Worcester Hilltopper Winter 2019-2020

HILLTOPPER WA’s Strategic Plan

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CAMPUS MASTER PLAN FACULTY PERSPECTIVE REUNION WEEKEND COMMENCEMENT 2019 REPORT ON ANNUAL GIVING BRIAN O’CONNELL REMEMBERED winter 2019–2020 VOLUME XXVIII / ISSUE 1

CONTENTS

4

unveiling our strategic plan

16

introducing our master plan

WINTER 2019–2020

contents

24

faculty perspective: part II

28

reunion weekend 2019

44

meet head monitor Carlin Stewart ’20

52 commencement 2019

departments 34 40 49 51 56 59 70

40 coach Jamie Sullivan is in the neighborhood

ALUMNI NEWS ON THE HILLTOP THE MIDDLE WA ATHLETICS GIVING NEWS CHECKING IN PASSINGS

76

report on annual giving

the

HILLTOPPER

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

officers & members

winter 2019–2020

VOLUME XXVIII / ISSUE 1

President James J. Pietro ’81, P’11,’14,’19 First Vice President Sarah Sullivan Pulsifer ’91

Treasurer Jonathan S. Stuart ’86

Head of School

Ronald M. Cino P’21,’22,’24

Hilltopper Editor

Neil R. Isakson P’15,’19

Graphic Designer

Good Design LLC

Benny Sato Ambush ’69 Sava Berhané, J.D. ’03 Jamie Lavin Buzzard ’02 Courtney Carr Henry Dormitzer III ’88 R. Victor Fields ’71 Matthew Finkle ’87 David P. Forsberg ’65, P’91,’94 Michal Grabias ’11 J. Michael Grenon ’88 William Haddad ’92 Susan Weagly Jacobs, J.D. P’03 Dana R. Levenson ’75, P’18,’21 Andrew B. O’Donnell, Esq. ’73,

P’03,’05,’07,’10 Megan O’Leary P’20,’22 Jacqueline Peterson Susan Puryear P’19,’21 Robert Scumaci P’15,’18 David V. Shamoian ’70 Luke M. Vaillancourt ’01

Photography

Alexander Aghjayan ’11 Ursula Arello ’85, P’21 David Barron, Oxygen Group Drew Forsberg ’91 Alicia Figueiredo Barbara Gould Hockmeyer With Barksdale Photography Neil Isakson P’15,’19 Tom Kates Photography Mike Nyman Photography Taylor Perry, New England Photo Booth Kim Stone

Advancement Office

Kim Stone, Director of Development Ursula A. Arello ’85, P’21, Director of Donor and Alumni Engagement Frank R. Callahan ’71, Director of Planned Giving Alicia Figueiredo, Manager of Alumni Programs and Events Neil R. Isakson P’15,’19, Director of Operations and External Communications Mark E. Lufkin, Senior Development Officer Anette Macintire P’22, Development Database Coordinator Dexter P. Morse, Headmaster Emeritus Katherine E. Morse, Communications Editorial Assistant Erica Driscoll Ribeiro P’20,’24, Director of Annual Giving Marketing and Participation Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47, GP’12,’17,’19, Special Assistant to the Head of School

Contributing Writers

MISSION

Worcester Academy exists to instill in its students the desire to learn throughout life, to engage passionately with the world around them, and to be honorable persons of strong and resourceful character.

Cheryl Bardoe is a visiting educator, author, and a frequent writer in the educational field. She contributed to both the Strategic Plan and Master Plan feature stories in this issue.

Vy Nguyen ’19 worked in the Development Office while completing her Worcester Academy Graduation Project. She is now a freshman at Northeastern University.

Caroline Reich P’06,’08 is a former development staffer for Worcester Academy. She and her husband, Joel Reich, are benefactors of the Summer Scholars Program, which serves children living in the WA neighborhood.

CORE VALUES

We are a community—curious, thoughtful, generous, and thriving in our diversity. We embrace each of our core values as essential to the mission of Worcester Academy and as testimony of our beliefs and commitments.

HONOR | RESPECT | COMMUNITY | PERSONAL GROWTH | CHALLENGE

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The Hilltopper is published twice yearly by Worcester Academy.

Reader comment, as well as information of interest, is always welcome.

Please write to Neil R. Isakson, Director of Operations and External Communications, at Worcester Academy, 81 Providence St., Worcester, MA 01604, or email neil.isakson@worcesteracademy.org.

2015 Case DI Bronze Award winner for Best Designed Magazine 2016 CASE DI Silver Award winner for General Excellence, Independent School Magazines

ON THE COVER Worcester Academy Board of Trustees President James Pietro ’81, P’11,’14,’19 and Head of School Ron Cino P’21,’22,’24.

(Tom Kates Photography)

Oluwadamilola “Josh” Ogundele ’20 outside the St. John’s Church Food Pantry in Worcester where Worcester Academy students regularly volunteer their time.

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Unveiling Our Strategic Plan 2019–2024 “This is what excellence looks like in a school— and it radiates through our academics and the character of our faculty, students, and alumni!”

It is with great satisfaction and appreciation that we present our Strategic Plan, which is rooted in the best practices of our field. This vision challenges us to clarify what a Worcester Academy education represents and how to align our pedagogy to fit the future. At the same time, it reinforces our commitment to maintaining the best of our time-tested traditions and values. This is what excellence looks like in a school—and it radiates through our academics and the character of our faculty, students, and alumni!

The Strategic Plan is the result of a thorough, thoughtful process that included all WA constituencies. Our Board of Trustees identified five priorities for consideration, each of which had a dedicated committee of faculty, staff, and trustees. We incorporated the perspectives of students and parents through surveys and other outreach. We also conducted in-depth research of demographic trends, the educational landscape, and what economic leaders recognize as critical skills that students need for their futures. Implementing this plan will also be a truly collaborative endeavor. Strategic planning is an ongoing exercise with regular opportunities to seek feedback and assess progress. This is an innovative process that becomes enmeshed in the daily work of being responsive to our WA students and community.

In the coming pages, you will find our five key priorities, each delineated with a specific set of goals. In addition, the committee co-chairs for developing each priority elaborate on how the goals fit into the life of our school. The priorities are tightly integrated in such a way that progress on any one point feeds the others. Campus enhancements brought about through Organizational Alignment, for example, directly relate to our goals for reinforcing community in Our Culture.

Developing a new schedule to impact the educational experience will also support our initiatives in Urban Leadership.

And, so on.

Since 1834, WA has been sending alumni into the world with the skills, inspiration, and core values to “Achieve the Honorable.” This Strategic Plan strengthens our ability to serve current and future generations of students. Much of this work is already underway. Through ongoing professional development and program evolution, we have laid a solid foundation for achieving our goals. We are highly motivated and in a state of readiness to go even deeper in fulfilling the promise of our mission throughout the 21st century. We are grateful to you for joining us on this journey and embracing this bold, dynamic vision for Worcester Academy.

Ronald M. Cino, Head of School James J. Pietro ’81, President, Board of Trustees

Worcester Academy

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GOALS

STRATEGIC PRIORITY

3.

Educational Experience Worcester Academy students will graduate prepared to lead and thrive in a highly competitive, rapidly evolving world having gained critical knowledge and skills from a rigorous, distinctive, and transformative educational program.

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1.

2.

4.

Create an innovative plan of study that builds mastery and deep understanding of our core curriculum and develops the core skills of problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and cultural competence.

Align our educational goals with research to ensure our students’ success at WA and to prepare our graduates for the challenges and opportunities they will have in college and in their careers.

Ensure that our educational experience is equitable and inclusive, diverse in perspectives, and rich in conversations about our world.

Develop a schoolwide calendar and daily schedule that is fluid and flexible, facilitates deeper student and adult engagement inside and outside of the classroom, improves the quality of community life, and is true to our educational mission and goals.

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PERSPECTIVE At WA, we believe that learning can—and should—happen anywhere, any time. We offer a rigorous education that reaches across disciplines, beyond classroom walls, through multiple modalities. With the guiding principles of our Portrait of a Learner, we cultivate global citizens with a growth mindset.

The Strategic Plan strengthens our resolve to offer an innovative curriculum that emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and cultural competence.

Our faculty already think outside the box to make learning active and relevant. Ninth-grade English and history teachers are collaborating on a course that examines the origins and evolutions of cities by using case studies from Worcester to explore the significance and challenges of cities around the world. In engineering, students design, 3-D print, and then test different models for wind turbine blades. Meanwhile, every WA senior applies knowledge and skills to a substantive graduation project that involves career exploration, service learning, or the creation of a masterwork or capstone thesis. Possibilities for future initiatives include more multidisciplinary learning strands and WA-designed online courses that allow students to dive deeper into specific areas of interest.

Strategic Plan goals also strengthen the professional development that keeps our pedagogy and practices rooted in the

latest educational research. Last year, we piloted Professional Learning Groups, during which all faculty met with peers around one of 12 topics, including assessments and grading, student voice, and integrating technology into the classroom.

This has become one of many ways faculty stay abreast of current educational trends as we provide the highest quality education for WA students. This work also informs our planning and preparation to deliver an educational experience that is equitable and inclusive of the diverse perspectives and backgrounds that students bring to the hilltop from nearly 100 local cities and towns, a dozen U.S. states, and two dozen countries around the globe.

Redeveloping our daily schedule and school calendar will create new flexibility to deliver on these goals. This means scheduling time to facilitate cross-curricular activities, for students to engage with off-campus partners, and for our community to assemble together on campus. Making it possible for all Upper School students to have lunch at the same time and for all Middle School students to eat lunch together will strengthen bonds and increase opportunities for collaboration.

This is an exciting time to be at WA as the Strategic Plan sets out a vision that is authentically grounded in dynamic work that is already occurring—and that inspires us to reach even higher.

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Barbara Ahalt, Associate Head of School Kirk Upton, Faculty/Director of New Faculty Programming/ Director of Institutional Research

Worcester Academy

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Our Culture

GOALS 1.

2.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY Promote a healthy, positive, and thriving campus culture that is rooted in “Achieving the Honorable” and centered in our core values of Honor, Respect, Community, Personal Growth, and Challenge.

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3.

Foster a clear and unified sense of community identity that aligns with Worcester Academy’s unique mission, values, and history.

Intentionally and deliberately cultivate among all learners at WA the social and emotional skills and competencies that enable and empower them to participate and grow to their fullest potential in keeping with our mission of learning throughout life, engaging with the world around them, and being honorable persons of strong and resourceful character.

Explore the meaning and value of equity and inclusion at WA and articulate it in a clear schoolwide statement of equity and inclusion.

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PERSPECTIVE The WA culture is composed of the innumerable ways in which our values are realized every day. It infuses our curriculum and every interaction among faculty, students, and our community.

Highlighting this priority in the Strategic Plan gives us an invaluable opportunity to discuss what it means to “Achieve the Honorable” and to make our efforts to enhance Academy culture intentional and consistent.

Research shows that schools with comprehensive socialemotional curricula have measurable increases in academic performance. This is because skills relating to self-advocacy, time-management, goal-setting, and life balance promote healthy success in every area of life. Our strong faculty advisors and existing wellness days reflect ways in which WA is already aligned with best practices in this area. The Strategic Plan provides momentum to make social-emotional learning more explicit and integrated throughout each school day.

WA has a long history of valuing diversity as integral to our community. We encourage students to embrace difference as they build self-awareness, cultural competency, and an appreciation for others. In recent years, our faculty have been inspired by the essential question, “How do we honor and harness the power in our stories?” Through this lens, everyone

belongs, and everyone matters. Moving forward, we will revisit our diversity mission statement, approved by the Board of Trustees in 2006, to convey a more comprehensive concept of equity and inclusion. Guided by this, we will review curricula and programs to ensure that they reflect the latest research and practices for being culturally responsive.

Our Strategic Plan also challenges us to consider how we foster a unified sense of community. Our campus brings together students from nearby and far away, and from grades 6–12 and postgraduates, including day students and boarders.

As we review the daily schedule, we will identify more opportunities for the whole Middle School to come together, for the whole Upper School to come together, and for the Academy as a whole to come together. We will further develop the connections between our divisions so that middle and upper school students can each benefit from peer mentorship and a strong sense of community.

Strategic planning lies at the heart of what it means to be an educator—simultaneously appreciating what we have while also striving to do better. We are grateful to all faculty, students, families, alumni, and partners for their contributions to our thriving WA culture.

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Rebecca Yacono, Director of Middle School Patricia Peterleitner, Former Director of Upper School

Worcester Academy

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Urban Leadership STRATEGIC PRIORITY Be an active partner and catalyst for change in our neighborhood and the broader community.

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GOALS 1.

2.

Strategically connect our academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs locally and globally to create meaningful, memorable, and relevant learning experiences and partnerships that make a positive impact outside of ourselves.

Leverage our master planning outcomes and build a campaign case to attract resources that will improve our campus experience, catalyze economic and cultural revitalization of our immediate neighborhood, and expand our engagement with the broader community.

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PERSPECTIVE Urban Leadership is woven into the fabric of WA because the Academy has long been an integral part of the city. We are fortunate to be part of a growing metropolis and recognize that as Worcester flourishes, we must continue to be an essential part of it. The Strategic Plan highlights our ongoing, evolutionary work in this area, the outcomes of which may be revolutionary. The world is changing fast and the ability to apply classroom lessons to real world experiences is the most authentic way possible to prepare students for their futures. A boarding school in an urban setting represents an amazing opportunity for students to realize that the world is bigger than themselves and to acquire a wide range of skills and experiences that will set them apart during future college years and careers.

When our students interact with the city of Worcester as an extension of the classroom, they explore aspects of urban environments that are relevant around the globe. Through our Building Bridges program, WA sixth graders join with peers from nearby Union Hill Elementary School for a series of events that encourage all participants to embrace themselves and to expand their cultural competency. In eighth grade, students visit owners of Korean, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, and other ethnic-based food markets and then produce a

consumer guide to promote the shops. Our advanced algebra class has launched a three-year study to track the economic impact of the Red Sox Triple-A baseball team that is relocating to Worcester. In the Upper School, classes take students off campus to apply language skills by interviewing local entrepreneurs and community leaders who are native speakers of Spanish and French. WA students also engage regularly in meaningful service learning, with more than a third of our seniors receiving the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

These are just a few examples, and we are excited that the Strategic Plan brings the opportunity to do even more.

All such WA programs are grounded in a foundation of respect, values, and reciprocity. Thus, students discover that relationships grow strongest through shared investment and reward. The Strategic Plan calls on us to build mutually beneficial connections with local residents, businesses, and social and cultural institutions. It also sets forth the concept of leveraging our Master Plan to improve our campus experience and spark revitalization of our immediate neighborhood.

We are proud to be an Academy that draws students from our metro area, across the country, and around the world. We are delighted that the Strategic Plan solidifies our commitment to being integral in each of these circles.

COMMITTEE CHAIR Aaron Stephenson, Faculty

Worcester Academy

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Organizational O rganizational Alignment STRATEGIC PRIORITY Align our financial, physical, and human resources and policies and practices with our strategic vision and priorities.

GOALS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Human Resources: Ensure fair, equitable, and transparent policies regarding employee compensation, professional learning, and evaluation.

Campus Master Planning: Invest resources to address short- and longterm campus needs in the service of the Mission, Core Values, and Vision and to positively impact our neighborhood.

Enrollment Management: Through marketing and pricing strategies, recruit and retain mission-appropriate students and families to help us meet our optimum enrollment mix.

Program Management: Ensure that our programs operate efficiently and with appropriately allocated resources and that our program development is equitable and transparent.

Diversification of Revenues: Reduce reliance on traditional net tuition revenue growth to support operations.

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PERSPECTIVE The goals of the Organizational Alignment priority represent behind-the-scenes processes that make it possible for WA to carry out its work in classrooms, around campus, and throughout the community. Families often ask about our future goals as an organization. They value how WA will support and challenge their students, and they want assurance that the school is on sound footing to deliver on the promise of its mission. Human resources, infrastructure, and financial resources are like the three legs of a stool for any organization. The Strategic Plan charts a course for maintaining the vital equilibrium of these operations to make WA successful and sustainable for generations to come.

Human Resources is tasked with ensuring that our faculty and staff are appropriately compensated and supported.

This includes consistent policies and transparent communication about staff assignments and benefits, plus equitable access to opportunities for professional growth. Attracting and retaining people with the highest caliber of professionalism and a deep commitment to education is critical for ensuring the best experience for our students. Meanwhile,

Enrollment Management is intentional about attracting families whose interests correspond with WA’s educational milieu and in making the WA experience accessible to a broad range of constituencies. Updated market research will enhance these efforts.

Our Master Plan outlines a vision for redeveloping historic spaces and further developing new spaces to better support our students and wider community. As we think about our space in concentric circles, we are reviewing plans to enhance our core campus and integrate WA even more deeply into the surrounding neighborhood that is part of our extended campus. Program Management and Diversification of Revenues goals are both about allocating resources effectively and maximizing organizational stability. The Strategic Plan adds to our momentum in using these lenses to identify areas for refinement and growth.

We are proud that every initiative launched under the banner of Organizational Alignment is deeply intertwined with the other goals of the Strategic Plan because everything we do is in service to our WA mission and students.

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Meghan Bennett, Director of Enrollment Management Tom DiConza, Chief Financial Officer

Worcester Academy

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Advancement A dvancement & Development STRATEGIC PRIORITY Promote and leverage the value of the Worcester Academy experience for enhanced enrollment, fundraising, and deeper relationships within our community.

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GOALS 1.

2.

3.

Clarify, embrace, and market our unique identity in the independent school marketplace. Communicate it widely; employ it persistently.

Build programs and systems that serve to create, maintain, and grow relationships with those in the WA community: alumni, donors, current and prospective families, and other stakeholders.

Increase fundraising dollars in support of the implementation of the strategic and master plans to levels set forth by the board.

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PERSPECTIVE WA’s purpose for existence is to create lifelong learners who engage passionately with the world around them. Our core values call on us to lead lives of honor, respect, community, personal growth, and challenge. As a result, our entire program is infused with the ethic that WA faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni, families, and partners are contributing members of a community that is larger than ourselves.

The goals of our Strategic Plan reinforce how we articulate this unique identity as we strengthen bonds beyond the boundaries of our campus. The stories we share about the everyday experience and impact of WA demonstrate our mission and values. As those stories resonate, they expand our community even as they knit it closer together. The Strategic Plan also recognizes the value of maintaining programs and systems to help alumni, donors, and others stay connected to each other and to the institution. Cultivating authentic relationships enhances our ability to serve students and the broader WA community.

WA has a long history of being a community that gives more than it takes. We foster a culture of philanthropy that centers on kindness, gratitude, and making a difference. Giving at WA is active and joyful and centers us in

relationship with one another. This culture is evident every fall when parents organize the Parent Sign-a-thon, where they come to socialize, be inspired, and sign letters asking others to join them in supporting the Annual Fund. This ethic is also represented by alumni in alumni giving. Supporters like Michael Tien ’68, who gifted $100,000 to establish The Fund for Professional Learning to sustain faculty in continually evolving their practice to support student growth. Our students know that gifts of any level are an investment in the community that sustains them now and into the future.

Grateful WA graduates pay this investment forward to the school and society in a myriad of ways.

