Dana Bulletin WINTER 2018
ON THIS PAGE: Students race to stack cups at the annual Dorm Olympics. Held in early September, the Dorm Olympics provide an opportunity for girls to compete in fun activities while getting to know other members of Dana Hall’s on-campus community. ON THE FRONT COVER: Science teacher Sarah Belliveau (center) and her Math Chemistry students Caylynn Reid-Taylor ’20 (left) and Brianny Vasquez ’20 (right) burn dissolved ionic compounds to see their light spectrum. Read more about Dana women exploring scientific fields on page 23.
The Dana Bulletin is published twice a year by Dana Hall School. Notification of change of address may be sent to:
EDITORIAL BOARD Katherine L. Bradley Head of School
Robert Mather P24 Assistant Head of School
Dana Hall School Development Office 45 Dana Road, P.O. Box 9010 Wellesley, MA 02482-9010
Liza Cohen Director of Communications
Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 Director of Alumnae Relations
Julie Gray P07, 10 Director of Advancement Nia Hays Academic Dean
Dana Hall School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
DESIGN Studio A Design www.studioadesign.com
Jessica Keimowitz Director of Upper School
PHOTOGRAPHY
Molly Kentala Assistant Director of Communications
Adam Richins www.adamrichins.com
Caroline MacNichol Director of Middle School
PRINTING Puritan Capital Hollis, N.H.
Table of Contents A Message from Head of School Katherine L. Bradley....................... 2 Revels 2017................................................................................................. 3
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Bulletin Board............................................................................................ 4 Family Weekend....................................................................................... 15 Educating the Educator............................................................................ 20 Alumnae Return to Campus for Fall Reunion...................................... 22 Spotlight on Alumnae in Scientific Fields............................................. 23
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Dana Bulletin WINTER 2018 | volume 80, number 1
Meet the New Alumnae Council............................................................ 28 Message from the Director of Alumnae Relations................................ 31 Events and Receptions.............................................................................. 32 Class Notes................................................................................................. 38 In Memoriam............................................................................................. 80
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A Message from
Head of School Katherine L. Bradley
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rom its inception, Dana Hall has been a school that honors both tradition and innovation. In 1881, when all-girls schools across the country were still dominated by the “finishing school” model, with emphasis on social graces and marriage preparation, Dana Hall was founded as a “fitting school,” that is, a college preparatory school. Early school leaders did not shy away from demanding academic excellence, and their insistence that girls could be scholars proved to be quite prescient. Today, that spirit of seeking excellence and embracing innovation is alive in all corners of our school community. In this Bulletin, we highlight our faculty’s ongoing thinking about what 21st century classrooms should look like (page 20). You also can read about several alumnae making their mark in scientific fields, where women have historically been under-represented (page 23). The practice of blazing new trails remains a part of our culture.
We also place value on the elements of our mission that connect our students to each other and to the School – that Amor Caritas that makes our community strong. I am reminded of senior Stephanie Daley’s Opening Convocation remarks (page 10), when she implored her fellow students to engage with purpose. “Everyone at Dana is different,” she said. “Nobody shares your story, so that makes your input even more important. Speak up and speak confidently because we all want to hear what you have to say.” Indeed, our stories are perhaps our greatest asset, and the sharing of our stories is a practice we have encouraged throughout this school year. “Stories are powerful,” said Bonnie Block Levinson ’74 in her Wannamaker Lecture on October 3. “They give meaning and context to what would otherwise be a collection of facts.” When you thumb through the Class Notes section of this Bulletin, I imagine you will be drawn to the stories of Dana alumnae, as I am when I read each issue. Their lives are rich and inspiring. I am grateful that so many of them want to share their stories with our students, as Wannamaker speakers, She Sails panelists, mentors in our Girls Summer Leadership Program, or via less formal connections. And I thrilled that the members of our new Alumnae Council (page 28) are lending their time and talents to promoting pride and loyalty among current students and alumnae. With their support, and the contributions of many more individuals in this community, Dana Hall can continue to push boundaries and prepare young women for the complexity of a modern world, while celebrating the original principles set forth by our visionary founders.F Head of School Katherine Bradley and her husband Matt McCracken
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REVELS 2017 Minstrels, cooks and sword dancers came together on December 19 as the Class of 2019 presented their version of Revels, one of Dana Hall’s most beloved traditions. Science teacher Gary Fadden, dressed as a sorcerer, was chosen as the surprise faculty narrator. The Mummer’s Play, the play-within-a-play, was a creative take on Hannah Montana. The tradition dates back to 1921, when English teacher Constance Grosvenor Alexander wrote the play, Saint Francis Keeps Christmas at Greccio 1223, and a cast of faculty, friends and students from Pine Manor, Tenacre and Dana Hall put on the first rendition. Today, Revels is performed by the junior class, and celebrates the Winter Solstice and merriment of medieval life. While the cast may change from year to year, those who attend annually wait for the much-anticipated words from the Lady of Misrule that mark the start of Winter Break: “Our play is done, we must be gone, We stay no longer here. We wish you all, both great and small, A happy, bright New Year!”
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ACTIONS + ACHIEVEMENTS
AMOR CARITAS DAY Dana’s seventh annual Amor Caritas Day brought together students, faculty, staff, parents and alumnae at three different volunteer sites on Saturday, September 16. More than 150 volunteers helped at Cradles to Crayons in Brighton, the Greater Boston Food Bank in the South End, and Morses Pond in Wellesley. Pictured, a group of students gathered before their volunteer shift at the Greater Boston Food Bank.
ALUMNA WANNAMAKER SPEAKER EXPLORES THE ART OF STORYTELLING
YA AUTHOR VISITS DANA HALL Young adult author Maggie Stiefvater held a book talk and signing in Waldo Auditorium in November, in conjunction with Wellesley Books, where some members of the Dana Hall community got to meet their favorite author. Pictured: Effie Chen ’23, Kayla Terzioglu ’19 and Isobel MacKinnon ’19 wait their turn to meet Stiefvater.
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The Wannamaker Lecture Series welcomed alumna and The Moth storyteller Bonnie Block Levison ’74 back to campus in October. Levison works in Community and Corporate Education at The Moth in New York City, and her clients include Google, The Gates Foundation and The Innocence Project. She is a Moth Mainstage storyteller and her stories have been featured on The Moth Podcast and NPR’s Moth Radio Hour. Before she spoke, Levison enjoyed dinner with The Hallmanac co-editors Grace Wang ’19 (left) and Ilana Koppel ’19.
SAVE THE DATE SUNDAY, APRIL 8
Girls Athletic Clinic:
Tennis
Consult www.danahall.org for details and up-to-date information.
VISION 2025: DANA HALL’S NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN
Stay up to date on the latest Dana Hall news and events: visit www.danahall.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ danahallschool Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ danahallschool
In October 2017, Dana Hall’s Board of Trustees, along with a working group of administrators and faculty members, held the Vision 2025 Strategic Plan Advance as the kick-off event for Dana Hall’s next strategic planning process. Led by the steering committee of Head of School Katherine Bradley, Board Chair Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77, and Trustees Sandy Niles P17, 19 and Bill Taylor P15, 18, the group that totals 41 members formed subcommittees to explore the five themes the new plan will address: Teaching and Learning the Dana Way; E Pluribus Dana – Many Backgrounds, One Community; Places, Spaces and Facilities – Architecting the Dana Experience; Financing the Future – A New Business Model for Independent Education; and Room With a (Point of) View – Enhancing and Enriching Residential Life. The whole group met again in December and January (with two more meetings planned for April and May) and subcommittee work will continue through the spring. The subcommittees will make recommendations to the steering committee in May, and the final draft will be presented to the Board for ratification in October 2018. Designed to guide Dana Hall School’s priorities for the next seven years, the strategic plan will be shared with all constituents in Fall 2018. Working group members share ideas at the Vision 2025 Strategic Plan Advance on October 21, 2017.
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ACTIONS + ACHIEVEMENTS (CONTINUED)
YOUNG ALUMNAE CHALLENGE
SAVE THE DATE
This fall, Dana Hall challenged young alumnae from the classes of 2003 to 2017 to step up and support their alma mater. Over the course of two weeks, 231 young alumnae participated in the challenge, raising more than $7,000. This also represents an increase of 10 percent in young alumnae giving over last year. Surpassing the original goal, the number of gifts unlocked an additional $10,000, thanks to anonymous challenge donors. More than $17,000 in donations went to the Dana Fund, allowing the School to offer competitive tuition; attract and retain talented faculty; provide exceptional academic, arts and athletic programs; and offer meaningful scholarship opportunities.
BLUE & WHITE NIGHT: SATURDAY, MAY 5 We’re off to the races for this year’s Blue & White Night Gala! Come bet on Dana at a Kentucky Derby-themed event, which will be held on Saturday, May 5, in the Erisman Student Center. Proceeds from the gala will support faculty professional development and provide financial assistance for students who wish to participate in Dana Hall’s travel programs. If you would like to sponsor the event, donate an item to the silent auction or get additional information, please contact: Kathy Luby Director of Special Events and Parent Programs kathy.luby@danahall.org (781) 489-1362. 6
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THE FORUM: A CONVERSATION ON GIRLS AND SOCIAL PRESSURE On November 16, a group of educators, researchers and clinicians shared recent findings and shed light on current challenges, as well as discussed and shared practical strategies to help parents and teachers communicate with the girls in their lives about the topics they are not often eager to discuss, including sexual health, risk taking and drug and alcohol use. Caroline MacNichol, director of the Middle School, moderated the event that included guest panelists Dr. Sarah Bagley, assistant professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine and medical director of the CATALYST Clinic; Dr. Hila Ben-Levi, assistant clinical director at the Human Relations Service and for the Counseling Center for Babson College; and Dr. Jennifer Grossman, a research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women. The next Forum is scheduled for Thursday, May 3. See www.danahall.org for details and the confirmed topic. A video of the discussion and subsequent Q&A session is available at www.danahall.org/fallforum17.
RECENT WORKS FROM ALUMNAE AUTHORS Alumnae authors: Do you have a recently published book? Maybe an older title we haven’t heard of but should know about? The Helen Temple Cooke Library would love to add your publication to its Alumnae Authors Collection. Contact Archivist Dorothy DeSimone at dorothy.desimone@danahall.org or (781) 489-1382 to have your information added to our database. Thank you to the following alumnae authors who published a book in 2017 and donated a copy to Dana Hall:
SAVE THE DATE GIRLS SUMMER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: SATURDAY, JUNE 23 – FRIDAY, JUNE 29 For girls entering ninth grade in Fall 2018 Consult www.danahall.org/gslp for details and up-to-date information.
From left to right: • The Dead Moms Club: A Memoir about Death, Grief, and Surviving the Mother of All Losses by Kate Spencer ’97 • San Diego City Father William Augustus Begole: Story of a Workhorse Pioneer by Lael Montgomery ’66 • Underground Fugue by Margot Singer ’80 • A Worthy Expedition: The History of NOLS by Kate Dernocoeur ’71
NATIONAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE DANA’S EXCELLENCE Twenty-two Dana students and graduates qualified for the Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar Award by receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. Lilah Blond ’18 Autumn Ceppi ’17 Meghan Decker ’17 Elizabeth Harvey ’17 Sheila Hernandez ’17 Deena Husami ’18
Wanjing Jia ’18 Michelle Kiel ’17 HyoJoo Kim ’17 Tikumporn Kumdokrub ’17 Heewon Lee ’18 Manxue Ma ’18
Eva Mayo ’18 Annabel Moore ’18 Anna Park ’18 Corinne Ribakoff ’17 Ryland Rich ’18 Meaghan Robichaud ’17
Hailey Rohall ’17 Alexandra Wolf ’17 Jin Zhang ’18 Nanxi Zhao ’18
Eleven Dana students and graduates qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by receiving an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Spencer Babcock ’17 Gabrielle De Weck ’17 Julia Donovan ’17
Grace Dunne ’17 Amelia Elfers ’17 Wendy Gomez ’17
Hannah Jaques ’17 Zoë Lillis ’18 Sophia Myers ’17
Hilary Present ’17 Gloria Revanche ’17
Twenty-two Dana graduates qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by receiving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Adira Amidon ’17 Sarah Brown ’17 Chilton Cabot ’17 Abigail Durfee ’17 Jacqueline Hayre-Perez ’17 Yue Hua ’17
Wenling Jiang ’17 Meredith Julian ’17 Jiwoo Jun ’18 Nina Kosowsky ’17 Yu-Fang Lao ’17 Julia Lawrence ’17
Joohyun Lee ’17 Yanfei Li ’17 Molly Madden ’17 McKenna McLean ’17 Diana Niles ’17 Yuzhe Pang ’17
Sydney Peters ’17 Madison Rivers ’17 Julia Stento ’17 Yifan Xu ’17
Two Dana Hall students were recognized as Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Commended Scholars place among the top five percent of students who took the 2016 PSAT. Sophia Lin ’18
Kate Okun ’18
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YOUNG ALUMS LEAD THE WAY IN TOKYO In early September, Dana Hall alumnae Jen Lorthe ’13 and Mary Fulham ’13 traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to be part of Tokyo Jogakkan School’s (TJK) first on-campus Model UN simulation. Leading up to that simulation, 11th grade students in TJK’s international program prepared by acquainting themselves with the various committees and responsibilities of the United Nations, learning formal United Nations procedures, and discussing the pros and cons of global decision-making. Dana Hall Social Studies teacher and Model UN coach Heather Panahi visited Tokyo in June, where she worked with both the faculty and students of TJK as they honed their debating and collaborative problem-solving skills. In August, 16 TJK students visited the Dana campus and met with past and present MUNers. The TJK students’ hard work culminated in a final simulation of the United Nations, in which students—working in double delegations—sought to address the growing Syrian refugee crisis facing the world today. A few days prior to the simulation, Lorthe and Fulham, both former members of Dana Hall’s nationallyranked Model UN team, spent time in the classrooms at TJK getting to know the girls and offering their guidance and support. On Saturday, September 9, Lorthe and Fulham chaired and judged the final simulation. Jen Lorthe ’13 (left) and Mary Fulham ’13
Lorthe and Fulham present the Honorable Mention (3rd place) award.
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TJK faculty expressed deep gratitude for the alumnae’s professionalism and leadership, and invited them back for next year’s event. Panahi said, “Jen and Mary are wonderful examples of Dana Hall’s leadership education in action, as they embody the values we hold so dear: integrity, respect, global empathy and wisdom. I couldn’t be more proud!”
Lorthe and Fulham with TJK students after their first Model UN simulation
The Class of 2025 shows support for the lawn sign campaign. One of the lawn signs in front of the Classroom Building
LAWN SIGNS SHARE IMPORTANT MESSAGE When Dana Hall students returned to campus in early September, they were greeted by a collection of blue and white lawn signs that state, “Welcome to Dana Hall! We are happy you are here!” The second sentence is written in the 11 native languages that are spoken by Dana’s students as a signal of the School’s commitment to inclusivity and its global community. “For a long time, but particularly since last spring, students, faculty and staff at Dana Hall have been talking about the ongoing work of making our school community as inclusive as possible,” said Director of Upper School Jessica Keimowitz. “The signs are a visible, tangible representation of our core values. We are genuinely happy to welcome new and returning families to campus, and we want to be sure that this message is communicated in ways that recognize the diverse and global population at our school.” The ongoing national discussion about immigration and globalization has raised complex issues for families and schools. A national #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign was launched at the higher education level, as a welcome message from U.S. institutions to international students around the world. It is a campaign designed to affirm that institutions are diverse, friendly, safe and committed to student development. With its lawn sign project, Dana Hall is one of a growing number of secondary schools that is using the message to demonstrate support of these principles. This commitment is being carried out in grades 5–12. “As Middle School teachers, we know that learning does not happen when students are feeling unsafe or excluded,” said Sarah Martin, Middle School Social Studies teacher and Multicultural Coordinator. “The visuals and the reminder that the signs provide echo the message that we are working to send in our classrooms each day. When students believe that they—their family, language, ideas, culture—are welcome learning can occur. Working to build an inclusive community takes time and is an ongoing process. The signs provide a quick snapshot of who we are and who we will continue to work to be.” This year, Dana Hall’s 482 students represent 15 countries and 13 states. With the help of students, alumnae and faculty, Keimowitz translated “we are happy you are here” into 10 additional languages: Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, French, Arabic, Japanese, Thai, Hindi, Haitian Creole and Hebrew. The lawn signs greeted students, faculty and visitors as they entered or exited all school buildings and could also be seen on the front lawns of on-campus faculty members’ homes. “This commitment doesn’t end with the lawn signs,” says Keimowitz. “Head of School Katherine Bradley, Director of the Middle School Caroline MacNichol and I all talked to students, faculty and parents during Opening Days about the importance of being kinder than necessary. Dana Hall’s Diversity Statement is very clear: diversity, equity and inclusion work can (and should) lead to difficult conversations and even some conflict. Ultimately, we know that lawn signs are just one small step in thinking about inclusivity and living out our principles.” Winter 2018
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INSPIRING CHANGE THROUGH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION At Dana Hall’s Opening Convocation in September 2017, Stephanie Daley ’18 shared her perspectives on what it means to be part of the Dana community and setting goals for the year. An excerpt of that speech follows. I like to think of Dana as an old piece of play dough. When you start it’s tough and it can be hard to figure out how you could possibly make something amazing out of it. But, if you put the effort in to pull it, roll it around, and stretch it you can mold it into absolutely anything. This is your individual Dana Hall experience. What you get out of it is based on what you put into it, which is why this place is so unique. Yes, academics are extremely important. And every day you can go to class and then go home, if that is what you want to do. But I challenge you to try something new and be okay with being uncomfortable. We tend to look at the beginning of every school year as a clean slate. We’re older, smarter and more savvy than the previous year. But this year I don’t think we should be so quick to do that. There’s value in our history that shouldn’t be overlooked. We can build off of the things that we learned last year to fuel conversations, build safe spaces, inspire change and welcome diversity. Everyone at Dana is different. Nobody shares your story, so that makes your input even more important. Speak up and speak confidently because we all want to hear what you have to say. I know some of you are new to the Dana community, but all that means is you have a different perspective to contribute. Share it in your classes, at the lunch table, in the Pit, maybe not in Study Hall, but definitely share your perspective. That’s how we are going to continue to grow. Know that the people sitting around you want you to succeed. Use the girls in your grade as resources, along with all of the other great resources that Dana offers. I know that my silver sisters have my back, but on a larger scale this school is only as good as the people in it, so help people out and be there for them. Remember that you are not only citizens of Dana Hall, but citizens of the world. Whether you hail from Westwood, Massachusetts, Brooklyn, New York or Seoul, South Korea everywhere can benefit from your Dana Girl Power! So build up your confidence, make mistakes and share new ideas, so you can be ready to instill change somewhere else in the world. This summer I learned the true impact of the little things. I took a skill that I had mastered, which is swimming and teaching others how to swim, and used that to help other people my age improve their skills. You all excel at something, so use that something to make an impact. And on the receiving end, always be open to learning about other cultures, traditions and about any other knowledge someone is willing to take the time to share with you. This year one of my goals is to hold myself accountable, and I challenge you all to do the same. We should hold ourselves accountable for our actions and words and realize the difference between intent and impact. Identify your privilege whatever it may be and leverage it to help someone else. Take advantage of the protected environment that we are in to learn as much as you can about all of the amazing people here because, after all, that is why we are at Dana – we’re amazing. With all of the negativity and bigotry that seems to be spreading in the world around us it can feel like we are taking steps backwards. So that means we all have a responsibility to take even bigger strides forward because positivity, tolerance and confidence radiate outwards. Make this year yours and do what makes you happy. This year I will be an active participant in this community and I plan to inspire change however I can; I will be leaving this school better in some way than it was when I got here. And you all should strive to do the same. 10
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NEW HOUSING FOR ON-CAMPUS FACULTY Thanks to the generous support of the parents of the Class of 2017, the new faculty house on Grove Street (formerly known as Lazare) was completed on time and on budget this past fall. Two faculty members, social studies teacher Mary Cameron and math teacher Nick Lloyd, moved their families into this new home in November 2017. Each side of this two-family house includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
There is a small shared backyard that abuts Wayside.
Kitchen
The view from Grove Street
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS FOR JOHNSTON DORMITORIES PROJECT Thanks to the generous support of 140 donors, the funds have been raised to renovate all four Johnston dorms. The Johnston dorms have remained mostly untouched since they opened in 1965, until this mini-campaign allowed improvements to begin in the summer of 2016. “These recent renovations celebrate the importance of the Dana Hall boarding program, the enrichment it provides to the entire community, and the students who call the Johnstons home,” said Director of Advancement Julie Gray P07, 10. Johnston D and C were renovated during the summers of 2016 and 2017, respectively. Progress will continue over the next two summers to renovate Johnston A and B.
JOHNSTON DORMITORIES RENOVATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Jennifer Adams Knebel ’78, P11, 13, Chair Kristin O’Donnell Bedard ’97 Dana Cole ’73 Kimberly Douglass ’72 Rebecca Rasmussen Grunwald ’73 Raquel Lachman ’98 Laurencina Farrant Lee ’86, P17 Happy Sprague Rowe ’87 Lesley Jane Nonkin Seymour ’74 Heather Wish Staller ’01
A Challenge Presented for Landscaping In addition to interior renovation of the dorms, plans are being developed to improve the landscaping around the Johnstons. An anonymous donor has pledged $150,000 for landscaping and challenges Dana alumnae to match her support. If you are interested in helping to enhance the external spaces around the Johnstons by contributing to this challenge, please contact Julie Gray (julie.gray@danahall.org). 1. Johnston C’s renovated kitchen 2. Johnston C’s common area has new flooring, lighting and furniture. 3. Rooms have new flooring, lighting and furniture. 4. One of Johnston C’s updated bathrooms
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VARSIT Y ATHLETICS SCOREBOARD Melissa Layanto ’18
Lilah Blond ’18
Christine Copeland ’18
VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY was 7th in the EIL, with an overall record of 4-10-1 and an EIL record of 4-5-1. • EIL All-League: Ava Regan ’21 and Anna Kurtin ’21 • EIL Honorable Mention: Demitra Moutoudis ’21 • All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention Team: Regan • Most Improved Player: Mary Kate Egan ’20 • Coach’s Award: Chloe Hill ’18 and Christine Copeland ’18 • Dragon Award: Claire Strachan ’18 and Sydney Soloway ’18
VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY had a 5-6 record, which earned them 5th place in the EIL and 7th place in the NEPSAC. • EIL Honorable Mention: Elaina Hawkins ’20 • Most Valuable Runner: Hawkins • Unsung Hero/Team Choice: Ali Frambes ’19 • Most Improved Runner: Anna Wright ’21
VARSITY SOCCER went 5-10-1 this fall. They were 4-5-1 in EIL play, taking 6th place. • EIL All-League: Kate Bossert ’21 and Caroline Breslin ’20 • EIL Honorable Mention: Katie Soucy ’19 • Most Valuable Player: Bossert • Team Player: Breslin • Most Improved Player: Paige Jacobson ’20
Stephanie Daley ’18
VARSITY VOLLEYBALL ended the regular season with a 16-3-1 record, going 10-2 in the EIL. They finished in 1st place in the EIL, earning the championship trophy, and seeded 4th in the NEPSAC Class B tournament. The team made it to the quarterfinals.
THE INTERSCHOLASTIC EQUESTRIAN TEAM has a very new roster this year. The Middle School team has seen significant success, placing Reserve Champion in multiple competitions and qualifying early for Regionals. The Upper School team qualified for Regionals at its last home competition in early January. Early qualifiers for Regionals included Lilly Earley ’19 (fences and flat), Jane Kehoe ’19 (fences and flat), Arianne Randall ’22 (flat), Lenzie Mitchell ’21 (flat), Aylin Hamzaogullari ’24 (flat), Amelia Thames ’24 (flat), and Carly Wahlberg ’18 (flat). 12
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• EIL All-League: Alexa Orent ’20, Coco Clayson ’18, Casey Seidner ’19 and Bitsie Knight ’19 • EIL Honorable Mention: Natasha Joukowsky ’18 and Stephanie Daley ’18 • Coach’s Award: Clayson and Orent • Rookie of the Year: Ella Earnest ’21 • Most Valuable Player: Seidner
Toni Phillips-Beeching ’19
THE UPPER SCHOOL PRESENTED The Penelopiad in November. Written for an all-female cast by Margaret Atwood, the fall play told the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and her wronged maids—all from the women’s perspective. Left top: Ali Nauen ’19 Left middle: Elena Carmichael ’20, Tori Li ’20, Ellie Wellington ’21 Left bottom: Katie Gardner ’18 and Sofia Barros ’18
IN NOVEMBER the Middle School presented its fall play, Peter/ Wendy. Performing Arts Department Head Liz Fenstermaker chose this adaptation because it portrays Tiger Lily in a respectful way. Left: Annika Svedlund ’22, Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22, Madeleine Reinhardt ’24, Ivy Wellington ’24 Bottom left: Izzy Mone ’22, Sophia Bililies ’23, Ella Schweizer ’22 Bottom middle: Sydney Weller ’22, Emma Beardsley ’22, Aluna Herrera ’22 Bottom right: Harper Staton-Todaro ’22
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2017-18 ALUMNAE
DANA FUND
9,132 miles
(as of January 12, 2018)
Distance between Dana Hall and Wellington, New Zealand, where the Dana Fund’s farthest gift is from
BY THE NUMBERS
13 15
25%= Alumnae 13%= participation to date Alumnae participation goal
723: Donors who made a gift last 480: year, but not yet this year Total alumnae donors to date
35
Scholastic athletic teams
150
Students participating in performing arts (2016-17)
$7,962
Difference between tuition and the cost of educating one Dana Hall student, a.k.a., The Tuition Gap
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States represented by Dana students Countries represented by Dana students
508
Number of gifts under $100
24%
Students receiving financial
aid, that’s 117 students who would not have been able to attend Dana Hall without support.
85% Senior Class participation
33% Participation of the Class of 2017, Dana Hall’s youngest alumnae
Make your Dana Fund gift today:
www.danahall.org/giving
For additional giving options, including stocks and/or securities, contact Director of Annual Giving Benjamin Sacks (781) 489-1366 or benjamin.sacks@danahall.org.
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“ We can be a community that supports young women who are independent, intelligent and fierce. And we can be a place that teaches the self-discipline, maturity and confidence that is required to be kind. We do not have to be one or the other. We can, and need to, be both.” – Katherine Bradley, Head of School
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1. Families and supporters pack the sidelines for varsity field hockey and soccer games. 2. Becky Durbin P21, 23 debuts the “Dragon Wagon.” 3. Claire Strachan ’18 4. Head of School Katherine Bradley shares her Convocation address. 5. Judith Mathieu P19, Brianah Mathieu, Francois Mathieu P19 6. Families gather in Bardwell for the Performing Arts presentations.
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Family Weekend
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“ As our daughters enter the working world as adults—a reality that is not all that far away—it will become increasingly important for the future of humanity and our planet that they cultivate respect, and more importantly a sense of responsibility, for all living beings.”
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– Heather Panahi P15, 19, Social Studies teacher and recipient of the 2017-19 Rinehart Chair 1. The Middle School B Soccer team makes its Pep Rally run. 2. Students in Advanced Modern Dance perform a work choreographed by Director of Dance Devon Fitchett. 3. Bitsie Knight ’19 4. Anna Garber P16, 19 and Lucia Garber ’19 cheer on the cross country runners. 5. Dana alumnae and their Dana daughters
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6. Julia Burke ’20, Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22, Mia D’Angelo ’21 7. Heather Panahi P15, 19, Social Studies teacher and recipient of the 2017-19 Rinehart Chair, gives the closing remarks. 8. Melissa Klein ’18 and Rachel O’Brien ’18 lead the Homecoming Pep Rally.
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“ We work hard every day to be inclusive and set a positive tone in the halls of the Middle School. And whether in the classroom or on the field, we all know that teamwork is important.”
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– Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22 and Sophie Peckler ’22, Middle School Co-Presidents
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1. Varsity Cross Country competes against Newton Country Day School. 2. Upper School Chorus 3. A ll-School Co-Presidents Sophie Habermann ’18 and Deena Husami ’18 share remarks at Convocation. 4. Yeheng Zhang ’21 performs with School of Music Artistic Coordinator Genevieve Marino. 5. Mimi Jarrunpattana ’18, Fah Keerasuntonpong ’19, Audrey Lee ’19, Alli Sibold ’20 6. Lilly Craven (in background) and Anna Kalvelage perform a scene from Abundance.
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7. M iddle School Co-Presidents Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22 and Sophie Peckler ’22 welcome families at Convocation. 8. Jennifer Mathews ’82, P18 and daughter Ryland Rich ’18
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Family Weekend
2017
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“ Here at Dana Hall, we end school events by putting our arms around one another and singing the Alma Mater. No matter if we know the person to our left and right, we all join together and share this intimate bond. This authentic tradition shows the true feeling of being part of the Dana Hall community and the love and care we share for each other.”
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– Sophie Habermann ’18 and Deena Husami ’18, All-School Co-Presidents
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1. Gwendolyn Tuckett ’21, Ella Williams ’20, Katherine Ward ’20, Angeline da Silva ’19, Karina Atiegha ’20, Charlotte Sullivan ’21, Shayna Tribush ’21, Ainsley Bonang ’21 2. Varsity soccer huddles up before their game under the lights. 3. Beatrix Metral ’23, Mercedes McLaughlin ’23, Annie Stewart ’23, Anna Gardner ’23, and Emily Nauen ’23 4. Keyani Nelson ’20 and Ava Dunne ’20 complete a Chemistry lab with the help of their families, including Grace Dunne ’17.
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5. Charmaine Cadasse ’18, Brittany Jenkins, Breanna Jenkins ’18, Sofia Barros ’18, Sam Diaz ’18 6. Families get a taste of sixth grade math.
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7. Emma Houston ’24, Mahyra Afif ’23, Talia Loevy-Reyes ’23, Addison Callahan, Margy Eno ’23 and Veda Ramaswamy ’23
HONORING INNOVATION AND EXPLORATION
Physics lab, 1944
the
DANA HALL
archives
Anatomy study, November 1957
7th grade science class, 1995
Physics experiment, October 1967
Science lab, Kate Hirsch ’74
The archivists are looking for information on Dana alumnae who worked as codebreakers in Washington, D.C. during WWII for their display “Dana Hall’s role in World War II.”
Though men still outnumber women in most professional scientific fields, women are doing extraordinary work across many disciplines, as evidenced by the alumnae profiled on page 23. Dana Hall always has been committed to scientific study, with courses that encourage students to explore the natural world and their role in it, learn and apply the methodology of science, and be aware of societal concerns relating to science. All of Dana Hall’s pioneering academic history can be explored in the Dana Hall Archives. Located in the Helen Temple Cooke Library, the Archives welcome all materials of historical pertinence – documents, recordings, photographs, scrapbooks, letters, and clothing – related to or created by Dana Hall alumnae and faculty during their time at the school. Please contact Archivist Dorothy DeSimone P06, P10 at (781) 489-1382 or dorothy.desimone@danahall.org.
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Educating the Educator Dana Hall faculty members acquire tools to teach creative critical thinking to the next generation of leaders. Data driven schools. High impact practices. Experiential-based learning process. Multiple modalities. Today’s educational landscape is flooded with jargon that can sometimes ring hollow. In reality, these new terms and phrases are rooted in the same skills and concepts that have been taught at Dana Hall for decades. Like their counterparts who came before them, current Dana Hall faculty members are exploring answers to the question, how do we get students to use these same skills in deeper and more innovative ways? “These conversations are happening everywhere and certainly at Dana Hall,” said Academic Dean Nia Hays. “We are talking about what classroom spaces need to look like and how curriculum needs to be structured in order to give kids the skills they need to face this very global, ever-changing world.”
“ We are talking about what classroom spaces need to look like and how curriculum needs to be structured in order to give kids the skills they need to face this very global, ever-changing world.” – Nia Hays 20
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Enter Project Zero, one of the many ways in which teachers can think about constructing a classroom that is student-centered and puts skills as the focus of what is happening in that space. Now celebrating its 50th year, Project Zero was founded by Nelson Goodman at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1967, with an emphasis on understanding learning in and through the arts. Over the years, Harvard researchers have continued their inquiry into the arts and arts education, while drawing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to examine how students develop 21st century skills such as life-long learning, critical thinking and creativity. Project Zero holds week-long workshops for teachers every summer on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Mass. and shorter sessions at remote locations around the world. In celebration of its 50th year, Project Zero also is hosting several mini workshops and online courses that focus on specific areas of study and techniques.
