor to students and an esteemed colleague.
More broadly, Ince has been known for riding his bike around campus with an infectious smile, calling out students’ names and asking them, “What’s good?”
“This teacher’s simple gesture of shouting out our names whenever and wherever they spot us while riding their bike or walking the path to the dining hall — it has left a lasting impression, not just on me, but on everyone fortunate enough to cross paths with them, cultivating a sense of being seen and valued on the campus,” said Lanea Fray ’24, in her introductory address before presenting the Reitman Teacher of the Year Award.
“This teacher’s simple gesture of shouting out our names whenever and wherever they spot us ... it has left a lasting impression.”
A Teacher of Integrity + Humility
Stirling Ince Named Teacher of the Year
Speaking up to the Community
Last year, Ince faced new challenges; his mother was terminally ill in Philadelphia. Ince shuttled back and forth to visit her as often as possible and made daily FaceTime calls.
In the spring, he was invited to speak at Community Lunch on the theme of endings and new beginnings. He opened up about his mother’s failing health and the wisdom he had gained from this painful chapter.
“At some point, I realized that I couldn’t not speak about my mom because she was very much on my mind every day,” Ince recalls. “The thesis of my speech basically was that there are things in life over which we don’t have any control, but there are many more things in life that we do have control over. We have control over how we respond to how people treat us and the events that take place in our lives.”
The students were very receptive to his story. “You could have heard a pin drop,” says one faculty member. “After my talk, it felt as if the students knew me in a way they didn’t before,” Ince says. “I think for many people, I was the guy who rode around campus on his bicycle.”
Sadly, Ince’s mother died the next day.
At the end of the year, the students gave back to Ince for all he had given over more than two decades, naming him the Teacher of the Year. Ince’s family was present to congratulate him.
Stone Evans ’24, one of Ince’s advisees, also spoke during the presentation of the award. “As a young man in America, you need guidance, especially as a young Black man,” Evans says. “As humans, we know certain things go a long way, whether it’s a smile, a hug, or even ‘hello.’ This teacher was all those towards me, even their darkest days you never hear about, even their hardest nights they didn’t speak about. They still were there for me, and I thank them for being there for everyone else.”
Ince’s Path to Cushing
Ince, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, arrived at Cushing in 2000. A graduate and track star at Wesleyan University, he earned a master’s in education at the State University of New York-New Paltz.
After graduating, Ince worked at Prep for Prep, an organization that takes academically gifted Black and Latino kids mainly out of public schools and helps them get spots in private schools. Along the way, he visited many boarding schools, and he was surprised when he interviewed at Cushing to see how robust the ESL program was.
“A big part of the attraction for me was that as an ESL teacher, I was thrilled to discover that there was an independent school where this sort of position existed,” Ince says. “When I started here, there were six of us in the ESL department.”
A Legacy of Caring
From the moment he stepped on campus, Ince saw that he might have a unique role in supporting international students and students of color. “I am particularly sensitive to the challenges that come with being a person of color in a predominantly white environment.” He has made himself a resource, driving students off campus to get a meal that
The Stirling Ince “Extra Mile Award”
In addition to winning the Reitman Teacher of the Year Award, an award named in Ince’s honor was unveiled at the Spring Athletic awards. This is the wording:
This award is presented to a student-athlete who participated in both Varsity Cross Country and Varsity Track and Field and has demonstrated the passion to go the extra mile. Regardless of the conditions or challenges, they push themselves beyond their limits and are an inspiration to their teammates.
Coach Ince has instilled this mindset for the past 24 years as the Head Coach of cross country and track and field at Cushing Academy.
“Look straight ahead and your goal is to finish 10 meters past the finish line.”
reminded them of home or a haircut from a barber who knew how to cut their hair.
And his impact has extended throughout the community. He always sits near the aisle in the dining hall so he can make eye contact and say hello to all students who come or go. His spot on a bicycle is iconic: on Twin Day last year, Dorothy Kuwana ’25, then incoming Student Body Co-President, dressed as him and carried a photo of a bike to complete the outfit.
Ince also touched his fellow faculty members. Director of College Counseling Emily Roller spoke about him at the endof-year athletic awards. “Those of you who have competed under Coach Ince’s guidance know firsthand how gifted he is in getting the most out of each of his athletes — as people and competitors,” she said.
“But that gift extends to the wider Cushing community as well. From singing in the hallways to get his students and colleagues psyched for class, to serving as a bridge among many different groups on campus, to playfully ribbing others and cheering on his beloved Arsenal Football Club, to stopping to quietly counsel someone who he may or may not know, but who he sensed seemed down when he passed by, Coach Ince always puts other people first and his commitment to helping others shine brighter than they otherwise might will be a lasting part of his legacy.”
Journeys
Three alumni share how being a Penguin started them on their current paths. A motivational speaker whose vulnerability is his superpower. A neurologist who remembers first encountering as classmates at Cushing the kinds of high-level athletes she now treats. The founder of Cushing’s XBL who keeps community at the heart of his work.
“It’s a Revolution”
CUSHING BASKETBALL STAR KALEB JOSEPH ’14 SHARES HIS VULNERABILITY TO HELP PEOPLE HEAL
When Kaleb Joseph ’14 graduated from Cushing Academy, his future seemed clear — he would be a basketball star.
The path was laid out before him. He had Division I offers even before he arrived at Cushing and his prospects only improved from there. In 2014, Joseph started as a freshman on a loaded Syracuse University team, with all eyes on him. The national media pegged Joseph as one of the nation’s top point guards.
Unexpectedly, nearly a decade later, Joseph has found himself back in the spotlight, but with a completely different and even more powerful role — using his own journey and vulnerability to help audiences at institutions, including Cushing, call out and tackle their own stumbling blocks. A journey that began before he ever arrived in Ashburnham has made him the right person to share wisdom with a generation of young people about
vulnerability, being in touch with your emotions, and focusing on mental health.
CUSHING AS A SAFE HAVEN
Originally from Nashua, New Hampshire, Joseph grew up in a dysfunctional family with 11 children and many layers of trauma. When he was recruited to come to Cushing as a repeat sophomore in 2011, Joseph had been bouncing around, living with coaches and teammates as he sought distance from the chaos of his home life.
Cushing was a refuge, a place of stability.
“I was hyper focused on making something of myself,” Joseph recalls. “Because of that, I dedicated my life to basketball. I got three meals a day. I knew where I was sleeping every night and there was a basketball court two minutes away. That was my dream at that time. And Cushing granted me that.”
(Above)
Kaleb Joseph ’14 poses below the 2014 New England Prep Championship banner.
TRANSFORMATIONAL Journeys
SHOWING UP TO PLAY, BUT STRUGGLING INSIDE
At Syracuse, however, the pressure to perform was intense. When the United States Basketball Writers Association announced its list of pre-season favorites to win the Wayman Tisdale Award, given to the nation’s best freshman, Joseph made the cut.
(Below & Opposite)
Joseph’s presentation at Cushing was illuminating. Said one student: “All of us walked out of that room feeling so much more connected to each other than before.
No one thought that our student body president felt that way. No one thought that the girl who was always surrounded by her friends and seemed so happy and uplifted all the time felt that way. I didn’t know my best friends felt that way — and they were in that room with me.”
Inside, however, he was plagued by selfdoubt, worried about disappointing himself and others. His whole worth seemed wrapped up in basketball. He stumbled and lost playing time.
As he headed into sophomore year, Sports Illustrated ran a piece naming 10 players who were the biggest disappointments. Joseph again made the list, this time a devastating blow.
“Because basketball had granted all the opportunities in my life, I began to attach my identity to it,” Joseph says. “When that article came out, I felt like I didn’t deserve things. I felt like I wasn’t valued. For a 19 year old kid, that is debilitating. I developed some really unhealthy coping skills to manage that level of stress and the intensity of those emotions.”
Still, Joseph continued to play, transferring to Creighton University. He imagined rebuilding himself into a powerhouse name. Then, two weeks before the season opener, Joseph tore his hamstring. “I was back on that emotional roller coaster of feeling like I’m not worthy and questioning ‘why me?’” he says.
His hamstring gradually healed and Joseph managed to finish not one, but two degrees at Creighton, a bachelor’s and master’s in Healthy Lifestyle Management and Emotional Intelligence, but his internal life was a mess.
The irony isn’t lost on Joseph, who admits that even as he completed these studies, he was suffering.
“I ended up playing professional basketball overseas, because I knew that I didn’t know any other version of myself,” he says. “I realized that I was
unfulfilled, unhappy, and I no longer wanted to continue. But I didn’t know any other avenues.”
At that moment, his Cushing friends stepped in. Two of his former roommates, Jaime Carey ’15 and Chris Mullin, Jr. ’13 were related to professional athletes and understood Joseph’s struggles. They offered to get him therapy. “These two relationships that were planted at Cushing ultimately were responsible for saving my life,” Joseph says. “They had access to the resources that I needed. They were calling me every day and saying, ‘As soon as you get home from overseas, we’re going to take care of you and make sure that you get the help that you need.’”
