Dana BulletinSUMMER2022
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. The Dana Bulletin is published twice a year by Dana Hall School. Notification of change of address may be sent to: Dana Hall School Advancement Office 45 Dana Road, P.O. Box 9010 Wellesley, MA 02482-9010 bulletin@danahall.org EDITORIAL BOARD Christie Baskett Chief Advancement Officer Katherine L. Bradley Head of School Liza Cohen Director of Communications Lauren Goldberg Director of Middle School Molly Kieloch Associate Director of Communications Robert Mather P24, 26 Associate Head of School Stephanie Meyer Director of Alumnae Relations DESIGN Studio A Design www.studioadesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY John Gillooly Tom AdamKatesRichins PRINTING Puritan Capital ON THIS PAGE: Neeve Vekaria ’28, Ruby Dutch ’28 and other students in Pat Townsend’s (right) sixth grade Fundamentals in Computer Science and Technology class spent a May afternoon learning about cybersecurity using Sphero Bolt robots. Photo by Tom Kates. ON THE COVER: Mira Smith ’22 and Molly O’Leary ’22 toss pennies into the Pond before heading into the tent for the Class of 2022’s Commencement. See more from Commencement 2022 on page 27. Photo by John Gillooly.
A Message from Head of School Katherine L. Bradley 2 Class of 2022 College Matriculation List ............................................... 3 Bulletin Board ........................................................................................... 4 Class Day and Baccalaureate .................................................................. 21 Architecting the Dana Hall Experience: The Upper School Classroom Building Initiative 24 Hello, Class of 2022! By Coco Zhang ’22 and Dania Flores ’22 Senior Class Historians 26 Commencement 2022 27 Reunion 2022 31 Distinguished Alumna Award: Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77 34 Distinguished Service Award: Rachel Bebchick Naggar ’92 35 Distinguished Young Alumna Award: Marynee Pontes ’12 37 Events and Receptions 39 Class Notes ................................................................................................ 41 In Memoriam ............................................................................................ 68 Table of ContentsDanaSUMMERBulletin2022|volume84,number2
2 Summer 2022 A Message from Head of School Katherine L. Bradley
speaker Kellyanne Dignan ’99; Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Sandy Niles P17, 19; Head of School Katherine Bradley; Associate Head of School Rob Mather P24, 26 and Assistant Head of Academics/Director of the Upper School Jessica Keimowitz at Commencement 2022
This spring, I had the pleasure of reading The Difficult Girl, a memoir by Helen Morse ’72. I then met Helen when she celebrated her 50th Reunion with the rest of the Class of 1972. A central figure in the story and in Helen’s life was her caregiver, Katherine Gregory, who played a key role in Helen’s journey to Dana Hall. One sentence in particular stuck with me: “While I lived with my parents, I had always known that Greg was my miracle. Now Dana Hall would be my second.” (Greg is the nickname Helen used for Katherine Gregory.) I was struck by the way Helen connected her gratitude for the person and the institution, and I was impressed with how she captured the essence of a time and feeling in such a tidy way. Helen honored this woman when she established the Katherine T. Gregory Scholarship and the Katherine T. Gregory Award, presented each year at Class Day (page 21), to a current student of high ethical standards, genuine concern for others, and outstanding character. Helen elected to honor an important caregiver in her life and the values she holds dear. Her leadership is just one example of the forethought and generosity that our community chooses to share, time and again. Whether it is our Reunion classes (page 31) breaking records for their support of the Dana Fund, or dedicated families or united alumnae classes making significant gifts to fund our ambitious Classroom Building initiative (page 24), the philanthropic actions of Dana Hall community members are truly inspiring. In the life of a school, the summer is a season of transition, when we focus on both the celebration of a successful academic year and the looking-forward to new opportunities. That balance of honoring our legacy while embracing our future plays out in the pages of this publication. We salute our graduating members of the Class of 2022 and all that they have accomplished during their time at Dana Hall, and we recognize the long-serving faculty and staff members who are moving on after years of dedication to Dana Hall. We also welcome new leaders, who will soon help chart our course for another successful year in academic and extra-curricular programming. And in a very tangible way, we close the door (literally!) on the 66 years of the Classroom Building in its current incarnation, so that we can usher in a new era with a space that will support, embody and become the signature building for teaching and learning at Dana Hall. It is indeed an exciting and momentous time, and I am grateful to experience it with all of our students, faculty, staff, families and alumnae.
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Commencement
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Class 2022 College Matriculations
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American University (3) Assumption University Binghamton University Boston College Boston University (2) Brandeis University (2) Bucknell University Butler University University of California Irvine (2) University of California Santa Cruz (2) Case Western University Chapman University Colby College (4) Colgate CollegeFordhamEmersonUniversityCollegeUniversityoftheHolyCrossGrinnellCollege
Savannah College of Art and Design Smith College University of St. Andrews St. Anselm College
University of Southern California Southern Methodist University Suffolk University Syracuse University (4) University of Tennessee University of Toronto (2) Trinity College Tufts University (2) Tulane University (2) University of Vermont University of Virginia Wake Forest University College of William and Mary Williams College Yale University
Indiana LoyolaUniversityUniversityofKentuckyLehighUniversityUniversityMaryland (2) University of Miami Middlebury College Mount Holyoke College University of New Hampshire New York University (2) Northeastern University (2) Northwestern University Occidental College Pennsylvania State University Pitzer College University of Richmond (2) University of Rochester Rutgers University Santa Clara University
The program will also showcase interdisciplinary collaboration amongst members of the Dana Hall faculty. “I am hopeful that this course will not only provide new and rich learning opportunities for students but also for our faculty as we have the opportunity to build integrated, interdisciplinary learning opportunities from the ground up,” said Social Studies department faculty member Brian Cook, the second member of the team of teachers who will develop the course. “Integration will be in the DNA of this course, and the work we’re
• teaching students to recognize and differentiate among various types of data all around us – quantitative, textual, spatial, visual, among other types;
DANA HALL EARNS GRANT FROM LEADING EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
• Preparing students for college, where nearly every major is now expected to take a Data Science course;
In the grant proposal, faculty members from the Computer Science, Math and Social Studies departments outlined the following goals for teaching Data Science to Dana Hall students:
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• bridging the gap between different disciplines using the language of Data Science;
• and teaching students to be better empirical thinkers who answer research questions rigorously, with “Inevidence.the21st century, data rules. We use it to describe the world, predict trends, and make inferences from samples to populations. Our own personal data is continually collected, stored and analyzed by companies and governments, making it very important to become educated data consumers and producers,” said Math department faculty member Alla Baranovsky, who will be one of the three teachers leading the development of the new course. “Dana Hall students learn to ask great empirical questions in many disciplines. In this class, they will also learn to answer them using rigorous modern methods. Students will be taught to find data, clean and prepare it for analysis, visualize and explore it, and build models. Students will produce an application at the end of the year showcasing their data analysis project.”
• preparing students for citizenship in the modern world as potential future professional consumers of vast quantities of data and aware and responsible owners of their own personal data;
Dana Hall has been awarded a grant by the Edward E. Ford Foundation to create a Data Science Program, beginning with a course combining Social Studies, Statistics and Computer Science to initially be offered to 11th and 12th grade students during the 2023-24 school year.
The E.E. Ford Foundation, which seeks to improve secondary education by supporting U.S. independent schools and encouraging promising practices, will provide a $75,000 grant, to be matched 1:1 by the School to develop the Data Science Program. Funds will cover salaries for the development and initial offering of the course, provide professional development for the faculty teaching the course, purchase specialized laptops for students and faculty, and cover the costs to present the course to other schools and to expand the discipline within Dana Hall. If you are interested in supporting this grant with matching funds or learning more about the opportunity, please contact Chief Advancement Officer Christie Baskett at (781) 489-1371. “In the 21st century, data rules. We use it to describe the world, predict trends, and make inferences from samples to populations. Our own personal data is continually collected, stored and analyzed by companies and governments, making it very important to become educated data consumers and producers.”
and Computer Science Department Head Pat Townsend, the third member of the interdisciplinary team, noted that the new course is directly linked to the objectives of Dana Hall’s Vision 2025 strategic plan. “Our goal is to encourage more girls to immerse themselves in STEAM courses by creating various opportunities for accelerating and advancing development,” she said. “I am excited to be part of this new adventure at Dana Hall because this course will take us one step closer to preparing our students for the challenging STEAM courses they will face in college.”
Summer 2022 5 doing will hopefully help us build models of collaboration that can facilitate further and future collaboration across the Engineeringcurriculum.”
ACCOLADES FOR AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A
–– Alla MathBaranovskydepartment faculty member For the fourth consecutive year, Dana Hall earned the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science A (CSA). During the challenging 2020-21 school year, five of the six students who took the AP CSA exam scored a 5 — the highest score. “Dana Hall’s Engineering and Computer Science Department, with the support of the Administrative Team, continues to create policies that promote diversity in the AP Computer Science A course and do not create barriers that discourage underrepresented groups from participating,” said Pat Townsend, Engineering and Computer Science Department Head.
A DANA HALL LEGEND SAYS GOODBYE
Above: Dean of Residential Life Donna Corrigan P07, Kelsey Corrigan ’07, Dining Hall Chef Doug Corrigan P07, former Head of School Blair Jenkins in October 2006
Right: Doug Corrigan P07 at Homecoming, 1998
Corrigan claims he won’t miss the daily grind that most people heading into retirement are so ready to cast off. “My feet will be very happy; in fact, they’ve been applauding a lot lately,” he admitted. “I’m not fearful, and I am looking forward to the next challenge.” His immediate plans include renovating his kitchen in his house on Cape Cod, and he wants to do some writing. “In particular, I have been working on a play based on my family growing up—Irish, seven kids, no dad, led by mom, and the humor was hilarious. She was crazy funny,” he explained.
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Corrigan will still be a fixture on the Dana Hall campus, and he’s looking forward to having more time to attend student musical performances, as he often had to work when they were scheduled. He will continue to stock the Snack Shack in the Shipley Center, a volunteer role he has taken on since the facility opened in 2005. “I feel like I have graduated from Dana Hall – several times,” Corrigan said. “I have multiple degrees!” Corrigan was publicly honored during Reunion and Commencement. In addition, a plaque will be installed in the Shipley Center, to honor his volunteer commitment to the building’s Snack Shack. It reads: With appreciation to Doug Corrigan P07, who generously donated his time to the operations of the “Snack Shack” since its opening in 2005. We thank him for his 51 years of service to Dana Hall School.
On March 4, 1971, a 17-year-old Doug Corrigan P07 started a new job at Dana Hall. In the intervening 51 years, he made the School’s campus his home, raised a family and built a career. Thousands of students and employees have their own memories of Corrigan, whether he was dropping off a warm treat, taking time to chat, throwing a ball to a campus kid, or playing in the faculty/staff jug band. As he prepared for his retirement, Corrigan was almost at a loss for words when asked to recount his favorite memories. Of course, once he got rolling, the memories flowed freely. “The best part was meeting the families of the students, who came from all walks of life,” he said, as he shared stories of shaking hands with former New York City Mayor John Lindsay P71, P73 and showing his vintage blue Ford Mustang to American automobile executive Lee Iacocca G06, 09. He also recalls the School’s centennial celebration in 1981, which was at the time the biggest event to happen on campus, and he can recollect seeing several children of on-campus faculty grow from babies to young adults.
SUMMA CUM LAUDE (GOLD MEDAL) Flora Gu ’23 (Latin V H)
MAXIMA CUM LAUDE (SILVER
MEDAL) Ella Lindstrom ’25 (Latin II) Amy Meuse ’24 (Latin III) MAGNA CUM LAUDE Natalie Drago ’25 (Latin II) Ivy Wellington ’24 (Latin III) Annie Stewart ’23 (Latin IV H) CUM LAUDE B O’Donnell ’25 (Latin II) Yudi Wang ’25 (Latin II) Mary Haferd ’23 (Latin III) Miranda Meuse ’24 (Latin III) Jordan Weller ’24 (Latin III) Ashley Booth ’23 (Latin IV H) Margy Eno ’23 (Latin IV H) Coco Zhang ’22 (Latin IV H) Molly O’Leary ’22 (Latin V H) SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARD WINNERS HONORS FOR LATIN LEARNERS Right: Gold Key-winning painting “Broken” by Ella Jang ’23 SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Summer 2022 7 The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. Dana Hall students stood out from thousands of entries, and received awards and honorable mentions in painting, drawing and illustration, photography, mixed media, digital art, and architecture and industrial design as well as critical essay, science fiction and fantasy, flash fiction, short story, personal essay and memoir, and poetry. Dana Hall students joined 100,000 others from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 21 other countries in taking the 2022 National Latin Exam in March. ART AWARDS Gold Key • Ella Jang ’23, Painting, “Broken” • Chaeeun Lee ’22, Drawing & Illustration, “Mangrove Therapy” • Seohyun Oh ’24, Painting, “Surreal” • Chloe Santilli ’23, Photography, “Sepia Mushrooms” WRITING AWARDS Gold Key • Sydney Jiang ’23, Critical Essay, “It’s 2021—Why Do So Few Women Make It to the Top?” • Talia Loevy-Reyes ’23, Science Fiction & Fantasy, “Eden” • Loevy-Reyes, Flash Fiction, “Bishops”
Sophia
Above: Nina Langan ’16 led “Beading & Below:Blooming”Ella Moss ’22, Tania DeBarros ’07 and Genesis Funes ’22
On May 3, seventeen students from the Classes of 2022 and 2023 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society. The organization honors scholastic achievement at the secondary level, and Dana Hall inducts its new
Julia Freedman
Theannuallymemberseachspring.SeniorProjectsprogram
Elizabeth Dorsey
RECOVERY CREATIVITYTHROUGH
Emma Scharf
On March 2, Upper School and Middle School students participated in Ship Day 2022, a day outside of the regular class schedule dedicated to exploring health and wellness issues. This year’s theme was “Recovery through Creativity: Progress, Not Perfection.” Keynote speaker Tania DeBarros ’07 shared her mental health journey and how creativity — specifically her songwriting and singing — has helped her on her path to healing. At breakout sessions throughout the day, students explored ways that creative outlets can be used to help manage stress, overcome challenges and express themselves. Many Upper and Middle School students led these activities with help from adults and young alums Isabella Daou ’14, Nina Langan ’16 and Sofia Vegas ’15
Sarah
Evelynn
Sophia Bililies
Huije
Sydney
offers 12th graders the opportunity to pursue a project of their choosing during the last weeks of the school year. The Class of 2022 chose projects that ranged from working with library archivists and animal shelter managers to formerly incarcerated women, and presented their findings at Senior Projects Presentations the day before graduation. ’22 Cole ’22 ’22 ’22 Mak ’22 ’22 ’22 Shaich ’22 ’23 ’23 (Jessica) Du ’23 Jiang ’23 Sahni ’23 Hanqi (Sunny) Shi ’23 Stewart ’23 Yan ’23 (Sura) Zhang ’23 Sofia Flores Lopez Shaich ’22 Sofia Cabral ’22
Emma
Jingwen
CLASS OF 2022 CLASS OF 2023 CUM LAUDE INDUCTEES SENIOR PROJECTS Emma Beardsley
Elizabeth Nilson
Eva Happel
8 Summer 2022
Anne
Ilyssa
Dania
’22 Emma
It’s also a wonderful pleasure to work with my colleagues, a group of educators who are dedicated and creative. They inspire me and keep me energized to face whatever challenges come along. There’s a strong spirit of collaboration at Dana Hall, and that means someone is always there to exchange ideas and offer encouragement.
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HONORING EXPLORATION AND ENTHUSIASM
Receiving this Rinehart Chair is a very great honor. It’s important because it means I was able to contribute something helpful to this community. I’m grateful for the kindness and generosity I’ve received here over the years, and I’m glad my colleagues felt some of the same spirit coming from me.
I’m also grateful for the creative and intellectual experience of teaching at Dana Hall. Within the main focus of our courses, we’re free to design projects and curriculum that flow from our own curiosity and inspiration. I’ve become a better teacher at Dana Hall, because I’ve grown as a learner, pushed myself to explore fresh ideas, and developed new and unsuspected interests.
Victor D’Ambrosio, center, with colleagues Laura Adams, Lindsey Hendricks, Pat Townsend, Michele Gerdes, Angela Brown and Nicole Wellington P21, 24 Sixth grade teacher Victor D’Ambrosio is this year’s recipient of the Rinehart Chair. Established in 1998 with a $1 million bequest, the School’s first endowed faculty chair was set up by James R. Rinehart and Molly Ford Rinehart ’50 to recognize outstanding teachers of the Humanities. On the occasion of this honor, “Mr. D.” shared the following reflection. Our students at Dana Hall are committed to learning, and they plunge into every project with enthusiasm. They’re independent thinkers who enjoy exploring different points of view. They encourage each other, and they always respect the work that shows imagination and depth.
A reflection from Rinehart Chair recipient Victor D’Ambrosio
MOVING UP FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
On Thursday, June 2, the Class of 2026 became the newest members of the Upper School as they participated in the Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony in Waldo Auditorium. Many members of the class read a reflection about their year, and Director of the Middle School Lauren Goldberg presented the Director’s Bowl to Sarah Gallagher ’26
On April 21, the Class of 2026 participated in the annual 8th Grade Career Day, which took place at three different sites: Harvard Medical School, Northeastern University Law School or Solid Biosciences. Students who visited Harvard Medical School took part in a hands-on laboratory clinic. The group at Northeastern University School of Law met faculty, including Professor Stevie Leahy P25, 26, and law students in an interactive panel discussion. A third group went to Solid Biosciences in Cambridge to learn about research into genetic diseases; they met with Annie Ganot P26, the firm’s co-founder and head of Patient Advocacy. A highlight of their trip was extracting DNA from strawberries.
10 Summer 2022 Alumnae authors: Do you have a recently published book? Maybe an older title we haven’t heard of but should have in our Alumnae Authors Collection? The Helen Temple Cooke Library would love to add your title to its shelves. Contact Archivist Dorothy DeSimone P06, 10 at dorothy.desimone@danahall.org or (781) 489-1382, or visit https://danahall.libguides.com/alumnaeauthors to see the many works we currently own. The following titles were recently acquired by the library: RECENT WORKS FROM ALUMNAE AUTHORS “At the Narrow Waist of the World: A Memoir” by Marlena Maduro Baraf ’63; “The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise” by Julie Gianelloni Connor ’69; “Language Duel: Poems = Duela de lenguaje: Poemas” by Rosario Ferré ’56; “Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis” by Tamsen Evans George ’58; “From Abraham to Jesus: A Story of Conversion” by Ellery Sonking Mauceri ’63; “The Difficult Girl: A Memoir” by Helen Morse ’72; “In a New York Minute” by Kate Spencer ’97; “One Shot for Gold: Developing a Modern Mine in Northern California” by Eleanor Herz Swent ’41
RETURN OF IN-PERSON CAREER DAY
Kaili Poirier ’26 and Brimmer Mather ’26 extract DNA from a strawberry.
Alexandra Siemon, 1992
APPRECIATION FOR ALEXANDRA SIEMON
In May, Siemon was honored with the 2022 Palandjian Inspiration Award, which recognizes a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated excellence in his/her work with students.
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Alexandra Siemon, 2006
Alena Englund Lauritsen ’94 remembers Siemon as the first teacher who took her seriously. “She expected serious work from us. It was definitely the hardest class I had in high school, but also the most mind-opening. She challenged us to learn how to think, but not just think for ourselves: She wanted us to learn how other people think and to truly value different perspectives. The way she taught and also cared about each of us empowered us to meet her very high expectations. Mrs. Siemon was kind, interesting and inspiring. Somehow, even 25 years later, a teacher who saw me, genuinely cared and shared her passion for the world continues to have an impact that is impossible to capture with words.”
Social Studies Faculty Member Alexandra Siemon retired at the end of the school year, completing 34 years at Dana Hall School. Legendary among students and alumnae for her commitment to intellectual inquiry, high standards, breadth of knowledge and dedication to sharing that knowledge with her students, she is also known for her devotion to ensuring that her students succeed. When asked to share memories of Siemon, many of her former students were quick to respond.
If you ask Christa Waegemann ’04, her career path is all thanks to Siemon. At Dana Hall, Waegemann took her Middle Eastern Studies class and got “totally obsessed,” she said. “Before that class, I was kind of a big art student. I’d planned to go down the art route, but by the time I got to university, I took no art classes and took all Middle Eastern studies.” Siemon was one of the Dana Hall teachers whose impact Courtney Caruso ’05 identifies clearly. Caruso credits her with instilling in her a passion for discovering history and the people who came before us, and for seeking to learn about the world through travel. She is grateful for her lessons and says it was in her classroom that she developed the concrete writing, analysis and thinking skills that have empowered her throughout her life and career. “Years later, I continue to carry with me the lessons from Mrs. Siemon’s classroom, as do so many of her former students,” she said. “I am tremendously grateful to her and wish her the very best in retirement!” “Mrs. Siemon was my advisor, and she was a wonderful teacher,” said Rachel Lawrence ’17. “She always asked how we were, and made sure she could support us whenever we needed it. She was a wonderful support system, a fabulous teacher, and I know Dana Hall will miss her greatly.”
“As an international student, I expected a narrow understanding of my nation’s political unrest and the kind of norm that prevails in its society,” recalled Shadan Khalid ’21. “Therefore, during my time at Dana Hall, I often had difficulty expressing my personal struggles. Mrs. Siemon’s universalism made her the great empath she is. To listen and understand, to empathize with one’s struggle is one thing, but to actually provide help from a place of experience is another. That’s what Mrs. Siemon is like: turning an intimidating and unfamiliar place into one’s second home. I am sure her other former advisees would agree that she, in many ways, gave us a home — even if it were a brief 15-minute morning advisory meeting.”
In addition to her commitment to the classroom, Siemon knew that learning must happen in a far broader context; her vision led to the creation of Dana Hall’s Global Scholars Certificate program. “Alexandra had the creativity and collaborative skills to envision a multi-year, multi-faceted program and to bring others along with her in the creation and execution of this program,” said Head of School Katherine Bradley. “Students, past, present and future, who graduate with this certificate have her to thank for their experience.”
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SPRING SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The AEL Equestrian Team earned Reserve Champion (2nd place) at their National Finals.
Varsity Fencing teammates Elaine Lu ’25 and Sophia Bililies ’23 competed at the USA Fencing Junior Olympics in February. Lu came in 73rd out of 188 fencers in Junior (under 20 years old) Women’s Sabre and 47th out of 153 fencers in Cadet (under 17 years old) Women’s Sabre. Bililies came in 134th in Junior (under 20 years old) Women’s Sabre.
VARSITY ATHLETICS
WINTER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Individual honors went to Loughborough for her national champion win and Ruby Deluca Lowell ’22 for her 3rd place finish.
Varsity Fencing Head Coach Jane Carter won both the VET 50 (ages 50-59) Women’s Foil event and the VET Open (ages 40 and up) event at the USA Fencing North American Cup in March. She also re-earned her “A” classification (A’22) and earned points in the qualification for the Veterans World Fencing Championships in Croatia in October. Elaine Lu also competed and earned a bronze medal in Y14 (14 and under) Women’s Sabre. She came in 3rd out of 131 fencers.
Keira McGrath ’22
The IEA Equestrian Team placed 8th at Nationals. The AEL Equestrian Team earned Reserve Champion (2nd place) at Nationals. Sophia Cook ’22 Ria Sharma ’23 Evelyn Mak ’22
Varsity Swimming finished in 2nd place overall at the New England Championships. Keira McGrath ’22 broke the Dana Hall School record and the EIL record for the 100 breast stroke this Varsityseason.Squash came in 6th place out of 16 teams at Nationals in Philadelphia.
Varsity Tennis finished 2nd in the Eastern Independent League.
The IEA Equestrian Team placed 8th at Nationals in May. Individual highlights include Millie Essex ’23 taking 2nd in Varsity Open Over Fences, Madison Kastner ’23 taking 3rd in JV Beginner Flat, Lila Bednarski ’24 being named the National Champion in Individual JV Novice Flat rider, and Avery Loughborough ’27 earning 4th place in Future Novice Flat.
• EQ: Caitlin Klosek ’24 LAX: Nicola Shafer ’24
LAX: Avery Mather ’24
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• SB: Madison Kastner ’23
• LAX: Anna Fattaey ’22
The Unsung Hero Award goes to the team member who did not necessarily receive recognition during the season, but whose performance and work ethic is deserving of praise. BB: Daisy deHollan ’24 Ice Hockey (IH): Ellie Delorey ’24
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SCOREBOARD Ava Clay ’22 Anna Fattaey ’22 Summer 2022 13 AWARDS AND HONORS Eastern Independent League (EIL) All-League Basketball (BB): Anelly Mad-toingué ’24 Squash (SQ): Joya Wang ’26 and Kaili Poirier ’26 Swimming (SW): • 200 Medley Relay - Mahika Chopra ’25, Charlotte Friedmann ’26, Keira McGrath ’22, Joyln Zheng ’25 • 200 Free - Norah Simmons ’27 • 200 IM - Keira McGrath ’22 • 50 Free - Joyln Zheng ’25 • 1M Diving - Natalie Drago ’25 • 100 Free - Joyln Zheng ’25 • 200 Free Relay - Charlotte Friedmann ’26, Keira McGrath ’22, Christine Wee ’23, Joyln Zheng ’25 • 100 Back - Mahika Chopra ’25 • 100 Breast - Keira McGrath ’22 Lacrosse (LAX): Stephanie Copeland ’23 and Avery Mather ’24 Softball (SB): Ava Clay ’22 and Layla Anderson ’23 Tennis (TN): Zoe Sun ’23, Sophia Cook ’22 and Avery Williamson ’24 EIL Girls Swimming and Diving Swimmer of the Year • Keira McGrath ’22 EIL Coach of the Year • Jen Dutton, Varsity Swimming Head Coach EIL Champions • Swimming and Diving EIL Honorable Mention • BB: Daisy deHollan ’24 • LAX: Iva Jacoby ’23 • SB: Chloe Santilli ’23 • TN: Doubles partners Isabella Bert ’22 and Ashleigh Burns ’23 All-NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Award • BB: Anelly Mad-toingué ’24 NEPSAC Honorable Mention •
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The Dragon Award recognizes the individual on her team who promotes the values of sportsmanship, ethical play in competition and commitment to her team. Fencing (FN): Angel Fu ’24
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• SQ: Ria Sharma ’23 Equestrian (EQ): Madison Kastner ’23
• TN: Mia Housman ’22
14 Summer 2022 VARSITY ATHLETICS SCOREBOARD The Most Improved Player Award goes to the team member who was diligent in her performance and her work ethic and had made significant improvement in her sport skills, game strategies, and overall knowledge of her sport. • BB: Kate Adams ’23 • FN: Miranda Wang ’23 • IH: B O’Donnell ’25 • SQ: Noelle Bardorf ’25 • EQ: Elizabeth Bergstrom ’24 • LAX: Ariella Kaye ’24 • SB: Martina Walsh ’24 • TN: Ashleigh Burns ’23 The Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the athlete who is respectful, dedicated and committed; displays confidence and exercises self-control; and is considerate, trustworthy and enthusiastic about her team and sport. • IH: Jenna London ’22 • EQ: Millie Essex ’23 • SB: Genesis Funes ’22 Most Valuable Player/Outstanding Player Award • SQ: Joya Wang ’26 and Kaili Poirier ’26 • BB: Anelly Mad-toingué ’24 • FN: Elaine Lu ’25 • EQ: Ruby Deluca Lowell ’22 • SB: Ava Clay ’22 Best All-Around Player • LAX: Stephanie Copeland ’23 Horsemanship Award • EQ: Zoe Cole ’25 Leadership Award • BB: Stephanie Copeland ’23 Anchor Award • TN: Zoe Sun ’23 Spirit Award • TN: Sophia Cook ’22 Rookie of the Year • FN: Madison Ravenell ’24 Elsie Stanton ’22 Jenna London ’22
In May, the Board of Trustees said goodbye to Jennifer Adams Knebel ’78 who stepped down after 13 years on the Board and five years as President of the Corporation. The following new trustees were elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation.