Highlighting Advancement and Development as the final priority of our Strategic Plan recognizes how this work underpins WA’s mission. Every scholarship, every program, every building at WA benefits from these efforts. WA is such an incredible institution today because of how those who came before us worked to develop and strengthen the school.

Everyone will have a part to play in bringing the current Strategic Plan to fruition. We look forward to partnering with you in the coming years as we work together to make WA all that it can be for our students. W

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Kim Stone, Director of Development Edward Reilly, Director of Athletics

Worcester Academy

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ILLUSTRATION: LONELY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Introducing Our

Campus Master Plan Like any organization, a school must evolve and grow as society changes. We are proud that WA has always been willing to challenge itself in the pursuit of education, demonstrating a pragmatic ability to ignore fleeting fads and instead focus in on major shifts that impact students’ lives.

Our core values will continue to guide us into the future, as WA constantly strives to deliver on those values in deeper ways. The Strategic Plan, and the accompanying Master Plan that is outlined in the following pages, will sustain WA to reach even more students, with an educational experience that is even more complete. Along the way, WA will also become even more interwoven into the fabric of our extended community.

The Master Plan will generate immediate benefits and longterm impact. It also reflects excellent stewardship because it focuses on using our historic buildings to full capacity before adding structures. Each phase creates new spaces—and thus new opportunities—for WA students and faculty to come together for learning, collaborating, and socializing. Every phase also has a community component, recognizing WA as a partner with our neighbors in the growth and direction of our immediate surroundings. Over time, these enhancements will increase WA’s competitiveness in the educational marketplace—offering a historic campus with modern facilities to serve contemporary students.

WA is fortunate to be an established institution in a city with national and global ties, and which has experienced

a renaissance in recent years. The nearby Canal District is lively with shops and restaurants, and the relocation of Boston’s Triple-A Major League Baseball team to Worcester will maintain this trend. Recently, Worcester Academy was named the Official Independent School Partner of the Worcester Red Sox, which will debut in a new $100M stadium just blocks from WA in 2021. The initiative continues the Academy’s lead role in the vibrant transformation of the city. Additional WA partnerships include: MetroWest/Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity, building homes in our neighborhood; the new Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, home to WA boys and girls hockey teams, located on nearby Harding Street; and Union Hill Elementary School, which enjoys extensive access to Worcester Academy’s Morse Field for recess, physical education classes, and annual spree days. WA students also regularly partner with Union Hill students for joint activities and programs at both Union Hill School and Worcester Academy. Increasingly, families want an education that accesses all that a thriving city has to offer, and WA is well-positioned to fill this need.

Step-by-step, the Master Plan will transform our campus in dynamic ways. The Strategic Plan priorities are worthwhile for current students and families, for the larger community, and for society as a whole. While implementing such a vision will take time and commitment, we have the momentum and the wisdom to proceed, knowing that what we do now will affect generations to come.

Ronald M. Cino, Head of School James J. Pietro ’81, President, Board of Trustees Ronald M. Cino says the Master Plan will generate immediate benefits and long-term impact. > 16 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

“Each phase creates new spaces—and thus new opportunities—for WA students and faculty to come together for learning, collaborating, and socializing.”

Worcester Academy

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Positioning WA for the Future Every element of the Master Plan is designed to serve WA students now and to uphold the school’s ability to deliver the highest quality of education for future generations. Great care and thought have gone into this sequence of actions so that each advance spurs exponential growth in opportunities.

In Phase 1, for example, renovating the lower levels of Adams and the Megaron addresses an urgent need for campus dining space that can accommodate either the complete Upper School or the complete Middle School. The building of the new athletic center on the South Campus will allow us to use Daniels Gymnasium to create a dining hall that accommodates the entire school. We will then repurpose renovated spaces in Adams and the Megaron to support curricular activities in the core of our academic hub. In the short term, this chain of events strengthens our community and removes constraints so that we can refine our daily schedule to best support our academic program.

It simultaneously makes vital space available to respond to future school needs. In this way, every point in our Master Plan is a significant piece of the mosaic that composes WA’s campus.

WA recognizes the critical importance of its physical plant to accomplishing our mission. Education is delivered in the context of community. It requires spaces that support intellectual, social-emotional, and physical growth across a wide array of activities relating to academics, arts, athletics, and service learning. It also needs flexibility to adapt and stay relevant in a constantly changing world. Our Master Plan represents a perfect blending of the past, the present, and the future. As we renovate our historic buildings, we are honoring the grand architecture that identifies WA as a place of inspirational learning. We are also creating state-of-the-art buildings that meet contemporary standards for sustainability and will continue to attract and serve students for years to come.

David Shamoian ’70, Board of Trustees, Chair of Buildings and Grounds Committee 18 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

“Our Master Plan represents a perfect blending of the past, the present, and the future.”

The Process

“Focusing on reuse of existing spaces, with minimal new construction, is both fiscally responsible and reflective of WA’s commitment to sustainability.”

Our firm began working with Worcester Academy in 2017 to develop the Master Plan. We visited campus to tour buildings and get to know the surrounding neighborhood. After understanding the physical environment, we met with stakeholder groups to explore how spaces are currently used, compared to how people would like to use them. We heard from faculty, staff, students, and supporters about every aspect of campus life, from academics to athletics, from the boarding experience to being a day student. Throughout these conversations, we uncovered important themes: WA is a tightknit community looking to further strengthen relationships; it values historic beauty and future sustainability; it promotes life balance that integrates academic, social-emotional, and physical growth. With these ideas in mind, we then visualized how campus spaces could be reconfigured and renovated to better support this thriving community.

The value of historic buildings on a campus is irreplaceable.

They remind faculty and students that the work being done now is built on work completed in the past. Similarly, “who” an institution is today is its foundation for tomorrow. A key benefit of WA’s iconic buildings is that they house significant spaces that are underutilized. Focusing on reuse of existing spaces, with minimal new construction, is both fiscally responsible and reflective of WA’s commitment to sustainability. Any investments made in those spaces have impact now and in the future.

Places matter. At WA, students learn not just in the classroom, but throughout the campus and the city of Worcester. They learn from faculty, they learn from each other, and they learn from the community. The Master Plan is so strongly aligned with the goals of the Strategic Plan because investing in these physical changes is vital for bringing this vision to life.

Dennis Swinford, Higher Education Planning Practice Leader, Goody Clancy Worcester Academy

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PHASE 1: Piloting Spaces From the beginning, our Master Plan focuses on building community and increasing opportunities. Phase 1 kicks off with a series of changes that will create big impact with small financial investment.

Removing car traffic from our Quad will transform vital green space into a student-centered landscape where people can gather to soak up the grandeur of our beech trees and historic buildings. Currently, cars impede this vista, adding emissions, noise, and a constant reminder to be cautious when entering or exiting the Quad. Relocating parking and reimagining this space will directly support our strategic priorities because research shows the value of being outside for stimulating our brains and promoting wellness.

Indoors, we will connect all levels of Megaron, Adams, and Walker by adding an elevator. This will make available space in the basement, which is currently used only for storage but

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can instead be used to expand dining hall seating—one of our most urgent needs for increasing community connectivity.

In addition, a staircase will encircle the elevator core, with niches where people can pause to interact. Similarly, adding furniture to Walker hallways and making cosmetic changes to dorm common rooms will encourage informal conversations outside of class.

This phase also increases the visibility of the innovative work transpiring at WA. Dedicating space in Kellner for a maker studio and in Kingsley for displaying student work is a clear commitment of resources that will inspire deeper student engagement.

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PHASE 2: Focus on South Campus WA is grateful to the foresight of past leaders in purchasing the land for our South Campus, which is already home to the popular Performance Center and Morse Field.

Adding a state-of-the-art Athletic and Wellness Center to this zone is key to WA’s future. The only new building proposed in WA’s Master Plan, this center will add much needed space to support a holistic view of student life.

Phase 2 also includes further investment in the pedestrian routes that link our historic core and south campus. Streetscape improvements and thoughtfully sited parking will extend the character of WA’s core campus.

Worcester Academy

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PHASE 3: Creative Reuse of Historic Assets

Relocating athletic facilities to our South Campus will unlock tremendous potential for our core campus to focus on collaborative and creative living and learning.

The “new gym” in Daniels Hall will be converted into a dining space large enough to seat the whole school. The gym floor would accommodate about 570 diners, while a second-level terrace would accommodate an additional 120 seats. This multifunctional space would also host all-school events, along with other uses by students and faculty.

This phase will apply feedback from ongoing development of specialized learning spaces that were introduced on a smaller scale in Phase 1. The old gym presents an ideal opportunity to scale up our maker studio. The large, open space of the gym building will allow a large common work area, with specialized tools, plus adjacent classrooms. The pool deck and balcony will be redesigned as a collaborative learning commons with study rooms for groups and individuals surrounding an open space for collaborating and gathering. A “grand staircase” will create a strong connection between the areas and provide impromptu presentation space.

This phase will also see a more purposeful separation of middle and upper schools, an enhanced library and student services space, residential renovations, and further measures to expand a pedestrian core at the center of campus.

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“This is where thousands of students have come— and will continue to come—to learn to ‘Achieve the Honorable.’”

Conclusion:

Future Academy Growth The WA campus is a participant in history. Our six nationally registered historic landmark buildings imbue the whole campus with a sense of learning and community. This is where thousands of students have come—and will continue to come—to learn to “Achieve the Honorable.” Our Master Plan celebrates the strengths of our existing campus as it sets out a new vision for how we will make the most of those resources.

This Master Plan organizes priorities into phases, starting with high-impact, smaller projects, followed by new construction of the Athletics and Wellness Center, which will allow renewal

of buildings at the historic core. The plan also identifies three locations on the South Campus that have potential for new construction, as determined by future needs.

Being tightly aligned with our Strategic Plan, the Master Plan outlines a series of steps to address our school’s concrete needs now and builds in flexibility to adapt as needed in the future. This plan distributes a mix of uses in every development and reuse project. This will ensure continued use of space throughout the day and operationalize the principle that learning happens everywhere. W

Worcester Academy

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Faculty Perspective AT WORCESTER ACADEMY: PART II

It’s a whole new world, and WA faculty and students are up to the challenge!

Teachers bring tremendous intellectual and emotional energy to their work every day.

They are always trying to bring their best selves and to share who they are with the students in their classrooms. They share the successes and challenges of their students with their families and their colleagues who can help appreciate and support them.

They are asked to assess their students work by papers, tests, projects, and to 24 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

spend hours correcting and providing valuable feedback to students to facilitate their future learning. Then, they are expected to supply similar rigor to their work as coaches, advisors, dorm parents, and other roles that make the Worcester Academy experience special for students.

This article, the second of a two-part

Hilltopper series, is designed to give voice to some of those great educators and the impact they have. We asked the faculty featured on the pages that follow, “What do teaching and learning look like at Worcester Academy?” We hope you enjoy learning about their unique perspectives on their work on our Hilltop as much as we do.

What do teaching and learning look like at Worcester Academy?

We teach our students how to learn in the context of our subject area. We should not simply supply them with facts to memorize. We need to allow them to make mistakes without repercussions.

PAUL HIMOTTU Teaching at WA Encourages Students to Become

Lifelong Learners

Why do we teach? For that matter, why does anyone teach? To put into its very basic terms, isn’t it to convey some knowledge that could prove to be beneficial to the student in the future? So, what is the future? Doesn’t the future begin with tomorrow? Someone once said that “tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.” Does anyone know how for how long they will live? In very basic terms,

we are teaching our students for the most important day of their lives–tomorrow. At WA, we describe this as being “lifelong learners.” We teach our students how to learn in the context of our subject area.

We should not simply supply them with facts to memorize. We need to allow them to make mistakes without repercussions.

An educator once said that, “every time we make a mistake, our brain grows.”

The relationship that we have with our students in our classrooms should be such that students aren’t afraid of us or of making mistakes. We also need to allow them to correct their mistakes before moving on to the next topic. This will allow them to understand what they did wrong and thereby to have a deeper understanding of the topic. Finally, we need to communicate to our students what the goal is

Paul Himottu, a former computer engineer, has taught math at Worcester Academy since 2004.

Always interested in showing students practical applications of math, he coaches the Robotics Team and maintains the WA weather station.

of teaching a particular topic and why it is important? This will make them more vested in the process and want to learn.

Would you be willing to spend the time learning something unless you understood why it was going to be important to you? So, if we at WA want to truly be a student-centered school, we have to remember that in the end it is not about us, it is about our students.

Worcester Academy

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WA Nurtures

“What Each Student Brings”

Eileen Glassmire teaches chemistry and is

the head of the Worcester Academy Science Department. She has taught at WA since 2015, and her husband, Chuck, also taught at WA until his retirement last year.

Today’s students live in a world that is constantly changing. They will face challenges and problems that don’t even exist yet. They need to be able to think,

to work as part of a team, to problem solve, to take risks, and to be creative with their ideas. These are the primary skills I strive to develop in my students.

EILEEN GLASSMIRE

Our community emphasis on inclusivity, multiculturalism, urban connections, and curricular examination and redesign all guarantee that I am constantly reflecting on how my work advances those goals in and out of the classroom.

26 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

I believe that colleges also seek these competencies in their student bodies.

When I began my career in 1983, the chemistry curriculum emphasized factual information and memorizable problem solving skills. Current emphasis is on the concepts underlying a scientific understanding of the world. I have always believed that one must dig into the concepts to really understand science, so this revised focus is both exciting and natural to me WA constantly challenges me to grow as a role model and educator.

Our community emphasis on inclusivity, multiculturalism, urban connections, and curricular examination and redesign all guarantee that I am constantly reflecting on how my work advances those goals in and out of the classroom. This year I am trying to more deliberately look for mastery of skills in writing and on assessments in my classes and use a rubric that reflects this goal. It is important that we assess in a way that reflects our values. If I value communication of reasoning and arguments supported with evidence, these should carry greater weight in the grading process than mechanics and facts. With each new assessment or lab report I read, I am becoming better at communicating what aspects of student work show competencies and which need additional development, whether it is writing more persuasively or defending a position with evidence or learning leadership skills when participating in group work. WA nurtures what each student brings and encourages development of new skills. It is a terrific learning environment.

Tricia McKay-Monheim, with a master’s degree in learning disabilities from Columbia, has been director of the Center for Learning since arriving at Worcester Academy in 2014. Her responsibilities include coordinating academic success plans for the entire student body. In May, she was recognized with the O’Connell Award for teaching excellence (See page 45).

TRICIA MACKAY-MONHEIM Students Taught to Become

Their Own Advocates

As a learning specialist at Worcester Academy, my focus is on the student as an individual, not only as a learner, but as a member of a community. I have always been intrigued by the challenges faced by bright students who don’t always learn in “traditional” ways, but who thrive in a challenging environment. Those students are able to meet the expectations of a curriculum like ours with strategy-based support within the Center for Learning (CFL) that is designed with the students’ learning issues in mind. Teachers at WA not only work closely with the CFL to support

students as they work to understand how they learn, but they also work hard to understand the challenges of all of their students. Teaching young people how to be their own advocates in their learning is an important part of our responsibility as educators, and this is not limited to those of us who are learning specialists. Our teachers have a stronger understanding of the complexities of an adolescent brain than we did in the past and work hard to develop a curriculum that meets our students where they are developmentally. At WA, we are charged with ensuring that all students

have a supportive educational atmosphere while providing a wide range of challenge, on an academic level as well as an artistic and physical one. We recognize that the support that one student may require often is helpful to others in their classes. I look forward to going to school every day, not always knowing what challenges we might be facing, when I know we are all working together as a team to inspire our students while at the same time being inspired by them ourselves. Worcester Academy is a vibrant, challenging, and exciting place in which to teach and to learn.

Teaching young people how to be their own advocates in their learning is an important part of our responsibility as educators, and this is not limited to those of us who are learning specialists.

Worcester Academy

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Reunion Weekend 2019 2019 2019 1 28 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

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Bob Dorfman ’69 and his wife, Miriam, enjoy the festivities!

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Benny Texeira and his wife enjoy looking through the Class of 1969 yearbook during the Friday 50th Reunion luncheon.

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Class of 1969 members gather in the Kellner Student Center for a special luncheon.

Gary Hopfmann ’69 and Richard Dubin ’69 reminisce at the cocktail party.

Paul Blanchard, Mitch Glazier, and David Burwick (all Class of 1969) at the Abercrombie House cocktail party.

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Class of 1969 classmates, Benny Ambush and Tim Doyle, looked through their yearbook during the Worcester Club dinner.

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The Class of 1969 at the Worcester Club on Friday night.

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Reunion Weekend

2019 welcomed the classes of 1959, 1969, 1984, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 back to the Hilltop to rekindle friendships and experience Worcester Academy today!

Worcester Academy

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The Delehaunty family receives a framed poster in memory of alumnus Timothy Delehaunty ’86 during the Reunion 5K and Kids Fun Run in memory of Timothy.

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5K winners!

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5K Kids Fun Run winners!

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The 50th Reunion Class

of 1969 started its weekend on Friday, May 3, with a special lunch in Walker Gallery. A campus tour and special session on the music of the 1960s followed. The class capped off its day with a reception at Abercrombie House and a special dinner at the Worcester Club, hosted by Head of School Ron Cino and his wife, Nathalie.

Family fun activities on the Quad include a bouncy house for the kids.

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Tony Bougiouris and Justin Rubinstein, from the Class of 1999, reconnect on the Quad.

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Elisabeth Delehaunty ’89 next to one of her pieces at her textile art exhibit at the Performance Center.

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Kathy Arias and Stephanie Omuemu from the Class of 2004.

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10th Reunion members from the Class of 2009 at the Reunion Gala.

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Class of 1994

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Class of 1984

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Class of 1999

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Class of 2014

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Reunion Weekend welcomed back all reunion classes on Saturday, May 4, as alumni returned to campus for

activities and events

including a 5K and Kids Fun Run in memory of Timothy Delehaunty ’86 followed by a BBQ on the Quad, State of the School address, and a textile art exhibit hosted by alumna Elisabeth Delehaunty ’89.

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Worcester Academy

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Classmates from the Class of 1959 Paul Lamoureaux and Jeffrey Halbreich, along with Jeff’s wife, Linda.

Saturday also featured

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The 50th Reunion Class of 1969

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Albert Feldman and Tori Bentkover from the Class of 2009.

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Classmates from 2009 reminisce as they look through their yearbook.

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an awards ceremony at Warner Theater in conjunction with Reunion Weekend.

The Academy recognized Distinguished Alumnus/a Award winner Dr. James Salzer ’69; Young Alumnus/a Award winner Courtney Pelley ’04; and the Cole Porter, Class of 1909, Arts Recognition Award recipient Benny Sato Ambush ’69.

Hall of Fame recipients included Linda and Helge Duemmel P’94, Brian A. O’Connell ’67, Bayard DeMallie II P’82,’85,’87 (posthumously) and Eleanor Such P’66 (posthumously).

See award recipient bios on page 34.

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The Reunion Gala

Deborah Barrera, Kathy Phipps, and Ed Sherr from the Class of 1984 reconnect.

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brought alumni of all ages to the dance floor in celebration of their friendship and love of Worcester Academy!

Victor Fields ’71, Benny Sato Ambush ’69, and Jim Salzer ’69.

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Class of 2004 classmates, Arielle Pastick, Kathy Arias, Courtney Pelley, and Stephanie Omuemu.

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Longtime friends Melissa (Abodeely) Ruhl, Mitra Morgan, and Dorene (Saltiel) Blythe from the Class of 1984.