INSPIRING OTHERS AND BREAKING DOWN NORMS
Two years later, Joseph’s world looks radically different. After years of basketball being the center of his life, he is retired from the game.
Today, he spends his days speaking to students — especially young athletes — their coaches, and parents, sharing what it looks like to acknowledge your emotions and be vulnerable, and how that mindset can make you a more successful player and a healthier person. His engagements have included a Nike event for top basketball recruits, like he was just a decade ago, as well as colleges including Bowdoin and Sacred Heart, in front of all of their student athletes. His bright smile, charismatic demeanor, and affable authenticity has earned him a following on Instagram and TikTok, too, where several of his videos have gone viral, garnering millions of views. His business, Self Help Tour, is swamped with speaking inquiries. “I’ve had producers reach out to me about doing documentaries and companies trying to sponsor tours for an entire year. I have to focus on taking it day-by-day because otherwise I’ll get overwhelmed and that’s not good for anyone.”
He has corporate clients, too, including the Boston Globe, ESPN, and Gatorade. He once spoke to a class of troopers at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. “They will see unmanageable, traumatic things,” Joseph says. “They hired me to come in and talk to them and teach them how to manage it.”
He worked at the start alongside his Cushing pal Carey, who initially was responsible for
``Kaleb opens up about himself and shows that he's vulnerable to the point where they feel like [kids] can be that way back.
—JAIME CAREY ’15
``Kaleb really opens up about himself and shows that he's really vulnerable to the point where they feel like [kids] can be that way back.
logistics. “He has that respect from the kids because he played at such a high level,” says Carey. “Kids these days, they see right through everyone. Kaleb really opens up about himself and shows that he’s really vulnerable to the point where they feel like they can be that way back.”
SPECIAL IMPACT AT CUSHING
Speaking at Cushing last spring was especially powerful. “There were a lot of tears. Hugs. Laughter,” Joseph says. “So many kids wanted to stay after and engage in this conversation and get things off their chest that they’ve been holding on to for a long time. I stayed after for another two, three hours — and then came back the next day and talked to more kids. It was a really full-circle moment.”
Director of Student Affairs Sarah Catlin says the fact that Joseph is an alum helped the connection. “It was an immediate reaction from the students of feeling seen and feeling heard. And having somebody validate how hard it is to be a teenager right now,” she says. “To have Kaleb be from Cushing — it takes
that concept and applies it. He was in their seat. He has walked their walk. And he is able to talk about it in a way that they can relate to things that they’re dealing with right now.”
Joe Sarkozi ’24, student body co-president, and other students were so moved by the presentation, that they met weekly to continue small group conversations that Joseph started. “It was very personal. It was like he was talking to just you and he was doing that to everyone in the room,” Sarkozi says. “I think everyone was blown off their feet. The way that he talks about it — this is just health. It’s not mental health. It’s not like a special category. And it’s so normal.”
Joseph is also careful to take care of his own mental health. “I know that I can’t show up for others if I’m not taking care of myself,” he says. He also maintains relationships with and values those members of Penguin Nation who stepped up for him at just the right moment. “I love Cushing,” Joseph says. “It is everything to me. And I love being able to give back.”
SCAN ME! Visit Joseph’s Self Help Tour website to learn more.
Lessons About Athletes’ Mindsets Learned at Cushing
NEUROLOGIST BRIGID DWYER
’02
HELPS THOSE WITH BRAIN INJURIES THRIVE
``I don't think I ever really understood the commitment that athletes could have to their sport. I had never experienced it personally and I gained a lot of respect for that.
—BRIGID DWYER ’02
Dr. Brigid Dwyer’s first glimpse of the kind of high-caliber athletes who would someday make up her patient load came from the basketball, hockey, and soccer players whom she encountered at Cushing Academy.
“I think a standout memory for me was being surrounded by all these people who were world class at their sport,” she recalls, “and possibly headed toward careers as professional athletes. Their baseline talent, and the way they would look when they finished practice, just completely covered in sweat, and, clearly, having given it their all, I don’t think I ever really understood the commitment that athletes could have to their sport. I had never experienced it personally and I gained a lot of respect for that.”
Today, Dwyer ’02 is a neurologist, specializing in researching and treating brain injuries. But at Cushing, she was simply a classmate, sitting beside elite players in English or math class, or acting alongside them on stage.
SHAPED BY HER CUSHING EXPERIENCE
Dwyer’s journey to Cushing Academy was highly intentional. She spent her early years in nearby Townsend and then her family moved to Westminster. Dwyer’s mother began to hear about Cushing Academy and thought that kind of education would be a fit for her academicallytalented daughter. Then she heard that there were, at that time, town-based scholarships for students living in Ashburnham. Dwyer’s mom struck out to buy a house within the town limits.
“We found a cool little house built into the old ski area that’s down the street from Cushing on Russell Hill Road,” Dwyer recalls. “We had a very nice several years there and of course I applied to Cushing. I was fortunate to be one of the scholarship recipients and was able to attend.”
For Dwyer, Cushing was an eye-opening experience. She went from neighborhood schools
where she was in class with the same local kids year after year, to a place where she had exposure to friends from all over the world.
“What people had experienced coming into high school and where they had experienced it — I learned that there were so many ways to do things and look at things,” Dwyer recalls. “I hadn’t even traveled out of the United States yet, so it was just amazing to gain that world perspective from kids from lots of places. I really liked that in the classroom, and I liked bringing that into the theater experiences too.”
Dwyer thrived in the theater, which she did for all four years. “As a day student, I didn’t have as much ‘let’s just hang around’ time as other kids did,” Dwyer says. “That was kind of my hangout time to really get to know a lot of people and enjoy their sense of humor and perspective.”
A turning point for Dwyer was playing the role of a Hot Box girl in Guys and Dolls during her first year. “I was a timid little freshman, and I didn’t know a whole lot of people yet and not a ton of people knew me. But this wave came over me when I was on stage,” she recalls. “I forget who took the shot, but there was an angle where I was just making the silliest little face and someone got a picture and they put it right on the cover of the Cushing magazine. That was my first moment of ‘Oh, just go for it.’ I just put it out there, learning to have an identity in that community.”
She also became known as a top student, becoming the class valedictorian — and she became clear from those early years at Cushing that she saw her future in medicine. She points to teachers including Michelle Brown, Norman Carey, and Elizabeth Vezina as supportive and encouraging. “I really appreciated that there were just so many things to study,” Dwyer says. “Every teacher was very qualified and invested in being a part of the community.”
MAKING HER WAY IN MEDICINE
After Cushing, Dwyer attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor’s degree in brain and cognitive sciences. She then continued to medical school at Brown University and completed her residency and fellowship at Boston University, where she now is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and director of the Vascular Brain Injury Program at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Braintree. Her work combines clinical practice and research in both inpatient and outpatient settings. “A lot of it is at an acute rehab where people are out of the original hospital but not yet ready to go home, and where we troubleshoot,” she says. “How are we going to get them walking safely? How are we going to work around these cognitive impairments to make life work? That’s a very individualized type of thing.”
Dwyer came to this particular field in part because of personal experience during her years at Cushing. “My mom suffers from MS [multiple sclerosis], and she’s always done very well with it, but it was an interesting time in high school. A grandfather who’d been living with us and had significant deficits due to a stroke, ended up slipping into a coma. We grappled with that for a whole month during the initial summer of high school. My grandmother continued to live with us and she had severe vascular dementia. So, again, that kind of balance of how to work around
these problems. You really want it to work. How do you accomplish that? My introduction to that was in high school, as I was balancing what was going on at school with what was going on at home.”
In her clinic, a typical patient will be someone who has had an injury playing sports, and continues to struggle with symptoms such as headaches and memory problems. “It’s really common to kind of hit the wall after you’ve looked at the screen for too long,” she says. “I help people demarcate larger and larger domains of successful function for themselves, where they can operate without having symptoms. We want to expand that domain to encompass everything that it is they want to be doing.”
Her research work focuses on optimizing management of concussion care and also improving how clinics analyze neuroimaging to make the best treatment decisions.
Outside of work, she cheers on her husband John Balboni, who just earned his pro bodybuilding card — “That’s another example of the committed athlete” — and enjoys an active family life with their sons, ages 4, 6 and 8, who swim and play tennis and soccer.
More than two decades later, Dwyer remains grateful for how Cushing nurtured her academic journey, and gave her a glimpse into the mindset of elite athletes. “People with concussions are coming to my door trying to fight their way back to their sport and their team that they love so much,” she says. “They’re coming to me looking for solutions, and I feel like I understand where they’re coming from so much more because I saw fellow students doing what they do. It was an invaluable exposure to the level of commitment that goes into playing a sport.”