Upper School Social Studies teacher Brian Cook has a long history with Project Zero, dating back to his graduate work in curriculum design and instruction, and is now a faculty member at the Project Zero Classroom each summer. “There’s a diversity of teaching approaches among Dana teachers, but the one thing that is a common thread is an understanding that Dana promises that we’ll know our students better than anyone else can,” Cook said. “And that’s what Project Zero is. It is not just an empathetic approach to learning. It’s built around the idea that learners construct their own understanding, and it places the teaching skills of understanding brain science, adolescent development and classroom culture on equal ground with mastery of the particular subject matter that you are teaching.” A simple example of a Project Zero tool is a Thinking Routine. A teacher will present an image or a piece of text, and ask students to See, Think, Wonder. “There are students who need more direct and explicit instruction; they are very capable, but for whatever reason – educational background or learning profile – they don’t necessarily know what to do when you say ‘think.’ And this Thinking Routine helps scaffold that, but it is also naturally differentiated. So it is accessible to students at all different levels, and we know we have a wide range of natural development in Middle School,” explained Middle School learning specialist Lucy Hampton, who also attended the Project Zero summer workshop and implements many of its tools in her work with students in grades 5-8. “Working in a group and hearing what everyone is wondering helps students to push their thinking forward. We’re pushing them to analyze and make connections, instead of just answering questions. Project Zero offers teachers many useful tools to help build a culture of thinking. It’s about developing skills, not just the end product, and that’s where Project Zero really aligns with my work and with what we’re trying to do as a Middle School.” Last summer, Dana Hall sent a cohort of Middle School teachers (Vic D’ambrosio, Julie Nelson, Tamara Nikuradse and Jenny Salamone) to the summer workshops, and there are Social Studies teacher Brian Cook uses a Project Zero Thinking Routine plans to continue that practice each summer with a different called “See, Think, Wonder” to examine World War I propaganda in his group of educators. In addition, Dana Hall teachers are 20th Century European History class. attending conferences and workshops that are not officially connected to Project Zero, but continue the conversation about their practice, curriculum design and implementation. Like many schools, Dana Hall has recognized that the conversation has changed. “Pick up almost any newspaper article about education, and it will cite business leaders who are clamoring for a workforce with more adaptable skills, in addition to content mastery,” noted Cook. As they make decisions about course and skills offerings, educators are thinking about what job and college readiness looks like, and they are adapting their work accordingly. “What we’ve liked about sending teachers to Project Zero is that it pulls many more people into the conversation of how do we make sure that what we’re doing in the classroom is about all of the key pieces of content that, to paraphrase our mission, one needs to be a productive and thoughtful woman and citizen of the world,” said Hays. “But being a woman and citizen of the world involves both what you do in your classes, and also the way you’re thinking about that world and the way you interact with it. And that’s what Project Zero and all of our conversations about teaching are about at their core.” F Winter 2018
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Alumnae Return to Campus for Fall Reunion
From October 4–6, the Classes of 1947, 1957 and 1962 came back to Wellesley to celebrate their 70th, 60th and 55th reunions. The classes enjoyed a special dinner in Bardwell Auditorium’s Oak Room, shared remembrances of their deceased classmates, met with Head of School Katherine Bradley, heard from a panel of students, visited classes, toured the Dana Hall Archives and concluded their visit by singing the Alma Mater arm-in-arm with current Dana girls. Call to classes celebrating their 55th, 60th, 65th or 70th Reunions: You are always welcome to attend Dana Hall’s Spring Reunion, but recent classes that have reached these milestones have enjoyed a special Fall Reunion, which allows for a customized schedule that best suits the interests of the class. Contact Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 (heather.yetman@danahall.org or 781-489-1369) to discuss options and help plan a meaningful event. Clockwise from top left: Bev Holmes Prevost ’62 and Anne Barnard ’62 sit in on one of Karen Keely’s literature classes. Betsy Gagliardi Tobin ’62 dons her Dana blazer. Class of 1947 Judy O’Connell Perkins ’57 chats with students in Eric Goodson’s Making History class. Class of 1962 Class of 1957 22
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Spotlight on Alumnae in
Scientific Fields It’s an often-shared story: According to the Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey (ACS), women comprise 48 percent of the U.S. workforce but just 24 percent of STEM workers. And yet, the Dana Hall alumnae ranks are flush with women working in all corners of science, technology, engineering and math fields. From medical researchers to environmentalists, from electrical engineers to astrophysicists, from math educators to computer programmers, Dana Hall women are making an often pioneering impact in scientific fields. The five women featured here represent a cross section of this community.
The Engineer Jeannette Lukito ’99
Jeannette Lukito ’99 never imagined the computer program she used in college would figure into her future career. Lukito is employed by MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software, like MATLAB and Simulink, for engineers and scientists. According to Lukito, MathWorks creates “mathematical software many engineers and scientists use to analyze data, model and simulate new algorithms and develop embedded systems,” she said. As a manager in the Advanced Support department, she oversees “a team that works with our customers when they run into complex technical issues using our software. We also work closely with our development team to proactively identify improvements to our software and propose innovative changes.” As an electrical and computer engineering major at Cornell University, Lukito became familiar with the MATLAB software in many of her classes. “We even used MATLAB for my Master’s project: a 10 cm cube satellite that travelled along the ionosphere to collect Global Positioning System (GPS) signals for research purposes.” It comes as no surprise she favored STEM classes while she was a student at Dana Hall. “I took all the math and science classes Dana had offered and then some,” Lukito said. “My teachers at Dana were my biggest supporters. They challenged me to do more and think outside the box.” That encouragement helped her pursue a career in a field typically dominated by men.
“ Never stay in your comfort zone. The moment you stay in your comfort zone, you stop learning.” – Jeannette Lukito
In her 13 years with the company, Lukito has moved through the ranks, starting as an application support engineer, working as a trainer, moving into senior engineering positions and eventually leading a customer support team. “I have always enjoyed working with our customers and learning about the innovative things our customers do with our tools,” she said. “I’ve worked with customers that were developing the next generation of combat aircrafts as well as a company that designed a next-generation smart cloud-controlled coffee machine.” Lukito encourages young women to push themselves—not just in school, but in all aspects of their lives. “Never stay in your comfort zone,” she advised. “The moment you stay in your comfort zone, you stop learning.” She also emphasized the important learning that can happen outside of the classroom. “Look for opportunity to learn everywhere, even beyond what Dana has to offer. If Dana doesn’t offer it, change it: propose new ideas and reach out to your teachers.” And those AP classes? “Yes, they are worth taking. It will get you a head start when you get to college.” Winter 2018
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Spotlight on Alumnae in
Scientific Fields The Veterinarian Tai Casagrande ’98 performs an echocardiogram.
When a dog or cat is suspected of having heart disease, Tai Casagrande ’98 could be the veterinary cardiologist who is called into action. She owns Casagrande Cardiology PLLC, a mobile cardiology business that services 36 veterinary clinics in Greater Boston, the North Shore, western Massachusetts and Connecticut. The main services she provides are consultations, echocardiograms and electrocardiograms. Casagrande received a bachelor’s in biology from Cornell University, spending her summers working as a kennel attendant and a radiology technician at Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain. In the year prior to veterinary school she worked in Angell’s critical care unit, assisted an equine veterinarian, and volunteered for the MSPCA at Nevins Farm. She attended the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island, where she earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine, and then completed an internship in medicine and surgery in Chicago and her cardiology residency at the University of Wisconsin. After passing her board examinations, Casagrande was awarded her diplomate status in the specialty of cardiology from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
“ I am very proud that I am now solidly standing on my own two feet and that my venture has turned into a success.” – Tai Casagrande
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Casagrande was the in-house cardiologist for two practices for several years before she started her mobile business in February 2016. In April 2017, she began working for herself full-time. Starting her own business is a point of personal pride for Casagrande, as she began growing her business while working full-time in another state. “My life was pretty hectic!” she said. “Every time I completed one item on my to-do list, several more items popped up. I am very proud that I am now solidly standing on my own two feet and that my venture has turned into a success. Being my own boss has led to more time spent with friends and family, more sleep and also more income.” When asked what helped to first set her down this career path, Casagrande said “The animal project in Mrs. Samuels’ 7th grade class at Dana Hall certainly didn’t hurt.” The support and encouragement she received from Dana teachers over the years played a big role in making her who she is today. “Were it not for the plethora of extracurricular activities that I was constantly involved in at Dana—sports, student government and clubs—I would not have mastered the art of multitasking. I’m positive I would not be as successful as I am today without this important skill.” She encourages anyone interested in veterinary medicine to start working with animals now, as all applicants to veterinary school share a love of animals, so they need ways to set themselves apart. Casagrande highly recommends research experience, which can be acquired in an undergraduate program. She also says to ignore the naysayers, and recounts the story of a college advisor who told her not to apply to veterinary school and claimed she would never get in. “You can do anything you set your mind to,” Casagrande said. “I have many veterinary colleagues who have persevered through multiple rejections and heartache to finally end up in the positions that they dreamed of being in. Know what you want, work hard and you can do it!”
Spotlight on Alumnae in
Scientific Fields The Environmental Scientist Judy Gilbert ’80
“ As a boarder at Dana I lived and learned with women from all over the world. As a result, I appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn about different cultures.” – Judy Gilbert
As a principal environmental scientist, Judy Gilbert ’80 manages soil and groundwater contamination assessment and remediation projects for oil and gas, mining and utility clients of GHD Pty Ltd., which provides engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services to the private and public sector. “I landed in this line of work after four years as a teacher – including a year and a half teaching at Dana Hall,” said Gilbert, who earned her BS in biology from the College of William Mary. “Since most of my work mates are either geologists, toxicologists and/or engineers, a lot of my professional responsibilities have been learned on the job. Thanks to my science background, I acquired the critical thinking skills that I use every day in my work. My report/document writing skills are a credit to my Liberal Arts background and its emphasis on writing.” She also acknowledges her great science teachers at Dana, who piqued her interest in the field and prepared her with a good foundation to begin her study of biology at William and Mary. Since February 2017, she has worked out of the Perth, Western Australia office, where her projects have primarily been at petroleum contaminated sites. Her team’s assessment activities involve collecting surface and subsurface soil, groundwater, surface water and soil vapor samples and working within the local, state or federal government regulatory framework to complete their studies. “We dig a lot of holes and collect a lot of samples, and with the data from those samples we write reports summarizing what we did, what we found and what impact it has on human health and the environment,” she explained. “If the results of our assessment are that human health and the environment will be negatively impacted by the contamination, we may recommend remediation activities, which can range from doing nothing (letting nature take its course) to excavating contaminated soil, treating contaminated groundwater, or engineering control measures to control exposure to the hazards.” Gilbert has been in this line of work for 29 years and is proud of her ability to manage and mentor younger staff, especially women who are new to the work force or to the company or who are pursuing growth or advanced degrees or career advancements. “To watch their careers progress to the point where they are mentoring others is great to see,” she said. Prior to her move to Perth, Gilbert worked out of the Emeryville, California office, and she is grateful for her current opportunity to work internationally and broaden her experience working with people from other cultures. With its close proximity to Asia and large immigrant population, Perth is a very diverse city. Gilbert is a member of the GHD’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which is working to help produce cultural changes in the gender, LGBTI and generational areas. “As a boarder at Dana I lived and learned with women from all over the world,” she noted. “As a result, I appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn about different cultures.” Gilbert is keenly aware that engineering and technology companies are realizing that to be successful and attract and keep high quality employees, they need to diversify their work force, which means they are looking to hire, retain and promote women. There are obstacles to this effort; the percentage of women in these disciplines is low (less than 20% of engineering students in the U.S. are women). “I would advise any student looking to get into science and engineering to start early with STEM classes and to find and take advantage of opportunities to volunteer, intern or work part time in the industry.” Winter 2018
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Spotlight on Alumnae in
Scientific Fields The Women’s Health Pioneer Ruth Blatt Merkatz ’56
“ I went to college at a time when women were expected to finish school with a ring on their finger. I wanted to keep my options open and have a meaningful career, in addition to having a family.” – Ruth Blatt Merkatz
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Ruth Blatt Merkatz ’56 is the director of clinical development for the Population Council’s Reproductive Health program, which is part of the Center for Biomedical Research based at Rockefeller University in New York City. She organizes and oversees large-scale clinical trials for reproductive health products as required for the regulatory review process, and she is leading teams that are developing new methods of contraception, HIV prevention and multipurpose technologies to prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS. “We’re working on methods that are safe and effective, but we also have to make sure these products are acceptable to women all over the world, so they will use them,” she said. Merkatz has traveled to India and countries in sub-Saharan Africa in support of her work to develop and introduce contraceptive methods and reduce high maternal mortality rates. The Population Council is the latest stop on a scientific career that has spanned decades. She began her career practicing nursing at the bedside of very sick patients, and then focused on women’s health. In 1991, she was recruited to the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. at the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “The medical community had not yet focused on the high risk of HIV for women,” she said. “There was nothing approved for treatment, so if you had HIV your only hope of survival was to get into a clinical trial. And women were blocked from entering those trials.” In 1993, Merkatz led the FDA team that changed that policy. In 1994, through a Congressional mandate, the FDA established its Office of Women’s Health, and Ruth was appointed the Office’s first Director. She helped shape its mission and establish its goals that remain in effect today, including expansion of research to ensure that women are included in all phases of clinical trials. “We need to understand how drugs and devices work in women, not just in men, to get the doses and treatment regimens right,” she explained. Merkatz came to Dana Hall from a small town, and her three years as a Dana student helped open her eyes to new possibilities. She was inspired to be a lifelong learner. Through her experiences in the classroom and other Dana activities where open dialogue, expression of ideas and collaboration were encouraged, she acquired skills that became instrumental in her work. Merkatz holds a BSN from Cornell University, an MSN from Case Western Reserve University, and a PhD from Adelphi University. “I went to college at a time when women were expected to finish school with a ring on their finger,” she said. “I wanted to keep my options open and have a meaningful career, in addition to having a family. I’m grateful that I could do both.”
Spotlight on Alumnae in
Scientific Fields The Genetic Counselor Kat Lafferty ’02
When Kat Lafferty ’02 tells people she is a Genetic Counselor, she often receives a confused expression in return. She turns those blank stares into opportunities to share why she is so passionate about her career. Lafferty works at Maine Medical Center, where she specializes in seeing patients with a personal or family history of cancer. “I extract a detailed personal and medical history from my patients to determine if they are at risk for inheriting a high-risk predisposition for developing cancer,” she explained. “If indicated, we will talk about genetic testing options and if testing is performed, I help patients understand the information from their testing results and how that information will be incorporated in their care. My patients and I may talk about tools that can be used for increased cancer screening or preventative interventions. Genetic testing is also being integrated into cancer treatment through personalized medicine, using targeted therapies to treat patients based on their genetic profile.” Lafferty also helps patients understand how genetic mutations are passed on and helps family members understand their risk and testing options. “Genetics and the testing technologies can seem like insolvable mysteries to some patients, and it’s my job to make that information understandable to people with a wide range of knowledge foundations and educational backgrounds. It is a lot of information for patients to take in, and I am there to help them navigate those complexities,” she said.
“ I am so thankful for all the women who blazed the path before me in careers in science and technology, and I hope that my path can help further the advances of the next generation.” – Kat Lafferty
The “counselor” part of Lafferty’s job title reflects the emotional and psychological impact of the information for patients and their families and the support she provides. Other genetic counselors may practice in a wide range of specialties, including pediatric and development disorders, prenatal clinics, cardiology, testing laboratories, research and public health. With the fast moving field of genetics and genetic testing, genetic counselors are at the forefront of how medical professionals use these new technologies to provide better, more personalized health care. She always felt a spark when learning about science and technology, but it was at Dana Hall that the spark turned into a fire. “I am thankful that I had smart and bold role models who mentored me in my education and exposed me to careers in science,” Lafferty said. “I often find myself in a meeting with experts in the various areas of biotechnology and genetics, when I realize I am one of few women in that room. The confidence that Dana has given me allowed me to excel in these situations, take initiative to achieve the goals I had and stick with my passions, even when it took me outside my comfort zone.” Lafferty studied Biology and Chemistry at St. Lawrence University. After working in several different medical settings, she finished her Master’s in Genetic Counseling at Boston University. In addition to the care she provides for patients at Maine Medical Center, she also works as liaison and educator to a hospital system that services all of Maine. “If I could look back at myself while I was walking the halls of the then brand new science building at Dana, I would give that young women a high five,” Lafferty said. “She asked questions, she followed her passions, and she experienced as many things as possible to find a career that suits both her mind and soul. My advice for others would be to do the same; challenge yourself to try different things and ask questions. As women, we may encounter people who don’t think we can excel in science and technology careers, but my story and those of many other women can prove them wrong. I am so thankful for all the women who blazed the path before me in careers in science and technology, and I hope that my path can help further the advances of the next generation.” Winter 2018
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Meet the New Alumnae Council Alumnae Council Mission Statement: The purpose of the Dana Hall Alumnae Council shall be to serve, strengthen and promote the mission, needs and goals of Dana Hall School and foster a spirit of unity and loyalty across our global alumnae community.
The start of the 2017-18 school year saw a new Director of Alumnae Relations (Heather Glavin Yetman ’06, see page 31) and the launch of the new Alumnae Council. Evolving from the former Alumnae Association Board, the Council is the leadership group for the Dana Alumnae Association, which is comprised of every Dana Hall alumna.
The Council held its first meeting in late September, where officers (see below) discussed goals and established subcommittees. The Council is focused on • increasing the alumnae volunteer base both in terms of involvement and giving; • promoting pride and loyalty among both current students and alumnae; • enriching the quality of the institution and lives of all its members. Subcommittees are focused on Fundraising, Engagement and Communications. The second on-campus meeting was held on January 10 (after the Bulletin went to press), but committee work is continuing throughout the year. “We certainly want alumnae thoughts, ideas and input. This is very much a working, developing committee and we want your voice,” said Council President Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22. If you have feedback for the Alumnae Council or would like to get involved, please contact Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 at heather.yetman@danahall.org.
ALUMNAE COUNCIL OFFICERS
Council bylaws require officers to serve up to two, two-year terms.
Eleanor (Lee) Ferguson Frechette ’81
Lisa Aronson Altman ’78
Carey Blackwell Bloomfield ’66
Meredith Caruso ’02
Lisabeth Jorgensen ’98
Lisa Lopez ’86
Guida Estrela Mattison ’98
Allison McPartland ’09
Rachel Bebchick Naggar ’92
Manon Palandjian ’09
Nicole Suen ’08
Ariann Williams ’08
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Eleanor (Lee) Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22 Council President, Wellesley, Mass. Lee attended Dana Hall with her sister Jennifer Ferguson Letowt ’83. She is a Dana Hall Trustee and has been an active member of both the Alumnae Board and the Parents’ Association. She has planned several Boston-area alumnae holiday parties and played an integral role in She Sails 2012, 2013 and 2015. “I am continually impressed and awed by the wealth and breadth of opportunities that Dana Hall provides for its students and faculty,” she said. “Dana’s dedicated faculty members not only teach the girls the academic disciplines but also teach them to be compassionate, moral citizens of the world. By working with the alumnae community, I hope to uphold, promote and sustain the mission and philosophy of Dana Hall, allowing future students the same educational and personal growth experiences my sister, my daughters and I have had.” Lee works as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Tenacre Country Day School in Wellesley, where she has served on the Board of Trustees. She is a longtime supporter and volunteer at Rosie’s Place in Boston. Lee and her husband Peter have two daughters, Abigail ’16 and Phoebe ’22. “As an alumna and a parent of a graduate I understand, appreciate and see the lasting effects of the Dana Hall experience, and I feel strongly that it is our responsibility to carry that forward, affording future girls the same possibilities.” Lisa Aronson Altman, ’78, P11, 16 South Natick, Mass. A longtime Dana volunteer and active member of the Parents’ Association, Lisa has served on countless event committees, including the annual Summer Kick-Off and bi-annual Parents’ Association gala. She also managed merchandise sales and ran the Snack Shack in the Shipley Center. “I love Dana, and keeping alumnae involved is very important to the wellbeing of the current and future Dana community,” she noted. “I hope that the Alumnae Council succeeds in reaching many alumnae and encouraging them to support Dana Hall in every way possible.” Lisa and her husband Mark have two daughters, Alexis ’11 and Madison ’16. “I love being with Dana alumnae. Sharing stories and memories is what keeps the Dana spirit alive. Arranging alumnae events is a terrific way to be involved.” Carey Blackwell Bloomfield ’66, G24, 25 Cambridge, Mass. Carey has been an active Dana alumna for many years. She was President of the Alumnae Association from 1985-1988, a member of the Board of Trustees from 1991-1997, a Corporator from 1997-2006, and was recently reelected to the Board of Trustees. She is the proud grandmother of Hannah Goodson ’24 and Mae Goodson ’25; her son, Eric Goodson, is a Dana faculty member. Carey is looking
forward to working with fellow Alumnae Council members to explore ways to increase alumnae engagement and to expand the base of alumnae donors. “My hope is that our Fundraising Committee can find creative new ways to show alumnae the critical difference their personal support makes to current students and how they can help to ensure Dana enjoys the highest possible reputation among girls’ schools,” she said. Carey is Senior Consulting Vice President at Grenzebach Glier + Associates (GG+A), providing fundraising counsel to non-profit organizations. Previously, she served as head of Advancement at Harvard Business School, Smith College and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Meredith Caruso ’02 Arlington, Mass. Meredith is currently an Assistant Director of the Harvard College Fund at Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked in the Dana Hall Advancement Office. “I have learned through my work in advancement at Dana and at Harvard that there is a small window of opportunity to engage with alumni/ae. Specifically, recent graduates and young alumnae live full lives that are productive and incredibly demanding,” said Meredith. “It is important that we address philanthropic needs with students prior to their graduation from Dana Hall and remain connected with them as young alumnae before their lives become too busy and before a disconnect with the school sets in.” Meredith is grateful that she attended Dana Hall and seeks to actively participate in supporting its students, staff, faculty and alumnae. “I was inspired by alumnae who spoke on campus about their experiences at Dana and in their professional lives. As a Dana alumna, I now hope to inspire students to find the confidence and strength to succeed in the future and to give back to Dana Hall,” she said. Meredith was a member of the Young Alumnae Board and served as a Class Agent. Lisabeth Jorgensen ’98 Cambridge, Mass. Lisabeth is the Staff Attorney at a non-profit called the Public Utility Law Project. She joined the organization when residing in Albany, N.Y. but now works remotely from Cambridge, Massachusetts where she lives with her husband Steve and newborn, Grace. Since graduating from Dana, Lisabeth has served as a Class Agent and Girls Summer Leadership Program Professional Mentor. After living out of state for 18 years, Lisabeth is excited to return back to Massachusetts and reconnect with the Dana Hall community. Through her work on the Council’s Communications Committee, she is helping Dana Hall streamline its alumnae communication strategy. “We will focus on expanding and leveraging the school’s social media presence and developing context particularized to our diverse alumnae family,” Lisabeth said. “My hope is that Winter 2018
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Allison McPartland ’09 Boston, Mass.
through effective alumnae communications, we will strengthen our global community and transform Dana Hall into an important life-long resource for its graduates.” Lisa Lopez ’86 Cambria Heights, N.Y. Lisa is a registered nurse at South Nassau Communities Hospital, working in labor and delivery. In 2012, she participated in the inaugural She Sails conference, serving on the Women in Health and Medicine panel. She now continues her commitment to giving back to Dana Hall by joining the Alumnae Council. “I hope the Council inspires future alumnae to seek out opportunities to donate their time and resources to their home communities as well as the Dana community,” Lisa said. “I’m part of the Engagement Committee, because participating in Dana events is a way to network, meet up with old friends and make new ones. I think it’s great if we can organize an event that’s both fun and enriching.” Guida Estrela Mattison ’98 Stow, Mass. Guida is the Middle School Health and Wellness Teacher and Secondary School Placement Coordinator at the Nashoba Brooks School, located in Concord, Mass. Guida and her husband Scott have two children, Jack (6) and Scarlett (2). Guida worked at Dana Hall for 11 years in a variety of roles. In addition, she serves as Class Correspondent for her class and coordinates the Alumnae Professional Mentors for the Girls Summer Leadership Program (GSLP). Her interest in joining the Alumnae Council came out of her work with the GSLP. “Every summer I meet these amazing alumnae who are so excited to share their Dana Hall experiences with the GSLP participants,” she explained. “I spend a week reading (online) about all of the ways Dana Hall influenced them for the better. It reminds me of how much Dana Hall affected my own life for the better and how grateful I am for the opportunities I had there.” She hopes the Council energizes Dana Hall’s alumnae community to be involved with the school and with each other. Guida added, “I chose to be part of the Engagement Committee because I want to connect with more incredible women with incredible stories that all share the common thread of Dana Hall.” 30
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“We all have so many great memories from Dana and are bonded by the traditions we all went through,” said Allison. “It’s important to build new memories with other Dana alumnae that will bring us all back to the community that not only introduced us, but helped mold us as teenagers and young adults.” Allison is the Category Manager for Lighting at Wayfair. She joined the Council because she believes Dana Hall helped shape who she is today, and is eager to reconnect with other alumnae in the Boston area and engage with current students. “As a Council, I hope we increase alumnae engagement and improve the sense of community among alumnae after they leave Dana.” Rachel Bebchick Naggar ’92 Livingston, N.J. Rachel is the Director of Communications at Kent Place School, located in Summit, N.J. She and her husband Eric have two children, Mia (11) and Gabriel (8). Rachel has been an active Dana Hall alumna since graduation, serving as Class Correspondent, Reunion Chair, Class Agent, Girls Summer Leadership Program Professional Mentor and a member of previous Alumnae Boards, so rejoining for her was an easy decision. Her hope for the Alumnae Council is to work with a diverse group of women in partnership with the school to connect, celebrate and reengage alumnae through creative communications, events and fundraising. “The key to figuring out what type of communications is important to alumnae and then how best to showcase it is a major interest of mine,” Rachel said. “I am looking forward to working on that challenge with the Communications Subcommittee.” Manon Palandjian ’09 Boston, Mass. Manon loved her Dana Hall experience, and she was thrilled to see both her sisters (Margot ’14 and Madelon ’17) feel the same way about their seven years at Dana. “We are so thankful for the education, friendships and opportunities Dana gave to us, and I wanted to find a way to give back and encourage similar experiences for others,” Manon said. She hopes the Council can inspire alumnae of all ages to continue their relationship with the school, their classmates and other alumnae. “I want to show all fellow alumnae that it can be exciting to stay engaged with the Dana community for so many different reasons,” she said. “I hope the Engagement Committee and Council are able to reinvigorate a sense of school pride and give alumnae the opportunity to continue their school spirit.” Manon is the Director, Marketing & Communications for Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation; in that role she has supervised several Dana Hall seniors working on their Senior Projects.
Nicole Suen ’08 London, United Kingdom Nicole is from Hong Kong, but currently lives in London where she is pursuing her MBA at Imperial College Business School. She was one of three Suen sisters to attend Dana Hall, along with Chloe ’00 and Lesley ’10. “I joined the Council to give back to Dana Hall, bring alumnae closer together and engage with other alumnae,” she said. Ariann Williams ’08 Winchendon, Mass. “Dana Hall was instrumental in my success,” said Ariann. “It’s important to speak on that, promote that, and consistently contribute to the School’s long term success. Not just for current students, but for our daughters, and their daughters after that. Dana was vital in my personal story. When I reflect on where I started, it becomes more and more important for me to contribute to the people and places that helped me get to where I am today.” Ariann is currently Manager, Community Engagement at the Boston Celtics, and she brings her expertise in philanthropy to the Council’s Fundraising Committee. “Women for generations to come should have access to all that Dana Hall is – empowerment, leadership, integrity, diversity and overall excellence,” she explained. “We can’t foster excellence in our students if we don’t bring in excellence among our faculty and staff. Having the financial freedom to bring in and retain who we need is critical to the students’ and school’s success.”
Message from the
Director of Alumnae Relations As an end to ender at Dana Hall, this place was truly a second home for me for seven years, and I am experiencing that same familiarity now as an alumna and employee. I don’t just get that feeling of being home because there is free lunch every day, but because of all the familiar faces I see on campus and for the immediate friendships I make with my fellow silver sisters. Since my return in August, I have felt a sense of family throughout our community, whether it be the common bond with alumnae or catching up with my former teachers. I feel the spirit of Amor Caritas wherever I go. I am one of three Glavin sisters who went through Dana Hall, and each one of us has had a very different path in life and succeeded here in different ways. My older sister, Katy Glavin Moss ’03, was extremely focused and was pushed academically at Dana in ways she may not have been at another school. I am the middle sister and found that I thrived at being a leader, blossoming as a peer educator, editor of the yearbook and captain of the varsity field hockey team. Dana never held me back from doing these extracurricular activities, but instead showed me how to manage them along with succeeding in academics. My younger sister, Aly Glavin ’10, enjoyed writing and became the editor of the Hallmanac her senior year. Three different foundations led each of us on a different path: Katy went on to receive a Master’s degree in Human Resources and is currently a recruiter for Ameriprise Financial Services. Aly is the owner and business manager of a kitchen and bath design and remodeling company, Pure Design Works. As for me, well you know what I am doing! I wanted to share this with you because it is an example of how three sisters from the same family all found our passions at Dana Hall and were encouraged to follow them while at school. This is what makes Dana Hall great. We can bring different backgrounds, talents, passions, cultures and all find out who we are while at Dana Hall. I am sure many of you can relate to being your own unique person at Dana and having mentors on campus encourage who you are and what you love to do rather than asking you to hide it. Dana faculty and administrators find out what makes each student tick and then helps her build her own story. I am excited about the opportunity to be here and get to know our wonderful alumnae population. I look forward to hearing your stories of how Dana impacted you and why you want to stay engaged with Dana. I hope to reconnect many of my silver sisters back to the school so they can be advocates for our students who are currently exploring their stories at Dana. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible as I am traveling or at local events. But please feel free to reach out to me and introduce yourself, I would love to hear from you.
Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 (right) with her sisters Katy Glavin Moss ’03 (left) and Aly Glavin ’10 (center)
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DANA HALL ON THE ROAD:
events
receptions
MARION, MASS.
Front row: Sally Bullard Steck ’69; Melissa Gallin ’92. Back row: Director of Advancement Julie Gray P07, 10; Laura Potsubay Pucher ’68; Wendie Franks Howland ’68; Suzy Hoagland Titus ’63; Head of School Katherine L. Bradley; Kiki Shirley Mitchell ’63; Lois Hinckley McCarthy ’59; Emily Frederick DiMaggio ’41, who hosted the event; Judith Young Flanders ’63 Editor’s note: We apologize to Nancy Dyer Mitton ’68, whose face is blocked in this photo.
OSTERVILLE, MASS.
Chris Smith Ehret ’57 and Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22
Director of Upper School Jessica Keimowitz; Maryfrances Galligan ’75, P16; Page Franson ’83
Jean Ferguson P81, 83, G16, 22; Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22; Head of School Katherine L. Bradley; Abby Frechette ’16; Jenny Ferguson Letowt ’83
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Carolyn Harris ’61 and Bobbie Quarles Harper ’47
Wendie Franks Howland ’68, Laura Potsubay Pucher ’68, Marilyn Benson Wiinikainen ’68
CURRENT PARENT ALUMNAE IN WELLESLEY, MASS.
Jen Mathews ’82, P18; Kathy Koumantzelis Copeland ’86, P18, 20, 23; Leah Morris ’84, P23; Kristen Erdlen Curtin ’86, P22, who hosted the event; Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22; Carrie Essex ’90, P22; Holly Essex Steiger ’87, P20. Back row: Heather Foley Adams ’89, P23; Elizabeth Record Svedlund ’90, P22
BHUTAN TRIP
In September, seven Dana Hall alumnae, along with their family and friends, traveled to the beautiful country of Bhutan for a six-day visit, led by Pamela Sexton ’60. During their trip, they visited with HRH Ashi Chimi Wangchuck ’98 and her husband, Dasho Sangay Wangchuck, at the royal residence. The group also hiked to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, enjoyed the Thimphu Tshechu festival and went white water rafting past one of the largest fortresses in Bhutan.
Don Chambers, Ian Campbell, Annie Pappas Hagerty ’98, Tyler Chambers, Jenny Bierce, James Hagerty, Jan Chernoff, Katie Hayes, Paula Guilfoyle, and Millard Lee about to begin their climb to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery
Paula Guilfoyle, Simmone Yang ’78, Iris Cashdan-Fishman, Pamela Sexton ’60, Isabel Wade, and Claudia Evans P00 visiting the largest outdoor Buddha in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital city
Edith Roca Lim ’66, Annie Pappas Hagerty ’98, Simmone Yang ’78, Amy Murphy ’80, HRH Ashi Chimi Wangchuck ’98, Pamela Sexton ’60, Wendy Higgins Chambers ’80, Claudia Evans P00, Andrea Higgins Bierce ’70
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DANA HALL ON THE ROAD:
events
receptions
ADMISSION OFFICE TRAVELS IN ASIA
Beijing: Jiang Lai P20, Xinjing Dai P20, Yujuan Guo P21, Min Wu P19, Shuxia Zhang P18, 21, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles, Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Jiale Han P21, Zhen Shi P21, ZhiWei Zhang P21
Shanghai: Wenqing Xue P19, XiaoJin
Bangkok: Patcharin Itipat P20, Attapol
Bangkok: Director of Enrollment
Singapore: Fol Long Lye P21, Director
Singapore: Associate Director of
Hong Kong: Wei Ying Lin ’00,
Zhu P18, Jiaping Wang P20, Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles, Jianyun He P20, Jing Wu P19, Minda Cai P19, Hongyu Zhou P21
of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles, Yan Xin P21
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Winter 2018
Vijitkasemkij P20, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles, Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Nintira Sophonpanich P19, Sukulaya Uahwatanasakul P19, Jinapak Petchluechai P21, Anupon Likitpurkpaisan P21, Suparp Jarrunpattana P18
Admission Amanda Miles, Minji Dyer ’91, Zoe Stanley-Lockman ’10, Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown
Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Pink Chutrakul ’11, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles
Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Angela Brown, Chloe Suen ’00, Associate Director of Admission Amanda Miles
DANA HALL ON THE ROAD:
events
receptions
NEW CAANAN, CT.