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Class of 2009 classmates, Catrina Doxsee and Aglaia Ovtchinnikova reading their time capsule letters.

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The dancing begins!

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If your class year ends in a “5” or a “0,” we hope that you will make plans now for on May 2, 2020.

Reunion

Worcester Academy

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Alumni News eight honored

DURING REUNION WEEKEND 2019 Worcester Academy honored eight members of the Academy community during Reunion Weekend, May 3–4, 2019. Those honored included Dr. James Salzer ’69, who received the Distinguished Alumnus/a Award, and Courtney Pelley ’04, who received the Young Alumnus/a Award.

The Cole Porter, Class of 1909, Arts Recognition Award went to Benjamin Sato Ambush ’69. Worcester Academy Hall of Fame inductees included WA Board of Trustees Secretary Brian A. O’Connell ’67 (see story on his passing on Page 74) and former teachers Helge and Linda Duemmel P’94, as well as two others who were recognized posthumously: former WA Board of Trustees President Bayard DeMallie II P’82,’85,’87 and longtime administrative staff member Eleanor Such P’66.

Congratulations to all those honored! You have “Achieved the Honorable.”

alumni award recipients Distinguished Alumnus/a Recipient Dr. James Salzer ’69

Dr. James Salzer ’69 receives his Distinguished Alumnus/a Award.

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Dr. James Salzer ’69 is a professor of neuroscience, physiology, and neurology at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine. Since 1984, he has served NYU variously as head of its Neurology Clinics at Bellevue Hospital, director of its Medical Scientist Training Program, and co-director of its Langone Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence.

A distinguished researcher and author, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an M.D. and Ph.D. from Washington University. He completed his neurology residency at New York Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical College.

His research focuses on myelinated axons, nerve fibers essential for the rapid

conduction of electrical impulses in the nervous system. Myelinated axons are the main target in a large number of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis. His lab has identified signals that promote or block myelination and regulate axon organization. The lab has also identified a new target that enhances myelin repair—using endogenous neural stem cells in the brain—which he is working to advance into a clinical therapy.

According to Dr. Salzer, being director of one’s own lab at a major academic center has elements of business, fundraising, publishing, and education. He credits his Worcester Academy experience for building foundational interest in those areas in his early years. He fondly recalls a number of faculty members, including Irv Freeman, George Andes and Clarence Barthelman for the roles they played in his development as a young scientist.

alumni news

Courtney Pelley ’04 receives her Young Alumnus/a Award from Head of School Ron Cino.

Dr. Salzer and his wife, Dr. Barbara Hempstead, a professor at Cornell Medical School, reside in Manhattan and have two daughters.

Young Alumnus/a Recipient Courtney E. Pelley ’04 Courtney E. Pelley ’04 is chief of staff at the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with 300 employees caring for 27,000 patients a year. An advocate for ensuring access to educational opportunities and health care services as a fundamental human right, she has devoted herself to serving vulnerable populations and addressing the social issues that contribute to health disparities.

Courtney, who mentors students, volunteers and interns, holds degrees from Wellesley College (B.A. in neuroscience) and Wake Forest University (M.A. in interpreting and translation studies— intercultural services in healthcare) and

has completed several fellowships in public and community health leadership.

Prior to becoming chief of staff at Kennedy Health Center, she was recipient of the 2014–2015 Deland Fellowship in Health Care and Society at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her earliest professional experiences were as a chemistry teacher and basketball coach— first with Teach For America at Richmond High School in California, and then at Worcester Academy.

She is a member of the board of the Massachusetts School-Based Health Alliance, the National Association of Community Health Centers Committee on Health Center Excellence and Training, the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester Access to Care Priority Area Working Group, the Worcester Public Schools School Health Advisory Council, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation Early Childhood Grant Committee. A member of Worcester Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” Class of 2018 and Leadership Worcester’s Class of 2019, Courtney has also been

Benny Sato Ambush ’69 receives the Cole Porter Arts Recognition Award.

nominated for the Geiger Gibson Emerging Leader Award.

She stays connected to Worcester Academy as a member of WA’s Board of Visitors and as a graduation project sponsor.

Cole Porter, Class of 1909, Arts Recognition Award Recipient Benjamin Sato Ambush ’69 Benjamin Sato Ambush ’69, Benny, a veteran stage director, producer, educator, and consultant, most recently served as senior distinguished producing directorin-residence of Boston’s Emerson Stage, Emerson College, where he also taught acting and directing. A former artistic director of three theatres—two of them professional—he teaches acting and directing at the university level.

Currently a member of the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees, Benny earned a B.A. in theatre arts and dramatic literature from Brown University and an M.F.A. in Stage Directing from the

University of California, San Diego. Over the years, he distinguished himself as a prominent professional theater artist and educator with a national profile.

He is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a theatrical union, and has served as a National Endowment for the Arts panelist and site evaluator.

He has award-winning directing credits at professional regional theatres and universities throughout the U.S. and the Boston region. He has served on numerous regional and national boards—including the Theatre Communications Group—and he adjudicates nationally and internationally for the American Association of Community Theatre. He is a published commentator, a Steering Committee member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, a member of The National Theatre Conference, and a panelist for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.

Benny was a guest artist at Worcester Academy in 2007. In 2018, Benny was selected for induction into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.

Worcester Academy

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2019 hall of fame inductees

Bayard DeMallie P’82,’85,’87 was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously.

Wife Betsy DeMallie receives his award at the ceremony from Andrew O’Donnell ’73.

Bayard DeMallie II P’82,’85,’87 (posthumously awarded) As a trustee, president of the board of trustees, and parent of three Worcester Academy alumni (Paige DeMallie Rockett ’82, James DeMallie ’85, and Craig DeMallie ’87), Bayard DeMallie II was an important school leader during the 1980s and 1990s. Before his untimely death in 1997, he was managing partner of Worcester law firm Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie and Lougee with a focus on business and banking law. He was a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Williams College, and the University of Virginia Law School.

Bayard served as a member of the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees of from 1983 to 1993. He was president of the board during his final three years as a trustee. He focused initially on student life issues, especially bridging the gap between boarding and day students. Bayard encouraged expansion of WA’s commitment to co-education. He 36 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

worked to bring WA through challenging times of enrollment decline, helping to stabilize the WA student population and pursuing vigorous recruitment and programmatic development which did much to place WA back onto a firm growth track. Colleagues recall him as the board president who provided all trustees an active participatory role and set a collegial precedent for all head search and appointment processes that have occurred since then.

He was renowned for running a nononsense, on-schedule board meeting.

Bayard was very involved in community affairs. He was a former director of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Goddard House, Family Services of Central Massachusetts, and the Bank of Boston-Worcester. He was also an avid golfer and longtime member of Tatnuck Country Club, where he served as a board member.

Bayard DeMallie is survived by his wife, Betsy, their four children, and 11 grandchildren.

Former faculty members Linda and Helge Duemmel P’94 are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Also shown is WA Board President James Pietro ’81.

Linda and Helge Duemmel P’94 Longtime faculty members Linda and Helge Duemmel spent more than 25 years positively impacting Worcester Academy students during their years of dedicated service at WA from 1977–2003. It was as a couple, indeed a family, that they made a difference in the WA community along with their daughter, the late Sarah Duemmel ’94.

Helge and Linda lived on campus and were fully immersed in school life. The couple taught a variety of subjects, coached, served as dorm parents, and had a special role advising international students even as they built their own international family. 2019 is an especially fitting time to honor the Duemmels as it would have been the 25th class reunion of their daughter Sarah, whose Peruvian adoption occurred early in their WA careers. The German-born Helge, for his part, would become a naturalized U.S. citizen. As such, the Duemmels became that All-American

family even as they became an iconic presence on the Hilltop.

Linda Duemmel has a degree in German and Spanish from Regis College.

Following her graduation, she lived and taught in Germany. Upon returning to the U.S., she was hired by Worcester Academy to teach English as a Foreign Language to the many Iranian students enrolled at the Academy at the time.

While she worked extensively with international students during her 26 years at WA, she also came to know and impact nearly every Worcester Academy student as her responsibilities and influence grew.

She taught Spanish and Latin, in addition to English. In later years, she served as the Academy scheduler, as the AP coordinator, and as academic counselor for Grades 9 and 10. After moving to Florida, she retired from teaching in 2013.

Helge Duemmel was born in East Germany, but his family fled to West Germany when he was a boy. He studied technical drafting and spent 12 years as a navigator in the German Navy, earning a Captain’s certificate.

It was on a trip to the U.S. in 1969 that

alumni news

Late Board of Trustee’s secretary Brian O’Connell ’67, left, Hall of Fame recipient.

he and Linda met. After their marriage, and the completion of his naval service, they moved to Massachusetts in 1976. Helge completed his B.A. at Clark University. He originally taught art but soon retooled using his technical background to become a math teacher and soccer and tennis coach at WA. Following the couple’s move to Florida, he continued teaching and coaching until 2010. Now retired, he focuses on his artwork.

Brian A. O’Connell ’67

Editor’s Note: Brian O’Connell passed away just five months after receiving this award. A story on his passing can be found on page 74.

Brian A. O’Connell ’67, a Worcester native and veteran educational administrator, was business manager of the Haverhill Public Schools. He held similar positions in Westerly, RI, and Killingly, CT. An attorney, he was best known for his long career in public service in Central Massachusetts, including over 35

years as an elected member of the City of Worcester School Committee. A 1967 graduate of Worcester Academy, Brian grew up on campus, where his father, legendary faculty member Andrew O’Connell, taught science. He held a B.A. in English, French, and history from the College of the Holy Cross and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He practiced law in Worcester and Boston.

A trustee of Anna Maria College, he formerly served on the board of trustees at Holy Cross. He was co-chair of the Finance Committee of St. John’s Church in Worcester. He was past president and a lifetime member of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and has served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Local Government (1997– 2000) and the Massachusetts Education Reform Review Commission (1997–2005).

Through the years, he remained actively engaged with Worcester Academy as a friend, supporter, and alumnus. He was the long-standing secretary of the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees and was its longest serving member, having joined in 1976.

Eleanor Such P’66 was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Her children receive her award at the ceremony from Brian O’Connell.

Reminiscing at his 50th WA reunion, Brian said, “I devote much of my time and energy to the Worcester Public Schools, to Worcester Academy, to Holy Cross, to Anna Maria College, and to St. John’s Church in Worcester. All of these remain central to my life.” Brian stood as a beacon of loyalty and dedication to the organizations and ideals most important to him. Worcester Academy is honored to be among them.

Eleanor Such P’66 (posthumously awarded) Eleanor Such P’66 was inducted into the Worcester Academy Hall of Fame in recognition of her decades of steadfast service from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Although she died in 1992, much of what Worcester Academy is today is attributable to the leadership she exercised quietly, but skillfully, in her diligent efforts to help guide our school through decades of distinctive opportunities and complex challenges. Ironically, Mrs. Such arrived at Worcester Academy in 1956 as

a temporary employee until a permanent secretary to the headmaster could be found. Her talents were quickly recognized, and she stayed at WA for three decades in a variety of roles, including working with the headmaster and the Admission Office, and supervising other secretarial and administrative staff. Mrs. Such was truly the official who kept the school’s internal operations functioning well, especially during the late-1960s and early-1970s when the school faced both rapid turnover among administrators and major changes to the student body. She was the leadership force that stabilized daily responsibilities, provided valuable “institutional memory,” offered a reasoned and sound judgment on key issues, and was the trusted guide and support to the succession of new administrators. She was a quintessential WA staff employee—dedicated, thorough, meticulous, and, for many years, a vital behind-the-scenes force in the stable operation of our school. Her legacy continues through her son, William “Bill” Such ’66, and her other children, Robert and Janet Such. W Worcester Academy

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Florida

alumni events Black Alumni Event

Worcester Academy’s Association of Black Alumni gathered for an inaugural meeting in May during Reunion activities.

Alumni, parents and friends gathered last spring for several events including a dinner cruise in Sarasota, a baseball game and reception in Port St. Lucie, and a luncheon in Naples.

Sarasota dinner cruise.

The reception after the Boys Varsity Baseball game in Port St. Lucie.

Night ’19

Dear Evan Hansen

Members of the Class of 2019 celebrated becoming alumni with a dinner and dancing at the College of the Holy Cross ballroom in June.

Shanghai

Worcester Academy visited Shanghai earlier this year. Head of School Cino and Development Director Kim Stone welcomed alumni and others to a special reception at the Ritz-Carlton Pudong.

Thank you to our hosts, Yingjie Li P’22 and Fagua Xi P’22!

Alumna’s Jessica (Jacobs) Tybursky ’03 and Jessica Phillips ’89 pose with WA Vocal Director Don Irving at the after-party.

Young alumni enjoyed the show!

The Class of 2019 Alumni Transition Leaders: Matt Corey, Zilan (Abigail) Ding, Zhaoxun (Tina) Feng, Zihan (Arianna) Chai, Meagan Miranda, Veronika Osgood, and Joshua Isakson.

38 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

Trustee Benny Ambush ’69 with Stewart ’70 and Rhonda Lassner

alumni news

California

Alumni were hosted

by Rob ’61 and Diane Reagan at the Riviera Country Club in California earlier this year for a brunch.

New York

Alumni gathered at the Yale Club in April in NYC.

Robert Reagan ’61, his wife, Diane, Karla Gardner H’84, and Peter Gardner ’63.

Albert Feldman ’09, Michael Watson ’09, and Christina Consigli ’09.

Jackelyn Lane, Peter Rawinski ’08, and Head of School Ron Cino.

Alumni and guests enjoyed the brunch.

Hong Kong

Head of School Cino and Development Director Kim Stone joined alumni and other friends in Hong Kong at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Many thanks to our host, Michael Puk Sun Tien ’68!

Mackenzi Turgeon ’17, Ashlyn Krygowski ’16, Ben Clifford ’09, and Samuel Hatem ’17.

reconnect, network, reminisce!

Want to reconnect with classmates, faculty, and other friends?

Join us during one of our upcoming alumni and friends events!

To register, go to worcesteracademy.org/register.

February 1

New York Summer Reception

Alumni gathered at The Frying Pan restaurant in NYC for a summer reception on August 15.

California Alumni & Friends Gathering Riviera Club Pacific Palisades, CA Brianna Bobola ’05, Chelsea Rice ’07, and Chelsea Graves ’09.

March 19

Florida Alumni & Friends Gathering Sarasota Yacht Club

April 30

Varsity Club Dinner Worcester Academy Jeffrey Halbreich ’59.

Billy Lane ’11, Dean Eaton ’11, and Robert Kettlewell ’08.

Cape Cod

Alumni, parents and friends gathered at the Cape home of parents John and Meg O’Leary P’20,’22 on July 27.

May 2

Reunion 2020 For Classes ending in 0s and 5s

June 8

Rowe Golf Tournament Rhode Island Country Club Barrington, RI

Joseph Younge ’11, Cannan Severin ’12, and Nathalie Perez-Cino P’21,’22,’24.

Head of School Ron Cino P’21,’22,’24, Courtney Rose Dykeman-Bermingham ’12 and Peter Dykeman-Bermingham ’14.

Meg and John O’Leary P’20,’22, Patty Peterleitner P’12,’14, and Lee Colborne.

To host an event or to suggest an event location, or for more information, call the Worcester Academy Alumni Team at 508-754-5302 extension 181.

Worcester Academy

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e h t on WORCESTER ACADEMY HOLDS

HILLTOP

185th commencement exercises

CLASS OF 2019 COLLEGE MATRICULATION LIST

Jakob Adamson Andrew James Adiletta Eda Akkas Tyler M. Anger Gabrielle Arcand Grace Arpin Kevin Arpin Mitra Asdigha Gualtiero Barilla Griffin Barriere Geethika Bathini Nathan Michael Battles Edward Beauregard Abigail Kathleen Berry Chance Bichao

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St. John’s University Worcester Polytechnic Institute University of Tampa Union College Tufts University Sacred Heart University University of Maine University of Massachusetts, Lowell Boston College Saint Anselm College Boston University New York University Stonehill College Endicott College La Salle University

Ethan Boileau

Michael Borrelli

Aliyah Alisa Boston

Lia Brossi Jared Bushnell

Angus Butler

Kevin Cafeo

Kevin Castro Bryan

Nico Cavaliere

Kathryn Cawley

Zihan Chai

Eric Cheng

Marina Clara Cimpeanu

Cormac Collins

Gabriella Liana Conte

Springfield College Saint Anselm College University of South Carolina University of New Hampshire Worcester Polytechnic Institute Deferring Enrollment College of Charleston University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Rhode Island Union College Hamilton College Carleton College Smith College Brown University Babson College

Jordyn C. Cooper

Matthew John Corey

John Patrick Coughlin

Kevin Cox

Carley Daly

Anh Dao Kevon Darton

Megan Elizabeth Dickie

Zilan Ding

Mitchell Quinn Doherty

Bryce C. Downey

Zhaoxun Feng

Kiera Marie Fernandes

Ruixi Fu

Matteo Gallucci

Molloy College Babson College Colorado School of Mines Assumption College Amherst College Louisiana State University Syracuse University Catholic University Bryn Mawr College SUNY Albany Stonehill College Brandeis University Post University New York University Returning to Italy for college

on the hilltop

Members of the Class of 2019 gave graduation speaker Patricia Peterleitner P’12,’14 a warm welcome as well as hearty applause following her graduation speech at Worcester Academy’s 185th Commencement Exercises June 7.

One hundred and thirty-seven members of the Class of 2019—hailing from 23 countries—received diplomas under fair skies on the Academy’s historic Quad.

Ms. Peterleitner, or “Ms. P.,” as students affectionately call her, spoke about her years at WA as well as her recent health scare after suffering a stroke last spring. Her quick action at the time helped to lessen the impact and severity of the stroke. However, the side effects sadly prevented her from returning as upper school director. Since that time, Ms. Peterleitner has spoken openly about the importance of knowing the warning signs and symptoms of a stroke.

“You may see me struggle, but you will never ever see me quit, because of you all,” she told students, in her inspiring address. “I am so grateful, strong, and thankful.”

Also speaking was valedictorian Cormac Rowe Collins of Sterling and salutatorian Fiona Britt Price of Northborough. W

2019 GRADUATION SPEAKER PATRICIA N. PETERLEITNER

Vanessa Gangi Coastal Carolina University

Mabel Gao New York University

Sophia L. Gardner Boston College

Bryce Garvey Southern Connecticut State University

Kathryn M. Gaudet Rollins College

Roham Giahi Undecided Emily R. Goodrich Boston University

Yuze Gu Brandeis University

Ernst Guerrier Bates College

Tess Harvey Syracuse University

Braedon Hatt Occidental College

Laura Hill Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Jake Allen Hughes Pomfret School (Postgraduate)

Zukudo Igwenagu Rutgers University

Paul Ingram Sacred Heart University

Patricia Peterleitner P’12,’14 served as director of Worcester Academy’s Upper School until June of this year.

Before that, she was responsible for developing an all-school student support program as the director of Worcester Academy’s Center for Learning. Prior to that, she was a Mathematics teacher and an MCAS director in the city of Worcester after having spent several years in the Worcester Academy community as an admission officer, as a Mathematics teacher, as a Biology, Physics, and Chemistry teacher, and as a student advisor and coach.