(Opposite) Brigid Dwyer ’02 from her 1999 yearbook. (Below left) Cover of the Spring/Summer 1999 Cushing magazine. (Below right) Dwyer and family (clockwise: Husband John Balboni, Brigid, Andy Balboni, Nick Balboni, and Max Balboni).
``XBL brings the Cushing community together in a unique way.
Celebrating Twenty Years of XBL at Cushing
WHAT JR BUTLER ’04 BUILT WITH FUN, TRADITION & COMMUNITY
The ingredients for a beloved two-decade-old Cushing tradition are deceptively modest: a tennis ball, a wiffle ball bat, and a bunch of Penguins with spring fever, ready to have fun.
It’s called XBL (Extreme Baseball League), and, for the uninitiated, it’s a game almost like baseball but a bit more accessible. Instead of an umpire, there is a chair behind home plate. If a pitch hits the chair, it’s a strike. If the batter swings and misses, it’s a strike. If the ball goes over the fence, it’s a home run. To prevent arguments, the students established a rule that says the runner is out if a call is close.
Come spring, students and faculty of all grades and abilities pack Cushing’s fields, reveling in this simple game.
XBL IS BORN
When JR Butler ’04 was a freshman at Cushing, XBL existed, with just a small number of senior hockey players participating. Butler thought it looked fun, but he envisioned something more inclusive. When those students graduated, he jumped in and changed things up.
XBL was, he recalls, the perfect thing to do as spring blossomed in Ashburnham. “I think the first year, we had eight teams,” Butler recalls. “The next year, we tripled the number of teams. Then, my senior year — forget about it. We were using Drew Common. We were using two fields on the football field. We had a field set up on the field hockey or women’s lacrosse field. We had five games going all at the same
time. Like, 20 games a night. Just one game after the other on each field. It was awesome.”
Butler would act as a sports reporter, writing stories on each game and posting them on “Cushnet,” the internal listserv. In his senior year, Butler took silversmithing and crafted championship rings for the winning team.
JR’S LIFE BEYOND CUSHING — COMMUNITY BUILDING CONTINUES
After graduation, Butler left XBL behind. He played hockey at The College of the Holy Cross and then struggled, as many athletes do, once his time competing ended. “One day I woke up — literally, I remember the morning — my dad walked into my room, and he’s like, ‘Dude, you need to get a job. Hockey’s over. Nobody’s going to pay you to play. You’re not that good. Get a job because you have to make money. That’s how the real world works,’” Butler recalls. “That was such a kick in the gut, and I struggled with it because I had this identity. I had this purpose. I had this community that I was no longer a part of. I couldn’t say I was a hockey player anymore.”
Butler found his way into a successful career in sales, again working on a team with what was essentially a scoreboard — a way to track wins. Then, in 2022, he founded his own company — Shift Group — which helps former athletes and those who have served in the military make the leap into jobs. In just two years, the firm has placed more than 2,000 people at 400 companies. Recently Russ Martin ’04, a former Cushing basketball player who competed in XBL, joined the Shift Group as SVP of Revenue. “We show you why you’re so special,” Butler says. “Because of the commitment you made to athletics or the military, we’re going to show you how to tell your story and position your value to someone that doesn’t understand it — to a non-athlete and a non-veteran — to explain your resiliency, your coachability, that you’re a good teammate.”
COMING BACK TO REMEMBER 20 YEARS OF XBL
Butler returned to campus last spring to celebrate the 20-year mark of this special tradition he helped create. Last spring, 10 teams played this rocking, no-holds-barred, anything-goes, uniquely Cushing game.
Butler came back to see games and spoke with Cushing varsity athletes, again giving back to Cushing by sharing his time and talent. Butler also returned to Ashburnham for his reunion and played in an XBL reunion game.
Butler believes that the key to XBL’s longevity is that the game welcomes everyone. “XBL brings the Cushing community together in a unique way,” he says. “Athletics were a huge part of my experience at Cushing, but that’s not for everybody. And XBL is really for everybody, including teachers and non-athletes. It’s just a way for everybody to get involved, compete against each other, but also have a lot of fun.”
“I joked about it when I spoke to the student-athletes, but it’s probably my biggest athletic accomplishment that XBL still exists. It’s really cool and means a lot to me.”
(Opposite Top) Between XBL matches, JR Butler poses with Kylie Butterfield ’24, Leah Croom ’24, and Zach Hindle ’24. (Opposite Below) After speaking with varsity athletes, Butler inspects the bat of Joe Sarkozi ’24 (Below) A promotional image from Butler’s Shift Group.
SCAN ME! Visit Shift Group’s website to learn more.
Questions Five WITH JOHN CENA ’95
His Reflections on Cushing’s Impact
“Cushing taught me to be okay with me.”
Legendary pro-wrestler, successful Hollywood actor, and best-selling author John Cena continues to break new ground in his remarkable career, earning deep respect both for his achievements and work ethic. Among his many accomplishments, he has granted more wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation than anyone else in history.
Cena points back to Cushing for giving him a unique foundation. Here he learned to move beyond failure, try new things, and be true to himself. In a sit-down interview with Head of School Randy Bertin, Cena shares more about his Cushing story. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.
RANDY BERTIN: John, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today. I really appreciate it.
JOHN CENA: Thank you so much for your patience in allowing this to happen. I’ve really looked forward to sitting down and talking with you.
BERTIN: Thanks. I’m here with John Cena, Cushing Academy Class of 1995. So thank you again. What’s your greatest memory of Cushing Academy?
CENA: I can’t choose a first. I would love to tell you a few — and a lot of them have to do with failure. I applied to Cushing to attend as a sophomore, and was rejected. But I didn’t just get a ‘no.’ I got a ‘No, because...’ I had aspirations to attend Cushing, but I wasn’t a good student. I had athletic potential, and I had not yet reached the sweet spot of where that can be defined. So Admissions said, ‘Listen, you are obviously diligent
in completing the admissions form and you came here and it seems like we can sense your passion. We would like you to take your grades from C’s to A’s. And we would like you to be a two-sport varsity athlete next year and then we will reconsider you.’ They didn’t say they’d accept. They said they’d reconsider. So I received clear goals and the motivation to achieve those goals. And in the year, I did. I had to redo the whole process, which is a bit of a process, and upon redoing it, I think the admissions department could see that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan of mine. I had achieved the goals they set a year ago. I think doing that, they also looked at the type of human being I was. Okay, if I was given some direction, I could work hard to achieve a goal. It’s something I really wanted to do. They kind of sensed the passion and welcomed me into the Cushing family. You can’t have a journey without the first step. And
my first step was one of failure. But I loved it because it wasn’t just a ‘no.’
Many times in life, we get a ‘no’ and we don’t ask enough questions. Cushing Academy was kind enough to give me a ‘no, because...’ and then offer an alternative path to success. That absolutely stands out.
Seeing campus for the first time was incredible — seeing campus for the first time knowing I was an enrolled student. I also remember as a 15-year-old or a 16-year-old coming to Cushing the first time, the anxiety of me not wanting to go. Me, you know, spending two years trying to be accepted into this program and then that wave of anxiety — of ‘I’m leaving my social connections behind.’ I come from a small town. It was 1,400 people. So, it was not really diverse. Everybody kind of thought the same way.
SCAN ME! Watch the full conversation with John and Randy online.
And my parents were big motivators in making sure that I made the journey. But I was apprehensive until the second I stepped on campus. Everyone was so welcoming, and everyone was so kind and everyone was kind of going through the same thing. And man, did it make me feel at home immediately. Certainly my time spent in athletics at Cushing was great. I cannot stress enough — our drama teacher, Whit Wales — saw myself and a few other athletically-focused students, and convinced us to perform on stage in front of the student body. That was the first time I had been offered a participation in an organized stage performance. Whit Wales was very instrumental in saying, ‘Hey, you seem to have this energy that captivates people. I think you should try performing and see if it’s for you or not.’ And boy, was he right! So I could honestly speculate that the foundation of that performance and that ability was harnessed through Cushing Academy. And for that, I’m forever thankful. I could waste all the data you have in these cameras on memories of Cushing. Those are a few standouts.
BERTIN: Who had the biggest impact on you at Cushing?
CENA: Again, a very complex question. I think because the environment at Cushing is so intimate that it yields a whole lot of response. My roommate, Tejiera “T.J.” Norris ’95 was incredibly impactful. Man, Coach Sanborn, Coach Troy, Whit Wales, Lance Conrad, who was a teacher of European history. Mr. Dowling, dean of students — we had some very uncomfortable conversations that I’m truly grateful for to this day. You know, honestly, the list goes on and on. I think those are really impactful folks. But I think the most impactful thing for me was the environment. The environment to speak openly and freely. The environment to live as who you are, and not be judged. I think everyone from administration, to the faculty, to the student body kind of operated on the same plane — we all want this environment to be the best we can, so we’re going to be our best selves.
