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HOLDERNESS SCHOOL TODAY

Fall 2025

THE WELLNESS ISSUE + 2025 REPORT OF APPRECIATION

Fall 2025

IN THIS ISSUE From the Schoolhouse.............................1 Around the Quad.................... 3

FOR HEALTH AND HUMANKIND

Throwback Tales................... 17 Congratulations Class of 2025......................... 21

3 Alumns in health and wellness...................................................... 6

HEALTH AND WELLNESS ON CAMPUS

21 Supporting student health: mind, body, and spirit.................11

5 Questions with Ramey Harris-Tatar ’94.................... 43 Catching Up with Chuck Fisher ’72.................. 45

REPORT OF APPRECIATION

Holderness Gatherings...... 47 Class Notes............................ 49

45 47

Our 2024–2025 Report of Appreciation, with special thanks to our donors and volunteers.............................................75 A Year in Giving....................................................................... 77 57 Years of Giving.................................................................. 79 Putting a Face on Your Gift to Holderness.................... 80 David Parker ’78 and the Balch Legacy Society............81 Heart of the Herd: Our Amazing Volunteers..................83

Board of Trustees John Hayes P ’15 ’18 – Board Chair Bishop Rob Hirschfeld – President of the Board Chip Martin ’88 P ’20 – Secretary Richard Vieira P ’20 – Treasurer Kat Alfond ’90 P ’23 Jim Byrne P ’24 ’27 Karyn Campbell P ’17 Chris Davenport ’89 P ’19 ’21 ’26 Andrew Davis P ’18 Paul John Ferri P ’18 ’19 Mark Finnegan ’79 P ’10 ’11 ’13 Lisa Glahn P ’27 Rob Kinsley ’88 P ’19 ’22 Flip Kistler ’85 Megan Kristiansen ’90 Clarissa Lee P ’26 Anne Lompo P ’22 ’24 Wendy McAdam P ’26 Sean McGraw, Ph.D., M.Div. Joe Miles ’82 P ’11 ’13 ’18

Mike Murchie ’81 Simon Parmett P ’25 Courtney Peschel P ’26 ’27 Ginny Ramirez-Del Toro, Ph.D CJ Vincent ’06 Dix Wheelock ’87 P’25 ’25 ’28 Sung You ’01 Alex Zaldestani P ’24

Headmaster Emeritus R. Phillip Peck The Rev. Brinton W. Woodward, Jr.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Tessa Magnuson, Align Graphic Design, LLC

Honorary Trustees Warren C. Cook Bob Hall Jim Hamblin ’77 Piper Orton ’74 W. Dexter Paine III ’79 Will Prickett ’81

EDITOR: Greg Kwasnik CONTRIBUTORS: Bruce Barton P ’13 ’16, Marybeth Bentwood, Greg Kwasnik, Alex Molloy, Max Paro ’17

PHOTOGRAPHY: Max Paro ’17, Greg Kwasnik, Tink & Fox, Marissa Elise Photography. ON THE FRONT COVER: Ryleigh McNelly ’27, Claire Eccleston ’26 and Michael Eccleston ’28 take part in a group workout on campus last summer. Photo by Max Paro ’17. Holderness School Today is printed by RC Brayshaw & Company, LLC.

FROM THE SCHOOLHOUSE

After the first familystyle dinner of the school year, Head of School John McVeigh chats with Maggie Higgins ’26, Finn Brennan ’26, and Claire Eccleston ’26.

ellness has become a popular term…but it has never been a buzzword or a passing fad at Holderness. From our founding, it has shaped our culture and our students. Here, well-being is balanced and holistic—mind, body, spirit, and community. It’s about curiosity in the classroom, playing all out on the athletic fields, encouraging selfref lection and service, and staying engaged in our community. Programs like Out Back, Project Outreach, and our Jobs Program live out this philosophy, helping students grow into alumni who make a lasting impact well beyond our campus. You’ll find two invitations woven throughout the stories in our Wellness Issue: get outside, and connect with community. In a world where screens dominate and anxiety among adolescents is rising, stepping into nature and connecting with others can be transformational. It’s why we start a new student’s time here with our Orientation Hike, and why Out Back is so pivotal. Holderness students learn that a full life balances personal growth with caring for others. Our alumni carry

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this lesson forward—whether they’re helping communities heal, leading service initiatives, or integrating nature into their health practices. We also celebrate the dedicated adults who support the well-being of our 300+ students on campus. From the Health Center to the athletic fields to the Chapel and classrooms, we have a community focused on nurturing the whole student: mind, body, and spirit. Classes like nutrition and exercise physiology or a tradition like ‘Fire and Fellowship,’ which fosters small-group, faithbased dialogues, ensure that our students thrive not just academically or athletically, but in life. As you read, you’ll meet alumni for whom wellness is a calling: therapists integrating nature into their practices, a former skierturned-acupuncturist helping elite athletes manage pain, and medical professionals improving access to healthcare in Native American communities. You’ll also find Bruce Barton’s interview with two alumni—a pediatric nurse practitioner and a PhD

psychologist—who dedicate their work to helping individuals become their best selves. These stories remind us that well-being is a shared responsibility that strengthens us all. We’d love to hear your thoughts as you explore this issue. What practices and approaches work for you when it comes to well-being? Is it venturing outdoors, embracing new challenges, or supporting others? Or a combination? Scan the QR code below to share your insights. Your stories will inspire current students, fellow alums, and the entire Holderness community to live well and stay connected. Thank you for being an integral part of the continued well-being of Holderness. With gratitude and admiration,

John McVeigh Head of School

Students huddle during the first Tenny Ball tournament of the year in early September.

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Photo courtesy of NASA

AROUND (OR ABOVE) THE QUAD

U.S. Navy Captain Suni Williams aboard the International Space Station.

FROM THE ISS TO HOLDERNESS NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Suni Williams arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, 2024, expecting to return to Earth a week later. Seven months later, Suni finally returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon. For most people, being unexpectedly stranded in space for months would be overwhelming. But Suni completed her work with grace—and even found time to take part in a livestream with Holderness students while still in space.

Live from the International Space Station On Saturday, February 15, Suni streamed into the Winter Garden for 45 minutes in a live video chat with the Holderness School community, offering students and faculty a personal tour of the ISS. Floating effortlessly in zero gravity, she welcomed the audience with a mid-air somersault—an unforgettable introduction to life aboard the station. Suni led a virtual tour of the ISS’s hyper-efficient living spaces—tiny sleeping quarters, a closet-sized gym, and specialized equipment designed for a world without gravity. More than just a research hub, she described the ISS as a place where teamwork, adaptability, and a sense of humor are essential. One young audience member asked, “Which time zone do you use?” Suni explained that astronauts operate on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to stay in sync with mission control. Another student with a broken wrist wondered, “How do bones heal in space?” She described the unique challenges microgravity presents—since bone density decreases, healing is slower and more complicated. Suni spoke passionately about the scientific experiments happening aboard the ISS, including one from a previous mission that involved siphoning air from an aquarium to observe fish behavior in microgravity.

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Photo courtesy of NASA

Members of the Holderness School community during their video call with Suni Williams.

Well-Being in Space These video chats do more than satisfy curiosity–they are part of a broader initiative to maintain astronauts’ connections with Earth. The well-being of astronauts during extended space missions, whether planned or unexpected, is a top priority for NASA. The challenges of microgravity, confined living quarters, and an irregular circadian rhythm can take a physical and mental toll. Imagine setting off on a one-week mission only to find yourself in space for almost eight months. To prepare for such scenarios, NASA provides extensive training before launch and ongoing support programs in space to ensure astronauts’ health and well-being.

I SPY! The visit wrapped with Suni ref lecting on life away from her home in Maine. Sharing her view of Earth from the cupola—a module designed for observing the planet below—she pointed out the familiar shape of New England, with Prince Edward Island to the north and Mount Washington cloaked in clouds to the south. Even after months in space, she was still in awe of the view. Despite the incredible experience of living in space, she was eager to return to her loved ones—her husband, her dogs, and her nieces and nephews. These reminders of home kept her grounded, even as she f loated hundreds of miles above Earth. In the end, the session was more than just a conversation about space; it was a reminder of the perseverance, teamwork, and curiosity that drive human exploration. Through Suni’s eyes, the Holderness community got a rare glimpse into a world far beyond our own—yet one still deeply connected to the pursuit of knowledge and discovery. Her journey aboard the ISS was a celebration of human achievement and proof that when we dare to dream beyond the stars, anything is possible. A special thank you to Marilee Lin, Suni Williams, and NASA for bringing the experience of space to Holderness, NH.

WELCOME TO THE (TRAIL) FAMILY For many years, Holderness School has maintained the Upper Nanamocomuck Ski Trail, which parallels the Kancamagus Highway and Swift River for 10 miles from Lily Pond to Bear Notch Road. This spring, the school adopted several more trails, including portions of the Sawyer Pond Trail, Livermore Trail, and Hancock Notch Trail. All four of these trails are in a quiet corner of the White Mountains that sees comparatively little use, but are heavily used by our Out Back groups. Holderness added these trails to its roster after federal budget cuts eliminated most of the rangers and trail crews who maintained the trails during the summer months.