In addition to being graduation Speaker, Ms. Peterleitner was also honored when the Class of 2019 dedicated its yearbook to her.

“You may see me struggle, but you will never ever see me quit, because of you all.

I am so grateful, strong, and thankful.”

—Patricia N. Peterleitner, former Director of Worcester Academy’s Upper School & 2019 Graduation Speaker

Joshua T. Isakson Tiley S. Jones Thitima Kaothaisong Paige M. Keeler Shelby Khoury William J. Kirk Rahul Krishnan Zakaria Latifi Daniel Lavin Wesley Legare Maiah Lillian Lester Yanhan Li Yingxi Li Zhuofan Li Dylan Lien

College of the Holy Cross Trinity College Pennsylvania State University Fordham University Belmont University Tufts University Brown University Regis College Norwich University Southern Connecticut State University Loyola University Maryland Wesleyan University Cornell University Purdue University Brandeis University

Zixuan Lin Michelle Jiayi Liu Graeme Logan Richard J. Lundgren Yiou Lyu Zachary Magdis Charles F. Manoog James Edward Marculitis Luke G. Mazur Jordan A McAllister Sean McCarthy Ryan McGowan Grace E. McShea James Michielli Meagan Elizabeth Miranda

University of Wisconsin Hamilton College Pitzer College Fairfield University University of California, San Diego Syracuse University Providence College Occidental College Clark University Pace University Suffolk University University of South Carolina Northeastern University Trinity College Bowdoin College Worcester Academy

41

CLASS OF 2019 AWARD WINNERS Bucknell Award: Gabrielle Arcand Class of ’35 Prize Trophy: Fiona Price Class of 1890 All Around Athletic Prize: Kevin Cafeo The Rev. Edward Merrill Dart ’27 Award: Carley Daly Sarah Duemmel ’94 Memorial Award: Yingxi “Diana” Li The David A. Echelman Award: Mingze “Lily” Yan The Allan Glazer Memorial Award: Devin Rochelle Marc D. Levine Lifer Award: William Kirk William W. McAlpine Award: Nicole Pietro Neil W. Peters III Award: Andrew Adiletta Cole Porter ’09 Visual & Performing Arts Award: Yingxi “Diana” Li HG Rader Grant: Nicholas Ng Donald “Dee” Rowe Award: Cormac Collins George T. Sargisson Class ’27 Award: Manav Randhawa Sigma Cup: Cormac Collins Richard Winters Drama Award: Jack Parks

Ng Nicholas Ching Yan

Nguyen Megan

Vy Nguyen

Timothy O’Connor

Dariia Ordynat

Aidan Ormsby

Chase A. Orr

Brandin Osborne Veronika Osgood

Neha Panigrahi

Jack Victor Parks

Rayana M. Petrone

Chloe Pierson

Nicole H. Pietro

Lauren Power

Fiona B. Price 42 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

Hamilton College Saint Anselm College Northeastern University Denison University George Washington University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Washington College Muhlenberg College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University George Washington University College of the Holy Cross Lasell College University of Alabama Colby College University of Massachusetts, Amherst Dartmouth College

Mykah A. Puryear DeMeulenaere Alexander Valentin Quintela

Nichole Ramirez

Manav Randhawa

Ryan Ren

Adelyne Reynolds

William Ridgley

Devin Rochelle

Sarah Saber

En Le Ping Samborski

Thomas Lawrence Sasso

Owen Schwartz

Zitong Shen

Holly Silva

Zachary B. Stolberg

Kevin Sullivan

Yale University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Lesley University Bowdoin College Northwestern University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Elon University Union College George Washington University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stonehill College Brown University University of Washington Utica College Northeastern University Saint Michael’s College

Anabel Szydlik Mitchell A. Tebo Grace Turner Mercy Unoh Olivia Rose Valery Jovann Vega Bolin Wang Zachary J. Welch Clarice Xu Yichen Xu Mingze Yan Samantha Yard Alissa Yoon Yujia Zhang Yue Zhou

Skidmore College University of Massachusetts, Amherst Macalester College Trinity College Union College Quinnipiac University New York University Cornell University Haverford College Boston College Northwestern University Boston University University of St. Andrews, Scotland New York University Purdue University

on the hilltop WORCESTER ACADEMY

New Trustees < MICHAL GRABIAS ’11 Michal Grabias is a senior associate in investment banking at Barclay’s, covering the Power & Utilities sector, which encompasses both traditional and renewable energy generation systems. Mr. Grabias has worked on over $10 billion of financings, including debt, equity, equity-linked securities, and merger & acquisition processes across three continents.

Previously, while a student at Georgetown University, Mr. Grabias was on the board of directors of the Georgetown University Student Investment Fund (GUSIF), which at the time managed $800,000 in assets, as the director of trading & risk. He entered this role after being the portfolio manager of the healthcare vertical within GUSIF, managing $100,000; the healthcare portfolio grew 48 percent over his one-year tenure. During this time, Mr. Grabias instituted a new organization structure and training program for incoming members to the healthcare vertical, which was so successful in increasing both student engagement and portfolio outcomes that the board subsequently mandated every other sector vertical to imitate it; that structure continues today.

Concurrently, Mr. Grabias was the general manager of “The Hoya,” Georgetown University’s newspaper of record, where Mr. Grabias led a 70-person business office covering sales, accounting, technology, marketing, corporate development, and human resources. He also spent two years on the board of WGTB Georgetown radio as the director of business, hosting a weekly radio show in addition to his board responsibilities.

Mr. Grabias has a B.S. from Georgetown University, where he was inducted in Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society, and graduated magna cum laude with a double major in finance and operations & information systems management along with a minor in English focusing in film scriptwriting. For his work at Georgetown, he received both the Award for Achievement in Financial Services and Outstanding Leader of a Student Media Group.

Outside of school, Mr. Grabias received the Gold Level Presidential Volunteer Service Award, twice, and recently ran the New York City Marathon as part of a fundraising campaign.

< COURTNEY CARR Courtney Carr is a lawyer in the Wealth Management Group at Choate Hall & Stewart in Boston. Ms. Carr provides comprehensive and personalized estate planning advice to high net worth individuals and families. In this capacity, she spends considerable time advising her clients on their lifetime giving and charitable planning. She serves as a professional trustee on multi-generational family trusts for clients.

Ms. Carr grew up in Worcester, and currently lives with her husband, Mike, and three-year-old daughter, Amelia (a WA hopeful), in Holden. She comes from a family of educators—her father’s grandfather founded Nichols Junior College (now Nichols College) and served as its first president. Her grandfather

had a 45-year career at the school serving in various positions, including professor of history, director of admissions, dean of faculty, and served on the board of advisors and board of trustees. Currently, her mother is a professor at the college.

She has a B.A. in history and government from Colby College (magna cum laude) and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School (summa cum laude).

Prior to joining Choate, she was an associate at WilmerHale in Boston. Ms. Carr has served as an adjunct professor at Fisher College in Boston where she taught business law and is a speaker on estate planning topics at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and Boston Bar Association seminars. W Worcester Academy

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MEET HEAD MONITOR

Carlin Stewart ’20

by Katherine Morse

proctor just one door down invited me to go with her, and we became good friends. I knew that I would regret not attempting to make my own impact.

What has been your greatest classroom experience at WA?

What are your goals as Head of the Board of Monitors?

What motivated you to get involved in student government?

One of my goals this year for the Board of Monitors is to increase our collaboration with other leadership groups.

I hope we can get more students involved in community events, expand on their ideas, and continue initiatives from last year, such as the Sharing Our Stories program at Morning Meeting, to increase community engagement.

Seeing the impact that student leaders had in a personal way during my first few days at WA set my course to become a student leader myself.

When I first moved into Stoddard Hall as a freshman, the most daunting thing was often the smallest, like who can I sit with at breakfast.

I never had to worry because the

44 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

The 20 Percent project in my freshman biology class was a very rewarding experience. From November through April, we spent 20 percent of our time in class individually researching topics we felt passionate about, even if they were not a standard part of high school biology. This was exciting, but I also found it very challenging to keep the hypothesis I was trying to prove in mind. Was I considering the right variables? At the time, I was looking at the changing impact of infectious diseases over time. I was trying to figure out if certain diseases evolved to become more or less virulent, and whether medicines were getting stronger. My teacher answered the majority of my questions with bright, wide eyes and the expression, “Give me more!” It was somewhat frustrating at the time, but I am very grateful for the challenge now. I learned my peers can be an excellent resource, how important planning is, and, most of all, I could tackle any problem I encountered.

What other experience outside the classroom (other than the Board of Monitors) has been meaningful for you?

Playing soccer from freshman year on has been the most meaningful because I can see my growth both as a player and as a teammate. Girls soccer has

instilled discipline, compassion, and strength in me as well as making me part of a community in which I will always feel comfortable. My teammates and coaches have created an incredible environment for success.

What do you hope will have changed at WA by your 20th Reunion? What do you hope will be the same?

I hope to see the boarding program expand. My worldview and awareness of other cultures has greatly widened by being a member of the residential community, which encourages building relationships with people who are different from yourself, especially between domestic and international students. My first roommate, Stella Li ’19, was from China, and we learned a lot from each other. Boarding gave me independence that challenged the comfort I felt at home in the best way.

I am pushed to be more self-sufficient, but at the same time, I have many resources to help when I need it.

One thing I hope remains is the dedicated time for extra help and projects known as Cooperative and Collaborative Learning (CCL). CCL is the time I cherish most at WA. Without CCL, WA’s academic environment would be vastly different—my friends and family at other schools do not have this opportunity.

CCL has allowed my relationship with teachers to grow significantly, whether I am pelting them with questions or simply sitting in their classrooms getting some work done. W

on the hilltop Tricia MacKay-Monheim

James Young

Elizabeth Goodenough

THREE WA FACULTY MEMBERS ARE

2019 O’Connell award recipients

by Katherine Morse

No program, facility, or technology can replace the quality, committed teaching that is at the core of the Worcester Academy experience.

This year, three Worcester Academy faculty members received the O’Connell Award in recognition of their teaching excellence and dedication.

Among them were James Young, Tricia MacKay-Monheim, and Elizabeth Goodenough. A brief bio follows on each of the recipients.

James Young

Tricia MacKay-Monheim

Elizabeth Goodenough

James Young, chair of the History and Social Sciences Department, teaches 9th grade history. Outside the classroom, he is faculty advisor to the Black Student Union, a dorm parent in Stoddard Hall, and an advisor to the Upper School Model U.N. club. “Teachers who possessed an infectious intellectual curiosity helped to ignite my own love of learning. I try to model the same for my students, engaging them with questions and issues that matter to their own lives and experiences.”

Tricia MacKay-Monheim, director of the Center for Learning, provides individual support to students with documented learning needs. She has a master’s degree in the study of learning disabilities from Columbia University. “I have always been intrigued by very bright students who don’t always learn in ‘traditional’ ways, but who thrive in a challenging environment. In the Center for Learning, we have the opportunity to support students as they work to understand how they learn. WA’s approach to project-based learning and our focus on a growth mindset allow students to be successful in so many different ways.”

Elizabeth Goodenough teaches 8th Grade Global Studies and 11th Grade American Studies in History, while also coaching Middle School cross-country and Model U.N. Always excited by the possibilities of a new school year, she

looks forward to exploring the world with a new group of students. Just as she was inspired by her own high school history teacher, “I hope my own students feel empowered to question, argue, and make connections in my classroom the way I did in his class.” W

The O’Connell Award is given annually, by vote of the Worcester Academy faculty, to those teachers whose performance in the classroom and loyalty to the community are most exemplary.

The award recognizes the excellent teaching and dedication of WA’s Andrew J. O’Connell, a member of the Worcester Academy Faculty from 1942–1974.

Worcester Academy

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new faculty

JOIN WORCESTER ACADEMY FAMILY by Katherine Morse

Worcester Academy welcomed a number of new excellent faculty for the 2019–2020 school year. Each of them, Ron Cino said, will contribute to the academic excellence and innovation that are the hallmarks of the WA experience.

The following is a brief introduction to WA’s newest faculty members.

UPPER SCHOOL Christopher Aguiar of Wallingford, CT, science teacher, received both a B.S. in environmental geoscience (2015) and a M.Ed. in secondary education, biology (2016) from Boston College. He has spent the last three years teaching biology and environmental science at Choate.

Kelly Bubello of Leominster, MA, science teacher, received her B.S. in biotechnology from Worcester State University (2015) and has experience in both pharmaceutical labs and the classroom. She comes to WA from St. Peter Marian Junior-Senior High School. Before a career change, she had extensive experience teaching middle and high school performing arts.

Daria Cenedella ’14 of Hopkinton, MA, English and Mandarin teacher, received her B.A. in English from Middlebury College (2019). WA is excited to welcome back this multilingual (Mandarin, Spanish, and American Sign Language) alumna.

Aaron Going of Worcester, MA, college counselor, received a B.S. in history from the College of the Holy Cross (2014). He comes to WA from Roxbury Prep High School in Boston where he was a college counselor and an assistant basketball coach. He also worked with Bottom Line, a nonprofit that guides students through the college experience from admissions through graduation.

Brenna Kelly of Worcester, MA, college counselor, received a B.A. in global studies from Providence College (2013) and a M.Ed. in higher education (2016) from Merrimack College. For the last three years, she’s been working in the admission office at the College of the Holy Cross, most recently as assistant director in charge of diversity and inclusion.

Nate Hopkins of Astoria, NY, learning specialist, received a B.A. in English from Trinity College (2014) and a M.Ed. in special education (2018) from Hunter College. He has worked at several New York schools as a mathematics and literacy specialist, as well as developed online programming.

Brian Kondek of Webster, MA, science teacher, received a B.S. in biology from the College of the Holy Cross (1989) and a master’s in natural sciences from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1996). An experienced independent schoolteacher, he comes to WA after almost 30 years at Bancroft School.

Cecily Pulver of Marlborough, MA, science teacher, received a B.S. in animal science from Cornell University (2011) and a M.S. in biology from the University of Southern California, where she served as a laboratory instructor (2019). She spent several years overseas, teaching English and science in China, Korea, and France, as well as doing scientific research in Africa.

Julie Silva of West Boylston, MA, math teacher, received a B.S. in mathematics and mathematics education from Syracuse University. An experienced teacher and basketball coach, she has taught the full range of high school math from Algebra I to AP Calculus for the last 10 years.

Emily Taradash of Tiverton, RI,

BONNIE WALKER LEADING IN EQUITY AND INCLUSION Bonnie Walker has joined the Worcester Academy Executive Leadership Team as interim director of equity and inclusion. She comes to WA after nearly 15 years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, most recently as executive director of diversity and inclusion strategy.

Ms. Walker, who is from Millbury, MA, received a B.A. in sociology (2001) and a M.A. in professional communications (2002) from Clark University. Most recently, she was a fellow of the National Inclusive Excellence Leadership Academy (2018), a leadership development program for professionals in the diversity, equity, and inclusion fields.

46 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

arts coordinator and costume design teacher, received a B.A. in theater from the University of Vermont (2006) and M.F.A. in costume design from UMass Amherst (2014). She has worked as a costume designer and costume shop supervisor in a variety of professional and educational theater settings. Last year, she taught part-time at WA.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Kyle Layne-Allen of Hyde Park, MA, English teacher, received a B.A. in English and classics from Colby College (2013) and a M.Ed. in teaching from the University of Pennsylvania (2019). Well-versed in independent

on the hilltop school life, he comes to Worcester Academy after several years teaching, coaching, and working in admission and development at his alma mater, the Roxbury Latin School.

Christine Murray of Morristown, NJ, learning specialist, received a B.A. in theater from Drew University (1994) and two masters’ degrees from Bank Street School of Education: an M.S. in childhood general education and an M.S. in literacy (both in 2009). She also has advanced certification in special education from the Relay Graduate School of Education (2018). She comes to WA after more than a decade serving as a learning specialist/academic intervention teacher at Harlem Link Charter School in New York City, where she was also the school’s coordinator of special education and English language learner services.

OTHER FACULTY Abigail Abena Mensah of Creve Coeur, MO, assistant director of admission for multicultural recruitment, received a B.A. in sociology from UMass Amherst (2015) and a M.Ed. in educational policy and leadership studies from Boston University (2017). She has experience with both high school and college students and is returning to Massachusetts after several years at Maryville University near St. Louis, MO, where she worked in residential life and development.

Kelly Rizy, RN, P.’21,’23 of Fiskdale, MA, director of health services, has a B.S. in nursing from Worcester State College (2000) and holds Massachusetts School Nurse Licensure. She has worked in a variety of school and community settings, coming to WA from the town of Charlton school system. She is a current Worcester Academy parent. W

WORCESTER ACADEMY WELCOMES NEW ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Doug Poskitt to Hilltop

by Katherine Morse

As the new school year gets underway, the Hilltop is alive with activity and full of new faces—teachers and staff, as well as new students from around the corner and around the globe. One new person who is involved in almost every aspect of Worcester Academy life is Doug Poskitt, associate head of school.

Mr. Poskitt joined the leadership team at WA after more than 20 years of independent school experience, teaching and serving in a variety of administrative positions at both boarding and day schools. Most recently, he was upper school head at Cape Cod Academy. Mr. Poskitt’s primary focus is academics and curriculum—you might call him the chief academic officer—but do not get the idea that he is just in an office.

He is also part of the Residential Life program, advising a group of 10th grade students, and teaching a social studies elective in Genocide Studies.

Since Mr. Poskitt arrived over the summer, he has “hit the ground listening,” getting to know the WA community. He sees the full living organism that is Worcester Academy, animated by roughly 600 students, and he is excited to be at a school with many diverse parts, yet united and rooted in its mission.

Mr. Poskitt received a B.A. in history and education from Bucknell University in 1993 and an M.S. in secondary school social studies education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. He and his wife, Krista, who is also an educator, have four children: two in college and two in high school. W

Worcester Academy

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on the hilltop expecting the usual, ‘He’s doing fine,’ or ‘He’ll catch up, he’s a boy,’ or a similar comment. Instead, I heard, ‘Your son thinks like a scientist.’ Wow! My son, who was afraid to talk, was now offering

“I’ve come to understand from my experience at Worcester Academy that the best teachers are not necessarily the ones who impart the most knowledge but are those who effectively allow the students to bring out the best in themselves.”

—Michael Tien ’68

TIEN STUDENT IMPACT AWARD RECIPIENT:

Sharon Plickert Michael Tien’68 spent just one year at Worcester Academy, but it made a huge impact. In 2008, he established a special award given every year based on nominations from students, parents, and alumni—The Tien Student Impact Award—celebrating a teacher or staff member who has made a positive difference in the lives of WA students. The 2019 winner is longtime WA Middle School science teacher Sharon Plickert.

Mrs. Plickert, who is well known and much appreciated by students and their parents in the Middle School division 48 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

by Katherine Morse

(and beyond), has been a teacher at Worcester Academy since 1998. Over the years, countless parents have expressed their appreciation for the depth of her subject knowledge, for her commitment as a student advisor, and for her caring countenance, especially when students seem to need it most.

According to one current Middler mom who nominated Mrs. Plickert for the Tien Award, the WA educator made all the difference in setting the tone for a great Worcester Academy experience to come.

“At our first parent conferences, I was

thoughts and opinions in class and was confident and proud to be a part of the Worcester Academy Middle School. He even made the honor roll.