Front row: Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77, Nancy Goodrich McGraw ’67, Dana Leavy Langham ’77, Irene Ball Barrack ’50, Dana Cole ’73, Cathie Crawford Pike ’55. Back row: Head of School Katherine L. Bradley, Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06, Kimberly Rossetter Higgins ’73, Sally Devens Ciancarelli ’62, Linda Carpenter Leavitt ’64, Jennifer Adams Knebel ’78 P11, 13, Kate Hirsch Koller ’74
KINGSTON, JAMAICA
Save the Dates: • March 10: Equestrian competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla. • March: Boston networking event • March: Alumnae family event at Dana Hall • April: Boston paint night • April: New York City alumnae gathering • June 1: Class of 2018 brunch with alumnae
Associate Director of Admission Liz Connelly, Laura Henzell ’96, Laura Chandley P21
Please check the alumnae events calendar on www.danahall.org/alumnae for more events and details.
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DANA HALL ON THE ROAD:
events
receptions
BOSTON HOLIDAY PARTY
Former Academic Dean Nancy Rich, Kaitlin Barry Pellerin ’02, Courtney Tipping ’02
Associate Director of Special Events and Parent Programs Kari McPartland P09, Allison McPartland ’09, Brooke Lanigan ’11, Assistant Head of School Rob Mather P24
Alumnae Council members Allison McPartland ’09, Ariann Williams ’08, Lisa Lopez ’86, Carey Blackwell Bloomfield ’66, Meredith Caruso ’02, Lisa Aronson Altman ’78, P11, 16, Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06
Front row: Heidi Shenker ’90, Louisa Stephens ’97, Ethan Bissett. Back row: Rob Bedard and Kristin O’Donnell Bedard ’97
Director of Athletics, Health and Wellness John Suby, Krissy Taft ’10, Bella Boutet ’10
Aris Margosian ’13, Hayley White ’12, Taylor Kelley ’13, Annie Killelea ’13, former Academic Dean Nancy Rich
Alexis Altman ’11, Lisa Aronson Altman ’78, P11, 16, Lizzie Mullen ’11
Heather Rosefsky ’96, Shipra Palriwala ’96, Kristin O’Donnell Bedard ’97
Atiyyah Sabir ’10 and Alena Horton ’09
Annie Killelea ’13, Taylor Kelley ’13, Tina Gross Kruczynski ’82, Lexi Gross ’88
Leslie Stecker Dumont ’74 and Sarah Dumont ’13
Mary Gannett Crowell ’76 and Diane Furman Ross ’76
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Winter 2018
A Meaningful Gift When Emily Cohen ’02 arrived at Dana Hall as a new day student her freshman year, she was decidedly shy, but found comfort in all the new faces who were in the same boat and made friends easily. She was encouraged by her teachers, who brought out the best in all of them. “I had amazing teachers who really knew how to engage students and inspire a community of learning,” she said. “It was a warm environment, where girls were encouraged to ask questions and not be intimidated, especially by the STEM subjects. We were encouraged to go for it.” Her success at Dana was the first step of her academic journey. She eventually earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Connecticut College, and started to pursue a graduate degree in biochemistry at Yale University. During her first year of graduate school, she lost her father, and upon further reflection after having lost her mother to breast cancer during college, she decided she wanted to pursue more translational research. After working as a research technician for two years, she reapplied to a different PhD track at Yale and joined a molecular genetics research lab. After earning her degree, she landed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, where she is studying the mechanisms of how breast cancer cells develop resistance to current therapies with the ultimate goal of designing better and more efficient therapies. Emily has always been generous with her time and is committed to supporting her alma mater. She annually supervises a Dana Hall senior who completes a Senior Project in her lab, and she welcomes 8th graders who visit her there during Career Day. Heeding the advice of financial planners she works with, Emily turned her earlier tragedies into an opportunity to support Dana Hall in a very meaningful way. “Because I had funds from my father’s estate, I was advised to create a trust for myself, and I had to determine the trust’s beneficiaries. I have a small family, so I designated Dana Hall as one of the beneficiaries,” she explained. “Despite some major tragedies, I am glad I am able to give back to the school that was so amazing for me,” Emily said. “It continues to be a special place, with innovative programs, where girls can explore, be themselves, and reach for their goals and dreams. I hope I can inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences, and I hope I can inspire other alums to support Dana Hall philanthropically and join the Helen Temple Cooke Society.”
You can join Emily Cohen ’02 as a member of the Helen Temple Cooke Society. It is as simple as naming Dana Hall School as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan. For more information about Dana Hall’s planned giving opportunities, please contact Anne Richter, Director of Leadership and Planned Gifts, at anne.richter@danahall.org or (781) 489-1368. Winter 2018
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Class Notes Correspondents are needed for the following classes: 1941, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1966, 1990, 1991, 2015, 2016, and 2017. If you are interested in being a correspondent for your class, please contact Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 at heather.yetman@danahall.org or (781) 489-1369 to learn more. Being a Class Correspondent is a wonderful way to keep in touch with your classmates and help share news and announcements with the Dana Hall community. Please share your news with your Class Correspondent by April 9, 2018, for inclusion in the next issue of the Bulletin. If your class does not have a correspondent, please email your notes to bulletin@danahall.org or mail them to Class Notes, Alumnae Relations, Dana Hall School, 45 Dana Rd., Wellesley, MA 02482. All notes are due to the Alumnae Relations Office no later than April 30, 2018. Photograph submissions are welcome; however, in order to run a photo, it must be high resolution. That is, it must be at least 300 dpi at a 4x6 inch print size. If it takes up more than 1 MB of memory, it is probably high enough resolution. Please do not embed pictures in text. Please note Dana Hall reserves the right to edit, format and select all materials for publication to accommodate news from nine decades of classes. This includes photos that do not appear because of their small size or low resolution. Due to the long lead time for the Bulletin, we refrain from publishing news about pregnancies.
Class of 1939 Enid White Holmes 160 Kendal Dr. Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 463-6033
Class of 1940 Marian Selden Gagliardi 48 Greenleaf Dr. Delmar, NY 12054
Class of 1941 Correspondent needed Read about the passing of Katherine (Kay) Reese Peebles in the Class of 1965 notes.
Class of 1942
Nancy Erickson Murphy and her 99-year-old husband Cal are still enjoying life in Sequim, Wash. They are kept busy by their six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Marie Williams Petersen’s daughter Sherry has been entertaining her at Whispering Palms by reading a friend’s tales from British archives. Sounds interesting! Marie and I (Jackie Hope O’Leary) were dear friends at Dana and still enjoy our phone conversations remembering our Dana days. Elizabeth (Betsy) Wortley Lewis and I (Jackie) attended our 70th Smith reunion in May. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and our caregivers also seemed to have a wonderful weekend. It is true that at reunions the years just fall away. Betsy and I were excited to hear that the Class of 2017 is sending three Dana girls to become our ‘Smith sisters.’ Jackie Hope O’Leary and Betsy Wortley Lewis celebrating their 70th reunion at Smith College
Correspondent needed
Class of 1943 Jacqueline (Jackie) Hope O’Leary G08 10 Longwood Dr. Westwood, MA 02090 (781) 329-8426 jaol950@gmail.com Christine (Kiki) Benedict Garo and her husband were to visit Barcelona and Costa Brava in June, but were unable to go because of their sick dog that passed away in July. They now have a wonderful cocker spaniel as their new pet. The Garos will spend the winter in South Carolina as usual. Norma Jean Edgehill Fleming’s sons visit her often at Newfield House in Plymouth, Mass.
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Winter 2018
Class of 1944 Patricia Dunham Oburchay 222A Shoshoni Ln. Stratford, CT 06614 (203) 383-4349
Class of 1945 Correspondent needed
Class of 1946 Linn Kneller Mix P89, G20 24 Atwood St. Wellesley, MA 02482-6030 (781) 237-0205 LTMix@msn.com
Class of 1947 Barbara (Bobbie) Quarles Harper 4436 Westover Pl. NW Washington, DC 20016 (202) 244-1571 harperbq@gmail.com Our Last Hurrah at Dana in early October was a resounding success. Though few attended our 70th Reunion, enthusiasm was high in recalling the glories of the past and discovering the vibrancy of the school’s present.
Sally Cummings Goodrich, Neva Baine Murphy, Bobbie Quarles Harper, Ann Learnard Bowman and Patricia Rich Brace at their 70th Reunion
For 40 years, Joan Trenchard French has been the manager of a family farm in Peoria, Ill. She and her three sons oversee
1,800 acres of corn and soybeans that have been in her family since 1854. Trish had open-heart surgery last March. Despite still being on oxygen, she is now leading an active life of driving, exercise class and social activities. A recent thrill was riding a technically advanced combine through their cornfields. Though unable to attend Reunion, Sally Patrick Johnson is famous for writing a highly amusing tale of the late—almost too late—arrival of the ’47 class yearbooks. She is living in a retirement community in Shelburne, Vt. Though not up to distant travel, she still drives around town. Three grandsons who are recent college graduates are living in Boston, to Sally’s consternation (the Vermonter that she is). Ann Louise Schultz Strong was for many years a professor of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania. She is now a resident of Beaumont Retirement Community in Bryn Mawr, Pa., where she has been chairman of the Growth Committee. She lost her husband several years ago but has one son and family in another Philadelphia suburb. Her other son is in the oil and gas business and was recently living in Canada. There have been no horses in her life for 20 years. Can you beat this record? Sandra (Sandy) Cooper Ulein lives in Litchfield, Conn., with her husband of 67 years. They have nine grandchildren and 10 greats who live in London, California, New York City and Connecticut. Cornelia (Connie) Ripley Yohr’s husband of nearly 55 years of marriage died in September following a brief time in hospice. She is living in a Quaker retirement community in Newberg, Ore., that is giving her great support. Two nieces of Bob’s live nearby and are the reason the Yohrs moved from their beloved California to Oregon. Connie has two nieces, but unfortunately, they live in Tucson and Chicago, both distances from Oregon. Nancy Dowse Humiston was excited about coming to our 70th Reunion but realized she shouldn’t be away from home for those few days. The past two years have been very difficult ones for her. After a lengthy rehabilitation period, one of her sons has been diagnosed with that insidious disease, ALS. In addition, she has a daughter living with her whose 18-monthold son has needed 24-hour care since birth. On a brighter side, Nancy is quite well and active, but deserves our concern and sympathy.
I (Bobbie Quarles Harper), your Class Correspondent, have had a banner year. Four graduations of grandchildren (Duke, Wake Forest, University of Maryland and Harvard Law) challenged my stamina. Even more exciting was the birth of my second great-grandson. A girl would be nice. A trip of two weeks in western Ireland with a daughter was a highlight. My life is too full of good deeds: Dana, Smith fundraising, tutoring in a local elementary school and vice president of Friends of Canterbury Cathedral in the U.S. My pleasures include tennis, bridge and music concerts, and summers at our family house on Cape Cod. Keeping busy doesn’t stop the aging but it does make it fun.
Class of 1948 Collette (Tookie) Johnson Taylor 20252 Millbrook Dr Abingdon, VA 24211-6868 (207) 967-2352
Class of 1949 Virginia (Ginger) O’Hearn Broadbent P81 88 Notch Hill Rd., Apt. 157 North Branford, CT 06471 (203) 208-1475 virginiabroadbent@frontier.com Dear ’49ers, I (Ginger O’Hearn Broadbent) am happy to say I see Maizi May Donald when I visit my daughter, SusanMary Broadbent Redinger ’81, in Harvard, Mass. When I go to the UU church on Sunday with her family, Maizi is always there, sitting in the front row looking very chic in her hat. She is quite excited about Katherine L. Bradley, our new Head of School—as am I. I think I have already mentioned to you that Joan Felton Cross, Nina Heald Webber, Louise Berke Wulff and I (Ginger) went to Dana to have lunch with Katherine and a delightful visit with her. She is charming and very excited to be at the school. Betsy Webster Rockett writes, “I have moved to a different senior living facility to be more convenient to my daughter and my doctors. My main activities here are mahjong, which I love, and our exercise classes, which I badly need. Crossword puzzles keep my mind up to speed, and hearing the life stories of the people I live with is a constant source of pleasure. As the grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of six, I thoroughly enjoy seeing all these kids grow, learn new skills and find their place in the world. Life is good and I’m loving every minute of it.”
Sarah (Sally) Hartley Sneve writes, “I had to place Peter in a memory care unit in May as he was getting to be too much for me. At least my doctor thought so. Then, in June, after a winter and spring of bad hip pain, I had a total hip replacement on my right hip. Suddenly, no pain. It is marvelous. I am going to try to hit some tennis balls with the ball machine. Would love to get back to the game. Peter is doing okay. He wants to come home every once in a while, but otherwise he’s fitting in. Terrible way for a highly intelligent person to end a life. We just had our 65th anniversary last week.” Sally, I am sorry to hear about Peter, but happy to hear about you new hip. Jennifer (Jenna) Hardy Speer writes, “I never attempt this without thinking of English class with Miss Newton! I’ll try to do this without my usual run-on sentences and dangling participles that used to drive her nuts! With any luck, Miss Newton won’t be reading this!” Jenna wrote about her four-week trip in August and September “that could be called a progressive family reunion. It started with flying to Indiana to join my younger son, Jim, and family in Terre Haute. Chuck and family came over from Maine in their camper and joined us for three days so the three grandkids (5, 5 and 7) got to play together. I went back to Maine in the camper with Chuck’s family and spent about two weeks there with an interim visit where four of us who worked together in Sweden 59 years ago got together (with husbands) at Priscilla (P.K.) Kelley Sadler’s beautiful place in Camden, Maine. It was great to see everyone. Lotten, Catharina and I did all the meal planning and cooking to make it easier on P.K. and we had a great time. Then I flew to North Carolina to celebrate my younger brother’s 85th birthday in Chapel Hill and my older brother’s 90th birthday in Hendersonville. A few nieces and nephews joined us for various celebrations. All in all it was a blast, if exhausting! Now back to normal with exercise classes and gardening, but hiking… not so much now. Life is good!” Jenna very nicely gave me an update on P.K. and husband John. Jenna said that P.K. and John spent last winter in Camden, Maine (not Florida) as they sold John’s family house in Ponte Vedra, Fla. However, they still have their apartment in Val d’lsere, France. Gloria Mason White would love to have classmates visit her in her over-55 Tiverton, R.I., home at Villages on the Bay
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(Mt. Hope Bay). She is happy to be back in the east and sends her “best to you all.”
of 1949 and sends us all her love. Caroline, we miss you, too!
I have enjoyed my phone calls with the following classmates: Emmy Eckart Ogden continues to be busy and happy. Each time we chat we are reminded of our roommate days at Dana with Debby Phillips and Ruthie Daniels Metcalf. We manage to have lots of laughs. Which also reminds me of my chats with Roberta (Bobbie) Brown Mosher. She and Charlie are enjoying life at Edgehill Retirement Community in Stamford, Conn., visiting their children and grandchildren, and vacationing at Keysar Lake, Maine, in the summer.
I (Ginger) am busy and enjoying life at Evergreen Woods. Many delightful friends and much to do, I enjoy chairing our Employee Scholarship Committee, which awards scholarships twice a year for college. I have enjoyed hearing from you and I thank those of you who have expressed your thanks for keeping up with the news of our class. I miss hearing from the rest of you and hope more of you will respond in the spring.
I caught Deborah (Debby) Phillips putting her outdoor furniture away for the winter. She is still living in Woodstock, Vt., and spending some time in Canada in the summer. Debby had just returned from a reunion in Boston with five of her friends who lived together while working there, and a family reunion at which three generations were represented.
Nina Heald Webber is pictured at the opening reception of The Webber Souvenir Collection at Falmouth Museums on the Green. The exhibit features a sample of her vast Falmouth souvenir collection, which she has donated to the museum. See 1958 for more details. Nina Heald Webber (photo by Sarah E. Murphy)
When I called Norma (Billie) Fisher, she and a friend were in the middle of planning their trip to the Grand Canyon and surroundings this spring. Nancy Redway Ford lives at Essex Meadows in Essex, Conn., not far from where I live. She is on the board at Essex Meadows, which keeps her busy, along with her work for PEO, a philanthropic organization of women. Sarah Spencer Ward, who is still living in Winter Park, Fla., is fine and feels so fortunate to have her five children living nearby. I had a lovely chat with Caroline Erisman P11, H49, 16, our honorary class member and former head of school at Dana Hall. She is currently the head of a private day school for girls in grades 4–8 in New York City where she lives with her husband, John. The school is 25 years old and enrolls 100 girls who live at or below the poverty level. Caroline says the girls are “inspiring and so appreciative.” The school follows them from the time they enter the school to when they graduate from college and are employed. Two of her students have been accepted by Dana Hall. Part of Caroline’s responsibilities are fundraising, at which she is a master. She and John and two children were planning a trip to Spain for Christmas to visit their third child who is working there. Caroline misses the Class
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“You are a Dana student in the late 1940s and are looking forward with anticipation to the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, the Riding Meet will take place, held jointly with Tenacre Country Day School and Pine Minor Junior College (which is part of your campus). An expert will travel to Wellesley from Cranston, R.I., to judge the walk, trot, canter and jump entrants; the Riding Department staff will award winners the Dana Hall School Challenge Cup and the Grand Champion Trophy. “Another Saturday night will find you in Bardwell Auditorium to enjoy a student performance of the Gershwins’ 1931 Pulitzer-prize winning operetta, Of Thee I Sing. Characters, both male and female, are played by Dana girls. As the first act opens, it is an election year and larger-than-life newspaper magnate Matthew Arnold Fulton (played by Cynthia, who even saved Matthew’s rubber cigar for 65 years) hatches a scheme to promote his party’s lackluster candidate. He proposes a platform that ‘everybody’s interested in’—love. A 1949 dance card
Class of 1950 Correspondent needed The late Cynthia Speare Zervas’s sisters, Jean Speare Canellos ’53 and Diane Speare Triant ’64, recently donated some of Cynthia’s school memorabilia to the Dana Hall Archives. Diane then wrote a story depicting life at Dana in the 1940s based on these items. Cynthia Speare Zervas
“Senior year arrives and you issue your beau an invitation from Mr. and Mrs. George G. Johnston (your headmistress) and the senior class to Stardust, the 1950 Senior Class Prom. The ‘boys arrive’ at 6 p.m. Friday and a whole weekend of events includes an informal supper dance at the Wellesley Inn on Friday night; a picnic, play, dinner and the prom with midnight snack on Saturday night; and breakfast and worship on Sunday, after which the ‘boys leave’ at 4 p.m. The program lists the names of prom dates and their schools, including Harvard, Dartmouth and Yale Medical School. Although your prom date will claim many of the dances, you are still provided a dance card on which you will assign each of the 16 dances to a specific partner. The cost of the weekend? Forty cents. “In the blink of an eye, it’s the Sunday of Commencement. The senior chorus performs; a reverend from Hannibal, Mo., gives the address; your diploma is awarded;
and your Dana Hall journey ends with a full heart as you join in singing the timeless stanzas from William Blake’s Jerusalem: ‘And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England’s mountains green?’”
Class of 1951 Correspondent needed
Class of 1952 Correspondent needed
Class of 1953 Juliet (Bami) Bourne Sherwood 175 S. Corona St. Denver, CO 80209 (303) 282-9077 coloradojule@gmail.com In February 2017, I received a handwritten note from Judith (Judy) Kaufmann Robinson which included an obituary from The Boston Globe. Marion (Bunny) Bigelow Bianchi, of Chestnut Hill, passed away on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. Born in 1935 to Marion K. Bigelow and David Hardwick Bigelow, she was married to Philip Wilkes Bianchi, who predeceased her. She is survived by her sisters Dorothy Robbins and Mary Danner; two step-daughters, Elizabeth and Felicia Bianchi; a niece and many nephews. She was a member of the Chilton Club and The Country Club. She was very active in the community: the Chickering Board, the M.F.A., the Colonial Dames, the Emory Bag, the Fragments, Gore Place and Speculating Squirrels. Judy added that after Dana, Bunny graduated from Vassar and taught English at The Winsor School. She loved to travel (especially to France) and had visited Judy in Florida during the winter of 2016. “A dear friend, I am missing her,” she wrote. Judy noted that she was surprised this news hadn’t been reported in the Bulletin, which leads me to advise you all that my only source of news is YOU. I (Bami Bourne Sherwood) have no direct line on news from other sources. I rely on you and appreciate your contributions. Judy says that despite constantly adjusting to losing loved ones, “life is good!” She travels between Dedham and Newton, Mass., where her sons live, and Brooklyn, N.Y., where her daughter is for the school year, and Belvedere, Calif., where her
daughter is for vacations. Judy still lives in Palm Beach, Fla., where winter always brings many friends. “This has been an eventful couple of months and I’m happy to report that things are looking better,” writes Anne Whitaker Eaton. Anne’s husband Fred had a heart attack on Labor Day but was home by the end of the week and able to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary two weeks later. “I am in awe of the extraordinary medical care he received, and so grateful for the kind attentions of family and friends,” continues Anne. They rented a Victorian mansion in New York state, where 16 of their family members gathered to help them celebrate over a long weekend. Two of their sons produced a delicious dinner and everyone else pitched in to make things run smoothly. Anne and Fred spent a large part of the weekend rocking on the porch and watching the others play yard games. “I feel very blessed to have been able to celebrate this milestone together,” Anne writes. She said they still love living in their little house in a village, walking with friends, going to concerts and performances in the area, and being part of church life. They travel to visit their four sons and their families, who live in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Jersey, and they’re often with them at home in Connecticut. “Life is still good. It looks like you, too, are enjoying this part of life. Aren’t we fortunate?” Indeed! Seven days and nights aboard the QM2 last summer was super, reports Martha Hinman Vaughn. “So much to do: gym, spa, walking, shows—never a dull moment. Black tie three nights, dancing and the grandchildren performed with karaoke. Loved the ship, staff and food. A great family trip and you’re in the middle of the Atlantic so no one can leave!” Martha writes. She and her husband Arky had their Los Angeles gang at their home in Princeton for Christmas. They were in San Francisco in November for daughter Barbara’s photo show opening and then visited her brother there and in Carmel. Joan Phillips Eddy recently moved from Tucson, Ariz., to Marietta, Ga. She described the move as a nightmare. It took three weeks for her furniture to arrive whereas she and her niece Julie made it in three nights driving her car with her precious 10-year-old cockapoo Gracie. “When the furniture finally arrived with me having spent three weeks living out of a small suitcase at Julie’s, several pieces were damaged or broken along with things not
mine!” She’s settling into a very nice retirement community in Marietta called Winnwood, where she reports that the residents are all very friendly and there is much to do. “I am liking it very much, though it was a difficult decision to leave Arizona and all my friends after 22 years. However, time marches on!” Joan sends best wishes to all us Dana classmates and invites us to look her up if we might be in Atlanta, as Marietta is a suburb. Joan’s new address is 98 Whitlock Ave., #3307, Marietta, GA 30064. In October, Jean Speare Canellos wrote, “I thought I would share a meaningful but also unusually glamorous event my husband and I had the pleasure of attending in the fall. He was being honored, along with two other scientists, for his work in the field of cancer by a fine organization called the Hope Foundation for Cancer Research. The presentations were very formal and were held at two of the mansions in Newport. For a few days, we got a touch of life in that rarified environment, but of course found the most meaningful part to be meeting some of the young scientists supported by grants from the foundation and learning about their work.” Thanksgiving was in the Berkshires at the vacation home of one of their sons. “We felt blessed to have 19 of us there, including our three sons, daughter-in-law, only grandchild Clio (age 5), and the family of my sister, Diane Triant ’64.” Julie Brownell Wood writes that she and her husband are still living in Hobe Sound, Fla., and usually go to Europe each May to June. “Last year, we went to the southern part of the Black Forest in Germany where we were a half an hour from France. We played golf a couple of times—and not far from Basel, where we got lost, but did manage to have lunch at the Trois Rois, right on the Rhine. October 12 was our 60th anniversary, which we spent with our two children. We hope this spring to take another trip to Europe, if our health holds out. We spend our summers in Rhode Island, where we have gone forever. We rent a house now and found out the lady we rent it from went to Dana Hall as well, but 20 years after we were there!” “I am alive and well and happily single!” writes Mary Wheeler Mann. She was about to make her annual move from her cottage on Spofford Lake, N.H., back to her hometown of Brattleboro, Vt. She spent December and January in a shoreline rental in Delray Beach about 10 minutes from her younger daughter and her family.
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Her older daughter planned a visit there from Germany. Mary is back in Vermont from February on. She says she loves winter and still skis. She adds, “I miss my dear friends Rebecca (Becky) Torrey McCarthy and Suzanne (Sue) Morse Bauer.” As for me, I (Bami) am still teaching yoga (three classes per week) in Denver, playing my cello in the Denver Pops Orchestra and hanging out with my four adult kids (located in Denver, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles and Seattle) as often as possible. I also often see my six nearly adult granddaughters, one of whom (Graham, 19) has been living with me since January. It’s a joy to have her youthful energy in the house. I recently visited my brother in Kennewick, Wash., just an hour from Whitman College in Walla Walla, where granddaughter Isabella is a sophomore. We spent Family Weekend with her on the lovely Ivy League-ish campus. I spent a long weekend with one of my sons and daughter-in-law in a charming cabin on Whidbey Island, Wash., where we sat on the deck and watched the Pacific-bound ships plying the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We flew our kite at the annual kite festival, a real down-home, fun local event. The brewpubs were good, too. Joan Tipper Allison writes, “This fall, I was at my ‘camp’ in Maine where I spent a few days with my daughter, Susan (Susie) Allison ’84. We had a nice visit with Paula Protze Titon ’62, who attended Dana and also taught there.”
Susie Allison ’84, Joan Tipper Allison and Paula Protze Titon ’62
Class of 1954 Phoebe Cory 188 Jones Ave Portsmouth, NH 03801-5516 (603) 778-2875 feebcory@gmail.com Anne Pike Rugh 105 Pine St. Portland, ME 04102 asprugh@gmail.com This issue’s notes from our classmates have many references to friendship and travel, partly because I (Anne Pike Rugh) used Dana’s email list to get started while I was still in Europe, including the Dordogne region of France, checking up on old friends I made while living there in the 1960s. As I said in that email, “I am mostly visiting the friends I made 50-plus years ago when I lived in Munich, but I did spend last week in the Dordogne region of France—new for me—and simply wonderful. My three Scrabble friends and I rented a house. Ended each day with a game. Fun! My friends here? They are doing the same thing we are: downsizing and learning to live with limitations.” In October, Jane Lynch Pereira wrote, “My travel is now with WGBH’s Rick Steves. He just traveled the Dordogne region. How beautiful! I also watch his shows on areas where we have been. Italy was a favorite of mine and he has lots of shows about Italy. I belong to two book groups. One is in Marshfield and I’ve been a member for about 20 years now. The other group is here at The Village. I keep in touch with friends from the town where I grew up and from various places where we have lived. Life here is quiet and relaxed. There are many things to do also. Yesterday we heard about American Treasures from the author, Steven Puleo. Very interesting. I had Thanksgiving here this year. My daughter, her husband and my granddaughter came from New Hampshire, and my cousin came from Scituate. Small group but fun. Look forward to lots of news.” In August, Patty Sykes Treadwell and I had a long catch-up call. She and Dick had recently returned from a Yale reunion on the Elbe. Patty also told of a friend sending letters from 50 years ago. I told her everybody’s culling out! Eva Chittenden Patten writes, “I am feeling that friends we had back when are
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more and more important. Will really try to make the next Dana Reunion as I don’t have a board meeting that conflicts anymore. Duncan and I are fortunate so far and enjoying our lives in Bozeman. Big family time at our ranch in the summer and probably too many commitments in town: politics, my involvement with Lifelong Learning with Montana State University, and my hiking and cross-country skiing friends. We have gone from A team to B team to C team. I accompanied a 92-yearold friend back to Smith last spring for her 70th reunion. It was truly inspiring to listen to their life stories and the importance of our school connections.” Edith (Didi) Kelley Manns and I (Anne) had a wonderful August overnight together at her cottage on Lake Megunticook in Camden, Maine. I admired her oxalis and she promptly gave me one. It’s thriving on my windowsill, a lovely reminder of the visit. Page Blackmore Oberlin is another classmate with a foothold in Maine. Just before she and her husband, Bruce Rummage, headed back south, we got together for dinner in Portland. We always laugh about how little we had in common in 1951 when we roomed next to each other in Sanborn. She calls me her “new old friend.” I (Anne) asked some of you about the effects of Hurricane Irma and got this from Lynn Jenkins Brown: “Between hurricanes Mathew and Irma in which we had 4 feet of tidal debris covering our backyard (not to mention a demolished dock and giant oak branches crushing our deck), it’s hard to ignore climate change! I hope others affected by the fall’s storms were as thankfully safe as we. Our two October evacuations took us to places in South Carolina we might never have explored. Hospitality as advertised, miles of red clay and peach orchards, abandoned towns once wealthy from agriculture, lovely thick drawls and lots of tasty barbecue—one of which you could cut with a knife and the other that simply fell off the bone. Our four kids are working hard in varied fields and our eight grandkids are successfully exploring life. Ric continues buying and selling antiques, giving us an excuse to travel and shop. Second-hand stores are my favorites. That’s where I find photographic ‘treasures’ for my collages and paintings. I can still haul myself up 22 steep steps to my studio, one of 14 in a funky old department store. The stairs and I both creak, but life is good.”
Martha Cook Hall assured me that her area of North Carolina was not affected by the hurricane. She and Bill celebrated their 57th anniversary recently, as well as his 87th birthday. They are still in Pinehurst (22 years), she writes, “but the main reasons we moved here are not in play anymore. Bill is no longer able to play golf because of a shoulder issue that cannot be fixed, and I had a bad fall from a horse that made me quit riding. We have a wonderful apartment in New York City at Lincoln Center, so we now spend quite a bit of time up there. Our son Bill, unmarried, lives in the city and it has been great to see him more often when we are there. I love having all of New York City to explore and enjoy. While in Pinehurst, I have begun to play the piano much more. Bill bought me a keyboard for the apartment, so practicing never has to stop. And I love discovering new music. I also write the program notes for the local chamber series and play some tennis. But I really miss riding. Our two girls are in California. Our youngest daughter was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer about a year ago. She lives in Burbank, Calif., and has had the best treatment at UCLA Medical. Incidentally, she graduated from Berkeley some 30 years ago and was handed her diploma by Marnie Thomas Wood! But the tumors have shrunk significantly with chemo and she is feeling fine. She is not married and has handled all the stress admirably. Marfie, our middle daughter, is married and lives in San Luis Obispo, Calif. They met online 12 years ago and children are not in their lifestyle. So we don’t have grandchildren, but our children are all successful and relatively happy, which is all you can ask for. I would love to see any classmates either in Pinehurst, N.C., or New York City. Just email me at whall2@ nc.rr.com.” Marian (Marnie) Thomas Wood writes, “I had an especially nice summer. I was invited to teach a pedagogical workshop focusing on the Martha Graham Technique in Malaga, Spain, where I enjoyed wonderful days working at the conservatory there before going on to travel a bit to Granada and the south of Spain before heading home. I currently teach a special course at the Graham School in New York City based on reconstructing the exercises that Graham introduced early on in her career (1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s) that are no longer taught in the current classes, but give wonderful insight into her creative process as she developed her dancing ‘language.’ I also enjoy teaching at Adelphi University and SUNY Purchase as part of their dance
major programs preparing young dancers for careers in the field.” Beedy Tatlow Ritchie sent this: “Our big news was Laura Ritchie’s wedding to John McCoy on August 12, 2017, at St. Cross Episcopal Church in Hermosa Beach, Calif. Her two big brothers, Chad and Hank, walked her down the aisle. Her daughter AJ (2 1/2) was a flower girl. It was an exciting and wonderful occasion—a first wedding for Laura, age 46, and the first one for any of my children. Know everyone else is way ahead, but that’s ok. We spent the month of August in California caring for AJ while her mother and John honeymooned and then returned to our cottage in Traverse City, Mich., where we spend the summers. We left in the middle of October for our home in Palm Desert, Calif. Life is good!” Andrea Kniznick Waldstein sent a wonderful photo and these notes: “Vivienne Lee Tooman and I, along with our husbands Ron and Arthur, romped our way through historical Boston this past August. It was a long anticipated visit and we never stopped gabbing and laughing just as Vivienne and I would do long into the night when we were juniors in Rutland House. Our agenda included seeing Arthur on stage in Blood on the Snow (the day after the Boston Massacre) at the Old State House, a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art by water taxi from our wharf to see a fascinating and beautiful sculpture by Vivienne’s cousin Sarah Sze, lobster rolls at the picnic tables at the famous JP Hook’s on the waterfront, and best of all immersing ourselves in the deeply affectionate ties we had made at Dana. This was a glorious celebration!”