Chrissy Brown is the new Chair of the Parents’ Association and will serve on the Board of Trustees during her term.
NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE TRUSTEES
Heidi Vanni P28, 30 is Managing Director at Boston Trust Walden, an independent, employee-owned firm providing investment management services to institutional investors and private wealth clients. Vanni is the firm’s Director of Institutional Strategies, with overall responsibility for client relationship management, business development, marketing, and communications. Heidi is a member of the Boston Trust Walden Board of Directors and serves on the Investment, Audit & Risk, and ESG Research & Engagement Committees. She previously served as a Portfolio Manager on the firm’s Small and SMID Cap strategies. Vanni began her career working for MFS Investment Management Company. She earned a B.S. from Boston University and an MBA from Boston College. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society Boston and the CFA Institute. She and her husband Alex have daughters in the Class of 2028 and the Class of 2030.
Chrissy Brown P26, 29 has been a member of the Parents’ Association Leadership Council for four years, serving as a class representative and a member of the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Committee. She has served on the NICU Family Advisory Council at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for 11 years and has coached and acted as an age group coordinator for Wellesley United Soccer Club for years. A former Division I athlete, Brown graduated from Cornell University and worked for 10 years in hospitality operations and consulting. She and her husband Jesse have daughters in the Class of 2026 and 2029.
Jennifer Visco P27 is Vice President of Finance and Business Operations at Expansion Therapeutics, Inc. She joined Expansion in 2020, bringing more than 25 years of accounting and finance experience. Prior to joining Expansion, Visco was the Finance Director of MEDScience, a program of Harvard Medical School. Previously, she was Partner and CCO at Martingale Asset Management. She started her career as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Visco holds advisory and executive board positions with several educational, sporting and non-profit organizations. She received her B.S. in Accounting and Business Management from Babson College and is a Certified Public Accountant. She and her husband Davide have a daughter in the Class of 2027 as well as three other children at independent Inschools.addition,
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Heidi Vanni P28, 30 Jennifer Visco P27 Chrissy Brown P26, 29
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR?
My first area of focus was to get to know and understand Dana Hall as best as I possibly could. Learning about the ins and outs of our day and boarding program, our athletics and arts, our classrooms, our curriculum, our Board of Trustees, parents, employees, but first and foremost our amazing students. Next, I really worked on addressing existing documents—the Anti-Racist Action Plan, the Diversity Directions recommendations—again with the lens of addressing student needs and having the highest priorities focused on student support and outcomes.
HOW ARE YOU SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES?
I have prioritized carrying out and piloting systems and programs to better support equity and inclusion for students. This means more detailed data-gathering and robust programming outside of the classroom as well as professional development support for our educators to create a community-minded, equitable and inclusive classroom experience that considers everything from classroom culture and expectations to how teachers administer assessments.
16 Summer 2022
Seeing students return one year stronger and further removed from the virtual school experience. I am so excited to offer many of the programs they requested, from heritage month acknowledgements, to affinity and alliance spaces, to outside speakers, to partnerships with external organizations. These programs provide both leadership opportunities as well as the chance to really leverage the extraordinarily diverse community of students at Dana, including linguistic, religious, neurological and racial diversity. Our community has so much rich dynamism and what brings me great satisfaction is to see it utilized and celebrated. I am also eager to partner with our CEI Board committee, families and alums to increase our capacity to guide and affirm our wonderful students.
WHAT WERE YOUR AREAS OF FOCUS DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR AT DANA HALL?
CATCHING UP WITH COMMUNITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DIRECTOR RACHELQ&ANAGLER
“From the day I arrived, Dana Hall has always been such a warm and familycommunitywelcomingtomyandme.”
Kumpel previously served as the Science Department Head at Concord Academy in Concord, Mass., where she had been a member of the faculty and on-campus community since 2008. Prior to her time at Concord, she held teaching positions at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Ga., and Gann Academy in Waltham, Mass.
Kumpel holds a B.S. from Tufts University in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in English and a M.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, and earned a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mike White became Dana Hall’s new Director of Athletics, Health and Wellness on July 1. He oversees all aspects of the School’s Athletics, Health and Wellness program. Well-known and respected by the Dana Hall community, White has been a member of the Middle School faculty and an athletic trainer since 2010. In addition, he served as Interim Assistant Director of the Middle School during the 2020-21 school year. Prior to his time at Dana Hall, White was the head athletic trainer, a class dean and residential director at Salisbury School, and has additional experience working with athletes at every level from youth sports to Major League “FromBaseball.the day I arrived, Dana Hall has always been such a warm and welcoming community to my family and me,” White said. “I value the caring connections I have made with the students, their families and my colleagues over the years, and I am eager to build upon this foundation in my new role. I hope I can bring this sense of community pride and spirit to my role as Director of Athletics, Health and WhiteWellness.”holds a B.S. in Athletic Training & Physiology from Ithaca College and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from UMass — Lowell.
Summer 2022 17
NEW FACES
Amy Kumpel joined Dana Hall on July 1 as the new Director of the Upper School. She oversees all aspects of the Upper School program.
“As a woman in science, I have long been interested in working at a girls’ school because of the gender gap and stereotype threat in STEM, and I appreciate that Dana Hall places emphasis on exploring real-world problems involving critical thinking and analysis throughout the academic curriculum,” Kumpel said. “This allows girls to engage in academic risk-taking, to be challenged and to find the joy in life-long learning and intellectual curiosity. After spending time immersed in the community during the interview process, it is evident to me that Dana Hall is a very special place. The School’s stated values clearly align with the program and practices and the lived experience of the students and faculty. Everyone at Dana Hall is pulling in the same direction — what’s best for the students — and is dedicated to making the School the best place it can be.”
– Amy Kumpel – Mike White ON ADMINISTRATIVETHETEAM
“As a woman in science, I have long been interested in working at a girls’ school because of the gender gap and stereotype threat in STEM.”
The Upper School spring musical, “Into the Woods,” debuted May 13 & 14 and featured guest actors from Belmont Hill School. 18 Summer 2022 BACK BARDWELLIN Maddie McGill ’25 and Jerry Austen of Belmont Hill Above: Maddie McGill ’25 and Jerry Austen of Belmont Hill Jordan Weller ’24, Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22, Syd Weller ’22 Annika Svedlund ’22, Tori Eysie ’22, TJ Cannistraro (Belmont Hill) Jackie McCormick ’22 “Frozen Jr.,” the Middle School spring musical, transported us to Arendelle March 10 & 11. Kat Morris ’27 and Penny Keenan ’27 Avery Miller ’27 Ceci Bogan ’27 Ilyssa Cedeno ’27 and Lucia Torrebiarte ’28
The annual dance concert, “Nexus,” hit the Bardwell Auditorium stage on March 3 & 4 and included works in modern, musical theater dance, contemporary, ballet, African diasporic dance, jazz, hip hop, and tap. Grace Lee ’24, Erinda Ratchford ’24, Kaylie Quach ’23, Kelly Chen ’24 BARDWELLINBACKEvie Happel ’22, Nyla Sharif ’24, Ilyssa Yan ’23, Lily Brinkman ’22, Miranda Meuse ’24 Aimée Coleman ’22, Ava Morvillo ’23 Kiki Nartey ’22, Kaylie Quach ’23 Ilyssa Yan ’23 On May 19, students in instrumental and choral music from both the Upper and Middle Schools showed off their talents in the All-School Spring Concert. 7th and 8th Grade Chorus Penny Keenan ’27 Chamber Singers Summer 2022 19
More than 15 students recognized by their teachers for extraordinary skill and dedication to music study performed at the School of Music Honors Recital in Beveridge Hall on April 28. Eloise Crissman ’27, viola Coco Zhang ’22, flute Bolin Miao ’25, piano Puckni Bhengsri ’24, guitar/voiceMartina Forrest ’29, ukulele/voice 20 Summer 2022
The Dana Hall community gathered under the tent on Friday, May 27, to honor Upper School student achievements of the 2021-22 school year. The annual award ceremony celebrates excellence in academic disciplines, athletics, performing and visual arts, leadership, community service and citizenship. The members of the Class of 2022 asked outgoing Assistant Head of Academics/Director of the Upper School Jessica Keimowitz to be their Baccalaureate speaker. Keimowitz, who came to Dana Hall as the Assistant Director of College Counseling in 2004, has led the Upper School for the last 16 years. In her remarks, Keimowitz encouraged students to “commit to kindness, commit to community, and commit to showing up. If you make your little corner of the world a bit better, imagine how much brighter our whole world will be.” in Science winner Svedlund ’22, Science Head Lomb Shi ’23,
Promising Scientist Award winner Bolin Miao ’25 Head of School Katherine Bradley and Elaine W. Betts Prize winner Coco Zhang ’22 SCIENCE Promising Scientist Award Bolin Miao ’25 Bausch & Lomb Award ........................................................ Hanqi (Sunny) Shi ’23 Senior Excellence in Science Annika Svedlund ’22 MATH Dana Hall Mathematics Prize Aluna Herrera ’22 Frank S. Weinert Mathematics Prize ................................ Yifan (Coco) Zhang ’22 COMPUTER SCIENCE Computer Science Award............................................... Anastasia Sedunova ’24 MUSIC Marguerite Finch Maxwell 1915 Awards In Music: Up-and-Coming Musician Award ............................................. Bolin Miao ’25 Achievement Award Aluna Herrera ’22 Outstanding Junior Award ...................................... Jingwen (Sura) Zhang ’23 Outstanding Senior Award Imo Gong ’22 Chorus Award Madeleine McGill ’25 Chamber Singers Award .................................................. Aimée Coleman ’22 “You have been given an extraordinary gift — the gift of a Dana Hall education. And with that gift comes inthemaketalents,possessesbigeventuallylotsareforward.helpandneedinformed,youthedon’tresponsibility.tremendousYouneedtosolveclimatecrisis.Butdoneedtobeyoudotoaskquestions,youdoneedtousmoveSmallstepsstillsteps,andoflittlestepsbecomesteps.Eachofyoutheskills,andpowertoadifferenceinlivesofothersandoursociety.”—AssistantHeadofAcademics/DirectoroftheUpperSchoolJessicaKeimowitz Class Day Baccalaureateand
Summer 2022 21
Department
Tara Jennings, Bausch &
Award winner Sunny
Senior Excellence
Annika
22 Summer 2022 PERFORMING ARTS Dance Award Ilyssa Yan ’23 Amelia Curtis Whitman Performing Arts Prize ............................ Yifan (Coco) Zhang ’22 Ondy Dean Gilson ’52 Prize In Theater .............................................. Aluna Herrera ’22 Jeanne Armin Award ................................... Aimée Coleman ’22 Technical Theater Award Emma Scharf ’22 VISUAL ARTS Marguerite Aldridge Putnam 1908 Prize: Architecture ...................................... Sara Lopez Alvarez ’23 Ceramics Josie Thorner ’23 Design Veda Ramaswamy ’23 Drawing ............................................... Cassady Churchill ’23 Photography Jenna Lewis ’22 Painting Veronika Kirsanova ’22 AP Art and Design ..................................... Emma Shaich ’22 Amelia Curtis Whitman Visual Arts Prize ................................ Jacqueline McCormick ’22 Rhode Island School of Design Book Prize ............................. Meitong (Vanessa) Liu ’22 Gene Scattergood Visionary Artist Award Çağla Tunca ’22 ENGLISH Malcolm Lloyd Prize for Most Improved Writer ............................ Mary (Ginna) Allen ’25 Brown University Book Prize Cassady Churchill ’23 John W. Cameron Book Prize Ella Schweizer ’22 Post-Lawrence Prize in English ................ Emma Beardsley ’22 SOCIAL STUDIES John Means Spencer Award for Student Enrichment Sophia Sahni ’23 Alexandra Siemon Social and Political Awareness Award ...................... Melis Oztunaoğlu ’22 John G. Schuler Award Evelyn Booth ’22 Excellence in Social Studies Award ...................... Imo Gong ’22 WORLD LANGUAGES Department Prize in French ...................... Elizabeth Nilson ’22 Beryl Wilbur Prize in Vergil Molly O’Leary ’22 Dorothy O. Farmer Prize in Latin Sicong (Flora) Gu ’23 Department Prize in Mandarin ................ Talia Carmichael ’22 Enrique Cuan Prize in Spanish Mia Housman ’22 BOOK AWARDS Bryn Mawr College President’s Book Prize ..................................... Sophia Sahni ’23 Harvard Prize Book .................................... Elizabeth Dorsey ’23 Smith College Book Prize Huijie (Jessica) Du ’23 Williams College Book Prize.............. Jingwen (Sura) Zhang ’23 FITZIE FOUNDATION AWARD Ria Sharma ’23 KATHERINE T. GREGORY AWARD Iniye Atiegha ’23 ATHLETIC AWARDS Marsman Award ........................................ Madison Kastner ’23 Riding Cup Adelaide Grave ’22 Dorothy M. Schirmer Memorial Award...................................... Brooklynn Phillips ’25 Ann O’Day Sullivan Award Mia Housman ’22 Scholar Athlete Award .................................... Molly O’Leary ’22 Dana “D” Award ........................................................ Ava Clay ’22 Dana “D” Award Jenna London ’22 Dana “D” Award .......................................... Eleanor Redgate ’22 Dana “D” Award ................................................. Elsa Stanton ’22 Varsity Athlete Award Anna Fattaey ’22 Herky Award ...................................................... Sophia Cook ’22 Helen Parker Bowlby Award Anna Fattaey ’22 Best Athlete Award Keira McGrath ’22 LEADERSHIP AWARDS Class of 2025 Rhoda Fadugbagbe ’25 Class of 2024 .......................................... Pucknipa Bhengsri ’24 Class of 2023 Maya Teschke ’23 The Maureen Golden Leadership Award .................................... Phoebe Frechette ’22 HELEN BURKE MONTAGUE SENIOR CUP Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22 NAN COYLE CITIZENSHIP AWARD Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Olivia Rennie ’22 ELAINE W. BETTS PRIZE Yifan (Coco) Zhang ’22 Class Day Baccalaureateand 1. Director of Community Service Programs Angela Macedo and Community Service Award winner Olivia Rennie ’22 2. Dean of Residential Life/International Student Advisor Donna Corrigan P07, Helen Burke Montigue Senior Cup and Nan Coyle Citizenship Award winner Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22, Associate Dean of Students Kathy Hamel 3. Dance Award winner Ilyssa Yan ’23 and Performing Arts Department Head Devon Fichett 4. John Means Spencer Award for Student Enrichment winner Sopha Sahni ’23 and Social Studies Department Head Mary Cameron 5. Dean of Students Lydia Stoye and Katherine T. Gregory Award winner Iniye Atiegha ’23 6. Marsman Award winner Madison Kastner ’23, Director of the Karen Stives ’68 Equestrian Center Sarah Summers ’98, Riding Cup winner Adelaide Grave ’22 1 2 5 36 4
Summer 2022 23 we’re all in DanaTHE Fund You are incredible! We asked you to be all in for the 2021-22 Dana Fund, and you answered the call! You stepped forward to invest in the School’s mission and make a difference in the experience of Dana Hall’s students. We are indebted to the 1,551 supporters who donated $1,915,564 to the Dana Fund. You gave in support of our students, faculty, curriculum and program. You gave as part the Young Alum Challenge, Teacher Appreciation Week, your Reunion class gift, the Ring Color Participation Challenge. You gave to close the gap between tuition and the cost of educating every Dana Hall student, which we marked on Dana Donor Day in April. thank you!
24 Summer 2022
The scope and vision of the Classroom Building project have remained consistent since its launch in 2019. However the extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 64% increase in overall costs. “We know these new facilities will have a tremendous impact on our students and teachers and that they are needed as soon as possible,” said Head of School Katherine Bradley.The purpose-built chorus room will include built-in tiers, moveable chairs, special acoustical treatment and music storage.
The end of the 2021-22 school year arrived with an extra layer of anticipation, as it signaled the tangible start of the project to revitalize the Upper School Classroom Building. In addition to grading exams and filing final grades and comments, faculty members packed up their classrooms and offices in preparation for the project that will begin with readying the site in July, followed by demolition in August/September. Construction Management & Builders (CM&B) will be the School’s partner and general contractor. The expected timeline for the project is 15-18 months. Designed by Dario Designs, the renovated Classroom Building represents an exciting opportunity to celebrate the best of Dana Hall’s past while moving boldly into the future. The planning process has been centered in sustainability and cost-efficiency, with an eye to the world that tomorrow’s students will inherit and inhabit. The new space will have flexible classrooms to enable diverse learning styles, common spaces to foster connection and collaboration, brandnew art studios, a purpose-built chorus room, and fully-accessible facilities that support all students. The initiative aligns with the goals of the School’s Vision 2025 strategic plan, which prioritizes updating essential campus facilities.
In October 2021, Head of School Katherine Bradley announced an historic $15 million gift from the Manton Foundation, with $10 million designated to support the Classroom Building. As of July 7, 2022, an additional $11.6 million has been raised from 199 donors, many of whom made their largest-ever contribution to Dana Hall.
Funding the Vision
Architecting the Dana Hall Experience: The Upper School Classroom Building Initiative
The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Classroom Building is scheduled for September 15.
The renovation and reinvention of the Upper School Classroom Building is the most transformative project in modern Dana Hall history—an investment of such great urgency that the Manton Foundation has challenged the School to raise $4 million between now and December 31, 2022 to accelerate progress. If the Dana Hall community meets the all-or-nothing challenge, the Manton Foundation will match those funds. To help meet the challenge, the School is sharing a new opportunity: With a pledge of $2,500, you will be able to personalize a seat in the new and expanded Waldo Auditorium. Use the seat plaque to honor your daughter or daughters, or a favorite Dana classmate, teacher, or administrator. Or use it for a short message that will inspire whoever is in the seat attending a lecture or play. By expressing your support for the future of Dana Hall, you get a chance to express yourself in one of the School’s signature gathering spots. The $2,500 pledge is payable over several years, but you must make a commitment before December 31, 2022.
A transformative project such as the new Classroom Building requires the support of the entire Dana Hall community. In order to allow donors to be more generous, gifts can be paid over four or five years. All donors of $25,000 or more will be listed on the donor wall in the new facility. There are also opportunities to name specific spaces in the building, starting with donations of $25,000.
With that in mind, the Board of Trustees undertook a careful and complete financial analysis of the project and considered adjustments, where possible, in building materials, labor and other direct expenses. In February 2022 the Board took advantage of the then low interest rates and secured a percentage of the project cost in financing. Recognizing the absolute need for the project to succeed, and a desire to encourage others to bring the project to the finish line, the Manton Foundation agreed to an additional $4 million, structured as a 1:1 challenge grant that must be met by December 31, 2022 and that must be matched in total, dollar for dollar, in order to receive payment. “We are asking members of our community to consider making a gift beyond their Dana Fund contribution to help us raise the needed $4 million to unlock these matching funds,” said Chief Advancement Officer Christie Baskett. “Dana Hall provided an exceptional learning environment for both my daughters, as well as a community where they, as individuals, thrived in distinctly different ways. The new Classroom Building builds on these fundamental elements of a Dana education,” said Sandy Niles P17, 19, Trustee, the Manton Foundation. “When our family foundation is making decisions about where to grant funds, we vet every organization and ask ourselves whether our gift will make a difference for the completion of a project and for the future of the organization. We also ask ourselves if the leadership is making sound decisions for now and for the future. When we set up this challenge for Dana Hall, we answered yes to all of those questions.”
The four new art studios have been custom designed to take advantage of natural light and provide flexible space, storage and access to materials. “Wing classrooms” incorporate high performance glass, thermal breaks and air vapor barriers, which when combined will result in reduced energy usage.
Take a Stand for Dana Hall and We’ll Let You Have a Seat! (Well, sort of) our progress! >>> Building A Legacy
For more information, contact Christie Baskett orchristie.baskett@danahall.orgat781-489-1371.
All renderings by Dario Designs Meeting the Manton Foundation’s challenge will enable Dana Hall to complete this project without reduction in scope.
Watch
Summer 2022 25
26 Summer 2022
Hello, Class of 2022! Dania FloresCoco Zhang
Your Class Historians, Coco Zhang & Dania Flores
Dear Dana Hall, The Class of 2022 has traveled a journey like no other, through an unexpected pandemic, new school schedules, and the ever-changing world around us. Numerous obstacles thrown our way might have caught us off guard, but instead of backing down, we simply paved a new path and marched on. Throughout our time at Dana Hall, challenges have only made us stronger and bonded us closer as a class. We will be forever grateful for the unconventional, but precious time we’ve spent together at Dana. Freshman year was the start of a new adventure for everyone, even for those of us moving up from the Middle School. Nevertheless, we quickly bonded and put on a fantastic Cabaret, which had to be the best one so far. We had it all: mini plays, magic tricks, dances, and many more. Before we realized, we had made our way through freshman year and became Big Sisters offering advice to new members joining the community. The first half of sophomore year was a blast. We celebrated the Senior-Sophomore tradition with candy posters, colorful costumes, and perhaps a bit too much excitement. We couldn’t wait to see what the rest of sophomore year had in store. None of us could have anticipated the global pandemic that shut down the country and put an abrupt pause on our high school experience. In March 2020, we left for a Spring Break that seemed infinitely elongated. The rest of sophomore year was dominated by Zoom meetings, which extended into junior year with a hybrid learning mode. It wasn’t until senior year in 2021 that the entire Class of 2022 reunited again in person. We’ve all traveled through bittersweet feelings, which have made us cherish more of our remaining time together: from singing “Bridge over Troubled Waters” at Harbor Cruise and Prom to dressing as our teachers and our middle school selves during Spirit Week. We have shared so many memories in every corner of this campus. Our time at Dana Hall has not been a traditional one, but this has only made us stronger, shaping us into who we are. The Class of 2022 is resilient and hardworking. As a class, we have always persisted and overcome challenges in the most creative ways. We are the first class to put on a virtual Revels (not a simple task!). We were also the first, and hopefully last, class to have a hybrid Mid-Winter. As a group of talented artists, athletes, future scientists and entrepreneurs, we have eagerly guided the Hallmanac, Focus, Mirage, Model UN, Peer Ed and many other clubs, enhancing Dana’s diverse and inclusive community. The Class of 2022 is full of compassionate and supportive people, which we will continue to be even as we move on from Dana. To the Class of 2022, do not let anything stop you from being your bold, caring, and talented selves. The 76 of us come from eight countries, six states, and diverse cultural backgrounds. And our differences have made us an amazing class. We are proud of all the accomplishments we have achieved in the last four years at Dana and are beyond excited to see what’s to come as we all go on our next adventures. We’re looking forward to hearing all about it at our first reunion in 2027! Until next time, our beloved friends.
Summer 2022 27 2022Commencement Director of Choral Music David Coleman P22, Aimée Coleman, Fadie Coleman P22 Demi Leng and Julia Freedman Annika Svedlund and Elizabeth Record Svedlund ’90, P22 Britany Roberts, Oliva Rennie, Matilda Reinhardt Lily Brinkman and Darline Desforge Natalie Chenard, Nika Kirsanova, Ella Schweiser
28 Summer 2022 Sandy Niles P17, 19, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Coco Zhang and Linnea Whiting Aluna Herrera Jenna Lewis Dean of Residential Life Donna Corrigan P07 pins a flower crown on Cameron Curtin. “Now is the time to trust yourselves. You are built of all the right things to succeed and you have learned all the right lessons here at Dana— uncompromising integrity, confidence to push past failures or mistakes, discipline to make sacrifices, courage to seek out help, and compassion and empathy to make good—choices.”ViceChairof the Board of Trustees Sandy Niles P17, 19
Chapman Brown, Julia Bulkin, Sofia Cabral, Talia Carmichael, Nicole Chen, Natalie Chenard
Student speaker Ella Schweiser
— Commencement Speaker Kellyanne Dignan ’99 long as I have known
“As
needsworldshiningremainthrownchallengesNoclassgoldThereexpectedlittlewider,louder,we’vebeautifulthesepeople,laughedalittlesmiledalittleanddoneamorethanwasofus.isareasonisoneofourcolorsafterall.matterwhatareourwaywegolden,brightlyinathattrulyit.”—StudentspeakerEllaSchweiser’22
Eleanor Redgate and Arianne Randall Science Department Chair Tara Jennings and Ava Sweeney
Summer 2022 29
Peter Frechette P16, P22 and Phoebe
“If you take only one thing from this speech, let it be this: support other women. Support their right to their life choices even if you don’t understand or agree with them. Celebrate them. Advocate for them. Sponsor them. Mentor them.