BERTIN: How did it feel to come back as a commencement speaker?
CENA: Man, it was awesome — a tremendous honor. I got to see some local friends that we went to school with. I got to bring a best friend who I’m still best friends with to this day, Rob MacIntyre ’96, Cushing Academy alum. We got to go back to campus. You know, I want to try to maybe orchestrate a new position of whatever the opposite of commencement is, to talk to new students. My message was we spend so much of our time planning and [setting] goals and it’s such a pivotal time in your futures and individual[ly], [that we] very rarely absorb the now. Boy, do I look back on my Cushing years so fondly, and I was very present. When I graduated, I was voted “Ideal Cushing Boy.” I think that’s because, I don’t know why it was, but I just lived and soaked in every single moment. I think, because of my story, maybe in the back of my mind, I realized that I kind of shouldn’t be here anyway. So I was very, very grateful for everything from being able to enjoy the dining hall — I came from a very poor family
“You will be a better person when you leave Cushing than when you arrived. Period.”
HEAD OF SCHOOL HOLIDAY
In addition to his conversation with Head of School Randy Bertin, Cena helped film a special announcement for Dr. Bertin’s first ever Head of School Holiday. The announcement video and news of the Head of School Holiday delighted the student body, who erupted in cheers and applause as they learned that they would not only have the following day off, but also the opportunity to participate in a variety of Head of School Holiday activities, including a s’mores fire pit, off-campus trips, and a fan bus to a Prep Boys’ Basketball away game. Later — when Dr. Bertin entered the dining hall for lunch wearing the satin jacket in the video — the student body broke into spontaneous applause in appreciation for the Head of School Holiday. Scan QR code to watch the announcement. ▶
of five brothers, where you kind of had to elbow each other for food. Just being able to eat comfortably. Being able to embrace my talents, strengths, and gifts when it comes to education, and athletic performance, and even drama. I just fell in love with the place. My message to the students was don’t overlook what you’ve done here. Because I know we all have where you’re going after this on the horizon. That’s essentially what a lot of people view — that’s a lot of people’s perspective on commencement. [I] just wanted to remind them of the connections they’ve made, to take a strong look at the campus because it’s an image that’s burned in the back of my head, and you want to be able to appreciate that. I think everyone that attends Cushing, you know, it crafts who they are as a human, and they leave a little bit of who they are, you know, in the fabric of the campus. So I just wanted to make sure that they took a second to look around and enjoy.
BERTIN: Well, convocation is the opposite of commencement. So come with me. You’re welcome. Anytime.
CENA: Thank you. Thank you. That’s something I’d really be interested in. Thanks, I learned something new today.
BERTIN: What about your experience at Cushing has made you who you are today?
CENA: So these aren’t yes or no questions. And they’re great ones. Everything. I can’t tell you — I went on to secondary education at Springfield College. And I cannot tell you how the environment at Cushing put me light years ahead of any student attending Springfield as a freshman. I felt as if I was a senior just because of the familiarity with being independent — not only independent, being able to coexist with a diverse group of people. Cushing taught me to be okay with me. And because it’s such a small population and so diverse, social cliques can and do form, but they’re not isolated. You know, even from a small town public high school, you have about, you know, 600 kids, social cliques formed and the walls were so high, you couldn’t see over them. And that was not the case at Cushing. So you got to meet this diverse group of people.
Because you live there with everybody, you can’t play a role. Like you can only… you know, if you go to a public school setting, you can act from eight in the morning to 2:30 in the afternoon. You can. At Cushing, eventually, the true you comes out, and we all go through these vulnerable moments with each other, and we all lean on each other and trust each other and celebrate the wins and the setbacks.
I think that — at such an early age — absolutely forged me forward. Be true to who you are and anything is possible.
Because again, my story is not one of, like: ‘you’re going here.’ It was like: ‘Maybe I’ll try this and see where I land’ and eventually landed at Cushing. So it was something I didn’t think was attainable. And with that opportunity, that wasn’t the finish line either. Cushing also taught me that each opportunity gives you a whole bunch more opportunities, and it helps me in the bravery of the choices I make today. So it’s exponential in how it formed me and who I am.
BERTIN: If you can pick one thing to tell someone about Cushing, what would it be?
CENA: That’s a tough question because you’re limiting me to one thing. Regardless of what anyone tells you your experience will be, it is far greater to experience that yourself. So let me change and say this is my one thing: You will be a better person when you leave Cushing than when you arrived. Period.
BERTIN: I agree with that. Thanks again for your time. I really appreciate it. Your insightful answers and even the experience that you had so many years ago translates to what our students are doing today. It’s nice to see the spirit of the Academy is carried forward. So thank you.
CENA: That is great to hear and [was] a wonderful conversation.
Nation
DEAR FELLOW Penguins,
As we step into an exciting year, we are thrilled to introduce ourselves as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Cushing Academy Alumni Council. Together, we represent a dedicated group of alumni committed to fostering connections within our vibrant Penguin community and supporting the people and programs that make Cushing extraordinary.
GET INVOLVED!
Interested in learning more about the Cushing Alumni Council or opportunities to help build regional engagement?
Reach out to Director of Alumni Relations Brett Torrey ’85 at brtorrey@cushing.org.
Cushing Academy has always been a place of transformation and inspiration, where lifelong friendships are formed, and where our shared experiences unite us as Penguins for life. This year, we’re excited to build on these foundations and deepen the bonds among our alumni.
Working closely with the Advancement Office, we look forward to finding new and innovative ways to connect with more alumni across the globe. Our primary focus this year is to build a robust network of class ambassadors — volunteer leaders who will serve as vital links between the school and each graduating class. These ambassadors will play a key role in fostering connection, encouraging engagement, and ensuring that every alumnus feels a meaningful bond with Cushing and with one another.
We are excited to partner with you in this important work. Whether you’ve stayed actively involved or are looking for ways to reconnect, this is your opportunity to make a difference. By lending your voice, volunteering your time, or supporting this effort, you help create a thriving, engaged alumni network that benefits all members of the Cushing family.
Your participation, no matter the form, strengthens our shared commitment to Cushing’s legacy and future. Together, we can amplify alumni voices, celebrate our collective stories, and inspire new generations of Penguins to carry on our traditions of excellence and community.
We look forward to connecting with you throughout the year — at events, online, and through conversations with our growing network of ambassadors. Thank you for being part of this journey and for your unwavering support of Cushing Academy.
Warm regards,
Kate Zimmerman Marlow ’99 Chair, Cushing Academy Alumni Council
Marina “Boo” Vernon ’07
Vice Chair, Cushing Academy Alumni Council
2024–25
ALUMNI COUNCIL
Kathleen “Kate” Marlow ’99, Chair
Marina “Boo” Vernon ’07, Vice Chair
David Nevins ’16, Secretary
Dean Boecher ’67
Valerie Bono-Bunker ’97
Courtney Houston Carter ’04
Jack Casady ’15
Matt DeFeo ’82
Robin Lockwood Hall ’78, P’16
Chelsea Cummings Koski ’03
Mary O’Neill ’13
Hassan Robinson ’91
Kurt Scanio ’92
Kim White Sousa ’75 (former faculty)
NEW CUSHING Trustees Elected
The Board of Trustees has welcomed new members Maya Rogers ’96 and Mark Stoever P’18, ’20, who were elected to three-year terms at the May 2024 Board meeting. The meeting also marked the completion of terms for trustees Melissa Irving Christensen ’00 and Dr. Richard Lapidus.
Expressing his appreciation, Board Chair Joseph Marzilli said, “Our newly-elected trustees and our departing Board members share a deep commitment to Cushing. We thank Melissa and Rich for their outstanding service and contributions over their distinguished tenures, and we welcome Maya and Mark and look forward to the leadership and perspectives that they will each bring to the Board’s ongoing work on behalf of Cushing.”
Rogers is the President and CEO of Tetris, Inc., overseeing global business initiatives for the iconic video game franchise. She is a Co-Founder of Blue Startups, a venture accelerator focusing on software, travel tech, and sustainability, with a commitment to Hawai’i and female-led enterprises.
Rogers serves as Chair of the Board for the American Red Cross Hawai’i Chapter, Chair of the Board of the Women’s Fund of Hawai’i, and is a board member at the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children. She holds a BS in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management. The keynote speaker at Cushing’s 2023 Commencement, she also received the Cushing Academy Leadership Award.
WITH DEEP GRATITUDE
Stoever is the CEO of Smartlinx, a healthcare workforce management platform. A respected and accomplished CEO, director, and investor in the information, software, and digital industries, he previously served as CEO of 2020 Technologies, a global leader of specialized computer-aided design software, as CEO of Monster Worldwide, and as President and CEO of Lycos, Inc.