Vivienne Lee Tooman and Andrea Kniznick Waldstein in Boston
Susan Smith Pratt writes from Vermont where she is visiting her son. “Pollie Straw Thayer ’55 came to visit me here in Vermont with a mutual friend from Little Compton, R.I. Pollie lives in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it was fun to reconnect.”
Kathi Krygier Lewis responded with this sad note: “Thank you for thinking of me. It means a great deal to me to be remembered, especially at this sad time. I lost my beloved husband and best friend of 55 years in the fall. I don’t have the energy to write at this time, as I have so much to do regarding details. I’m sure you know how it is. There is such a soft place in my heart for all my Dana classmates.” I think Kathi and Eva and all the rest here would agree that our Dana friendships from that period in our lives were—and continue to be—perhaps Dana’s greatest gift. Thank you all for writing.
Class of 1955 Judith (Judy) Currier Braunfeld 401 Burwash Ave, Apt. 321 Savoy, IL 61874 (217) 398-4250 judith.braunfeld@gmail.com
Judy Currier Braunfeld at her 80th birthday with her six great-grandchildren
Anne Edwards Nokes has spent nearly 60 years living in Albuquerque, where she and her husband settled. Their home is about 11 miles outside of town, very accessible for most of the year, but a little less so during periods of snow in winter months. Her three children live at a distance with their families. A couple of years ago, she traveled with her four teenage grandsons on a trip to Denali in Alaska where, because it was June, they saw a world of wildlife offspring, newly born. It was a memorable trip. Anne has created a community of friends where she lives, and has engaged in several non-profits where she has either served on their boards and/ or provided service aligned with their missions. One example, Newsline for the Blind, is a super service, sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal, where the contents of the paper are read into a computer every day for sight-challenged readers to access. She has been reading for the blind, for one organization or another, for the past 56 years. Early on, she was reading into a tape
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recorder, but the process has evolved with technology into today’s more advanced methods of delivery. Anne says that she is withdrawing from nonprofit board service but continues to volunteer with these organizations. For recreation, she plays bridge with friends a couple of times each week and is planning to enjoy a cruise through the Panama Canal early next year. She says that she loved Dana Hall and especially misses her close friend Georgia Wall, who was our first classmate to lose her life. All of us can relate to the loss of a dear friend from Dana Hall and how this relationship formed some of the fondest memories of our school. Anne’s email address is anokes60@gmail.com. Jean MacDonald Riseman writes, “Phooey. Nobody wrote last time, including me! I’m excited: At the time of my writing, it’s just two days before I leave for the eclipse in Nashville, Tenn. I have been to several and loved every one. I’m going with my oldest daughter Tanya, her husband and her two boys. They are all extremely science-y, so I will be the one in charge of rolling around on the ground shouting, ‘It’s so beautiful!’ A couple of weeks later there will be an 80th birthday party for me in Maine with my daughters and sons-in-law and half my grandkids. It’s being hosted by my favorite sister-in-law and her husband at their cabin on a lake. Four nieces and nephews, their spouses and their five kids—all under 7—will be there. I hope the water will still be warm enough to swim in. Health-wise, my heart is being imaginative, which makes me anxious. The arthritis is in the middle of an almost pain-free period, which I am so very grateful for. I don’t have a lot of mobility, but I can do pretty much what I want. I’ll probably get my cataracts done early in the winter as soon as I get up the courage. Will a lot of you come to the half-reunion? Please come! Remember how much fun we had two years ago?” Anne Bates Linden writes, “I’ve thought long and hard about the challenge: describing my work preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in Ukraine, only to realize I can’t do it in 50, 100, 250, even 1,000 words. Ukraine is much too complicated—and the longer I have worked there, the more aware I’ve become how the country’s history, culture, corruption, medical care, education, money and power interact, thereby limiting my organization’s ability to have any sustainable long-term impact. At the same time, there are people in Ukraine who are depending on Ukraine Works to continue
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its mission to prevent FAS, this very costly 100-percent preventable neurological disability that plagues so many Ukrainians. Ukrainians deserve to know the truth about FAS. Without this knowledge, prevention will remain illusive and their children will pay the consequences. The Kolomyia Gymnasium honored me at their May graduation for the work I have done both for the school and for the community. It was a total surprise. I also did Charlottesville’s women’s 4-miler, an annual fundraiser for cancer research. Thanks to help from Nancy Newton West and Sheila (Shelly) Kowal, I raised $925. Of the 2,800 women who registered, only 1,815 participated. Rain and temperatures of 52–54 degrees kept 1,000 women at home. I was the oldest, though there may have been one other woman in her 80s. I finished 1,582nd in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 47 seconds.” Anne Linden
Town Meeting form of government is not a “particularly efficient” way to administer a municipality covering 100 square miles. On the other hand, it is a “pure form of democracy” that gets its business accomplished with a lot of citizen input. Joan was recently bitten by a tick but, showing typical sang-froid, she plucked it from her skin, put it into a plastic bag and brought it to an urgent care center. She was treated with antibiotics and a tetanus shot. She visits Sam daily, who has recently moved into a local memory care center and looks forward to playing viola with Madeleine (Mudgie) Anderson Johnson in their quartet. Joan wonders if any of our classmates are in touch with Aylin Kocibey Gonensay, who was her partner in Physics Lab at Dana Hall and who stayed with Joan during our 25th Reunion. Joan’s email address is jhbartlett4@comcast.net.
Class of 1956 Carol Creighton Hadley 2736 N. W. 77th Blvd., #264 Gainesville, FL 32606 (352) 377-4721 cjhadley@aol.com
Dale Miller Frehse writes, “Sending love! John, my 9-year-old grandson, is in fourth grade; Georgia Grace and Fulton, my 4-year-old twin grandchildren, are in their second year of preschool (all three kids are Susan and Woody’s). Natalie Filomena and Robert Max, my 2-and-a-half-year-old twin grandchildren, have just begun preschool. Nat and Max are Robert (my oldest) and Jessica Santostefano ’95’s!” Jane Menge Cooke writes, “Greatgrandmother in March 2017. Twin girls!” Joan Harding Bartlett and husband Sam, following his career in the Foreign Service, moved into their summer house in Plymouth year-round. Their adult children and families have summer places nearby. For several years, Joan has served as one of the representatives from her precinct to the Plymouth Town Meeting, dealing with issues concerning the population at large. One that classmates might have read about relates to the disposition of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, located on Cape Cod Bay. Built in 1972, this facility is due to be closed in two years. Joan says that the
Sadly, I must report the death of Janie Wrinn Murray in January 2017. Janie and I were Dana roommates for three years. In July, I lost my dear Jack, and 18 days later my sister Judi died. It has not been easy. I am so grateful that I live in a retirement community in my hometown where I have received wonderful support. And my children have been wonderful—my rock. I send hugs to all of you. Remember: You can learn to dance in the rain!
Class of 1957 Judith (Judy) O’Connell Perkins P89 35 Jackson Pond Rd. Dedham, MA 02026 (781) 329-1622 judyoperk@aol.com Greetings, Class of ’57! It’s still hard to believe that 60 years have passed since we graduated. Six of our classmates returned for Reunion. It was fun. We decided we’d return for the next one—maybe in five years. Reunion began with dinner in the Oak Room. Bardwell looks the same, but the Oak Room has been painted white and the floors are flat. Remember dancing on that uneven floor? Sally Ott Shoemaker, Mimi Patterson Mead, Betty Anne Dodd Mooz and husband Peter, Fonya Lord Helm and I (Judy O’Connell
Perkins) were there. (Rennie McDowell Duncan and her husband Chuck joined us the next night.) The evening started with cocktails and entertainment by two talented Dana Hall School of Music flute students and one violinist. A delicious dinner followed. Since more notes will follow with information on the rest of Reunion, I will stop here. We did have a good time and missed you all. Sadly, 23 members of our class have died. As a way of remembering them, we read each name and shared memories of them before we said good night that first night. This year has been different for the Perkins family. Our daughter Edie Perkins ’89 was is a bad bicycle accident in April. She lives in Los Angeles and was hit by a car while riding early in the morning. As a result, my husband and I have spent a lot of time in California. One good thing was that we could see our son Elliott and family who live in Paso Robles, Calif., while there. Our other son, Alexander, married Rachel Bachman in August. The wedding was in Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. A very happy event for us. Fonya Lord Helm writes, “I now live in Virginia Beach with my husband Neil and I am still enjoying practicing psychology. Coming to our 60th Reunion was a wonderful experience for me, and we had a special opportunity to share our experiences at the delicious dinner given by Judy Perkins for all us in the intimacy of her beautiful home. I was impressed by how our lives have all been informed by the empowerment we found as women from Dana Hall. Dedication to accomplishment—not only for ourselves but also for the larger community—was apparent in the outstanding young students we met and the caring faculty with their enthusiasm for teaching. The students that sat with us at the luncheon were impressive in their poise and their plans; the teachers’ English and computer science classes sounded so interesting that I wished I could take them.” Marjorie Patterson Mead writes, “My news to report is my selling house and moving to a small rental cottage in Farmington, Conn., near Miss Porter’s. Husband Peyton, who just celebrated his 90th birthday, is now living in an excellent assisted living/memory care facility in nearby Bloomfield, Conn. Have been in touch with roommate Sarah Umpleby Kolodny who still lives in New York City. Very involved with activism groups having to do with climate change. Son Niko, professor at UC Berkley, is giving a
philosophy paper in Berlin over Christmas, so whole family going.” Sarah (Sally) Ott Shoemaker writes, “Judy O’Connell Perkins and I had a fine time planning and then eating a delicious dinner in celebration of the 60th Reunion of the Class of ’57. The table looked lovely and lively conversation flowed along with the wine. We talked over a wide range of topics: from the usual chat about grandchildren and travels to the novel topic of religious symbolism in the art of Mark Rothko—all this while dining on roasted root veggies and charcoal broiled filet mignon with béarnaise sauce. We all were happily enveloped in the fellowship of the evening and kindly avoided the controversial topics of our time. We missed our Dana classmates, and you all missed a memorable evening.”
Class of 1958 Mary Ty Wyatt Forbush 1100 SW Shoreline Drive #202 Palm City, FL 34990 tyforbush@yahoo.com Happy New Year and many thanks to the faithful (I didn’t say “old”!) classmates who responded to my plea for news. If it seems there is a trend that you are hearing frequently from the same individuals, it’s time that YOU contribute! You can send me an email anytime, and if anyone is interested in replacing me as Class Correspondent, I’d love to hear from you as well! Exciting changes are occurring for many of us at this point in our lives. My husband Bob and I (Mary Ty Wyatt Forbush) have sold two residential properties this past year: one in Jupiter, Fla., and the other on Cape Cod, and moved (note new address above) to Sandhill Cove, a continuing care residential community in Palm City, Fla. We are relishing the freedom from home ownership, the opportunity to do new things, make new friends and have time to do as we totally wish. We’ve recently returned from a cruise from Amsterdam to Lisbon that allowed us to check off four items on our bucket list: the Normandy beaches; Mont St. Michel; the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; and Santiago de Compostela. The trip was wonderful. Travel is and has been a long-time focus for Anne Steele Hummel and her husband Ron who this summer traveled again to
western Asia between the Caspian and Black Seas. This included Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Anne speaks of the natural beauty and bountiful music they saw and heard, and the fact that there were many ancient Christian churches, in comparison to the “stans” she and Ron visited last year. Merle Cosgrove writes, “My friend, Alan French, and I went on a 7-day bike trip in the Loire Valley in September. There were unusually heavy head winds as we traveled west, but no problem as we had powerassisted bikes which aided us over hills and helped when we were tired at the end of the day. I definitely recommend these bikes (and the Loire Valley) and I’m happy to tell more about our trip if you want to plan a bike excursion in France. We wound up our vacation with four nights in Paris, across the street from friends who squired us around and made our city adventure absolutely wonderful. The theme of both the bike excursion and rambling around Paris was getting lost. Of course we eventually found ourselves, going more kilometers than necessary, but in turn had many good interactions with locals and discovered many sweet back alleys. On another note: I have discovered pickleball. Perhaps you have heard of it or already are a master player. Many seniors have taken it up and several high schools offer the game. It’s a combination of tennis and ping-pong (I never played either) and it moves fast, helps eye-hand coordination and is lots of fun. If you are looking for a new exercise, give it a try.” Merle Cosgrove with friend Alan French
For those of you who may not know, Holly Gebelein Hobart moved to Seattle two years ago, bought a 62’ power boat and has been living aboard ever since. This past summer, three Dana Hall classmates cruised with her around the islands of the Pacific Northwest on Sea Bear. In midJuly, Lindsey Hall Huddleston arrived at Friday Harbor, Wash., to spend a week aboard. She and Holly explored the Gulf Islands and spent two nights in Sidney, B.C., where they visited Butchart Gardens and the Butterfly Garden, a delightful
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tropical paradise full of surprising birds, butterflies and animals. Upon returning to Friday Harbor, Holly’s summer port, Lindsey departed and Holly was joined by Ann Woodcock Hurd and her fiancé Henry Fralix for another 10 days of cruising, visiting the village of Ganges in the Gulf Islands and anchoring out in lovely bays and coves. The summer’s beautiful weather continued into September when Tamsen Evans George landed in Friday Harbor for a cruise through the San Juan Islands. One favorite activity aboard was going through the 1958 class yearbook and re-reading Merle Cosgrove’s poetic and evocative descriptions of our lives at Dana so many years ago. Holly loves living aboard her little ship, which she has been singlehandedly handling, with help from guests, since the death of her husband, Ken Creighton, last December. She will be returning to Seattle for the winter and is looking forward to more visits from classmates in the year ahead.
On a sad note, Janet Weinberger Traister passed away on July 7, 2017 after a lengthy illness. Her nephew asked that we include the following obituary: Jan was a joyous, dignified, sincere and deeply caring woman whose enthusiasm for life, family, learning and travel never waned. Jan graduated from Dana Hall and Simmons College, and married Bob two years after he graduated from the Naval Academy. She balanced loving constancy to her two sons and their and her extended families with the demands occasioned by her and Bob’s dedication to the Navy and her teaching career, which often demanded moves to new assignments around the nation and in Europe throughout Bob’s 34 years of service and his career after retirement. Besides family and teaching, her other great passion was travel, and Bob and Jan travelled together throughout South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. Janet Weinberger Traister
Lindsey Hall Huddleston at Butchart Gardens
Ann Woodcock Hurd behind the wheel of Sea Bear
Happy times continued for Ann Woodcock Hurd, who also traveled to Portugal this summer and will marry Henry, a retired U.S. Army colonel, on January 20, 2018, in Charleston, S.C. At the time of writing, plans are well underway, and they are expecting all nine of their joint offspring and spouses, eight of their combined grandchildren, three of Ann’s junior high school pals, and my husband and me for the festivities. Early congratulations to Ann and Henry!
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Please note that our 60th(!) Reunion will take place at Dana Hall October 3–4, 2018. I think we should all return to renew friendships, and to note all of the differences and improvements since we matriculated there. All the best and please keep your news flowing in my direction. Also, kindly notify me of any email address changes so that we may stay in contact with you! Tamsen Evans George writes, “I mounted a small exhibit of souvenirs of Falmouth—mostly photographs, business ads, matchbook covers and miscellaneous ephemera from 1890 through the 1960s— that were donated to the historical society by Nina Heald Webber ’49. Sherry Hill Martin ’55 attended, among other guests.”
Class of 1959 Jill Spiller 45 Sutton Pl. S. Apt. 1B New York, NY 10022 (212) 421-0932 jillspille1@aol.com Helen Weinland has pulled up stakes and moved from Boston neighborhood Jamaica Plain to a retirement village in Bowie, Md. I (Jill Spiller) expect an update in her Christmas letter! Carol Will Porter of Snow Hill, Md., and Fayetteville, N.Y., died at home on June 13, 2017. After Dana, Carol graduated from Wheelock College. She taught kindergarten for 13 years in Syracuse city schools. She served on the boards of Syracuse Stage, Everson Museum and Oakwood Cemetery, and was a member of the Monday Club, president of the Syracuse Garden Club and a deacon at Park Central Presbyterian Church. She is survived by William, her husband of 52 years; daughter Melissa M.A. Porter; and son William W. Porter, Jr. and daughterin-law. We also lost Barbara (Linky) Lincoln on March 23, 2017. She leaves a daughter, Lisa Messersmith; two sons, John (wife Maria) Messersmith and Michael (wife Christina) Messersmith; and six grandchildren, all of Marshfield, Mass., where Linky also lived. Linky loved animals and was very active in NEADS, Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans. In June, Barbie Dana Greppin and I (Jill) along with five Vassar classmates rented a house in The Cotswolds. Unprecedented six days without rain.
Class of 1960 Carol Huppeler Hosdale cgoldie3137@aol.com Dear Classmates, I (Carol Huppeler Hosdale) had some thoughts about unusual meanings of the word Dana. As I have always loved our Dana, I thought it might be interesting to discover how other parts of the world use the word Dana. 1. DANA (or Banu) is a Celtic fertility goddess. 2. DANA (or Da na) is the Persian word for knowledgeable. 3. DANA in the Buddhist tradition means “generosity, given from the heart.” We can think of the above definitions and feel a real sense of pride that the wonderful school we enjoyed and admired on so many
levels, carries with its very name far more than we might ever have imagined! Marty Horton Gecek writes, “Hello from beautiful Salzburg! September of this year was very special for me. First, my daughter Sandy married her long-time partner Rudi and it was a lovely occasion that took place in a beautiful village in the Tyrolean Mountains. Their two boys, Jonas and Marco (7 and 4), were adorable in their Tyrolean hats! The other event that was very exciting was the symposium I organized at the Salzburg Global Seminar called Life and Justice in America: Implications of the New Administration. There were 58 speakers and participants from 23 countries; most were university teachers of American Studies, American legal experts and journalists. There were fascinating discussions on this very timely theme. If I had to summarize the tone of the symposium in one sentence, I would say there was widespread concern and real dismay at what is currently going on in our very polarized country. On a more positive note, it’s hard to believe that we are (or will be soon) three-quarters of a century old! I look forward to news from many of you in the next Bulletin.” Penelope (Penny) Pearse Buzby writes, “Greetings to all from our lakeside home in Vermont. This is a little bit of heaven where we can enjoy beautiful summers on the water as well as in the organic vegetable garden and perennial gardens. My latest passion is tiny houses and I finally have my very own tiny space: a shiny Airstream, which will be my studio/office. It’s my 75th birthday present to myself where I can be as creative and organized as I please. We are blessed to be only a short walk away from daughter Stephanie, her husband Ian and their two sons, Clay (13) who reads about five books a week and loves singing and acting, and Parker (12) who doesn’t much like reading, but plays the double bass in the school orchestra and the goalie on two soccer teams, meaning he usually plays every day of the week and still maintains an A-average, like his brother. Both enjoy competitive chess as well as writing poetry and very interesting stories. We love having them so close and Scott enjoys the little time he can get from help from the boys at our cottage, teaching them how to do manual labor and manage their $4/hour wages. Ian jokes that his father-in-law is turning them into little capitalists. They can spend half on anything they can afford while the other half has to be invested and Ian agreed to match that half. They have a lot to learn, but they’re young and I don’t think either
exhibits any interest in a career in finance. In the winter, we had a fun mini-reunion in Florida with Marty Horton Gecek and Ty Wyatt Forbush ’58 and husband Bob. On our drive north from Vero, we had a great visit with Karen Detweiler Hyatt and Hal in Rumson. We had plans to go to Middlebury, where both Hal and Scott graduated, and then back to our lake, but I became ill and I spent two weeks with the flu instead of two fun days here with the Hyatts. We’re about to fly to Colorado and visit Anne Vaughan Stewart in her new home in Boulder. Thanks to Carol for being our Class Correspondent. It’s a really fun but really time-consuming job. Love and all good things to The Best Class of the Rest Past!”
occasion by Enn. Thanks again, Enn! Wonderful food and a wonderful time. Thanks for being the instigator, Dindy! After lunch, several of us went to Dana to meet the Head of School and were all most positively impressed with her. Dana is lucky to have found Katherine Bradley, who told me she loves being there!
Susan Kintner writes, “Hurricane Irma Update: I was visiting my daughter and her family in Memphis at the same time my Florida daughter and family evacuated to Memphis. As a result, I had seven days with all eight grandchildren, including the eldest who turned 13. (The youngest is 1 and 1/2.) Very exciting and their home in Fort Lauderdale was left intact. I still live in Westport, Conn., with two canine companions. We have extra bedrooms. If anyone is in the neighborhood, we would love to see you.”
Lunch at The Cottage in Wellesley: Carolyn Harris, Mary Wilson-Tauson, Carolyn Grande Harder, Phyllis Jansen, Dindy Evans, and Marlene Mustard Graf
Class of 1961 Susan (Sue) Gibbs gibbsie65@hotmail.com Here comes the latest news for our legendary class with sincere hopes that even more people contribute next time. The class lunch at The Cottage in Wellesley on August 15 was a great success! The only things missing were more of us from our class. This sounds like a roll call, but those present were Phyllis Jansen, Dindy Evans, Carolyn Grande Harder, Mary Wilson-Tauson, Carolyn Harris, Meridith Daniels Wesby and me (Sue Gibbs). We owe many thanks to Phyl for orchestrating the whole thing! The original restaurant suggested to Dindy turned out to be closed in August, so Phyl did plenty of sleuthing and finally found The Cottage and an excellent choice it was. We finally congregated after Terre got into awful traffic coming from Winchester, and Meridith and Harris both got stuck in even worse traffic coming from the Cape. The decibel level in the restaurant increased several notches once we got our mouths open and the time flew by all too fast. For dessert, we had two boxes of special Japanese cookies sent from Tokyo for the
In early June, I (Sue) had a visit here in Oslo from Marlene Mustard Graf who stayed with me for four days before going back to her step-daughter’s place in Switzerland prior. We “did” Oslo, or as much of it as we could in that short time, and had a great time. Then we met in Shannon, Ireland, on June 12 and I was able to join her group on their concert tour of the Emerald Isle. What a wonderful trip! We traveled by bus and saw lots of beautiful spots along the west coast. I had to leave before the tour was over because of commitments here, but really enjoyed the trip and the people on it. Marlene Mustard Graf and Sue Gibbs in Kinvara, Ireland
Marlene atop the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo, Norway
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And in September, those of us living either permanently or part-time in Florida all weathered the devastation of Irma very well, or at least as far as I’ve heard. There were a lot of trees down around everyone I heard from and all lost power for a while, but there was fortunately no damage to people’s property, as far as I know. Karen (KK) Kelly Becker, her husband, daughter, two grandchildren and two dogs evacuated to Birmingham, Ala., for several days, leaving a couple of other family members to “man the pumps” but were able to return home to an undamaged house. Susan (Sue) Steele Isbell and Bob, who live in Tampa Bay, evacuated to nearby friends who live a few feet more above sea level than they do. All went well there and Sue said they had some rather fun hurricane parties along the way while waiting for power to be restored. Sue writes, “Yes, we were very lucky to sustain no damage from Irma. Just significant tree debris, which we cleaned up with delight, grateful to have been spared. Piles of branches still line our streets because all the trucks, lured by higher wages, went to south Florida to clean up after Maria. What a season!” Sue and Bob went to Stockbridge, Mass., in October for a mini-reunion of nine of 12 of Bob’s Princeton roommates. They stayed with Sue’s sister Anne Steele Hummel ’58 and husband in Cornwall Bridge, Conn. In November, they planned to visit their daughter, Lynn, whose five children will be in a community production of Oliver. They planned to go on to Portland, Ore., to spend Thanksgiving with daughter Laurie and family. No moss growing on them! They also spent a few good weeks in Telluride, Colo., this summer. Barbara Vaughan Koun and Neil stayed put in their condo for Irma and refused to evacuate. Barbara writes, “On September 10, we stayed here in Naples to experience Hurricane Irma. Well, I have never been in a hurricane that had 142 mph winds. We were so lucky to not have the 185 mph that was predicted (I would not be here) and we did not have the 15/20-foot surge. That is because the wind direction shifted on the back part of Irma. What a godsend; we really dodged a bullet. The eye of the hurricane was an experience in and of itself.
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It got very sunny and still, and then the back of the storm hit. We did not have too much home damage, but one cannot imagine the number of trees down and flying debris. Our area still looks like a war zone. Hundreds of trees down—and huge old banyan trees gone. And no place to put all the debris. Pictures do not tell the story. No power or water for 12 days. I went to California after two days, to Los Gatos and San Diego. Had a fantastic fun time. If anyone ever goes to San Diego, the zoo is a must as is the USS Midway.” But this summer, before all the hurricane mess, they went on a European trip. “We spent the month of July in Europe driving around Estonia and Latvia. Great countries and wonderful people. They are so happy to be out from under the USSR (today known as Russia). Gorbachev did them a huge favor when he broke up ‘the Empire,’ but the Russian people are not happy, according to our Russian tour guides. After Estonia, we took a bus to St. Petersburg and got on a Viking Line ship and sauntered down the rivers to Moscow stopping at various places along the way. Great trip. Then on to Helsinki.”
Karen Slawsby Stone spent a few weeks painting in Tuscany in April and loved it. However, a damper was put on the very end of her time there as she fell and broke her ankle on her way to the airport to go home. Bummer! The good part was that she had absolutely no pain. She was admitted to a small local hospital where they operated and set the fracture. Her insurance company sent a nurse over to be with her at the hospital and then travel home to Florida with her (in pre-arranged first class seating). Karen writes, “All in all, I learned a lot, met some wonderful people including a very competent surgeon who wanted to set my leg with no anesthesia (that wasn’t going to happen on my watch), and a medical system very different from our own. I’m so happy I had a chance to paint. I’m able to walk on my left leg a little so life is great. Getting through another couple or three months of rehab is a minor blip on the big screen.” She had to have another operation when she got home but is well on her way to normalcy again now. She and Jim evacuated to a hotel six miles away during Irma and all went well with them.
Cindy Childs Over and Dick are once again moving, this time back to Hernando, Fla. The house they’ve lived in for only about a year and a half has been giving Cindy allergies for some unknown reason so she’s unable to live there. Horrors! They have built a new house and moved in in November. This was not in the greater scheme of things but became a necessity.
Jane Chittick has moved from Washington, D.C. The original plan was to go to Florida, but she landed in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. I guess she prefers weathering hurricanes there. Welcome back to good old New England, Jane!
Dorinda (Dindy) Evans was once more in China this summer teaching art history to Chinese students, this time in Chengdu at Sichuan University. She said it was really hot and humid there, so all the teachers arrived dripping wet at their classrooms after the 20-minute walk from the hotel to the campus. Dindy had her daughter with her again this summer, which was a wonderful experience for both. Her students were a mixed bag: “a few good ones who do the work and then a lot who seem to be taking a vacation.” More power to you, Dindy. Anne Poekel McCauley’s younger daughter had her first baby, a little girl, on June 30th in San Francisco. Anne went out this summer to meet her latest grandchild and help out for a while.
Lydia (Penny) Pyne Mott had a good summer in Maine. Her reply to my appeal for news was: “Here’s my news, or lack thereof.” She had a good visit from her daughter, three grandchildren and their dog. They were lucky enough to have good, warm weather the whole time so there was time spent at the beach in the sun and freezing cold water. She also had her brother’s 20+ pound Maine coon cat for the summer while her brother and sister-in-law went sailing around the British Isles. Said cat had to be moved during the family’s visit because “me, two dogs, one cat, three kids and my daughter just would not be able to live together for a week. I know I would end up in the Home for the Terminally Bewildered. My dog and the cat have negotiated a truce.” Penny discovered that both her garage and large deck had rotted, so had to have both rebuilt, resulting in an expensive summer that didn’t allow for much traveling. Penny,
Sue Pratt Sherman and I (Sue) didn’t get to have our annual lunch in Maine because I had two weeks lopped off my usual summer stay thanks to a nasty GI bug I got that kept me from traveling in July. Nobuko (Enn) Shimizu Matsushita finally got the wires taken out of her broken kneecap in June and has been having a lot of physical therapy, but is feeling so much better and like herself again. I just can’t imagine walking around with a knee full of wire and so close to the surface. Good riddance! Carolyn Grande Harder is going to be dodging winter as best she can. She planned to leave Winchester in early January and visit her daughter Ashley and family in Phoenix for a while before going on to Rancho Mirage, Calif., until the end of March. Then she’ll stop at Ashley’s again on her way back home. Carolyn Harris in her office in South Yarmouth
Carolyn Harris writes, “I have several California trips planned starting in January and continuing through next year.” Nancy Ducette Farris is very busy writing a book on the kidnapping of her three children back in the sixties. She is telling the tale and an author by the name of Mark Ebner is doing the actual writing. She says, “He is thorough! It promises to be a crazy account of my unbelievable journey on the planet. I have the cooperation of both Douglas and Ralph [her two sons]!” She finally found her children again after many years and with much help plus coincidental happenings. And now the story will be told and all of us will have a fascinating book to read. Mary Wilson-Tauson and Ric went on their planned trip of the Canadian Maritimes. They boarded the boat Pearl Mist in Toronto on September 6 and wended their way along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Maritimes, reaching Potland, Maine, on September 20. Mary
writes that it was a small, slow-paced ship with daily stops along the route. They were glad they did it. And now they are back in Fort Myers, Fla., having taken the car train down from Boston. Before they left, Mary writes, “We are pushing to get the boats put to bed, the yard wrapped up, the packing done, the house clean for a six-month absence. We both move a bit more slowly these days it seems but the jobs all still have to be done.” Marlene Mustard Graf writes, “Still planning to drive to North Carolina (two sisters, grandson and great-grandson live there) after my Christmas concerts are done around December 5. Hopefully see KK on the way south. I plan to be with daughter in Palm City, Fla., for Christmas then attend the wedding of my grandson’s life long friend getting married in Florida on December 30. After that I plan to head back west, stopping to see Mary WilsonTauson and Karen Slawsby Stone on the Florida west coast. Long five-day drive both ways, but love my Kia Sportage with my music all the way!” This is the hottest off the press from Marlene. At the time of writing, she is once again back in New Hampshire putting her little house there to bed for the winter. Allison White and Jim had lots of family visits this fall and enjoyed it all immensely. Allison has had ample opportunity to show off her French cuisine accomplishments. I can vouch for them; she’s an excellent cook! She is now on a whirlwind trip to Portugal, Spain and Paris with her son and daughterin-law and brother and sister-in-law. Allison White with daughter Lee, son-in-law Christian and grandson Luke
Allison and husband Jim in West Falmouth
Cynthia (Cindy) Clark Cunningham wrote in early August, “Please give my love to everyone at the lunch gathering. I haven’t been back to Wellesley since the day we graduated from Dana Hall. You are all an important part of my life and always in my heart. My best wishes to everyone for a beautiful luncheon together. John and I are just back from the summer sun dance ceremony that we go to every year on the Rosebud Reservation. We’ll be back up there in mid-October and during that visit I’ll go to the equine therapy ranch from the Tiwahe Glu Kini Pi (bringing the family back to life) program at Sinte Gleska University to share some basic Jin Shin Jyutsu touch with the therapists and horse handlers so that they can have these techniques to add to their ways of working with their young ‘relatives’ (their clients) and the horses. Life has been very full for us this summer. Next week our children (ages 35, 48 and 49) are all gathering to watch the eclipse in Jackson, Wyo. We were too travel-worn to get on the road again to join them. They’ll all have their bikes so that they won’t have to use their cars up during the worst of the traffic congestion over the weekend and during the eclipse day. Short rides on bikes are fine for us, but I’m not in shape for the miles and miles of riding I think (know) they’ll be doing.” As for me, I (Sue) had a busy summer starting with Marlene’s visit. After Ireland I went to southern Sweden to visit friends and experience the Swedish midsummer celebrations, which are a big deal. To be on the safe side, it poured with rain that day so things weren’t so festive. Too bad. But we had a good time otherwise while I was there. Then in early July I went to the west coast of Norway to see friends. Headed for New Hampshire August 1 and had the
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usual hectic time there. Stayed a couple of days with Allison White and Jim in West Falmouth and spent as much time as possible in the ocean. On August 9, Marlene, Mary and I had our annual foray to the Sunapee Fair. Phyl Jansen came up to Laconia to see the solar eclipse with me. It wasn’t total there, of course, but still fun to see. Later in the month, while visiting my cousins on the Cape, I spent a day with Harris seeing her digs and having lunch. That was fun getting old roommates together! Was back in New Hampshire in mid-October to see the fall colors. Hope everyone has a good winter! We’d really appreciate hearing from more of you to make the reading even more exciting!