Kellyanne Dignan ’99
If we work together, we can create so much opportunity — not just for women, for all people — however they identify.”
CommencementFrechetteSpeaker
the DANA archivesHALL
Every year, the Dana Hall community says hello and good-bye to valued members of the faculty. The Nina Heald Webber ’49 Archives carefully documents these comings and goings, and this year, the archivists are taking particular note of the departure of Social Studies teacher Eric Goodson, who started his tenure at Dana Hall in the fall of 2000. In 2003-04, Goodson started the Dana Hall Memory Project — a group of volunteer students who worked under his direction to help digitize items and research areas of interest to them. Goodson collected these resources and created an online resource for the community; those materials and projects eventually were part of the Making History course he began to teach during the 2010-11 school year. Student research including many oral interviews with alumnae, faculty and staff are part of the Archives’ collections. Goodson gave classroom lectures on specific topics in order to give the students context and background information, and get them interested in Dana Hall history and the history of women. The Dana Hall archivists, past and present, are very grateful to Goodson for his abiding interest in and enthusiasm for all aspects of Dana Hall history, and for his appreciation, support and contributions to the Archives.
Early participants in the Dana Hall Memory Project, in 2004: Monaia Jackson ’05, Becky Simpson ’05, Social Studies faculty member Eric Goodson, and Natalia Knochowski ’06 Eric Goodson was honored with the Rinehart Chair in 2014, and is pictured with past recipients Jean McCarthy H01, Kevin Groppe P06 and Alexandra Siemon.
The archivists welcome contributions from all alumnae and former faculty and staff; the current collections include a variety of materials, such as photographs, programs, journals, letters, scrapbooks, clothing, school memorabilia and school records of all types, such as institutional minutes, reports and emails. For more information about donating items or adding your reflections and memories to Dana Hall’s oral history, please contact Archivist Dorothy DeSimone P06, 10 at dorothy.desimone@danahall.org or archives@danahall.org.
MAKING HISTORY AND HISTORIANS
“Eric has brought the School’s rich history to the attention of many students, parents, alumnae, faculty and staff,” said Archivist Dorothy DeSimone P06, 10. “His students have gone on to make valuable contributions to our research and oral history collections through their work, but also by sharing personal written reflections on school and world events. Eric has made sure the voices of his students from these two decades of the 21st century are reflected in the holdings of the Archives for researchers of the future. The resources, research, and lesson plans of these many years are also now a part of our holdings, and will be a valuable resource for those wishing to understand the first 141 years of Dana’s Hall existence. We say goodbye to Eric with best wishes for all his future endeavors and adventures.”
Summer 2022 31 1. Class of 2012 sings their class song. 2. Class of 1982 3. Jennifer Beecher Cooper ’82 4. Class of 1977 5. Ashley Kiel ’17, Diana Niles ’17, Julia Moynihan ’17 6. Former faculty members Dwin and John Schuler P84 7. Class of 1967 8. Class of REUNION2017 2022 21 3 6 7 4 85
32 Summer 2022 REUNION 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1. Class of 2012 at Friday’s Dinner by the Bite 2. Kate Evelyn Fialky ’92, Cymantha Guest ’92, Alexa Hall Holian ’92 3. Class of 1997 at their 25th Reunion Dinner in Beveridge Hall 4. Class of 1992 5. Vicky Wong ’82, Karen Tobasky Garb ’82, Heather Cameron Ploen ’82, Sandra Friis-Hansen Halverson ’82 6. Elizabeth Boles Gutterson ’72, Sally Homer Vallimarescu ’72, Susan Wheeler ’72 7. Class of 2007 8. The Class of 1981 won the award for Reunion Giving Participation, with 54% of the class making a gift. Director of Alumnae Relations Stephanie Meyer and Director of the Dana Fund Kari McPartland P09 presented the award to Cindy Glanzrock ’81, who accepted on behalf of her classmates. 9. Ellease Creer ’17, Grace Dunne ’17, Maya Stevenson ’17, Julia Donovan ’17, Sasha Megie ’17
7. Class of 1987 8. Amy Pendergast Allgor ’97, Melissa Chemaly ’97, Joni Poppitz Stimpson ‘97
9. Class of 1972 at their 50th Reunion Dinner outside of Grove House
1. Class of 1981 at Friday’s Dinner by the Bite Class of 2002
5. Class of 1972 sings their class song.
Summer 2022 33 REUNION 2022 85276 3 4 1 9
4. Barbara Hawkins Janien ‘77, Marylou Wellbrock-Reeves ’77, Debra Meyer Dreyfus ’77
2.
6. The Class of 1972 won the awards for the most money raised for the Dana Fund ($75,041), the most money raised overall ($232,891) and the highest reunion attendance with 38 members registered for events. Director of the Dana Fund Kari McPartland P09 and Director of Alumnae Relations
Stephanie Meyer presented the awards to Barbara Tomlinson Harman ’72, who accepted on behalf of her classmates.
3. Kendra Gunn Nedjar represents the Class of 1962.
It was not exactly serendipity that brought 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award honoree Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77 to Dana Hall from her childhood home in Singapore. She was the only girl in her family, and she was jealous that her brothers got to go to boarding school in Australia. When her parents went to visit her brothers at their school, Ishizuka took matters into her own hands. “I wanted a school in a place that was far enough away from home so my parents would have to really think about it before they could visit me,” she admitted. “I had a strategy to find a school based on what I thought would get my parents to allow me to leave. I focused on Massachusetts, because Harvard was there.” Ishizuka went to the U.S. Embassy on her own to learn how to apply to schools, and a librarian there helped her research towns and schools within a certain radius of Boston. Dana Hall had a rolling admission policy at the time, and accepted her. When her parents returned from Australia, her father initially said no to Dana Hall, but two weeks later he came around. Ishizuka arrived on campus and found herself living in the Johnston dormitories with a very strict parental permissions form; she was only allowed to leave campus for schoolsponsored events and chaperoned activities. These limitations resulted in two fortuitous outcomes. First, Ishizuka signed up for every possible outing and cultural opportunity, soaking in plays, concerts, museums and sporting events. “Dana Hall was not just a great academic experience but a great cultural experience, as I learned so much about the United States,” explained Ishizuka. Second, in addition to becoming friends with girls who had similarly limited permissions forms, she became very close to many of the adults who lived and worked on campus. One of those people was Rosanna Kazanjian, whose office was located in Johnston Main, where Ishizuka would frequently hang out. “She was the nicest possible person, and she invited me to her home several times over the course of my three years at Dana,” said Ishizuka. “That’s how I met [her daughter] Hélène, who was a day student and a year behind me.” It was a connection that would prove to be very important many years later. After Dana Hall, Ishizuka went on to Wellesley College and graduated in the height of a recession. She ultimately landed a job in finance with a commercial bank in New York City, where she rose through the ranks and was promoted quickly, becoming a managing director just before her 32nd birthday. Her promotion provoked a bit of anxiety among her older, male colleagues, and she was told her title would change but that the accompanying benefits would be delayed for a year. “It was my age, then it was my gender, then it was my ethnicity,” said Ishizuka, who notes that her story was not unusual. “That combination didn’t work for them at the time, but I focused on the long term and eventually enjoyed a successful career at the same institution that hired me out of college.”
34 Summer 2022
Ishizuka had always stayed connected with Dana Hall, attending events in New York and meeting with representatives from Admission and Advancement when they would visit Tokyo. It was an email from her friend Hélène Kazanjian ’78 that helped to elevate her involvement with the School. “I happened to be picking up one of my daughters at the end of the school term, when I received an email from Hélène that said the Dana Hall was looking to add some new
Leadership
Years later Ishizuka moved to Japan as her husband’s work took him there. She was able to line up a new position and ended up implementing and managing the credit and lending platform for the same bank in the Asia Pacific region. At the time of the move to Tokyo, her daughters were heading into first grade and fourth grade, and Ishizuka and her husband were excited to have their girls experience living internationally. Ishizuka traveled extensively for work, and ultimately she decided to stop working when her older daughter was heading into her early teen years to spend more time with them.
Board
2022 Distinguished
Honoree Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77
Thoughtful and a Lifetime of Dedication Alumna Award
With her Board commitments now behind her, Ishizuka is looking toward resetting, regrouping and reenergizing. “I am focusing my attention on what I want to do and how I want to do it. I’m trying to take time out for myself. I’m actually pretty bad at it,” she admitted. “It’s not easy for me to sit still and not do much. So I am working on improving my new skill of taking time for myself.” She now dotes on her grandson and spends most of her time in Connecticut.
She’s done that as the 1992 Class Correspondent, a role she’d held since her graduation, along with countless other Dana Hall volunteer assignments. She’s done that while at Brandeis University as the orientation coordinator, one of the biggest leadership opportunities for students, where she welcomed incoming freshman and helped forge new lifelong friendships. And she’s done that for Team Sheila, a group named in memory of her mother that has raised more than $250,000 for breast cancer-related organizations. It’s what she does; it’s in her DNA.
Ishizuka also led the Board during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “At the outset, this pandemic was a significant challenge that seriously disrupted the rhythm of Dana Hall and its community. However, what comes to my mind when thinking of those early days is not necessarily about the uncertainty and disruption, but more importantly, the understanding, compassion and care exhibited by many in the community who clearly wanted to help the School. The pandemic brought out the best of Dana’s virtues and strengths,” she said. Under her leadership, the Board demonstrated its commitment to community, equity and inclusion (CEI) by instituting annual CEI training for all Board members and creating a Board-level CEI committee. Ishizuka is excited about all that is happening at Dana Hall now, and is eager to see the Classroom Building project and related fundraising efforts come to fruition. She is still an active volunteer and a member of the Steering Committee for the School’s capital campaign.
“The amount of time and thought that Marcia put into all aspects of leading the Board was astounding,” said Head of School Katherine Bradley. “She was always very conscientious about soliciting and including all voices. She understands the importance of policy and procedure, and she instituted consistent systems for a number of board responsibilities. I am so grateful for her leadership, partnership and friendship.”
Whether with fellow alums at Dana Hall or in fundraising for breast cancer research, Distinguished Service honoree Rachel Bebchick Naggar ’92 brings people together. R achel Bebchick Naggar ’92 is a connector — one of those people who is skilled at bringing others together.
THE CONNECTOR
Summer 2022 35 members,” she recalled. “I told her I would love to be reconnected with the School in a more tangible way. I was already coming back to the U.S. fairly often because my girls were in school there, and I realized I could probably time my trips so I could attend most, if not all, of the Board meetings.” In her 11 years serving on the Board of Trustees, Ishizuka only missed one meeting, because it occurred right after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
When Ishizuka joined the Board in 2010, she made an immediate impact as a member of the Advancement, Finance and Investment Committees. She additionally served on the Committee on Trustees and Executive, Executive Compensation and Facilities Committees and led the Head of School Search Committee before succeeding Kazanjian as Chair of the Board in 2017. As Board chair, Ishizuka oversaw the strategic plan process that culminated in the Vision 2025: Enriching and Extending The Dana Difference plan. “Throughout that process we had the opportunity to think creatively about how we can achieve our goals, and it was clear that the School needed to be more ambitious about fundraising. “We asked the question, ‘How ambitious can Dana Hall be (with our fundraising), to elevate our school in a truly meaningful way?’ This was a critical step for laying the foundation to realize what we all want for Dana Hall.”
A few years ago, Team Sheila shifted its fundraising focus and now supports breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) research at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where 100% of the proceeds go directly to Dr. Alphonse Taghian’s BCRL Program at MGH. It’s a way for Naggar and her father, Les Bebchick, to honor a place where Sheila received so much of her treatment as well as the doctor who was an instrumental member of her care team. With Dr. Taghian as her partner, Naggar hopes Team Sheila fundraising will be a part of ground-breaking research to make improvements in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.
“I want breast cancer to end with me,” Naggar said. “I don’t want my kids, my daughter, anyone to think about it. I’m the fourth generation in my family [to be diagnosed], but hopefully I’ll be the last.” Do Anything for Dana Along with her three decades of service as a Class Correspondent and her current position on the Alumnae Council, Naggar has been a tireless Dana Hall volunteer: from planning Class of 1992 Reunions and encouraging classmates to support the Dana Fund to speaking at She Sails, serving on the Alumnae Association Board and mentoring Girls Summer Leadership Program participants. When it comes to Dana Hall, she’s always up for the challenge.
“It’s easy to say yes to volunteering,” Naggar said, “and I can’t think of a better place to give back than to the place that helped build the foundation of my life. It’s been a true collaboration and partnership after graduation. I feel incredibly touched and honored and seen.”
Along with raising funds, Naggar began sharing her story to help others survive and thrive, talking with those who are newly diagnosed, their caregivers and fellow survivors. Komen has recognized Naggar and Team Sheila with the Greater NYC CoSurvivor of the Year Award, the Stronger Than You Think Award and the SUPER Squad Award.
THE CONNECTOR continued
In April, Naggar was honored with the 2022 Distinguish Service Award at Reunion Weekend. “This validates how much the School has meant to me,” Naggar said. “This award is not so much about my career, but it’s about the things that are important to me as human — and that’s giving back.”
Alumnae Council President Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22 (right) presented the Distinguished Service Award to Rachel Bebchick Naggar ’92 during the Reunion luncheon.
“She’s still the strongest woman I’ve ever met in my life,” Naggar said of her mother, Sheila Bebchick. “I can’t imagine that while she was suffering herself, her daughter was diagnosed.”
Supporting the Mission Her interest in learning from and helping others was fostered at Brandeis University when Naggar was a sociology major. As a student, she got involved with event planning and orientation, which led to a job in the Alumni Relations department post-graduation. From there, she moved onto corporate marketing and then ran the marketing department at a Boston-area speakers’ bureau.
Paying it Forward When she wanted to honor her mother’s breast cancer battle with a team named in her honor, Naggar wasn’t thinking beyond that year’s Susan G. Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure in Central Park. They gathered a group of about 10 family and friends and raised a couple thousand dollars. Then three years later, Naggar herself got the call: She’d been diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. That’s when Team Sheila really took off, expanding to nearly 50 people and raising close to $30,000 that year.
36 Summer 2022
When life led her to New Jersey, she decided to combine two of her passions in the Garden State: marketing communications and the education field. Former Dana Hall Head of School Blair Jenkins connected Naggar with Kent Place School in Summit, N.J., where she started as a parental leave replacement and was quickly hired full-time. There, she has led the girls’ school’s Communications Office for 19 years. “I’m happiest when I believe in the mission of something,” she said. “I’m creatively fulfilled and allowed to evolve here, and evolve the school.”
Pontes was honored with the Distinguished Young Alumna Award during Reunion Weekend in April for the work she’s done for local nonprofits like SWSG as well as her current role at Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC). In college, she thought she needed to go the finance route — do more of a “traditional career,” she said, “but I kept looking at jobs that were of interest to me. They were jobs that made an impact. One where I would be able to connect with multiple individuals from many Shebackgrounds.”currentlyserves
Summer 2022 37 M
FROM RECEIVING TO GIVING Distinguished Young Alumna honoree Marynee Pontes ’12 gives back in both her professional and personal life to pay it forward.
as a deputy director for ICIC, where she supports small business development in underserved communities by running programs that provide entrepreneurs with the education and resources to grow and advance their businesses. This was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pontes said, as many of these small businesses were “extremely unequipped to weather that sort of impact. We really had an opportunity to respond directly to the needs of the business owners, and provide them with timely and relevant resources to support them during that time.”
Pontes’ decision to pursue a life of service was cultivated and birthed at Dana Hall, she said. Her involvement in SHADES and Bridge helped her bring awareness of various issues that those communities faced by educating the larger Dana Hall community. And she credits Model UN as one of the places that helped hone her voice, teaching her to effectively communicate ideas on important issues and topics.
arynee Pontes ’12 remembers the surprise that registered when she approached a table at a college volunteer fair. Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG) was an organization she’d been involved with as a girl mentee.
Alumnae Council President Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22 (right) presented the Distinguished Young Alumna Award to Marynee Pontes ’12 during the Reunion luncheon.
Now here she was, attending Tufts University and in a place where she herself could be one of those college mentors she’d looked up to so many years ago. “As someone who has been able to benefit from a lot of nonprofits and resources — ones that have allowed me to be at the place I am now — I wanted to ensure I could pay it forward and provide the same opportunities to others.”
Along with her work at ICIC, Pontes volunteers for SWSG, where after serving as a college mentor, she went on to become a board member. “I believe strongly in the power of mentorship, the power of positive role models and positive reinforcements,” she said. She’s also involved with Kriola’s Professional Association, which provides community building and networking to Cape Verdean women in Boston, as their development director.
“Dana really helped build up my own inner confidence,” Pontes said. “At college, I spoke out about the things I was passionate about. I didn’t feel that sense of, ‘What’s everyone going to think of me?’ A lot of those fears were gone because I had done so much of that while at Dana. “I see the difference in myself and how much Dana has impacted so many aspects of my life compared to my peers,” she said. “I hope to encourage others to hone in on who they are and what they want to be. Follow your passion. Follow your gut to pursue those dreams. The Dana community is there to support that growth.”
“I want to be able to use my insights and my knowledge,” she said. “How can I impact others who are struggling to see their future?”
• Ability to make a significant gift when you no longer need the assets Will you invest in Dana Hall’s future with a planned gift? Contact Chief Advancement Officer Christie Baskett at christie.baskett@danahall.org or (781) 489-1371 to consider options that meet your needs.
Say Yes to the Challenge ana H all S c H ool
D
“My formative experience at Dana Hall included a world-class education and the creation of life-long friendships, which set the foundation for my future success and happiness. I am excited to now support Dana through a planned gift to help ensure that future generations of women can benefit from the unique, evergreen zeitgeist of our beloved alma mater.” — Diane Appel ’80 “Some years ago my husband and I made a planned gift to our church, so when I learned that Dana had the Helen Temple Cooke Society to recognize planned giving, I thought why not make a gift to Dana in our wills as well? We don’t know how long we will live or what our needs will be as we age, but leaving a percentage of our trust at life’s end seems like a fail-safe bequest. I feel very good about recognizing in a tangible way the ‘gift that can ne’er be bought’ and ‘our debt to you, Alma Mater, our debt to Dana Hall’.” — Suzy Hoagland Titus ’62
• Current and/or future tax advantages
• An income stream for you and/or your partner during life • Designation for a particular fund or purpose that is meaningful to you
The Helen Temple Cooke Society recognizes those who have included Dana Hall School in their estate plans. A robust community of more than 160 alumnae, parents, faculty and friends of the School, members have a shared purpose: investing in the future of Dana Hall with a planned gift.
38 Summer 2022 Your Legacy. Their Future.
Members of the Dana Hall community have already said yes to the Challenge. Here’s why, in their own words: No matter your age or financial situation, there are planned giving vehicles that align with your personal priorities. Planned gifts can satisfy both financial and philanthropic objectives:
• Clarity for those managing donor-advised funds or family foundations
• Maintenance of your annual giving in perpetuity
This year, there is an extra incentive to benefit Dana Hall with a legacy gift: the 2022 Planned Giving Challenge. For each new member of the Helen Temple Cooke Society, an anonymous alumna member of the Society will donate $1,000 to Dana Hall’s endowment and capital projects, up to $25,000.
On Thursday, March 3, Wendy Higgins Chambers ’80 led a virtual safari to Kenya. The evening began in Nairobi, then transported guests to the famous Masai Mara for their first safari experience. They then visited Amboseli National Park with Mt. Kilimanjaro in view for another amazing safari adventure.
Ellen and Erling Donnelly P26
Uka and Quiana Agbai P28
Blue and White Night Tri-Chairs Susan Fazio P14, 21, 23; Marlous Lagarde P21, 23, 25; Nur Hamzaogullari P24 with Head of School Katherine Bradley Faculty and staff members Cara Hanig, Kristin Walton, Jillian DeBusk, Fred Clayton P24, Lydia Stoye, Rachel Nagler Chief Operating Officer Charlie Breslin P20 (right) celebrates at the craps table.
VIRTUAL SAFARI IN KENYA
Alexis Altman ’11; Lisa Aronson Altman ’78, P11, 16; Madison Altman ’16; Taylor Houston ’12
On May 21, Dana Hall parents, faculty, staff and alumnae gathered in the Erisman Student Center for Blue & White Casino Night. Guests tried their luck at casino tables and other games, supported the Parents’ Association through a silent auction and raffles, and celebrated the strength of the Dana Hall community. Proceeds from this event will support Dana Hall’s Parents’ Association and the events, programs and initiatives that it provides for the School in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
Summer 2022 39 DANA HALL ON THE eventsROAD: receptions
Please check the alumnae event calendar on www.danahall.org for upcoming events and details.
40 Summer 2022 DANA HALL ON THE eventsROAD: receptions
Alums visited the Upper School Classroom Building one more time before construction started this summer. The building’s special rooms will remain intact, but new equipment will cover up some of the walls and floor. Olivia Mundell ’20, Taylor Levin ’20, Mary Kate Egan ’20, Caroline Breslin ’20 Kendall Cross Armstrong ’11 and Kristin Mastrodicasa Cross ’85, P11 Carol Craig Rohall ’78, P14, 17 and Upper School World Languages Teacher Mary Potter Madeline Wirkala ’19 and Felicia Gormley ’19 Courtney Salomone ’02 and family Carly Bilyew-Conn ’20 and Ellie Fazio ’21 Nicole Ribakoff ’20, Julia Cannistraro ’20, Carissa Dragat ’19 June Ding ’91, Rachel O’Brien ’18, Audrey Lee ’19, Caroline Cohen ’18
Harriet Groppe Prince ’06, Lisabeth Jorgensen ’98 and Caitlin Buckey ’99 and their children STAR Club members Phoebe Frechette ’22, Jackie McCormick ’22, Mary Cate Clayton ’24, Iniye Atiegha ’23, Caroline Lagarde ’23, Emma Lagarde ’25, Nina Wang ’24 Bettina Chiu ’02 and her childrenBridget Roche Mongeau ’06 and child ALUMNAE FAMILY EVENT
Local alums and their families gathered on the Erisman Student Center patio on Saturday, May 14, for a morning of live music from Jammin with You along with snacks, coffee, and arts and crafts.
CLASSROOM BUILDING EVENT
Norma (Billie) Fisher is in Gainesville, Fla. Both she and her friend are fine. Billie is no longer traveling, but manages to keep herself busy.
Correspondents are needed for the following classes: 1966 and 1976. If you are interested in being a correspondent for your class, please contact Director of Alumnae Relations Stephanie Meyer at bulletin@danahall.org or (781) 489-1365 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 Pleasecommunity.share your news with your Class Correspondent by October 15, 2022, 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 October 30, 2022. 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.
Thank you to all who contributed to our ’49 column. It is lovely to hear from so many of you. I (Ginger O’Hearn Broadbent) hope more of you will be in the next issue of the Bulletin. Now the news.
Summer 2022 41 Class Notes
Class of 1941 Eleanor (Ellie) Herz Swent recently released her book, “One Shot for Gold: Developing a Modern Mine in Northern California,” which traces the history of the McLaughlin Mine in Napa County, which was California’s most productive gold mine in the 20th century.
Class of 1948 Collette Johnson Taylor 20252 Millbrook Dr. Abingdon, VA 24211 (207) 967-2352
Mary (Maizie) May Donald said, “No news is good news.” She is still living in her house in Acton, Mass.
Class of 1943 Jacqueline (Jackie) Hope O’Leary G08 10 Longwood Dr. Westwood, MA 02090 (781) jaol950@gmail.com329-8426
Peggy graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in philosophy from Smith College and, as President of the Smith College Club of Vermont, she inspired young women, including her daughters, to attend the college. A talented writer, she served as president of the Southern Vermont Branch of the National League of Pen Women and, in conjunction with the University of Vermont, initiated Community Adult Education classes in Rutland, where she lived for much of her life with her husband, Dr. William Pratt, and their seven children. Well known for her artistry, she played the piano beautifully, and was a painter and sculptor. Peggy was a natural athlete who enjoyed swimming, skiing, sailing and golf. She shared her love of education, music, sports and public service with her children, whose lives were so blessed by her warmth, kindness, intellect, humor, optimism and generosity of spirit.
Nancy Redway Ford writes, “I have a grandson getting his Ph.D. in clarinet performance and teaching. He will be looking for a teaching job at a university with the hope that there is a symphony orchestra nearby where he can play. His brother is also a musician and graduates from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a major in oboe performance. He has been accepted into the master’s program at the New England Conservatory and will study under the first oboist in the Boston Symphony, John Furillo. One granddaughter
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 1946 Peggy Smith Pratt passed away peacefully on February 10 in Burlington, Vt. Her children, including Dana graduate Karen Pratt ’72, and Peggy’s sister, Betsy Smith ’51, were so grateful to spend wonderful times with her during her later years, and were with her during her final weeks.
Class of 1949 Virginia (Ginger) O’Hearn Broadbent P81 88 Notch Hill Rd. #157, North Branford, CT 06471 (203) virginiabroadbent@frontier.com208-1475
Class of 1937 Coast Guard veteran Jean Benson Wells turned 105 on May 30 and was the grand marshal of the Westport, Conn., Memorial Day Parade on her birthday. Jean was inducted into SPARS, the women’s division of the Coast Guard, on January 15, 1943, and served at the U.S. Naval Special Hospital in Palm Beach, Fla. She attained the rank of Yeoman 2nd Class and was discharged on September 1, 1945. Horowitz.)ofcourtesy(PhotoTed
Nancy Erickson Murphy out in Sequim, Wash., had a fall and was in rehab. Her husband Cal, who is over 100 now, shared the news. My (Jackie Hope O’Leary) granddaughter, Jackie O’Leary ’08, married Joe Greene on May 7. It was a lovely day. I’m still at Fox Hill, enjoying the music, bridge and the people. It’s a fabulous, wonderful place.
Carolyn (Perkie) Perkins VanDusen is well and lives in Pennwood, Pa., in a Life Care facility. She loves her two-bedroom apartment, which is filled with antiques and treasures. She is on the first floor with a beautiful garden, which Bruce put in when they first moved in. (Bruce passed away in 2014). Perkie’s three children are close enough to be able to visit on Sunday afternoons. Nina Heald Webber writes that she is counting the days until she leaves for West Falmouth on Cape Cod after spending the winter in Florida. She is hoping that the family will gather in July. She says she no longer plays tennis, but has taken up cornball.