“Ms. Plickert may not be the loudest or the most noticeable when you enter a room, but I felt her impact should not go unrecognized,” she said, explaining why she nominated the science teacher.

An Upper School dad, whose child graduated last May, feels much the same. In his nomination, he credited Mrs. Plickert with preparing his son for success in Worcester Academy’s Upper School—and in life in general. “It was clear to my wife and me that his experience with Mrs. Plickert built a solid foundation that is still evident as he prepares to go off to college,” he wrote.

Mrs. Plickert, one of the many wonderful WA teachers who embody Worcester Academy’s mission and values, has a reputation for making learning fun and engaging. According to Mrs. Plickert, she enjoys “finding the story, moving from one small observation, artifact or idea and connecting it to the broader context.

“Learning is not just an accumulation of facts but is appreciating the process of learning. Knowing when to reflect and when to ask more questions,” she says.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in anthropology and archaeology, Mrs. Plickert spent the earlier part of her professional life as an archaeologist and as a licensed practical nurse. She returned to graduate school in 1997, earning an M.Ed. from Lesley University with a concentration in Middle School science.

She says she made the decision to become a teacher while hiking more than 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail, during which time she reflected upon what she wanted to do most. She came off the hike determined to become a teacher.

Middle school was the age group she chose to focus on.

Now a veteran teacher, Ms. Plickert has brought a unique mix of knowledge and hands-on experience to the classroom. Perhaps it is her medical experience that helps make her such a keen observer, almost a diagnostician, of individual student needs and learning styles. Or, perhaps it is the careful dogged sleuthing she did as a one-time archaeologist that enables her to craft lessons with seemingly familiar items (such as trees and hands) that become exciting pathways to discovery. In short, she welcomes students into the Worcester Academy community, as well as the world of scientific thinking.

“I love teaching and being part of the Middle School,” Mrs. Plickert says.

“These kids have so much energy and there is so much going on with them at this age. They are trying to navigate who they want to be, and to be more independent, so they waver between still needing their parents and pulling away.”

“It’s a privilege to be there with them on this journey,” she says. W Congratulations to Mrs. Plickert and to all those nominated for the Tien Student Impact Award. You are making a difference and Worcester Academy could not fulfill its mission without you!

the

middle:

news from Worcester Academy Middle School

reading, writing, and googling?

WAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Middle School Goes Beyond Collecting Information to Focus on Social and Emotional Learning and Shared Values The Worcester Academy Middle School is an integral part of WA, but that does not mean its students are small high schoolers. They are unique. Pushing the envelope; exploring new things; not finding all the answers but finding

the confidence to ask more questions.

All of these are important elements in the transition from childhood to adolescence. Worcester Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle School seeks to channel the unique energy and concerns of this age by

providing opportunities to learn, grow, serve, and succeed in order to equip students appropriately. Some of these opportunities may sound familiar, such as receiving personal attention from experienced faculty members, and other

by Katherine Morse

opportunities may seem new. Along with academic content needed for today, students must be trained to successfully tackle the challenges of the future.

Key to that training is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), an

8th Graders at their 2019 ceremony celebrating the successful completion of Middle School at Worcester Academy.

Worcester Academy

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the middle umbrella-term for five skill areas that help determine not only how we learn but how effective we are in applying what we learn in school and in life. While WA is committed to incorporating SEL concepts throughout its programs, it is often associated with the Middle School years where students seem to grow up before our eyes!

The five skill areas are: self-awareness; self-management (dealing with stress, controlling impulses, and setting goals); social awareness (respect for others, recognizing different perspectives, and understanding expectations); relationship skills; and responsible decision-making.

Given a world that makes so much information easily available at a click of

a mouse, without context or guidance, it becomes especially important to have a set of learning tools that are not limited to a certain subject. Remember the proverb about the difference between giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish? Metaphorically, it might be said that today’s catch of information has never been so abundant, but the wisdom of how to prepare and consume it in a healthy way is often lacking.

“Kids are exposed to ideas, styles and behaviors that they might not be quite ready to understand,” says Head of the Middle School Rebecca Yacono. “Therein lies the importance of Social and Emotional Learning: students need specific

education to help them develop the skills to build their awareness of, and ability to interact with, an increasingly diverse and complicated world. They also need strong communities with shared values, such as WA’s Core Values, to give a positive and healthy context to their learning.”

WA’s Core Values of Honor, Respect, Community, Personal Growth and Challenge are best understood and appreciated when they are applied to specific situations—becoming true guidelines for life, rather than simply lofty sentiments. This year, in addition to the standard academic classes, students will be participating in Core Values Seminars focusing on:

> Digital Citizenship > Health and Human Development > Cultural Competence/CAFE > Study Skills Throughout all seminars and classes, questions are asked that bring to life Worcester Academy’s Core Values. For example, Worcester Academy’s motto, Achieve the Honorable, becomes more concrete as students grapple with, “What does an honorable choice look like?”

Having a framework of important questions will allow even our community’s youngest citizens to be confident and discerning learners. W

Middle School Does Things

its own way

In keeping with the Middle School’s unique place as an integral yet distinct part of Worcester Academy, the Middle School has its own twist on WA traditions. > Board of Monitors

> Parent Conferences

> Travel

The Middle School Board of Monitors is made up of 7th and 8th grade students who have as keen a concern for their classmates as any older students. They write speeches about why they want to serve and participate in BOM tapping. However, they lead through their focus on school spirit and student life, serving as an idea generator within the Middle School, rather than having a part in school governance or discipline.

In addition to the traditional ParentTeacher conferences where parents learn how their children are doing in school, the Middle School also has student-led Listening Conferences specifically for teachers to listen as parents explain what they should know about each child.

While Middle School students do not travel as far as Upper School students, who are coming from around the globe, they do have opportunities to see new places, whether a trip to Nature’s Classroom in Rhode Island or to Washington, DC. Our 8th graders head off on the most exciting trek of their lives: Outward Bound’s NYC Urban Expedition provides the backdrop for discovering firsthand what shapes an urban landscape.

50 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

> Ambassadors Middlers are proud to show off their school; ambassadors trained by the Admission Office show prospective Middle School families around Rader Hall and share their WA experiences.

> Athletic Competition and Fun Middle School has its own traditional rivals with nearby independent schools, especially Applewild and Fay.

> Location The Middle School does almost everything in Rader Hall, Worcester Academy’s newest building (dedicated in 2001), named for a couple who did almost everything during their time at WA—Harold “Dutch” and Dorothy Rader. W

WA ATHLETICS

past, present, and future— sustained success in girls basketball!

Worcester Academy’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team has been on a roll. As a lasting model of success, they are consistently at the top of New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) rankings as two-time defending champions. This year, they will embark on the quest for a third title since Sherry Levin returned as head coach for the 2016–2017 season. Ms. Levin led two teams to championships during her previous coaching stint at WA from 2001 to 2008. The team has had an impressive 66–5 record over that time.

The 2019–2020 season will be a test of their transition game as several key players have graduated or sustained injuries that may keep them off the court.

Though many players contributed talent and dedication to WA’s recent success, understandably, much of the attention, especially from outside media, had gone to Aliyah Boston ’19. She is a great story. Originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, she not only became WA’s all-time leading scorer, she was Gatorade Massachusetts player of the year three times.

During her senior year, Aliyah was named a

by Katherine Morse

McDonald’s All-American, the first athlete in WA history to be so honored, as well as being ranked the third-best recruit in the country by ESPN, which brought many top college coaches to campus. Aliyah played on several teams that represented the United States in international competition. Last summer, after graduation, she helped lead the USA Basketball Under-19 Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.

As impressive as Aliyah’s success has been, it cannot be measured solely in points, rebounds, or blocks. Nor can it be properly evaluated as a personal achievement.

Basketball is a team sport; each player needs to work confidently with others. Coach Levin firmly believes that success comes from creating a culture of determination and character so that each player can reach her potential. That philosophy was brought to life in a trip the team took last November. It was not to a preseason basketball showcase. It was a service trip over Thanksgiving to Aliyah’s home island of St. Thomas, where the entire team read to young children at a school and performed other

community service work, as well as conducted a basketball clinic. ”It was really a wonderful trip to see Aliyah in her home,” Coach Sherry Levin said, “and what we could give back to a community that is still feeling it from the hurricane. A player like Aliyah, as a person first, and as a teammate and as a competitor, doesn’t come along often.”

Fast forward to November 2019. While Aliyah is adjusting to college life and starting her first season at the University of South Carolina, the Hilltoppers are getting ready for another exciting season. The team will have a mix of returning players and strong new talent. Special recognition goes to guard Adara Groman ’20 , who played for Coach Levin on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 15th European Maccabi Games in Budapest, Hungary this summer.

“I was so very proud of the way Adara played hard. She led the team by example and represented Worcester Academy well,” Levin said.

It sounds like the transition game is well underway and we can look forward to more quality basketball on the Hilltop. W Worcester Academy

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how big is your neighborhood? tutoring students from nearby elementary schools. During the basketball season, Wednesdays are game days; the rest of school year, Wednesdays are service days for the basketball team. It’s then they are building a common sense of purpose and discipline, truly Achieving the Honorable as they go, or, as Coach Sullivan says, “doing their best for the school as they do their best for the community.”

This summer, those elements were clearly on display as WA and Coach Sullivan hosted the 4th Stride Your Passion basketball camp. Stride Your Passion is an organization developed by alumnus Christophe Varidel ’10, who played varsity basketball at WA under Ed Reilly (current director of athletics), as well as Jamie Sullivan.

by Katherine Morse

At the end of August, Jamie Sullivan received the Thomas Jefferson Award from Worcester Public Schools for his volunteer leadership. He was nominated by the principal of Union Hill School, a public elementary school located across the street from WA on Dorchester Street. The award recognized the many activities that he and the basketball team spearhead throughout the year, from a Halloween parade to homework club to providing 300 gifts to students at Union Hill and Vernon Hill elementary schools through the Worcester Academy Christmas Wishes Program, which grants specific wishes meaningful to each child. Every school in the city nominates someone; this year, he was the only nominee who was not a public school employee. W

Seeing the potential in kids

Jamie Sullivan, Worcester Academy’s head varsity boys basketball coach, is a neighborhood guy in the best sense: he remains rooted here in the Union Hill neighborhood surrounding Worcester Academy where he grew up (you can actually see his mother’s house from south campus), yet never limited by it. His appreciation of community 52 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

connections and real-life teamwork powers both his coaching style and his commitment to volunteerism. The question, “Are you an excuse-maker or a problem-solver?” echoes in his sideline huddles when he challenges players to be creative and work together, but it fits just as well when he leads the team in volunteering at a local food pantry or

Christopher Varidel ’10 went on to have great success in college basketball as a member of Florida Gulf Coast University’s team which made the Sweet 16 round in the 2013 NCAA tournament. He later played pro basketball in Europe. Stride Your Passion promotes youth basketball in Switzerland but also has recently expanded to Spain and to the West African country of Guinea-Bissau. A twoweek camp he runs at WA each summer gives more than 70 European teens the chance to work on their basketball skills and prepare for possible college in the United States: both academically—by taking SAT prep classes—and athletically.

“Christophe sees some potential that kids who are exposed to the American game may benefit the way he did from a basketball standpoint,” Ed Reilly said, “but, more importantly, they may benefit from an educational standpoint and becoming a citizen of the world by trying different things.”

Daily experience with American basketball coaching and competition culminated in a showcase to play in front of college coaches. Also included were community service activities such as bringing unserved food from the WA dining hall to St. John’s Food for the Poor program, just as Coach Sullivan does with the WA team during the school year.

“They’re beautiful kids,” Sullivan said. “They’re here to learn, they’re here to work, they’re here to see things they do not see in Switzerland, and they’re here to have fun. We try to give them that whole experience.”

WA athletics

June 8, 2020

Save the Date!

Rowe family Worcester Academy alumni and friends gathered in June at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington, RI, to support the Rowe Family Scholarship.

Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day on the course, followed by dinner, as well as speeches by scholarship recipients and others.

Since 1998, the Rowe Family Scholarship has awarded nearly 70 scholarships to Worcester Academy

scholarship tournament

students of outstanding character, who, in addition to participation in athletics, exhibit strong leadership both at school and in the community. This year, the event raised more than $30,000.

The 2019 Rowe Family scholarship recipients were Class of 2020 student athletes Asa Floyd, Lucas LaRoche, Samantha Scott, and Ciara Wall.

Congratulations to these four deserving scholar athletes!

Many thanks to Dee Rowe ’47 (and family!); the Rowe Family Scholarship Committee (especially Bob Hall ’62, chairman; the golfers and event participants; and the many individuals and businesses who sponsored holes and made gifts in support of the Rowe Family Scholarship! Stay tuned for more information on next year’s tournament, scheduled for June 8, 2020 at the Rhode Island Country Club. W

Join alumni and friends of Worcester Academy as they “tee it up with Dee” to benefit the Rowe Family Scholarship Fund on Monday, June 8 at Rhode Island Country Club. This special endowed scholarship fund was established in 1998 by Worcester Academy alumni, colleagues, and friends of the Rowe family as a lasting tribute to Academy alumnus Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47 and his family. This fund awards scholarships annually to students of outstanding character who, in addition to participation in athletics, exhibit strong leadership both at school and in the community.

Breakfast • Lunch • Golf Carts • Prizes • Cocktail Reception & Dinner Not a golfer?

Please join us for dinner.

Invitations will be mailed in April.

For more information, call Ursula Arello at 508-459-6927, or email ursula.arello@worcesteracademy.org.

Worcester Academy

53

Varsity Club honors

Jacqueline Odell ’92 & Daryl Smith ’88

shout out to James Proctor!

A special shout out to James Proctor, varsity boys soccer coach, who was recently featured in “New England Soccer Journal” in an article chronicling his journey from player in England to coach in New England, and his successful 20-year history here at Worcester Academy, coaching WA to a 220–69–49 record as of the start of this season. W 54 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

The Worcester Academy Varsity Club honored two alumni this year at its annual Varsity Club Dinner.

Those receiving 2019 Varsity Club Awards were marine affairs executive Jacqueline Odell ’92 and IT executive Daryl Smith ’88. The honorees spoke to WA students about character, goal setting, teamwork, and the special relationships that began on the Hilltop and have lasted throughout life.

“Both of these individuals are models of what it means to ‘Achieve the Honorable,’ ” Athletic Director Ed Reilly said at the dinner. “We are indebted to them for sharing their experiences and life’s wisdom.”

Nearly every year since 1965, Worcester Academy has honored a graduate who, while at the Academy, excelled in sports, and then has gone on to experience success in athletics and in life. The honoree is selected from nominations submitted by alumni and other members of the school community.

JACQUELINE ODELL ’92 Jacqueline Odell ’92 excelled as studentathlete while at WA, participating in three sports (soccer, basketball, and track & field) and earning eight varsity letters. Jacquie was MVP of the basketball team and a two-time MVP of the track team. Her basketball coach at WA, Julie Berberian, says, “Jacquie was an exemplary leader, a fierce competitor and one of the best multiple sport athletes to play here at Worcester Academy.

She brought a sense of purpose and commitment to our team on a daily basis.”

After WA, she attended Providence College where she majored in individualized biology and environmental studies. After college, Jacquie worked as a graduate assistant in the Marine Affairs Department at the University of Rhode Island. A career in marine life and best practices for the commercial fishing industry had begun. She earned a master-of-arts degree in marine affairs from URI in 2004.

WA athletics For the past 15 years, Jacquie has been the executive director for the Northeast Seafood Coalition located in Gloucester, MA, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the coalition, a nonprofit organization that represents commercial fishing businesses that participate in the federal northeast multispecies fishery.

In addition to successfully managing the coalition’s operational budget, Jacquie has prepared and submitted over 60 written public comments to proposed management actions undertaken by the New England Fishery Management Council and has been perhaps the region’s strongest advocate for preservation and maintenance of legislation protecting the Fishing Industry.

including Xerox and Verizon. To this day, he remains in the corporate world as vice-president of sales for an IT telecom company in New Jersey. Daryl also founded and remains president & CEO of D-Trained, a company seeking to improve the athletic performance levels of elite high school, college and professional athletes. To date, over 500 D-Trained participants have competed at the highest level of basketball, including the NBA and the WNBA. Additionally, for several years, D-Trained served as a featured sports trainer for the Jordan Brand and Nike Basketball worldwide and his clients have reached the pinnacle of the basketball world at both the national and international level.

DARYL SMITH ’88

Past Varsity Club honorees include: Dave Gavitt, former general manager of the Boston Celtics; Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47, WA director of athletics and basketball coach; Bill Toomey ’57, Olympic decathlon champion; Armand LaMontagne ’58, noted sculptor; Steve Adelman ’64, Boston College hall of famer; Bill Reynolds ’64, longtime sports writer and columnist; Chet Gladchuk ’69, U.S. Naval Academy director of athletics; Bill Cooke ’70, Green Bay Packers; Yvonne Goldsberry ’78, pioneer of women’s athletics at WA and a member of the Brown University Hall of Fame; Rick Carlisle ’79, head coach, Dallas Mavericks; Stephanie Abodeely Carlson ’80, former head women’s soccer coach at WPI; Joe Philbin ’80, former head coach, Miami Dolphins; Donn Nelson ’82, general manager, Dallas Mavericks; Mike Wilhelm ’86, former assistant coach, Chicago Bulls; Mike Malone ’90, head coach, Denver Nuggets; Erica Sobel ’98, National Pro Fast Pitch League player; and Dr. Daniela Faas ’00, teacher and researcher at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. W

Daryl Smith ’88 was an exceptional basketball player at Worcester Academy and beyond. During his junior year, he averaged 27 points per game while leading the Hilltoppers to a Class A NEPSAC title and earning MVP honors. In his senior year, Daryl captained the team that went 18–3 and he earned a basketball scholarship to Rutgers University.

Daryl would go on to captain the Scarlet Knights in his senior year, capping off a career that saw his team capture two conference championships and compete in four consecutive postseason tournaments. The 1991 team lead by Daryl was the last Rutgers mens team to reach the NCAA Basketball Tournament. He finished his career at Rutgers as a Top 50 Scorer and in the top 20 all-time in steals. He prided himself on his ability to be a team player and to always be a positive booster of his teammates and his school.