Stoever is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has served as a director on private and public boards including the Massachusetts High Technology Council, Junior Achievement, and Panera Bread. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science degree with high distinction from Wentworth Institute of Technology. With his wife Darlene, Mark is the proud parent of two Penguins, Jackson ’18 and Hannah ’20.
The Board and the Cushing community express their deepest thanks to outgoing trustees Melissa Irving Christensen ’00 and Dr. Richard Lapidus for their dedicated service to the Board and to Cushing. Christensen served on the Board from 2013–2024, including roles as Vice Chair of the Board, as chair of the Education and Student Life Committee, and as a member of the Human Resources Committee. She also chaired the Head of School Search Committee in 2017 which brought Dr. Bertin to Cushing. Her tenure carried on a family tradition begun by her father, Trustee Emeritus Donald Irving P’00, who served from 1997–2013 including in many leadership roles. She is an Assistant Professor of Legal Skills at University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.
Lapidus joined the Board in 2018, serving for six years as a member of the Education and Student Life Committee and the Plant, Property, IT Infrastructure, and Cyber Security Committee. His Board tenure overlapped his nine years as President of Fitchburg State University, and he brought his counsel and deep knowledge in institutional leadership to the ongoing work of the Board.
Head of School Dr. Randy Bertin added his appreciation, saying “On behalf of the entire community, I join my fellow trustees in thanking Melissa and Rich for their commitment to Cushing, and for sharing their expertise and perspective. It has been a real pleasure and privilege to serve alongside them as a trustee and to work with them as Head of School to advance Cushing.”
Alumni 2024 Weekend
THE “GLUE GUY” FOR CUSHING’S PENGUIN COMMUNITY
Elliott Ventura ’78 Receives Alumni Service Award
As a Filipino boy from New York who made his way to Cushing through an educational partnership with The Boys’ Club of New York, Ventura fell in love with the diverse international community. Today, as an educator in Texas, Ventura models the compassion and open-mindedness he learned from his Cushing experience. And as a longtime member of the Cushing Alumni Council he especially values connecting with fellow Penguins.
Ventura was honored with this year’s Thomas Parkman Cushing Alumni Service Award. This recognition is presented annually at reunion to an alum who displays extraordinary commitment, dedication, passion and service for Cushing Academy and to the betterment of society.
Director of Alumni Relations Brett Torrey ’85 says that when Ventura arrives for Alumni Weekend — which is almost every year — the party has begun.
“Elliott has always been the glue, if you will, for fostering connectivity, engagement and support of all our alumni both before, and during his long time on the Alumni Council,” Torrey says. “He especially connects to those from the mid to late 70s and into the early 80s, but truly connects to ALL Penguins. Elliott is always there for the Academy and the Alumni Association, no matter what the project — big or small. And boy does he know how to turn up the fun dial at Alumni Weekend.”
Making Sure Cushing is Strong for The Next Generation
THE SOMMERS FAMILY CONTINUES A TRADITION OF GIVING BACK
Sure Cush Strong for The N THE FAMILY CONT
or some Penguins, giving back is a multi-generational, family affair. Rachel Sommers Ash ’07 supports Cushing for the same reason her late father, John Sommers, Sr. ’74, did — to make sure the school remains strong for the next generation.
“He always said the best years of his life were at Cushing. I was a teenager, so I was like, ‘Whatever that means,’” recalls Sommers Ash, laughing and rolling her eyes at the memory. “It’s so funny because now, as an adult, I look back, and it’s absolutely true. I still have dreams that I’m late for class, running into Alumni, and getting all my books.”
Her aunt, Heather (Sommers) Perry ’71 has a similar drive to make sure Cushing thrives long-term. “Everybody that goes always has such an endearment towards Cushing,” she says. “It just makes you feel good — it makes you feel like you’ve gone home. It’s the people that you were with for the best part of our lives.”
Heather Perry, who went on to
be a successful realtor in Florida, was the leading edge of the Sommers family’s journey to Ashburnham. A highlight for her was studying in Switzerland with a group of Cushing students and faculty her junior year. “I was just 16 years old,” Perry recalls. “That was just an amazing experience to go over there. It got me really interested in traveling, which I do to this day.”
For Rachel Sommers Ash, Cushing was always part of her life. Her late grandfather, Joseph F. Sommers, heard about the school through word of mouth. An orphan from Brooklyn, he became a self-made man and knew he wanted an excellent education for his children. He eventually served as a Cushing trustee. Rachel’s late uncle, Gerry Sommers ’75, and her younger brother, Matthew Sommers ’11, are also Penguins. Her father also served as a trustee for many years.
“It has always been an amazing place for our family,” she says. “The years that you’re there, they really
“It has always been an amazing place for our family. The years that you’re there, they really shape you. It really kind of made all of us, in my opinion, who we are. It’s just been so, so special for my family.
—RACHEL SOMMERS ASH ’07
shape you. It really kind of made all of us, in my opinion, who we are. It’s just been so, so special for my family. My grandfather loved it; my father loved it. I loved it; my brother loved it.”
One way the family has committed to giving back is by making Cushing a beneficiary of the Allied Printing Services Annual Golf Tournament. 2025 will be the 17th year of the event, which began after Gerry Sommers’ passing.
Supporting Cushing is also about showing up. This year, for example, Rachel Sommers Ash spoke to the class of 2024 at their Senior Breakfast. “My sense of self, my lifelong friends, my connections, my desire to achieve, and my ability to push myself beyond normal bounds all are rooted in
Ashburnham, Massachusetts,” she told them. “There is truly something special about the energy here and the sense of community that is so great that it’s almost tangible. Everything about this campus is and was vibrant and has always felt like magic to me.”
Perry remembers that magic, too — meeting friends from all over the world, many of whom remain friends to this day. She can still picture her father driving in from their home in Connecticut for every football game and bringing friends who lived too far away to go home to her place for holiday meals. “It was just so great,” she says. “We were like a big family.” She says this sense of connection prompted each member of her family to include Cushing in their estate plans.
“It’s always been in their wills, and it certainly is in mine,” Perry says.
Even as a young adult, Sommers Ash gave small gifts to Cushing, and she has increased her giving as her business, Intoxicated Cosmetics, which makes venom-infused serums, has grown.
(See Cushing Today, Winter 2023, for more.) Part of the inspiration for her company was born from what she learned from her chemistry teacher at the Academy.
As she continues to grow her company and her giving, Sommers Ash has a specific future alumnus in mind — her son, Roman, who is just two years old. He could be a member of Cushing’s Class of 2040. “Wow, that’s crazy,” says Sommers Ash, picturing ahead. “That’s a good year.”
(Opposite) Rachel Sommers Ash ’07 addresses the Class of 2024 at the Senior Breakfast. (Above) At the conclusion of the Senior Breakfast, the Sommers family made a gift to the Health and Wellness Endowment (see page 18). From left to right: Roman Ash, Marc Ash, Rachel Sommers Ash ’07, Mrs. Elizabeth Sommers, John Sommers III (Tripp), Emily Sommers, and John Sommers, Jr.
Ray Freeman ’51 enjoying the slopes on Mammoth Mountain, April 2024.
1951
Ray Freeman writes, “Enjoyed more skiing in the season just ended. After a week and a half in Vail and a week in Sun Valley, Mary staged SKI90!, my 90th birthday celebration at Mammoth Mountain, where several of us skied for three more days. The days are a little shorter, but black diamonds are still on the dance card.”
1974
Atim George participated in Indiana University’s Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), she attended the Summer Institute entitled, “Content Warning: Engaging Trauma and Controversy in Research Collections,” held in Bloomington, Indiana. The Summer Institute
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convened an interdisciplinary group of participants and faculty who gathered to learn how to engage traumatic and/ or controversial memories and histories connected with archival or museum collections, and how to develop practices that can help others understand and heal historical harms. This Summer Institute allowed Dr. George to continue research on genderbased violence she initiated as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center
Classmates John Sussek ’75 and Samuel Getz ’75 in Miami, October 2023.
Dana Barnes ’83, Cushing Trustee, participated in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Wellington, Florida.
for Black Studies Research (CBSR) at University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).
1983
Dana Barnes, Cushing Trustee, participated in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Wellington,
Dana Barnes ’83, is pictured post-match with his victorious team along with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and sharing a laugh on the pitch with the Prince above.
UPCOMING
Events
The coming year brings more remarkable opportunities for Penguin Nation to gather together. Keep up to date on all Cushing events: cushing.org/events
> April 25 Cushing Day of Giving
The Cushing Day of Giving — which coincides with World Penguin Day — is an opportunity for families, friends, and alumni from all over the world to help support the people and programs that make us Cushing by donating directly to the Academy.
> May 24 150th Commencement
We are excited to celebrate the graduating Class of 2025.
Florida, supporting Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex and his charity Sentebale, which benefits young people in Lesotho and Botswana.