Read more online Grace Murphy ’22 takes part in the first-ever Holderness Community Trail Work Day on the Upper Nanamocomuck Ski Trail this summer. Fall 2025 | 4

UNPLUG & LOOK UP At Holderness School, we cherish the rich, face-to-face connections that strengthen our community. While digital communication is now the norm, we believe nothing compares to the relationships built through in-person interaction. That’s why, this year, we’ve instituted a new policy that limits phone usage during the school day. The new policy removes phones from our classrooms, study halls, school meetings, and public areas such as the dining hall and campus paths. Research shows that reducing screen time supports wellbeing, so rather than banning phones entirely, our new phone policy will foster habits and norms that encourage presence, self-regulation, and genuine connection.

Thanks to our new phone policy, students are connecting and engaging more at mealtimes and in other public spaces.

THE PARALLEL PROCESS Nearly 15 years after writing “The Parallel Process,” a landmark book that teaches parents how to grow alongside their struggling adolescent or young adult child in treatment, Krissy Pozatek ’92 P ’22 is re-releasing the book in revised and updated form. As an adolescent and young adult therapist, Krissy’s clinical experience includes the treatment of adoption issues, trauma, self-harming behavior, substance abuse, personality disorders and family system problems. Krissy switched to Parent Coaching in 2006 and currently works with parents of struggling adolescents and young adults in her parent coaching practice, Parallel Process. To learn more about Krissy and her work, and to read her book, visit Parallel-Process.com.

Krissy Pozatek ’92 P ’22 is the author of “The Parallel Process.”

LIKE FATHERS, LIKE DAUGHTERS Of the four Holderness girls who qualified for U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf this spring, all performed exceptionally well, finishing in the top 20 in the respective races. In an interesting twist, all four athletes are also the daughters of former Holderness skiers. The competitors— Brooke Schemmel ’28, Nina Martin ’28, Brooklyn Barnhorst ’27, and Reese Harrigan ’28—are the daughters of Hans Schemmel ’88, Andy Martin ’92, Tim Barnhorst ’00, and Dan Harrigan ’94, respectively. With several years left in their Holderness careers, this new generation of Bulls is sure to establish a legacy of their own on the hill.

The Holderness crew posing for a photo at U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf this spring. 5 | Holderness School Today

FOR HEALTH AND HUMANKIND By Greg Kwasnik

Service to others is a foundational part of the Holderness experience. For many of our alumni— those who went on to become doctors, nurses, therapists, and other caregivers—Pro Deo et Genere Humano remains a daily practice. Here are just a few examples of several outstanding alumni who have made caring for others a cornerstone of their lives after Holderness. Fall 2025 | 6

Hannah Slattery ’14

CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM A

s a Holderness student, Hannah Slattery ’14 had a bit of a rebellious streak. “I was a little bit rebellious, and I liked to challenge the system a bit,” Hannah says. “I still do, but in a good way—in a constructive way.” Today, she’s channeling that energy into improving Native American healthcare equity at the individual, family, and community levels. Last spring, Hannah, a descendant of the Bear River First Nation Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia and a member of the Tufts University School of MedicineMaine Track, began her residency at Family Medicine at Maine Medical Center. As a Family Medicine resident, Hannah provides care for the overall health and wellbeing

of entire families through every stage of life. “That’s really why I want to go into family medicine,” Hannah says. “You’re treating the individual, the family, the community, and really the tribal nation.” In doing so, Hannah is caring for a population with vast health disparities. As a group, Indigenous people in the United States are 3.2 times more likely to have diabetes, 4.6 times more likely to develop a chronic liver disease, and 2.5 times more likely to suffer an unintentional injury, such as a car crash. Alcoholinduced mortality is a staggering 6.6 times higher for indigenous people, while suicide is 1.7 times more prevalent. Those health disparities are worsened by the fact that the Indian Health Service (IHS), which provides healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives, struggles to fill staffing vacancies. As a medical student, Hannah set out to change the public policy that undergirds that system. As a Memberat-Large East of the Association of Native American Medical Students, she recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby lawmakers to establish mandatory funding for Graduate Medical Education training through the IHS—a move that would make it easier to recruit and train new healthcare providers. She’s also a member of the American Medical Association’s Committee on American Indian Affairs and serves on the Board of Directors of Native American Lifelines, an UrbanIndian Health Center in Boston.

Hannah Slattery ’14 and other members of the Association of Native American Medical Students in Washington, D.C.

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In Maine, where she practices, Hannah has been a vocal advocate for tribal sovereignty. Of the 547 federally-recognized tribes in the United States, all have tribal sovereignty—except for the five that live in Maine: the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at both Sipayik and Indian Township. The

unique status of those tribes (they’re treated as municipalities of the state rather than sovereign nations) is a result of the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act, which provided compensation for tribal land claims in exchange for vastly limited application of federal Indian laws in Maine. As a result, tribes in Maine have largely missed out on the 151 federal laws passed since 1980 that benefit tribal nations’ economic development, healthcare, housing, environmental protections, and untold other aspects of tribal welfare. The issue of tribal sovereignty became personal for Hannah in 2022, when a group of Sipayik eighth grade students she was mentoring through the Tufts-Passamaquoddy Partnership protested against the tribe’s poor water quality. Hannah testified before the Maine State Legislature in support of a bill that would have allowed the Passamaquoddy tribe—rather than the state of Maine—to regulate its own water system. The bill passed. To Hannah, tribal sovereignty—a tribe’s ability to govern itself—is inseparable from tribal health. If a tribe doesn’t have sovereign control over its water, its economic development, its housing, or other basics of its daily life, then it has limited control over the health of its members. “2022 was so surreal to me—that one of the communities I care most about is still undergoing water potability issues. I thought we lived in a different time,” Hannah says, disbelief in her voice. “To me, tribal sovereignty is entirely inseparable from community wellbeing.” |

Photos courtesy of Hannah Slattery ’14.

“

To me, tribal sovereignty is entirely inseparable from community wellbeing.” -Hannah Slattery, M.D.

Dr. Hannah Slattery ’14 has just begun her medical residency at Maine Medical Center.

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Photos courtesy of Mike Brubaker ’82.

Mike Brubaker ’82

PROMOTING COMMUNITY HEALTH IN ALASKA

The village of Nikolski, located in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

f you happen to live in a small Alaskan village, chances are you’d have a hard time finding a doctor— or even a glass of clean water—if not for Mike Brubaker ’82 and the organization he works for, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). For the last 17 years, Mike has served as the Director of Community Environment and Health at ANTHC, a nonprofit consortium of Alaskan tribal health organizations. The ANTHC provides a wide array of healthcare services to Alaskans through training, health education, disease and injury prevention, and rural water and sewer construction. “Whether you’re Native or non-Native, you’re going to turn your tap on and the water is going to come from a water system run by the tribal health system,” Brubaker says. “Your solid waste is going to go out to a landfill that we built. When you need health care, you’re going to go to a clinic —and the services, whether you’re Native or non-Native, are provided by the tribal health system.” Within the ANTHC, Mike leads a department focused on performing community health impact assessments. “I have a team of about 20 here, and we basically try to understand what makes a community healthy,” Mike says. In an era of rising global temperatures— and with the Arctic warming at a much faster rate than the global average—there is plenty to assess. Mike’s work has brought him to rural towns and villages across the state, where he’s seen the impacts of climate change firsthand: how melting permafrost has damaged water pipes and health clinics; how the shifting migration patterns of animals have altered how people feed themselves; and how unprecedented, year-round wildfires have scorched the forests and tundra. “For the past 20 years, the biggest driver for health challenges in rural Alaska has been climate change,” Mike says. To help keep track of those changes, Mike started the Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network, an online database where local observers across the Arctic - and now the world - report

“

We basically try to understand what makes a community healthy...” -Mike Brubaker ’82

Top: Surveying erosion near Selawik Alaska Bottom: Teaching waste drum cleanup, Lorino, Chukotka, Russia.

unusual animal, environmental, or weather events. He is also managing editor of a weekly e-journal, The Northern Climate Observer; co-chairs the One Health Group with the Center for Disease Control’s Arctic Investigations Program; and directs the Center for Climate and Health at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. Tracking the impacts of a rapidlychanging climate may seem like a

Sisyphean task, but to Mike and his colleagues at ANTHC, the meaning comes from helping the people who are affected by those changes. “You get a very deep appreciation for being able to serve and see the impacts of having communities improve their lives,” Mike says. “I think that’s what drives all of us here.” |

Emily Pettengill ’10

WALK AND TALK W

hen a client meets Emily Pettengill ’10 for a therapy session, there’s no telling what they’ll need. Sometimes they’ll need to wear a heavy winter jacket and spikes on their shoes; at other times, bug spray. That’s because Emily— a licensed therapist who lives in Windham, Maine—practices walk and talk outdoor therapy. Instead of meeting her clients in a traditional office, Emily’s therapy sessions consist of 50-minute walks on trails through the Maine woods.

for Emily to realize that she couldn’t sit behind a computer all day. “I was really getting cabin fever,” Emily says. Given her lack of office space and the abundance of beautiful trails nearby, she soon hit upon the perfect solution: walk and talk therapy.