Class of 1962 Bev Holmes Prevost P92 bevhprevost@gmail.com Bev Holmes Prevost writes, “Usually I summarize at the end, but this time, knowing many of you are looking forward to a taste of our 55th Reunion, maybe I’ll start by listing all those who attended: Anne Barnard, Kristin Bergfeld, Carol Cookman Ruffo, Diana Cunningham Bunting, Sally Devens Ciancarelli, Betsy Gagliardi Tobin, Susie Gail Kaufman, Mary Griswold (from Chicago, who brought with her a notebook of photos of her life’s work as a set designer, starting with The Wizard of Oz at Dana!), Ann Gulliver Flinn (who brought with her two of her gorgeous paintings), Kendra Gunn Nedjar, Arden Harrison Hansen (and her husband Kip), Suzy Hoagland Titus, Bev Holmes Prevost, Betsy Livingston Sheffer, Anne McClanahan Bourne, Susie Selden Egan, Alice Viertel Krieger, Kathy Walker Denis (from Paris!), and Judy Wickwire Nadal. Also, Carol and Sally had lunch with Betsy English Maltby en route to Reunion. All but Alice and Susie Selden stayed at The Wellesley College Club (WCC) on the edge of Lake Waban, which was nice and had good breakfasts. Dana provided frequent jitney service between the school and the WCC, so we all left our cars at the WCC. “Arrival was exciting, seeing each other for the first time in ages. Dinner Wednesday night was in the Oak Room, one of the few locations we recognized from our time, gave us more arrivals: Arden and Kip,
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Susie Gail Kaufman, Anne McC, Anne Barnard, Alice and—with a tap on my shoulder—there was Susie Selden! Food was quite fabulous throughout. Later Wednesday night, we gathered in “our” room at the WCC (where we met both nights) for wine and sparklings and snacks, to look through memorabilia we had all brought, and yak and yak. “Thursday included a morning session billed as a time to remember classmates. While I/we were not quite sure what to expect, I personally found this a particularly meaningful time where everyone mentioned how/why a classmate had died, but more importantly, how they had lived and what they had meant to us and what we still mean to each other. Two current teachers gave us a flavor of the classes they teach followed by tours of the Classroom Building, the Library and Archives, where various photos of our time were scattered around. Lunch Thursday was in Beveridge, once part of Pine Manor and now between the Dining Center and the Admission building, where the Head of School addressed us briefly and a panel of students answered questions. After lunch (and our farewell to early departing Ann Gulliver Flinn), we had some rest time and more yakking back at the WCC, putting up our tired feet before our evening’s Charles River cruise. It was calm and a glorious full moon night for a gentle cruise, with lots more conversation and continuing good food. “Too quickly Friday morning came for packing up, saying a lot of sad-yet-joyfilled goodbyes, getting to see over lunch Suzy Hoagland Titus and David who had just returned from a wonderful river cruise. “I just LOVED Reunion! It was such therapy to be with all of you I cared about so long ago but hardly ever have had time to see over the years. I knew I would love seeing Diana (roomies for both our Dana years and friends throughout) and Anne McC (with whom I’d grown up and also stayed lifelong friends and choristers), but then there were all the rest of you wonderful gals. I yearned for more time for conversation with each/all of you. We all, I think, felt we’d like to try to see more of each other somehow, maybe even have another reunion before five years from now! Thank you to all who came. We
sorely missed the rest of you, but filled each other in on news the best we could. I also found the climate on campus— teachers, students—to be welcoming, warm, even joyful.
Class picture at The Fall Reunion
“As to non-Reunion news for me, I (Bev) have had a busy time, with four reunions, summer at Cuttyhunk with our girls and their families, return to Point O’Woods, trips to New Jersey to see daughter Marnie and her husband Matt and 5-year-old Timothy. The last visit just before Reunion, Ned and I got to attend St. Francis Day/Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City—the first time in all 15 years Marnie has worked there, and where Kristin sings in the choir! We headed to Iowa for Thanksgiving to be with our older daughter Elizabeth ’92, Mike, 6-year-old Grace and dog Sophie! (Elizabeth and Mike are both history professors at Grinnell College.) Ned and I keep thinking we are going to take a river cruise, so maybe this year! Stay healthy and happy, everyone, and send me news and address changes any time!” Elisabeth (Betsy) Gagliardi Tobin writes, “What a wonderful few days at Dana. Our time together was heartwarming, rejuvenating, supportive and fun! We laughed, shared, bonded, reminisced and laughed some more, and it made being 73 easier because we were all in the same boat! It was a unique and very special time that we were blessed to have. What an amazing group of diverse, accomplished and fun women. We shared the good and the not-so-good with each other. We found out things about Dana and Mrs. J that some of us never knew. We bonded so well with girls we knew well and made new friends with girls we didn’t know as well. I have been on a beautiful high since I left and don’t want to come down! I enjoyed every minute of our time together and can’t wait
to meet again. Dana Hall is an impressive place for girls to learn and become prepared to enter the world we live in today. P.S. to all: Google Alnah James Johnston. Her bio is fascinating. A woman ahead of her time. The specific article I was referring to in the Google search is the one from the Dana Hall Library site—not her obituary in The New York Times. I also discovered that she wrote a book; sounded interesting!” Susan (Suzy) Hoagland Titus writes, “What a joy it was to see everyone and to reconnect with at least a few of our wonderful classmates. Kathy Walker Denis and I talked and talked and talked until both us just couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer—trying to condense so much into such a short visit. Even more brief was my chat with my beloved roommate, Judy Wickwire, who was willing to hang on for a few minutes more so we could at least have a hug on the sidewalk before she drove back to New York.” Betsy Livingston Sheffer wasn’t able to attend the last day of Reunion and writes, “I really felt badly about missing the day’s events and seeing Susie Hoagland Titus but there was no way to reschedule my testing as we were headed to Florida the next week. One event I was not going to miss was spending two days and evenings with you and all those who helped me to define myself over my six years at Dana. We are Dana’s amazing Class of ’62!”
wonderful time—pretty much all family time. Went to Pasadena to see Tonie’s artist son Bill and to Long Beach to see Phoebe’s son Jeffrey, a photographer who is now doing photo shoots for Toyota, Cadillac and various magazines. Phoebe’s other son Chris and family live in San Clemente where Phoebe lives. He has his own business setting up home security systems and all things electric. He and his wife have three kids: a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and another daughter. The kids are so cute I wanted to take them home with me, but that didn’t happen! In June I moved into a townhouse (which had just been re-done) in a small and lovely community. Wow, what luxury: new everything and a lot of square footage! I am in heaven. I came here from an old house, which was just wonderful, but it was really old and needed a lot of work. I also am driving a new car which Nissan had to loan to me because my car was on a recall for the Takata air bag debacle. I am now driving a 2017 Nissan with the extra this and that and I like it so much, I might not give it back (maybe even buy it!) Still exercising, going to a yoga stretch class at the Y; feeling good and grateful to be able to say it. Our world is in such a disturbing cycle—so many things going so very wrong (in my opinion) and it feels just plain scary. Again, I was so sorry to miss seeing all of you! It really pained me that I couldn’t make it.” Judy Petsonk’s new grandson, Judah
Carol Cookman Ruffo writes, “Reunion was great. Such fun to reconnect with everyone.” Sara (Sally) Devens Ciancarelli writes, “Loved every minute and everyone there. So much fun to laugh so much. Will write more when I return from Paris. Will do my best to contact Kathy Walker Denis when I am there! In Paris to see NU sorority sisters for a mini-reunion. Thanks again for getting us all together. It was so special. Will try to get photo of Carol, Betsy English Maltby and moi when we next get together.” Susan (Suzy) Lees Pullen writes, “I am so glad that Reunion went so well and I am so sorry to have missed it and seeing all my old classmates. I don’t have any photos of my time with my sisters. We had a
Judy Petsonk writes, “We are happy to announce that Hope gave birth to a baby boy on October 27, 2017. He arrived a little early, but mother Hope, father Dan and baby Judah Alan Levin are all healthy and thriving. I am still researching and rewriting another historical novel. Husband Steve Eisdorfer is still singing. Last summer, we went kayaking around the southern end of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. Kids are grown and making us proud. More details in the spring.” Kendra Gunn Nedjar writes, “I went to Reunion again this year and again was
blown away by the amazing women I went to school with. What inner strength and determination they have. What interesting lives they have lived. I had a wonderful time getting to know the women these young ladies had become. These women had been such an important part of my formative years, whether good friends or just classmates. Sharing laughter and memories with those who also went to Reunion was a treasured experience. The other part of the time that was so poignant was learning that a lot of us went through the same things that lots of teenagers go through, only none of us knew those feelings of angst and uncertainty were fairly universal. We didn’t forget those who are no longer with us and those who didn’t attend. Sadly most of us would have loved to see many of those who couldn’t attend for one reason or another. And we talked about the vibrant women who were no longer part of this earthly plane. The program of events was perfect. The staff was absolutely gracious and welcoming. As someone who is challenged with walking distances or standing in one place for more than a short time, I found them caring and helpful in making sure there was transportation to the different venues. That was so kind. And talking with the different women was great. The two teachers we were lucky to listen to were fantastic. I wished that I could go back to take their classes. The school is a vibrant place and the students we met were absolutely wonderful examples of the type of women who will do wonderful things in their lives, whether they choose a career or decide to be stay-at-home moms or choose a path that is very different than the ones we saw as possibilities when we were graduating. I am so pleased to have had another opportunity to refresh my friendships and to also get to know several women I hadn’t been close with at Dana and I am sorry I didn’t know them better back then. Remarkable women, all. And a big thank you to Bev Prevost for all the hard work she did to make sure our class had a great time. She did it without help and everything was perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Back to my life... BORING. But still fun and interesting to me. I did one new thing this year. I took private lessons in copper foil stained glass making. I had always wanted to learn how to make stained glass things and decided it was time if I ever was going to do it. I did
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make six panels for my daughter’s front door. That was fun. Now to make one for a window in my house. I have spent a lot of time with my grandson, who just turned 3 this past summer. He is a dear boy and I, of course, think he is smart and adorable and handsome. I am a typical grandmother. Who knew! They and their four cats moved out of my house early this summer after 21 months living with us in our small three-bedroom house. It was an interesting time but I am glad to have the house back to just ourselves. I am currently in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, again—for three weeks this time. I had to shorten my usual stay because of Thanksgiving. The house and property have more or less stayed in a time warp for the past 50 years, which suits me just fine. My brother still cooks on the wood stove most of the time and we eat dinner by kerosene lamplight. Very relaxing. The only draw back is no central heating and upstairs can get a little chilly in the winter months. My genealogy addiction has not abated and I do spend a lot of time going to lectures and once or twice a year to all-day seminars or conferences. Learning about DNA is a challenge, but it is a tool that helps find cousins and other relatives. I do volunteer at a local Essex County library to help people with their genealogy. It is fun and many times after chatting about family names and lines, we find we are distant cousins! As a matter of fact at the Essex Society of Genealogists’ monthly meetings, at least half of us know we are distantly related to one another. Aside from genealogy, I do find Words With Friends a nice way to try and keep my brain active. And Kathy Walker Denis, I didn’t thank you for the shopping tote that was such a useful and thoughtful gift. Again, Class of ’62, you rock! Looking forward to the next Reunion!” Mary Griswold writes, “I was very happy I went to Reunion. The program was a nice mix of formal and relaxed, and I particularly enjoyed talking with people I hadn’t known too well back then. In the fall, I made a three-day trip to Pittsburgh to participate in the Climate Reality Project training program. This is the group founded by Al Gore and the purpose is to train ordinary people to go out and spread the word on the urgency of dealing with climate disruption. The sessions were a mix
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of panels with distinguished climate scientists, but then also some how-to basics about public speaking and interview techniques. I could go on at some length about this, so if I’ve piqued anyone’s interest, please get in touch! I can’t recommend this program highly enough. I would have probably gotten into this at Reunion but didn’t have the confidence I do now. Just one tiny example of something I learned: More than 70 percent of Americans agree climate change is real, caused by humans and we should be doing something about it. However when you ask them to prioritize their issues and concerns facing the country, climate comes in somewhere around 18th on the list. Maybe that’s moved a bit after our summer of fire and water chaos. But I feel it should be top of the list because it’s connected to just about everything else.” Katharine (Kathy) Walker Denis writes, “Oh dear, Sally Devens Ciancarelli is here, but I doubt I’ll catch her this time. I discovered last February that her daughter lives in Paris, and Sally comes here every time her grandchildren are on vacation. Xoxo to you all and to Massachusetts!” Diana Cunningham Bunting writes, “Our Reunion was terrific! Thanks Bev, you did a super job. Dana seems to be doing well. The best was getting to know each other again. Good advice from Judy W. to teach Si how to use the washer/dryer and the dishwasher in case I get hit by a truck! Still riding, playing tennis and painting. Si is retired and writing a book. Our Reunion was very special; a wonderful group of women.” Anne McClanahan Bourne had planned to write something about Reunion, but is instead off at Sanibel Island with two of our Dwight (our day school in Englewood, N.J.) classmates from our “other” 55th Reunion in September! I (Bev) can at least tell you she had a busy schedule and almost didn’t come to Reunion but said once there and repeatedly thereafter that she was so glad she came! “I so empathize with everyone, and CARE,” Anne writes. “I had wonderful conversations with everyone.” She LOVED the English class she and I attended, which happened to happily and very interestingly be on Jane Eyre. Anne found the class life changing for herself and
we both thoroughly enjoyed the subject matter, the teacher and the students’ animated questions and discussions. Anne also gets credit for being our “song leader” during Reunion, on the bus, at the final luncheon, etc. She was great and very determined that we sing the anthem we, as juniors, sang for the seniors’ graduation at the Village Church. Patricia McGuire Barger writes, “Touching base before headed out to China for three weeks so lots to share once I’ve returned November 20. Highlights of visit are Beijing: Great Wall and Imperial Palace; Lhasa, Tibet, Three Gorges Dam via river to Shanghai, and exit out of Hong Kong! My neighbor is helping me with handy phrases while visiting, and with my height of 6 feet and pronunciation attempts will provide much amusement for the locals, I suspect! Family and five grandchildren (ages 13, 11, 8, 8 and 4) made Thanksgiving eventful and fun; daily yoga and desire to return to complete master’s in holistic wellness/early intervention program to be used in public and private preschools will keep me busy through the winter. Blessed to have good health, family, home and friends, so what more does a gal need? Would like a better political environment, so that will be my New Year’s wish. Cheers and good tidings to you and the Class of ’62!” Gretchen Cooper Pooler writes, “So sorry we couldn’t make Reunion. My husband and I met Marva Wisecarver Williams and Jim Williams at Duke University in Durham, N.C., on Sunday, October 22, where they met many moons ago. We had a mini-reunion there for a couple of days. I am excited to see and hear all about our 55th! We just had too many things happening at once to be able to add that to our list! Marva and Jim had gone to Duke for a family weekend event due to the fact their grandson Ben is attending Duke this year as a freshman. Both of Ben’s parents also went to Duke, as did his uncle and great uncle, so it was a fun time for them! Then Buzz and I joined Marva and Jim on Sunday to tour the school and town, catch up with each other, and have a little fun for three days. Ben joined us for lunch one day and was happy to eat a meal off campus! Just know that Marva and I had fun being together and always are happy to know we still have much in
common, as do our husbands—which is a plus! Hopefully we will make the next Dana Reunion!”
Buzz Pooler, Gretchen Cooper Pooler, Marva Wisecarver Williams, Marva’s grandson Ben and Jim Williams
Class of 1963 Correspondent needed
Class of 1964 Susan Belmer Kollet-Harris skharris@rcn.com
Class of 1965 Susan West Ayres warren.ayres@verizon.net First of all, our sympathies go out to Andrew Stettner, who wrote me to say that his mother Betsy Sabin Stettner passed away on September 28, 2017, at her home in Denver, Colo. Andrew writes, “She fought ALS with all her will, but the disease finally overcame her.” A celebration of her life was held on Saturday, October 28, in Denver. By now, you all should have received a copy of her obituary in the mail. I am told by the Alumnae Office that she donated a wonderful Dana Hall charm bracelet to the school Archives. It was featured in a book that showcases the traditions and celebrations of Dana. We also send our sympathies to the family of Becky Both Anderson, who passed away on October 14 in Jacksonville, Fla. Additionally, we send our sympathies to Merle (M’Lou) Peebles Douglass whose mother, Katherine (Kay) Reese Peebles ’41, passed away in February. She was 93 and had lived with M’Lou and her husband for her final three years. I remember that M’Lou had put her life on hold to care for her mother. She writes that, “I spent four
months organizing her memorial in June. Her immediate family and many of her friends from all different segments of her life attended. So many people rose to speak about the impact she had on their lives. It was very gratifying, and really warmed my heart! After that, my husband Freddie insisted that I do something for myself, so we flew off to Scotland and England for the month of July. We had been talking about making this trip for 40 years and it was amazing! I have Peebles connections in Scotland and Freddie had Douglass ancestry all over the country. He drove us (very brave) and we saw every town, castle, ruin, abbey and chapel that had anything to do with our ancestors! And all the sites that are on the usual Scotland and England tourist checklists. Now we are settling in to being an over-70 retired couple in our too-large house, enjoying our beautiful harbor, our Maine Coon cat and a lovely fall on Cape Cod. There is so much to do that has been put on the back burner for so long and I have the time to work on all those projects. I am sure I will drive Freddie crazy! My best to all my ’65 classmates. I plan to join in the next Cape Cod gathering when it comes up, so keep me posted.” Last but not least, sympathies are extended to all classmates who suffered loses from the fury of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. April Moran Newland, a realtor on St. Thomas, BVI, contacted me right after the hurricanes to say that she had experienced terrible destruction in her area. On a brighter note, many of us seem to be relocating in retirement! Suzann Smart Merklinger reports that, “After 25 years as executive director of the Foundation for Ellis Medicine, I have retired and Tom and I bought a house in Tierra Verde, Fla. We thought it would be fun to live near David and Diana and Liam, one of our four grandchildren. David was transferred two weeks after closing. But we are really enjoying the beautiful skies, a new house and community, and a new way of life. We even joined the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club (founded in 1924) and started playing in a league! We had to evacuate for Irma, but we were fortunate to be in Annapolis and only lost a tree! I love hearing from Cloudy Kennedy and had been in touch with [the late] Betsy Sabin Stettner.” Amy Schwammberger Sexsmith writes from California, where she has been for the
past four years but has always yearned to have a small place back in Rhode Island for the summer. She has found “a tiny 225 sq. ft. studio—really a motel conversion [so not much to take care of].” She is hoping to rent it when she is not there. “Four years have gone by fairly quickly. I took up tennis again, but it was not kind to my back and hamstrings, so instead of tennis, I started to learn pickleball. It’s a very popular sport with seniors because there’s no overhead serve (shoulders), less running (back and knees) and short games (endurance). So once again I have had to reinvent myself!” She has also started painting lessons (plein air at the ocean) and is taking a class on waves now and clouds in November. “It’s been great looking at the world with different eyes.” She loves hearing from the classmates, hearing our similarities and is inspired by what some are doing. Amy Schwamberger Sexsmith after a pickleball match
Julie Henry McPartlin reports that they are residents of Florida as of October 1. “We have found a lovely two-bedroom condo on the Indian River in Vero Beach, and are looking forward to spending a reasonable amount of time there. We fortunately did not suffer any damage from Irma, for which we are very thankful! Ken and I also plan to do some traveling during those times when Florida is warmer than we might wish. We have sold my/our home of almost 70 years on Lake George to my nephew, and are so thrilled that it could stay in the family and that we will be able to come back and visit! Our other exciting news is that our daughter, Happy, after taking some time away from the theater life of New York City to move to the D.C. area for a few years and have a baby, is headed back to Broadway as a cover for the great show, Come From Away. If you get a chance to see the show, go for it; it’s well worth it. Our grandson Bricker turned 2 in
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November and we are thrilled for this little family of three as they begin a grand new adventure together in the big city. After the movers come, we will head over to Concord, N.H., to see our son Rick and grandson Tucker, who is a 7th grader, an enthusiastic soccer player and an all-around great kid. So life is good for the McPartlins and we welcome visitors in Vero Beach!” Paula Minnick Peterson wrote to say that, “This has been another very busy and hectic year. I had a knee replacement last November. It was certainly necessary but I have never experienced such pain related to the rehab. We are moving once again and we expect this will be the final time. I have plenty of room for guests and all on one floor. The children and grands are all thriving. Life is good and settling down. I have seen Pam Palmer Everets recently but missed Penny Banks Peck in Naples last year.” Suzanne King Nusbaum writes, “We are relocating from Silicon Valley, Calif., to Longboat Key, Fla. We plan to spend seven months there and five months at our cottage in Popham Beach, Maine. We bought a condo in the Atrium. Would love to get together with anyone in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. We arrived there for the winter on October 15, a suitable way to celebrate my 70th birthday. I plan to spend lots of time on the beautiful white sand beach, on the tennis court, and singing in the LBK synagogue choir. I continue to arbitrate, both nationally and internationally.” Suzanne would love to get together with Dana friends either in Maine from May through September, or in the Sarasota/Bradenton area from October through April. For those not relocating to Florida, a large group of our class can be found on Cape Cod. Among them are Barbara Bromstedt Kraus, who checked in to say that she, Pam Borneman Burke, Lindy Avery Meriam and Susan Benner Worthen gathered at Lindy’s fabulous place in Falmouth, Mass., for a long weekend. “It never fails to amaze me that no matter how long it has been that we have talked to one another or visited, we just pick up where we left off. BFFs, as my granddaughters would say. I hope everyone’s Dana Hall friendships are as wonderful as ours.”
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Class of 1966 Correspondent needed
Class of 1967 Lucy Haward Sur lhsur@aol.com Erica Funkhouser writes, “September, already, and I feel as if I just saw most of you yesterday! That was an amazing Reunion, a totally unexpected thrill, mostly because it was so reassuring to see that, after 50 years, we’re still an impressive group of rowdy, creative and expressive individuals. I hope we do it again soon. I wanted to let you know that, after a 10-year drought, I’m going to have a new book of poems come March. If any of you have a relationship with a local bookstore or would like to host a reading in your house or with your reading group, please let me know. If you know of a bookstore with a good reading series, please send me the contact info. March and April are pretty booked, but there’s May and then all summer. I’d love to use this new book as an excuse to see any and all of you. At the moment it’s a gorgeous September evening here. I hope all of you and your loved ones have escaped the eyes of the hurricanes and the tremors of earthquakes. The world!”
Facebook, but we’d love some actual face time, back on campus. Mary Webb Kelly wants to see everyone at Dana. Jean Dolan Colao will be there along with hubby Tony, and hopes that others will bring their partners, too. Since we’ll be staying off campus at a nearby hotel, family members could do their own sightseeing while we girls celebrate ourselves at Dana. Your faithful correspondent Pots had mini-reunions in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts with Nancy Dyer Mitton, Wendie (Beans) Franks Howland and later with Marilyn Benson Wiinikainen on Cape Cod. Plymouth natives Beans and husband Howie hosted me in their charming home and topped off my visit with a personalized tour of Plimouth Plantation. The Lovelace family cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee was our dorm-away-from-home for a joyous celebration of kayaks, speedboats and ice cream with Jennifer (Jenn) Oakes, Deb Emerson Pinkham, Anne Lovelace ’71 and sister June Lovelace Davis. Such fun! As Deb said, “I love how our conversations pick up as if we had just seen each other a week ago.”
Class of 1968 Laura (Pots) Potsubay Pucher laurap.riverdale@gmail.com Attention trivia lovers: Each of us is 68 years old (or thereabouts) and we graduated in ’68. That singular fact should inspire us to attend our 50th Reunion! It’s just around the corner: May 18–19, 2018. Siri-ously, set your GPS for Wellesley, Mass. Be there or be square! I asked a few of our classmates whom they want to see back at Dana at the 50th. Marty Reese Bryan would love to reunite with Mary, Beth and Barb. Kathy Benton Harris hopes to see her sophomore roommate Harriet Serrell Sherman and Pots would like to reconnect, in person, with my Johnston B roomie, Cindy duPont Tobias. June gave a hearty shout out to Connie Bryden to attend the festivities. We read Constance’s posts on
Laura Potsubay Pucher, Wendie Franks Howland and Marilyn Benson Wiinikainen at the Dana reception at the Wianno Club in Osterville, Mass.
Deb Emerson Pinkham, Laura Potsubay Pucher, Anne Lovelace ’71 and June Lovelace Davis
please think about coming to Reunion in May. I’d love to see you!”
Class of 1969 J. Mara DelliPriscoli jmara@educationaltravel.travel Laura Potsubay Pucher, Jennifer Oakes and June Lovelace Davis kayaking
Deb Emerson Pinkham and husband David made a happy announcement: Their son James has become engaged to Sara Hahn. “They are planning the wedding for the summer of 2019. Any mother-of-thegroom tips happily accepted.” Best wishes to the happy couple. Lucy Ware Mcguffey writes, “I’m still teaching politics at the University of Colorado Denver but hope to retire either June 2018 or 2019 so that my husband (a retired musician) and I can savor the years. My older son, an Episcopal priest, lives in Santa Monica with his wife and three sons. My other son lives in Denver with his partner and is exploring new career options. And my daughter and son-in-law are artists who live in Brooklyn with their daughter.” June Lovelace Davis continues to enjoy retirement, especially traveling and spending time with grandchildren. Pam Fallon Jagla plans to attend Reunion. Pam writes, “We are fine. Lots of family weddings. We had a niece get married at our Cape estate; the last one there was our wedding 45 years ago. We have gone to our beach cottage in Jaco, Costa Rica, every winter, for the past 14 years. Then we spend the summer on the Cape and attend a lot of Red Sox games whenever we’re in Massachusetts.” And I’ll close with a Nancy Carter message. She writes, “I have now lived on the Maine coast for 13 years—12 more than I thought possible when we moved here. I am mostly retired after 11 years of playing ‘utility outfielder’ in a variety of roles at a local nonprofit. My husband is winding down his second career as a handyman and property manager, so we’ll spend more time visiting family in Colorado and Minnesota, and escaping to our tiny apartment in southern France. Hilary Rosenfeld, if you’re reading this,
Deborah (Debby) Yard Mello Orazem mello.debby@gmail.com J. Mara DelliPriscoli writes, “Your Class Correspondents are hard at work trying to contact all ’69 classmates! This fall, we made 27 calls to classmates without emails on record and reached eight classmates personally. We hope our 18 other classmates will return our phone messages by emailing us at the addresses above with some news in time for the next Class Notes update! Thank you all for your kind consideration in sharing news! Catharine Bell is married and is teaching high school English full-time at the University of Chicago Laboratory School. With a great love for the west, she spends her summers at their second home in Cody, Wyo. Marie Andersen-Whitehurst is celebrating her 45th anniversary with her loving husband. Having received her graduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, she is now retired from clinical social work and owns a gem and mineral store as well as devotes her time to doing amazing energy work on horses. Amy Barmeier Dru sold her successful business, loves to travel, still rides and has horses working extensively with their trainers. Her two sons are doctors with practices in urology and neurology. Margaret Dyer retired as a clinical social and mental health professional and has a son leaving this fall for Egypt. Jody Neilson Morse is celebrating her 46th wedding anniversary with her husband Gar and living in Manchester, Mass., near to her three kids and three grandchildren. Still working full-time in the real estate investment industry, she manages to always spend considered time sailing. Having found politics late in life she was a co-chair of the Obama campaign in her town in 2008.
Winifred (Wink) Bliss Maki continues to advocate her passion for single-gender education as it is “freeing for women to learn” which she shares from personal experience. After studying at Occidental for a short time, she returned to Boston, married her husband Dr. Peter Maki and completed her B.A. from Wellesley in ’81. Although now retired, for years she helped Peter run his thriving intervention cardiology practice in Phoenix (which has 80-plus employees!). Her two children include a 30-year-old daughter who received her degree from Columbia’s Teachers College and is now living in Chicago, and her 31-year-old married son who is pursuing a degree at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy as an intelligence officer. Living in North Carolina since 1981, Natalie Clark Teichman has two sons and is celebrating 41 years married to her wonderful husband. After transferring from Sarah Lawrence to Tufts and graduating with an art history degree, she went on to pursue her passion at a weaving school in Canada and subsequently has worked in textiles her entire career. Although now retired she still works in her studio, sells her weaving as well as works with traditional rug hooking.
Anne Bryer would love to know if anyone has info/contacts for the ABC students she cared greatly about at Dana! Deborah (Debby) Yard Mello Orazem shares that she retired from teaching this spring and her summer was consumed with racing yachts and winning many races! Her own boat JuneBug has been put away for the summer and she is now loving being out in her garden and enjoying live opera from the MET at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center! After 32 years founding and facilitating the Educational Travel Consortium’s community and conferences, Mara DelliPriscoli is hard at work planning ETC’s first conference to be held outside the U.S. in Bermuda in February 2018— truly a global gathering at the crossroads of lifelong learning and travel.
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Class of 1970 Ann Elisabeth (Betsy) Bass betsybass52@gmail.com Emily Ecker eecker@gmail.com Of note: Cartoon photos were found by Durinda Wood. She found No. 1 while cleaning out a trunk in her parents’ garage. We could not figure out who the artist was. Then a few weeks later, she found No. 2 and saw Laurie (Loo) Deitz’s signature. Mystery solved. Then Jenny Warburg contacted her to get permission to print these.
Two cartoon drawings created by Laurie (Loo) Deitz
Ann Elisabeth (Betsy) Bass writes, “I experienced three major life changes this year. First change was a divorce—a long time coming, in March. My girls and I are in a much better place now. Second, I hiked Katahdin and the Knife Edge in Baxter State Park. It was a long but good hike and I proved to myself that my three replaced joints (two knees and a hip) worked well. Third was a special gift I gave myself: a cruise on a clipper ship, the Star Flyer, sailing out of Venice, with fabulous stops including two Croatian cities, Kotor, Montenegro and three Greek Isles, finishing in Athens. My wonderful friends/ traveling companions helped me celebrate my 65th in Kotor. Those new joints allowed me to climb the 1,200 steps to an old monastery in Kotor.
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Betsy Bass celebrates her 65th birthday after climbing 1,200 steps to the top of a Kotor, Montenegro, monastery.
Melanie Choukas-Bradley with forest bathing guides Akira (left) and Kouriki in the Japanese Alps
Dana Hall friends gathered at the home of Melanie Choukas-Bradley to take part in the Women’s March on Washington. Lindsay Beane made the sign. In the summer, Lindsay drove up to Maine and stayed in Emily Ecker’s home while Emily and her husband had family time on Cape Cod. She had a mini retreat away from the city.
Evie Preston ’72, Ellie Choukas Anderson ’72, Lindsay Beane, Melanie Choukas Bradley, Katharine Rutherford ’73 and Catherine Cornell ready for the Women’s March on Washington
In January 2017, Melanie ChoukasBradley participated in the Women’s March on Washington along with fellow classmates Lindsay Beane and Cathy Cornell. On July 17, many of us were excited to hear Melanie being interviewed on National Public Radio. The story was Forest Bathing: Retreat to nature can boost immunity and mood. “‘The aim of forest bathing,’ Choukas-Bradley explained, ‘is to slow down and become immersed in the natural environment.’” Melanie is a certified Forest Therapy Guide. In October, she had a three-week trip to Japan. Melanie writes, “I traveled all over the country participating in forest bathing walks with Japanese shinrin-yoku practitioners and contributing to their health research on the beneficial effects of time spent in nature. It was an amazing experience!” You can check out her website at www.melaniechoukas-bradley.com.
Constance (Connie) Childs Elliott writes, “My husband retired last winter, so we are gradually rearranging our daily schedule (starting with coffee on the porch swing each morning) and contemplating the luxury of all this time. I continue teaching and demonstrating spinning, weaving and dyeing around the area, as I have for 40 years now. It has been fun hearing about my classmates’ trials with the whole Medicare process—yucko. For my 65th birthday, my cake was lovingly made and decorated by a friend of mine. Then we divided into teams and competed on a Medicare quiz. Geez, what a bunch of geezers! Susan Frank Daum writes, “We still live in Henderson. It seems to be getting hotter here every year. We tied the record of 117 degrees in June. My husband and I are both in good health. We golf 3–4 times per week, even in the heat—just earlier. I have a trainer at the gym facilities here, which are top notch, so that keeps me fit and strong. We travel quite a bit and have had an opportunity to travel all over the world, including Antarctica, most of South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, most of Asia and parts of Africa, and the Middle East. This year we’re going a little tamer with a river cruise (never tried this before) on the Danube after exploring northern France. Next year it’ll be back to South Africa and a gorilla trek in Uganda. Our first grandchild, Maeve Irene Daum, was born in early July and is doing great. This will probably curtail some of our international traveling so we can watch her grow.” Pamela (Pam) Davies writes, “I live in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where I’ve lived for 40 years. I’m an RN, partially retired, currently have a VERY part-time job as an instructor for CNA students at our local community college. I also teach piano one day a week. For fun, I’m in a duo where we
play folk/bluegrass-inspired stuff and the like. I play banjo and guitar and sing—lots of fun. Also for fun, there’s lots to do around here: hiking, kayaking, swimming and sailing, so in the summer, I partake in all of that as much as possible. Because of the distance, it’s a little hard for me to get to functions/gatherings in the east, but it could happen. I’m penciling in our 50th! Cheers, all!” Martha Harbison-Rountree writes, “I have been retired for 11 years since my near death experience (NDE) in 2006. I am very active in the Charlotte community and have the time to enjoy my two grown children, my two darling granddaughters and my life with my wonderful sweetheart, Ron Cox. We had a fabulous trip to Napa (exactly where the fires were), the Mendecino Music Festival and the Oregon coast this summer. The Historic Heecta Lighthouse B&B is a must! I recently completed the manuscript of my premier novel Jobs in Heaven, which is based on what I learned during my NDE, and now I am seeking a literary agent to represent it for me.”