1987
In January 2024, Nancy Chanover received the Dennis W. Darnall Faculty Award at New Mexico State University for “creative scholarly work and community outreach.” Nancy is a professor of astronomy at NMSU. Since joining NMSU in 1998, Nancy has made significant contributions to NMSU’s undergraduate astronomy curriculum and has overseen the successful completion of 14 astronomy Ph.D. students. Nancy is currently the principal investigator of NASA’s Planetary Data System Atmospheres Node, a portion of NASA’s planetary data archive. She is also the director
of the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5m telescope at Apache Point Observatory. In 2018, Nancy returned to the Cushing campus as the 143rd Commencement speaker.
1996
Maya Rogers was honored in February 2024, along with two other Asian Women Empowered (AWE) Champions, by the Asia Society Southern California (ASSC) for “their incredible contributions to community, and to advancing women
> June 6–8 Cushing Academy Alumni Weekend
While we are especially celebrating class years ending in 5 and 0, all alumni are welcome!
> July 14 Golf Tournament
Our 12th Annual Cushing Academy Golf Tournament will be held this year at the Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, MA. For additional information, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Advancement Office at (978) 827-7400.
Sommers Ash ’07, Boo Vernon ’07 and Amelia (King) Randolph ’07 in Amsterdam celebrating 35 and over 20 years of friendship.
and authentic storytelling in entertainment.” Maya is currently the CEO and President of Tetris and was Cushing’s Commencement speaker in 2023. She was elected to the Board of Trustees in May 2024. Read more about Maya’s story, as featured in Cushing Today. (issuu.com/cushingacademy/ docs/cushing_today_-_ winter_2023/40).
2008
Kathryn Walker writes “In addition to my Assistant Director role at George Mason University, I am a team member of a small woman-owned business, ARTICLE22. I am building strong partnerships and collaborations in the Washington, DC region (as I reside in Northern Virginia) and beyond! ARTICLE22 partners with traditional artisans from Laos who make jewelry from upcycled war shrapnel and scrap. All purchases contribute to the safe clearance of some of the 80 million unexploded bombs contaminating land in
Laos through our collaboration with Mines Advisory Group. In addition, we launched our newest collaboration, Revival; in partnership with a fine jeweler in Ukraine, these one-of-akind pieces are made of actual iron shards from Kharkiv and transformed into symbols of creation, contributing to Mines Advisory Group’s vital clearance operations in Ukraine. Each piece is handmade by Stanislav Drokin in his gallery in Kharkiv and totally unique, decorated with bronze and precious stones.”
2012
Many congratulations to Corey Scammon and his wife, Anne, who welcomed their first baby boy, Grayson Dillon Scammon, on January 29, 2024!
2019
Alicia Martin Kato writes, “I am delighted to announce that I completed my second internship at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
As a team member of a small woman-owned business, ARTICLE22, Kathryn Walker ’08 partners with traditional artisans from Laos who make jewelry from upcycled war shrapnel and scrap.
Group in Doha, Qatar. Through this rapid experience, I have learned to create events from start to end, collaborated with a talented team creating memorable experiences for our guests, and gained insights on the sales and events logistics and client relations in the Qatar hospitality industry. This journey has been a profound learning experience marked by substantial personal and professional growth.”
Elbert Rassuyev writes, “I resell cars and work as a salesman at Herb Chambers.”
Kampei Yachigo writes, “I recently graduated from Suffolk University, and I’m looking to find employment in Boston for a year.”
Rachel
Corey Scammon ’12 and son.
Rachel Sommers Ash Boo Vernon ’07 Amelia Ran
Remem and Staff W Generations of Pen
Cushing Remembers Faculty and Staff Who Influenced Generations of Penguins
At the annual Alumni Weekend Memorial Service, returning alumni, faculty, and guests pause to remember all the alumni and faculty who have passed away in the last year. In addition to the reading of all names, this year’s service included these tributes to three members of the Faculty and Staff whose service spanned decades.
At the annual Alumni Weekend Memorial Service, retur the alumni and faculty who have passed away in the la service included these tributes to three members of the
Jane DeLisle Erickson ’51
Chris N. Boyle
Chris N.
Chris Boyle on and achiev
Chris Boyle made an indelible mark on Cushing through his contributions and achievements over 32 years at the Academy and his kind and generous spirit. As longtime Director of Student Activities before retiring in 2016, Chris created the framework for Tony Fisher Day — when students serve others on campus, in the local community, and beyond. Chris planned and executed logistics for that tradition in its inaugural year and in those that followed, building a foundation for this remarkable annual event that continues 20 years later.
Chris was deeply devoted to his family, especially his wife Nancy
Jane DeLisle Erickson ’51 began her Cushing connection as a student and continued it as a dedicated employee. She was born and raised in Ashburnham. She returned to the Academy in 1957, serving as the administrative assistant to the Headmaster for 38 years until her retirement in 1995, serving with Headmasters Ralph West, Howard Baker, Brad Lamson, and Dr. Joseph Curry.
In a tribute echoed by many others, retired faculty member Rich Henry wrote, “Jane was a peach; always with a positive attitude and welcoming warmth when I met her in the office or about campus. I recall many times when I came to the Headmaster’s office, and Jane engaged in small talk about how my family and I were doing.” He added, “I also appreciated the times when she advised, “This is not a good time right now to see the Headmaster!”
With her late husband Gordon, Jane was devoted to her son Donald, his wife Colleen, and her grandson Connor. In her youth, she enjoyed riding and caring for her horses. More recently, Jane enjoyed playing cards, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Jane will be deeply missed by her many loved ones, friends, and former colleagues.
and their son Colin. Cushing was a family affair. Nancy was a beloved faculty member. Chris’s brother Curt is a member of the class of 1980, and his sister, Jody Newton was a longtime employee, as is his cousin Brenda Foster. And when his cousin, Gary Martinelli ’90, was a day student, Chris drove him to school every day.
Students and colleagues adored and admired Chris, and he cherished them in return.
Chris was passionate about the outdoors and preserving its natural beauty for generations to come — one part of the beautiful legacy he left his family and us all. He will be deeply missed.
Robert C. Hall ’00 (Hon.)
Generations of Cushing students fell in love with history thanks to Bob Hall. Born in Washington, D.C., Bob grew up in New England. A 1965 graduate of Middlebury College, he served his country with distinction for two years as an officer in the Vietnam War and earned his Master’s of History from UMass Amherst. Bob then launched a teaching career, which brought him to Cushing in 1970. He taught history, coached football, basketball, and skiing, and was a treasured mentor, friend, and colleague until retiring in 2000.
After news of his passing, tributes from alumni and colleagues told of his dedication to his students, his kindness, and his wicked sense of humor. “I majored in history in college because he was such a great teacher that made it all come alive,” wrote Amy Rivers Smith ’77. “Bob Hall was a fantastic, engaging, hilarious teacher,” recalled Rufus Platt ’00. “He had soul, heart, and style to spare. So he gave it to his students.” “What an iconic man. Such a fabulous teacher that showed empathy and kindness but could lead with a firm but gentle touch. He will be sorely missed. I feel honored to have had him as a teacher,” wrote Esther New Young ’85, P’24. Doug Knight ’80 captured his impact, saying: “If there were a Mount Rushmore of Cushing, Mr. Hall would be on it.”
REMEMBERING A CUSHING LEGEND
Bob’s former colleagues and students shared memories of him on Facebook after his passing. Here are a sampling:
Rich Henry ’14 (Hon); P’87, ’91
Bob was such a good man. A much beloved legend in all areas of boarding school: teaching, coaching and dorm parenting. He was such a wonderful colleague and friend. He will be missed.
Rob Ingram ’79
Wonderful man. A great history professor, a fun guy to play basketball for. A good guy to head your freshman dorm. His Nazism and World War II class was one of the best classes I have ever attended. Plus, let’s face it. He was kind of cool.
Cindy Battista Merrill P’11, ’13, ’18
A true legend! I feel very privileged to have worked with him. He remembered the name of every student he ever taught. We lost a great one!
Virge Cornelius
I was completely clueless when I started teaching at Cushing. Thank goodness for mentors like Bob Hall and many others. I saw them never get frustrated with students, always support their colleagues, and leave the world much better than they found it. I was just thinking about Bob YESTERDAY. For those of us still teaching, may we reach out to our students and colleagues like Bob did. Meet them more than halfway.
Robert Copeland ’83
The one teacher I will never forget. Over the years I have forgotten a lot of educators that I owe and am so grateful for, but Bob Hall will never be forgotten. I speak of him everywhere I go yesterday, today, and forever. Love and thank yous to Bob and his family.
Brian Green ’83
One of the true Cushing legends. He was so invested in all of us. Coach, Teacher, Mentor and an ear if you needed to talk.
Diane Cummings Hill ’53; P’81, ’90
My two CA graduate children went on to be college history majors thanks in part to Bob’s influence.