“

It's the journey of life, the journey of mental health.” -Emily Pettengill MA, LCPC, LMHC

“It offers clients an opportunity to get outside of their comfort zone, especially if you live in a place with four seasons,” Emily says. “There’s a bit of a component of pushing yourself, challenging yourself. And then that creates confidence—that feeling of ‘I can do anything. I can do hard things.’” Emily is no stranger to doing hard things. In 2017, she left a burgeoning career teaching English to professionals in Santiago, Chile after one of her clients—a psychologist —urged her to consider a career as a therapist. At first, Erin balked at the prospect of going back to school and switching professions. The psychologist’s response helped change her mind. “Anything in life worth doing is hard, and you are more than capable,” the psychologist told her. “‘You’ve moved to another country. You speak two languages. You connect with people from multiple different cultures all over the world with ease. If you can do any of that, you can be a therapist.’” Taking those words to heart, Emily left Chile to enroll at Boston College, where she earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling. In her first job as a therapist, Emily worked at Casa Esperanza in Boston, where she offered therapy sessions in Spanish and English. In 2023, she moved to Maine to be closer to family, and shifted to offering telehealth therapy sessions. It didn’t take long

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Walk and talk therapy can offer clients a low-stress way to connect. Today, Emily relishes the walk and talk sessions with her patients. “It opens you up because you’re moving and your blood is f lowing,” Emily says. “Your mind-body connection is strong and engaged.” She finds it particularly effective for patients on the autism spectrum, although she treats individuals with a range of mental health diagnoses, helping them process trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and more. “It’s a really good modality for, ‘Hey, I’m with you on this path, and I’m listening to you—but you can share this part of yourself without having

to analyze my facial expressions or worry about your own.’” During each 50-minute session, Emily is able to connect with patients in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible within the confines of a traditional therapist’s office. As the seasons change and the walk and talk sessions continue, the patients notice changes in the natural world—and in themselves. It’s a literal and figurative journey toward understanding. “It’s just a metaphorically beautiful way to think about the journey, right?” Emily says. “It’s the journey of life, the journey of mental health.” |

Photos courtesy of Emily Pettengill ’10/ Marissa Elise Photography

Instead of meeting in an office, Emily Pettengill ’10 takes clients on walks through the Maine woods.

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Dr. Hilary Patzer ’98

WHOLE BODY HEALING

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Photos courtesy of Hilary Patzer ’98/ Tink & Fox

Hilary Patzer ’98 is the official sports acupuncturist for the Minnesota Vikings and runs JADA Studios.

f you happen to play for the Minnesota Vikings and struggle with the aches and pains that come along with life in the NFL, chances are you’ve fallen under the spell of Dr. Hilary Patzer ’98. “The needles I use are like light sabers—they’re magic wands,” says Hilary, the official sports acupuncturist for the Vikings. “I get to help the other person heal, and help their body touch in on what they need and f lip those switches.” Armed with tiny needles, Hilary can make huge changes to the body’s systems. For NFL players who contend with physical trauma on a daily basis, acupuncture— combined with massage therapy and neurological optimization—are the keys to durable, genuine recovery. “It’s not just putting a cream on something and hoping the pain goes away,” Hilary says. “It’s actually taking the pain away by helping heal the tissue and also taking the pain signals away through the nervous system and the endocrine system and the hormonal system and the musculoskeletal system. It’s really so powerful.” Hilary’s knowledge of those systems —and her crusade against pain—come from deep personal experience. An Idaho native recruited to Holderness for Nordic skiing, Hilary rose up to become one of the nation’s top young Olympic prospects in the early 2000s. But that early success came at a steep cost: after skiing for Middlebury College and then earning a spot on the U.S. Ski Team, her competitive drive eventually led to overtraining. Intense fatigue dogged her during the day, but she couldn’t sleep at night; even walking across a room caused her body to ache with lactic acid. Her race results cratered. “Everybody knew me as Hilary the skier, and I didn’t know who Hilary was without that,” she says. “At that point in time, I had a lot of pressure, but I also had a lot of hope. Then all of a sudden I found myself on the second page of the results sheet and I didn’t know who I was.” Luckily, Hilary didn’t have to wait long to figure out who she was—or at least discover the person she would become. At the urging of her mother,

“

The needles I use are like light sabers—they're magic wands,” -Dr. Hilary Patzer DACM, L.Ac

she made an appointment with Joan Scheingraber, a former pro Nordic skier-turned acupuncturist living in Sun Valley. “I was fascinated with the medicine, and I loved my treatments,” Hilary says. “Although it wasn’t enough to push me over into the Olympics, I did find my passion and my path forward.” That path forward brought Hilary to Minnesota, where she earned a Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University. In 2009, Hilary— who went on to earn her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine— founded JADA Studios, a practice where she combines acupuncture, massage therapy, and life coaching to help athletes achieve peak mental and physical performance. Her integrative approach proved remarkably effective, attracting elite athletes and, in just a few short years, a job with the Vikings. Today, Hilary splits her time between her practice at JADA studios and her work with the Vikings—while still racing and competing herself. It’s a busy life, but one that suits her driven personality—a trait that propelled her to success at Holderness and beyond. It’s that same drive that helps her connect with the elite athletes she works with—competitors who aren’t so different from her younger self. In fact, she often passes on lessons she learned at Holderness. After one disappointing ski race, her coach, former Head of School Phil Peck, said something that helped her put things in perspective. It’s the same advice she gives to her own patients, from high school basketball players to NFL linebackers. “He said, hold on to the things you can change and let go of the emotion,” Hilary says. “Let go of what you’re feeling and just hold onto the things that you can change and change those.” |

Dr. Hilary Patzer ’98 uses many different modalities in her practice, including dry needling, sports massage, cupping, fascial stretch therapy, sports performanceenhancing acupuncture, and more.

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Matt Reynolds ’86

LAUNCHING INTO ADULTHOOD T

urn off your devices, get off your screens, and get outside.

Matt Reynolds ’86 with his 3-year-old therapy dog, Sunny, a client favorite. That’s the message Matt Reynolds ’86 gives to his clients at The Launch Pad ATL, his outdoor-based therapy practice for adolescent boys and young adult men in Atlanta, Georgia. “The need to get these kids outdoors and active is more important than ever,” Matt says. “Parents often come to me when they’re looking for a therapist for their adolescent sons—usually because they’re trying to find a way to help them get more active and engaged. There’s just such a great need. So many boys are glued to their screens, socially isolated, and missing out on the kinds of challenges that help them grow.”

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Matt’s office isn’t what you’d expect. Just half a block from Atlanta’s largest public park, the garagelike space is packed with mountain bikes, electric longboards, and other outdoor gear. When a new client arrives, Matt talks with them about the activities they enjoy—or used to enjoy—and then they head to nearby Piedmont Park to kick a soccer ball, play disc golf, explore a creek, or jump on a mountain bike—whatever engages their interest. “It’s a bit like the Harry Potter sorting hat—I’m trying to match each client with the activity that speaks to them,” Matt says, gesturing to the gear around him. “If I’m doing my job well, the adolescents I’m working with don’t even realize they’re in a therapy session—but a solid foundation for therapeutic connection is being built.” Like so many adolescents today, Matt’s clients spend much of their time on social media or other screenbased activities, and often struggle with social anxiety, depression, and distorted thinking. “They’re foregoing so many important developmental tasks, like developing interpersonal relationships and learning to regulate emotions,” Matt says. “Their social and emotional development really suffers, because they’re ending up isolated indoors and having the majority of their peer interactions online.” Whether he’s biking through Piedmont Park or shooting hoops with a client, Matt draws upon many of the same therapeutic tools other clinicians use—like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices—but he also prioritizes fun and genuine connection, which are central to his approach. “Yes, I’m their therapist, but I also function at times like a mentor, coach, or even a friend,” Matt says, before recalling the mentors who shaped his own adolescence: Holderness icons like Norm Walker, Phil Peck, Mike Henriques, and Jim Connors. “They instilled in me a love for the

outdoors and taught me the value of showing up to do the work and striving toward my goals. Though my Holderness years are decades behind me, the mentorship I received there continues to shape and inspire how I work with young men in my therapy practice today.” In many ways, that outdoor lifestyle— and other hallmarks of the Holderness experience—serve as templates for the work Matt does today. Looking back on his time at Holderness, Matt has fond memories of the sports he played—football under Norm Walker in the fall, ski racing under Jim Connors in the winter, and cycling under Phil Peck in the spring—and the structure and discipline each sport gave his life. By taking his therapy sessions outdoors, Matt is, in his own way, trying to transplant a seedling of the Holderness experience into the Georgia soil.

“

Turn off your devices, get off your screens, and get outside.” -Matt Reynolds LMFT

“If I can plant that seed for my clients to grow—maybe it’s rock climbing or mountain biking or rugby—if I can give them a tool they can carry with them when they go beyond seeing me, then that’s a huge win in my view,” Matt says. “I know my time with clients is limited, so I hope to connect them with an outdoor activity that will continue to sustain and nurture them long after the therapy relationship ends.” |

Photos courtesy of Matt Reynolds ’86.

Matt Reynolds ’86 runs The Launch Pad ATL, an outdoor-based therapy practice for adolescent boys and young adult men in Atlanta.

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From the Archives

THROWBACK TALES By Dr. Jennifer Martinez

ealth and wellness have been at the core of Holderness School since its early beginnings. Our school is very much rooted in the early religious education of New England which emphasized the cultivation of the mind through spiritual ref lection. However, the school also encouraged pupils to broaden their horizons beyond religion, mostly through academics and outdoor activities. I think that the perfect example of this is when, back in the 1930s, Bishop Dallas would join the students on their hikes during Mountain Day!