After graduating and playing overseas in Italy and Croatia, Daryl successfully entered the business world as a sales professional where he has thrived for years at Fortune 500 companies,

PAST HONOREES

scoreboard fall 2018 teams Varsity Football

wins

losses

ties

3

5

0

JV Football

0

2

0

Varsity Boys Soccer

15

2

4

JV Boys Soccer

5

5

3

Varsity Girls Soccer

13

5

2

JV/MS Girls Soccer

2

4

4

Varsity Field Hockey

8

12

0

Varsity Volleyball

13

7

0

other Lost in finals to Berkshire Lost in semifinals to Noble

JV Volleyball

11

7

0

Varsity Boys Cross Country

3

17

0

Varsity Girls Cross Country

16

3

1

NEPSTA D-2 Championships 2nd

other

winter 2018–2019 wins

losses

ties

JV Boys Basketball

teams

0

16

0

Varsity Boys Basketball

20

7

0

Lost to Vermont Academy in quarterfinals

Varsity 2 Boys Basketball

7

10

0

Lost to St. Thomas More in prep 6 semifinals

Varsity Girls Basketball

24

1

0

Won NEPSAC Class AA Championship, defeating Tabor for 2nd straight year

Varsity Boys Hockey

6

21

0

Lost to Pingree in quarterfinals of Holt Tournament

Varsity Girls Hockey

14

10

3

Lost to Brooks in NEPSAC DII semifinals

Varsity Boys Swimming

1

6

0

NEPSAC Championships-7th place

Varsity Girls Swimming

4

5

0

NEPSAC Championships-6th place

Varsity Boys Skiing

–

–

–

CMSL-8th place/NEPSAC-8th place Class C

Varsity Girls Skiing

–

–

–

CMSL-7th place/NEPSAC-4th place Class C

Varsity Wrestling

1

20

0

spring 2019 wins

losses

ties

JV/MS Baseball

teams

3

5

0

Varsity Baseball

16

5

0

Varsity Golf

3

4

0

Varsity Boys Lacrosse

5

9

0

Varsity Girls Lacrosse

9

6

0

Varsity Boys Tennis

6

5

0

other Blackburn Tournament semifinals, lost to Exeter

WNEPSLA Tournament loss to Williston

Varsity Girls Tennis

4

5

0

Varsity Boys Track/Field

4

13

0

NEPSTA D-2 Championships-10th place

Varsity Girls Track/Field

12

9

0

NEPSTA D-2 Championships-11th place

Varsity Softball

4

13

0

EDITOR’S NOTE: If an Upper School team is not listed in the chart above, it did not compete, with the exception of Crew. For example, there was no JV Lacrosse. There was a Crew team; it simply did not fit easily into a format of wins and losses due to boat configurations, race distances, etc.

Worcester Academy

55

YOUR LEGACY LIVES HERE

‘WORCESTER GIRL’ MAKES BEQUEST TO WA IN GRATITUDE FOR SETTING LIFE COURSE by Caroline G. Reich P’06,’08 By the time she reached middle school, Katherine Dick Brosier ’79, a self-described nerd, was bored with school. Kathy loved growing up on the West Side of Worcester—the eighth of nine siblings— but she needed more academic challenge.

“I’m forever grateful that my mother recognized that I needed something different. I still remember she and my father taking me for my interview at Worcester Academy with Headmaster Bloom,” she says. It was the start of an academic and personal experience that would open up a world of possibilities for Kathy. Receiving financial aid made attending WA possible for her and her family.

LESSONS FROM HILLTOP CARRY THROUGHOUT LIFE As a new freshman, Kathy landed in an English class where her first assigned paper earned her a “C,” which was fairly horrifying to this “A” student. “I realized that I was going to have to up my game academically, but the teacher was right there to support me,” she recalls. In those first weeks at WA, faculty member Joel Strogoff ’69, approached Kathy and suggested that she could do more than just academics—that she might also try sports, too. Kathy threw 56 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

herself into soccer, basketball, and cross country and ended up playing throughout her time on the Hilltop.

“I loved playing, meeting girls from other classes, and being part of the team experience, and would never have even tried sports had it not been for Mr. Strogoff’s encouragement,” she says. Kathy is also grateful for lifelong friendships and for tough, excellent teachers like Donald Bloom, Elaine Willey Bloom, and Howard Shainheit, who emphasized the importance of rigorous academics and encouraged a love for learning and challenging oneself.

After WA, Kathy headed to Yale University, earning a degree in architecture, although by the time she graduated, she knew that following the in long family line of architects was not for her. During a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Zaire (now Republic of Congo) as a math teacher, she developed a strong interest in human behavior.

Returning to Worcester for a time, Kathy met and married her husband, the Rev. Daniel Brosier, who was studying for the ministry at the First Unitarian Church on Main Street in Worcester. Together, they headed to his first church posting at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Elgin, IL, and ended up staying. Kathy

earned her M.S.W. from Loyola University Chicago and began a 25-year career as a licensed clinical social worker and as a pastor’s wife and mother of two grown children. She is in her 21st year as an instructor in child and adolescent development at Northern Illinois University.

MAKING A BEQUEST IS SIMPLE, ‘FEELS GREAT’ “The Academy does a terrific job of developing and educating adolescents, which is really difficult—and valuable,” Kathy says. So, when she and husband, Dan, did their estate planning recently, she remembered receiving a postcard about making a planned gift to WA. “In thinking about where I wanted to make a difference, I really felt that WA freed me in so many ways, to explore new

interests, to reach my potential as a student, writer, and thinker. WA provided advantages in life for which I am very grateful. I also liked being able to support a Worcester institution, because I’m a ‘Worcester girl,’ ” Kathy declares.

By directing a percentage of her estate to WA, Kathy plays an important part in assuring that WA continues to offer opportunities for young people from Worcester—“like me.” W If WA made a difference in your life or in the life of your child or loved one, Your Own Legacy Can Live Here on the Hilltop! For information, contact Director of Planned Giving Frank Callahan ’71 at frank.callahan@worcesteracademy.org or at 508-754-5302 x135; or visit worcesteracademy.org/plannedgiving.

“In thinking about where I wanted to make a difference, I really felt that WA freed me in so many ways, to explore new interests, to reach my potential as a student, writer, and thinker. WA provided advantages in life for which I am very grateful. I also liked being able to support a Worcester institution, because I’m a ‘Worcester girl.”

—Katherine Dick Brosier ’79

Rohan Krishnan ’20 RECIPIENT OF THE BERNON JUNIOR SERVICE AWARD by Vy Nguyen ’19 Worcester Academy’s Rohan Krishnan ’20 is recipient of the 2019 Bernon Junior Service Award.

The Bernon Junior Service Award was established by Alan J. Bernon ’72 to honor a member of a Junior Class for outstanding contributions to other people through community service. Each year, the award comes with a $10,000 prize: $2,500 for the student, and $7,500 for the charity of his or her choosing. Mr. Bernon’s hope is that the prize will recognize

students achievements as well as help to develop a new generation of passionate philanthropists.

Rohan Krishnan ’20 is a fitting award recipient. After having experienced an immersive language trip to Morocco to learn Arabic and encountering many examples of hatred against Middle Eastern people, he really wanted to do something to make a difference.

According to Rohan, “I decided that the best way to combat ignorance was through educating our youth.

Sharing

Younger students are more receptive to ideas that encourage us to pursue tolerance and acceptance.”

He created a curriculum for “Arabian Nights” classes at Framingham library to teach young students about culture and languages of the Middle East. “I believe my volunteer work was the first step to creating a more informed world where pernicious assumptions about groups of people could be deconstructed and dismissed.” Rohan says.

As a recipient of the award, Rohan

has committed to donate $7,500 of the prize money to Ansaar of Worcester, an organization established to help refugees by providing food, shelter, and educational opportunities in English, civics, and other important and practical matters. W Congratulations to Rohan, and thanks to Alan and Carol Bernon for funding the award and encouraging a new generations of young philanthropists and community volunteers!

Worcester Academy Annual Fund / www.worcesteracademy.org/givenow

the joy of discovery

Through the innovations of dedicated teachers, we deliver on our mission to cultivate progressive, forward-thinking leaders with a global perspective.

It is the Academy’s Annual Fund that lifts us from good to great.

Help us by making your contribution to the Annual Fund today!

Worcester Academy

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WORCESTER ACADEMY FOUNDERS DAY

a time to celebrate WA’s unique history The Worcester Academy community celebrated Founders Day, Feb. 28, 2019 in a tradition that honors the unique history that has made the WA community the wonderful place it is to live and learn.

This year, the Old School Bell was rung as Middle Schoolers took center stage with a play about the founding of the Academy.

In conjunction with the celebration, Worcester Academy alumni, students, parents, staff, and friends showed their appreciation for WA, honoring both today’s students and faculty as well as those who preceded them over the last 185 years. More than 228 58 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

alumni gave gifts of gratitude on 2–28 (Feb. 28) to help us meet our goal.

Worcester Academy is one of the nation’s most outstanding independent schools, with a tradition of excellence that continues to serve new generations of students 185 years after its founding.

We thank all those families who trust us to offer an unmatched educational experience, and we thank those who made gifts on Founders Day, or at other times in the last year, in support of our mission.

With your support, we continue to inspire girls and boys to “Achieve the Honorable.” W

in alumni news

1952

1959 JOHN WOLF was recently an extra for a current HBO TV series.

1962 JACK DUNHAM is an active musician.

ORR SHEPHERD visited campus for the first time since graduation.

He credits Worcester Academy with providing him a fine education that helped him both in his studies at WPI and in his business career. He is retired and lives in Woburn, MA.

1956 NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATOR LOUIS C. D’ALLESANDRO was featured in the “Capitol Ideas Magazine,” a publication of the Council of State Governments (CSG), our nation’s only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a regionbased forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. Senator D’Allesandro serves as the CSG national chair. In 2018, he published a book titled “Lou D’Allesandro: Lion of the New Hampshire Senate and Thoughts for Presidential Hopefuls.” For more information, see: www.csg.org/pubs/capitolideas

STUART SHAPIRO recently published a book, “Identifi Yourself,” that is quite reflective of his life and tailored to young graduates about life and the need for “creative courage” in the creative world. See more at https://www.amazon.com/identifiyourself-journey-creative-courage/ dp/1947637886.

1969

He works daily, during the summer/fall months in New England and in South Florida during the winter months, where he has a residence in West Palm Beach.

years ago to Southern California.

1964

1973

KEN PAYSON won twice at New

JIM GALLAGHER visted campus in May and reflected on his memories of WA and the many friendships that he established during his years on the Hilltop. Jim left after sophomore year but still loves to keep in touch.

Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon in the Touring 4 Class in his Mazda Miata this past May. Ken has assumed the points lead in the New England Region of the Sports Car Club of America.

1966 Congratulations to MICHAEL REIDY on two recent book releases, “On the Edge of Dreams and Nightmares” and “Portland Place.” Michael’s collection of short stories, “Undivulged Crimes,” recently won a “Chill with a Book (www.chillwithabook.com) Readers’ Award.” This is Michael’s second book to win such an award.

JULIAN HATT retired more than 10

1980 Coach Thomas Blackburn with son, Tom ’80, and grandson, Ben.

THOMAS BLACKBURN made a trip back to the Hilltop in springtime to watch WA baseball take on BB&N at Gaskill Field. It was a WA family baseball reunion of sorts as he was joined by his parents (Tom and Peg Blackburn) and his brother, JIM ’85. Tom says, “It was great to see a sparkling Blackburn Diamond—Chet Chaisson and John Ricciardi would have been proud. Bonus was watching my son, Ben, throw two scoreless innings to preserve a BB&N victory. First time I remember rooting against the Hilltoppers!”

MARK SAVOLIS was recently featured in the Holy Cross Magazine upon his retirement as head of College Archives and Special Collections at the College of the Holy Cross.

LESLIE JACOBSON KAY and RACHEL PADULA-SHUFELT ’94 connected while Leslie was playing the role of Madeline Mitchell in an opera, “Three Decembers,” at the Boston Playwright’s Theater in Boston earlier this year. It turns out that Rachel created all of the wigs for the show! Leslie and Rachel had a wonderful time reminiscing about Warner Theater and how much they both benefited from the arts at Worcester Academy!

Worcester Academy

59

1982

1981 1984 H. JON BENJAMIN’S new book, “Failure Is An Option: An Attempted Memoir,” was released last May.

MARTHA SULLIVAN was an artist in residence at Worcester Academy this past January. She is a skilled singer, composer, and educator in New York City. She was most recently a Musicianship Instructor at Hunter College of the City University of New York and a Music Instructor for Rutgers-Newark.

60 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

1985

This spring, the FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition recognized JAMES LOCKMAN at the Detroit Championship as the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

James and his family all volunteer for the organization. His wife, Rori Lockman (a former WA faculty member), is a FIRST Lego League coach; his three sons are FIRST participants, alums, and volunteers; and James is a mentor and event volunteer. James and his oldest son made a tool for game announcers that helps raise the quality of events for students and attendees by delivering team and event statistics to the emcees and game announcers at events around the world as a mobile-friendly website. It also uses crowd-sourced data to ensure that the team names, sponsors, and other details are up-to-date. James says, “It is exciting to see so many people use the tool and to see how much better the audience experience is because of the resource.” He goes on to say, “WA also has a team that competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition: Team 4987 MegaRams. I give them a rousing ‘OskeeWow-Wow’ whenever I see them!”

1988 CAITLIN MCCARTHY’S screenplay, “WONDER DRUG,” advanced into the semifinal round of the prestigious 2019 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, one of only 149 entries to advance from 7,302 scripts entered. During the semifinals, four Academy members, drawn from a variety of branches, will read “WONDER DRUG.” From 10 to 15 semifinalists will be selected as finalists. All semifinalists will be included in the Nicholl contact list that is forwarded in the fall to agents, development executives, managers, and producers who request it. “WONDER DRUG,” which had its origins as a Sloan script at the Hamptons Screenwriters Lab, was most recently a “Featured Script” on “The Black List.” It is a scientific drama about the DES drug disaster.

For information about Caitlin’s screenwriting, visit www.caitlinmccarthy.com.

MICHAEL GRENON is on the board of directors for the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.

Congratulations to DR. MELISSA WELBY on being on the top 10 list of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices in Health Care!”

Melissa is a psychiatrist and health care blogger that tackles mental healthrelated topics, from suicide prevention to how to find a psychiatrist, with an aim to destigmatize mental illness.

1989 DR. STEFANIE CHIRAS is now the vice president and general manager of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Business Unit at Red Hat.

MICHAEL COADY is pleased to have joined First Republic Bank as Managing Director of the Palm Beach Florida office.

RYAN KING was recently named the president of the Northern Cyclones Youth Hockey program.

JESSICA PHILLIPS is on the national tour of “Dear Evan Hansen,” playing the role of Heidi Hansen, mother of Evan Hansen. Worcester Academy alumni and friends were able to watch her perform on stage at the Boston Opera House on July 18.

1990

1993

ADRIAN (ACE) MORITZ and his wife are in the craft beer industry. In 2009, they opened Eastern Shore Brewing Company in St. Michaels, MD. Check them out!

1992

HEATHER MONAHAN has authored a new book, “Confidence Creator.” The book shares the tips and tricks she acquired during her career and provides a blueprint for how to get ahead in life.

“Confidence Creator” shot to #1 on Amazon’s business biographies and business motivation lists the first week it debuted on Amazon. She is founder of Boss in Heels. Heather shared her techniques with WA students on campus in December 2018. Thanks for visiting, Heather! For more information, go to her website: www.heathermonahan.com.

1996 DR. ALTA BOOVER DANTZLER visited campus on May 3 to conduct a master class with Don Irving. She happened to visit campus during Reunion weekend and performed for the Class of 1969 during a back-to-class presentation in Warner Theater. Thanks for visiting, Alta!

On May 3, SEAN SOMERS of Boston’s premier Irish hospitality company, Somers Pubs, received the 2019 Innovation Ambassador Award from the “Irish Echo” newspaper at its Small Business-Big Impact Awards ceremony and was awarded the distinguised Belfast Ambassador Medal for 2019 this October in Belfast, Ireland. Sean, a longtime Boston business leader, was recognized for his ongoing commitment to local tech start-ups. The “Irish Echo” is the largest circulation Irish American weekly newspaper. Somers Pubs, a family business, owns eight Irish Pubs in Boston. He also recently spoke on a panel from National Geographic on the film, “Paris to Pittsburgh,” a Bloomberg Philanthrophy Film, on the topic of climate change and how businesses can help in the reduction of waste and the use of more sustainable equipment.

Sean states, “Thank you so much for what you do every day! I would not be getting these awards and medals if it wasn’t for Worcester Academy and having ‘Achieve the Honorable’ instilled in me at such an important part of my life.”

1997 MARISA PEACOCK recently relocated with her partner, Paul, and dog, Sampson, to Champaign, IL, to take on a full-time lecturer position at the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, College of Media, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She continues to run her business, The Strategic Peacock, in addition to her teaching responsibilities.

checking alumni news in According to CHRISTOPHER HARRIS, “WA left a remarkable imprint on my life and I still enjoy the friendships forged over 20 years ago.”

1999

1998 ZACH DAVIS is now working at RWJ Barnabas Foundation as a data analyst.

Prior to this position, he worked in various roles at Drew University.

Worcester Academy

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2000

BEN KAPLAN and his brother, JOE ’05, own and operate Lakeside Bar & Grille in Shrewsbury and Herbie’s in Worcester. They recently opened another restaurant, Center Tree Bar & Grill in Rutland, MA.

2002 2001

Congratulations to JAMIE (LAVIN) BUZZARD and her husband, Mike, on the birth of their daughter, Clay Elizabeth Buzzard, born October 1, 2018.

62 the HILLTOPPER : winter 2019–2020

DARYL PEGRAM is positively impacting high risk youth in his hometown of San Bernardino, CA. When his contract was threatened with non-renewal due to finances, the students and faculty made a powerful video of support.

Through his dedication to youth and service to his community, Daryl has “Achieved the Honorable.” Daryl is the owner/operator of The Phomello Agency, an educational consultancy and is head boys basketball coach at San Bernardino high school.

checking alumni news in

2006

2003

2005 WILLIAM CATHER began his new position as head coach of Clark University’s baseball program.

2004

ALAN PANDIANI was promoted to the position of associate athletic director of external operations at UMass in June.

Pandiani originally joined University of Massachusetts Athletics in August 2015 as associate director of athletics for sales and fan experience.

Congrats to ATHINA (NIKOPOULOS) TENCZAR and her husband on the recent births of their two girls. Tula Caterina was born on October 14, 2018, and Melina Amaura was born on Aug. 27, 2019. She and her husband also have an older daughter, Elly.

Congratulations to ASHLEY (BADEAU) CARON and her husband, Zachary, on the birth of their son, Dominic Francis Caron. Dominic was born April 29, weighing 8 pounds. The ice cream-themed photo pays homage to Zachary’s ice cream business. Zachary is the 4th generation owner of a family owned business in Rhode Island called Ice Cream Machine.

KASSIA DAVIS was recently profiled in “Boston Magazine” about her new position at Fierce and Legal, a Boston based clothing company. She remains active in New Balance charitable foundations and is on the board at West End House, a youth services agency in Allston, MA.

CAILEIGH (WARREN) TERLEP married Ben Terlep in October 2018 and recently visited Alaska for their honeymoon. Congrats! From left are

PAIGE WARREN ’07, KATHARINE (SMALL) OIKLE, CAILEIGH (WARREN) TERLEP, her husband, Ben Terlep, AND KATELYN EVEN. Paige was maid of honor, while Katie was a bridesmaid at the wedding, held in Colorado.

Worcester Academy

63

2007

A belated congratulations to EMILY BLOOM and DANIEL RODRIQUEZ on their marriage two years ago.

Their classmate, JEFF ROTHSCHILD, officiated. WA alumni in attendance also included Carl Giovannucci, Max Trumble, Sachin Patel.

ELIZABETH BUTTERWORTH is attending Harvard Law School.

CAROLINE HART married Justin Renken in Las Vegas on June 22.

Congratulations!

behind the post KATHERINE O’CONNOR’S wedding was on Sept. 22, 2018. Katherine and her husband live in Astoria, NY. She is a special needs teacher in the Bronx and her husband is a lawyer on Long Island.

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BILLY CLARK welcomed his son, Zayn Lewis Clark, on Aug. 12, 2019.

Congratulations!

2008

COURTNEY DUFFY graduated from Dartmouth with an MBA this past June.