Jennifer Hunter ’83
“History is not what happened. History is what people say happened.” ~ Bob Hall
Christopher Madeira ’89
This saddens me to hear. Mr. Hall was my favorite teacher I ever had. He gave me a passion for history and government. He was a great adviser and friend to me and I truly loved his classes and how he pushed me to be an analytical thinker. He was always there for support and to lend an ear or advice. He will be missed.
Bob’s many interests included fishing, the Patriots, travel to Sanibel Island, FL, and gatherings with loved ones on Cape Cod. He was devoted to his daughter Evelyn, his grandson Casey, his partner Jan, and his sister Joe and her family. They, along with his former students, colleagues, and friends, will miss him deeply. continued on next page >
Bob Hall tributes continued from previous page
Bob all tributes continued previous page
Heather Wright-Ojha ’84
Heather ’84
Feeling so grateful that I was blessed to have had Bob as a teacher. He was an extraordinary educator who inspired generations of students with a love of history.
so that I was blessed to as a teacher was an educator who generations of students with a love of history
Nancy Turynowicz Kormann
Kormann
Bob was a mentor, a friend, a wonderful teacher and coach — and more fun than any other two or three people combined! My deepest sympathy to Bob’s family, and especially to Evie. RIP, Cappy.
Bob was a mentor, a a wonderful more than any other two or three combined! to Bob’s and to Evie. RIP, Cappy
Catherine E. Leopold ’97
What a legacy, what a legend — while I was never lucky enough to have him as a teacher or mentor, he was always jovial, kind and thoughtful in my interactions with him. He will be missed immensely by so many!
Darryn DuShane ’88
Mr. Hall was my favorite teacher at CA. I recall watching On the Waterfront in his class. The next day he came to class last, wearing a trench coat, pulled out a meat hook, hung it over the top of the blackboard. Then proceeded to take off the trench coat and hang it on the handle of the hook. (Who could ever forget that scene?) He turned, sat in his chair and said, “OK who wants to talk about the film?” It was awesome!
Wayne Carl Scroggs ’75
Was my JV Football coach in the Fall of 1971. Never let me forget asking to go inside because it was “f-f-f-reeezin’ out here!”
Jill Marks ’98
I am so very sad to hear this news. Mr. Hall was the best!! Had him for civil war history & he bent and stretched to make sure my learning style was accommodated for every test, paper, project etc. You will be missed, Sir.
Joel Castleman
Castle
He was a le that was g to so at
be rememb
His distinc a smile on me up on C time with him a apartment
Bart the pa Rest in Pea
He was a legend and embodied all that was good about CA. I was lucky to spend some time with him in June at CA and the annual xmas cards we exchanged for the last 30+ years will be remembered and missed dearly. His distinctive printing always putting a smile on my face while he caught me up on CA and Evie and family. My time on the JV Football sideline with him and sharing my Vose Hall apartment between classes with Bo and Bart the parrot were special moments. Rest in Peace coach…you made an impression on students and faculty alike. Maybe you’ll finally get to see Buddy, Richie and the Big Bopper play that concert you always talked about.
Ed Johanningsmeier ’74
A truly exceptional man in so many ways, a thoughtful, modest, generous, caring personality as a teacher and friend. I am grateful that he introduced me to writing about history. His great range of knowledge, reading, memory and genuine curiosity about people and the past…he represented learning at its very best.
Mark D. Friedman ’82
A wonderful teacher and coach! He was one of a kind!! May his memory be a blessing!
Josh Damoulakis ’99
Oh man, Mr. Hall left a lasting impression on me. One of the greats, RIP.
Julie Brooks ’94
I still remember his lectures on the “old weed” aka tobacco. I am so sorry to hear this. His enthusiasm for the subject even after so many years of teaching made history come alive.
Pri Yeon-Vogelheim ’98
Oh I’ll never forget Mr. Hall! So glad I got to see him last year at the reunion… it’s a loss to hundreds/ thousands of Penguins…
Ann Logan Vernon ’85
Bob Hall was a wonderful human — he left indelible marks on all of us who knew him. I always loved his ready smile, sarcastic wit and the way he remembered every one of us no matter how long it was between visits. Thank you for being part of our Cushing Academy family Mr. Hall, we will all miss you.
In Memoriam
Here we include the names of those whose passing we have learned of as of January 31, 2025. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families, classmates, and friends.
Stanley C. Bloom
Edward Perkins
Carol Curtis Pearson
Jane Delisle Erickson
James E. Mack
Albert F. Stevens
Hugh Valentine, Jr.
Doris Greene Caouette
Carol Parks Donnelly
Albert H. Rossi, Jr.
Charles A. Riccio, Jr.
Robert G. Black
James K. Heeren
Helen Gonyea Shannon
Albert E. Sheary
Walter R. Woodruff
Leonard R. Curcio
Priscilla K. Cutter
Richard M. Hatch
Robert K. Lake
Harriet Patriquin Sanchez
Lillian Bisbee Whitney
Edgar L. Bourgeois
Roger E. Marchand
Richard S. Farr
David B. R. Johnston
Charles W. Lepine, Jr.
Suzanne Sparks Box
Ronald E. Hamel
Patricia Smith Harding
Suzanne Shean Jarvis
Louis J. LaFontaine
Bette LaFreniere Skaife
Jon Corbino, Jr.
David R. Cowdrey
George C. Jordan III
Peter J. Klimczyk
Odette S. Krasnow
Ernesto Brescia
Steven Kruss
Robert B. MacFarland
Edward J. Rockett
Leona Medved Silverman
Joyce Hall Hall
John P. Hellstrom, Jr.
Philip D. Moore
Paul H. Gill, Jr.
Lorna J. Moody
Grace S. Kyle
Michael J. Chanover
Christopher A. Bozadzis
Richmond L. Crolius
Stephen A. Freudenheim
J. Gregory Porter
Victoria Welch Scarbrough
Holly Patterson Horne
Judith Bidwell Lukowski
Vernor E. Ware III
Thomas L. Doughton
Diane Merrin
Thomas W. Hart
William D. Hill
John W. White, Jr.
Toby S. Pett
Virginia Anderson Keith
June Work Locke
Michael J. Bernard
Sarah Herzog Avratin
Reid M. Wyman
Wyllys L. Pool
Benjamin D. Wilkie
Janet L. Bedula
Chris N. Boyle
Robert C. Hall ’00 (Hon.)
W
H Y I G I V E
NURTURING EMPATHY
THROUGH EDUCATION Trustee Establishe Fund on Neurod
Trustee Establishes Fund on Neurodiversity
or
Doug Cramer ’83, the impetus for giving Cushing a gift to raise the visibility of neurodiversity has a name: Jessica — his 25-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) four years ago. Since Jessica’s diagnosis, Cramer’s focus has turned to making the world more inclusive for neurodivergent people and expanding opportunities for supportive housing and employment.
A longtime supporter of his alma mater, Cramer saw an opportunity to expand the knowledge of the Cushing community by establishing The Douglas and Erika Cramer Family Fund for Neurodiversity and Inclusion, which will provide funding for speakers on neurodiversity education. Neurodiversity, a term which encompasses differences in the way people’s brains process information and interact with the world, is based on the idea that people have different strengths and challenges, and that these differences can be an advantage or a disability. Approximately 20% of individuals, or 1 in 5, have this diagnosis, which can include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome,
ADHD, Dyslexia and Tourette syndrome. This past fall, Cushing invited its first speaker, a neurodiverse attorney, to speak with the student body.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Cramer noted, “Today’s generation of youth is much more empathetic,” he says, remembering that when he was growing up, it wasn’t unusual for people to exclude and avoid people with disabilities or deemed different. “It teaches the older generation how good humanity is.” At Cushing, he hopes these speakers and other learning opportunities will grow that empathy further, adding to Cushing graduates’ understanding and compassion toward those they meet.
Cramer’s own story mirrors that of many Cushing students and graduates who have learning style differences. “I came to Cushing as a sophomore in high school. I was struggling in school before that. The moment I stepped on campus, I knew this was the place,” Cramer recalls. “Needless to say, my instincts were right.”
He thrived, serving as senior class president and playing sports, including lacrosse. “My three years
at Cushing provided me the tools for success. It helped reverse the path I was heading down,” he says. “I had an incredible experience. I loved it. It has always been close to my heart.” After Cushing, he graduated from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, before embarking on a 30-year career in the hedge fund industry; entering at a time when it was in its infancy. Today, he is the founder of CANY Holdings, LLC, a family office managing various investments including the development of supportive housing for neurodivergent adults.
Cramer also hopes his gift inspires others to think about how they might support Cushing. “Giving back was a piece of my family culture,” he says. “We work hard, but we always give back. Philanthropy was embedded into our DNA at an early age. When I graduated from college, one of my first annual gifts was to Cushing.”
“A gift to Cushing can have a lasting imprint on generations to follow,” Cramer says. “For a school of this size, alumni can make a difference.”
“A gift to Cushing can have a lasting imprint on generations to follow. For a school of this size, alumni can make a difference.”