Later on, Bishop Hall would continue to do the same (Solberg 2004, 34–35). Physical fitness has been associated with health and wellness since the time the ancient Greeks created the Olympics. The emphasis on the balance between the body and mind is a staple of our modern-day campus culture as well—yoga, strength and conditioning, sauna, and ice bath are all available today for our students. Before those, students would make use of the surrounding environment and athletic competitions throughout the academic year. The photographs below, for example, illustrate the students dancing in front of the

then Head of School Reverend Edric Weld back in the 1940s (he is sitting third from right), and enjoying some fun downtime during skiing. Both the outdoors and academics are well-represented in the Holderness Archives, but we also have some records of a different part of students’ lives. When it comes to students having fun, our photographic collection shows the varied lives of our students. They used to dangle from rooftop pipes while pretending to read when they were not in the classroom or make funny faces to their friends when spectating athletic competitions.

Students dance in front of Head of School Rev. Edric Weld (third from right) in the 1940s, while other students enjoy downtime skiing near campus. 17 | Holderness School Today

Clockwise from top left: A student hangs out during study time; a spectator makes a funny face during a game; and Holderness students pose with girls from St. Mary of The Mountains before a school dance in the 1930s.

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Relaxing in the back of a car (left) and a copy of the student newspaper "The Bull" (right). When the photographs here were taken, the school was an all-boys institution. This was a time when the traditional school dances and events were frequented by outside girls and became exceptionally popular. Known as “house parties”, these took place during some fall weekends and consisted of athletic events and dances. Going to downtown Plymouth was another fun activity enjoyed by the students. There were rules for specific days when students could go downtown (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and what paths were considered in bounds and out of bounds (AR.19.4). The student council meeting notes of October 23 of 1942, for instance, detail the exact rules for Holderness boys attending films in downtown Plymouth with girls from the Plymouth Normal School. There was one rule, for example, that stipulated that “boys must sign out and give the name of the girl they intend to visit” and that visiting hours “depend on the normal school regulations” (AR.19.4). Dramatic productions were another popular form of entertainment on

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campus. The school is lucky to have amongst its archival collections two albums that belonged to Avery Rogers, former music director between the years 1932-1947. He was one of the faculty members who was brought on by Weld and the one who was first to be called off to WWII amongst Holderness faculty at the time. Annual productions from Gilbert and Sullivan were a staple of Holderness life in which the students got to act and play different roles. Their comic operas were popular during Victorian times, and Holderness was presenting these frequently. The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore were all performed by the student body in our early years. One special issue of the student newspaper “The Bull” that commemorated the death of FDR (past trustee of our school) mentioned how during rehearsals for The Mikado in 1945, “there was a lot of bad singing and horsing around” (AR.29.9). One fun fact is that “The Bull” newspaper was actually started by alumnus and renowned poet, Robert Creeley, as a newspaper written by and for students with no adult

supervision as they felt that “The Dial” was much too formal at the time (AR.29.9). Creeley said that the name comes from “bull session” referring to an informal discussion and that it consisted of “articles, notes, jokes, and cartoons”. I think that it is these precious moments when students are having fun that make some of the best archival material. They serve as a reminder that the spirit of joy and adventure has always been an integral part of Holderness School. |

ABOUT DR. JENNIFER MARTINEZ Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Martinez is a cultural Greek historian with a PhD in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Liverpool. Using modern comparative material, ancient texts, and archeology, her research focuses on the pre- and post-war lived experiences of women in the ancient world, philosophical wartime boundaries, and the social and economic impacts of war on women. Dr. Martinez also teaches history and Capstone classes at Holderness.

Clockwise from top left: an album belonging to former Musical Director Avery Rogers; a student plays ping pong; students horse around during a school trip. Fall 2025 | 20

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2025! The Class of 2025 had a wetter Out Back, senior spring, senior class trip, and Commencement than any other class in many years. And through it all, they showed remarkable resilience and spirit, making lasting memories and achieving milestones that will be remembered for years to come.

Scan the QR code to see all of this year's Commencement photos online.

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StevieLeigh Jade Bannon Malden, MA

Connor Michael Dozois North Grafton, MA

Matin "Ome" Kositchutima Bangkok, Thailand

Arsene August Beauregard Havelock, Canada

Mia Monique Dudley Hooksett, NH

Emma Hart Lavallee Chestnut Hill, MA

Jacob Matthew Duval Andover, MA

Chainath "Tian" Limchunhanukul Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand

Ashley Marie Bergeron Bedford, NH Belén Eileen Bernal-Doggart Concord, NH Walker Deming Bright New Canaan, CT Delaney Anne Cassidy Portsmouth, NH James Hutson Chaffin Telluride, CO

Victoria Grace Frankauski Ashland, NH

Yuanwei "Will" Liu Beijing, China

Rio Cook Gladchun Granville, VT

Natalie Clare Low Groton, MA

Mia Jacqueline Gonsalves Billerica, MA

Max Adrian Marcus Big Sky, MT

Adelaide Mae Goundrey Plymouth, NH

Yu-Jui "Gary" Chen Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Charlotte Cooper Hastings Greenwich, CT

Elijah Thomas Chilicki North Berwick, ME

Jonathan David Heneke II Nantucket, MA

Eli Saveria Cook Walpole, NH

Jillian Rose Hennessey Bridgewater, MA

Vincent Anthony Crispi Armonk, NY

George Walker Matviak New Canaan, CT Whitaker Benjamin McLane Bridgewater, NH Elizabeth Margaret Mellon Freeport, ME Asad Hussien Mohamed London, England

Leon Huang Beijing, China

Gina Dorothy Mulcahy Center Harbor, NH

Eleanor Elizabeth Dalissandro-Allen Brookline, MA

Lauren Elizabeth Hughey West Newbury, MA

Graham Harrison Newton Dexter, MI

Jayna Morning Davis Steamboat Springs, CO and Spokane Valley, WA

Katherine Grace Hutchinson Marblehead, MA

Nguyen Cao "Win" Nguyen Da Nang, Vietnam

Madeline Muldoon Jacobsen Falmouth, ME

Blake Levi Norris North Andover, MA

Drake Thomas Dearborn Holderness, NH Kyra Ann Delli Colli Plymouth, NH Reid Brooke Donovan Holderness, NH Cameron Scott D'Orio Glen, NH

Isabelle Valentine Johnson Gilford, NH Dora Kastl Budapest, Hungary Madeline June Keith Southampton, Bermuda

Lincoln Clifford Nyquist Meredith, NH Linnea Carr Nyquist Meredith, NH Ann Cooper Page Wenham, MA Jake Bryson Parmett Lyme, NH

Luke W. Pazzia Burlington, MA

Henry Philip Stow Gilford, NH

Tanner James Petalas Hampton, NH

Long "Ryan" Tang Beijing, China

Adeline Drew Pfeifle Bow, NH Ian Christopher Plankey Reading, MA Jeremy Joseph Poirier Salem, NH Helaina Danetta Rivers West Babylon, NY Henniyah Danella Rivers West Babylon, NY William Alexander Rob East Montpelier, VT Esme Powell Roberts Olympic Valley, CA Noah David Rock Brookline, MA Trainer Bruce Gallagher Rolfs Telluride, CO Gabriel Orlando Ruiz Royal Oak, MI Sally Rabe Savage Boston, MA John Walter Schaeffler Holderness, NH Edward John Schlueter Marblehead, MA Trace Walker Schroeder Red Lodge, MT Tanner Christopher Snyder Charlotte, VT Meghan Elizabeth Stodden Laconia, NH

Graydon Scott Taylor Falmouth, ME Alexa Sophia Thornton Marblehead, MA Ella Marie Thornton Marblehead, MA Sophie Lan Tonello Winchester, MA Hazel Keegan Umscheid Winchester, MA Brayden Michael Wade Commerce Township, MI Benjamin Dunwoody Wales Marblehead, MA Zachary Logan Webb Lake Placid, NY Caleigh Elizabeth Weig Maynard, MA Jasper Jay Werner New York, NY Lilias Sutherland Wheelock Chestnut Hill, MA William Ransom Wheelock Chestnut Hill, MA Jade Collins Stamoulis Wiggins Portsmouth, RI Molly Jamison Wrinn Annapolis, MD Yilin "Samantha" Zhang Beijing, China Ian Jacob Zimmerman Stowe, VT

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Despite unseasonably cool temperatures in the 40s, students, parents, and teachers enjoyed a memorable Commencement—with the help of some cozy blankets.

23 | Holderness School Today

School Vice President Trace Schroeder ’25 takes a selfie with his classmates and Head of School John McVeigh (top) while new graduates walk across the Holderness seal with their diplomas (bottom).

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HEALTH and WELLNESS on Campus

At Holderness, keeping 300+ students healthy and thriving is truly a team sport. From the Health Center to the athletics fields to the Chapel, we're blessed with a team of adults whose job it is to support and nourish the whole student—mind, body, and spirit.

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HEALTH SERVICES Director of Health Services Karen Penny RN P ’15 ’18 When did you start working at Holderness? I started working at Holderness in 2011 when my daughter started her 9th grade year. I was a part time evening nurse.