Jennifer (Jenna) Hardy Speer writes, “In my last news, I told about my move from Phoenix to Terre Haute, Ind., and then to my other son’s home in Brunswick, Maine. I have been here since last July. In so doing, I escaped the nasty summers of Phoenix to the lovely springs in Indiana and finally witnessing the arrival of spring in Maine. Winter here was like being back home in Vermont. I loved it! Lots of snow that I could appreciate from inside! My room addition is finished. The deck is being built now and I have the warmth of being with family, but also privacy when needed. I am so lucky. I love being back in New England. I’m pretty healthy for an old bird and just have trouble getting around. A Rollator helps.”
42 Summer 2022 is engaged and has plans to be married sometime in 2023. She is completing her freshman year at Colby College and loves it. Her sister, who is a high school junior, is looking for her dream school. We’ll see where that will be. Life at Essex Meadows is good. We no longer have to wear masks, can have dinner in the dining room and pretty much have gotten back to normal. Keep well and many thanks for all you (Ginger) do to keep our class together.” Alison Osgood Fowler writes “I still have my condo on Marblehead Harbor. My daughter lives just across the bay, so I see her often. Son Clarke lives in Florida, which is a good place to visit in the winter months! Love to all.”
Word of Ruth Geisel-Mansergh comes from her son, Woody Mansergh, saying that his mom is doing well after spending some time in rehab. Happy to hear that good news, Woody. Carol (Dubie) Haynes Nelson, who celebrated her “eighty-eleventh” birthday, sent me a picture of the chaperones at our 1949 Senior Prom. In the picture are Mrs. J, Mrs. Crozier, Jane Anderson’s mother, Mrs. J’s husband, Jane Anderson’s father and Eleanor Ashley Medford’s father. Dubie recalls that we were instructed to stay six inches apart while dancing.
Finally, some info on our class: We have had 58 deaths and the following 13 members have no address: Chin-san Kwok Chow, Mercedes Cruz, Paulina Esquerra De Iriarte, Joan Wakelee Durante, Nancy Davis Hanley, Sandra Torngren Kotsoftis, Iris Muller, Nancy Taylor Ricco, Arline Kropp Shethar, Noelle (Chris) Warner Valentine, Dorothea Curtis Wright, Lucy Caudron Paternot, and Katherine Soong Young
Louise (Petey) Burke Wulff and husband Kurt continue to enjoy watching their friends who come to their backyard to feed. They have wild turkeys with little ones coming in July, raccoons and an occasional skunk and fox, opossums, all happily eating together. Petey says it keeps them very busy. Petey also mentioned that Robert Morse was in her grammar school class along with Janet Beck Sisler. She said he was an extremely funny man and they went to many of his shows. He starred in “How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying.” They are still on Grove Street in Needham, Mass.
1949 Senior Prom chaperones Sarah (Sally) Hartley Sneve writes, “Not much news here. Hit the big 90 in February. Still in my house and driving. Thank goodness. My seven grands and 12 great grands are in touch with me. My son arranged it so that the grands call me every day to check in on me. It’s fun for me to keep track of what they are doing. I’ve had all my shots and wear a mask at the grocery store. Hope this is over soon. Love to all classmates.”
If you know about any of these classmates, please let me know. Thank you!
Virginia (Ginnie) Starkey Thompson, who lives in Rochester, Minn., said she has moved to a retirement community in that city. She mentioned that she recently had a call from Sarah (Sally) Hartley Sneve. Class of 1952 Rasa Gustaitis writes, “I recently published a historical memoir, titled ‘Flight — Memoir of Loss and Discovery by an Aviator’s Daughter.’ The book is focused on my search for traces of my father, a pioneering figure in early aviation in Lithuania, who disappeared in a Soviet prison in 1941.” The story follows four generations of a family caught up in the tumultuous history of Eastern Europe through two World Wars; through the Singing Revolution that liberated a small, defiant country from the grip of the Soviet Union; and into the author’s current life as a Lithuanian-American. Rasa was a working journalist for more than 60 years. “Flight” is available online through Amazon. It can also be ordered or found at local bookstores.
I enjoy regular phone conversations with Deborah (Debby) Phillips who is in a facility in Maine; and Roberta (Bobbie) Brown Mosher who is in a facility in Stamford, Conn., and enjoys visits with her children. As for me, I (Ginger) gave up chairing the Evergreen Woods Scholarship Committee, but I remain on the committee. The Dana Hall news and the Annual Fund keep me busy. I exercise three times a week and there are many interesting programs offered throughout the week as well as trips off campus. We are still wearing masks in the community, but not in the dining room. I do not go into stores as my daughter-in-law does my shopping for me. Doctors’ visits and haircuts are it. I feel very fortunate to be at Evergreen Woods. I lost a very good friend of 76 years a while ago, Charlie Burlingham. In fact, he came to our senior prom and I got him a blind date with Emily (Emmy) Eckart Ogden We had a great time. My daughter, SusanMary Broadbent Redinger ’81, just celebrated her 41st Reunion. My son Michael and his wife Rhonda are living in North Carolina. Eric and his wife Susie have just moved into a new house in Northampton, Mass. My oldest, Peter, and his wife Debbie live nearby in Connecticut. He and his son just won a golf tournament at their country club. That’s it for now, stay safe and well and have a great summer!
Patty has four graduations of grandchildren in early June, both East and West Coast. By the time this Bulletin comes out, I, Anne, should have joined her again in Exeter, N.H., as I did when Francie, her first granddaughter, graduated. It’s just an hour’s drive from Portland, Maine.
Summer 2022 43
Class of 1953 Juliet (Bami) Bourne Sherwood 2440 S Wabash St., Unit 320, Denver, CO 80231 (303) coloradojule@gmail.com282-9077
Class of 1954 Phoebe Cory 188 Jones Portsmouth,Ave.NH 03801 (603) asprugh@gmail.com(207)Portland,105Annefeebcory@gmail.com778-2875PikeRughPineSt.ME04102317-0125
I’m in email touch with Mary (Mimi) Forsyth who lives in Santa Fe, N.M. — so near and yet so far from me in Denver, what with COVID-19 restricting travel and so many other of life’s pleasures. Mimi lived in Hawaii for many years and her focus is there, and on her three cats. She writes of a voyaging canoe that recently set out from Hilo for Tahiti, captained by a woman. The navigation is all celestial. Currently there are about 200 navigators in training. Mimi writes, “If I were 20 again, I’d be on that in a flash.” She bemoans the millionaires buying up her beloved islands, creating colossal animosity. Both our states — New Mexico and Colorado — are experiencing devastating forest fires year-round these last couple of years.
Toni’s husband Dick died of COVID-19 in December 2020, just a few weeks before the vaccine was available. He had Alzheimer’s and a blood condition, and just wasn’t strong enough to fight it off. Toni was also pretty sick but not hospitalized. She says that life is very different, but she’s adjusting and wakes up every day feeling fortunate. She’s dealing with some cardio-pulmonary issues and feeling “a bit crickety” but is still doing Zumba and enjoying New York City (three plays, two museums and the Botanical Garden the week she wrote). And she’s still traveling (albeit with oxygen on the plane). She spent January in Mexico, then Florida, Arizona and San Diego in April. “I’m hoping to get back to Bali, my happy place, where we spent the last 15 pre-COVID-19 winters.” Toni and I (Juliet) were both shocked and saddened at the sudden death of our dear friend Ann Loomis Jesse on April 22, 2021 — just days before she had planned to move into an independent/assisted living place here in Denver where I was at the time. Ann’s daughter Suzanne organized a lovely memorial service and reception for her, which I attended. Ann was a lifelong activist and a true warrior for social justice. She was an advocate for refugees and served on many boards, both in Denver and in New Orleans. Suzanne and her brother Jonathan kindly met with me for coffee while they were in town and we spent about two hours not only remembering Ann but discussing many subjects.
I, your Class Correspondent, Juliet (Bami) Bourne Sherwood, have been happily living in an apartment complex for active adults above the age of 55 since November 2021. I’m in a lively Denver neighborhood not far from my youngest daughter. Two of my six granddaughters live nearby — one living in my former house now owned by my son in Los Angeles. There are lots of coffee shops, an excellent bakery, restaurants, Trader Joe’s, etc., within walking distance. And walking without assistance am I, after a hip replacement in January 2021. I’m feeling great, often walking with my 15-year-old orange tabby cat in his screened stroller. There are many amenities here: a year-round outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, well-equipped gym where I ride a stationary bike almost every day, a tranquility garden and a spacious 9th floor game room with a view of the Rockies, particularly good for sunsets. Also lots of social events at this jolly place. I’m grateful for each day! The Class of ’53 is still well represented on the planet with 57 valid addresses. According to my best calculations, we’ve lost 27 to death, and have 11 with no valid address. That’s still plenty of you out there to send me some news for the Bulletin, but alas, I heard nothing from most of you. Please remember that I’m happy to withhold anything you’d rather not share. I did get permission from Diane DeMers Sugg’s nice husband, Dr. Thomas Sugg, who is sorry to let us know that Diane has advanced dementia and is currently in hospice care at the retirement community in Norfolk, Va., where they live.
“The weather is wonderful and the water divine! When are you coming?!” Vivienne Lee Tooman sent this question and the photo below just after she and Patronella (Patty) Sykes Treadwell met up on Hawaii’s Big Island in February. “It was fantastic meeting Patty again after so long (68 years)! I had no idea her husband was born and raised here in Waimea and his dad’s family has been in Hawaii for ages! We even know Patty’s relatives who were very active at Hawaii Preparatory Academy when Ron was headmaster! Small world! Patty will be back in the summer. Her daughter and my son both went to Columbia Architectural School and are architects! About the same age, too! I look forward to seeing her again!”
Toni Susman Sonet finds that the many younger friends she has developed during the last 10 years through the Wellesley book club keep her going. Toni writes, “That has certainly helped me keep my social life alive and has helped me get through the recent sadness. My daughter and her family are also here in New York City and part of my life. Lucky me!”
Vivienne Lee Tooman and Patty Sykes Treadwell
Marian (Marnie) Thomas Wood writes, “My news is basically still operating around my dance ties. I continue to teach at the Martha Graham School, Adelphi University and work with a senior citizen’s dance organization, Dances for a Variable Population, creating and performing with all those ladies of our age who still enjoy showing up on weekends at New York City parks to kick up our heels together. Lots of
Joan Ward Comer sent a note last winter saying she does indeed read our column in the Dana Bulletin and thought it was time to let the rest of us know about her two trips to New Zealand, one to China and many to London and Edinburgh. Travel is behind her now, she says, but she is still driving an hour and a half each day to work. What work? I’m trying to find out.
Gabrielle (Gay) Dreher DiVirgilio sent this short note: “Have no real news. I feel great and that’s about it.” For our ninth decade, that qualifies as very good news. I, Anne, am pretty astonished to be 86 and to enjoy life as much as I do. There were not many mentors in that category when I was growing up. Medical advances, like my great fake hip, have made some of that possible. A vibrant interview with 97-yearold pianist Ruth Slenczynska on CBS Sunday Morning, one of my favorite shows, emphasized how much old people like us have to give. Ruth has a new album out. “What do 20-year-olds know?” she said, more a declaration than a question. She declared herself “very grateful for the experience age has gifted her.” I agree.
Late in April, a bittersweet letter arrived from Nancy Williams Rose. Nancy lives in Cape Coral, Fla. “I’m dashing this off with the hope that I will meet the deadline to have this picture of Avery, my greatgranddaughter, in the Dana Bulletin. I’d love everyone to see how adorable she is. Life is not always so wonderful. I lost my son Mitch in 2020. He had a heart attack working out at the gym. He was only 58, and here I am at 85 planning my trip to Pompeii, Rome and Capri next week. Who can figure?”
“Kniznick’s with the symphony. She leads the orchestra with glee.” This was the entry for Andrea Kniznick Waldstein in the 1954 Focus Class Will. “The first time I had ever been to the Boston Symphony was with Dana. I was mesmerized with Ravel’s “Bolero” and Tchaikovsky’s “Italian Capriccio.” I bought the LP vinyls and played them over and over, all the while conducting in our room in Main (poor Daisy). However, this prophecy was in some ways prescient, as music has long been an integral part of my life. As a social worker, I was continuously searching for ways that we as humans could live together in harmony. Music has always seemed to find a way to crash through the barriers we erect for ourselves. When I retired from my clinical practice and moved to Boston’s North End, I joined the board of the North End Music and Performing Arts Center, a tiny organization in my
Joan Rice called from her home in Freehold, N.J. We talked about her challenging job of 25 years working with patients in the ICU as a psychiatric nurse and her good times skiing in Vermont. Also how much she enjoys the company of her yorkie, Teddie. She spoke fondly also of long-ago classmates from Tenacre. Had a good chat with Page Blackmore Oberlin. She celebrated her 85th birthday in the spring. Page and Bruce took a blues cruise around the Caribbean on a new huge Holland America ship — its maiden voyage. “The music was live and wonderful. The ship only took half the usual number of passengers,” she said, adding that the musicians mixed among them all. “I feel great.”
44 Summer 2022 special moments to celebrate as we continue to move along!”
Nancy Williams Rose’s CasaleAverygranddaughter,great-Rose
Mid-April, Paula Bernat Bennett gave a call from Arlington, Mass. Paula, an extensively published writer, has a complex form of aphasia, and the ability to read and to write is no longer available to her. She is tremendously thankful both for her family — two wonderful daughters — and for the help she receives from her Chilean assistant. Among other things, we talked about gratitude and how neither of us ever expected to be in our 80s.
Carol Reeves Parke writes, “I have been way too busy to think. Any number of things ganged up on me, including a totally fun 3.5 day trip to Connecticut for my baby sister’s 80th birthday party with just her family, who live not five miles or so from where we all grew up. I’m just winding down most things now.”
Mary WalbrandtMcCaffrey
“Hope you have stopped laughing!” writes Mary McCaffrey Walbrandt. “This photo was taken at a friend’s birthday, which was on 2/2/22, so what was more appropriate than a tutu party! It has been a good and fun year, so far! I am very blessed to have my son/daughter-in-law nearby and get to spend time with them. It’s getting a little harder to get the grandchildren together now that they are grown and living their separate lives. However, there have still been gatherings of great joy, with more to come. Have recently spent some time together for my granddaughter’s surprise 30th birthday and, especially with the two great-grandchildren in central Pennsylvania, look forward to a week with them in June at the shore in Ocean City, N.J. Also in June is a bridal shower and then the wedding of another grandson in July. So it’s been a busy year. In between these social events, I am back working at Doylestown Hospital, right now just with the therapy dog. Not sure if I will go back to being a Heart to Heart Visitor as almost all heart surgery is now done by the TAVR procedure (Trans Aortic Valve Replacement). It is much less invasive and is a great advancement in heart surgery, but as my surgeries were done the ‘old fashioned way,’ I have no experience with this procedure and its recovery, which is much shorter than my experience, so not sure if I would be of much help. Plus taking into account the distance to drive to Doylestown, as I keep moving farther away. After a year hiatus, I am back playing pickleball, indoors and out. As the game has become so popular, there are more and more courts springing up, and now I can play without having to drive a distance. Am finally getting the family into it, too, and they are really enjoying it. I started yoga this year. Not exactly sure what it is doing for me, but I do a great Warrior 1 position. With that and trips to the gym and walking the grand-dog, I am trying to keep moving as much as possible. Best wishes to all my ’54 classmates for a wonderful year. Really enjoy hearing about all your activities and experiences.”
Class of 1957 Judith (Judy) O’Connell Perkins P89 830 Swallow Pt. Naples, FL 34105 (781) judyoperk@aol.com329-1622
Ellie Borkum Miller with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter Ariel Carol Alpert Herscot and I (Ty) unfortunately were unable to get together this winter season while she and her husband were in West Palm Beach, Fla. They split their time between their Florida; Mashpee, Mass.; and Boston residencies. Carol has had some health issues, amongst them COVID-19, but her medical care has been excellent. The Herscots’ wonderful philanthropy focus for many years has been the Herscot Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is conducting extensive new research and providing care for those afflicted with the rare disease called Tuberous Sclerosis (TSC). Carol takes a very personal role in this endeavor, having a son born with this disease. Her pursuits have added great meaning, positiveness and joy to her life.
Mary Covington writes, “The last six months have been easier living in southwest New Hampshire, thanks to a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. Of course, there are always outdoor sports in fall and winter, including hikes and snowshoeing, which I have done with a group from Hancock, N.H., where I lived until moving to a very good retirement community in Peterborough, N.H., in 2020. There is an excellent new theater in nearby Jaffrey with top movies and concerts, including a recent ‘big city’ jazz quartet. A long telecon with Elise (Woody) Irving Tucker in the fall was followed by a visit to New York City in December, which included an outing with Ann Tarlov Barbul to attend a Julliard concert and then lunch in Central Park. And in April, I returned from a visit to Albuquerque to see my sister, soak up some sunshine and culture, and work on centuries of family history. What a challenge!”
The acclamation in the Winter 2022 Bulletin that Merle Cosgrove had to be the oldest first-time grandmother in our class with the birth of Clio is no longer true. How nice to hear from Elinore (Ellie) Borkum Miller that grandchild Ariel Maria Miller-Phillips was born Dec. 3, 2021, in San Francisco. The banner is passed with congratulations.
marrying her husband of 58 years, Jim Crawford. They lived in New York City, raised their family in Summit, N.J., and spent many terrific years in New Vernon, N.J. Betsy spent every summer of her life in her beloved Little Compton, R.I. She worked for F. Schumacher & Co. in New York City before devoting her energies to raising her kids. Upon moving to New Vernon, Betsy enjoyed working at The Eagle’s Nest for decades. An avid gardener, she treasured her Summit Garden Club and John’s Island Garden Group. Her great eye and boundless energy fueled her many home design and artistic projects and wonderful gardens. Class of 1956 Carol Creighton Hadley 2736 N. W. 77th Blvd., #264, Gainesville, FL 32606 (352) cjhadley@aol.com377-4721
Pretty slim pickings this time around and maybe it is because “COVID-19 Coma” descended upon many of us this past winter. Whenever the spirit moves you, please send news and pictures to me (Ty Wyatt Forbush) or to bulletin@danahall. org indicating it is to be a part of our 1958 Class Notes. Tamsen Evans George has to win our 2022 Winter Distinction Award for the successful publication in January 2022 of her book entitled “Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis.” Of course, it’s available on Amazon and has met rave reviews. In celebration of its completion and perhaps for a rest before Tamsen actively promotes her book with speaking engagements and book signing events, she and a friend took a fabulous March cruise to Tahiti and some remote French Polynesian Islands. Stay tuned for more news of her experiences in the next issue of the Bulletin
Class of 1955 Susan (Sue) Bartow Christie PO Box 945 East Orleans, MA 02643 (508) schristie91@comcast.net255-0712
Summer 2022 45 neighborhood founded 20 years ago by five North End mothers who were determined to give this gift to their children. Joining this board has been my bridge to this vibrant historical neighborhood, sometimes known as Little Italy, but is now becoming increasingly diverse along with the challenges that diversity entails. Our musical programs increasingly represent the multiplicity of cultures we serve, as does our faculty and staff. So here I am continuing to pursue my quest for harmony in this world, which seems so troubled these days. On a lighter note, there will be a 20th anniversary roaring twenties celebration this May at which I will be one of the honorees. We are supposed to dress in the style of the 1920s and I actually found the perfect dress that has been in the back of my closet for at least 30 years. I will add one of those headbands like in Downton Abbey and hope that will do the trick. Two of my children, a few dear friends and my Arthur will attend. I love reading about the get-togethers among our class. It feels like that’s where it is at in this eighties decade, which comes with increasing loss. Thanks to all who write.” Did the Class Will ring true for anyone else? Tell us about it!
Class of 1958 Mary (Ty) Wyatt Forbush 1211 S.W. Shoreline Dr. #2206 Palm City, FL 34990 (561) mwforbush@yahoo.com747-4332
CrawfordBlackinton(Betsy)Elizabeth passed away on February 28 in beforeCollegeandDanaattendedBetsyBeach,VeroFla.HallBennett
Kathy Knudson Wattles with her horse Kathy with her bird Kathleen (Kathy) Knudson Wattles writes, “I lost my wonderful husband Gurdon a year and a half ago and the adjustment, as so many of you have found, is lengthy. My two daughters, Kim and Kris, and their collection of four boys have kept me busy and thankful. I am so lucky to be living in Little Compton, R.I., where we have been for 24 years. Remember I am horse crazy, so it’s no shock to find me here on my horse farm where I am learning something new every day. My study of horse behavior and natural horsemanship has made my life so full. I ride most every day or play at liberty with my four horses. I
Pamela Perez Sexton writes, “Remember Clematis? Marta? Sherry Hunter Smith ’59 and I still correspond. I keep up with Judy Carter Cormier and Jane Orr Pierotti and Karen Wagner Sanchez who went to Finch with me! I have an international group travel business, which now is down the tubes because COVID-19 came to town and stayed! Had a group in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in January. Huge success as the group was comprised of world travelers. Hope to take a group to Naples and the Amalfi Coast in June. Husband Chuck still a pisser. Three children and six grands who are grand. Oldest grands two years out of college with one working for a hedge fund of only women. She is working virtually in Charlottesville, N.C.; firm in New York City. Other granddaughter getting her master’s in art history at University of Strasbourg in France.”
Carolynn (Lynn) Blanchard Ashby writes, “I recently reconnected with Cathy Parker Patel. She was in our class and went to Centenary where I went. So nice to hear from her. I am still dealing with a broken tibia and Benton is still in a wheelchair, so it’s not much fun around here. We sit in our chairs. I read or knit, he watches Fox and naps all day. Hopefully I will be off the walker in a few weeks. The weather in Atlanta is getting really nice, so we can move our broken bodies from our family room to our screened-in porch.”
46 Summer 2022 I (Ty) want to comment and praise the amazing current undertaking and creativity to transform the Classroom Building we knew to meet the educational needs of today. Do you remember hand-carrying library books by foot down Grove Street from Dana Main to the then “new” Classroom Building? The interior will now be entirely reconstructed to meet the needs for effective teaching, learning and sharing. The new glass-clad atria on the south and north ends will be distinctive and add a sense of great light and space. Needless to say, your financial support to this project will be very appreciated. What a treat it will be to return to Dana Hall and admire all the physical improvements while renewing our 1958 class friendships next year at our 65th Reunion! Information about that will be forthcoming for sure. All the best and keep your news coming. Class of 1959 Jill Spiller 45 Sutton Place South, Apartment 1B New York, NY 10022 (212) jillspille1@aol.com421-0932
Ana Esteves writes, “So glad you took up the task of Class Correspondent! After Dana, I came back to Puerto Rico and studied college here. Married a very handsome Spaniard in 1964 and lived for several years in Puerto Rico, and then moved to Spain. I have a son Juan and a daughter Ana (Fia) Camara ’83. I think this is the only instance in our class of a graduating daughter. I worked in Spain as a court interpreter and translator for many years, and had visits from Page Edgerton and Pamela Perez Sexton several times. We had a grand time. I have two granddaughters: Isabella, who graduated from Ohio University, and Ines, who is a senior at Boston College. Juan and I have both retired, and this pandemic has brought us back to Puerto Rico as both our children and granddaughters live there. I joined a Dana Zoom class Reunion a while back, but sadly there were only four of us. If anyone is coming down to Puerto Rico, please let me know. Will be glad to get together and remember happy times.”
responded.1960heartwarminghearisamfeednourishingoutreachchurch,cases.psychotherapistsinexperienceddealwithproblematicInaddition,inconjunctionwithourIhavedevelopedandorganizedanprogramthatprovides200+lunchbagseveryweektohelpourBayAreahomelesspopulation.Ialwaysawareofhowmuchneedthereoutthere.Well,enoughaboutme;letmefromyou!Ithasbeensolovelyandtohearfrommanyofourclassmates.Thankstoallwho
Hi fellow 1960 Dana classmates, this is Sallie Off Sadler taking over the Class Correspondent role from Penelope (Penny) Pearse Houghton Buzby who is not able to continue in this capacity. I know we all wish her well. When I get the Dana Bulletin, I am always amazed when I read the notes submitted from the classes we knew, how I am always able to put names with faces (which is certainly not a current phenomenon!) and many great memories come alive. I’ll share a bit about me. We live in Oakland, Calif., way up in the coastal mountains for seven months of the year and in our lovely self-designed vacation home on a lake on the coast of Maine for the other five months. I married Bill Sadler, a professor, many years ago and we have a blended family of four children. I think I still have remnants of PTSD from having raised four teenagers fairly close in age under one roof and at the same time getting my Ph.D. in clinical psychology! We all survived and I went on to specialize in emergency psychiatry and spent most of my professional career in the ER helping those in need of dire psychiatric intervention. I am now retired, and, thankfully, both Bill and I are staying out of the ER. Our children are scattered globally and have diverse professions: a high school teacher in Tacoma, Wash.; a Pilates instructor to the Hollywood stars in Santa Monica, Calif.; a contractor with a booming business in Columbia, S.C; and the provost and professor of liver oncology research at NYU/Abu Dabai, UAE. We have three grandchildren who live in Abu Dhabi whom we see once a year and are actively involved with all our children throughout the year. Currently, I still have an active consulting business, helping usually more
Class of 1960 Sallie Off sallies1941@att.netSadler
Summer 2022 47 have special students who come each week and are thriving with the time they spend with horses. I also have been a part of Star Kids Scholarship Program in Newport and Fall River. This is a program focused on education for students from families with incarceration and/or substance abuse. The goal is to enroll them in schools that will help them thrive and graduate from high school. I am also enjoying becoming a gardener with my Little Compton Garden Club, a member of the GCA. As a past president, I have traveled around the country to meetings and met so many wonderful people.