—DOUG CRAMER ’83
(Above left) Doug Cramer ’83 in his 1983 yearbook photo. (Above right) Cramer poses with the Penguin statue while on campus for an Alumni Weekend. (Bottom) Cramer with his daughter Jessica.
Cramer the impetus for Dys
You Make t
You Make the Difference
DEAR MEMBERS OF THE CUSHING ACADEMY COMMUNITY,
CUSHING ACADEMY
As we reflect on the 2023–2024 academic year, it is wit and that we share this Annual o This report is a testament to the unwavering commitm community alumni, parents, staff, an continues to the of our belo This past year and the 2024–2025 year mark a pivot
As we reflect on the 2023–2024 academic year, it is with immense gratitude and pride that we share this Annual Report of Philanthropy. This report is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our extended Cushing community — alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends — whose generosity continues to shape the trajectory of our beloved Academy.
This past year and the 2024–2025 year mark a pivotal moment in Cushing’s history, as we advance boldly into the future guided by our newly launched strategic plan, Our Common Journey. This plan articulates a shared vision for our community and reaffirms our commitment to fostering excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. Together, we are building on the foundation of Cushing’s storied past while positioning the Academy to thrive for generations to come.
Over the past seven years, growth in philanthropic support has been extraordinary. Our Annual Fund has grown from a little over $500,000 to more than $1.8 million, ensuring that we can provide transformative educational experiences for all of our students. Simultaneously, our endowment has grown from $29 million to just over $84 million, a testament to the enduring generosity of those who believe in the Academy’s mission. Add to that, more than $100 million in capital investments have redefined our campus and enriched the Cushing experience. From state-of-theart facilities to enhanced academic and co-curricular offerings, these investments are a direct reflection of our community’s collective dedication to excellence.
As we celebrate these accomplishments, we also recognize that none of this would be possible without you. The impact of your philanthropy is evident in every aspect of campus life — from innovative academic programs and inspiring faculty to enhanced facilities and opportunities that empower our students to discover their passions and achieve their full potential. Your support fuels the spirit of excellence that defines Cushing Academy and allows us to continue preparing students to thrive in an ever-changing world.
We are immensely grateful for your belief in the Cushing mission and for the role you play in our collective success. Together, we are ensuring that the Cushing experience remains dynamic, relevant, and unparalleled for generations to come. Together, we are writing the next chapter of Cushing’s journey. We are honored to walk this path with you and look forward to all that we will achieve in the years ahead.
Thank you for your partnership, your passion, and your generosity.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Joseph Marzilli Chair, Board of Trustees
Randy R. Bertin, Ed.D. Head of School
Dana Barnes ’83 Chair, Advancement Committee
2023–24
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Joseph Marzilli, Chair and Treasurer
M. Elizabeth Akers P’10, ’13, ’17, Vice-Chair
Spencer Butterfield ’00
Melissa Irving Christensen ’00
Dana E. Barnes ’83
Randy R. Bertin, Ed.D, P’21, ’22, ’24, ’25 Head of School, ex officio
Ken Fei-Fu Chang ’92, P’22
Douglas A. Cramer ’83
Richard S. Lapidus
Kristine Pelletier
Kimberly Sweeney Samson P’16, ’19
Matt G. Siegel ’82
George Thomas P’24
2023–24
ALUMNI COUNCIL
Chelsea Cummings Koski ’03, Chair
Elliott Ventura ’78, Vice-Chair
Dean Boecher ’67
Valerie Bono-Bunker ’97
Jack Casady ’15
Matt DeFeo ’82
Robin Lockwood Hall ’78, P’16
Kathleen Zimmerman Marlow ’99
Babs Marrone ’70, P’11
Hayley Moore ’04
David Nevins ’16
Mary O’Neill ’13
Hassan Robinson ’91
Kurt Scanio ’92
Kim White Sousa ’75, former faculty
Marina “Boo” Vernon ’07
Philanthropy Is
Cushing Annual Fund
The Cushing Academy Annual Fund remains the single most impactful way our alumni, parents, and friends can make a difference in the life of the Academy and our students. Annual Fund gifts are unrestricted and can be spent where the need is greatest to maximize the immediate impact on today’s students, faculty, and programs, while also offering the flexibility to take advantage of emerging opportunities
and respond to unanticipated needs and challenges.
CUSHING ANNUAL FUND DOLLARS-RAISED SUMMARY
$1,835,323 TOTAL RAISED
1,071 TOTAL DONORS $1,714 AVERAGE GIFT SIZE
216 FIRST-TIME DONORS
27% OF DONORS INCREASED THEIR GIVING
Day of Giving
Our 4th Annual Day of Giving — April 25, 2024 — coincided with the 20th anniversary of Tony Fisher Day. Amidst the celebration of Cushing’s day of service, Penguin Nation worked together to give back to Cushing. Over a span of 1,865 minutes, more than 600 members of the Cushing community joined forces to celebrate the multitude of unique journeys — past and present — of growth and self-discovery at Cushing. Thank you for supporting the 385 young people at Cushing whose journeys are just beginning!
Top 3 Classes
BY # OF DONORS
1985 • 24 DONORS
1969 • 17 DONORS
2013 • 12 DONORS
SCAN ME! See the complete 2023–24 Cushing Academy Donor List.
$510,387 TOTAL RAISED (59% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR)
CUSHING DAY OF GIVING GIV NG
612 TOTAL DONORS
APRIL 25
20% NEW DONORS
DONORS FROM 39 States + 20 Countries
Who were Sawyer and Hopkins?
REMEMBERING TWO GREAT TEACHERS WHOSE NAMES LIVE ON
To generations of Cushing alumni, the names Sawyer and Hopkins are well known as the moniker for a dorm that has housed students for more than a half-century. Many recent Penguins, however, may not know of the women behind those names. As the new Sawyer and Hopkins dorms open, we pay tribute to them and their special place in Cushing’s history.
Both Marguerite Sawyer ’17 and Vivian “Hoppie” Hopkins were longtime, beloved faculty members. Their impact on students was profound. When the original Sawyer-Hopkins Hall was dedicated in 1970 as a dorm for senior girls, the Cushing Bulletin wrote, “This is an occasion to honor two teachers who knew the satisfaction of stirring the intellectual processes in students who occupy a particular place in their lives.”
Sawyer was herself a Cushing alumna — a member of the class of 1917. After graduating, she attended Wheaton College and taught in Milford, New Hampshire, before being invited back to Ashburnham to teach French by principal James Vose, according to a story in the Bulletin written at the time of the dorm’s dedication. “I wasn’t sure I would like private school teaching,” Sawyer told the Bulletin, “but I thought I would try it for two years or so to get added experience, never dreaming I would stay 38 years, retiring in 1967! I found private school teaching to my liking. It was a pleasant, happy life
over the years. There were, naturally, some heartbreaks and ‘tempests in teapots,’ but by and large, things went well with Miss Hopkins’ firm hand at the helm.”
Hopkins, who served as a dean, likewise made her longterm home at Cushing. “I arrived on the campus in the fall of 1925 — looked around, and settled down for life,” she recalled in the Bulletin. “Many of the faculty in the old days came, saw that it was good, and also decided to stay.”
Over 35 years, Hopkins served with four headmasters before retiring in 1959. “What were the old days like?” Hopkins asked rhetorically. “Well, for one thing, we did everything which needed doing, not just the thing we came to do! I was hired as Dean of Women, but, however, did a variety of things such as Secretary to the Headmaster, when his secretary was away in the summer.”
Some things never change: Hopkins remembered climbing Mount Monadnock “about 33 times, trying to keep up with the younger and fleeter feet.”
“I think my real highlights came when the students showed development towards their highest potentials; when they were accepted into the colleges of their choice; when they proved to be intelligent leaders in their school projects and when they were at their loveliest the nights when they went to their formal proms,” Hopkins recalled. “When they were happy, I was happy.”
This is an occasion to honor two teachers who knew the satisfaction of stirring the intellectual processes in students who occupy a particular place in their lives.” —1970 DEDICATION
Sawyer
Hopkins
Add your legacy to the
Cushing Story
Thomas Parkman Cushing created his legacy when he founded Cushing Academy over 150 years ago. Through his last will and testament, he expressed his desire to establish a school for “rising and future generations.” Because of that gesture, his story lives on in the generations of students that followed, their lives transformed by their education at Cushing.
When you include Cushing Academy in your long-term plans, you add to that story and create your own legacy.
Be a part of our story.
For inquiries and details, please contact Greg Pollard, Director of Advancement grpollard@cushing.org or (978) 827-7400
39 School Street
Ashburnham, MA 01430
www.cushing.org
Address Service Requested
HUNGRY HUNGRY PENGUINS
During a Winter Pep Rally, Cushing students participate in a life-sized game of Hungry Hungry Hippos in Heslin Gymnasium.