What inspired you to work in medicine? I’ve always been a caretaker at heart. I began my career with a bachelor’s degree in education because I loved helping children learn and grow. After moving frequently early on, I made the decision to pursue a degree in nursing. I had a strong interest in the medical field but also wanted to continue using the skills I developed through teaching. Nursing has allowed me to combine both.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? I’d say the most challenging part of my job as Director of Health Services here at Holderness is juggling the clinical care—both physical and mental health—with the administrative responsibilities. Our students come from all kinds of backgrounds and bring a wide range of needs. Some days we’re treating something simple like a scratch, and other times we’re dealing with more serious or urgent situations. Mental health needs have really increased since I started at Holderness and has become a

27 | Holderness School Today

Karen Penny P ’15 ’18 stands outside of Livermore Hall, home of the school's Health Center. big focus of what we do. On the admin side, I’m in charge of making sure we have enough staff, keeping the Health Center stocked with supplies, attending meetings, and working with other departments to support students as a whole. It’s a constant balancing act, but we have a very strong team with excellent skills that make the Health Center a great place to work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? The most rewarding aspect of my job is the impact we have on the students. Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to transform the health center from a traditional “infirmary”

into a place of wellness. We want students to feel comfortable coming in—not just when they’re sick or struggling, but anytime they need a safe, welcoming space. We keep puzzles out, coloring books, and little games to create a relaxed environment. It’s not unusual for students to stop by just to chat or take a breather. Some share a good grade they’re proud of, talk about a tough situation at home, or open up about their worries and hopes for the future. Those everyday moments matter just as much as the clinical care we provide. What means the most to me are the notes I get from students saying I made a difference in their time here. That’s when I truly feel I’ve done my job well. •

Lauren Sirignano RN, BSN Associate Health Center Director

Lauren Sirignano is a former ski racer, ski coach, and associate director of the school's Health Center. When did you start working at Holderness? I started working at Holderness in the beginning of the school year 2020.

What inspired you to work in medicine? That is a hard question because the inspiration has always been there, but it has changed directions numerous times since I started my BSN in 2009. I initially wanted to be a f light nurse or a CRNA; I felt naturally driven to help people and I wanted to have the knowledge and skill set to do so medically. I was inspired by life experiences in a way but I also loved how fast paced it seemed. I worked in the emergency department in nursing school at a Level 1 trauma center in Denver, CO which confirmed my initial instinct of getting into the medical field as a career. At the time, I hadn’t known much outside of ski racing; and having a career that would provide adrenaline and challenge me daily felt similar.

You happen to be a former ski racer, and you’re also a ski coach to our student-athletes. What is it like to be involved in students' lives that way, beyond the Health Center? This is probably the number one reason I wanted to work at Holderness. I love it. I love getting to know students in that environment and I really missed being a part of the ski racing world. My empathetic side loves to see students in the health center and to be there for them, in that way. However, seeing students healthy and pushing their comfort zones, navigating the challenges they face on skis and how it correlates to life is so rewarding. Holderness really does attract the most amazing humans. I honestly feel like the coaching makes me a better nurse and vice versa.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? Probably the teenager/high school aspect of it all. The emotions at this age are so real and valid. I sometimes just want to hug all of them and tell them it’s going to be okay (so grateful for our incredible counselors).

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? Now that I have been at Holderness for five years, seeing the progression students make throughout their journey here is insane. You watch students come in as timid freshmen and slowly observe from the shadows as they grow into confident, kind, compassionate young adults. The transformations are undeniable and so inspiring. It always makes me think about the fact that people can evolve and grow in such a short amount of time, and at any age. I love that reminder. •

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EDUCATION

Luke Duffield ’26, a student in Pat Casey’s Exercise Physiology class, undergoes a VO2 Max test at Plymouth State University’s Human Performance Center.

Exercise Physiology | SCI 402 W

ant to learn how to run faster? Jump higher? Get stronger? We’ve got a class for that. “I love how motivated the students are to learn,” says Pat Casey, who teaches an Exercise Physiology course each fall. “Clearly they’re hanging on to what you’re talking about because they’re personally invested in it.” That personal investment is a key draw for the class, a semester-long exploration of the body’s energy systems and their role in athletic performance. Students begin by learning the basics of muscle anatomy and physiology and the different energy pathways that power those muscles. They then learn how different training modalities—from

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intervals to strength training to rest and recovery—affect performance. In many cases, the students become their own test subjects, hopping on treadmills and exercise bikes to study lactate threshold, VO2 Max, and other fundamentals of exercise science. For the students, it’s a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best. Before he became a science teacher and the school’s head Nordic skiing coach, Casey spent four years as a coach on the U.S. Ski Team. As a coach, Casey—who earned his degree in exercise and sports science from the University of Utah—worked as a liaison between the country’s top Nordic athletes and the team’s physiologist. With his science background, he was

the perfect person to help carry out—and explain—the exhaustive physiological testing that all of his athletes underwent each year. In a way, he’s doing much the same thing with his Exercise Physiology class at Holderness. His goal is to educate his students to the point where they can advocate for their own physiological needs in college and beyond. “Once they get the training principles, I’ve really accomplished one of my goals—which is that they can leave this class and go talk to any trainer or coach or physio or PT and have a language that’s common with those people,” Casey says. •

Nutrition | SCI 404 R

andy Houseman has a simple message for students in his Nutrition class: eating a balanced, healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein isn’t sexy, and it probably won’t show up on your TikTok feed.

they’re consuming—and when I say consuming, I mean consuming information,” Houseman says. “I feel like kids are being constantly inundated with misinformation and myths. Trying to battle against that is one of the purposes of the class.”

“What the media wants to do is make something sexy,” Houseman says. “We hear the word ‘hack’ all the time—‘health hack’ or ‘nutrition hack.’ There are no hacks out there. There’s nothing easy.”

To counter that misinformation, Houseman teaches students the basics of nutritional science—like how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates the body needs to sustain itself. Students learn, for example, that carbohydrates are absolutely essential for fueling the brain and athletic performance—while the protein supplements they take are often exorbitant because the body can only utilize so much protein at any given time. They also learn that the f lashy scientific studies that create a stir on social media often don’t hold up against long-term studies that track thousands of people over many years.

When a student scrolls through their social media feeds, Houseman says, they’re bombarded with a smorgasbord of dubious nutritional messages and myths—from TikTok videos decrying the evils of carbohydrates to Instagram reels promoting the primacy of protein. By teaching his students about nutrition and the methods to evaluate scientific studies and their claims, Houseman gives them tools to skip the junk food—and the junk science. “My overall hope for the course is that kids become critical of what

Armed with a solid grounding in the science of nutrition, students are able to put their knowledge into practice. Throughout the semester, Houseman takes students on field trips to local

grocery stores, where they evaluate the macronutrients of various foods and learn how to plan and shop for nutritious meals. The class also conducts various hands-on labs throughout the semester where they compare and contrast sports drinks, learn about lactose intolerance, and burn Doritos and other junk food to determine their calorie content. Ultimately, Houseman hopes his students will take what they learn in his class and tell their friends. Perhaps if he can convince one class to eat better—more whole foods and fewer protein powders and bars—then maybe the message will go viral. “I think kids inf luencing kids is where we have to focus our efforts on this topic,” Houseman says. “If you can get kids talking about it, other kids are going to be more interested in it, and they’re going to maybe try to dig a little bit deeper because of that.” •

How many calories are in a Dorito? After conducting a calorimetry lab in the school's Nutrition and Chemistry classes, students can find out for themselves.

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MIND

School Counselor Carol Dopp, now in her 18th year at Holderness, volunteers with Yirong Wang ’26 at the New Hampshire Food Bank during Project Outreach in March (right).

Connecting With Carol I

n a world where so much of teenage life now happens on TikTok, Snapchat, and other virtual platforms, Carol Dopp is helping Holderness students put down their phones, look up, and connect. “What social media is doing is taking away one-on-one, face-toface conversations that kids used to have and now they don’t have,” says Carol, now in her 18 th year as a school counselor at Holderness. “The risk involved with asking somebody something face-toface is gone. My sense is, risking being rejected, has changed.” Carol, a fun and outgoing presence on campus who radiates ‘favorite aunt’ energy, is the kind of person who naturally draws people together. As a longtime member of the school’s counseling office, she helps lead school-wide efforts like ‘One Trusted Adult,’ an initiative that ensures every student has at least one adult

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on campus who they feel comfortable going to for help. She’s also part of a weekly meeting of adults—counselors, athletic trainers, and the school’s Chaplain, to name just a few—who exchange information about how kids are doing, who might be struggling, and who may need help. “It’s certainly a team effort,” says Carol, who has master’s degrees in school counseling and curriculum development. She even works closely with the school’s dorm leaders, the seniors who often shape the culture of their dorm and their classmates’ wellbeing. “The senior leaders are really often inf luential in helping kids through some tough times,” Carol says.

explore through the internet often provide them with information, but without any education or context on these important areas.”

While Carol is dedicated to improving the lives of her students, she says they often return the favor. “I’m 68, and I’d feel 78 if I didn’t work with teenagers. They make me laugh,” she says. “I find them to be real and open to honest conversations around adolescent issues. The topics they

“I can’t stop laughing or smiling because I’m here. I’m back. This is the place that brings me joy,” Carol says. “My siblings often ask ‘When are you going to retire?’ I tell them I’m not. Why would I retire? This is great.” •

This year promises to be a good one for Carol—and Holderness. After spending the 2024–25 school year off campus for her Henderson-Brewervan Otterloo Chair Year (she spent the year collecting health and wellness resources, which parents and students will be able to access on the Parent Portal) she’s glad to be home. While she enjoyed her time away, Carol says she’s ready to get back to work making Holderness a stronger—and more connected—community.

Joanna Lightburn LMSW | School Counselor When did you start working at Holderness? My husband and I joined the Holderness community in August 2023. We previously worked at the Darrow School, a small, independent boarding school in upstate New York.