Martha Harbison-Rountree and Ron Cox
Susan (Susie) Coburn Humphrey writes, “Okay, I’ll put my two cents worth in, too! I turned 65 in April. Shortly thereafter had my first bone density test only to find out I have osteoporosis! So I guess I really am aging after all... but I feel great! In fact, I think I am the happiest I have ever been, and considering one of my sons died of cancer, that’s saying a lot. In fact, I never expected to be this happy! So whatever time is left to us, may we make the most of it, cherish family and friends, and be grateful for life!” Nancy Karp writes, “I am actually finding it liberating to turn 65. I gave myself a fun and delicious cooking party and celebrated with 28 friends and family. I love the emails our classmates have been sending back and forth, sharing birthday plans and feelings about reaching this milestone. Really though, every birthday is special and worthy of celebrating. I’m sending a special shout out to Susie Coburn Humphrey. What you said is beautiful and I’m so happy for you. The information sharing about the crazy process of applying for Medicare and health insurance has been very helpful, too. I did this in time for my June birthday. It was a royal pain but a relief to accomplish it in time. I think I might need a bigger wallet to carry my four insurance cards. In August, I initiated a mini class reunion on Cape Cod in Orleans, Mass., with Alison NicholsFerring, Caroline Hill and Marcia Melamed Feola. Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy 65th!”
Andrea Higgins Bierce writes, “We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary in Ireland. I resigned from my day job at the end of April and now am continuing to do board work with UBS Bank USA, Cyient (a public company in India) and the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte.” Alison Nichols-Ferring, Caroline Hill, Marcia Melamed Feola and Nancy Karp
Andrea Bierce Higgins and husband Sandy at Ashford Castle in Ireland
Harriet Dubin Straus ’68 and Nancy Karp and met up at a party for a mutual friend in Wellfleet, Mass.
Patricia (Patty) Latham Gray writes, “I’m not one to stay in touch, just have kept moving through life. Studied piano at Dana Hall and continued at Mt. Holyoke College, graduating with a degree in philosophy. Then married in 1976; moved to Rochester, N.Y.; studied at Eastman for a couple of years and decided to get an MBA in business (mostly finance) from the Simon School (University of Rochester). Have a 33-year-old son who married last year with a wedding in Brooklyn. My career took me to researching and editing economic books, investment strategy at a local money management firm, to treasury and finance management. Now am looking forward to retirement, returning to my music, gardening, yoga, meditation and just enjoying life. It has been fun to see all the messages going back and forth and hearing from so many of our class. If health permits, now that I have the time, I, too, may visit for our 50th.” Patricia (Patty) McMillen writes, “Sam and I are moving to Michigan! The new place is a half-mile from Weko Beach (east bank of Lake Michigan), which connects with beautiful Warren Dunes. It’s actually in a critical protected dune area, so we are now caretakers of our little .88 acre bit of woods, sand and chipmunks. They throw acorns down on the roof all night—now there’s a new sound to get used to! We will eventually have guest quarters for Dana ’70 families, though for now, you have to really love sleeping on an airbed.” Sarah Rodman writes, “I now have two enchanting grandsons: Aslan and Sami, who live closeby. Life is good! Durinda Wood came to visit me in October from her home in Los Angeles. We also joined up with Marya Kayeum and Kit Goldfarb ’71.”
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Durinda Wood (right) with a friend at her 65th birthday celebration
Kit Goldfarb ’71, Durinda Wood, Sarah Rodman and Marya Kayeum
Pamela (Pam) Gleason Swearingen writes, “I have enjoyed being retired as a pediatrician since the end of June. I worked in the field for 36 years. My husband, who is retired, and I spend our time between our vacation home in Stowe, Vt., as well as my family place on Southport Island, Maine, and home in Belmont, Mass. We enjoy traveling with our Bernese mountain dog, Gus—this year to Washington, D.C., as well as Quebec City. I stay busy with yoga, swimming, walks with our dog, growing my orchids and playing the piano as well as gardening and cooking. And now more time for reading! The days are filled. Had a great day at the Maine Botanical Gardens recently reconnecting with Betsy Bass who has a family place in Maine near ours. Too bad we had not reconnected before. Retirement so far is great!”
Biking partners Cynthia Clark Alper and Deb Nicholson
Class of 1971 Barbara Lee Monahan barbmonahan52@comcast.net Toddy Torrance Turrentine toddyturrentine@gmail.com
Some members of the Class of 1971 in York, Maine
Betsy Bass and Pam Gleason Swearingen
Durinda Wood writes, “You said to send pictures of our 65th birthdays. This is me and one of my best friends who shares a May birthday with me. This year we had a big party and had over 50 wonderful and dear friends. It’s almost as if I have reverted back to Dana Hall and our flower-crowned graduation. But this time, I feel like I have graduated into my third act. Hopefully some wonderful adventures ahead.”
Twenty-five of us gathered in York, Maine, for our second quadrennial gathering. Debby Whitney, Deb Grabill and Barb Lee Monahan did an amazing job, and there were many other helpers. From dinner at Debby’s in the tent and everybody’s funny and poignant intros to kayaking, a great museum visit, shoreline walk and lunch in Ogunquit to the dinner at the York Harbor Inn to breakfast at Debby’s with an update of the “Makin’ Headway” song, it was all great. Amazing how we slip into friendship so easily and how much we have in common. Kate Boyd Dernocoeur writes, “A little update about my world: I’m about to finalize the contract to write a fourth edition to my first book, Streetsense:
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Communication, Safety and Control, which has enjoyed a reputation as a bit of an iconic little text in the world of emergency medical services since it first came out in 1984. I sort of casually put it out on Facebook a while ago to see if there was room in the world for a fourth edition, and the encouragement was thunderous. Here I go again! If anyone’s curious about the other things I write about, please take a peek at www.katedernocoeur.com where my blog, Generally Write, randomly wanders across a spectrum of topics. Enjoy!” Margaret (Lark) Dangler Leonard writes, “I continue to live in a small New Hampshire village, work with my hands, read deeply and promote positive social change through quiet political activism. I love growing older! The perspective on life is poignant, endearing and searing— sometimes simultaneously. I am profoundly grateful for my life and to be alive.” Nancy Plum writes, “I will chime in on the ‘wish I could be in Maine this week’ crowd. I was just there last month for a family reunion, am leaving for Europe in a few weeks, and with the concert season starting early in Princeton this year (just finished my 30th year of being a music critic!), it was one too many things in different directions. However, I can give you my update: This fall included the aforementioned trip to Italy, a cabaret at church (which Renee Felder will hopefully attend!) and singing with Andrea Bocelli in December. I’ve also written about 50 pages of a book on the Cuban revolution, with plans to return there in June with a chorus on a concert tour. And to answer Jenny Clark’s question, I am playing tennis this weekend while you all are in Maine—hanging on to my 4.0 No. 1 regional ranking by a thread. I’m definitely getting too old for two-hour matches against college kids! Finally, we were able to reach Maria Gonzalez Blanes after the hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico. Maria writes, “Thank you for thinking of us at this difficult time for our dear island. The devastation has been tremendous, but my whole family is well. Our homes suffered only minor damages and withstood the fury of the strong winds accompanied with heavy rain. However, most trees and
vegetation were severely damaged. Water is being restored but electricity will take weeks or months. We are lucky to have a generator and as long as diesel is available we’ll have power. However, diesel is scarce and lines at gas stations are endless! Communications are bad, cell phones are without service most of the time and no internet, so I am happy to have received your email. I also got emails from Maine, but can’t open the photos. I’m sure you had a great time. Sorry I missed it. Hope to see you all next time!”
Class of 1972 Barbara (Barb) Tomlinson Harman b49harman@gmail.com Barbara (Barb) Tomlinson Harman writes, “So excited to hear from those of you who have made contact this year, both before and after our 45th Reunion! Ditto Pam Swift’s account of how wonderful the reunion was in May. Personally, I learned so much not only from our classmates (who are awesome) but also from the She Sails groups all led by more recent Dana grads in different businesses. I went to the environmental panel that covered an NGO in Africa getting drinking water to villages and a grad who is chief environmentalist for a multi-million dollar shellfish farm in Washington State. We learned that laws keeping our food and water safe are at risk. Many from the class approached me and urged planning our 50th. If you’d like to be part of the planning or have any ideas, please email me. Mark your calendars for 2022! H. Kate Lawlor writes, “I was in the hospital for five weeks in February and March following two days of major spinal surgery to relieve pressure on my spinal cord from five slipped discs and the installation of screws and steel rods through nine vertebrae to repair a lateonset scoliosis. Ugh! Aging is the pits! I’m still receiving physical therapy but have mostly weaned myself from my back brace. It seemed a good time to think about retiring... I submitted my resignation as an associate clinical professor at UCSF in June, and waited for the waves of regret to wash over me—but it never happened! I’m happily volunteering as a researcher and writer for a number of adoption organizations (both our sons were born in Guatemala) and looking at real estate to
downsize into. But it would be helpful if my husband and I could at least agree on the same coast! I’m very happy to have had the chance to be in recent touch with Leslie Grove, Diane Denman, Carlye Calvin and Pam Swift.” Robin Whitney Ashley Vose writes, “Jim and I are enjoying spending time with our 1 1/2-year-old granddaughter. Our son Richard will be getting married to his wonderful girlfriend, Nancy, sometime in 2018. I am still beekeeping, playing the piano (thank you Barb Harman for all your inspiration) and interested in colonial kitchen gardens with my volunteer work at Ogden House. Does not sound thrilling, but terribly satisfying.” Linda Smith Janoff writes, “My husband and I completed our move to Williamsburg, Va., in April of 2017 and we’re all settled in and exploring our new home.” Pamela (Pam) Swift writes, “It was both fun and powerful to see so many classmates at the Dana Reunion (and I’m not a Reunion person usually). Each classmate was interesting and I enjoyed hearing about everyone’s lives and their views on everything from politics and children to travel. This year we had some new classmates join us: Joan Davol, Janis Anderson and Susan Wheeler, to name a few. I hope more of you will join us on our 50th. It was like seeing long lost sisters after many years. Biggest news is that my youngest daughter, Lydia, was married this past September. It took a lot of planning, but the actual day was relaxed and magical. My oldest daughter, Holly, is getting married next September. Glad I have a year. Wondering when do you decide to retire and what will shape my daily life when I do? I’d love to hear from any of you! Love to all Dana sisters from the Class of ’72.” Sharon Gray Hvizdak writes, “Hi, everyone! I’ve been very busy the last couple of months. I’ve been upgrading my home in Griswold, Conn., helping take care of my dad and spending time in Pennsylvania visiting my two grandchildren, my daughter Meredith and her husband Pete. On top of this, my son got married in Sebago, Maine, and we had a fabulous weekend celebrating. I also
spend time in Hilton Head, S.C., overseeing the renovation of the family house due to hurricane damage, so I am very busy and constantly on the move. I would love to hear from any alumnae, but especially from Cindy Merritt, Dana White and Hannah Harrington.” Laura Wigglesworth Shervin writes, “I am still living in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyo. My daughter and her husband are in Boise, Idaho, with our two grandchildren, Lexie (9) and Coltyn (6). Our son and his wife are in Flagstaff, Ariz. After closing my cleaning business, I worked part-time at our nursing home and then moved outside to work in a couple of different garden centers. I maintain a large vegetable garden—challenging in our Wyoming climate—and numerous flower gardens. My husband and I are now happily retired and have found snowless winters in Apache Junction, Ariz., to be heavenly. Lately I have spent summers volunteering for a therapeutic riding program, so tremendously rewarding, although rotator cuff surgery has kept me out of the arena this past summer. Anyone in our neck of the woods please get in touch.” Diane Denman Moxness writes, “I’m still in Alaska, still skiing and hiking when I can. I’m ‘retired’ but involved in several nonprofits as well as part owner of a rock climbing gym. I’m way better with the financials than the actual climbing part! Over the last few years, my husband Mike and I have done some great long walks. This fall we walked the Coast to Coast Walk in England. It was beautiful (and wet). Prior years we’ve hiked two routes of the Camino de Santiago across Spain. Both were 500 miles and very inspiring. Mike does medical missionary work in Africa and Central America. Our 28-year-old son lives in Anchorage, works as a water engineer and is a high school cross country ski coach. He just received his pilot’s license, giving me a few more grey hairs.” Elizabeth Boles Gutterson writes, “Warmest wishes to my loyal Dana Hall friends: Melinda Haynes Bradley, Jill Gogan-Tilstone, Susan Christopher Leist, Jane Elfers Muther, Deborah Lincoln Niekrash, Cathy Sagansky Kaufman, and Terry Sanderson Smith.”
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Class of 1973 Judith (Judy) Luke judy.luke@comcast.net Hello, Class of 1973! Hoping everyone has saved the date for our 45th (insert gasps here!) Reunion. Looking forward to catching up with everyone in person. It’s been a fun and busy year for me (Judy Luke) in Boston. Work continues to keep me engaged as a creative director for a financial firm just outside of Boston. I went to Italy for the first time in May. A wonderful trip but bummed I didn’t get to Milano to catch up with Madelyn Levy Renee. Summer fun continued with side trips to Block Island; Nantucket and Richmond, Va., along with visits to Connecticut to see family. Margaret Boles Fitzgerald writes, “It seems like ages (well, five years I guess) since we gathered en masse, both at my home just a suburban mile (or two) from Dana Hall, for a lively dinner and sharing time and then the next day on the beautiful campus, which we know well, but which has changed to meet the changing needs of Dana Hall’s student population.” Margaret is working from home (and admits to missing the thrum and buzz of an office setting—good people and good ideas bouncing around), but she is busy (and doing quite a bit of travel, mostly to New York City) with the many aspects of chairing the Henry Luce Foundation. Margaret sits on a corporate bank board, does lots of volunteer work (as so many of you do) and she gives a bit shout out and thank you to our class Dana Hall Reunion team. Margaret has also started compiling a nice collection of freelance articles, where she notes, “I actually get paid to write! I rejoice in my work—all of its many tributaries that put me in the company of such intelligent and generous (in teaching and sharing with me) people; most of all, I rejoice in the lives and wellbeing of my children: Molly Fitzgerald ’04 and her husband John Burke work and live in Sydney. Tom’s and my son, Sam, married his longtime paramour Jenny Knutson. They live and work in New York City, after their three-year stint (pure coincidence, but such serendipity!) in Sydney, Australia. Our youngest, Liza, lives and works in Boston. She is an assistant account executive at Hill Holliday Advertising
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where I worked for 30 years. Proof: You can go home again. Tom has retired and is working on reclaiming some better health after a series of challenges and setbacks. We must remain optimistic and we are grateful that we live in such a strong medical capital. I spend special time caring for and being with my glorious parents (now 95 and 86, living somewhat independently on Cape Cod—Osterville, still!). Our extended families keep growing through the next generation, pairing up with superb partners and even sprouting some new offspring, which just makes our homes filled with layers and generations of fun, love and support—for the better and ballast for the challenging times. Blessed we are. I hope to be with many of you next spring at our Reunion. Until then, Godspeed to all of you.” Karin Baldwin Quayle writes that she is really looking forward to our next Reunion, and the opportunity to catch up with everyone and hear about their interesting journeys. Karin continue to work at her dream job: massage therapy with horses— and yes, humans, too! Two days a week she devotes her time to a sports medicine practice. She is constantly studying as there is always new research to catch up on. Karin is still riding and showing in dressage and this year was awarded two levels in the masters status program (60-plus years) by the United States Dressage Federation. Adding that she hopes she can still ride for many years to come. Karin recently spent a lovely day with Lisa Maxwell. They are not too far from each other and love to get together. Cheryl Kilberg Solomon and Karin met in Phoenix, Ariz., in December at Cheryl’s future retirement home. Karin Baldwin Quayle at the Red Tail Farm Dressage Show in Bedminster, New Jersey
Cheryl Kilberg Solomon writes, “I can’t wrap my head around retirement just yet… But at the same time, I love the freedom of
more time for me and I am still trying to figure out the balance here.” Cheryl has been busy with their new home in Phoenix and has been going back and forth during all the renovations. A new golden retriever puppy is also keeping Cheryl and her husband very busy. Cheryl adds, “We forgot what having a puppy was all about!” Cheryl went to Prague on a beading adventure for a week in the fall of 2017 and had an amazing time! She visited bead factories, took a few classes and did lots of sightseeing, noting that the Czech Republic is simply beautiful. Budapest is on her list for a visit in the years ahead. She hopes to see everyone at our upcoming 45th Reunion! Diana Lee Hammond writes that it is always special to see a post from a classmate, and she enjoyed reading through the address list of the Class of ’73 to see where people have settled. (And she loves that Madelyn is still in Milano!) Diana is especially intrigued to see how many have chosen Maine as their home, and loved hearing from Grace Nelson about her often held mini-reunions. Diana and her husband bought a little cottage just outside of Portland on Prouts Neck were they plan to spend 3–4 months a year. She is hopeful she will see more classmates and old friends in summers ahead. Diana’s oldest daughter Whitney (30) is married, living and working in Melbourne with an 18-monthold named Charlie. Her daughter Phoebe (28) was married in Maine last June 24 (Marion Talmage Boyer was there!) and she also lives and works in Melbourne. Their son Charlie (25) is working for a crowdfunding company in London and recently scaled Mt. Blanc. Diana writes, “Fortunately all three love coming to Maine as much as we do, so their Aussie accents might soften in years to come. A big shout out to all of us as we enjoy are sensational sixties! Celebrate with a trip down under and come and see us in Perth. Wishing everyone good health and a change of president.” Grace Nelson and Lucy Franks Lapier, roommates together in Grove House junior year, travelled to Maui for a week’s reunion, seeing sights such as volcanoes even older than most of us!
the market in the spring. We love our new routine and lifestyle and have found the adjustment easy, so it was the right move. I am really looking forward to Reunion in May. Hope we have a terrific turnout!”
Class of 1974 Lucy Franks Lapier and Grace Nelson at Haleakala National Park
In 2017, Priscilla Newton, after 3,000 hours, took the California clinical examination, passed, and is now a licensed marriage and family therapist. During her internship, Priscilla worked with transgender populations at a clinic nearby in Oceanside, Calif., and she continues to do so now. She will also be working with referrals from a local rehab center here in Laguna Beach. Priscilla writes that she is “grateful to be healthy and able to plan another career. I feel audacious and joyous! I look forward to hearing the Dana news!” Valerie Danforth Fast writes that she may miss Reunion as it falls on a sailing race date, as usual! Val is living in Noank, Ct., adjacent to Mystic. She has a family: a husband and three kids, all who also sail and ski! Her husband just retired, is sailing more than ever and is rebuilding a new van to tour the country and ski—with their younger son and his own van. Their oldest son is sailing out of Noank and middle daughter is living in Chicago, working and sailing. Val is on the edge of retirement, looking for something to spend her time on. Val writes, “I can’t ski anymore—legs won’t turn on demand—as I’ve got muscular dystrophy. But I’m still walking, laughing and keeping out of trouble, kind of... Anybody with ideas toward something to keep me busy contributing to something, please drop a line!” Dana Cole writes, “It was a busy summer. After nearly 40 years of living in New York City, Bob and I moved to our ‘weekend home’ in New Paltz full-time in August. Bob is now a professor of business law at the Marist College School of Management where he teaches law and law-related courses to business students. And he loves it! I am still helping authors publish and moved the Self Publishing, Inc. office to Brewster, now commuting as much of America does, by car. The loft will go on
Kate Hirsch Koller rkoller@snet.net Kate Hirsch Koller writes, “All is well in my household. I’m looking forward to starting a Spanish language course in New York City. I’ve wanted to learn Spanish for quite a while for the obvious reasons, but also for my brain/memory health! Apparently, learning a language is great for the aging brain! I’ll be going into the city weekly, giving me a good reason to visit museums, plays, etc., and get together with friends. So let me know if you’re in New York, as it would be fun to meet up.” Amanda (Mandy) North writes, “In my latest effort to forestall (or deny!) age, my kids (Logan 25 and Lili 24) and I have just returned from trekking to Annupurna Base Camp in Nepal. Seeing the Himalayas had been on my bucket list forever, and the majestic mountains did not disappoint! But the sobering fact is the 26,500-foot Annupurna no longer is climbable; the snow is too unstable due to climate change. They say that within five years, Everest may go the same way. So following in my daughter’s footsteps, I’m devoting much of my time to advising young companies and nonprofits that are focusing on clean energy and climate solutions. I continue to love living in San Francisco in a teenie, weenie apartment at the top of Telegraph Hill (right next to Coit Tower). What the apartment lacks in space it makes up for in fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and beyond. My son Logan lives nearby, and daughter Lili lives and works in Beijing. I’ll be traveling there to spend the Christmas holidays with her in Harbin, on the border of China and Russia. Apparently they have a fabulous ice festival then. Can you say brrrr? I spent this weekend at my Stanford GSB reunion—35th! Reminded me of how much I enjoyed catching up with everyone at our 40th Dana Reunion. Hope to see you in 2019 if not before!”
Lisa Hansen Burditt writes, “Tim and I are now living in Rhode Island, thoroughly enjoying living by the ocean and being closer to Boston again after many years. Our middle daughter was married in August in Vermont to her longtime boyfriend. They, along with our other daughter and son, live in New York City. They love being able to escape the city in Rhode Island and we love that we can visit all of them at once in the City. At one point, they were scattered across the country, so this is definitely a bonus. We are trying to travel (one of my passions) more these days. We are both healthy and have a few friends who have had health issues which have disrupted their lives. So while we can, we plan to ‘do.’ We just returned from a two-week trip to Arizona and Colorado where we hiked a lot, went fly fishing, played golf and did a trail ride. Back at home, I am going to be looking for a new volunteer opportunity as I left a therapeutic horseback-riding program last year. I continue to paddleboard, swim and play some golf in good weather, and explore Providence and Rhode Island whenever. Leslie Stecker Dumont writes, “My news: I continue working at PAREXEL and am very happy. Bill is still with National Grid. Sarah Dumont ’13 graduated from Gettysburg in May 2017. Emily Dumont ’14 is a senior at Hamilton and was the starting goalie for the varsity soccer team. Her team went to the NESCAC semi-finals for the first time! I saw Betsy Jackson Fear at Bowdoin when Hamilton played them in October. We had a nice visit, picked up right where we left off. Always seems that way when we all get together. Love that about Dana. Great hearing from everyone.” Martha Sue Everson writes, “I rented one of the holiday chalets for the Boston Winter Village on City Hall Plaza. I was selling my Marthablox. It lasted the entire month of December and started after Thanksgiving. Call me crazy, but it was something different for me. The hard part is always knowing how much product to make ahead. In January, I headed south to do some art festivals down there.” Betsy Jackson Fear writes, “2017 was a very busy year. At home, we finished up 10 months of renovations in our 1794/1983
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house. It now shows more respect for the past and is keeping us warm! Our eldest, Charlie, married dear Heather Lowe on September 3 in Maine. They have a house in Brunswick and Charlie is an eighth grade science teacher at Bath Middle School. Heather works at Bates College. Sam, our youngest, is in his second year of a master’s degree in industrial design at Savannah College of Art and Design. He lives with his architect girlfriend, Maraike. Our cookware shop, Now You’re Cooking, keeps Mike busy and my clay sculpture keeps me off the streets. For fun, we graze sheep and keep chickens! Here’s to a healthy 2018!” Laurie Goldstein writes, “Having worked as a transformational life coach now for a decade, I’m finally beginning my first book which is so exciting, albeit daunting. I’m also beginning to offer day-long and weekend retreats. I’ve become a junkie for sharing tools for self loving, self compassion and self forgiveness. My husband continues to write murder mystery movies. It’s like living with Columbo! And we both continue seeking inspirational stories for cable and network films so don’t be shy if you have one!” Leslie Shields Lundgaard writes, “Changes since our last report are that my husband, Per, left teaching after 39 years. I say left, not retired, as I need him to find a new job! We are not finished working yet. His passion is wine so he is looking for a job in that industry. I have at least five more years at the University of Delaware Development Office to take advantage of all their benefits. I am jealous of so many of you who have cut the work ties and gone fully into retirement. I have to end the college tuitions first. Our oldest son, Peter (24), is successfully employed in Philadelphia and now has an apartment there with three great friends. All the guys are employed and working hard. While living at home was the right price, it was home. He does not miss the commute and is closer to his girlfriend. Our youngest son, Benjamin (22), is finishing up his senior year at VA Tech and his college soccer career. Win or lose, it has been quite a ride watching two boys play soccer from ages 4 to 22. I figure I have been to more than 500 games! Benjamin will hopefully be invited to try out for the MLS Combine
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in January and go to the MLS soccer draft later in the month, or he will get an agent and go to Europe. Either way, it is pretty clear he will continue soccer at a professional level. So I guess I will add to my game totals! If anyone knows any soccer/sports agents, please contact me—seriously. We want to see our options for his career, beyond the MLS. Our home in Delaware continues to be a great stopping point going north or south, so don’t hesitate to ask for a free bed (I have two!) or just a drink as you pass through. I am in New York City and Boston often, so would love to catch up with some of you. Here is wishing everyone health and happiness all around.” Sarah (Sally) Morton writes, “Wonderful to get everyone’s updates! My year got better, though it definitely had some rough spots. Ended up having five months of chemo and three surgeries over a period of nine months, and was happy to be done with it all at the end of the spring. Have spent since then trying to get back on an even keel and it has been a challenge. Still dealing with some side effects and hoping they will eventually go away. Have a head full of very curly, very gray (!) hair and am slowly getting used to it! Thrilled to say that I’m happily back to lots of golf and some tennis. Began to do some volunteer work on a financial literacy project for a foundation in Boston late in the spring and am now there as a program officer working directly with individuals in need. The work is challenging and I am really enjoying the opportunity to improve lives, something that was sorely missing when I worked in financial services! Hope everyone is well, sending all my best.” Lisa Repp Parsons writes, “Hey! Thank you, Kate, for nudging us. It is always such fun to catch up on what everyone is doing. What an inspirational group of women! I am still living in Marblehead. I’m still teaching yoga and doing my pet therapy work with my two labs at the Mental Health Unit at Salem Hospital. Such rewarding work. I had a total knee replacement in August, but have been obsessive about my PT and almost back to 100 percent use of that critical joint. It feels great. I think part of the success of the surgery was how intense I was about my pre-hab getting as strong as I could before
going under the knife! We held our second Bob Parsons Memorial Golf Event through Dana Farber and I am so proud to report that we more than doubled last year’s results and we are donating $173,000 to the Bob Parsons Fellowship in Early Detection Research for Pancreatic Cancer (I know that’s a mouthful). Working with DF is an incredible experience and being able to help further this research is so, so important. On that topic, I am starting to write a book about Bob’s and my journey through his diagnosis and treatment. It’s a new realm for me, but I’m finding it therapeutic and I also know it’s what I have to do before I can really move forward to whatever my next chapter is. All our kids are doing great. One in San Francisco getting married next June; one a teacher in Boulder, Colo.; one running a dog boarding kennel in Sheridan, Wyo. (she’s looking to sell, if you know of anyone who would be interested!); two in New York City (a writer and a human rights worker) and a doctor in New Hampshire! Whew! Lots of great places to go visit. As far as keeping the aging process at bay: yoga and more yoga, getting outdoors whenever possible, surrounding myself with family and friends who nourish my soul, my two dogs and gratitude for the road that has brought me to this moment! Oh—and chocolate. Sending you all hugs. Come knock on my door if you’re ever in the area!” Mary Fish Arango writes, “Greetings from southern Oregon, where the smoke has mostly cleared from summer wildfires. The cool weather is a welcome change, although some rain would be reassuring. We are fortunate to have abundant rivers and creeks and feel great sorrow for northern California and Santa Rosa. Abbie White has been on my mind almost daily since the storms in Puerto Rico. I hope she and her husband and her one-room school weathered the storm successfully. I don’t know if there is communication via email or cell phone, but if anyone has an update, please let us know. I so hope you are safe. In mid-September, I enjoyed a fabulous trip to the east coast to visit my daughter, Grayson, working at Dana Hall. After our own careers in independent schools and finishing with 18 years at a boarding school in California, it is a particular delight to see Grayson falling in love with modern day Dana Hall, its ethos, leadership and
nurturing. Edie Phelps would be proud. I got to meet the girls in her dorm and help cook up a dorm treat of apple crisp from heirloom apple trees at Tenacre, right nearby. I saw a lot of the riding center and its impressive instructors, as Grayson rides there twice a week. We did beautiful trips to Cape Cod and Williamstown, and I ate copious amounts of lobster for the first time in more than 20 years. I am filled with gratitude for Dana’s thoughtful, intentional teaching and programming. It is a huge treat to see Grayson’s years there unfold and to hear her enthusiasm. In our two years of retirement to southern Oregon, I have launched a successful dog training business, teaching agility and obedience in private lessons and group classes on our property. We had years in boarding schools where someone else mowed lawns and tended trees, and now we’re becoming proficient with chainsaws, tractors, tillers and mowers. I compete with the dogs in Oregon and California and stay active encouraging others. I am a judge for the Dog Writers of America Association annual writing contest, and I still take photographs for Browntrout Publishers’ calendars. I volunteer with our therapy dogs at hospitals and assisted living facilities, and mentor other handlers who are just beginning to do the same. I continue to tutor math and English for students with learning differences, a wonderful way to keep my hand in teaching. Anyone traveling the I-5 corridor between California and Washington, please give a call and stop for lunch! We are close to Ashland and Jacksonville, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Britt Music Festival. Cheers and best wishes!” Lesley Jane Nonkin Seymour writes, “I’m still working on launching coveyclub. com, an online/offline platform for women like us. I’ve never been an entrepreneur before, so it’s both energizing and terrifying at once. Hope you will all sign up and join once we launch in 2018. Other than that, I’m still a Dana Trustee and headed up in the fall for a meeting. That took me to Boston for the weekend where my daughter Lake is living in Back Bay while she works as a technician at Dana Farber. She is going to start studying for the DAT and head to dental school eventually. My son JJ is a digital engineer at Publicis and lives in New York. I’m also (crazily) trying to finish up my master’s in sustainability management up at Columbia!
Lots to do plus way more travel. I get to New York on Tuesday and Thursday of every week so would love to connect and grab coffee any time. Hope you are all well.” Ann Simson Watkins writes, “My youngest son, David, graduated from Skidmore in May, so now all our children are done with college! My oldest son, Johnny, has two master’s degrees and works in Stamford, Conn., for Cushman & Wakefield and my middle son, Tom, lives in Philly with his fiancé, Jen. I keep active on the board of our yacht club and as treasurer of the local garden club, but I also workout at a fun gym that offers a variety of choreographed dance classes mixed in with body pump, yoga and even hula hoop sessions. It all is supposed to keep the aches and pains to a minimum and balance out my hectic schedule that requires me to be a jack of all trades and flexible.” Margaret (Margi) Wood writes, “I had a glitch with my old email, so I am now using a new one: margwood510@gmail.com. I haven’t had access to the old email for a while, in case you are expecting me to reply to one you sent. Steve and I are settling into life in Vermont, though winter sure is different here from our 14 years in Florida! We do hope to take our home on wheels southward and maybe even west for some of the long winter. Maybe we’ll catch some of you along the way. Hope you are well!” Amy Short Nicholson writes, “Last year was indeed an earmark. After 38 years (and only my second nursing job ever) at the same hospital, I, along with six other surgical managers and 15 house managers, was laid off right before Christmas, a major corporate restructuring. After feeling so productive and comfortable in my job, I was totally devastated. I only spent two months on the job search, despite being picky at what and where I wanted to work. I’m now working at a surgical center about seven minutes away doing pre-op and post-op. No nights, weekends or holidays. The staff is wonderful and not a day goes by where someone doesn’t say thank you for all you did today. My stress-meter is at zero these days! I now say, why did I ever wait so long to make a change? I do not miss the corporate politics one bit! My husband and I are healthy and try to stay active, but working full-time doesn’t allow for as much free time as I’d like. I still have a few more years left to work. We spend
free time going to grandkids’ events (13 of them), visiting Disney and escaping hurricanes like Irma.”