Lynda Rothenberg Rilander writes, “I am still married to my wonderful husband since 1973. We have traveled a lot over the world for the past 48 years. COVID-19, of course, has stopped us from traveling. We still maintain our home in Great Neck, N.Y., and have a condo in Pompano Beach, Fla., where we have three golf courses to play on with several of our friends. We spend the winters in Florida, but do not want to live in Florida year-round. We stayed here during COVID-19 for one and a half years, which cured us from living here during the hot summer months. I taught law and computers at Great Neck North High School for 39 years. At the same time, I practiced my interior design business. I received an interior design degree from Parsons Institute while teaching after I received a master’s degree in Education after graduating college. I am busy with my interior design business in New York and in south Florida. We play a lot of golf in our spare time and belong to a golf group here in Pompano Beach. When the world calms down (if ever), we might start traveling again. I wish everyone well and hope to receive only good news from the Class of 1960.”
Natalie Gribbel Thomas writes, “We are in the process of changing our lives to retirement and creating trust funds for all of our children and grandchildren, which number 13. We even have a great grandchild. Where does time go? Between downsizing three years ago, moving and getting rid of one of three houses, getting a new lawyer, and a new financial manager, our emails are flying. Such is life on the elder side! So far, I have beaten colon cancer and Wayne is dealing with two replaced knees. Otherwise, we are having fun and have each other! With the onset of the digital age, even Christmas cards are becoming fewer and fewer, but we are getting paperless posts much more often. Glad I had the education I got at Dana because I couldn’t handle it today! It is a very different world out there!”
Paula Cole Miller writes, “I have been living in Santa Fe, N.M., for 12 years now. After serving as a CASA (court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected kids) for five years, I began serving on the Curriculum Committee for Renesan, our institute for lifelong learning. In the fall, I will be presenting a lecture/discussion course on the evolution and changes in psychoanalysis entitled ‘What Ever Happened to Psyche?’ I have also been doing ESL teaching in Guatemala for the Quaker Progresa organization. My husband Chris passed on in January and I’m now learning to live alone after 45 years of marriage. We traveled extensively together to Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Amsterdam, France and southern Spain. This year I will be going alone to northern Spain and Portugal with our traveling buddies who are trying to help me fill the loss in my life. I also try to make it back to Cape Cod each year with a stop off to spend a couple of days with Susan (Susie) Hendy Jenkins. Before the pandemic, I used to see Bari Gulbransen Lovewave often when I went to the city. I have three grown sons and one stepson, who live spread out across the U.S. from Maryland and Minnesota to Montana and California. Luckily, they all enjoy Santa Fe and come visit often. Son Tom is a filmmaker doing environmental films in Finland, David is a professor of biology at St. John’s College in Minnesota, Mark is in retail sales, and Chris is a builder in Bozeman, Mont. Quite a diverse bunch. Each one of them a wonderful man with different talents.”
Bari Gulbransen Lovewave writes, “I met George at the University of Arizona the first day of school. We were married for 16 years with three darling daughters and were living in Houston when he passed suddenly. George was only 42 and I was 38, and I found myself a widow with three daughters under 11. Soon after that, I met another wonderful man, Terran Lovewave. We did a ‘Brady bunch’ and combined my three daughters and Terran’s son to begin a new life together in Santa Fe, N.M., and that was about 40 years ago. Terran is a brilliant counselor, for the past 50 years, and uses the tool of astrology helping many people. He has also written an amazing book called, ‘Stop the Clock: The Tao of Time and Timelessness,’ which is available on Amazon. Terran, our youngest daughter Lindsay, and I had a radio program called Camp Lovewave for 15 years on our local public radio station. We live on five acres of pinion and pine with views of the sunset and feel very blessed to live in such a beautiful place. I was a massage therapist for 10 years, then found pottery and now I’m retired. Our two granddaughters live in Taos, N.M., so we have been fortunate to have been close enough to see them grow up. Margot is graduating from Case Western University in Cleveland with an engineering degree and will probably get her master’s in nuclear engineering from University of New Mexico. She has been working summers at Los Alamos Labs and will probably end up working there. Her sister Grace is graduating from Taos High School at the end of May and got the flying genes from the family. My brother
Karen Wagner Sanchez writes, “Really have not kept up with much of Dana, but it was a good growing up experience and put me on a math path for a while. Got into the visual side of myself with real estate, jewelry design, art, interior design; will see what the old age brings on. Widowed now, COVID-19, all changes us. Luckily, still live in Houston, Texas, Naples, Fla., and some months in Santa Fe, N.M., so quite busy with all that. Two fairly young grandkids, which is fun. So I’m going pretty strong still. Anyone around these areas should call and catch up.”
Canda Manwaring Tinkelenberg writes, “I have lived in Maine for about 30 years. I live in a small town, Durham, near Freeport (if you like to shop) or near Portland (if you like cities). I have seen the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park — an amazing experience. I have seen the view from the height of land in Rangely, about 3,000 ft. Maine is a beautiful state. I would still like to see Baxter State Park and Mt. Kahtadin. Needless to say I have seen quite bit of ocean since we have a very long coastline. There is still a lot of Maine that I have not seen.”
Marty Horton Gecek writes, “I am still happily living in Salzburg, Austria; have two daughters, Heidi and Sandy; and have three grandsons (14, 12 and 8) — all dual Austrian-American citizens. I retired from the Salzburg Global Seminar not long ago (after working there 54 years!) but continue to be involved as chair of our American Studies Advisory Committee. We are raising funds to celebrate our 75th anniversary; the first session took place at Schloss Leopoldskron (Sound of Music castle!) in Salzburg in 1947. Life is wonderful in Salzburg, though the war in Ukraine is incredibly worrying.”
people go far away on a weekend! At least Dorinda (Dindy) Evans does and writes, “The last weekend in March, on short notice, I flew to Tahiti and back. What happened is that my sister Tamsen Evans George ’58 was visiting Tahiti, at the end of a special cruise to islands where outsiders are not allowed, when she caught COVID-19. Despite her shots and booster, she was fairly badly off, and someone had to help her. Fortunately everything turned out all right, and it was fascinating to get a three-day glimpse of the island. Perhaps some classmates have seen it. It’s beautiful with high, once-volcanic mountains in the middle, so the sand is grayish (a mixture of tan and black grains). This was my first encounter with the problem of Americans overseas with COVID-19 trying to get back into the U.S. Not having ventured out, I hadn’t realized what a hassle it is just to travel overseas in the era of COVID-19.”
48 Summer 2022
Bari Gulbransen Lovewave’s three daughters celebrating her oldest daughter’s birthday in April Ann Tomson Alexander writes, “The whole family was home for the Fourth of July when my husband Tom was hospitalized with heart trouble. Though compromised, he was back at work until a bad fall at the end of October. Death came weeks later on November 17, 2021; 22 years of Parkinson’s had finally caught up with him. As much as I miss the quiet, generous, brilliant love of my life, I’m grateful for our 56 years together, our three sons, their wives and five wonderful grandchildren.”
Wendy McCobb writes, “I’m sitting here in 95+ degree weather wondering if southern California is going to end up abandoned like Chaco Canyon, but, before it does, I’ll take this chance to update you on my fall/spring. My days are structured around getting Liam (my grandson) to his track workouts daily. He is now 14th in the nation for the 400-meter event. I’ll be driving for two hours to see him run tomorrow evening and his event will last for approximately 48 seconds, give or take. Liam talks with the coach he will be having at Boston University next year when he leaves the warm California climate for his first winter in Boston. Let’s see how that works out, haha! I can hardly contemplate what next year will be like when he is a continent away!” Bet Wendy will be forced to take a trip or two back east to see how Liam is faring. She writes, “I’m also attaching a photo of Patty Vance, her husband and me taken last November when we met up on the California Central Coast. We had a beautiful few days of walking the bluffs, enjoying great wine from Kukula Winery and reminiscing about past adventures we have had.”
Wendy McCobb’s grandson Liam Wendy McCobb, Patty Vance and Patty’s husband Barbara Vaughan Koun sounds pretty frustrated because their usual flurry of travels is still being cut short because of the pandemic and the Ukrainian war. She says she’s doing nothing noteworthy. They have a couple of trips planned in late June/July, but they’re not worth talking about. She says Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not viable travel destinations this summer, so they’ve had to skip them. Barbara and her husband must be the most traveled people in our class. The bucket list must be getting shorter and shorter. We can always count on Susan (Sue) Steele Isbell to provide us with her latest activities. Thanks! She writes, “Our day-to-day lives have gotten progressively more busy, which we like. Happy to be back to a full season of the symphony and Performing Arts Broadway Series while in-person meetings have resumed. In March, we spent six days at Clearwater
How lucky her sister was to have Dindy come and rescue her, and how lucky Dindy was to see some of Tahiti even though it wasn’t exactly under the best of circumstances. She is also keeping herself busy otherwise. She’s just finished her newest book, “William Rimmer: Champion of Imagination in American Art,” and has found a publisher in England who will publish it in hard and soft cover plus online. She writes that it’s difficult to find a publisher interested in a monograph on an artist who is not well-known but should be.
Ann Tomson Alexander and family Cathy Parker Patel writes, “Several years ago, after 44 years of marriage, my husband died and life totally changed. It certainly has been the most difficult part of my life. Fortunately, I have two children who live nearby: a son who is a physics high school teacher (married with four kids) and a daughter, an audiologist, who is in Chicago and lives here part-time. It works out perfectly. In Chicago, there is an adoption and no kill rescue facility. We’ve been adopting senior dogs over these past several years. There are so many dogs that need care and homes because their people have died. Many have been abused and their stories are tragic. To watch slowly the change in their behavior and the angst/fear gone from their eyes is such a wonderful feeling. Yes, for sure it is a simple life, but so incredibly joyous.” Class of 1961 Susan (Gibbsie) gibbsie65@hotmail.comGibbs
Sorry for the unusually low number of contributors this time. People don’t seem to think much is going on, but I know that’s not true. Haven’t heard from so Somemany.
graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1960, and both my father and brother flew for Pan American Airways — sometimes together as captain and co-pilot. Grace will be headed to St. Louis University in the fall and will be one of 35 aviation program students.”
Pamela (Pam) Price at last account is doing so much better. She had an undiagnosed illness that had her in hospital and rehab for months over the winter. She was finally diagnosed with Lupus and is home and is even driving again and feeling much better. So happy about this.
It seems to me there are a lot of very accomplished athletes in the grandchildren of this class. Wonderful!
Class of 1962
Marlene Mustard Graf and Sue Gibbs at Keukenhof Gardens in The Netherlands
Katharine (Kathy) Walker Denis wrote me saying that anyone trying to reach her/visit her should use her cell: 00 (33) 6 78 90 86 87. She also said, “I have two cataract operations coming up. I am absolutely sure that afterwards I will be seeing la vie en rose!”
Kathy Walker Denis’s granddaughter Alice Kathy’s grandchildren Sybile and James
MustardMarlene Graf and a friend ready to sing their ’60s songs in their chorus concert And now to a know,manynote…lighterAsofyou MustardMarlene
Juliebevhprevost@gmail.comP92BraucherPiercelost her brother John in the spring to COVID-19. He had Down syndrome and lived to be just short of 70. Our condolences to Julie.
Graf and I (Sue Gibbs) went on a river boat trip in The Netherlands and Belgium from April 16-23. Thanks to all who wished us a good trip. It was just that. Almost the best was perfect weather for the whole week. It can be pretty dismal in The Netherlands at this time of year so we really lucked out. We went under the auspices of the Dartmouth Alumni Association (Marlene’s alumnus nephew instigated it) and were part of a group of 76 from eight different alumni associations from all over the country, plus professors from Dartmouth and Northwestern who held lectures for us on Dutch waterways. Lots of nice and interesting people. I was the only lucky one who wasn’t battling jet lag, having arrived from Oslo. We sailed from Amsterdam to Antwerp, making daily stops at different places and had side excursions each day, a lecture every afternoon. It was truly balsam for the soul, especially in these negative times. The boat was a lovely floating hotel, the food and drink were wonderful and plentiful.
Summer 2022 49 Beach with parts of two of our families, which included Lynn’s three youngest: 13, 15 and 17. A friend loaned us their condo with wonderful amenities such as three geothermal heated pools, fitness center, tennis, pickle ball, putting green and of course the beautiful beach. Next trip in May to the Grove City College graduation of Lynn’s oldest, a boy, who will be married to a classmate Sept. 3 in Santa Fe, N.M. We’ll drive down from Telluride, Colo., where we will have spent seven weeks.” It certainly sounds as if things are pretty much back to normal in Tampa. Bettina (Nicki) Batterson Hall is probably planning a new adventure, but at this point can only say it’s pretty quiet with them right now. That’s totally acceptable, too. Lydia (Penny) Pyne Mott is absolutely right when she says she thinks everyone is just exhausted by this revolving pandemic. I second that as I’m sure we all do. She then tells us, “I know I am. I can’t count how many times I have had to return to my car to get my mask. I know most places don’t require one, but I chose to wear one in the grocery store or anywhere there may be more than 8-10 people. Call me a coward and I admit to that, but despite all the nasty comments and dirty looks I get, I plan to continue masking for the foreseeable future. This year has had a terrible beginning. My brother Riv, the oldest of my three brothers, died in a Memory Nursing Center in January. He was a self-taught sculptor. He is represented in galleries in several states across the country. My eldest granddaughter Allie is a freshman in the nursing program at University of Delaware and loves it. Ella, my other granddaughter, is also interested in nursing and has been busy visiting colleges including URI, UConn, UNH and UVM. She remains active in gymnastics and would like to find a university that also offers that. Richie is a typical 14-year-old boy, into video games and sports. He’s in 8th grade but plays on the JV lacrosse team at the local high school. I survived the winter, which was really more ice than anything else. The one blizzard we had was 12’ of soft and powdery snow. Other snow events were also wimpy by comparison to past years. The Weather Channel claims we are in for less snow in future years and more rain, which translated out to more ice. Just what I want to hear in my advancing years. Climate change is terrifying.”
Traveling with Marlene (friends for 73 years!) was the best and I thank her for asking me to join the group. Dartmouth happily took our money even though neither of us is a graduate. I feel as though I’ve been away for at least a month, but it was only a week. Oh yes… How could I forget the happy ending? Both Marlene and I, plus three other fellow passengers that we know of, came down with mild cases of COVID-19 at the end. Joy! From the boat, Marlene went to visit her step-daughter in Switzerland for a week before returning to Arizona. She was relegated to the rec room in the cellar the first days. After that, she had a good visit with the family, including a couple of days in Wengen where her husband was from. While we were in Holland, I met up with the son, daughter and grandchildren of my late cousin who lived there for more than 50 years. I chose that over a couple of side excursions. Much more important. I hadn’t seen them for many years so it was about time.
Bev Holmes Prevost
50 Summer 2022
Carlotta Gordon Gladding is still living in southern Vermont, but does some dog and house sitting for friends in Marion, Mass., where she used to live; Rhode Island, where her brother lives; and even for a friend in Florida. She adds that, “My son got engaged on Valentine’s Day and will step into a ready-made family. I planned to head to the UK to visit my daughter and her Italian hubby, and his family in Italy, and friends in France, for the month of June. Figure while I’m in Europe, I might as well make a big trip out of it, for who knows what the future will hold! Can’t wait.”
Class of 1966 Correspondent needed Class of 1967 Lucy Haward lhsur@aol.comSur First, to all the Class of ’67 who didn’t come to our 55th Reunion, you missed a wonderful time! Several of us got together: Shirley Holbrook Wick, Lynda Corcoran Surdam, Susan Cook Bennett, Gael O’Brien, Elliott (Lee) Hall Overall, and me (Lucy Haward Sur)! Margaret (Peggy) St. Clair and Pamela (Pam) Waterman Ryder were in attendance Thursday night, but couldn’t attend the rest.
Lucy Haward Sur, Lynda Corcoran Surdam, Susan Cook Bennett, Shirley Holbrook Wick, Gael O’Brien
The reason I (Bev Holmes Prevost) could not go to Reunion is that Ned and I finally celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, 2 1/2 years late, on the Viking River Cruise we planned in 2020 that COVID-19 messed up. We flew to Paris for a couple of pre-cruise days and then were bused from there to our embarkation point in Trier, Germany, where we set off along the Mosel/Moselle River and then onto the Rhine down to Basel, Switzerland, where we flew home from Zurich. We stopped at many cities along the route. We are still processing and have barely yet looked at our photos, but it was wonderful!”
Christopherbopotowsky@gmail.comOpotowsky(Chris)Norwood
Class of 1964 Susan Belmer Kollet-Harris P90 skharris@rcn.com
Condolences to Burgess Ahrens Dole who lost her husband three years ago to Alzheimer’s and cancer. She is returning now to portrait painting, has taken up platform/paddle tennis more seriously and team training at the gym, which she says is great fun for those who want to go their own speed. She is also volunteering for a museum in New London, Conn., and for a non-profit venue to benefit animals who have been abused: Pandemonium Rainforest Project. She has not been to her childhood summer place in the northern Catskills for some time, but hopes to rectify that this summer. Her parents built a wonderful arboretum up there near their home. Check out the now-mature 178-acre Mountain Top Arboretum at www. mtarboretum.org. Burgess lives in Essex, Conn., invites anyone to stop by and sends her best to all.
Kathy’s granddaughter Mathilde and her fiancé Théodore Elisabeth (Betsy) Gagliardi Tobin writes, “The only news I have is moving from New Hampshire to McLean Independent Living in Simsbury, Conn., on July 11. Would love to have a gathering of Connecticut ’62ers at some point. Planned to see Carol Cookman Ruffo while we are both still in Florida.”
Faithful Kendra Gunn Nedjar, the only member of our class to attend Reunion, apologized for not singing our class song, as she doesn’t sing and was the only one. Thank you, Kendra, for making the effort to represent us! Kendra writes, “Still dealing with COVID-19 masking and distancing; getting haircuts in a friend’s back yard; shopping online, going to my daughter’s now that they are all vaccinated and the adults boosted. One of the Christmas gifts I gave her was to go over once a week to fold laundry for them. So on Wednesdays, after I finish my genealogy volunteering at a local library, we pick up our grandson from school and race him home to change for dance class, then drive him to dance class and then go fold laundry at his house — usually five or six loads. Fun going to Zoom lectures, seminars and conferences. I find I love the conferences because you can pause the talk while you write down something while you remember it and not miss the next few minutes of the lecture, as well as rewinding it to listen again if you didn’t catch it the first time. And the great part is I don’t have to travel to listen to lectures in Scotland, England or places in the U.S. too far to drive just for a two-hour talk. I do miss going to lunch once a week with friends, but love the low mileage discount my insurance company gives me because of the fact that instead of 12,000 to 15,000 miles I only drove 3,000 miles. Not an exciting life, but fine with us.”
Class of 1965 Susan West Margerywarren.ayres@verizon.netAyres(Margie)FisherAnderson
was named an unsung hero by The Village Voice for the work she’s done for decades, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to serve some of New York City’s most vulnerable. She founded Health People in 1990 to first serve women with AIDS, and has since pivoted to target other health challenges, like asthma and diabetes. Of receiving the honor, Chris says she is “carrying forward from when I headed the Service Society at Dana Hall.”
Class of 1963 Barbara Berger
traveled this winter with her older son and his two daughters to visit her other son and his family in Denver. The four cousins (ages 10 months to five years) had a special time together. She closed her yoga studio but continues to teach online. She and her students have all found this to have several advantages, especially in the winter!
JazzgranddaughterJaglaFallonwith
Katharine (Kathy) Benton Harris attended a professional meeting in San Antonio, Texas, this spring, then visited her sister and old friends who live there. Kathy plans to attend her 50th reunion from nursing school in August, and says we should try for another ’68 mini-reunion on Cape Cod this summer, with Marilyn Benson Wiinikainen, Wendie (Beans) Franks Howland, Pots, June Lovelace Davis, Deborah Emerson Pinkham, etc., meeting up at Kathy’s. ’Twould be great to see everyone again.
Pots’s grandson on PJ day in 3K As ever, this Bulletin deadline snuck up on me, so I relied on Facebook contacts for news to report. Pamela Fallon Jagla writes, “I am blessed with two new grandchildren, a boy and a girl, who live really close. Lots of babysitting! During this dreadful pandemic, we were in Costa Rica for six months, and then stuck in Portland, Ore., enduring the riots, protests and devastating effects on the economy. We bought a home in Mashpee, Mass., and planned to be there on Cape Cod for a month over the summer; my mother will live there year-round. I invite anyone to Oregon as we have a beach place that is magical, and of course our cottage beachside in Costa Rica. The ocean temperature there is always 88 degrees.” Sounds delicious, Pam!
Susan Cook Bennett spends much of her time in Scarborough, Maine, and also in New York City where she still works as a photographer for theater and the arts. It was great catching up! Wonderful seeing Shirley Holbrook Wick after 55 years! She and her husband are in Mystic, Conn., where it sounds like they have been avid sailboat racers (America’s Cup crew in the past!). They are justifiably proud of their two sons who have Bronze Stars from U.S. Army service! Elliott (Lee) Hall Overall is still “styling” when the opportunity comes up, mostly for L.L.Bean, which takes her back to Maine where she can see old friends as well! Linda McIntosh still staying involved with marine science, and enjoying Florida much of the winter, too!
Dear friends and besties, Am I (Laura Potsubay Pucher) getting too old for this Class Correspondent job? You would tell me, right? Senior moments, Wordle addiction and the general malaise of COVID-19 confinement have combined to addle my brain. Like so many of us these past 2+ years, I’ve been home bingeing Netflix, trying to exercise virtually and discovering Zoom lectures a-plenty. Pre-pandemic, I schlepped to a weekly art class at Riverdale Senior Services. Soon after COVID-19 shuttered the senior center, the art class went on Zoom, with time to spotlight (and compliment) everyone’s work. By far, the best class I’ve had in years. Family remains close by, so I see my 4-year-old grandson, his parents, my ex, and Kitt (in her Bronx adult group home) weekly. With New York City reopened, the museums and theater are but an express bus ride away. Life is good, and with splashes of watercolor.
Summer 2022 51
Katie Trotsky writes that by age 19, she’d begun a long career in progressive work, attempting to make our country and world better. Since retirement from law, Katie has continued to volunteer with a nonprofit — interviewing children who crossed the southern border (by themselves!) seeking asylum. Not always serious, she has teal green hair, enjoys a raucous group of friends, and swims regularly to maintain her health. Katie and husband are devoted to their grandchildren, ages 2 to 23, and they took a month-long trip to Italy in April. Her scenic and gastronomic photos on Facebook were delectable. For next time, do tell who attended her 50th college reunion, either in person or virtually. Tell us about travel and leisure time. Have you been volunteering? And, of course, report the milestones and send photos of children and grandchildren. Pictures let us share your joy. Best wishes for good health.
Susan Cook Bennett and Lucy continuing the fun on Saturday night after the Reunion luncheon Lynda Corcoran Surdam has spent 45 years living in Manchester by the Sea, Mass., nearby her son Bo and wife Kate. Their children, Beau and Rosie, live nearby in Essex, Mass., and son Johnny and Meghan live in San Francisco with a new baby, her granddaughter Sadie! Lynda and Peter recently bought a condo in Vero Beach, Fla., very near Linda McIntosh and Linda Beardsley Lyon ’68!
Gael O’Brien is always busy with her coaching and working with various companies. Wonderful seeing her! Elizabeth (Betsy) Higgins Little was off to Portugal for a trip, so she could not make it to Reunion. She has a daughter in Winchester and will be back east from Tiburon in July to vacation in Chatham. I (Lucy) am busy panting after not doing much during earlier COVID-19. I have some paintings in the Sherborn Gallery and Gifts in the next couple of months. Spending time with husband, grandson Harry, and looking forward to a visit from son Tony! Maria Isabel (Tica) Payan Thomson writes, “We are living in Cape Town, South Africa. No more Colombia, nor Saudi Arabia, nor Cyprus.” Class of 1968 Laura (Pots) Potsubay laurap.riverdale@gmail.comPucher
Pam
Quinn vquinn1@gmail.com
Anne and Vicki Class of 1970 Ann Elisabeth (Betsy) eecker@gmail.comEmilybetsybass52@gmail.comBassEcker
Ann Elisabeth (Betsy) Bass writes, “My daughter Kathryn Bass Haenn and Harrison Flynn had beautiful weather for a pre-wedding family gathering in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, on Aug. 1, 2021. They had a small wedding at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Conn., on Nov. 6, 2021 — also in beautiful weather. COVID-19 had postponed their original date. All went very well!”
52 Summer 2022 Class of 1969 Anne Maxwell Victoriaafmdewez@gmail.comDewez(Vicki)Willson
Andrea Higgins Bierce writes, “It’s amazing the Class of ’70 is turning 70! How did that happen?! You very kindly asked if many of us are still working and yes, I am. I have had a great career thanks to so many people — like my husband Sandy who said when I was asked to join a public company board in Hyderabad, India, to go for it! Sandy, my children and my mother, Mary Butler Higgins ’45, have always been incredibly supportive! Dana, particularly Jean Chase, Mrs. Gregg and Dr. Weinert prepared me well. I will always be grateful! I am an independent director on the board of UBS Bank USA, where I sit on the Risk and Audit Committees. That work continues and it is very rewarding. In February, I was asked to
Polly Alexander with her partner Mark and son Tyler AlexanderPolly writes, “I am withpart-timeworkedoruntilretired.officiallyUpayearsoago,Ithe medical school here (Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland) in a position called ‘standardized patient’ where I helped train med students in communication and physical exam skills. That job was tons of fun — we act as patients with varying problems and the students have to practice their historytaking skills or do a physical exam if appropriate. We evaluated each student and the most fun was debriefing and giving them feedback. They were mostly so grateful to get this experience where they felt safe to practice, and I so enjoyed their enthusiasm and desire to make a difference. I miss the work, but COVID-19 interrupted our work and as things started back up, it was mostly virtual with limited feedback and I just decided it was time to stop. I am mostly returning to my art and exploring all new techniques and skills. Turning 70 and feeling like a beginner with painting (which I really never did any of in my illustration and graphic design days), is a funny place to be! Nevertheless, I am enjoying the challenge and maybe before I croak, I’ll have something to show for myself. When I’m not in the studio, I am outdoors as much as possible, spending time with my partner, Mark, or traveling to see friends and family. My son Tyler lives in Los Angeles, working as a drug and alcohol counselor, and so having both of us on the West Coast is certainly preferable to when I lived in Vermont — so much easier to talk with him and visit. I still mourn our lost 50th Reunion.” Audrey Appleby writes, “The photo is of my dear husband Jim McNitt at The Cicada Art Deco Los Angeles nightclub in March 2019. Honoring my love of dancing, and despite my beautiful Jim’s mysterious painful stomach that night, he wanted to accompany me to dinner and dancing. He was diagnosed several months later with stage 4 metastasized pancreatic cancer. Jim and I fought together for three years, finding every possible treatment and waging an amazing fight. We were very happy while fighting and surviving well in our fantasyland, Los Angeles, perched over Marina Del Rey with sea lions barking and dolphins swimming by. We survived COVID-19 in L.A., not expecting to be there for almost three years but getting stuck due to caution over flying back to Connecticut during COVID-19 with Jim’s compromised immunity status. We adored L.A. I’d always fantasized living there and Jim had always wanted to live in California or Miami, but again he honored my other desire to stay near New York City. Jim passed away with me and our wonderful daughter Eliza present, hugging and kissing him and answering his question. He kept repeating, “okay? okay?” We assured him it was okay — okay for him to believe we would be okay without him. It was a very beautiful parting. That day Jim passed away was February 6. It will be our 40th wedding anniversary and his 74th birthday on July 17. I miss him!” Editor’s note: During our class annual Zoom gathering, Audrey mentioned that she’s finding new rhythms and ways of channeling her creativity as she continues living through her grieving process. She planned to be in Paris in July with her sister. Audrey Appleby and Jim McNitt in March 2019
Bulletin
Dear classmates, We are taking a break this . The last few Class of ’69 notes have been quite fulsome. We’re hoping you have been enjoying them and will miss them so much this time that we will get lots of news next time. Have a great summer!