What inspired you to work as a school counselor? Growing up, I always thought I’d become a teacher. That was my initial focus during undergrad at Northeastern University. But during a Co-op placement at an alternative high school serving students with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, I realized I was more drawn to supporting students emotionally than teaching them in the classroom. That experience sparked my passion for school counseling and set me on the path I’m on today.

What challenges are today's students facing, versus what they faced 10 or 20 years ago? Students today are navigating a far more intense and complex world than they were a decade or two ago. Mental health concerns—especially anxiety— have increased significantly. On the positive side, students are more open to talking about their emotions, but that openness comes with a greater need for support. In addition, technology adds a constant layer of pressure. Social media and smartphones make it hard to disconnect, leaving students with less downtime and fewer opportunities to build deep, in-person relationships. They’re also still processing the social, emotional, and academic fallout of COVID, all while growing up in a political and global climate that can feel unpredictable and overwhelming. So, while this generation is incredibly resilient and has more tools than ever to understand themselves, they’re also carrying a heavy emotional load.

School Counselor Joanna Lightburn enjoys a spring morning on campus. What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? Probably the 24/7 nature of the role. Because students live on campus, support doesn’t end when I leave my office. I often check in with kids during evenings or weekends, especially when someone is struggling. It can be emotionally demanding to support students who are far from home and facing mental health or social challenges without their families nearby. Balancing confidentiality, student safety, and communication with faculty and parents can be complex, especially in a tight-knit community where roles often overlap. Setting boundaries and making time for self-care is important, but not always easy.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? Along with the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of coworkers, the most rewarding aspect of my job is building strong, meaningful relationships with students and their families. Watching their growth over time and being part of their journey at Holderness means a great deal to me, and it’s a privilege to be someone they trust and turn to for support. I have the opportunity to see them develop academically, emotionally, and socially, and nothing is more fulfilling than witnessing a student I’ve supported through challenges walk across the graduation stage feeling proud of who they’ve become. •

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Sports Psychology | Ginger Comstock ’92

Sports Psychology Counselor Ginger Comstock ’92 helps Holderness athletes reach their potential—on and off the field.

igh school sports have changed dramatically since Ginger Comstock ’92 was a Holderness student-athlete. “When the fall ended, we hung up our cleats and put on our ski boots or hockey skates or got on the basketball court and moved to the winter sport,” says Ginger, who now works at her alma mater as a sports psychology counselor, advisor, and dorm parent. “When the winter was done, we put away our skis and skates and we moved on to the spring sport. There was very little year-round training and rarely any sport specialization.” While Holderness still requires its students to play three sports, many of today’s student athletes have specialized in a single sport from early childhood, with summers dedicated to showcase events, sports camps, club practices, and club tournaments. As a result of that intense focus, many athletes have developed an all-or-nothing mentality that leaves them far less psychologically resilient when life’s inevitable athletic disappointments—an injury, a tough loss, or lack of playing time—occur. “Today, many athletes’ identities are so tied to their sport that when a sport doesn’t go as well as they would like, their identity can crash,” Ginger says. “There’s a

name for this in sports psychology. It’s called identity foreclosure state.” A big part of Ginger’s job is to help students develop the proper perspective to move beyond that state—or avoid it altogether. When a student is at a crossroads in their athletic career, Ginger is there to help them realize that they are more than the sport they play. “I had two athletes this year that had this issue and one actually said, ‘I don’t know who I am without hockey,’” Ginger says. “And I said, ‘You are a student, you’re a brother, you’re a son, you’re a friend. We need to develop life beyond hockey for you.’” When Ginger counsels a studentathlete about overcoming disappointment and developing a healthy relationship to sports, she speaks from experience. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis at the age of five, Ginger continued to play sports despite joint and spinal pain that resulted from those conditions. “I was never going to be on the podium because of my physical pain and limitations, but I loved to compete hard,” Ginger says. “I kept playing with and competing alongside of great athletes, and I experienced firsthand how strong your brain and your mind can be in adverse situations.”

Now entering her seventh year as sports psychology counselor, Ginger is a highly-valued resource for the school’s student-athletes. In addition to one-on-one work with students, she also meets with teams to help strengthen their culture, improve communication, and make a detailed plan for achieving their goals. “Athletes will now proactively ask coaches, ‘Can we have a Ginger Session?’ because they see and experience the value of the sessions,” Ginger says, laughing. “That’s what they call them. I call it sports psychology; they call it a Ginger Session.” Those Ginger Sessions are having a big impact. Not only are students developing their identities beyond sport, but they’re also playing better together and winning more competitions with the tools Ginger has given them. “I really try to go to as many games as possible so that I can see some of what we’re working on take place on the field,” Ginger says. “When I see the things that we’re doing in our sessions manifesting on the field or on the ice or on the hill, it’s incredibly rewarding.” •

Asad Mohamed ’25 and Miles Donahue ’27 celebrate during a soccer game.

BODY Athletics | Director of Athletics Jenna Simon the people who uphold those pillars. Today, student-athletes at Holderness are supported by a multidisciplinary team of professionals, from the school’s athletic trainers to its sports psychology counselor and strength and conditioning coach, all of whom work with teams and individual athletes on a regular basis.

Director of Athletics Jenna Simon

t Holderness, athletics is about far more than just wins and losses. The school’s vision statement for athletics takes a far more holistic approach: We aspire to develop skilled student-athletes with strong character who work together to compete at their highest level, take pride in representing Holderness School, have a passion for lifelong fitness and a love of the outdoors. But that vision doesn’t become reality all on its own. Venture into the Bartsch-Gallop Athletics Center and you’ll find the person who makes sure our student-athletes are scoring goals on our athletic fields, running gates at Mittersill, and developing all of those habits for lifelong fitness: Director of Athletics Jenna Simon. To Jenna, the school’s commitment to athletics—particularly its emphasis on multi-sport participation throughout the school year—is key to promoting the health and wellness of students.

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“The co-curricular program sends a message that much of our learning and growth happens outside the classroom,” Jenna says. “It lays the foundation that physical activity is part of our daily lives.” Indeed, while Holderness has a long tradition of athletic excellence (it’s a perennial snow sports powerhouse with hockey and lacrosse teams that are among the best in New England) the school takes a much broader approach to athletic success. In 2017, the school convened an Athletics Council to consider what the future of Holderness athletics could look like. Ultimately, the council decided the school’s athletic program should rest on five main pillars: character development and athletic culture; strength and conditioning; nutrition; mental health; and coach development. From her office in the Bartsch-Gallop Athletics Center, Jenna oversees

“I’m super thankful that we get to work with the people that we do,” says Jenna, who also coaches girls varsity lacrosse in the spring. “Everyone brings a different skill set and we’re all here for the same reason: to engage with our students, to help challenge them to work through those challenges and help them reach their goals.” Whether those goals involve playing for a Division I college or just having fun, Jenna and her team give students the resources to succeed. For most athletes, that means skilled care from our athletic trainers, weekly sessions in the weight room with the school’s strength and conditioning coach, and empowering team meetings with our sports psychology counselor. While those resources help Holderness athletes reach their immediate athletic goals, they also help instill the behavior, habits, and skills that are critical for a lifetime of health and connection with others. It’s those habits—and the friendships formed through athletics at Holderness—that will continue to benefit students long after they’ve scored their last goal or skied their final race. “Our teams—and really our whole school—pride themselves on being an extension of family,” Jenna says. “Those will be the things that last forever, not the wins and losses.” •

Athletic Training | Nick Laurence M.Ed, L.ATC & Caroline Davenport MS, N.H. LAT, ATC A

s Holderness School’s athletic trainers, Nick Laurence and Caroline Davenport are always busy. But it isn’t until mid-afternoon, right before the school’s athletic competitions and practices begin, that things get really intense. “I would guess that 10 percent of the school will come through this space in about 45 minutes,” says Nick, speaking from the cramped confines of the athletic training room in the Bartsch-Gallop Athletics Center. “It can get pretty crazy, pretty quickly.” With 300 student athletes hurling lacrosse balls, shooting hockey pucks, and speeding down mountainsides on skis and snowboards, occasional injuries are bound to occur. Luckily, Nick and Caroline are there to catch kids when they fall, helping athletes heal—and teaching them how to prevent future injuries. Their workdays are a whirlwind of activity: taping athletes before games and practices, overseeing rehab exercises, providing care on the sidelines of games, scheduling MRIs and CT scans, and filling out paperwork. “It’s something different every day,” says Nick, who came to Holderness in 2012. “It’s super dynamic. No two days are ever the same—one minute you could be taping an ankle and the next minute you could be responding to a really emergent issue.” Beyond simply providing care, Nick and Caroline have forged connections with students that go beyond athletics. In addition to her role as an athletic trainer, Caroline is a dorm parent, advisor, and teaches a Capstone class. And each March, both Nick and Caroline spend 11 days in the White Mountains leading Out Back groups. It’s the kind of deep involvement in the life of the school that makes their work in the training room all the more rewarding. “Whether it’s a kid who took steps for the first time off crutches that day, or they’re finally getting back

Holderness is lucky to have Athletic Trainers Nick Laurence and Caroline Davenport on Staff (top). Caroline Davenport works with Maddie Keith ’25 in the Athetic Training room (bottom). on the field after a season-ending injury the year before—I think that’s what makes it all worth it,” Caroline says. “Seeing the smile on a kid’s face when they shoot their first basket or

score their first goal after an injury —that’s one of the most rewarding parts of being an athletic trainer.” •

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SPIRIT

Brooke Cippoletti ’26, Kelly McVeigh ’26, and Drake Dearborn ’25 meet for an informal, weekly ‘Fire and Fellowship’ gathering.