She will finish her MPA at Harvard next spring. She is excited to reunite in Cambridge with LIZ BUTTERWORTH ’07 at Harvard Law School.

checking alumni news in

2009 TERENCE CIAVARRA visited with students as part of Earth Month festivities at Worcester Academy. He spoke on his career as business development manager for Ecosystems Energy Services. Terence states, “I wouldn’t have been in this industry if it weren’t for Worcester Academy. It’s because of the classes I took here.” He went on to inform students, “It all starts with getting involved with clubs now if you have an interest in getting into this work.” Terence also mentioned that he enjoys working with educational institutions—such as Boston College, Brown, and Worcester Academy—that are actively involved in making changes to better the environment.

TORI BENTKOVER, chief operating officer and director of public relations for A10 Associates, announced the launch of the woman-owned lobbying shop on Jan. 2, 2019 and was featured in the Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal.

ALBERT FELDMAN recently started his own move management company called Home Again Transitions. Home Again Transitions is a full-service move management and home organization business that helps seniors.

Congratulations to CAELYN (BELLEROSE) SIPLEY on her marriage to Jason Sipley on Dec. 8, 2018.

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The Class of 2009 at GREGORY MCKETCHNIE’S wedding on June 22, 2019. Also joining them was PRAVEEN

MAHENDRAN ’10.

behind the post Congratulations to BEN FIORILLO who graduated from Tufts Medical School.

He will be attending Emory University to specialize in anesthesiology.

2010

Congratulations to alums CHELSEA GRAVES and BENJAMIN GOODMAN on their recent marriage on June 29.

Chelsea and Ben had a backyard wedding at her parent’s home in Paxton, MA.

On Nov. 30, 2018, SAM MARTIN celebrated passing the Massachusetts Bar Examination at Faneuil Hall in Boston with his mother, Carol, and Stanford Law School classmate, Savannah Haynes. Sam is currently clerking the for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In his senior year at Yale University, he was captain of the basketball team. After graduation, he played professional basketball in the United Kingdom for two years.

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behind the post Congratulations to LINDSEY (JOHN) and PATRICK HORAN on the birth of their son, Steven James, born Aug. 6.

Steven is named after Lindsey’s father, STEVEN JOHN ’81. Lindsey and Patrick also have a daughter, Madeline.

WA faculty member ANNA CLIFFORD met up with OLIVIA LO ’14 for dinner in Córdoba, Spain. Anna chaperoned a WA spring break trip to Spain (27 students), and Olivia, since she teaches English in Murcia, decided to take a train over during her long weekend to visit with her WA friends.

2011

2012

checking alumni news in

ALEXANDER AGHJAYAN married Abby Poirier on May 25 at Zukas Hilltop Barn. The couple went to Atlantis in the Bahamas on their honeymoon. Alex is the web designer at Saint-Gobain Company. Best wishes Alex and Abby!

2013

Congratulations to ROXANNE ANDERSON on graduating with a mas-

Congratulations to JORDAN LUCAS and his wife, Tay, on the birth of their son, Jayce Carter Lucas. Jayce was born on Jan. 27. Jordan is the safety for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.

behind the post Congratulations to ELISABETH PETERLEITNER on the birth of her son, Cooper Alan, born on Aug. 27. Congrats also to grandmother, Patty Peterleitner, former head of the Upper school at WA.

ter’s degree in social work from Boston University School of Social Work in May!

In 2018, VITO CAPUANO founded Taasa Health Inc. and serves as the president of the organization. Taasa Health is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to stimulating a holistic approach to economic and social selfsufficiency by improving access to healthcare programs in the developing world. Taasa’s inaugural project was to aid and expand a local health clinic in rural Uganda. Last year, the clinic treated more than 1,500 patients. For more information, visit taasahealth.org.

YUN’ER (ANGELA) NIU opened ÉgaliTea Organic Café on Newbury Street in Boston this past summer.

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join worcesteracademyconnect.org TODAY! SITE IS WA’S DEDICATED ALUMNI NETWORKING PLATFORM Join WA’s dedicated alumni community TODAY by visiting WorcesterAcademyConnect.org online! Meet up with friends and classmates, expand YOUR professional network, and cultivate a culture of helping and giving back in a trusted WA environment.

YOU’LL be amazed at how vibrant YOUR WA community is! Sign up, sign in, link YOUR social networks, and hang out with fellow Hilltoppers today at WorcesterAcademyConnect.org! For assistance, email Director of Donor and Alumni Engagement Ursula Arello ’85 at ursula.arello@worcesteracademy.org.

2015

2014

HAEYUN KANG met up with former WA faculty member and science department chairman Chuck Glassmire during a trip to Portland, ME. Haeyun is in her final year of a six-year pharmacy program at URI School of Pharmacy. Haeyun and Mr. Glassmire were able to catch up over lunch and toured Portland. Haeyun remembers WA fondly and keeps in touch with a number of classmates.

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RILEY DOHERTY was recognized as the U.S. Coaches Division 3 Scholar All-America selection. He was the first to achieve this in WPI history.

Riley, a midfielder, was also selected to be a member of the All-NEWMAC First Team, the U.S. Coaches All-New England Second Team, and was a consecutive year CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in 2018 and 2019.

Photo by Pete Smith

HARSH DESHMUKH saw on social media that WA middle schoolers were in DC as part of an X-STEM trip over spring break. Harsh works for CONGRESSMAN JIM MCGOVERN ’77, and, within a matter of hours, was able to get the 21 middle schoolers and faculty on a tour of the Capitol building. Harsh surprised the group by bringing along MAGGIE O’BRIEN ’15. He gave them a behindthe-scenes tour of the capitol building, his office, the underground passage between the offices and the capitol building itself, and much more!

behind the post Congratulations to NIKKI LAGANKE who graduated from Penn State in May!

2016

checking alumni news in

“The Detroit News” published KEELAN BALDWIN’S article, “Forever Chemical,” about the harmful effects of the chemical known as PFAS. She spent her summer in Washington, DC, researching how this chemical has contaminated water supplies throughout the U.S.

2019

MORGAN MCSWEENEY, a right-hand pitcher, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball Draft in June.

Congratulations!

2017 YESSENGELDY RAKHIMBEKOV

2018

remarks, “It has been less than four years since graduation. Nevertheless, I did everything I wanted to do before age 30. WA gave me the opportunity and a boost to grow and explore.”

Congratulations to recent alum, Gabriella “Gabby” Conte, on winning the 2019 Miss Elegance Pageant! By winning the pageant, Gabby earned the opportunity to be a buyer intern with Carbonneau Formalwear in Atlanta this past August, sourcing fashion as well as learning business norms. Gabby’s platform for the pageant was empowering women in business.

TELL US WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU! To submit a class note, please send note and/or image to Alicia Figueiredo at alicia.figueiredo@worcesteracademy.org.

HANNAH ENNIS visited Gladys Vasquez’s Spanish Language and Culture Class on Jan. 31, 2019 to informally chat about her semester off before starting Middlebury College in February 2019. After graduating from WA in 2018, she volunteered for an organization in Arizona called No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths).

No Mas Muertes is a humanatarian aid organization that works on the U.S./Mexican Border. She also volunteered teaching at a local public school in Chile while staying with a family friend. Good luck at Middlebury, Hannah!

Some tips for sending us digital photos that will look fantastic in print: > Set the photo size to 4 x 6 inches or larger, in 300 dpi. > Set your digital camera to the best photo setting. > Save files as JPG or TIF. > Identify everyone left to right in the photo and provide a caption.

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passings 1935 LAWRENCE A. BERENSON of Manhattan died in January 2018, two months shy of his hundredth birthday. He graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and city planning. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1941 to 1946. His varied business career included practicing architecture briefly, publishing trade papers, investing in real estate, and writing about business. His philanthropic activities included many children’s charities. Lawrence was a great traveler and an accomplished watercolorist—a true renaissance man. He leaves wife, Claire; son, Gary; and two grandchildren.

1938 DAVID LAWRENCE DENNISON of Carefree, AZ, passed away on June 14, 2016. He graduated from Princeton University with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1942. He began working for DuPont but soon interrupted his career to join the Ski Troops of the 10th Mountain Division. He served until the end of WWII and was awarded a Bronze Star. He returned to DuPont from 1945 to 1981 when he retired as European director of plastics based in Geneva, Switzerland. Retirement was the beginning of 35 satisfying years in Carefree, devoted largely to public service (and golf!). He is survived by his four children and his sister. Both his first wife, Margaret, and his second wife, Peggy, predeceased him.

1942 PHILIP W. CAHILL SR. passed away December 20, 2018. Born in Salem, MA, he graduated from Salem High School before attending WA. He graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and served in the Merchant Marines during WWII. He was a born mariner, owning and operating Cahill’s Boatyard in Salem for many years. He was very proud to be appointed deputy district pilot commissioner, as well as Salem harbor pilot, by Governor Endicott Peabody in 1963. The

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family enjoyed many vacations up and down the Eastern Seaboard on his beloved boat, The Triumph. He retired to Lake Worth, FL, and spent summers in Marblehead, MA. He was predeceased by his wife, Caroline, and a son, Philip W. Cahill Jr. ’67. He leaves a daughter; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

VIRGIL (MARSOOPIAN) MARSON died October 2 in Naples, FL, where he spent much of his time since retirement. Virgil grew up in Whitinsville, the child of Armenian immigrants. As the oldest child, he took on extra responsibilities, including nearly anything that involved speaking or writing English. After WA, he started at Brown University but interrupted his studies to serve in the Army Air Force during WWII. His bomber was shot down, and he was captured after parachuting out of the plane. He was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war, he returned to Brown, graduating in 1948, the same year he founded the Andover Shop in Massachusetts with his brother-in-law.

His clients included politicians and foreign ambassadors. Virgil leaves two children and a grandson. His wife, Dorothy, predeceased him.

DR. ROBERT M. ROWE of Northborough, MA, died March 19, 2016. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Upon his return, he studied optometry, graduating from the Massachusetts College of Optometry in 1949. He practiced in Northborough, Marlborough, and on Cape Cod. He leaves a son; a daughter; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Geraldine.

ROBERT M. SIFF of Palm Beach, FL, died September 11, 2018. He lived most of his life in Worcester until retirement. After completing his freshman year at Brown University, he enlisted and was a member of the 95th Infantry Division under General Patton. He fought in Normandy, as well as at the Battle of the Bulge, and liberated two concentration camps. He was fluent in German and Yiddish and served as an interpreter, earning the Bronze Star. Following the war, he completed his education at Brown. He was a business leader who became president and CEO of B-W Footwear, Ambassador Shoe, and BWA International. He was president of Two-Ten International Foundation and a member of the board of directors of the Worcester Jewish Federation, the Ecotarium, Clark University Center for Holocaust Studies,

Worcester Jewish Healthcare, Center for Adoption-UMass Medical Center, Board of UMass Medical Center, and The ARC. A brother, Ron Siff ’55, predeceased him. He leaves his wife, Shirley; two children; and four grandchildren.

1943 DR. THOMAS DECESARE JR. of North Kingstown, RI, passed away September 8, 2015. He was the husband of Dr. Danute DeCesare. They were married for 61 years.

He served proudly with the U.S. Army during WWII. Tom was a podiatrist in Providence for 50 years and a past president of the Rhode Island Podiatric Medical Association. He enjoyed traveling, reading, playing golf, and time with his family. He leaves his wife; three children; and 10 grandchildren.

BURTON LOUIS TANGHERLINI of San Diego died October 15, 2018. Born in Boston, Burt lived in San Diego after leaving the Navy in 1952. He worked at the Naval Air Station until 1984. After working several years at the San Diego Union Tribune, he started his own business, Action Notary, and ran it for many years until he retired

former faculty JANE KJAERGAARD KJEMS (TANGHERLINI), 80, former French teacher, died January 24, 2019. Born in Copenhagen, she studied at the University of Copenhagen and the Sorbonne in Paris. She taught French at WA in the mid-1970s, and received a B.A., an MBA, and an M.A. in linguistics, all from Clark University. She was a correspondent for many local and international newspapers and had her own translation company, TransEdit International. Jane is survived by her three sons, Timothy Tangherlini ’81, Niels Tangerlini ’88, and Daniel Tangherlini. Her son, Arne Tangherlini ’79, predeceased her.

passings in 2015. Burt played tennis regularly since his school days. He also enjoyed dancing of all kinds. Since 2000, he and his brother Frank, his only surviving relative, were regulars at the Firehouse swing dance sessions.

1945 EVERETT T. “EV” HARRINGTON died December 5, 2018. He was born in Worcester and attended Boston University. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII. Prior to his retirement, Ev worked as a general manager for Sjogren Tool and as a sales manager for Cumberland Engineering and several manufacturing companies in the area. In his retirement, Ev worked parttime for Hy-Line Cruises in Hyannis, retiring at age 87 after 26 years of employment. Ev was a resident of West Yarmouth for 41 years. His wife of 66 years, Marjorie, died in 2012. He leaves three children; two granddaughters; and one great-grandson.

37 years. Bill was a skiing enthusiast who also enjoyed biking, sailing and camping. He and his wife, Lois, were avid square dancers and round dancers for many years.

They enjoyed wintering in Florida following retirement.

DAVID KRIVITSKY of Manhattan died February 19, 2019.

David grew up in Boston and attended Boston English High School and WA where he captained the track team and was a national schoolboy champion sprinter. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1951. David retired as president of Native Textiles after a long career in the New York textile industry. He quietly supported many worthwhile causes, most notably the West End House Camp, where he was a camper, counselor, and its youngest director. Predeceased by his wife, Maria Martens, he is survived by his companion of 12 years, Rena Lustberg.

Thank you to David for being a member of 1834 Society.

1947

CHARLES S. MORRILL of Framingham, MA, passed

HENRY “HANK” CONROY, passed away February

away on December 25, 2017. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Helaine; his two children; and three grandchildren.

Charlie’s personality endeared him to many people throughout his life. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

1, 2019, in Fort Myers, FL. He graduated from Quincy (Mass.) High School in 1943. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps serving in the Pacific during WWII. After the service, he attended WA. He received a B.S. in physical education from Boston University. He spent more than 40 years teaching physical education and health, as well as coaching football, in Quincy. In 2006, Hank was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Hank was an avid skier into his early-80s. Hank leaves his wife, Gail, of Fort Myers, FL; seven children; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Trudy.

1946 JOSEPH J. DIGERONIMO of Leominster passed away January 22, 2019. Joe was born in Leominster and graduated from Leominster High School before attending WA. He was a U.S. Army veteran serving in Japan after WWII. Joe received his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and built a career as part owner and senior vice president of the Victory Super Markets, now part of the Hannaford chain. He was an avid golfer and a frequent traveler to Florida. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret; two daughters; and three grandchildren. Joe was a generous supporter of WA and has a room named in his honor in Kingsley Laboratories.

GEORGE WILLARD “BILL” KING JR. died May 21, 2019. Bill was born and educated in Worcester. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts. He worked at Wyman-Gordon as chief industrial engineer for

EDWARD S. HARRIS of Florence, MA, died May 3. He earned a B.S. in business from Babson college in 1950.

During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Until retirement, he held various positions at Rodney Hunt, the family-owned company in Orange, MA, where he was vice president for many years. “Captain Ed,” as he was known to his stepfamily, was beloved by two generations. His interest in and compassion for each of them will be greatly missed. A lifelong small boat sailor, Ed sailed the waters of New England and the East Coast for leisure and competition. From the canals in France to the choppy waters of Buzzards Bay, Ed navigated with ease and assurance. He leaves his wife of 34 years, Faye; three children from his first marriage; nieces and nephews; and 12 stepchildren/grandchildren.

GEORGE BARROWS SHERMAN died March 7, 2019. A former history teacher at schools in Connecticut and Maine as well as Lima, Peru, George completed his academic career with a National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Fellowship at the University of Connecticut.

He earned a B.A. in theater from the University of Maine, and a M.A. in history from the University of Connecticut. He also attended the Munson Institute of American Maritime History. He served in the military during Korean War and was sent to Germany where he taught basic literacy skills to fellow soldiers. His military experience inspired his education career. Upon retiring, he moved to Vermont and began teaching skiing at Bromley Mountain. He is survived by his wife, Mary Corinne Squire; a daughter; and three grandchildren.

1948 HOWARD D. ELANDER of Greenville, ME, formerly of Holden, MA, died February 3, 2019. Howard graduated from Wentworth Institute in Boston and worked for Heald Machine/Cincinnati Milacron in Worcester. As a young man, he served with the Naval Reserves. Howard built his dream log cabin on Lower Wilson Pond in Maine, where he and his family enjoyed canoeing, campfires, and listening to the loons, and where he retired. Howard is survived by his wife of 68 years, Evelyn; four daughters; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

former coach ANDY LASKA, 93, local Worcester basketball legend, died February 2, 2019. As a player, Andy and Celtic star Bob Cousy formed the backcourt of the Holy Cross team that won the NCAA basketball championship in 1947. He was the longtime coach and athletic director at Assumption College, but is best known at WA as the basketball coach who preceded Dee Rowe. They worked together at WA summer basketball camps for many years. Andy was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. He was a WWII veteran and is survived by five children; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

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LEON EDWIN “LEE” TURNER JR. passed away December 12, 2018. He grew up in Greenfield, MA, and enlisted in the Army in 1944. Lee was a member of the Blue Devils Mountain Infantry Unit based in Cortina, Italy, ski patrolling the northern Italian border. After the war, he attended WA and graduated from Boston University with a degree in business. Lee ran his father’s business, The Bicknell Thomas Co. in Greenfield, and also worked at the Greenfield Tap and Die and the University of Massachusetts. He owned and operated restaurants in Northampton and Greenfield until retiring in 1984 and moving to East Orleans with winters in Vero Beach, FL. Lee was a gifted athlete throughout his life, enjoying tennis, sailing, golf, and skiing. He and his wife, Gladys, were married for 66 years until her death last year. He leaves three children and three grandchildren.

PASQUALE N. “PAT” VITONE JR. died October 20, 2018. Pat was born in Clinton, MA, the son of Italian immigrants. At WA, he excelled in athletics. He enlisted in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. Pat was assigned to the USS Atka and throughout his service fought as a middleweight boxer to become the fleet champion of the Mid-Atlantic Division. He returned home safely to begin his lifelong career with Mass Electric. He retired as head lineman after 38 years. A talented athlete, Pat played semi-pro baseball and later coached little league, youth hockey, and softball in Leominster. His wife of 61 years, Eva, predeceased him. Pat is survived by two children and one granddaughter.

1949 DR. NORMAN L. SADOWSKY of Brookline, MA, died June 29, 2019. A recognized pioneer in early breast cancer detection, he established New England’s first dedicated mammography unit at Boston’s Faulkner Hospital (now part of Brigham & Women’s Hospital). Born and raised in Worcester, he continued his education in Boston, graduating from Harvard College and Tufts Medical School. He became head of radiology at Faulkner in 1964 and led the department for decades, not fully retiring until 2011. He was founding director of the Faulkner Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Center. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Ethel; four children; and three grandsons. He also leaves several relatives with WA connections: his brother, Harold ’52; and nephews John ’69, Ronald ’71, Kenneth ’80, and Robert ’81.