Betsy Bass with her daughters and son-in-law
She’s scheduled to take the PatientCentered Medical Home (PCMH) Certified Content Expert exam in June, with a goal to extend her consulting to other parts of the country (and stop doing federal grant writing!). She recently began working with a marketing consultant and teenaged website/social media expert to promote sales of her books (three so far, all of which are in the Dana Hall library). Her “happy places” include the garden, the homes of her two sons and grandchildren in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and spur-of-the-moment lunches with Melanie Choukas-Bradley!
Lindsay Beane is working with a primary care and infectious disease health clinic in Washington, D.C., which she helped to establish in 2018. Ongoing tasks include quality assurance, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, and staff mentoring.
Joanne ManitobainPotteryhertheGraydonChristyatopeningofBridgehillShopEmerson,
Dean Verner Loehr writes, “I am busier than ever consulting to non-profits in the Lubbock, Texas, area. I manage galas, train boards on planning and executing capital campaigns, write grants and train boards to be more effective in fundraising and advocating for their organizations. My clients range from a regional arts center, a small-town performing arts theater, Big Brothers Big Sisters, a community health center serving the underserved in Lubbock, a new inside play park for children with disabilities, Lubbock Roots Historical Arts Council, and Friends of a local city park.
Joanne Christy Graydon writes, “Hello Dana Class of ’70 turning 70! I’ve spent most of my days in my little artisan shop working with clay and teaching others to do the same. This is not a job — this has been a joy! And for the people who come to see the work done by the other 14 artisans in the shop, I hear them say, ‘It must be nice to have a hobby.’ I smile and nod knowing, as many of you know, working with my hands is far from a hobby. It’s a passion! I guess one could say I am still working? Living in a small town has been a wonderful change from farm life. The shop is a few minutes’ drive from home and the library, store and post office are within walking distance. I am never without something to do! Our four granddaughters are nearby, eager for sleepovers, family suppers and a few intense games of checkers! Love being closer to their everyday lives! And being able to watch the 10-year-old play hockey, the 8-year-old dance and the 13-year-old coach figure skating with her two youngest sisters has been nothing but fun! Turning 70 has been on my mind a lot lately. I am not sure how I feel about this advance in age. Health-wise, I have had a few notable incidents but still able to move with reasonable ease. I’ve decided to not get upset over a few more wrinkles, sagging upper arms, age spots and the shifting body shape directly circling my middle! I/we have lived well, enjoyed many adventures and grown into the strong independent women we were taught to be! Meanwhile, I look forward to many more adventures during warmer days like camping, swimming and sharing a campfire.”
Dean Verner Loehr at the LHUCA Gala
Jennifer Lovejoy Craddock writes, “It has been a hard two years. After a nearly two-year battle with pancytopenia myelofibrosis (bone marrow cancer), my beloved husband, Ed Craddock, passed away peacefully on January 20 with our son, daughter, daughter-in-law and me by his side. Ed bravely took a diagnosis of terminal cancer with an expectation of 18 months and managed, under COVID-19 restrictions, to live as high a quality of life as we could support him to enjoy for nearly two years.
Melanie Choukas-Bradley writes, “I’m working on a new book about the Potomac Gorge, the 15-mile stretch of river that begins at Great Falls, Va., and winds down through dramatic bluffs to Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C. This is my eighth nature book. I’m also writing poetry and have had several poems published by Writing in a Woman’s Voice. One of my poems won an award in January. This year, I’m leading many local nature/ history trips for Smithsonian Associates and one to the badlands of North Dakota. I’m also leading nature and forest bathing walks for a number of other D.C. organizations. I’m finding that as time goes on, I want to spend more time writing and exploring nature with family and friends. I’ve decided to take a 16-month event sabbatical starting in November of this year. Turning 70 this year reminds me how precious time is, and I want to spend as much quiet time as possible, writing, reading, hiking and being with the people I love. Connecting with Dana Hall friends is a high priority.”
After 44 years, Michelle Dunn Morgan is retiring as a professor of physical education and athletics at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Michelle writes, “I am proud to have played a key role in the development of one of the most successful Division III physical education and intercollegiate athletic programs in the country and to know that my pioneering efforts have affected the tremendous growth of opportunity and equity for women athletes in the United States. It is impossible to fathom that I have been coaching for 48 years — almost a half a century. My journey through the years has been incredibly fulfilling and my life has been touched by so many amazing people. I am grateful for the many students who challenged me through each decade to become a stronger and more caring
Summer 2022 53 join Fractal, an AI/analytics firm. I help them with business development and making introductions. At our ages, we know a lot of people! I am excited about this new role. I do a lot of mentoring, help women get on boards, review and update resumes, coach and participate in conferences, often for a fee.”
Jenny EdCraddockLovejoyandCraddock
Susan (Susie) Coburn Humphrey writes, “Did no one tell me, or was I just not listening? Maybe some things just have to be lived to be understood. I think of my parents and wonder if this is how it was for them. That the less I am able to do, the more I appreciate what I can do. After Dan’s leg was amputated, he once said, “I never thought I would miss mowing the lawn so much.” Now when I walk down to get the paper in the morning, I often marvel at how well my legs work. The symmetry of the movement, first one leg forward then the next, it’s a beautiful thing. I laughed the other day when I realized that I embraced having wild hair at about the same time I embraced the wild garden movement! Apparently for aging hair the best thing is doing less! And the best action for helping wildlife is growing native plants and doing less clean-up in the garden; often what looks messy to us looks like a paradise to birds, critters and insects. Some days, I look around and think, ‘I thought I was supposed to be retired!’ But I then laugh at the ridiculousness of that thought and get on with the work that needs to be done to continue improving the community that I love.”
Lyn Sedwick Shuster writes, “I am still working as a physician — part-time and hardly making money, but supporting a secretary. Why? I have always liked what I do (neuro-ophthalmology) and I like interacting with other physicians and with patients, particularly those who are frustrated and/or frightened by whatever they have for which I am seeing them. Also, working gives structure to my day and I find I am more efficient with extra-work activities and tasks because of it. When I have a day off, often I spend time goofing off instead of getting things done. And finally, when I stop being a working physician, I really stop being a physician at all, and can’t come back. But why not stop? I ask myself this a lot, as there are many other things I like to do and have been reasonably successful doing (writing, breeding and selling chinchillas). I think when my daughter tells me she is pregnant, I will retire from Medicine and get ready for my new job as grandmother. And I’ll probably love it. But it’s hard to let go of something I have loved doing for almost 40 years.”
Lyn’s Chincilla’s Alec who was a color championclassat the SEA Chinchilla Show in Augustine,St.Fla.
54 Summer 2022 teacher, coach and person. I owe a great amount of debt to my Amherst College colleagues and the many professionals across the country who allowed me to borrow some of their expertise so that I could grow my knowledge and tweak my own philosophies throughout my career. Many thanks to Mrs. Sullivan and Ms. Dreher at Dana Hall, and to my three brothers all of who fueled my passion for sport.”
Michelle Dunn Morgan and Jay Sarah Rodman writes, “After decades of working for other people, in 2016, I started my own business, Art Rodman, LLC, and work on a variety of visual and performing art projects. On February 1, the New-York Historical Society published their Women at the Center blog post — Understanding the ‘Party of the Century:’ Q & A with Sarah Rodman — about my ongoing research on author Truman Capote, his 1966 Black and White Ball, and the event honoree, publisher Katharine Graham. As we reach our eighth decade, I endeavor to carry on creatively and make the most of whatever time we have left. Each morning, I say thank you for receiving the gift of another day with my family and friends.”
Pamela Gleason Swearingen writes, “It’s hard to believe I’ll be turning 70 in May. I don’t feel that old! Our big news this year is our 33-year-old son Chris just got married in March. They had a perfect wedding. And we love his wife. And luckily they live only 30 minutes from us. We were a little concerned with 75 of us at an indoor reception, but luckily we all stayed healthy. And we finally decided to take our first trip since COVID-19 to Quebec City in May. Otherwise have had a quiet year. And just still enjoying our condo in Stowe, Vt., that we visit most months as well as my family place on Southport Island in Maine where again we were able to get together with Betsy Bass in June and September. I’m kept busy with walking our two Bernese Mountain dogs, Zoom yoga three times weekly and swimming other days. Just hoping my husband and I will continue to have good health.”
Pam Swearingen’s son’s wedding Claudia (Coco) Ward writes, “I never really thought about retirement. I’ve worked at least part of the year, every year, since I was 13, which was just a few decades ago! Twelve years ago, the bank I worked for downsized and I was part of that downsizing, and thus began my early retirement. As many of you know, I began a blog, at Peter’s urging, in January 2010, and if you’ve followed Open Window, you have read and seen our endeavors in all of these efforts. Paris, Venice, Positano and Nags Head are some of our favorite travel destinations. Jellied consommé, duck confit, zucchini and goat cheese tart, Hasselback potatoes, and duck fat cookies are just a few of the challenges I set out to conquer and did. And, of course, we photographed it all honing our skills as we went. It was lovely and memorable, and we’re glad we did it all when we did because physically, we couldn’t do a lot of it now. So what now? I’m back at work. I’ve been the office manager for the Sag Harbor Historical Society for more than five years, a finance administrator for Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor for more than two years, and starting last summer, I began maintaining the website for Babinski’s Farm Stand in Water Mill. I love each job, especially the people, but my favorite last summer was the farm stand. Why? Because I got paid in asparagus, strawberries, field-fresh green lettuce and heirloom tomatoes! How great is that? I am in heaven, early in the morning tromping around the fields, seeing what’s coming in next. I’m learning a lot, which is challenging but rewarding, and I can honestly say I am far from bored. It’s also rewarding to know that my various professional experiences are helping these three small businesses.
Jenny Warburg writes, “I am still working part-time as a freelance photographer, though limited in how much due to COVID-19. I continue to cover protests, rallies, political candidates, etc. — the most recent ones being in support of Ukraine, BLM, Trans Lives Matter, CRT, etc. Also protests of anti-vaxxers, right wing Trumpers, etc. Recently, I was nastily
My recommendation to one and all: Retire early, enjoy it to the max, and then go back to work using everything you’ve ever learned.
Peter Tooker and Coco Ward in the Bahamas in 2018
From Jennifer (Jenny) Clark: “I second everyone’s thanks to Lisa. Thank you, Lisa! Meanwhile, I am renovating a small building on my small property in Great Barrington, Mass., as my new summer guest quarters. I’d love you to visit June-September — just let me know when. You’d take care of cleaning the place up when you’re done, but otherwise, no fee of course. The Berkshires are a wonderful summer destination. Ask Andy or me! Would love to see you. Lake swimming, town and theater all within walking Fromdistance.”
Jenny Warburg with Stacey Abrams and Gloria Steinem at Stacey’s campaign night in 2018 Susan Lirakis helped create the photography book, “New Hampshire Now.” She worked on it for 2 1/2 years. Susan writes, “I have five images in the book, including the one of harvesting ice from Squam Lake, on the cover. There are eight exhibitions happening around the state, seven of which have my work. There have been a number of events as well. I participated in a Q&A on Zoom in November, sponsored by the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord.”
Deborah (Debbie) Cantor writes, “I am happy to report that I have actually had the best year of my life! I am fortunate that all of my children and grandchildren are happy and healthy. I met the love of my life three years ago (third time is a charm!). He introduced me to golf and I absolutely love it! Life is full of love and laughter. I hope that this finds everyone happy and healthy! I’m looking to move to the east coast of Florida, so if anyone comes to the Boca Raton, Fla., area anytime, please don’t hesitate to contact me!”
Kate Boyd Dernocoeur writes, “The best thing so far this year was the wedding of my daughter to a very solid, good guy. She is now Mrs. Melody Carlisle. She wore my mother’s wedding dress (modernized and gorgeous) and a veil that was edged with the lace from my wedding dress. Such a fun time. The second-best thing is that my incurable wanderlust has finally been unleashed! I hiked 45 miles of the Fisherman’s Way along the coast of Portugal, and am slated to go polar bear watching after two years’ delay and then hiking for a month in Norway in June, Namibia (to meet up with a friend) in July-August, and hiking in Scotland in September. Hoping it all goes as planned. If you’re curious, please read about my adventures at my blog, Generally Write, at www.katedernocoeur.com. You can subscribe and never miss one (two per month, and very short!). I hope everyone is plugging away okay at this process of gaining age that we’re encountering. Hugs all around. Be in touch.”
Gail O’Neill Caulkins writes, “Chuck and I have started to travel more, although we had to cancel a trip to Ecuador in February because Chuck became ill with a mild case of COVID-19 just before we were scheduled to fly to Quito. We regrouped and ended up spending a week in Sedona, Ariz., and a week in Pebble Beach, Calif. Both visually stunning locations. Our children, Abby and Ben, continue to thrive in their jobs and lives. We feel blessed with good health and a loving family.”
Emily (Em) DiMaggio: “This was primarily a year of caretaking of my mother, 99 years old, who passed in February. She had the most amazing life. On a happier note, I am grateful that the rest of our family is thriving. My son has returned to New York City and is enjoying his financial work. He claims it’s lots more fun than getting a Ph.D. Steve and I live between Raleigh, N.C, and Fernandina Beach, Fla., loving both environs and the people there. Very lucky. After COVID-19 imploded my sales management training program for retailers, I reinvented myself. I did COVID-19 tracing for a nanosecond. Now I work with an old client, helping clients buy and sell franchise opportunities. Fun and rewarding. I continue my spiritual studies with a teacher with whom I’ve been working for 21 years. We had our annual workshop with a group of fabulous women, which is one of the reasons I relocated us to Raleigh. I am finding now with my free
On to the news, with an inspiring message from Linda Maxwell Robertson: “It is hard to know where to start. So I’ll just blurt it all out: It has been a year of many, many changes. I am still working as a marriage and family therapist, and until recently was living in Newport Coast, Calif. In June 2021, I was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. Sounds funny to say, but I am fortunate in that the DNA of my cancer gene happened to have a particular mutation that qualified me for a clinical trial at UCI Medical Center. I get regular blood tests, CT scans, echocardiograms, and I am on a targeted oral chemotherapy I take twice a day. I may be on it for the rest of my life. We’ll see. Things move fast in this field. So far, so good. Everything is stable. Still managing type 1 diabetes — 44 years now. My husband Michael and I are the very happy parents of a mini bernedoodle named Jax. We sold our place in Newport, R.I., this April, bought a place in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (next door to Palm Springs) that we’ll relocate to in the beginning of September. On April 27, we left California on a road trip to Austin, Texas, where we’ll be for May and June. After two months in Austin, we’re heading to Bridgehampton, N.Y., for July and August to spend the summer with very dear friends. All the kids and grandkids will come visit us. When we return to California, we’re depending on the fact that because they all like the desert, they’ll visit us there as well. Michael will be able to play golf more regularly and I’m thinking of taking it up more seriously than I’ve done in the past. There is a lot going on in our community and we plan on joining some interesting clubs. We’re even thinking of learning how to play pickleball. Those courts outnumber the tennis courts! I have so much to be grateful for. I am sending love and best wishes to my Dana Hall classmates. All strong glorious, women.” Linda, Barb and I send you healing thoughts. We admire how you have handled your illnesses with such grace and good humor, and are thrilled for you as you live your life in full.
Summer 2022 55 accosted by one of them. If it hadn’t been for COVID-19, I would have been shooting the January 6 insurrection as I have covered the likes of those folks for decades.”
Class of 1971 Barbara (Barb) Lee toddyturrentine@gmail.comToddybarbmonahan52@comcast.netMonahanTorranceTurrentine
First and foremost, we all want to thank Elizabeth (Lisa) Orr for all of her work to get us together for a mini-reunion in Maryland. It must have been so frustrating to plan, cancel, plan, cancel and try to plan again. We so hope we can do it in 2023, and we all should help Lisa then!
Helen Morse writes, “My memoir, ‘The Difficult Girl,’ is finally finished! It took some time to write it, but it was a labor of love for me. The memoir spans a number of years, some of them years in which I attended Dana Hall. Indeed, the memoir covers part of my transformative experience there. A while ago, I created an award at Dana, the Katherine T. Gregory Award and Fund, in honor of one of the people who figures largely in my book. Fair warning: In some respects, it is not a happy story, but it was the story I had to tell. For those who are interested, it is available on Amazon.”
56 Summer 2022 time, I am able to visit more family and friends, albeit cautiously. I look forward to when we can all get together.”
Jane Dudley, Sheilah (Judy) Glover and Deborah Adams Wilton Class of 1973 Judith (Judy) judy.luke@comcast.netLuke
Nancy Plum writes, “The past six months have been a series of schedule-somethingcancel-it in my world with shutdowns, performance masking requirements and testing disasters. A European cruise was scuttled for a year when Central Europe shut down, family Christmas was postponed until mid-January, church shut down for two months and my jobs in January were canceled. We did sing with Andrea Bocelli to 21,000 people in December, and Holy Week included a great collaboration with Chanticleer, and singing Haydn and Mozart with orchestra. Things are finally settling down as we come to the end of another dysfunctional concert season. I think those in my professional world are going to gut it out until the end of the spring and hope that things are more consistent next year. Tennis, fortunately, has been relatively stable, although team matches in December and January were canceled. Sorry our Reunion was canceled, but maybe we can figure out a way to get together soon!”
The Class of 1972 celebrated its 50th Reunion when these Class Notes were due. Thank you all for making the journey and celebrating the first in-person, on-campus Reunion in three years! And thank you to Pam, Sam and Hillary in the Advancement Office for the 50th Yearbook. Barbara Tomlinson Harman writes, “I am passing the Class Correspondent baton to Linda Smith Janoff, who came forward at our 50th Reunion to volunteer. A huge thanks to you, Linda! I look forward to reading the notes for years to come. Thanks to the Class of 1972 who really came through for our 50th! The class won awards for the most funds raised for the Dana Fund and also overall of all the Reunion classes. Thanks to the 50th Reunion Committee — Janis, Marian, Susie, Kim, Martha, Cyndy, Helen, Joan, Lynni, and Pam — for your year of work on this amazing weekend! We had great weather, 45 of us showed up (7 on Zoom) and we gathered, cheered, sang our class song and basked in each other’s company on campus, in the Walden room, and some at the Davis Museum in Wellesley. Yes, it was hard to sleep Saturday night after all the energy in that tent behind Grove House! Thanks for coming and celebrating in person with us!”
Sheilah (Judy) Glover writes, “I’m so sad I couldn’t come to the 50th Reunion, as it seems such an important marker, but there were all kinds of things that were happening then or shortly after that keep me either here, or going back East for other reasons at other times: my daughter’s graduation from Georgetown’s graduate school, my aunt’s memorial (she lived to 100!) and more. It looked like a great list of attendees and I was sad to miss it.”
Deborah Adams Wilton writes, “Warmest greetings from California! We had a mini 50th Reunion out here! Jane Dudley, Sheilah (Judy) Glover and I had the grandest time both reminiscing and catching up with our lives. It was so fun and we all left thinking how we need to get together more often. Also want to thank you (Barb) for all that you have done to keep our Class of ’72 notes and certainly for all your work on the Class Reunion. It is not lost on us what a gigantic job that is!”
A big hello to the Class of ’73. So, what’s new with me (Judy Luke)? I started a new job as creative director at a healthcare IT company in Watertown, Mass., at the end of last year. So far, so good. Lots of fun, smart people that I’ve only met from the neck up on Zoom. In June, everyone planned to return to the office at least one day a week; looking forward to seeing people again. Spring has been busy with a long weekend in Florida and my niece’s wedding this past April in Richmond. I’m back and forth to Connecticut monthly to see my mom who is still going strong at 92. On most days, her step count beats mine. I need to up my game. After two years of lockdown between the countries, Margaret (Margot) Estabrook Stienstra was able to savor several months home in Massachusetts, replenishing with family and friends, including in Rhode Island, Vermont and California. Margot
Pamela (Pam) Swift writes, “Our family celebrated our granddaughter’s 1st birthday on March 3. She has brought such joy in a time of stress and deep concern. Sending thoughts of love and peace to everyone in the Class of ’72!”
I (Toddy) am so happy to report that my daughter Margaret is getting married this summer to a great guy. I am so impressed how these young women have demanding jobs, plan a wedding, have multiple pets, and stay calm. I’m busy with our nature center, but my tenure ends in June, so I need to think about my next venture. Politics will always be a big focus. We are very excited about the wedding and will decompress on a cruise in Alaska in August. We are going to check out Hilton Head, S.C., as a possible one-month escape from Connecticut winters (anybody live or go there?), but are still in the same house and town after 37 years! And I (Barb) started resuming my favorite activities as the COVID-19 worries subsided. Several fabulous visits with my grandbabies, return to my beloved New England kingdom of Vermont, golf, kayaking, hiking and long walks with Sagey all contributed to retirement as I envisioned it. A minor hiccup of a broken ankle slowed me down a bit in late September. Now fully healed, I’m continuing to live the retirement dream. Class of 1972 Linda Smith LindaDHS72@gmail.comJanoff
Mary Fish Arango writes, “The stories from women my age are particularly helpful now, as Peter and I completed an arduous move from Oregon to Connecticut in early January, arriving and unloading an enormous moving truck 12 hours before 10 inches of snow blanketed our new town of West Simsbury, Conn. Frigid temperatures, pandemic concerns, high winds and deep snow made for some serious isolation in a new town. Our Oregon house sold in early March and a Medford family undeterred by wildfires, drought and debilitating smoke was happy to buy it. Our son and his wife are still in Oregon, musicians stalking record contracts and concert gigs, but they’ll be ready to load the car and move east if this summer again brings fire to their doorstep.
Carol Camp Shepard writes, “We are now officially Florida residents, having changed our address to our Naples home, but we still spend quite a bit of time in Durham, N.C. We are lucky to have one son who lives nearby in Ft. Myers, Fla., and our other son lives in Durham. While dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic was a real pain, the one good thing that came out of it is that I have taken up the game of golf (because my husband was unable to play with anyone else, ha!). Anyway, I’ve caught the golf bug and play at least three times a week. Can’t believe that our 50th is coming up, but I plan to be there! Hope everyone else has put the Reunion date on their calendars.”
Priscilla (Perky) Francis Nellissen has some fun news to share. Perky is puppy raising for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She got Ziti, a female yellow lab, right before Thanksgiving. By four months, she was finally catching on. What a journey it was to get there. In the spring, Ziti was 7 months old and doing really well. She grew out of the biting, barking, puppy antics and is a peach now. Perky will keep her until around 16 months. The regional manager thinks Ziti has what it takes, as not many out of a litter make it to guide dog status. Of course, Perky will be sad to let her go, but what a wonderful gift she will provide someone. Please reach out to Perky to learn more or visit www.guidingeyes.org, the Guiding Eye website. Perky took a season off, but is now back reffing high school lacrosse. She loves it. She is also playing tons of paddle tennis, adding, “This activity saved us during COVID-19.”
Dana Cole writes, “Retired life in Asheville, N.C., continues to confirm that this was a great choice. We had what was a big snowstorm for here (about a foot), but the good news is that it doesn’t last long! Looking forward to our second summer, hopefully with a lot fewer masks! Cannot express enough how proud I am of our class for raising the money to name a new classroom with our class name and in honor of former Head of School Edie Phelps. My calls with many of you over the few months Julia and I worked on this were amazing and I thank all those who gave. Looking forward to seeing many of you in person in April 2023 for our 50th! Stay well until then.”
Susan (Susie) Foster Wilson and her husband, Bob, spent the month of April in Charleston, S.C. Susie writes, “Lots of walking, tennis and seeing friends. Now that we are back in Chatham, Mass., it’s time to get into high gear for outside work. Always so much to do. Hoping to be able to watch the news soon without cringing.”
Cheryl Kilberg Solomon writes, “I can’t believe how quickly time is flying. Next year will be our 50th Reunion and sadly, it will be the first one that I will miss. We are going on a transatlantic cruise with another couple and it’s the same weekend! Please share with me all the news that will surround this milestone Reunion.” Cheryl and Larry are getting back to traveling and, in the spring, embarked on a 10-day cruise. She planned on seeing Karin Baldwin Quayle in New Jersey before heading off to sea and is looking forward to spending a couple nights with Karin and her husband Chip. Another cruise is planned for the fall. Before you know it, 2022 will be over!
This just in from Julia Sawabini. She writes, “The Class of ’73 rocks! Thank you to all who contributed to the capital campaign and thank you to all who continue to contribute to the Dana Fund. I don’t love asking for money, but I do love staying in touch with you all.” Julia added she “definitely had a case of cabin fever this past winter, but managed to avoid getting COVID-19, so it was a good trade off.”