Sparking Spirituality W

henever a group of people gather around a campfire to talk, roast s’mores, and ponder life’s big questions, something magical happens.

the Holy Cross every Wednesday evening. The informal meetings, usually held around a campfire, often spark deep discussions about life on campus, faith, and spirituality.

Just ask the students who attend the school’s weekly “Fire and Fellowship” gatherings outside the Chapel of

“I love our small group and the way we are able to talk about our day, practice faith, and just simply

37 | Holderness School Today

enjoy each other’s company,” says Brooke Cippoletti ’26. “It is a place where you can practice your faith if you want to, or just hang out. Fire and Fellowship is an underrated Holderness group that should be talked about more often. After our busy days with classes, sports, etc. it is nice to just sit by the fire and talk.”

Founded in 1879 as an Episcopal boarding school, Holderness has always recognized the spiritual side of the student experience. Today— nearly 150 years after its founding— students and faculty still meet for twice-weekly Chapel services, and spiritual meetups like Fire and Fellowship have sprung up organically to complement the school’s longstanding spiritual traditions. Participation in Fire and Fellowship is purely voluntary, and students are encouraged to lead the gatherings,

which can range from Bible study and prayer to discussions about personal struggles or the state of the world. For the school’s Chaplain, the Rev. Jay Hutchinson, gatherings like Fire and Fellowship and regular Chapel services are key to fostering student wellbeing. While students’ minds are challenged in the classroom and their bodies strengthened on the athletic fields, it’s in the Chapel—or around a campfire — that they’re able to discover and develop their true spiritual selves.

“We are the school we are, the welcoming place we are, the academic place that we are, because we have this deep spiritual kernel that we can feed off of,” Hutchinson says. “Whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim or atheist, the spiritual aspects of this school are going to be the things that help us weather storms, that help us get through stuff, that help to inspire us when the world seems bleak.” •

Clockwise from top: Students gather for the Out Back Chapel in March; have their skis blessed during a Blessing of the Backpacks in September; and place their rocks during the annual Senior Stones Chapel in May.

Fall 2025 | 38

OUTDOORS Inspring Awe F

rom O-Hike to Out Back, outdoor adventure has long been a cornerstone of the Holderness experience. Whether they’re reaching new summits on Mountain Day or testing themselves on a three-day OB solo, when students spend time outdoors they develop grit, resilience, and appreciation for something greater than themselves. But don’t take it from us. Here, Director of Outdoor & Climbing Programs Erik Thatcher explains how the outdoors can be a key component for a student’s overall wellbeing. “There are so many different avenues of growth in the outdoors. One of them, I think, is just the awe-inspiring nature of getting into some really cool places in nature. It puts us in this different psychological state of mind. It’s called being hypo-egoic, which means you’re just unconcerned with matters of yourself and you’re fully in the present. Research has shown that spending time in that zone really helps with our mental health and our happiness. There’s kind of this balance that happens with kids in the outdoors, where they’re humbled by how awesome the experiences are and how powerful nature is. At the same time, they’re encouraged and their self-confidence is usually raised by their accomplishments in the outdoors. What we’re trying to do is educate the whole person, right? We’re not just educating them in the science classroom or on the cliffs. We’re trying to make them into competent, empathetic human beings.” -Director of Outdoor & Climbing Programs Erik Thatcher ’08 •

39 | Holderness School Today

Counter-clockwise from top left: Students snowshoe into Base Camp on Out Back, race along the school's mountain bike trails, and enjoy a spectacular view of Franconia Notch from Hounds Hump Ridge during a spring hike. Fall 2025 | 40

ARTS

René Albee teaches a Studio Practices class in the Carpenter Arts Center

41 | Holderness School Today

René Albee | Visual Arts Faculty and Art Therapist When did you start working at Holderness? My introduction to Holderness was as a guest artist for Artward Bound, the 10 th-grade March Experience program, in 2022 and 2023. It was during that time that I developed a great appreciation for the arts program at Holderness, as well as for the students and faculty. The next fall, I joined Holderness as part of the arts faculty.

What inspired you to work in art therapy? I knew I always wanted to have art in my life, so I majored in Fine Art, unsure of what future I wanted to have within it. After graduating, I worked various jobs in the arts field and realized how lonely it can be. I stumbled upon an article about art therapy, did some research, and knew it was for me. I quickly applied to the founding school in the field of art therapy, Lesley University, and was fortunate enough to learn from the founding father himself, Shaun McNiff, right before his retirement. While it was a decade-long journey, it culminated in my deep appreciation, understanding, and commitment to the arts. The arts add great value to our lives, and this value is not limited to therapeutic settings or appointments only. It can occur anywhere, at any time, and is accessible to everyone.

Do you incorporate it in any way into your classes? I believe that the intrinsic healing that occurs with art happens every day. While I don’t purposely plan my lessons around art therapy, I

René confers with a student, Henry Demetriou ’28, during one of her classes. teach in a way that allows students to fully express themselves. While art certainly has a structured way of doing things, I make sure that freedom of expression is equally represented. The simple act of making art can help lower our anxiety, aid in overcoming grief, and navigate so many other emotions that our students deal with regularly. Our students often deal with high levels of stress, and if my class can give them 45 minutes of decompression, I consider that a success.

What’s the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and/or art therapy? The most challenging part of being an art therapist was being immersed in a system that ultimately fails our most vulnerable people in society, and the resulting weight on my heart as a human. I worked with abused

children, teenagers of incarcerated parents for major crimes, adults with severe mental illness, and at Concord Hospital with NAS babies (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome) and the actively dying. I loved the work I did, but it led to burnout for many reasons. Using my art therapy knowledge as a basis for teaching is an uplifting and recharging experience of using art to help people. The most rewarding part of my job is the same in art therapy and teaching. It’s the little moments. It’s a smile that came in as a frown; low energy leaving recharged; completing a challenging work; a student overcoming a selfmade hurdle; a student helping a classmate; students commenting on each other’s work. Above all, a laughter-filled room with people expressing their creativity and supporting each other in a carefree environment, even just for 45 minutes, is the best reward. •

Fall 2025 | 42

5 QUESTIONS WITH RAMEY HARRIS-TATAR ’94 By Bruce Barton P ’13 ’16 Assistant Director of Major Gifts

Ramey Harris-Tatar ’94.

amey Harris-Tatar PNP ’94 is a nurse practitioner and managing partner at Lexington Pediatrics in Massachusetts and a Regional Associate Medical Director for the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Boston Children’s Hospital. After graduating from Holderness, she attended Washington and Lee University in Virginia, majoring in Psychology. After a year working as a Veterinary Assistant, Ramey decided to move to humans, and graduated from Regis College with a degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She lives with her husband Nick and her two boys, Ben and Sam, and her two dogs, Caleb and Lucy, in Needham, Massachusetts.

43 | Holderness School Today

What are the most frequent issues you see with adolescents?

The most frequent issues we see with adolescents these days are related to behavioral (mental) health. In the 20 years that I have been practicing, there has been a significant increase in anxiety and depression among teens. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this including social media, academic stress, family dynamics and other digital media use. You can find information about this in many areas, and if you are interested in learning more about the impact of screen use on mental health I suggest reading “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt. In this book, Haidt explores how screen use and social media have changed how kids and teens grow up and interact with one another and the wider world, and how this has contributed to the increase in mental health issues.

How has your practice of medicine changed since you first started?

Because there has been such an increase in behavioral health care, pediatric providers have had to do additional learning to meet this need. With the years-long shortage of behavioral health clinicians, managing these problems has fallen to the primary care providers (PCPs). However, most of us didn’t have a lot of training in diagnosing, and especially treating, behavioral health conditions. At our practice, and many others, we are all now comfortable

prescribing and managing firstline SSRIs for patients. We have also enhanced our practices overall, such that many pediatric practices now have integrated behavioral health clinicians in their offices. Our practice in particular has four integrated therapists, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a nutritionist. This helps improve access to behavioral health providers for our patients as well as provide additional support to the PCPs doing this increased work.

What are some undervalued "should dos" when it comes to adolescent physical well-being?

Someone once said to me, “sleep is like a hidden lever” and this has really resonated for me. Sleep plays such an important “hidden” role in so many parts of our lives. Lack of sleep reduces your problem-solving and decision-making skills. This can make it harder to learn and retain new information in school and can contribute to increased risk-taking behaviors. Lack of sleep also alters the hormones associated with hunger, making you more likely to overeat. It also can negatively affect your immune system, making you more likely to get sick. Finally, lack of sleep can increase anxiety, depression, and irritability. Different people need different amounts of sleep, but it is so important for everyone, adolescents included, to try to prioritize sleep so that they get the amount their body needs.

Ramey Harris-Tatar ’94 with her family. If you could wave a magic wand and immediately change one thing about the physical well-being for young people, what would that be?

Screens! Teens in particular face several challenges with screen use, including excessive time on social media and gaming. This can lead to disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, and declining mental health. Constant exposure to online content can fuel anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Additionally, screens can interfere with faceto-face communication skills and academic focus. Screen use truly can be addictive. Screens cause our brains to release dopamine, similar to doing drugs, so nothing is ever as “rewarding” as scrolling through social media or playing video games. When most of your stimulation comes from screens,

other activities that bring slower or less intense dopamine responses (e.g., face-to-face conversations, sports, nature walks) can feel boring. In addition, children and teens are more vulnerable to these effects because their brain is more malleable and still developing. Some ways to cut back on screen use? • • • • •

Don’t use screens while walking. Don’t use screens while eating. Set a timer so you know how long you have been using the screen. Try to avoid using the screen 30-60 minutes before going to bed. Turn off as many alerts as possible, and turn off all alerts at night (remember sleep?).