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1950 DR. RICHARD J. “DOC” ABBOTT, DVM died February 18, 2019 in Moultonborough, NH. Doc previously lived in Sutton and Grafton, MA. From the age of five, he knew his calling was to become a veterinarian. He graduated from Grafton High School. A WA postgraduate, he attended the University of Connecticut and graduated from Cornell University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1957. From his graduation until 1980, he practiced by the side of his older brother, George ’40, who preceded him at WA. They ran Abbott Animal Hospital in Worcester. In 1981, he moved to Moultonborough, where he opened a solo practice. He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Helen; his son, Richard J. Abbot Jr. ’71; and his brothers, George and Robert ’48. Doc is survived by two daughters; a son; and three grandchildren.

PAUL J. CONTI of Southborough, MA, passed away October 28, 2018. After WA, Paul earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Norwich University and was commissioned as a second Lieutenant. Before embarking for Germany, where he served for two years as an armored tank officer in the 47th Inf. Regiment, Paul married Jean. While in Europe they skied and traveled extensively. Paul worked in many capacities for Rexnord Corp, retiring as district sales manager in 2001. Paul was an avid Red Sox fan and enjoyed summers on Cape Cod. His wife, Jean, predeceased him in 2013. Paul is survived by his three sons and their families.

IRA KASHGAGIAN of Brockton, MA, died November 23, 2018. Ira was a lifelong resident of Brockton where for many years he co-owned and operated Paramount Rug Cleaners and Flooring with his brother, Arthur. Ira was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy having served from 1951 to 1959.

He was an active member of many clubs and community organizations in Brockton. Some of his favorite times were spent at his summer residence on Cape Cod. He is survived by his wife, Ann; three children; and six grandchildren.

JOSEPH VICTOR REGIS JR. of Hampton, NH, died March 14, 2019. He was born in Peabody, MA, and graduated from Peabody High School, before continuing his education at WA and the University of New Hampshire, where he co-captained the football team. Joe graduated in 1954 and proudly served in the U.S. Army. Joe worked for his father in the family business, Regis Tanning, in Peabody, and later as general manager of the Raymond, NH, plant. In 1961, he relocated to Hampton. Joe finished his career working for Sylvania, retiring in 1996. He was

a devout Catholic. Joe volunteered for the Raymond Fire Department and was a youth baseball and hockey coach and a lifelong Red Sox fan. He leaves his wife of 63 years, Laura, and four children.

RICHARD T. “DICK” SECINO, D.D.S., of Leominster, MA, died November 25, 2018. He was born and raised in Fitchburg, MA, graduating from Fitchburg High School before joining the Army Air Force. Dick attended WA where he lettered in football. He also attended Tufts Dental School for one year before transferring to and graduating from Loyola University. Dr. Secino was a member and past president of the Central Mass Dental Society and Central Mass Dental Study Group. He practiced dentistry for over 40 years and took great pride and satisfaction in his work.

Active and enthusiastic, Dick enjoyed dancing, skiing, fishing, golfing, and woodworking. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Patricia; seven children; two stepchildren; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

1951 ALBERT BRUCE BERGQUIST, known as Bruce, an adventurous educator and leader of nonprofits, died in Olympia, WA, March 30, 2018. Bruce was born in Worcester and raised in Holden, MA. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Dartmouth. After completing Navy ROTC requirements, he earned a master’s degree at Middlebury College. Bruce was an educator and administrator. He spent 10 years at the Hill School, served on the WA Board of Trustees from 1971 to 1976, founded the Dynamy School in Worcester and Baker River School in New Hampshire, and led Solebury School in Pennsylvania. For the last 29 years, he lived in Olympia, where he was a co-founder of the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center. He is survived by wife, Betsy; three children; and five grandchildren.

RUSSELL H. TESSIER, PH.D. of Paxton, MA, died June 19, 2019. Russell was born in Worcester. After WA, he graduated from Boston University. He received his Ph.D. from The Franklin University. Russell owned and operated Handy Pad Manufacturing Co., which was a family business, and Stafford Laboratories, both in Worcester. He was a licensed real estate broker. His many interests included travel, hunting, fishing, gardening, cooking, and art as well as membership in the Crown and Anchor Society. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; a son; two daughters; a stepdaughter; and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean, and daughter, Linda.

passings

1952 GORDON B. CHAPMAN JR. of Daytona Beach, FL, passed away February 4, 2019. Born in Beverly, MA, he spent four years at WA. He was a Navy veteran. He lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Florida before permanently relocating to Florida in the 1980s. Gordon was an antique collector and store owner. Gordon is survived by cousins and friends. Thank you to Gordon, who left a legacy to WA as a member of the 1834 Society.

RICHARD “DICK” STEPHEN HELLAWELL SR. of Jupiter, FL, and Stockbridge, MA passed away November 30 2018. Dick was born in Arlington, MA. An alumnus of Colby College and a veteran of the US Army, Dick began a career in the automotive industry at Fitzhenry Cadillac in Worcester and later owned Hellawell Cadillac Oldsmobile in the Berkshires. He retired as an executive with Braman Motorcars in West Palm Beach. Dick was a uniquely engaged philanthropist and humanitarian who impacted many. He loved to play golf and was an avid fan of all New England sports teams. Dick is predeceased by his son and his brother, Raymond ’61. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia, and two daughters and their families.

1953 WILLIAM CHARLES VANKEUREN died February 11, 2017. Bill graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He then began his 37-year engineering career for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. Bill was a lifelong learner with many hobbies and a penchant for travel. He always had a project underway. Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Dorothy; six children; and 11 grandchildren.

1954 REV. ROY BENJAMIN of Danvers, MA, and Ipswich, formerly of Randolph, passed away January 8, 2013.

Roy was a dedicated loving Episcopal parish priest for over 50 years. He served for over 28 years at Trinity Church, Randolph. He also spent time as interim priestin-charge at parishes across New England and Virginia.

Roy is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sally; four children; and 12 grandchildren.

KENNETH JOHN PATRICK died July 1, 2018. Ken was born in Worcester. He graduated from Columbia University with a BA in economics. He received his MBA in accounting from Babson College and became a CPA in 1976. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander in 1976. Over the years, he held several financial positions within the tech industry, including at Raytheon, ITT and DEC. Ken had a lifelong passion for music and was a talented pianist. He was the founder of the Ken Patrick Jazz Trio, which enjoyed considerable success in the Detroit area in the 1960s. He was happiest boating in the summer and skiing in the winter. He leaves his wife of 58 years, Suzanne; two children; and four grandchildren.

retired. He enjoyed classical music, photography, road trips, crossword puzzles, and a good joke. He is survived by his wife, Jean; four children; five grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, Jody.

1955

RONALD J. SHANNON of Fort Lauderdale, FL, died

JERE ALLEN of Hampton, NH passed away January 28, 2019. After WA, Jere went to Paul Smiths College in NY. After college, he joined the Army. After military service, he graduated from the University of New Hampshire, with two master’s degrees. Jere taught at three schools before using his science background to embark on a new career in the field of nuclear power. He was vice-president of VIKEM Industries (which later became Enpro Services).

He and the VIKEM crew were one of the first on the scene at the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979. After retiring from the environmental consulting business, he worked for Regal Limousine. His greatest passions were travel, golf, and family. Jere is survived by his wife of 40 years, Linda; two children; and five grandchildren.

1956 EDWARD JOHN BERGEN JR. of Sanford, ME, formerly of Medford, MA, died February 16, 2016. A gifted athlete, he had a lifetime passion for football, as a player, coach, and fan. He was employed by the Boston Globe for 35 years. He moved to Sanford after retiring 15 years ago. He was well known for his expertise in gardening, especially his knowledge and love for roses.

He was a proud member of the Maine Rose Society. Ed leaves four children and five grandchildren.

STUART “ STU” COTTON of Framingham, MA, died November 25, 2018. Stu was a graduate of Boston University. He worked in sales for many years before moving to Hawaii for 14 years and working as an environmental consultant. He returned to Massachusetts when he

RUSSELL COLE GAUDET of Nahant, MA, died April 29, 2019, where he lived for most of his life. He attended the University of Miami. Cole enjoyed a long career in the insurance industry, retiring as director of international operations at John Hancock Financial Services. He volunteered at WA, working on the Rowe Family Scholarship Golf Classic and reunion activities. He was involved in mentoring and coached youth sports. He leaves his wife of 61 years, Joyce; six children; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

January 11, 2019. Originally from Worcester, Ron moved his family to Florida in 1975. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Air Force. After graduating from Tufts University, he worked in the wine and spirits industry for over 30 years. He then worked with his sons in their ventures. Never wanting to retire, he went to the office every day, becoming the family chairman emeritus. He is preceded in death by his wife, Starr.

Ron is survived by four sons and five grandchildren.

1958 PAUL M. “MICK” BLOOMFIELD of Naples, FL, and formerly of Worcester, passed away November 20, 2018.

A graduate of Wentworth College, Mick worked in the family business B. Bloomfield Company until its closing in the late-’80s. He then worked for Waste Management until he retired. He was a lifelong member of the Worcester Model Railroaders Inc. He loved all things Irish and was honored to be the first associate member of the Worcester chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Mick was a devout man and followed his religion to the letter. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Peg.

1959 PHILIP J. CLARKSON of Wolfeboro, NH, died May 22, 2018. Philip was born in Worcester. After WA, he attended Springfield College, Columbia University, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He had a long career as a guidance counselor at Wildwood Elementary School, Amherst, positively affecting the lives of hundreds of children and

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WA TRUSTEE

Brian O’Connell ’67 PERSONIFIED ‘SPIRIT OF WORCESTER ACADEMY’

Members of the Worcester Academy community joined hundreds of others in the Worcester area in October to celebrate the life of longtime Worcester Academy Board of Trustees Secretary Brian O’Connell ’67. Mr. O’Connell, a loyal friend of WA and a dedicated and iconic figure on the Hilltop for more than eight decades, died unexpectedly Oct. 18 at the age of 70.

His passing ended a long and distinguished career in service to others, including 36 years on the Worcester School Committee and 43 years on the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees. From his time growing up on the Hilltop (Brian was the son of legendary WA teacher Andrew O’Connell), to his 50th Class Reunion, to the countless hours spent on WA board business, as recently as this fall, Mr. O’Connell was a constant and reassuring presence at Worcester Academy.

“Brian and his family embodied the true spirit of Achieving the Honorable,” Worcester Academy Board of Trustees President James Pietro ’81 said. “His long history and dedication to Worcester Academy were second to none.”

Worcester Academy Head of School Ron Cino echoed that sentiment.

“Brian was among the most selfless and generous people that I have ever met,” Mr. Cino said. “Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know him had a friend for life. That was certainly true for Worcester Academy, and that was true for the city of Worcester as well.

“As an alumnus, there were few who loved Worcester Academy so well as Brian did,” he said.

Following graduation from Worcester Academy, Mr.

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O’Connell earned his B.A. in English, French, and history from the College of the Holy Cross. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1974 and went on to practice law in both Worcester and Boston.

Through the years, he has remained actively connected to Worcester Academy as a friend, supporter, and loyal alumnus. A member of the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees, he was the board’s longstanding secretary and its longest serving member, having joined in 1976.

In May, Mr. O’Connell was inducted into the Worcester Academy Hall of Fame.

“There was no question about his being a ‘Hall of Famer,’” Mr. Cino said. “He was someone that everyone loved and knew well, and he was a beacon of loyalty and dedication to Worcester Academy and to the institutions and ideals most important to him. The Academy was honored to be among them.”

Peter Gardner ’63, a past member of the board of trustees, recalls moving onto campus and meeting Brian O’Connell for the first time.

“I met Brian in 1959, my freshman year in old Davis Hall, where he and his family were living,” Mr. Gardner said. “That 10-year-old would grow to become brilliant, generous, and estimable.

“During our service together on the board, one delighted to hear this man articulate formed, logical, and persuasive argument. One could visualize his paragraphs, e.g., ‘I, A., 1., a., (1),’ etc. Musical syntax to the discerning listener! But much more important was his magnanimous, kind, and ebullient spirit and character. Brian lived what his WA diploma had, unnecessarily, conferred on him in 1967. He Achieved the Honorable.”

Additional Remembrances Former Worcester Academy President of the Board of Trustees Henry Dormitzer ’88 is effusive in his praise and warm in his remembrance of Mr. O’Connell.

“Brian was a kind and thoughtful person, and I admired that he devoted much of his life to helping WA be a better place for students,” Mr. Dormitzer said. “His knowledge of our history was more than facts. He had insights into the personalities that shaped the school. He was also a thoughtful and positive voice in so many board challenges.”

David Forsberg ’65, Worcester Academy trustee and former board president, shared his own recollections at Mr. O’Connell’s passing.

“No one personified the spirit of Worcester Academy more than Brian did,” said Mr. Forsberg. “He dedicated his talented life to education, especially to Worcester Academy. I am saddened beyond words, but also grateful that Brian touched so many young lives in such a profound way. He helped thousands of parents to raise their children.”

Mr. Cino said Mr. O’Connell demonstrated both a desire and an ability to make the world a better place, as well as having demonstrated the right way to treat others—with respect and appreciation.

“For those reasons and many more, Brian O’Connell will be dearly missed,” Mr. Cino said. “His legacy, however, will live on.”

In keeping with his family’s wishes, donations memorializing Brian O’Connell can be made to Worcester Academy by visiting WorcesterAcademy.org/GiveNow and designating a “Tribute Gift” to his memory.

passings their families. When Philip retired, he moved to the Lakes Region and took full advantage of the outdoor opportunities it offered. He canoed, kayaked, hiked, skied, and snowshoed its trails and mountains. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Dora; two children; and three grandchildren.

1960 STEPHEN D. BURWICK of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, died January 4, 2019. He was a proud Worcester native who graduated from Syracuse University and Boston University School of Law, where he earned a J.D. and an LL.M in taxation. Stephen joined the Worcester law firm, Burwick and Burwick, founded by his father, and remained with the firm for many years. He retired in 2006, moving to Florida in 2008. He spent many summers on the Cape. A longtime member of the Massachusetts and Worcester County Bar Associations, he served on the board of the Worcester Jewish Community Center and was an avid golfer. His wife of 25 years, Barbara, died in 1993. He was also prededeceased by his brother, John Burwick ’57. He is survived by his longtime companion, Carolyn Phillips; his children, Michael Burwick ’87, Charles “Todd” Burwick ’90, and Kimberly Ann Burwick ’93; and four grandchildren.

CHARLES “CHUCK” JOSEPH RICHARDS JR., a longtime resident of Concord, MA, died May 27, 2019 while hiking Mt. Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH. Chuck grew up in Framingham, MA, and graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in history. Although scouted by several major league baseball teams, Chuck finished his education at his father’s insistence. After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a captain in the Vietnam War. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Chuck met his wife who was visiting California from her home in Australia, They were married for 51 years. He made his career in human resources and business consulting for the high tech industries around Boston. Chuck was an enthusiastic reader, hiker, and golfer. Over the years, he remained committed to WA as a member of the Rowe Family Scholarship Committee. He is survived by his wife, Mieke, and their two children.

1961 JOHN F. BICKNELL III of Gorham and formerly Rangeley, ME, died on December 2, 2018. Born in Worcester and raised in Grafton, MA, John followed his father, John F.

Bicknell Jr. ’27, to WA. John served in the U.S. Air Force for several years. Returning to civilian life, he earned his associate’s degree in forestry at Paul Smith’s College in 1969. John’s participation in sled dog racing inspired him to move to Maine in 1973. He owned Bicknell Enterprises, a heating oil business, for more than 20 years. Later, he worked as a landscaper, creating rock and flower gardens throughout the Mingo Springs Golf Course, calling it the best job he ever had. He leaves his wife of 46 years, Martha, as well as two daughters and their families.

BERNARD DAVID “BERNIE” UDELL, of Bedford, MA, died Aug. 4, 2018. Born in Woonsocket, RI, he was founder and former owner of Middlesex Overhead Doors of Burlington. He leaves his wife of 51 years, Phyllis; three sons; and five grandchildren.

1968 JOHN “JOCK” HOWARD PEARSON JR. of Lowell, MA, died on April 7, 2019. Jock was an accomplished patent attorney, builder, banker, civic leader, and philanthropist. He graduated from the Belvedere School, Cardigan Mountain School, Worcester Academy, University of Hartford, and Suffolk University Law School. Jock was a senior partner with the law firm of Pearson & Pearson LLP, an intellectual property and business firm founded in 1901 by Jock’s grandfather. He was president of Gateway Center Corporation, helping build a major new landmark in Lowell. Jock served as president of Butler Bank for over 30 years. He also served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations including Cardigan Mountain School, Lowell General Hospital, and the American Textile History Museum. He is survived by his wife, the Hon. Barbara Savitt Pearson; two children; and a granddaughter.

1972 STEPHEN F. LABUSKI of Worcester died January 27, 2019. Stephen was born in Tacoma, WA. He graduated from Fitchburg State with a B.S. in Nursing. Stephen enlisted in the United States Army in 1977. After serving as a medic in South Korea, he returned to the United States to study Korean at the Defense Language Institute.

He returned to South Korea and served as an electronic warfare voice intercept and signal intelligence specialist for the U.S. Army. Following his military service, Stephen

worked as a registered nurse. Stephen loved music, good literature and conversation. He was a master of trivia games. He is survived by his daughter, Erin; his former spouse, Mary Labuski; and many friends and relatives.

1974 GARY G. POST of Douglas, MA, formerly of Auburn, passed away April 29, 2019. Gary was born in Boston and raised on the family farm in Auburn. He attended Nichols College and later graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in agriculture in 1977.

His early experience on the family farm led him and his wife to purchase their own Christmas tree farm in 2015 in Brooklyn, CT. Gary formerly worked as a salesman in the heavy-duty truck industry for over 20 years. He leaves his wife of 33 years, Laurel; his two children; his brother, Robert ’72; his sister; and many nieces and nephews, including Charles Post ’00 and Julia Post Quaglieri ’03.

1978 DAVID ELWOOD JEFFERY III of Burleson, TX, “The Harptender,” passed away August 3, 2017. Born in Mount, NY, Dave attended Hobart College. A local legend, Dave was an accomplished blues musician and bartender, most famously at JJ’s Blues Bar, and played with the greats, J. Giles, James Cotton, Muddy Waters, and golfing legends, Payne Stewart and Peter Jacobsen.

He is survived by his two sons.

1986 MATTHEW ERIC FARMELANT of Glendale, AZ, passed away on April 7, 2019 due to complications from brain cancer. The youngest of four brothers, Matt graduated from WA and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Northeastern University. A lifelong Boston sports fan, Matt combined encyclopedic sports knowledge and TV production skills to pursue a career in broadcast news. He served as sports producer for NBC 10 in Providence, RI, and as a sports broadcaster, producer, and news manager for a former Fox affiliate in Flagstaff, AZ. After leaving the broadcast news industry, Matt devoted his energies to a career in audio/video event production and sales. He leaves brothers, Marshall, Stuart, and Scott. W

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2020

SAVE THE DATE

Join us for our Reunion Alumni Festival for class years ending in 5s and 0s!

Saturday, May 2, 2020 Afternoon/evening festivities include: - Special 50th Reunion Luncheon and programming - Campus Tours - Alumni Awards Ceremony - Food Trucks, Live Band, Raffles, Photo Booth, Corn Hole Tournament and more!

Cost per person: $25 for Class of 2015 $40 for all other classes (includes food, drinks, and entertainment) Invitation and more details to come!