Class of 1975 Kyle W. Fake kylewfake@gmail.com
Back row (L to R): Liz Sinderbrand, Sarah Osborn and Jennifer Cross. Front row (L to R): Kimeri Brown, Anne Baker, Hilary Huffard, Liz Lackey Krause and Lyn Bumsted
I’m not totally sure why I (Kyle Fake) volunteered to serve as our Class Correspondent. I suspect I feel the need to connect and remember; to go back in time and unearth those moments at Dana that most helped shape and form the person who I became—and the woman I am becoming in my 60s. So in addition to soliciting the usual “fluffy” news, I asked everyone to share their remembrances of Dana that are most vivid and contributed to where they are now in life. As well, I also asked them to express, in particular, their memories of the classmates we lost this year to domestic violence, Liz Sinderbrand and Liz Lackey Krause. I so hope to hear from more classmates in the coming months. Nancy Alexander writes, “I was so shocked to hear of Liz Lackey Krause’s horrible death. I knew Liz from preDana days as our families go way back. My mother knew her mother, Esu, as a teenager and they remained in touch during the years that the Lackeys lived in Dover and later in Groton. Liz was a good friend to my older sister, so I saw quite a bit of her as an early teen. During Dana years, we socialized in different circles but we would acknowledge our long connection through our families. I remember telling her how jealous I was that she was a boarder even though her family lived 30 minutes closer to the school
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than mine. Liz was a great person from a loving family and my heart goes out to all of those left behind. I have many fond memories of hours spent swinging in her hammock and romping around the family’s beautiful Dover farm. I never pass that property without thinking back to those years. Our family has also been touched by severe mental illness, as so many of us have. It is impossible to quantify the impact of it on family and friends. But the Lackey’s story… the saddest of all. All is well in Maryland. My husband, Mark Barnard, is now retired, so we’re enjoying some travel. The kids are grown with only Ian left in school at Northeastern.” Calista (Christy) Harder Hollyer writes, “Kyle, you reminded me of our unique friend- and faculty-centered high school culture as young women in a crucial stage of our becoming. I worked with you on SPREAD and fondly remember how everyone gave their all and how delighted the juniors and faculty were with the result! I have been living near Burlington, Vt., for 25 years, fixing up an old house after living in Cambridge and Concord, Mass. I’ve been married for 35 years (yikes) and have two kids in their mid 20s who are out and gone in med school and finishing college. I’ve been a massage therapist for 35 years as well and have a fun neighbor and friend, Nancy Wayne Jaffe ’72, who graduated from Dana as well. Small world. I am deeply saddened by the terrible loss of Liz Sinderbrand and Liz Lackey. I intend to give my contribution to Dana in their names this year.” Lisa Stutz Baugh writes, “Nan Paterson and I connect regularly over our shared love of horses. We hardly knew each other when we were at Dana, but saw each other at one of our Reunions a few years back and learned we had the horse bug in common. Nan visited me in Florida one winter and soon started coming down yearly from Erie, Pa., to escape the cold and enjoy the equestrian activities in the Florida sun. While building my summer home in North Carolina about six years ago, Nan came to visit the area. She continues to follow me, having purchased a horse this summer that she’s keeping in training very close to my home there. She’s visited several times this summer and we’ll rendezvous again when we both migrate
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south for the winter to the warmth of Florida. I’d like to say a few words about Liz Sinderbrand. Like Nan, I did not know Liz well during our time at Dana, but much to my surprise when I relocated to North Carolina, up popped an email from Liz! She must have read about my coming to the area in a Dana newsletter. She was so warm and welcoming, inviting me out to lunch and offering to show me her favorite spots in Asheville. She was beautiful both inside and out, and connecting with her made me think how special our shared experience of Dana was, despite not knowing each other well back then. I was shocked when I woke up to the news she had been shot and learned she had been living in strained and unstable circumstances for so long. She never let that show through as she reached out to me, and others in her community, selflessly helping and spreading her kindness. From this I have learned that the Dana connection runs deep, and even those I may not have known well during our time at school have so much to offer. It’s awesome to hear what everyone is doing and where their lives have taken them.” Amy Wehle writes, “I’m happily living in western Massachusetts with a husband and 300,000 bees. One of my favorite Dana memories is distracting (Morrill) housemother Ruth Rogers when she was doing a lights out bed check so that a contraband TV could be hidden from her view. Lord knows what the students are hiding these days!” Julia (Julie) Warner writes, “I am living and working as the director of inpatient services in a small rural hospital on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Love for any/all to stop by on their way to the Outer Banks!” Ellen Sterling Slater writes, “One of my fondest memories of Dana was my time in the art and photography studios. Magical to watch the image emerge from the developer pan, to time the precise moment to extract it from the fixer, and to hang the dripping paper to dry, to take into the light, to study, to discuss, to improve upon next time. I have a bag of those photos and negatives and found this one to share now. This one shows Hilary Huffard in the sun and perched remarkably, as if on air, with Anne Baker providing the laughs so
we smile a lot and for the camera, and Karen Harsch, shooting and posing, too. I remember the feel of freedom and connection with smart, funny, creative young women in the mid-1970s; we stretching our wings and Dana not knowing just what to make of us. While it was not always easy for me socially, my sense of our time at Dana is gratitude, because it was rare, and I learned a thing or two, and am still at it. For the classmates we have lost, and for the classmates who have reached out sincerely and eloquently after the shock, we steady each other and keep the spirit alive.”
Anne Baker, Hilary Huffard and Karen Harsch captured by Ellen Sterling Slater’s camera in 1975
Hillary Bailey Smith writes, “I am finding it difficult to write anything ‘fluffy,’ so please don’t feel the need to publish this. I guess I just need to put some questions out there to our class and to our fellow Dana Hall alums. Our class is a fantastic class that has really taken it on the chin these last two years. I feel like everyone kinda knows what we have been up to, but maybe we don’t know the important things about each other’s lives—things that need to be supported or cheered or cried for. Our class was between trends. We were not the fore sisters of the women’s movement, but we were still pioneers trying to press on with careers and still have families. I guess we were the generation who was struggling to ‘have it all.’ In order to achieve ‘having it all,’ we made sure that everyone in our life—i.e. husbands, children, families— were all taken care of so that we wouldn’t feel guilty pursuing our own passions. While we were doing that, we forgot—or were never taught or didn’t have time—to take care of ourselves, leaving ourselves vulnerable to harassment, abuse and unfortunately violence. In 2016, we lost our wonderful Liz Sinderbrandt to domestic violence. This past summer, we lost our beloved Liz (Buffy) Lackey Krause to a different kind of domestic
violence. I have been trying to wrap my mind around these events. What could any of us have done? How prepared were we for this kind of violence? How do you prepare for this kind of violence? I remember being in a relationship that bordered on abuse, but there was no punch, no hit, nothing physical, so is that really abuse? Of course it is, but we didn’t know that. How can we prepare each other for this world? How can we prepare the next generation? Abuse comes in all shapes and sizes: from sexual harassment, mental abuse, bullying and violence down to the very innocuous passive-aggressive undermining or mental manipulation. Is there something that an all girls’ institution should be doing to educate their students, our future leaders, our future mothers? What can we do as alumnae to support the next group of young women, to educate them, to educate ourselves? How does one build self-esteem without turning off compassion? In 2020, we will have our 45th Reunion. I would love it if we could find the opportunity for our class, all classes, faculty, staff and students or just a small group of people willing to sit and talk about what is abuse? What is self-esteem? Who are we as women in the world today? In our homes, workplace, neighborhoods? Nip and I are great. 34 years of marriage! He is still working and although I have been trying to retire, I keep finding fun projects. Look for me on General Hospital as Nora Buchanan. I am creating and starring in a show called The ‘It’ Girls of the Stoop, doing things ‘stoop-it simple.’ It will be released on Vimeo early next year. My son Phips is getting married this spring in Kiawah, S.C. My daughter Courtney continues working in finance for Harding Loevner. We are in the Keys for most of the winter. Lucked out with Hurricane Irma. Only some cleaning and mucking, no major damage. I hope everyone remained safe through this extreme fall with wind, rain, floods, fires and drought. I look forward to our 2020 Reunion!” Donna Hall Bradford writes, “Our youngest daughter got married in November in Delhi. They live in Santa Barbara where she is getting her doctorate at UCSB; his family is from Lucknow, India. My son is finishing his doctorate at UCSB as well. We also have children in New York City and Chicago. We are happy
that our two grandchildren are close by in Chicago. Nothing beats grandchildren. All the kids are married and supporting themselves—hooray! I am still working as CFO for a large company in Kansas City, Mo., contemplating retirement. My husband, an attorney, has retired and we are enjoying life; thankful for good health. We do manage to make it back to Scituate, Mass., each year for a week of sailing. I think often about our class and the last few years of the tragic loss of classmates.” Amelia (Amy) Wilson Demers writes, “I wish I had something amazing to report about my life, but it’s pretty much been business as usual for the last few years. My husband, Marc, and I are empty nesters as my children are both grown and live and work in Boston. We’ve both taken up instruments—Irish flute for Marc, Irish fiddle for me—and we have met some incredible people through doing this. We host Irish traditional music concerts at our homes in Winter Park, Fla., and on Chebeague Island, Maine. We have a Facebook page dedicated to our concerts called The Seaboard Sessions. I would love to see Dana faces at our musical events! My Dana classmate sightings have been few and far between as of late, and that has to change!” Catherine (Cathy) Hosley Vouwie writes, “Dana had such wonderful traditions! One of them, which may not be uppermost in most people’s minds but which meant a lot to me, especially as a new boarder sophomore year, was Step Sing.” Lisa Salisbury writes, “I recently had a reunion with Elizabeth Simonds in Portland, Maine, where she lives and where I was visiting. She is doing great and we talked nonstop for several hours. I have lived all over the west, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Boulder and now in Phoenix. I retired from banking in May and am adjusting to a more unstructured life. Still looking for my ‘forever’ home. I was startled to hear about both Lizes’ violent deaths, just as I am startled to hear about suicides. We were supposed to know better, to know how to extricate ourselves, to have seen the warning signs. But it just isn’t so black and white. Things deteriorate and we never know when the line has been crossed from
which we don’t get to come back. I joined NOW this year for the first time in my life. And I have been to my first resist.org march here in Phoenix. Something besides bra-burning is needed, given how little has changed and how we are in danger of back-sliding now. I too have felt the need to reconnect recently. And when I make the effort, I am rewarded many-fold. I hope to see you in three years for our 45th!” Lisa Salisbury
Melissa Garvan writes, “Recently went up to Boston and attended Laura Burkhardt O’Connell’s wedding. Many of you might remember John Wiley riding his bike out to Wheeler on weekends to visit back in our golden days! She and John reconnected and it was a beautiful event. Also saw Cathy Hosley Vowie and we had fun touring in Manchester and through the new (to me) seaport area downtown and had great lobster! The dog walking/cat sitting service, Wags & Purrs, continues to thrive and I love walking all over Charleston. Always glad to see anyone passing through town.” Kyle Fake writes, “My most precious remembrances of Dana include the instruction I received at Dana’s School of Music, particularly my piano teacher, Ms. Bruce, and the hours I spent in that building practicing piano. I also dearly loved accompanying the Dana Hall Glee Club, working on SPREAD and walking in the woods on weekends, often with a group of classmates that included Liz Sinderbrand and Liz Lackey. I will always remember Sinderbrand’s cardigan sweaters and her laugh! What I miss most about Dana that life hasn’t replicated is being united with a large group of women who were all equally excited about the opportunities and futures we faced. I was high and dry during Hurricane Harvey (what a nightmare!) as I live in a
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neighborhood called the Houston Heights, developed in the early 1900s by a man from Boston, and so named due to its high elevation. I reached out to Dana alums in Houston to see if I could help them and heard from Julie Gianelloni Connor ’69, who lives in the hard-hit neighborhood of Meyerland. She declined my offer of physical assistance removing stuff from the first floor of her house, but she accepted my invitation for hot chocolate and brownies at Starbucks! It was great to connect with her.” Julie Gianelloni Connor ’69 and Kyle Fake
Laura Burkhardt O’Connell-Wylie writes, “I guess I was born an optimist. However, some of my 60 years on this planet have worn this idealism down. Especially recently, screaming injustices and epic tragedy seem to dominate so much of my experience, coloring my perception of what is normal and to be expected. I know I am not alone in having been worn down, nor am I alone in this fight to resist giving in to despair. A keystone in my foundation (and yours, too?) that never crumbles, are the years spent at Dana Hall. How fortunate to have found a safe place where we could laugh with abandon and dream without limits. Life wasn’t perfect then or since, but the bedrock of joy and hope had been laid. Our freed imaginations set our sights high. Through our deep friendships and hard work, high aspirations seemed attainable. Too many of our dear classmates’ dreams were cut short. All of us from our small Class of 1975 feel these losses intimately. I know we all have fond memories and stories of those that have gone. I for one have an image in my mind’s eye of each and every departed friend. I see them smiling. Each one. I remember them laughing, sometimes with abandon. So lets lift now our hearts and our voices, pledge loyalty to their memory. Appreciate the precious time
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we have been given. Share some gladness. Reach out. Next time you smile, look up. Perhaps you can envision those sweet smiles of our lovely classmates smiling back, experiencing some of the joy that wasn’t always available here. So buoy up your optimism. We owe it to them and ourselves to continue to work towards our dreams without limits.” Elizabeth (Gizzy) Flory Williamson writes, “How thankful I am Liz Lackey came to the last Reunion and I was able to see her. Her death is another tragic loss for our class and I still can’t find the words to adequately convey my sadness for Liz and her family. Life truly hangs by a thread but—if we are lucky—great friends and strong bonds are made along the way.”
Elizabeth Simonds and Sarah Babcox Harrity in Squam Lake, New Hampshire
The wedding of Kristin and Chris Finegan with Elizabeth Simonds and John Finegan
Elizabeth Simonds writes, “My Dana years are a treasured memory of friendship, freedom, and coming of age in a powerful community of women and teachers. I discovered many of my strengths producing SPREAD our senior year. What I learned in high school has seen me through decades of work, marriage, motherhood, step-motherhood, divorce, passings and adventure. I have had the chance to catch up with classmates here and there, and feel an immediate bond regardless of how little or often we connect. A recent visit with Lisa Salisbury after 42 years was wonderful! Sarah Babcox Harrity and I have seen each other
every year and stay in close touch. We traveled through Europe for a college semester, lived near each other after college and find time every summer to get together with our families. I thoroughly enjoy and recommend returning to our Reunions for the opportunity to share life experiences and share our stories. Remembering our classmates here and gone with love. Hope to see more ’75ers in 2020!”
Class of 1976 Lynn Surprenant lynnsurp76@gmail.com Lisa Maini writes, “My father passed away on May 3, 2017, and we had a beautiful memorial service for him in August. He is buried next to my mother here in Menauhant, East Falmouth, so I feel very close to both of them. We are still settling the estate, but the good news is I will be purchasing our home. I still have my place in Charlestown and am renting it out. I have also met a very nice man and we have been dating for about a year. He lives near San Francisco, but we talk almost every day and he visits me once a month. He belongs to my yacht club but we never met until his sister introduced us. We are going to take a few trips together next year, including a biggie for my 60th. One more thing: I am working part-time at a design firm called Setting the Space on Main Street in Falmouth. Check it out online! Wishing everyone much love, health and happiness.”
Class of 1977 Kelly Hynes McDermott P04 khmcdermott@comcast.net Liz Browing Riley had dual celebrations this past fall with the wedding of two daughters. Liz writes, “#momof2brides has retired. Katie married Andy Talcott in Seattle in September, and Meg married Jackson Roberts in Nashville in October. I am ready for a rest! It was beautiful and amazing. I am so grateful that they have both found wonderful men to share their lives. Reunion was a blast. It was so great to see everyone. I hope to see everyone at the next one!”
A highlight of Ellie Lowell’s Tanzania safari was joining in a dance with local Masaai women.
Ellie Lowell enjoyed the trip of a lifetime on her African safari. Ellie writes, “It was a fabulous trip. I went with my two sisters (we do a big trip about every two years) through a tour company called Overseas Adventure Travel. We were mostly centered around Arusha, Tanzania, and we went to Tarangire National Park (excellent for elephant viewing and for all kinds of wildlife), Ngorongo Crater (actually a caldera), and went camping (actually, glamping—tents with flush toilets!) in Serengeti National Park. We stayed at ‘lodges,’ which were actually very nice hotels with swimming pools and individual cottages. The tour company also prides itself on giving back to the communities they visit, so also included were trips to an albino community (they are very oppressed in Tanzania), a school (to which we brought supplies), a small organization that makes pottery water filters (the image of women walking miles with water jugs on heads is an actuality in Tanzania, and getting clean water is a real challenge). We gave out some of the filters to women drawing water at local wells. We saw zebra, giraffe, lions and cubs, wildebeest, about five kinds of gazelle/antelope, elephants, warthogs, a leopard, and several other kinds of animals, and several kinds of birds. It was amazing! We also visited Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey’s discovered one of the earliest hominids—that site just had a tiny ‘museum’ but it was interesting nevertheless. I think my favorite memory is the dawn balloon ride over the Serengeti. We saw some wildlife, but mainly it was just so peaceful and gave us such a sense of the huge expanse of the Serengeti.” Sounds like Ellie will be a valuable resource for anyone thinking about checking an African safari off their bucket list! I (Kelly Hynes McDermott) experienced the joyous occasion of my daughter, Courtney McDermott ’04’s, marriage to Matt Gill in Harwichport this past
September. We were graced with gorgeous weather and it truly was a magical day. For those of you who have experienced the pure joy of having one of your children get married, you would probably agree that it can only be compared to the euphoria you felt the day they were born. Coincidentally, like Ellie, Courtney and Matt also went on an African safari, this time for their honeymoon. They witnessed some pretty awesome up-close views of wildlife and can’t wait to go back. It’s great to see them starting their new lives together, and Scott and I have gained a terrific new son-in-law. I look forward to keeping in touch with you all and hope more of you will drop me a quick line from time to time so we can stay connected.”
Katie, is a junior at GWU and her son, Mark, is a junior at Newton North High School and studying this semester at High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colo. Dana Peters Frizzell writes that after 20 years in the hospitality business, she has left her job. She is focusing on her second book, Change in Plan, which she’s hoping to be out by Christmas. A third and fourth book in the series are on the horizon. In August, Jean Kropper and her son, Alex, came from Sydney for a visit. They stayed for four nights and had a blast!
Alex Kropper, Jean Kropper and Dana Peters Frizzell
Jack McDermott, Kelly Hynes McDermott, Matt Gill, Courtney McDermott Gill ’04, Scott McDermott and Dillon McDermott (photo courtesy of Suzanna March)
Class of 1978 Lisa Aronson Altman P11, 16 laltmn@comcast.net We have some very talented authors in our class! Jennifer (Tria) Giovan will soon be releasing a book titled The Cuba Archive. Tria writes, “The selected images featured in The Cuba Archive, many of which have never previously been shown, reveal Cuba at a pivotal point in its fascinating history, and bear witness to an inimitable, resilient and complex country and people.” Kelley Kosow Werner is the author of The Integrity Advantage: Step into Your Truth, Love Your Life, and Claim Your Magnificence. Lawyer turned master integrative life coach, Kelley is a motivational speaker as well as CEO and program and workshop leader of The Ford Institute, a personal development organization that has helped tens of thousands worldwide. Both books sound amazing. Josephine (Josie) Greene’s daughter,
In October, Liz Tierney Scallon came back to Boston to visit with friends and have a bit of a vacation. Liz and Carol Craig Rohall had great fun going to Nantucket to catch up with Susan (Suzi) Anderson Peterson, who lives on the island. They enjoyed a delicious brunch together and walked around town to some of their favorite shops before heading to the mainland. Carol and Liz enjoyed dinner with Ellen Meisel Barrett and Lauren Henderson Bak at a lovely tavern in Duxbury after coming back to the mainland. Ellen and her husband John are busy raising their daughter, Sophia, who is in grade school and keeps them very busy. Lauren has recently retired and is enjoying time with her older children, Hilary and Matthew, and husband Peter. It was a busy few days for Liz on her vacation to Boston, and they all had a great time catching up with each other!
Susan Anderson Peterson, Liz Tierney Scallon and Carol Craig Rohall
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I know that everyone has marked their calendars for the weekend of May 18–19! It’s our 40th Reunion, ladies! I hope to see you all as we celebrate the Class of ’78.
Class of 1979
their music videos. A Dana Hall graduate can accomplish anything. I have a Guinness World Record in my own category! Go Dana Hall!” Susan Sykes and Demi Moore
Lynn Phillips Hernandez lynn.hernandez@comcast.net Lynn Phillips Hernandez writes, “My youngest daughter spent the summer studying in Dublin, so my husband and I spent a week traveling around Ireland with her in July after her study program ended. We soaked up lots of folklore and a few pints of Guinness! In August I was thrilled to have Tena Blease Goen come visit me at our summer place on Georgian Bay in Ontario for a few days. I think we laughed the entire time we were together! The timing of her visit was perfect, since Lisie Brown Sillers was on Georgian Bay at the same time. The three of us had a wonderful afternoon together catching up on each other’s lives, reminiscing about our Dana Hall days and soaking up some sun.”
Lisie Brown Sillers, Lynn Phillips Hernandez and Tena Blease Goen
Janet Wakana St. Martin writes, “I got a new hip in June 2017. It feels great and I am back to all my activities, especially mountain biking. I also started swimming, since that was one sport I could do at six weeks post-op. Now, I swim a mile three times a week. It is a great workout and is so nice on the joints and bones. Another big piece of information is that Doug and I got married on October 15, 2017 (my parents’ wedding anniversary) on top of a local mountain in New Hampshire (Cardigan Mt.). Then we were off to Sedona, Ariz., for our honeymoon.” Susan Sykes writes, “This summer, I attended Demi Moore’s birthday party! Demi’s a great actress! I was also hanging around Miss Paris Hilton! I also worked with Marilyn Manson and Mylie Cyrus in
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Elizabeth (Zebby) Whiting Dube writes, “We have landmark family events happening here. Al and I renewed our vows on our 30th anniversary. It was so much fun! I felt like that 26-year-old again. Then our oldest is also getting married—talk about feeling old! We are all in that era of our lives where some days we feel young and some days we feel old. I choose young! I’m too old to care. Enjoy life, my Dana sisters!”
Class of 1980 Melissa Brown Moore mbm@ibl.bm Karen Shapiro writes, “In July, I went to eastern Europe. I visited six countries, learned about the cultures of the former Yugoslavian republics and met with some wonderful people there. I loved Romania and Transylvania, probably the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We were in Prince Edward Island for a week at the end of July, and then we were in Utah hiking. I tried to keep up with my younger sister and ended up with a sprained ankle! In early September, we were in Spain and Portugal with a friend. Such history, thousands of years of history and culture and wonderfully kind people. I am back at work as a volunteer ombudsman for elderly in nursing homes. I have ventured into town politics. I’m a town meeting member for my precinct and really enjoy working for the town municipality. I’m also an active member of the League of Women Voters. Our big focus right now is voter registration. My best to all my classmates, and looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion in 2019.” Katherine (Kathy) Davidson Lobo writes, “I continue to be very actively involved as a high school ESL teacher and adjunct professor of education. I will go to Sudan to speak at the TESOL Sudan 7th annual conference in Khartoum in February. I plan to stop in Turkey on my way back to Boston. In March, I will chair TESOL’s annual international convention that lasts close to a week and is expected to have close to 7,000 people in attendance from more than 100 nations. TESOL stands for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. In regards to my family, my daughter is earning a master’s degree in Xian, China, and my son is a junior at UMass Amherst. All is well.”
First off, I (Melissa Brown Moore) wish to make a very belated apology to Wendy Higgins Chambers for my poor grammar when recomposing a note she had submitted two Bulletins ago. With a bachelor’s in English, you would think I had my grammar preserved and polished, but this wasn’t the case. I can only blame my error on poor editing and... well, I can offer many excuses, but we know they are just stories! I will continue to strive to keep my grammar up to snuff and always appreciate a nudge when things don’t look quite right. Fun to hear from my first Dana roommate, Victoria (Viki) Palmer Vestuto, who writes, “My husband Paul and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this year. As with all good things, time sure does fly by! This fall, we will begin the stage of empty nesters with two in college and one launched into the real world. My career path has been in information systems where I am a consultant to pharmaceutical companies. My schedule is flexible so I’ve been able to juggle work, family and other fun stuff over these years. Recently, I had my second book published, A BFF’s Guide to Divorce. Over these past few years, I’ve walked the journey of divorce with some close friends and it was certainly an (unpleasant) experience. I have a desire to help others, so I documented my experiences and wrote this book. The divorce process can be very confusing and lonely, and this book is meant to help address both of those areas. My first book was on the topic of organization—again, a desire to help people feel less stress by being a bit more organized. Both books are available on Amazon, if anyone is looking
for that type of help (or has friends who could use some help). If ever anyone is in the Chicagoland area, I’d be happy to meet up with them! Feel free to reach me at vvestuto@gmail.com.” It is with great sadness that I was notified of Elizabeth Farnsworth’s passing, soon after receiving her Class Notes below. We can choose to celebrate her life through her own words, “If you are in the vicinity of our wonderful flagship botanical garden at Garden in the Woods (Framingham, Mass.), stop in for a walk!” Or purchase one of her books! It will also be interesting to see the completion of the Go Botany web app she was helping to create. What an incredibly talented and inspiring woman she was! Elizabeth Farnsworth writes, “I’ve authored or illustrated seven awardwinning books, including the Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern North America, A Field Guide to the Ants of New England and the Flora Novae Angliae. I have been a creator of Go Botany, a $2.5 million National Science Foundation funded project to produce an interactive web app in which you can identify 3,500 species of plants. I currently curate our collection of the seeds of endangered plants to save them for the future against the challenges of climate change. In my spare time, I still create art (and was delighted to be a part of the exhibit honoring Gene Scattergood at Dana Hall), sing semi-professionally and paddle my hand-built wooden kayak. I’m just back from travels above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, documenting amazing landscapes and auroras.” Isabel Esteban writes, “I still live in the Dominican Republic. For 30 years, I’ve worked in my family business manufacturing hair products and cosmetics. We grew our business from three products to more than 400. We even sell in Florida, New Jersey and New York. I have three beautiful daughters (what can I say... I’m their mom) who live in Madrid. The oldest studied art history and is currently working in an art gallery. The second one is the brains of the family and is studying finance in a very well ranked school, and the youngest is studying film production. I divorced 17 years ago and am still looking for a soul mate. In the meantime, I travel a lot and do some yoga.
Through WhatsApp, I’ve been in contact with many Dana Latin friends who make life more joyful. I still have many fond memories of my time at Dana even though it was only one year. Hope you and your family are well. A big hug!”
Class of 1981 E. Fraser Demetree Benzal efbenzal@yahoo.com Some friends/classmates got together at Miriam Esteve’s house in Miami.
Suzanne (Suzy) Harris Verchick writes, “I’m in New Jersey, relishing my empty nest while it lasts. My oldest (23) is in San Francisco working for an industrial design firm and my youngest (21) is a senior at Miami of Ohio. That is my secret to aging gracefully!” Wendy Higgins Chambers speaking at the San Francisco Avon39 Walk to End Breast Cancer
Wendy Higgins Chambers and Amy Murphy in Bhutan
Amy Murphy and Wendy Higgins Chambers traveled with a group from Dana to India and Bhutan. What a wonderful way to celebrate 40 years of friendship. It was an extraordinary and memorable trip. See page 33 for more details. In addition, Wendy was an opening speaker at the July San Francisco Avon39 Walk to End Breast Cancer. Team Higgins—which included Wendy; her two sisters, Betsy Higgins Little ’67 and Andrea Higgins Bierce ’70; and niece Cornelia Alden ’92—conquered 39.9 miles and countless hills raising more than $15,000. Okay, you beautiful women! Keep the connections alive!
Maria Elena Useche ’83, Annette Weber, Suyapa Cordoba Schmidt, Miriam Esteve, Annette’s sister Alex Weber
Hilary Manion Crowley touched base as well. Hilary writes, “I would love to let the Class of 1981 know that after many years in the travel industry, I have decided to start a new career in real estate. If anyone in Massachusetts is in need of a great realtor, I would love to hear from them and catch up. They can contact me at the Sudbury, Mass., office of William Raveis at (978) 443-0334. Hope you are well!” Helen (Holly) Mitchell Burleson shared some news from her travels. Holly writes, “This doesn’t really have anything to do with Dana, but it might get others to write in! In a nut shell, our daughter has moved to San Francisco, so being empty nesters we’ve taken up traveling. This past year has included Berlin, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Budapest, Hungary.” As for me (E. Fraser Demetree Benzal), my husband has been working in New York City, so I am adapting to city life again. I feel sure that more people from Dana pass through here than they did Florida, so I am hoping to get to see classmates and friends! Drop me an email if you plan to be in the City. I would love to catch up!
Class of 1982 Anne Morton August guinvere@hotmail.com Nancy Koumantzelis sent this adorable picture of her grandkids. Nancy writes, “Just thought I’d share a bit. My twin grandsons Damien and Zachary turned 7 years old this Halloween and I can’t imagine life without them!”
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Nancy Koumantzelis’s twin grandsons
Cynthia Ewing Miller, Beth Nordstrom Keach, Mindy Dobra Coath and Jill Hinckley Spaulding met up in Carmel, Calif., this fall and sent this great photo.
Cynthia Miller, Mindy Coath, Beth Keach and Jill Spaulding
Tina Gross Krucynzski and husband Chris celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary in September, Jennifer Beecher Cooper and Gordon hit 24 years, and Steve and I (Anne Morton August) are coming up on number 28 in January. We are old married people for sure! I’m giving Stephenie Frawley a big shout-out for her amazing business, Road Trip Food Company. Her Vermont Fudge Sauce is heaven in a jar. It’s available in gourmet stores around New England, especially in Vermont, and you can order directly from her online at www. roadtripfoodcompany.com. If any Dana women run a food store or grocery store, you need to stock her products. I’m thinking of a big lobster picnic next summer with Kerry Keefe’s Rockport lobsters and ice cream sundaes with Steph’s fudge sauce! Natalie Vassil recently had a very successful gallery show at Espace Beaurepaire and the Bastille Design Center in Paris, exhibiting her beautiful paintings during the ParisArtistes weekend. She was super happy to be part of it!
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The news is a little sparse this time, but I know everyone is busy. Post your updates on our Facebook page and I’ll save them up for next time.
Class of 1985
Turn to the Class of 2010 for news of Heather Cameron Ploen.
Lisa Iagatta LIagatta@yahoo.com
Class of 1983 Laura Lavit Elmore lauralelmore@yahoo.com Page Franson writes that she had her 30th anniversary at MEDITECH in June. Her hockey team won the championship for the 2016–07 year for ccwhl.com, a very small league. She plays softball in Dennis, Mass., and her team won the league and the playoffs this past year. Two years in a row for playoffs, but missed winning the league last year. She’s looking forward to seeing everyone at our 35th Reunion.
Christina Whiting Dougherty cswdougherty@comcast.net
Lisa Iagatta and I (Christina Whiting Dougherty) love connecting with our class and continuing our Dana Hall bonds forged well over 30 years ago! Lisa and I both have daughters deep in the college process as current seniors in their respective high schools. I actually remember fondly this same time of year with my fellow Dana Hall sisters, as we navigated the college process without computers to complete our applications, but rather typewriters and white correction strips. The year of 2017 is also a milestone for most of our classmates since we turned the big 5-0!
Kerry Nordstrom Giza writes in that her son will graduate from BU Law in May 2018 and her daughter is in her third year at GWU in D.C. Kerry’s been back to work for several years at Holy Cross, and they spend most weekends in the western part of the state where they relax and enjoy. Lisa Glazer and I (Laura Lavit Elmore) still have children in the nest, keeping us on the go. Congratulations to Nina Garcia who was named the new Elle editor in chief in September! Abby Fligor posted some beautiful photos of her trek through Masai Mara National Reserve. Check them out on Facebook!
Class of 1984 Leah Morris jmorrisfamily@comcast.net
Christina Whiting Dougherty, Lauren Hill Kagy, Mary Ellen Mitchell Slater and Nell Ghaibian
In September, I (Christina) traveled out to San Francisco with Lauren Hill Kagy to visit Mary Ellen Mitchell Slater and Nell Gharibian. Mary Ellen threw an incredible surprise 50th birthday party for Nell! We had loads of fun reminiscing about the Dana days and toasting to all of us turning 50! Our Facebook group continues to be a great place to connect for so many of our friends from around the country and world. If you aren’t a member yet, please ask to join Dana Hall Class of 1985. Lee Whittaker Arrowood writes, “I continue to enjoy life in Potomac, Md., with my husband, Bryce, and youngest, Lily, still at home, who is a freshman at the Bullis School. She is an avid lacrosse player and plays tennis for her school’s JV team. My oldest, Henry, graduated from University of Miami and is living in Denver, Colo., working for VISA as an IT project manager. It’s a great first job and he
loves living in Colorado. It’s particularly nice for us as we have a place in Vail and this means we get to see Henry quite a bit. Daughter Lexi is at Miami of Ohio and is studying abroad this semester in Milan. She is having a spectacular experience— traveling, exploring, learning Italian and eating great food! We receive a steady stream of pictures from both kids and comment frequently on how much we’d like to be one of our children! Bryce and I continue to be involved in real estate. Bryce is doing high-end residential development, primarily in the District (among other entrepreneurial and creative pursuits). And I work with The Fleisher Group of TTR Sotheby’s where I serve as both COO of our 12-person, high performing team as well as a licensed agent in D.C. and Maryland. It’s a fast-paced, competitive and exciting business; I thoroughly enjoy it! Our whole family spent Thanksgiving week in Italy with Lexi! I included a recent family picture from summertime in Colorado.”
Henry, Lily, Bryce, Lee and Lexi Arrowood
Luann Keough McKenna writes, “My twins (Connor and Reilly) are entering their tween years as 6th graders at Wilson Middle School in Natick. I continue to work as a clinical psychologist with kids in a group practice not far from Dana in Wellesley as well as in an elementary school in Newton. As I watch my daughter grow and see herself as a smart, persistent and kind person who can be whatever and whoever she wants, I am grateful for the self-confidence that took root during my time at Dana as well as a love for Madonna and comfortable sweatpants! I hope my fellow classmates are looking forward to what comes next as much as this 50-something is today!”