Julia recently had a lovely lunch with Susan Donahue in Maryland this spring. She said it was great fun to catch up with Susan after almost 50 years. Julia is looking forward to another summer in Vermont — and hopefully more visits with Dana friends (Grace, Robin, still looking for Carlie Goodhue Krakoff) and family — and she’s looking forward to seeing everyone next spring at Reunion. Mary Emerson is on the move, relocating from La Jolla, Calif., back east to Madison, Conn. Mary was looking forward to attending the wedding of Toddy Torrance Turrentine ’71’s daughter in July. On a sad note, Mary’s sister, Jane Emerson Linnell ’61, passed away on April 24.
Summer 2022 57 writes, “Native land and seascape were tremendously nourishing.” She hopes to spend increased time stateside in coming years. In semi-retirement, Margot continues to enjoy — and feel privileged to practice — mainly Jungian psychotherapy in Zürich, along with interactive teaching/ facilitating analytical psychology’s continued relevance, antidotal to collective overwhelm in the zeitgeist. Sailing and eco-psychology further challenge and bolster. In Amor Caritas, we find resilience. She sends best wishes to all.
Larry and Cheryl love Arizona. They returned to Chicago briefly in March for a couple of days, but couldn’t wait to get back to Arizona. Cheryl doesn’t miss the snow and the cold one bit! Class of 1974 Katharine (Kate) Hirsch Koller Laurierkoller@snet.netGoldstein writes, “Well, I’m finally starting to feel our age. Knee was injected with Synvisc, if anyone knows of it, but alas, to no avail, so I’m on the hunt for a top-notch knee surgeon — northern California or Los Angeles, if anyone knows of one. Good news is I’ve been able to help other bits of arthritic pain, such as fingers and hips, through the anti-inflammatory GAPS diet and the Wahls Protocol as well. I highly recommend both, as they offer similar blueprints to health and healing; it’s been a life-changer. After two solid months, the other pain areas lifted, which I’d heard about anecdotally but now have experience firsthand. I also have a health coach, if anyone needs some guidance along the way. Meanwhile, finally putting in a pool and landscaping the backyard, and working with my coaching clients, which has spawned a significant increase in working with both couples and parents/ their adult children. Supporting conscious communication and coming from openness, empathy and love seems to be a winning roadmap. I’m so inspired by the work and since COVID-19, I’ve been Zooming all over the globe, which I’m loving. Hubby finally finished a wonderful spec feature — fingers crossed — and I have two passion film projects I’m working to set up. Turns out creativity has no retirement age, as I’m sure you’d all agree. I’m easily reached in northern California, so let me know if you’re up here. I’d love to see you!”
Betsy Winans Carothers ’77, Anne Downey Wallace, Sarah Bryan Severance, Libby Moseley Edwards playing golf at the Riomar Country Club in Vero Beach, Fla. Anne Downey Wallace writes, “It’s amazing to me how much Dana is still in my life. I’m lucky to have rekindled relationships now that friends are frequenting or visiting Vero Beach, Fla. I see Sarah Bryan Severance, my sophomore year roommate, all the time. She, Elizabeth (Libby) Moseley Edwards and I all play golf at the same club. So does Elizabeth (Betsy) Winans Carothers ’77, who has also become a dear friend. Other friends who have visited this year include Louisa Brown Troubh, Tapley Allen Sheresky and Eunice Murray. In the spring, I had plans to walk on the beach and lunch with Frances (Francie) Benton! Just sorry to have missed Bonnie Block Levison when she was here briefly, headlining an event.”
Anne Leone Kelly Hynes McDermott shares, “We finally eased out of COVID-19 mode this winter and Scott and I did a little traveling. In February, we visited dear friends in Florida at Ocean Reef and Vero Beach. I missed seeing Betsy Winans Carothers in Vero, unfortunately, as our timing didn’t work out. Definitely next year, Bets! After some fun in the sun, Scott, our oldest son Dillon and I, along with five family members, traveled west to Lake Tahoe to
58 Summer 2022
Class of 1975 Kyle Fake kylewfake@gmail.comSeydler
Anne Leone writes, “I’m sorry I was not able to come to Reunion and missed the opportunity to celebrate with everyone. I have been making large-scale paintings of swimmers for exhibitions in Berlin at Galerie Friedmann-Hahn and at Dedee Shattuck Gallery in Westport, Mass. Recently, my work was on display at Art Market San Francisco, a national art fair. This summer, my work will be featured at Art Market Hamptons in the booth of the Boston gallery, M Fine Arts Galerie, August 11-14. My husband and I divide our time between rural Massachusetts, where we’ve lived for 26 years, and Brooklyn, N.Y, where we enjoy the company of our growing family.”
Anne (Nancy) Kelting Kronenberg writes, “Both of my daughters graduated from Brown in June. Frances, my oldest daughter, graduated two years ago but was unable to march due to the pandemic. Isabel graduates with her class. Frances is in the throes of applying to medical school and is currently a clinical researcher specializing in treatments for anxiety and depression at Butler Hospital in Providence. Isabel is looking for business development jobs in New York City. I have just finished up my term as president of the Bedford Garden Club. I have also just finished my term as treasurer and head of the Finance Committee at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the Cape. I will remain a trustee. I also sit on two public boards, both of which have been doing very well. In our free time, Eric and I have decided to focus on bridge and play lots of golf, tennis, ski — anything that keeps us moving. Still living on our mini-farm in Bedford Corners, N.Y. I look forward to seeing everyone at Reunion.”
Class of 1976 Correspondent needed Class of 1977 Elizabeth (Liz) Browning Riley lizriley09@gmail.com
Libby Moseley Edwards, Louisa Brown Troubh, Sarah Bryan Severance, Tapley Allen Sheresky, Anne Downey Wallace
Congratulations to Marcia Teng Ishizuka on receiving the Distinguished Alumna Award. I think I speak for all our classmates in saying that this is well deserved, and we are so proud of you. Thank you to Elizabeth (Betsy) Winans Carothers, Mary (Polly) Harding Dombroski and Lisa Glickman for the beautiful artwork that you submitted for the Alumae Art Show. We loved seeing your work.
Our new location outside of Hartford means we get to see our daughter Grayson more often and more easily. She is happily ensconced at Dana Hall, house director for JHD, substitute teaching, riding at the amazing equestrian center, and completing her master’s in mental health counseling. I get an intimate view of life at Dana, both in regular conversations/Zoom calls and in overnight visits to campus. Edie Phelps would be proud of the legacy of young women’s education. I have a special place in my heart for education directed toward young women. My career in teaching in independent schools — some of them struggling to find their footing as they transitioned from all-male to coeducational, one in the deep south — saw many schools not do it well, tenaciously holding on to old habits and traditions. I paid a heavy price for insights made 10-15 years before entrenched colleagues wanted to hear them. When I walk the Dana Hall campus with school in session, it is a delight to hear laughter and intention everywhere.
Suzanne (Susie) McNear McNiff writes, “I am starting a new job as deacon and director of Children and Family Ministries at Christ Church in Greenwich, Conn. I was on the Reunion Committee and hoping to come to our 45th, but we planned to move to Greenwich in late April. Eugenie is graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans and will be looking for work in New York City. My daughter Georgina lives in Jackson Hole, Wyo. She started her own functional medicine practice and is busy seeing patients and skiing in the afternoon. My son Gordon lives in New York City and works for a medical publishing company. He is also a standup comedian. You can see him at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club or Broadway Comedy Club. Check it out! I had lunch with Dana Leavy Langham and as always, we reminisced about the fun and friendships during our time at Dana. I miss you all and am planning on being at the 50th!”
Summer 2022 59 visit our youngest son Jack and do some spring skiing. Jack is working remotely while managing to squeeze in 72 days of skiing in this bucolic ski town. He was an incredible host, leading the way on the slopes at Palisades and Alpine Meadows, biking, and hiking. Hiking around Emerald Bay was one of the highlights of this trip with its emerald green water, waterfalls and beautiful views of the mountains in the background. If you visit Lake Tahoe, I highly recommend taking in this national natural landmark. Hynes Communications, my marketing and PR company of 10 years, keeps me busy where I help small to mid-sized companies tell their brand stories through email newsletters, blogs and social media. One silver lining from the global pandemic was that my company experienced a boost in business over past years. Business owners recognized the importance of making sure people knew that they were not only surviving but thriving in the professional and social services industries. I feel energized and challenged working for a small cadre of clients from my home office. And I love having the flexibility to create my own schedule to travel and see my precious grandchildren, Pearce and Lila. Almost every Friday, I go down to my daughter’s, Courtney McDermott Gill ’04, in Scituate, Mass., to spend time with Pearce (3) and Lila (18 mo.). These little munchkins bring our family so much joy and serve as a constant reminder of how quickly they grow and develop. They keep Scott and me on our toes and help us to see the ever-changing world through their eyes. Such a blessing. Joy Haywood Moore and I get together frequently for dinners and various activities, which is always a treat. It was a blast seeing several of our classmates at our Dana Hall 45th Reunion. We shared lots of laughs over eye-popping stories and photos from our days at Dana in the ’70s. It was wonderful reconnecting with so many classmates and we really missed those who couldn’t be there this time. Our 50th is only five years away and we’ve already decided that we are going to make it the best ever by having a solid turnout, so keep April 2027 in mind!
Liz Browning Riley writes, “What a beautiful Reunion Weekend. We missed all of you who were unable to attend, but you were with us in spirit. I so enjoyed catching up with everyone. Changes are in the air for me. Lou Lou duties are taking me on a new and exciting path. I will be moving to Baton Rouge, La., to live near my daughter Meg and her family. I am very much
Christy Flory-Chandonait writes, “50 or bust is my new motto! Way too much fun was had at our ’77 Class Dinner and Reunion. I am a semi-retired derm NP, but keep busy volunteering with breast cancer patients, the SPCA, and hoping to paddle with the Dragon Boats for BC Survivors. Daughter Grace (16) is a junior at Annapolis High School, and hoping to be a pediatric NP when she grows up! Stay healthy and see you in 2027!”
Betsy Winans Carothers was not able to make it to Reunion, but she was there in “visuals” with some of her photography. Betsy lives in Vero Beach, Fla., from October until June, and then is back on Cape Cod the other months. She has been very busy this year taking family photos during the holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, with all the various families that get together during those times. In between that, her stationery business is very active as well as selling large acrylic photography wall prints at various shows or open houses during the year. Check out her website — www. betsycarothers.com — or follow her on Instagram at @betsycarothersphotography.
Kelly Hynes McDermott with husband Scott and sons Dillon and Jack
Martha Groton writes, “I am sure I speak for all of us from the class who were at Reunion — Liz, Beth, Missy, Marcia, Marylou, Dana, Christy, Debby, Nancy, Alex, Cathy, Kelly, Joy and me — in saying that we had ourselves a lovely time together. Our thanks to the nonattendees who sent their greetings. We had all our classmates and other Dana connections in mind. When Beth and I caught up, we talked about the fact that she and my father went to the same public elementary school in New Bedford some 40 years apart. I saw Linda Perry Kimbrell ’82 Friday evening. She said Sue remains in Upton and comes riding at the Karen Stives ’68 Equestrian Center weekly. Dana and I walked up there on Saturday afternoon. Heather Hodgson DePaola ’80, who has remained in Dover, Mass., gave us a tour. She was with her daughter who rides there. Heather had just been to the graveside gathering for former French teacher Nikki Descouteaux, who passed away in March. Heather had known the family well from house sitting for them at their home in Dover. Alex, Marcia, Dana and I reminisced about going to France with Nikki on the French school exchange programs that she organized starting our junior year. I joined Liz and Marylou at the Saturday morning talk about the Classroom Building renovations. Most of us heard Head of School Katherine Bradley talk about the school. Those of us at lunch clapped with good gusto and stood up for Marcia when she accepted the Distinguished Alumna Award. Marylou represented us at the memorial service. A group of us visited the Alumnae Art Show. Our thanks to Lisa, Betsy and Polly for contributing to the show and letting us marvel at their talents. Marcia returned there for the reception. Joy joined us for dinner Saturday evening. I enjoyed visiting with everyone. I have settled in after my move to the south side of Sherborn, Mass., and am working at writing up something from my study of the history of public health law. Excuses for a little social activity are welcome. My best to all.”
Her mom, Abigail Kimball Winans ’46, is now 93 and still very active in Vero playing lots of golf and croquet and even a little grass pickleball. Betsy says it’s such a blessing living so close to her parents (her dad will be 93 in July). She has two sons who live in San Francisco and a daughter in New York City, but they love to come down and spend time in Vero.
Class of 1977 group photo at Reunion Marcia Teng Ishizuka writes, “While at Reunion, I discovered that Debra Meyer Dreyfus’ nephew lives at Andover (Phillips Academy). His wife Jill is a teacher there. They have a son, and my first grandchild (a boy) and Beau are friends. My grandson is 10 months old and his father (my son-inlaw) is also a teacher at Andover. Even smaller world is that my younger daughter, who also teaches at Andover, lived in the same dorm for three years with Debra’s niece (who is the sister of the nephew who is now living at Andover). After not seeing Debby for 45 years, it was such a surprise to find out how our families are connected! Small world indeed! I hope to see more of our classmates at our 50th Reunion. Thank you very much to our Class Reunion Committee for your hard work.”
Josephine (Josie) Greene writes, “Our clan is well and grateful to be healthy and vaxed. Daughter Katie lives in New York City and works in the film industry making documentaries. Our son, Mark, is finishing up his B.A. in environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara. When not studying, he’s surfing and sewing and has his own up-cycled clothing line. He’s looking for work in the sustainable fashion/clothing industry, if anyone knows of opportunities. My husband, Glenn, and I continue to work from home in Newton, Mass. Glenn’s still a T&E attorney and I keep busy with philanthropic work that centers on gender and racial equity. Hope everyone in the Class of ’78 is doing well!”
Jennifer (Tria) Giovan writes, “Happy to still be in touch with my Lazare roommates Katharine (Katty) Van Itallie and Tracey Thatcher; we are just missing Wendy Scullin Teplow! I see Tracey often in Sag Harbor, where she has a house, and I spend most of my time these days. Katty is now living in New Hampshire as the art director of Yankee Magazine. We met up recently to see Bonnie Raitt in Connecticut; great show! I had a lovely visit with Geraldine Christ Cooper at her home in Westport, Mass., last summer when I was on a shoot down the road. Last winter, I met up with Joyceann Yaccarino Griggs and Alexandra (Xanda) McCagg to see Xanda’s beautiful exhibit at the Lyman Museum in New London, Conn. Missing our MADAMES reunions in New York City with founder Amie BlockRatajczak as well as Daphne Pinkerson, Joyceann, Xanda, Pamela (Pam) Trevisani Rodman, Marylou WellbrockReeves ’77, Susan Miller Copperman ’77, and Barbara Hawkins Janien ’77, among others. As for me, I am still taking pictures. I have a relatively new book out from Vendome Press, ‘Summer to Summer: Houses by the Sea.’ While shooting on Martha’s Vineyard, I had dinner with Matthew and Martha Stackpole. I will release a book in Spring 2023 called ‘Loisaida Street Work 1984 to 1990’ — photographs I took while living on New York City’s Lower East Side. Happy to still be connected with all these interesting, smart and talented Dana women.” Dana Peters Frizzell writes, “My big news: I’m very excited to announce the arrival of my latest book, ‘When You Can’t Go Home.’ This one takes place in Sydney, Australia — the idea starting to form when I was there back in 2015 visiting Jean Kropper. My first book had just come out and I’d already started on a second one, so this was put on the back burner until I could really focus on it. I can’t thank Jean enough for her help on this book! If it hadn’t been for COVID-19, I would have just flown back and written it there! Thank goodness for FaceTime! In case anyone is wondering, when it’s 10 p.m. here, it’s noon the next day there. Jean’s planning a trip back to the U.S.; we’ll properly celebrate the book then. In October, I was able to take my first trip back to Ireland since COVID-19. It was so wonderful to get away! Despite the weather throwing us a few curves, I had the time of my life! And came home with another story to write! In September, I’m headed back to Alaska on a trip that was canceled twice already. Then hopefully back to Germany in December. No doubt I’ll bring home more stories to write. It’s so great to be able to travel again!
Class of 1978 Lisa Aronson Altman P11, 16 Jacquelinelaltmn@comcast.net(Jacquie)
Keefe Bellamy writes, “We sold our family home in England and are now splitting our time between New Zealand; Camden, Maine; and the U.K.! Visitors welcome! Two of our kids live in the U.K. and two in the U.S. Our youngest will be the first to marry in October. All very exciting!”
Dana Peters Frizell Alexandra Riemer Greenberg celebrated her 62nd birthday in April and had a wonderful birthday with her husband Marc. It seems like yesterday she was at Dana Hall and living in Weston, Mass., but she can say life in California since 1987 has been wonderful. Having lived in Long Beach, Calif., in the same house for 26+ years, they have built a lovely life there together. Her oldest son Zachary (24) is a Store Manager of NYC Velo and living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is a
looking forward to spending more time with my grandchildren (Emmett, 4, and Milo, 9 mo.) and having Sunday night dinners with family. Ladies, we are on our way to our 50th Reunion. I look forward to hearing from you with all your news. Stay well!”
Front row: Debby Meyer Dreyfus, Liz Browning Riley, Beth Shapiro Lewyckyj, Dana Leavy Langham. Back row: Alex Luk, Marylou WellbrockReeves CookeHelenherEdelstein(Cathy)CathrynCushnersigningbookintheTempleLibrary
60 Summer 2022
Katharine (Katie) Bliss Fagan writes, “We continue to spend our time between Boston; Franconia, N.H.; and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. We more than survived the worst of COVID-19, welcoming two more grandbabies to our clan, making it three for us. Ella Bliss Mintz (4) and her brother Wyatt Stanley Mintz (2) live with our oldest daughter Ainslie and her husband Nate in Jackson Hole, Wyo. We see them as much as we can. Our middle daughter, Christina, continues to balance running her business Sh*t That I Knit and tending to her baby girl, Campbell Katharine Pardy (2). They mercifully live down the street from us in Boston. Our youngest daughter Serena now lives in New Hampshire and works remotely for a solar brokerage firm. My husband Jamie continues to like heading to work at JPMorgan. We are looking forward to more travel, should the fates allow. Would love to see any and all of my missing Dana friends. Peggy Smith Liversidge and I have connected, which is always lots of fun. Love to all!”
Vail Cart Tyler was up this winter on a ski trip with her family. It was great seeing her and having some time to catch up!”
Heather Hodgson DePaola’s daughter Mckinlee showed Sarah Summers ’98’s horse Zento Class of 1981 E. Fraser Demetree efbenzal@gmail.comBenzal
Summer 2022 61 passionate cyclist and is very enthusiastic about helping people find the right ride for them. Her youngest son Noah (20) just received his EMT certification and is currently applying to EMT and firefighter positions. Her husband Marc decided to become an equity partner this year at his law firm Tucker Ellis, and they had a lovely partner’s retreat in Scottdale, Ariz., in the spring. They stopped by the Grand Canyon and Sedona a few days before and were in love with both. Alex heard from her friend Sandra Goudsmit ’77 on her birthday, and recently spoke with Ellen Tuton Le Comte. She sends warm wishes to all of you and wishes you all peace, good health and happiness. Peggy Smith Liversidge is ramping up her catering business, Kitchen Chicks Catering and Gourmet Market and Cape Porpoise Kitchen, for their 19th busy summer season in Kennebunkport, Maine. The pandemic wreaked havoc on the wedding and events industry in 2020 and so last summer, they were tasked with catering two years’ worth of weddings in three months’ time! Somehow, they got through it, despite being very short-staffed. Last season, they produced 30 weddings along with a full calendar of social and corporate events. Exhausting to say the least, so this season, she has opted to throttle back and take on just 12 weddings along with the usual social calendar that keeps them on the run May through December. She still loves what she does, but like all businesses, the biggest challenge is finding good people to share your vision and help maintain your brand’s standards. She is blessed with a great core team of chefs and event coordinators, and of course her husband, HP, who helps out on all fronts when he has time away from his own business. One particular highlight from summer 2021 includes catering a surprise 60th birthday in July with the guest of honor’s best friend from boarding school (the King of Jordan) making the trip to Maine to celebrate with the birthday boy. Peggy writes, “The tears of joy at this surprise reunion reminded me of how special the bonds are with the friends we met and grew up with during our Dana Hall years. It was a beautiful and memorable evening, as guests feasted under a tent on local Maine oysters, Maine lobster rolls, beef tenderloin sliders and summer salads. Even the Maine weather was cooperative. Calling all Dana friends to reach out if you find yourself in southern Maine! I would love to see you.”
writes, “On April 28, our second granddaughter arrived! A joyful blessing! I can’t wait to be the best ZuZu to her.”
Elizabethlynn.hernandez@comcast.netHernandez(Zebby)WhitingDube
Victoria (Vicki) Tompkins Heydari writes, “I just celebrated 10 years with Mitchell Construction Group in Medfield, Mass., where I am the manager of Design. We are busier than ever, which is great. I am in touch with Lisa Cheren Bilbo, Katina Athans Engle and Deborah (Debbie) Black and enjoy following our classmates on Facebook.”
Karen Shapiro writes, “The past few months have been fairly quiet after my mother passed away in January. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my dad and family. We did get away for the beautiful Florida warmth in late February and March, a welcome break from the New England winter. I’ve kept active with online learning through a local college and truly find being a perennial student to be my favorite career. I’ve returned to volunteering through the Massachusetts Office of Elder Affairs as an advocate for the elderly in assisted living centers and nursing homes. I’m thrilled to report that I’m now sponsoring my second Israeli college student after my first one graduated. He lives in southern Israel and is studying to be a teacher. I look forward to meeting him and his family this fall. I’ll also see my first student and his family. I am returning to long awaited travel. I have trips this summer that have been twice postponed, and I planned to leave for the Adriatic, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Malta at the end of May. It will be wonderful to see my travel buddies after two years. I hope all are returning to the postCOVID-19 world with ease. It feels as there has been a time warp, finally seeing friends after such an absence.”
Heather Hodgson DePaola writes, “Our family had a great time this past summer driving across the country, as far west as Utah, towing our 28’ cherry red Winnebago travel trailer, Big Red. We were gone a month and traveled 6,630 miles. We visited Niagara Falls, explored eight National Parks, met Budweiser Clydesdales, and toured Kentucky horse country. An amazing adventure! The rest of the summer was spent at dropping our daughter, Mckinlee, at the Dana Hall stables for her interning, riding and attending their Training Academy. This fall she joined Dana Hall’s Athletic Equestrian League (AEL) team and has qualified for the finals at Mount Holyoke. She was also competing in the jumper ring at Grazing Fields Farm in May and June! Our first road trip this summer will be to Lake Placid and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the Fourth of July. We’ll cheer on Team Dana at the Lake Placid Horse Show. To celebrate my big birthday in August, we will be on the road for three weeks exploring all the Great Lakes and, on our way home, we’ll check out the Finger Lakes in New York.”
Class of 1980 Melissa Brown Moore Diannembm@ibl.bmAppel writes, “I moved from New Mexico to central Oklahoma last fall to be with my mom. I’m fortunate to finally have my hobby farm with an organic vegetable garden and my horses on site. I’m enjoying my renewed connections with Dana Hall through alumnae programs. I have three grandchildren and a cottage in Encino, Calif., to stay connected to them.”
Things for me, Lisa Aronson Altman, are going well. I am the vice president of Education at our Temple and worked on a three-year project to open a preschool, which opened this past September. It’s fun to be around little ones again. My girls, Alexis Altman ’11 and Madison Altman ’16, are both doing really well and enjoying their jobs. Both live in the area and I am lucky to see them often. I caught up with Amie Block-Ratajczak in Portland pre-pandemic and it’s about time for another lunch. I also had plans to see Katie Bliss Fagan in Boston in mid-May. Cheers to Classall! of 1979 Lynn Phillips
62 Summer 2022 Class of 1982 Anne Morton guinvere@hotmail.comAugust
Hello! I (Anne Morton August) am writing this after the fantastic Reunion in April. First, a huge thank you to our Reunion Committee: Jennifer Beecher Cooper, Christina (Tina) Gross Kruczynski, Karen Tobasky Garb, Heather Cameron Ploen, Jennifer (Jen) Mathews, Cynthia Ewing Miller, and Jill Hinckley Spaulding! We missed Jennifer Mathews at Reunion as well as other peeps who couldn’t make it, like Joanne SaintLouis Butterfield, Lisa Sotir, Elizabeth (Betsy) Luther, Margo Smith-Rush, Kristin Cassady Kos, and Louise (Lou) Lowry Workmon
Other friends we hadn’t seen in a while included Victoria (Vicky) Wong, who lives in Cleveland and works in development at an independent school. Vicky and I (Anne) coincidentally belong to the same professional group on Facebook and have been trading stories of data management practices for a couple of years. Sandra (Sandy) Friis-Hansen Halverson came down from Maine for the Saturday lunch. Many of us seem to have kids ranging from age 8 through adulthood. Suzy’s son Charles, Heather’s Poppy and Tricia’s daughter are teenagers; Sarah, Linda, Jennifer and I (Anne) have over-twenties, and Maria is ending up with an instant blended family of six! In a nutshell: Reunion was great. They get better every year! Join our Facebook group (Dana Hall School Class of 1982 Reunion) if you haven’t already; we occasionally have meet-ups or activities.
Front row: Denise Hill Thorn, Sandy Friis-Hansen Halverson, Linda Perry Kimbrell, Jennifer Beecher Cooper. Back row: Suzy Burnett Doolittle, Sally Wattles, Vicky Wong, Susan Gray, Heather Cameron Ploen, Derya Samadi
Sally Wattles, Gene Scattergood-Moore, Suzy Burnett Doolittle
Laura Lavit Marialauralelmore@yahoo.comElmoreFernandaLaRivawrites, “I bought a horse and it was the best thing during COVID-19 for me and my daughter. We jumped her and now we are into dressage. Everyone who likes horses should have one! We are now planning to move to Wellington, Fla., to a farm since it’s an equestrian city. Oh, and being outside and horseback riding during COVID-19 was super! Didn’t even notice anything while people were closed up.”