Class of 1987 Lisa Crounse lisacrounse@mac.com Laurie Switzer laurieswitz@gmail.com
Georgia K. Critsley, Lee DerHagopian, Blythe Berents, Macy Kingbury De La Guardia, Andrea Sills and Lisa Olszewski had a mini-reunion over the summer.
Lori Nassif Istok and Jennifer (Jenny) Smith Wieting have daughters in the same class at Lincoln School in Providence, R.I. Lincoln is an independent, all-girls Quaker school. Angela (Angie) Wooldridge is in the Boston area (North Andover) working at a pharmaceutical company making a medical device. She is obsessed with golf!
Kimberlee Wertheim Strome and Julie Epstein Penn met up this summer on the Cape.
Deborah (Debbie) Levine Weisman writes, “Emmy is at Tulane and Harry is at UF. They both want to move to New York City after graduation, which isn’t surprising! We bought a second home in the Hamptons so we can see them on weekends in the summer. Maybe we can plan something out in Bridgehampton in the summer once we have officially moved into the house. We come to Boston for Passover and it is so quick it’s hardly anytime to see anyone other than family. My father-in-law has a new book called The Way It Was by Eliot Weisman and it’s about his life as Frank Sinatra’s manager for more than 25 years. Buy the book on Amazon. It’s incredible!”
Class of 1986 Katharine Allen kra135@psu.edu Katherine Koumantzelis Copeland copelandkk@gmail.com Belkis Suazo deCastro belkisdecastro@gmail.com
Kelly Shea Lyden lost her dad to pancreatic cancer not long ago and has since been working with Dana Farber, CodePurple and the National Pancreas Foundation to help raise awareness and find an early detection test. If you know anyone who is in this battle, please reach out to her. She also shared that she is involved with a startup, securing partners and investment. Her kids are 15, 14 and 11. They are a surfing family out on Nantucket and she says, “Give me a shout if you ever make it to Stowe, Vt., or Nantucket!” She visited Jamaica with Clarissa Holden Hawk and Kristen Angelis Monahan, a fun and memorable time in January 2017.
Kristen Angelis Monahan, Kelly Shea Lyden and Clarissa Holden Hawk in Jamaica
Alison Frydman Whitebone writes, “Hello to everyone! It was really nice to see some Dana friends at Leslie’s home on the Friday of Reunion. Life here is busy with Ava (9) and Noah (almost 8). Bill and I just celebrated 10 years! Life is all about keeping it simple, having fun times with kids, living by their sports schedules—and an occasional yoga workshop for me! Celebrating 23 years teaching English at Brookline High School, I’m still enjoying
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bringing poets and writers to visit the school. Last year was Richard Blanco and this year should be Sarah Kay! Hope all is well!” Jeryl Hoffman Golub writes, “I am still living and working in Houston with Jeff and our three kids: Orly (18), Olivia (15) and Asher (12). We’ve lived through many storms, but nothing of the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey. While we were lucky to survive with no flooding, nearly 60 percent of our friends and family were not so. I know the news detailed the devastation that flood and sewer water in your home causes, but I want to share the silver lining of the storm. We witnessed and shared in unparalleled kindness, love and generosity throughout the weeks following the storm. We spent hours cleaning, demolishing and rebuilding homes, feeding friends and strangers, and even housing some for more than a month. Harvey was horrible and I will never forget the smell of a flooded home for the rest of my life, but it was also a shining lesson for us and our kids. Orly is in college at Emory University, so she missed it all. Constance (Connie) White writes, “Life as a photographer continues to be chaotic here in sunny Arizona, but unlike many parts of the country, our weather has been uneventful. We spent several months rebranding our commercial and residential real estate photography division, now known as Photography by REALM. On a personal note, Steve and I took what many would consider the trip of a lifetime this past April. We went on a photography safari to Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. It was incredible to see the Big 5 in their natural environment plus numerous other animals. We would most certainly return and are considering putting a group together for 2019 if anyone is interested!”
A photo from Connie White’s South African safari
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Class of 1988 Dana Tannenbaum Cahoon dbcahoon@mac.com Nicole Hickman James nicolejames228@gmail.com Heather McPhee hmmcphee@yahoo.com
Class of 1989 Sarah Burgess Gregorian sbgregorian@gmail.com Greetings, faithful readers! I finally got a few of you to respond, after many threatening emails!
Melanie Davis-Manning with her children Jada and Devan Melanie DavisManning’s son Devan’s graduation from Dean College
Melanie Davis-Manning writes, “My kids are all grown up and I am so proud of them. Jada is in her second year at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, near where we live in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. She has not declared it as of yet, but I think she is leaning towards majoring in art. In May 2017, Devan graduated cum laude from Dean College (Franklin, Mass.), with a bachelor’s in theater. He just began his first year of graduate school at NYU Steinhardt, where he is pursuing a master’s in educational theater. He is considering a career in arts administration and really wants to create theater programs for
students, especially those with learning disabilities. I am at NYU as well, pursuing a degree in real estate. It’s part-time, and I hate being the oldest person in my classes (LOL), but I’m getting it done! I have been working in on-site residential leasing and property management in the Financial District for several years, so if anyone has family or friends coming to New York for work or school and needs an apartment, feel free to contact me. Please send my love to everyone!” Katherine Grant writes, “I’m living full-time on the Cape, in Osterville, Mass.; it was time to come back. I am now one of the owners of a brewery/tap room: Naukabout. It’s in Mashpee. Exciting and I will invite all the Dana girls when it’s open and ready!” Sarah Jane O’Leary writes, “I spoke at She Sails last year and caught up with a few alums. Many of you, if not all, have heard by now about Edie Perkins’s terrible accident last year. Her fierceness of spirit and positive attitude after being paralyzed is truly inspiring. Gretchen Lind and I attended the fundraiser in her honor recently in Watertown. It was great to see so many turn out for this important event, and quite a bit of money was raised from silent auction items. She’s been getting a tremendous amount of support from so many people, including Dana sisters, so be sure to drop her a line or stop in for visit if you’re on the West Coast! She had months of rehab, but is now living back at her home, which has been remodeled to accommodate her new way of life.” Speaking of Gretchen, she lives just a few houses away from me (Sarah Burgess Gregorian) now in Newton, having moved this year from Dedham, and her daughter Anna is a sophomore at Dexter Southfield. Two of my boys are at Newton North High School (a junior and a freshman) and my youngest, in 6th grade, just started middle school. I’m still working at Boston College and certainly can’t beat the 3-mile commute! I’m always up for a social event, so let me know if any of you are in the area, and those of you who live in the Boston area, let’s get together soon! ’Til next time, women...
Alden)! It’s great to be back in the Northeast after nearly 20 years in the Central and Pacific Time Zones! Can’t wait to buy our dog winter sweaters. Sorry I missed our Reunion and hope we can celebrate our 30th taking over one of the dorms and talking ’til dawn… Yes, that’s my two cents to the Alumnae Office to move Reunion back to June.” Laurie Switzer ’87 visited Edie Perkins when Edie was at Casa Colina Rehab Center in Pomona, Calif. Alex Gray Wiberg and son Felix (10) visited Jane McDermid Wiberg ’57 in the Bahamas
Class of 1990
Rachel’s dad Les Bebchick, Rachel Bebchick Naggar, Nicole Rutberg DiResta and Alexa Hall Holian
Molly Biehl Abbruzzese writes, “We’ve moved to Unionville, Ct., for Tom’s job. I’m still a stay-at-home mom. Eme Rose (6 1/2) is learning to play viola and has a passion for tennis. We are enjoying the beautiful weather here and have had the opportunity to do some hiking. Looking forward to reconnecting with my Dana Hall friends now that we are closer.”
Happy news to share and congratulations to Amy Crolius: Charlotte Crolius was born on May 14, 2017, and is an amazing joy. She’s already ahead of her milestones, so we expect she will be a great addition to Dana’s Class of 2035! Amy Crolius’s daughter, Charlotte
I was super excited to get an email from Lindsey Gerber Mirgorodsky. The Mirgorodsky family and Steffany Poras Doolittle’s family hung out together in New York City and the Cape this summer.
Correspondent needed
Class of 1993
Class of 1991
Amie Margolis Silogram7@gmail.com Zoe Timms zoevjtimms@gmail.com
Correspondent needed
Class of 1992 Rachel Bebchick Naggar rnaggar@gmail.com
Steffany Poras Doolittle and Lindsey Gerber Mirgorodsky with their daughters
Hi, ladies! Facebook tells me you are all doing amazing things. Life is busy in New Jersey. I’m (Rachel Bebchick Naggar) approaching my 15th year working in communications at Kent Place School and still love it. I miss all of you but I’m hopeful we’ll see each other well before our 30th Reunion.
The Mirgorodsky and Doolittle kids
So grateful for Nicole Rutberg DiResta and Alexa Hall Holian for traveling to New York City this September to join my family and me at the Race for the Cure in Central Park. Team Sheila was formed in honor of my mother, who passed away in April 2017 after a 10-year breast cancer battle. Over the past eight years, Team Sheila has raised close to $150,000. It meant a lot that they were there, especially this year!
Carole Haggerty Allison shares, “My news is that my husband and I relocated to Carlisle, Pa., this summer! He’s still active duty and we’re here for one year before moving on to the next assignment in summer 2018, location TBD. I’m working for Dewberry as a recruiting assistant for disaster relief teams, returning to the workforce after being a full-time Air Force volunteer for the last five years and amateur painter (thanks to Cornelia
Faith Todisco Feuer moved back to Massachusetts with her family earlier this year. Faith, Deanna Buenaventura Tilton and Stephanie Fine met up to celebrate Stephanie’s birthday at a local PaintNite. Congratulations to Priya Kumar Agrawal and her husband Jai who welcomed their daughter, Zara Nayah, into the world on June 24, 2017. Priya writes that she and Jai are “enjoying parenthood tremendously and each day has been an incredible learning experience!” Priya Kumar Agrawal and daughter Zara show off their Dana pride.
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Cinzia Solari’s book, On the Shoulders of Grandmothers: Gender, Migration and Post-Soviet Nation-State Building, is now on Amazon!
Class of 1996
I (Amie Margolis) am in my third year working in the Office of External Affairs at BB&N, and still living in Watertown with my son Aidan who is now 4! I am excited for our upcoming 25th Reunion on May 18–19, and hope to see many of you there. If you would like to join me, Elise Morrissey and Deanna Buenaventura Tilton on the planning committee, please let us know. We’d love to have more volunteers!
Katharine Sidell Morton mortonkam@gmail.com
Tracy Spiegel Fox tracy.foxcraft@gmail.com
and I welcomed our new son and brother Ethan to our family on September 4, 2017. We are finding our way as a new family of four, and loving the new joys and adventures we’re encountering along the way. It is such a special time! The newest member of the Bedard family: Baby Ethan
Class of 1994 Elisabeth Morray morray@gmail.com Amanda Kuruc Koelling was married in Durham, N.C., on April 23, 2016. She works at the Nasher Museum at Duke University.
Jenn David Connolly with husband Seth, daughter Hana and son Cole at Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Please send me your news and photos for the next issue!
Jennifer David Connolly writes, “My family and I had an awesome camping road trip this past summer. We covered 3,400 miles in a loop from NorCal through Tahoe, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise and back down through the Pacific Northwest. The Canadian Rockies were stunning! It was an incredible experience, although perhaps a bit ambitious on the mileage since we did it in two weeks!”
Peri Karger Agulnek writes, “Not much is new at the Agulnek house. Dylan started kindergarten and Brennan is at pre-school at the Sharon Co-Op. The boys are growing so fast! It was great to see so many familiar faces at Reunion. I’m so glad that we had the opportunity to attend. Thanks again to everyone who put together a memorable event. It was much appreciated!
Class of 1997 Kristin O’Donnell Bedard kristinbedard@gmail.com Amanda Kuruc Koelling and her husband on their wedding day
Class of 1995 Caryn Byrnes Anderson carebear102106@gmail.com Dustina Bennett dustinabennett@gmail.com
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Lisa Brown lmclennanb@gmail.com Heather Cochrane Russo heatherjean23@hotmail.com Hi, Class of ’97! Kristin O’Donnell Bedard here. Coming off our victorious (Reunion giving percentage prize winners!) and fun 20th Reunion last April, it’s been great being in even closer touch with so many of you! As I write this note, fall foliage is in full effect on Dana’s campus. Bright oranges, reds, pinks and yellows have the campus alive with beauty! While I’m looking forward to seeing you at our 25th, I also encourage you to return to campus sooner... Perhaps for She Sails 2019—or anytime, just because! My husband Rob, our 4-year-old son Lucas
Peri Karger Agulnek’s sons, Dylan and Brennan
Shannon Stillings DuPont writes, “First of all, I just want to say again how wonderful it was to see everyone at Reunion last year and how much I love our entire class. I do believe we are, in fact, the greatest class that Dana’s ever seen. It’s been a busy few months since I saw you all last. Our daughter Delaney Anne DuPont was born on August 15, 2017, and we are all just crazy about her. Her big brother Jack is especially delighted to have a new sibling and seeing the two of them together pretty much melts my heart. Work has also been crazy but rewarding lately: One of the shows I wrote and produced, the Clue Live Mansion Mystery, went viral this summer
with each new date I added selling out in a matter of hours—even the 2018 dates! The reviews have been great and I am really proud to be a part of something so fun and enjoyable, which made it a bit easier coming back to work after my far-too-brief maternity leave. I miss you all, hope everyone is well, and am already looking forward to our 25th Reunion (WHAT?!) in five years!”
goodbye to our Brooklyn apartment in exchange for a house in Westchester. I returned to work in September, for an architecture firm in Manhattan which I’ve been with for over six years, focused on sustainable design.” Cole and Alexandra Ives Guida Estrela Mattison, Lisabeth Jorgensen, Cerise Henzes and Anne Pappas Hagerty at Lisabeth’s wedding
Shannon Stillings DuPont’s family
Breck Ives Lisabeth Jorgensen, Guida Estrela Mattison and Anne Pappas Hagerty enjoy a night out in Boston.
Class of 1999 Brooke Anderson brookeanderson81@hotmail.com Lucas and Ethan Bedard with Jack and Delaney DuPont
Cathleen (Cathy) Kenney writes, “After attending our 20th Reunion in April, I acquired a second horse, a cat and met a great guy. Work is in transition. I left my job as an attorney with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to start work as an assistant public defender in November. I am also in the midst of moving to the Tallahassee area. I am healthy and happy. Life is good!”
Class of 1998 Ruchira Kumar ruch.kumar@gmail.com Guida Estrela Mattison guidaemattison@gmail.com Jane Monti Young jane@chaseyounggallery.com Katharine Ives writes, “We welcomed twins this past March! Alexandra and Cole are 7 months now. Big brother, Breck, just turned 5 and started kindergarten, which he loves. With the addition of not one, but two more babies, we finally caved and said
Lisabeth Jorgensen writes, “Hello, everyone! I got married in December 2016 and so far it’s been a whirlwind. My husband and I moved from Syracuse, N.Y., to Cambridge, Mass., in May of 2017 and we adopted a cat. I’m getting reacquainted with living in Boston after being away for so long (18 years). My mom and Steve’s family are thrilled to have us closer (Steve grew up in Plymouth, Mass.). I’m still working remotely for the New York non-profit I joined in 2015 so I haven’t made a full transition professionally yet. Steve is working as a trusts and estates attorney for Sullivan and Worcester in downtown Boston. I recently agreed to serve on the Alumnae Council for Dana Hall and will be co-chairing the communications committee. I’m happy to be reconnecting with Dana Hall as an adult, and look forward to sharing with you the ways in which Dana can be helpful to you even now, years after we’ve graduated. I’m really looking forward to our 20th Reunion. Please come! It would be great to see a lot of you after so many years.”
Amanda Coyle FitzGerald amandaecoyle@gmail.com
Class of 2000 Jillian Riley jillianmriley@gmail.com Caroline Sayia cwdale@gmail.com Erica Wyner ericawyner@gmail.com
Class of 2001 Renee Clayton renee.clayton82@gmail.com
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Class of 2002
In May 2017, Carla Fleisher, Lizzy Pond and Katie McCully Murphy ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon. Katie has completed 10+ marathons, and Brooklyn was the first half marathon for Carla and Lizzy.
Katherine Lafferty katherine.lafferty@gmail.com Courtney Tipping cmtipping@gmail.com Maggie Mink was recently honored for her architectural work with Marcus Gleysteen Architects at New England Home’s “5 Under 40” Awards.
Class of 2003 Donna DiDomenico djdidome@gmail.com
Kristen Zammito Duffy, Kate Sobo Bubier, Lauren Peters, Hadley Washburne and Courtney Caruso
Jessica (Jess) Ngo writes, “It was amazing to see this wonderful crew of Dana Hall women together to celebrate our wedding with us on July 15, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. Hope everyone in the Class of 2005 is doing well!”
Elizabeth Stuka Rose elizabeth.stuka@gmail.com
Class of 2006 Chidinma (Chidi) Iruka chidiiruka@gmail.com
Class of 2004
Summer Sterling slsterling@live.com
Jazmin Kirby jazminlechekirby@gmail.com Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka tlubicznawrocka@gmail.com Elise Valerio O’Hara elise586@gmail.com See the Class of 1977 for new about Courtney McDermott.
Class of 2005 Elizabeth (Lizzy) Pond elpond@gmail.com
Gabbie Cojuanco, Tori Phung, Sophia Tsirbas, Teresa Nguyen ’13, Jessica Ngo, Elizabeth (Betsy) Higgins Little ’67, Samantha Ngo ’08, and Annie Yang
Kristen Zammito Duffy writes, “In July, Taylor and I welcomed our son, Tucker, and it was love at first sight! Our daughter Berit turned 2 in September and absolutely loves being a big sister. Also, this spring we moved into a new home in Dover. It has been a busy but really great year!” Tucker and Berit Duffy
Caroline Ross rosscae@gmail.com Hadley Washburne writes, “I am living in Los Angeles and going to business school at UCLA Anderson. I recently attended Lauren Peter’s wedding with Kristen Zammito Duffy, Kate Sobo Bubier and Courtney Caruso.” Lauren Krone Wrigley writes, “Brendan and I welcomed our son, Heath Harrison Wrigley, on January 1, 2017, and have been enjoying his electric energy and cute smile ever since.”
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Friend Razan Ghalayini, Carla Fleisher, Lizzy Pond and Katie McCully Murphy
Summer Sterling writes, “I recently moved back to Maryland to be closer to my family and open a new store with L.L. Bean. I continue to work for the company as an Outdoor Discovery Schools program coordinator. Recent travels took me to Texas for the Austin City Limits music festival and Formula 1 Grand Prix. I also went on an awesome backpacking trip in Virginia where I summited the highest natural point in the state (Mt. Rogers).” Ellen Carabetta writes, “I started a new job in June, managing the account marketing at Under Armour for various department stores and sporting goods stores on the East Coast. I am learning a ton and loving the new challenge! My husband, David, got a new job in New York City, so we currently consider both Brooklyn and Baltimore home. If you are ever in either city, please let me know! I would love to meet up!” Sarah Jones writes, “Hey, all! Happy to say I accepted a job last year in D.C. as an early childhood mental health consultant (at the Department of Behavioral Health for the D.C. government) using my art therapy skills with parents, teachers and kids up to age 5. I also went to Lauren
Kugel’s wedding and had a blast planning a reunion in New York City with Chidi Iruka, Aviona Mabaso and Madison Gleissner. I love how Dana Hall has kept us all close for so long. Keep shining.” Lauren Kugel and Sarah Jones at Lauren’s wedding
Class of 2007 Agnes Beckmann beckmann.agnes@gmail.com Hilary O’Haire hilaryeo@gmail.com
Class of 2008 Jessica Freeman JAFreeman22@gmail.com Jacquelyn Maggiore jemaggiore@gmail.com Jacqueline O’Leary jacqueline.oleary2@gmail.com Yin Ling (Nicole) Suen nicolesuen0119@gmail.com
Class of 2009 Sarah Jones, Aviona Mabaso, Madison Gleissner and Chidi Iruka
Amanda Powers Harris writes, “In July 2017, my husband and I packed up our life in Beaufort, S.C., and moved to Okinawa, Japan, where we’re currently stationed with the United States Marine Corps! We’re having the best time exploring the region, slowly learning the language, scuba diving and of course enjoying all of the cuisine. I am currently working in digital marketing production for an international financial printing company in New York City.” Amanda Powers Harris
Emily Soukas emily.soukas@gmail.com Emaline Surgenor emaline.surgenor@gmail.com Candace Taylor cltaylor1019@gmail.com Emily Soukas writes, “Hey, Silver Sisters! I’m still in New York City with some pretty big life changes. I left my job at Urbanspace building food halls and retail/ holiday markets to make a switch into the public sector. Before I started my shortterm job with New York City Council, I took three months off to travel and reset. I had an awesome time visiting Savannah Gillespie in Edinburgh, went out to Colorado and saw Alice Closmore Tesar in Steamboat Springs and did a solo trip down to Savannah, Ga. I’ve completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification and ran the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon on November 5. I was running and fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Super happy to have so many silver sisters in New York City. Please reach out if you’re ever passing through. Happy to host you or just catch up over dinner or drinks! Miss you all and am so proud of all of you! In the words of Mr. Fadden: Keep on keepin’ on! (*”
Candace Taylor writes, “Hello from New York City! I’m now a Brooklynite and loving it, and started a new job at a small nonprofit based in the city called Springpoint Schools. As a network engagement associate, I help develop professional development resources and learning opportunities such as trainings and webinars for our various partners that include district schools nationwide. Really exciting work!” Lilianna (Lily) Christman writes, “Hi, lovely ladies! I’m living in Oklahoma City, Okla., and working as an educator at the Myriad Botanical Gardens right downtown. It’s my dream job currently, which is neat, and OKC is an exciting, growing city where everyone is just as friendly as I am. A pretty big life update of mine is that I got engaged in mid-May 2017! My fiancé, Matt, and I have been dating since we were geology labmates our sophomore year of college. We’re not sure how long we’ll be in OKC, but anyone driving across the country, come visit us!” Molly E. Hentz writes, “After almost four years in Los Angeles, I moved to Brooklyn last summer and started at NYU for my master’s in food studies in September. In New York, I’ll be studying, teaching yoga and reacclimating to the seasons—probably wearing many, many layers.” Mercedes Williams writes, “I’m working as an arts writer at Seven Days newspaper in Burlington, Vt. I cover artists, art events, tech, the maker movement, design and a little bit of everything else. In my spare time, I assist a nomadic curatorial initiative called Overnight Projects. We plan contemporary art happenings and exhibitions in unconventional spaces: an abandoned power plant, a vacant storefront and soon in a public park!”
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Class of 2010
Over the summer, I became the sous chef of The Nelson Cottage, where my team and I create whiskey-paired dinners on the weekends and private events on weekdays. I honestly can’t wait for another ski season and for another busy season at the distillery!”
Catherine (Cat) Blakelock catherine.blakelock@danahall.org Alyson (Aly) Glavin alyson.glavin@gmail.com Paige Walker walkerp.10@gmail.com Alyson (Aly) Glavin writes, “After graduating I moved to Charlotte, N.C., for college and still call it home! I have enjoyed the warm weather and constant growth. I studied interior design and opened my own design and construction firm, Pure Design Works, in April 2016. I have five amazing nieces and nephews, and an adorable mini Australian Shepard named Ranger!” Aleksandra (Allie) Stanislas writes, “I’ve been living with my now fiancé and working in London since graduating from the University of St. Andrews in 2014. We’re thinking about moving back to Boston for a few years after we get married! Caroline Sykes, Katherine Sweeney, Sarah Venditti and Kelsey Caffyn Avery will hopefully be attending the wedding in August in the countryside in England. He’s English, we met at university and have been together for six years, and is working as a marketing and communications manager at Purdy a Maison in the Richemont Group.” Allie Stanislas and her fiancé shortly after he proposed
Kara Wipperfeld is currently pursuing her master’s degree in terrorism and political violence from the University of St Andrews. She got married last year (with the help of Jen Elwell and Elizabeth Mullen ’11) and lives in Edinburgh with her husband.
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Kara Wipperfeld with her husband on their wedding day
Elizabeth Mullen ’11, Kara Wipperfeld and Jen Elwell in the photo booth at Kara’s wedding
Sarah Venditti writes, “Currently in my fourth year of medical school at Georgetown. I am applying for residencies in family medicine and hope to attend a program that allows me to work with underserved Spanish-speaking populations. Also living with two of my classmates and loving life in the nation’s capital!” Kayla Naismith writes, “I’m currently working on my master’s in nursing. I’m also living in the house I just bought with my fiancé. I am marrying him in May 2018!” Lydia Joukowsky writes, “So happy to be living in Park City, Utah, for the last three years! I have access to some of the best skiing, hiking and mountain biking trails in the world, which is pretty rad. When I’m not enjoying time in mountains, I’m usually working at High West Distillery, a craft whiskey company based in Park City (and the only ski-in, ski-out distillery in the world!). Although I do not participate in creating and blending the spirits, I do work in the kitchen almost every day, which has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.
Luisa Alvarez writes, “After graduating from Boston College, I moved to Madrid and never looked back! I have been living here for three years now. I am working as a pre-K teacher at a small American preschool in the center of Madrid. I work in a classroom with 18 amazing 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds and I absolutely love it! I am also completing my master’s in bilingual education. I miss my silver sisters and would love to have some visitors!” Ruby Rush writes, “Hi! Heather Cameron Ploen ’82 and I had a lovely visit at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden when I was visiting the Midwest for a wedding. I got to see her daughter Poppy as well who is sweet as can be. I’m now living in Kittery, Maine, within walking distance to the little city of Portsmouth. Still working as a social worker for the state of Maine while I finish up my master’s in social work which I’ll be done with in May 2018!”
Heather Cameron Ploen ’82 and Ruby Rush
Elyssa Carlson writes, “I am currently a catering sales manager at the Omni Parker House Hotel in downtown Boston. I am in charge of booking the weddings, galas, holiday parties, corporate events, etc., for the hotel.”
Class of 2011 Katie Jones katiejadejones@aol.com Emily T. Knebel eknebel@vet.upenn.edu
venture capital company, and although I loved the big city I’m excited to be back in sunny Florida for the next two years! I’m excited to be visiting Emily Silberstein in Madrid this summer, so if any other Dana sisters are over in Europe in May, let us know!”
Katie Jones and I (Emily T. Knebel) would like to sincerely apologize for the hiatus in the last Bulletin. I’m sure everyone was itching to know what the Class of 2011 was up to in 2017! An update about myself, I (Emily) had the fortune of returning to Boston for my summer break and had several mini-Dana reunions! Thank you to Miriam Stulin for being a gracious host and Meghan Le, Emma Milford ’13 and Jessie Isaacs for showing me around Boston and indulging my nostalgic whims! Finally got some Truly’s after way too long. I’m over halfway through veterinary school and now have two pups along on the ride with me: Drover and Cleo. They have definitely made life more entertaining and crazy! Kathryn Gallagher has moved to Munich, Germany, to be in a graduate program at the Technical University of Munich after spending a couple of years working in Boston. Catherine Minahan writes, “Very lucky to have had Wendy Gomez ’17 join me at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program for her Senior Project. Feels full circle as my Senior Project there in 2011 completely shaped the trajectory of my life after graduation. Also recently rode in the 70-mile Harbor to the Bay Ride with a team from work, and was so happy to have a ride companion in Molly Richards ’13!” Yesenia Herrera writes, “I graduated from Lesley University in May with a master’s in special education and in September started teaching in my own classroom full-time. I teach first grade dual language at my former elementary school, which has been such an adventure. I get to teach these awesome kids in English and Spanish. There’s been lots of learning and craziness but I’m having such a blast with them.” Gillian Dobbin writes, “I’m back at Rollins completing my MBA! I spent last year in New York City working for a small
Shannon Kinch with one of Dana’s school horses, Sissy
Shannon Kinch writes, “I am still working at Dynatrace in Waltham and I love it! We just moved to a building right off Route 128. You can still find me frequenting the barn on the weekends and warming up the horses at Dana’s home horseshows. Once a barn rat, always a barn rat! Sending love to my Dana girls. (*” Hadley Pierce writes, “I have been guiding safaris in Namibia and Zambia for the last year, but have just recently branched out to start my own private safari company called Trunks & Tracks. This was my goal when I first moved to South Africa just over two years ago and it’s been amazing watching it get off the ground. If anyone is looking to experience safari with a silver sister, give me a ring!” Dakota Donovan writes, “I am currently working in Boston with fellow Dana girl and friend Lexie O’Connor at a start-up e-commerce women’s clothing company called Brass. I am the marketing coordinator there and Lexie is the operations manager. We are both very proud to be working at a female-founded business. I also got to watch my youngest sister Julia Donovan ’17 graduate this spring!”
Avery Loeffler writes, “On to my third year living in New York City and still absolutely loving it! Since graduating Bowdoin in 2015, I’ve been working at Korn Ferry specializing in FinTech executive search. I run into Dana girls all the time and try to see the rest of my silver sisters as much as possible. Miss everyone! (*” Adriana Alissi writes, “This past year I was promoted to an assistant department manager position at Nordstrom. I manage a team of 15 across four different departments and I absolutely love it! I haven’t done much traveling except going back down to Virginia to visit my boyfriend and friends from college! I am still living outside of Boston and I’ve been able to get together with Taylor Kindle and Shannon Kinch for nights out in the city along with Alexis Altman and Emma Rubenstein. It is always nice to be able to meet up with Dana girls in the city!”
Class of 2012 Eleanor Giovanetti ellie.giovanetti@me.com Savannah Raiten savannah.raiten@maine.edu
Class of 2013 Madeline Schneider madjulsch@gmail.com See page 8 for news about Jeendanie (Jen) Lorthe and Mary Fulham.
Class of 2014 Emily Martin emartin2495@gmail.com Ashley Rohall aer@rohall.com Holly McHenry was selected for the Senior 25 at Lake Forest College. Each year, the college honors 25 senior-year students who have, as leaders among their peers, positively contributed to the quality of life in the Lake Forest College
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community through their service, commitment and achievements. Congratulations, Holly!
In Memoriam 1944
Class of 2015 Correspondent needed Rebecca (Becky) Ohman competed at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Nationals at the Kentucky Horse Park and placed 8th in her class out of 16 riders. She was especially happy to be reunited with her silver sister Elspeth (Elsie) Coen ’16 on the Georgetown team.
Joan Alford Spiegel 8/27/2017
1945 Nancy Rowe Allen 6/28/2017
1946 Beverly Bonelli Rase 10/22/2017
1958 Janet Weinberger Traister 7/7/2017
1959 Caroline Stewardson Lange 7/24/2017 Carol Will Porter 6/13/2017
1962 Ruth Naylor 10/26/2017
1965 Becky Ohman competing at the 2017 IHSA Nationals
Rebecca Both Anderson 11/14/2017 Elizabeth Sabin Stettner 9/28/2017
1968 Cynthia Conklin 8/21/2017 Candee Treadway 8/11/2017 Elsie Coen ’16 and Becky Ohman
Class of 2016 Correspondent needed
Class of 2017 Correspondent needed
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1975 Elizabeth Lackey Krause 9/8/2017
1980 Elizabeth Farnsworth 10/27/2017
1991 Marjorie Breitman Ross 7/13/2017
A Closer Look Faculty Summer Reading At Dana Hall, all students are required to complete summer reading. They are joined in this pursuit by their teachers, who also read a book to be discussed when they return to campus in the fall. In past summers, the entire faculty has read and discussed one selected book, but in 2017 they were able to choose from a list of books selected by Academic Dean Nia Hays in consultation with the Administrative Team. “Although we did not all read the same book, we had a central question that connected all the reading options,” said Hays. “We wanted to connect our summer reading to the School’s mission, so we asked ourselves ‘how will I demonstrate my commitment to building an educational program that recognizes and values the many peoples and perspectives of our community and the world?’” This new model facilitates goal-setting for faculty and provides opportunities throughout the school year to assess progress toward those goals. The book options were selected to help faculty members both articulate and work toward mission-related goals they established for themselves in the fall. They continue to assess their progress during professional days throughout the school year.
DANA HALL SCHOOL 45 Dana Road / P.O. Box 9010 Wellesley, MA 02482-9010
Non-Profit Org. US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #375 Nash NH
REUNION WEEKEND 2018: May 18 & 19
Classes celebrating a milestone reunion: ’63, ’68, ’73, ’78, ’83, ’88, ’93, ’98, ’03, ’08 and ’13
For information about the weekend schedule, accommodations and how to help plan your class activities, visit www.danahall.org/reunion18 or contact Director of Alumnae Relations Heather Glavin Yetman ’06 at (781) 489-1369 or heather.yetman@danahall.org.
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS Friday, May 18 •O n-Campus Dinner for all Reunion Classes • Spring Musical Saturday, May 19 • Spinning and Yoga • Faculty-led classes • State of the School by Head of School Katherine Bradley • Award Presentations • Alumnae and Family Luncheon • Class Songs and Photos • Children’s Activities • Ice Cream Social • Alumnae Memorial Service • Alumnae Art Show Reception • Class Dinners Off Campus • Spring Musical