An extra special thanks to Jennifer and her husband Gordon, who hosted our Saturday night dinner at their lovely home. Mei-Ni Kuo joined by FaceTime from Taiwan! Friday night, there was a small group of us on campus with an unexpected and very welcome guest: Maria Useche, previously of Venezuela. Maria is a television journalist, producer and life coach, and was getting married on Sunday! Yes, she took time off from last-minute wedding planning to come back to campus for a couple of hours. She met her now-husband in Key West four years ago, and they live in Marlborough, Mass.! We’re happy to add Maria to our local crew once more, and expect wedding pictures for the next Bulletin Saturday. on campus there was a presentation about the new Classroom Building and a state-of-the-school update from Head of School Katherine Bradley. Dana weathered the pandemic and emerged in good shape. Plans for the new Classroom Building look great. If ever a building needed upgrading, that one is it! Please consider making a contribution to help support this important project.
Class of 1984 Leah jmorrisfamily@comcast.netMorris
Class of 1985 Christina Whiting liagatta@investcloud.comLisacswdougherty@comcast.netDoughertyIagatta
Koumantzelis Copeland P18, 20, belkisdecastro@gmail.comBelkiscopelandkk@gmail.com23SuazodeCastro
Class of 1983
Class of 1986 Katharine (Katie) Allen Katherinekral135@psu.edu(Kathy)
Front row: Suzy Burnett Doolittle. Middle row: Anne Morton August, Linda Perry Kimbrell, Susan Gibbons Gray, Heather Cameron Ploen, Mindy Coath ’83, Tina Gross Kruczynski, Vicky Wong. Back row: Sally Wattles, Sarah Raymond, Cindy Ewing, Tricia Short, Jennifer Beecher Cooper, Derya Samadi, Beth Nordstrom Keach, Jill Hinckley Spaulding, Denise Hill Thorn Derya Samadi, Jennifer Beecher Cooper, Anne Morton August, Tina Gross Kruczynski
Rachel SolomonSolarand her son Jack Rachel SolomonSolar writes, “Hi, Dana friends! All is well as can be here! Our son freshmanandfromgraduatedJackBeaverisnowaat the University of Kentucky. How is that possible? I am not ok, FYI. My marketing/ branding business, Honor Code Creative (honorcodecreative.com), is now five years old and going strong thanks to great clients like ASICS and Big Sister Boston. I also have fun with 50+ fashion over at @heymrssolomon on Instagram. My husband Jim and I bought a place in Miami (remodeling in progress as I write this), and I am excited to see Sara Doyle James ’87 when I arrive! I’d love to know who else is close by, too! Drop a line and let’s get Classtogether.”of1989 Sarah Burgess sbgregorian@gmail.comGregorian
Summer 2022 63 Class of 1987 Lauren Karp lkkinghorn29@gmail.comKinghorn We had a wonderful show of classmates at our 35th Reunion! The Class of 1987 on Saturday night of Reunion MarybethWeekend
Class of 1988 Dana Tannenbaum hmmcphee@yahoo.comHeathernicolejames228@gmail.comNicolecahoond@gmail.comCahoon(Nikki)HickmanJamesMcPhee
Sara Thibault Morrison ’88, Hally Mix Mundel, Sarah Burgess Gregorian Hally Mix Mundel, Sara Thibault Morrison ’88, Edie Perkins, Alex Gray Wiberg (Photo by Bruce Downs) In addition to seeing Hally regularly, I (Sarah) also have a standing weekly date with Miranda Simon ’90 who is a social worker specializing in Dialectic Behavioral Therapy and managing quite the caseload. She and her husband, Jack Bisson, recently bought a house in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where they live with their three cats. We welcome anyone who wants to walk the Arnold Arboretum with us on Sundays and discuss everything under the sun, now that the weather is nice!
I hope everyone has managed to stay
Hally Mix Mundel, Gretchen Lind and I (Sarah Burgess Gregorian) celebrated with Sarah Jane O’Leary at Buff’s Pub for her recent [milestone that will remain unmentioned] birthday. I have pictures, but they’re for blackmail. Sarah Jane writes that she was on her way to an organized crime conference in Vegas and that she hasn’t been on a plane since November 2019. I was more interested in what one learns at an organized crime conference, and maybe I’ve just been spinning my wheels as a secretary at Boston College. Gretchen Lind moved to the Orlando, Fla., area this past January with her dog Bodie, and replied to my email for notes with some choice comments that I won’t repeat, but they were funny. I hope to visit her at some point but not until Florida stops being *, so probably never (sorry, Gretchen). Her daughter Anna is finishing up sophomore year at Rollins, and thrilled to her core that her mother is just 15 minutes away. Edie Perkins hosted the Kelly Brush Foundation’s charity event at the House of Blues this past March. Hally, Sara Thibault Morrison ’88 and Alex Gray Wiberg (who was on the event committee and the reason the party was so fun!) were also in attendance at the phenomenal event that raised more than a quarter of a million dollars to support active lifestyles for people with spinal cord injuries. It was really great to see everyone and to be out for one of the first big events most of us had been to since before COVID-19.
Ahern Wootton, Lisa Crounse, Jennifer (Jenny) Smith Wieting, Lauren Karp Kinghorn, Kira Jacobs and Laurie Switzer standing under Laura Stone’s memorial tree in bloom
Greetings, faithful reader(s). I have slim notes this time, but perhaps all the notes last issue really wiped everyone out.
Tracey Clark Gill writes, “We’ve been busy restoring our mid-century modern in Baltimore and donning our masks for trips to Greece, Italy and Spain over the past 12 months. Our son recently turned 13 and next year we’ll begin looking at high schools, including some boarding options. I don’t think he’s as ready to leave home as I was.”
Lisa Gordon Pearlstein writes, “We are still in Needham, Mass., and Noah and I are working hard to make sense of this crazy real estate market! Our eldest, Sadie, is finishing up her first year at University of Edinburgh. I was able to take her in September 2021 when they dropped the quarantine and my husband was excited to head out in May to pack her up. So jealous of her adventures! Now that golf season has started, you will find me fore-caddying for my younger one, Rio [a sophomore in high school], who got a job working at the Starbucks in Wellesley! Hoping all is well with everyone.”
Class of 1991 Robin Crowder
Les Bebchick, Mia Naggar, Rachel Bebchick Naggar, Gabe Naggar, Eric Naggar Cymantha Guest, Carolina Rodriguez, Tina Carolina Notosoehardjo Weber, Isabel de Antuñano, Amy Crolius, Alexa Hall Holian, Melissa Gallin Isabel de Antuñano, Nicole Rutberg Di Resta, Cymantha Guest, Melissa Gallin, Alexa Hall Holian, Rachel Bebchick Naggar, Kate Evelyn Fialky, Carolina Rodriguez Here’s an update from Tina Carolina Notosoehardjo Weber — her first ever in 30 years! She writes, “It was so much fun to see everyone at Reunion, and I’m still in disbelief that it’s been 30 years. Since the previous Reunion, I’ve started another company in the admission strategy consulting space called A Starting Line. We love working with all kinds and all ages of students across the country and seeing them get into places (private schools, colleges and graduate schools). I’m also still teaching Business and Entrepreneurship at Tufts University. For the past several years, I’ve also run the Tufts Venture Accelerator, and this year, we are adding the PreCollege Entrepreneurship Summer Program, which is very exciting. On the personal front, I’m going to be an empty nester: My son is a rising junior at Northwestern University and my daughter is graduating from high school and has chosen warmer climates at UNC Wilmington for college. I’d love to reconnect with everyone and I hope to see all of you at the next Reunion.”
Lisarcdurawa@msn.comDurawaReade
healthy and mentally sound during all this unprecedented nonsense [plague]. I hope you’re spending time with loved ones, and I would love to see each and any of you when you’re in the Boston area. It’s crazy when you think about how we all spent every day with each other for four years and now we need to make appointments to get together. Hit me up — if I can drop everything, I will (and trust me I will, I’m not an air traffic controller, or an ER doc). Sail on, look all around. Until next time, faithful reader(s).
is updating us from a hotel room in Vermont where she is visiting colleges with her daughter. They are headed to Amy Sarkis’s for a visit while seeing colleges in Boston. Lisa is still living in New York City with her two cats (by the way, Amy has four). She still sees Amy as often as possible and they text constantly when they aren’t together. Some things never change! From the crazy state of Florida, Maura Cornelius Burger reports that she is surviving! New businesses are moving along, even though there were setbacks with COVID-19. Her husband retired from Wall Street to open his own registered investment advisor business. Maura opened Ocean Air Skincare and between kids, home and work, she stays very busy! She speaks with Kristen Driscoll regularly and got to see Abbey Deitel Shavell briefly while she was in the area with her family. Maura is loving the weather in Florida — which is why they moved — and they have a new love of stand-up paddle boarding. She writes, “I miss my tribe of Dana girls!”
* Views expressed are the author’s alone Class of 1990 Elizabeth (Liz) Record Svedlund P22, 24 ersvedlund@gmail.com
After more than 20 years in Boston, Abbey moved down to Connecticut with her husband and 7-year-old daughter, Harper. It was a completely random choice brought on by quarantining with friends in Westchester at the beginning of the pandemic. She is enjoying the proximity to New York City and the country life. Margaret Sama Resto writes, “Hi, Class of ’91! I hope everyone is doing well. I’m still living in Texas (Houston area) where I own a medical spa that I have practiced in for the last six years. My twins are currently juniors and looking at colleges. My daughter loves New England, especially Tufts, so I may be spending more time in the Boston area if she heads to school up there. Fingers crossed! I haven’t seen any Dana Hall friends for a while, but still keep in touch with a few of you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at mgoebel@ Iamicilaser.com.”( Robin Crowder Durawa) continue to plug away as a school counselor and spend a lot of my work day focused on the college admission process. It sounds like a lot of our kiddos are knee deep in it. Just email me if you want some free advice or you are looking for another perspective. I love talking Classcollege!of1992 Rachel Bebchick rnaggar@gmail.comNaggar
Hello to all my favorite people! At the time of this writing, we just had a wonderful Reunion and while I (Rachel Bebchick Naggar) wish there were more of us attending, the 10 of us that did had a fantastic time together. Melissa Gallin, Alexa Hall Holian, Cymantha Guest (and her amazing kids!), Amy Crolius, Kate Evelyn Fialky, Nicole Rutberg Di Resta, Tina Carolina Notosoehardjo Weber, Isabel de Antuñano, and Carolina Rodriguez (who’s been lost in Dana’s database but now finally found!). THANK YOU: the love, the laughter, the hot flashes, all of it! We’ve decided to plan some events as we all turn 50(!) in a few years, so stay tuned! On a special note, I was truly touched to receive the Distinguished Service Award at Reunion. My father, Eric, Mia and Gabe got to attend the ceremony and it was just a special day all around.
64 Summer 2022
Class of 1993 Amelia (Amie) Margolis Haddad zoevjtimms@gmail.comZoëSilogram7@gmail.comTimms
writes, “I’m still teaching Greek language, art, archaeology and history at the University of Queensland in Brisbane as senior lecturer. In the spring, I went to a wonderful Bluesfest concert just down across the border in Byron Bay NSW with my husband, Graham Elliott, and our kids Amy Summer (9) and Mark (7). The headliners were Midnight Oil, one of my favorite bands at Dana back in the 1990s and still going strong. We had a massive flood in Brisbane in March, including the river near our house rising over 16 meters (about 45 feet) and staying up for about a week. Luckily nothing damaged at home. We’re all playing baseball locally for the Ipswich Musketeers — Graham and I for the over-35 masters’ team. I also play for the women’s team, the Lady Outlaws, mostly at second base, and we won the winter championship for South Queensland last year.”
if you want to learn more about us.” Marisa Panos and fiancé Peter Kovacs Class of 1996 Tracy Spiegel mortonkam@gmail.comKatharinetracy.foxcraft@gmail.comFox(Kate)SidellMorton Class of 1997 Kristin O’Donnell heatherjean23@hotmail.comHeatherlmclennanb@gmail.comLisakristinbedard@gmail.comBedardBrownCochraneRusso Class of 1998 Ruchira (Ruchi) chaseyounggallery@gmail.comJaneguidaemattison@gmail.comGuidaruch.kumar@gmail.comKumarEstrelaMattisonMontiYoung Class of 1999 Amanda Coyle Brooke.Murota@gmail.comBrookeamandaecoyle@gmail.comFitzgeraldAndersonMurota Class of 2000 Caroline ericawyner@gmail.comEricajillianmriley@gmail.comJilliancwdale@gmail.comDaleRileyWyner Class of 2001 Renee Towler renee.clayton82@gmail.comClayton Class of 2002 Bettina bettinalchiu@gmail.comChiu Class of 2003 Donna Elizabethdjdidome@gmail.comDiDomenico(Beth)Stuka elizabeth.stuka@gmail.comRose Class of 2004 Jazmin elise586@gmail.comElisetlubicznawrocka@gmail.comTanyajazminlechekirby@gmail.comKirbyLubicz-NawrockaValerioO’Hara
Summer 2022 65 Class of 1994 Elisabeth morray@gmail.comMorray Class of 1995 Caryn Byrnes Ameliadustinabennett@gmail.comDustinacarebear102106@gmail.comAnderson(Dusty)BennettR.Brown
Amelia R. Brown and son AustraliaQueensland,inastandingMarknearfloodedroadBrisbane, Marisa Panos writes, “Some of you may recall me dancing down the halls and choreographing anywhere on campus, as ballet, pointe and gymnastics were my passions. After graduating with a dance degree from Butler University in Indiana, I danced with Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Boston and Boston Dance Company. I retired my pointe shoes to pursue a career as a professional ballroom and Latin American dance competitor and teacher with my dance partner and fiancé Peter Kovacs. As the founders of Boston Ballroom, our dance studio, we are celebrating our 15th Anniversary. We taught dance at Emmanuel and Simmons Colleges, the Harvard ART Graduate Program, the MIT Ballroom Dance Club, the Dance Teachers Club of Boston, and the Boston Ballet Children’s Summer Workshop, served as judges at the Tufts Ballroom Dance competition and collaborated with Eat Right America to promote healthy eating and exercise. We had the privilege of choreographing the first dance and parent dance for two Dana Hall graduates marrying in 2021: Lee Ann (Weatherly) Parker ’04 and Gabrielle (Gaby) Redner ’07, with their husbands Chris Villani and Craig Simons. Working with my silver sisters to make their wedding dance dreams come true was a lot of fun. I’d like to wish them both a happy one-year anniversary. May you keep dancing with each other forever! Check out our website, bostonballroom.com,
Heather Glavin Yetman writes, “My husband and I welcomed our third son, Wyatt Ferrell Yetman, on September 9, 2021. His big brothers, Brooks and Cooper, have enjoyed adding another boy to the mix and ‘helping’ with their baby brother. I would definitely say I am staying busy as I juggle motherhood and working as a financial planner helping individuals and families plan for the future. It has been great to finally see my silver sisters in person again and we are excited to celebrate Amanda Powers’ wedding in October!”
Josh, Cameron, Isla and Harriet Prince Maggie Schepcaro writes, “My daughter Eleanor was born last July. It was a weird time, and still is, because of COVID-19, and I’ve leaned on social media to feel connected to the outside world. In turn, I’ve been more in touch with people from Dana Hall and it’s been really nice. From the diaper suggestions to the cute pics of your own lives, it’s all made me feel less alone. And there’s something very comforting about remembering you come from a place when you’re embarking on a big change. Sending lots of love!”
Anne (Annie) Yonkers writes, “After finishing my master’s degree in 2020, I got a job at Kingston University supporting explicit soft skill development in curriculum across the faculty of the arts. I love working with students across creative disciplines to help them advocate for themselves professionally when they graduate. I’ve also been lucky enough to participate in a collaborative archival research project with The William Morris Society, which culminated in an exhibit that showed both in Hammersmith and Kingston. Henry is in year three and is very excited to be learning about the Romans and Celts. In his spare time, he plays too much Zelda.”
Chelsea Kendrick Sheasley writes, “I’m living in Massachusetts with my husband and two daughters. My days are busy as a journalist for The Christian Science Monitor, covering national K-12 education news. I’m also trying my hand as a kindergarten room parent, Girl Scout volunteer and tee-ball assistant coach. Hope to catch up soon at a Dana Hall event or Reunion.”
Henry, inNewonBeckmannandLeghornYonkers,AnnieGemmaAgnes’07atripbacktoHampshireOctober2021
writes, “Our family grew in July 2021 as we welcomed our baby boy, Leo. He is growing so fast, and we are enjoying every minute of it. I am currently working at Mass General Brigham, and we are still living in Charlestown, Mass. If you are in the Boston area, I would love to reconnect!”
Class of 2007 Agnes Caitlinhilaryeo@gmail.comHilarybeckmann.agnes@gmail.comBeckmannO’HairedeCristo writes, “My husband Chris and I got married on Cape Cod in September 2021. It was wonderful having Nora Godkin and Laura Edelman there to celebrate. After 10 years in New York City, Chris and I moved to Austin, Texas. In 2019, I left my career in digital advertising to become a registered nurse. I
Katherine (Katie) Wadsworth writes, “My family and I relocated to the U.S. at the start of COVID-19, after six years of life in the U.K. We had our second child, a daughter we call Imogen, in June 2020, while living with my parents in Wellesley, Mass. In early 2021, we moved again, this time to my husband’s hometown in San Antonio, Texas. I spent last year on maternity leave and building our first home. In January 2022, we moved in, and shortly after I started a new job as the global director of Strategy & Planning at Otrium, an off-price fashion marketplace that prevents end-of-season inventory from going to landfill by selling it to conscious consumers globally. Life is busy and moving fast, but we make the effort to spend time together with the people we love, including our first trip back to London in March of this year to visit family and friends we hadn’t seen since the pandemic began. All in all, very grateful for the blessings in our lives.”
66 Summer 2022 Class of 2005 Elizabeth (Lizzy) rosscae@gmail.comCarolineelpond@gmail.comPondRoss Class of 2006 Gemma Nathaliegemma.leghorn@gmail.comLeghornSanchezColeman
Kristina Thompson writes, “I’ve been living and studying/working in the Netherlands for the past six years. In February, I defended my Ph.D. at the Free University of Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). I also began working as an assistant professor at Wageningen University & Research in the Health and Society Department, where I previously studied. I am so excited to be No. 1 employed, No. 2 working alongside really wonderful people, and No. 3 researching the social determinants of health from a quantitative perspective (my jam). On a more personal note, I live in Amsterdam with my partner. I really love catching up with Dana folks when I am home in Massachusetts. If you find yourself in Amsterdam, let me know!”
Cooper, Heather, Wyatt, Kevin and Brooks Yetman
Harriet Groppe Prince writes, “My husband and I are still living in Framingham and are enjoying life as a family of four! We welcomed our baby boy, Cameron, on August 9, 2021. He is in love with his big sister and she is very sweet with him as long as he isn’t trying to play with her toys. I am working part-time at Noble and Greenough and I have started a new career as a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. If anyone is looking to buy or sell in Massachusetts, I’d love to help! Feel free to reach out to me at commonmoves.com.”harriet.prince@
Sommer Thomas writes, “I had a super busy 2021. It began with eloping in January, job promotion in March, and then purchasing a house and having a bigger wedding in August 2021! Oh, and now I know how to complete a DIY bathroom remodel (would not recommend, ha)! Shout out to my Sir Lady Steve silver sisters! You know who are. Sail on, sail far.”
Jacquelyn
Class of 2008 (Jacquie)
writes, “I enjoyed my first year at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. I took a plethora of classes, including art and mathematics courses, as I may plan to focus my studies in these areas. I have amazing friends on campus including Alli Sibold ’20 who I will see every so often. I enjoyed my studies and the lively social life here as it motivates me. This summer, I plan to work at a vacation camp in New Hampshire that my family and I have attended for many years. I will also be working aside my sister C.C. Dent ’18 and look forward to my sophomore year ahead!”
nicolesuen0119@gmail.comYinjacqueline.oleary2@gmail.comJacquelinejemaggiore@gmail.comMaggiore(Jackie)O’LearyLing(Nicole)Suen Class of 2009 Emily cltaylor1019@gmail.comCandaceemaline.surgenor@gmail.comEmalineemily.soukas@gmail.comSoukasSurgenorTaylor Class of 2010 Catherine (Cat) walkerp.10@gmail.comPaigeblakelockc@gmail.comBlakelockWalker Class of 2011 Katie katiejadejones@aol.comJones Emily knebele@mail.missouri.eduKnebel Class of 2012 Eleanor (Ellie) savannah.raiten@maine.eduSavannahellie.giovanetti@me.comGiovanettiRaiten Class of 2013 Madeline (Maddie) madjulsch@gmail.comSchneider Class of 2014 Emily stephaniewolf96@gmail.comStephanieaer@rohall.comAshleygreichlin@suffolk.eduGabrielaemartin2495@gmail.comEmilyemilykelman@gmail.comKelmanMartin(Gaby)ReichlinRohallWolf Class of 2015 Luyang (Grace) jessicaunique21@hotmail.comNinghaleybpresent@gmail.comHaleyrebecca.ohman@danahall.orgRebeccaluyangliusx@gmail.comLiu(Becky)OhmanPresent(Jessica)Xie Class of 2016 Abigail (Abby) abbysfrechette@gmail.comFrechette Class of 2017 Julia juliamoynihan10@gmail.comMoynihan Class of 2018 Caroline richryla@grinnell.eduRylandjennyhyjung@gmail.comJenniferccohen926@gmail.comCohen(Jenny)JungRich Class of 2019 Panipuck (Pani) audreyyelee@gmail.comAudreyscanales2001@gmail.comSaidapani.bheng@gmail.comBhengsriCanalesLee
Hilary O’Haire Pinkerton writes, “My husband, 2-year-old daughter and I recently moved from Boston to Mansfield, Mass., and have been getting to know the area and adjusting to suburb life. Sending well wishes to all of our classmates who were able to go to Reunion! Can’t believe it has been 15 years.”
Summer 2022 67 graduated from Columbia University with my master’s in nursing in 2020 and began working as a surgical nurse at NYU Langone. I am now working as an ICU nurse at the Heart Hospital of Austin.”
Class of 2020 Maya xuyangannie2001@gmail.comYangAllison.sibold@yahoo.comAllisonMayadarville4559@gmail.comDarville(Alli)Sibold(Annie)Xu
Alexccsullivan36@gmail.comCharlotteshadankh23@gmail.comShadanchloenicole223@gmail.comChloeainsleybonang@gmail.comBonangFrancoKhalidSullivanDent
you
Class of 2021 Ainsley
Former World Languages faculty Nikki Descoteaux passed away on March 27 after a nearly 4-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Nikki taught French at Dana Hall from 1971-1983. Virginia Simpson Aisner, former Classic Department faculty member from 19751980, died of metastatic breast cancer on May 29. While she taught at Dana Hall, Virginia met her spouse, James Aisner, who was later named head of the Classics Department. They married in 1981.
68 Summer 2022 Class of 2022 Huiyuan (Nicole) danias.floreslopez@gmail.comDaniachenhuiyuan0519@gmail.comChenSofiaFloresLopez
1937 Susan Bulfinch Ritger 4/23/20221941 Emily Frederick DiMaggio 2/21/20221945 Grace Fletcher Gordon 2/23/20221946 Peggy Smith Pratt 2/10/20221947 Ann Learnard Bowman 4/13/20221948 Nancy Wood Wellman 3/12/20221951 Martha Goodell 3/25/2022 Eleanor Fischel Ruben 4/6/20221955 Elizabeth Blackinton Crawford 2/28/20221961 Jane Emerson Linnell 4/24/20221974 Christina Pesek Glen 3/24/2022 In Memoriam
Former Faculty Jacqueline (Jackie) Rogers, who served as Director of the Health Center in the 1980s and ’90s, passed away on January 28. Jackie also served on the Counseling Team and the Safety Committee, and was a member of the Drug and Alcohol Core Group. Her husband, William O. Rogers III, was a member of the English Department. Their son, Duncan M. Rogers, writes, “I had the good fortune to grow up on campus and even appear in several of the school’s theatrical productions. On top of which both my brother and I held our wedding receptions on campus.”
At the time of its planning and construction, the building represented a bold vision that ushered in a new era at Dana Hall. Former Archivist Pam Kaplan wrote, “In the 1940s, [Headmistress] Mrs. Alnah Johnston began planning for new buildings at Dana Hall. She realized that to compete with other educational institutions, Dana had to have modern and fireproof facilities. The land around the Pond was recommended as the site for the new Dana Hall. In 1947, the Trustees gave active support to the Building Fund and began to formulate building plans. This decision was a turning point in the history of the School. The Classroom Building was ready for students in September 1956, the start of Dana Hall’s 75th year. At the dedication, Judge Dewing, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, addressed Mrs. Johnston, “This new Classroom Building is the result of your dream.You were not satisfied with dreaming.You worked energetically and inspired others to work with you.”
As work begins to revitalize the building to meet the needs of 21st-century learners (see page 24), the Bulletin went into the Nina Heald Weber ’49 Archives to look at the early days of the building that has served as Dana Hall’s academic center for 66 years. Top to bottom: History class, fall 1956; The February 1956 Bulletin highlighted the Classroom Building construction project; Study Hall, November 1957; Art Studio, November 1957; Building under construction, August 1956; Science Class, 1957
In September 1956, the Upper School Classroom Building opened its doors to Dana Hall students and faculty. Former English teacher Winifred Post described the scene in “Purpose and Personality”The Story of Dana Hall: “With workmen underfoot and classrooms cluttered with cans of paint, classes opened right on schedule in quarters so beautiful, so spacious that teachers were at first in awe of the new magnificence.”
A Closer Look
The Early Days of the Classroom Building
DANA HALL SCHOOL 45 Dana Road / P.O. Box 9010 Wellesley, MA 02482-9010 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page 26 MEET THE CLASS OF 2022! The Class of 2022 has traveled a journey like no other, but they are strong, compassionate and ready to take on the world. Page 24 ARCHITECTING THE DANA HALL EXPERIENCE - Work has begun on a major project to revitalize the Upper School Classroom Building. Page 37 DISTINGUISHED YOUNG ALUMNA AWARD HONOREE - Determined to pay it forward, Marynee Pontes ’12 gives back in both her professional and personal life. Non-Profit Org. USPERMITPOSTAGEPAID#375Nashua,NH