What "best practices" for youth physical well-being are on the rise?

While behavioral health issues may be on the rise, I also see increasing awareness and practice of things besides medications that can help improve everyone’s mental health. There is definitely more awareness of the benefits of mindfulness and stress management. Practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. It can improve emotional regulation and self-compassion. And it can help improve sleep quality (that hidden lever keeps popping up!). And it doesn’t take a lot of time— practicing just 5 minutes a day can have a positive impact. |

Fall 2025 | 44

CATCHING UP WITH CHUCK FISHER ’72 By Bruce Barton P ’13 ’16 Assistant Director of Major Gifts

igh school is not an easy journey for many. Much happens developmentally in those years as we all stand up, stretch our wings, and make the move to separate from home and become our own person. Author Chuck Fisher ’72, PhD, will be the first to tell you that his was a rocky road at Holderness. “I had lived all over the

place leading up to Holderness as my dad worked for the CIA—Peru, the Philippines, and up and down the East Coast—we were never anywhere for more than two years.” Having f loundered academically, including failing sixth grade, Chuck lacked focus, discipline and the skills to succeed in the classroom.

At Holderness, Chuck says, “I lived at the top of the mountain and in the depth of the valley. I was successful in athletics (soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, and rock climbing) and head of the Jobs Program, but I was a total mess in the classroom. By the time I was a senior I smoked pot to numb myself from self-doubt. I thought of myself as slow and called myself ‘stupid’ under my breath. I was on course to not graduate when my Physics teacher, Mr. Ayres, in an act of tremendous compassion, gave me a D- because ‘I tried hard’ or so he said.” With a voice of total humility, Chuck offers, “I graduated 49 th out of 50 students at Holderness; I barely made it.” Chuck freely admits he was “ill-prepared for college,” but off to the University of New Hampshire he went. There, things bottomed out quickly, and he dropped out after two years. Happily, that is far from the end of the story. After leaving UNH, Chuck focused on his love of the outdoors and drove to Alaska for alpine mountaineering. In his final year at Holderness, he led a Senior Project with friends mapping the climbing routes at Rumney Rocks, something our Climbing Club of today enjoys weekly. Climbing and being in the mountains “opened a path to self-knowledge for me,” says Chuck. It provided him with a sense of focus and centeredness that he has continued to explore for a lifetime.

Chuck Fisher ’72 is the author of “The Heart of Resilience” and founding director of Dovetail Learning.

45 | Holderness School Today

Most importantly, mountaineering turned his life at that moment from a breakdown into a breakthrough. Along the way, Chuck became an Outward Bound instructor. It was in this role where helping people find themselves became a lifelong mission. Back to school he went, getting his undergraduate degree from UNH in 1976 and then a Master of Science in School Counseling from

the University of Vermont in 1978. Chuck has been a school counselor, a director of health and wellness at an independent school, a director of a substance abuse recovery program, and currently the founding director of Dovetail Learning, an open source nonprofit where the mission is both clear and compelling: “We strengthen resilience in adults, youth and children.” By the way, Chuck added to his academic bona fides by getting his PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1998 and writing a book, “The Heart of Resilience,” which was recently published in 2024. With a slight chuckle he says, “I am here to represent all 49ers [remember, he was 49/50 at Holderness] out there in the world.” In the world of mental health, Chuck’s life’s work has revolved around an essential question: “How do we live into the beauty of who we are—the joy of accepting ourselves and others as whole human beings?” For Chuck, the Delphic precept to “know thyself ” became his directive, which is anything but easy given all the difficulties and distortions life presents to us. Finding answers to the question of ‘Who am I?’ has been Chuck’s north star and a pillar of his career.

“HOW DO WE LIVE INTO THE BEAUTY OF WHO WE ARE—THE JOY OF ACCEPTING OURSELVES AND OTHERS AS WHOLE HUMAN BEINGS?” Through decades of working with young people and adults, Chuck has found some wisdom. First is this: “Every human being has absolutely impeccable reasons for being exactly who they are.” He teaches educators, healthcare providers and

others the deeper nuances of this truth. We are all a product of our early experiences and the societal inf luences which informed our attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. In the process of growing up, we develop “protective patterns” which help us get through the emotional drama of life but can stand in the way of us becoming whole. He is the first to say his own early childhood trauma were the roots of protective patterns that became his default positions, asserting themselves into situations where they don’t belong. He says, “our emotional reactive patterns can harm relationships, keep us stuck, and reinforce fear and separation.” Identifying our protective patterns and learning how to work through and beyond them can open up a well-spring of resilience we all have within us. His book, “The Heart of Resilience,” is a perfect guide for anyone who wants to dig deeply into our human condition. The ideas and concepts in the book are animated and illustrated with examples from many people’s lives, including Chuck’s. Chuck, and his co-author Meri McCoy-Thompson, provide a blueprint for how to move from a fixed mindset of judgement and negativity to a resilient mindset of curiosity, acceptance and beauty. The book is replete with quotes that are elegant expressions of truth to frame the author’s thinking. For example, there is this gem from William James: “The greatest discovery…is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” Chuck Fisher lives up to this quote: “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life” (Rumi, 13 th century Persian Poet). He is quick to share how grateful he is, both for the good and the difficulties that have shaped his life and made him who he is. “For me, the real work is opening my own heart to see that all of life is an unfathomable miracle.” As a counselor, father, grandfather,

colleague and friend, Chuck has been on a quest to understand who he is and how he can be his best self no matter the circumstances. Like Alice in “Alice in Wonderland,” Chuck asks, “Who am I anyway?” And concludes, “Ah, that’s the great puzzle.” He has spent a lifetime post-Holderness working at understanding himself and then helping other people understand who they are and how they too can be their best self. While honoring the f laws each person and the world we live in have, the human story need not end there. Seeing what is possible and living into the beauty of who we are is a journey well worth exploring. Chuck is a living, breathing example of just that. Current Head of School John McVeigh is fond of saying that at its best, Holderness School “seeks to develop people the world needs most.” Chuck Fisher is clearly one of the people that our world needs now. His life-long quest to unlock the mystery of ‘Who am I?’ teaches us a lot about what is possible. | Please visit DovetailLearning.org to learn more about Chuck’s work.

Have something exciting to share? We'd love to hear about it. Scan the QR code and submit a class note online today. Thank you!

Fall 2025 | 46

HOLDERNESS GATHERINGS The Holderness School Alumni Association includes more than 4,000 people worldwide, and throughout the year there are plenty of reasons to get together and celebrate! The Holderness Advancement office plans events throughout the country, and sometimes even internationally. Here are just a few of the events that have occurred over the past year.

Above: Alumni and family of current students met in Falmouth, Maine on September 20 for a gathering hosted by Laura and Gary Bergeron P ’24. Below: A Holderness gathering in Edwards, Colorado hosted by Ginger Gribbel P ’27.

47 | Holderness School Today

Left: A meeting of the Bulls in Jackson, Wyoming on October 3, 2024. Right: An alumni meetup in Ketchum, Idaho on January 29, 2025. The event was hosted by Carolyn and Woody Cullen ’87 P ’17 TR

Above: Parents of current students met in Salem, New Hampshire on January 30, 2025 at a gathering hosted by Pooja and Ryan Deveau P ’27.

Left: An alumni gathering in Bozeman, Montana on September 30, 2024. Right: Bulls met in Boston on February 17, 2025 to celebrate the school's annual Day of Giving.

Fall 2025 | 48

CLASS NOTES MILESTONES DEATHS KC Robbie ’64: December 13, 2023 Michael Foust ’50: January 29, 2023 Duncan C. Syme ’56: May 2, 2024 Brooks Morin ’68: May 22, 2024 Adam Talman ’89: July 27, 2024 Kenneth M. Gates ’61: August 25, 2024

Drew Houx ’14 and Clair Gardner: August 25, 2024 Kristina Micalizzi ’12 and Tommi Venemies: September 7, 2024 Nick Martini ’08 and Madison Lawlor: September 7, 2024 Katie Remien ’15 and Ross Whitlock: September 14, 2024

Jeffrey R. Scowen ’79: August 17, 2024

Kathryn Sanger ’13 and Tanner Spencer: September 14, 2024

Gordon E. “Terry” Peach, III ’76: September 7, 2024

Abby Thompson ’09 and Chris Gendron: September 27, 2024

Dewey Dumaine ’54: October 13, 2024

Perry Craver ’14 and Alexandra Schoen: September 28, 2024

John Putnam ’75: October 27, 2024 Lee Katzenbach ’61: November 21, 2024 William Berry ’57: November 4, 2024 Geoffrey Welch ’74: December 22, 2024 Fred Carter ’51: December 28, 2024 Tom Butler ’65: January 2, 2025 Lynne Jackson ’73: January 17, 2025 Norman Mason Boucher ’75: February 9, 2025 Jake Rosencranz ’15: June 21, 2025

Michelle Hofmeister ’13 and Stephen Page ’13 Chandler Grisham ’11 and Nicole Knowlton: October 4, 2024 Erica Hamlin ’10 and Kevin Ferrari: October 12, 2024 "Ann" Ye Jin Hwang ’12 and Woo Suk Cho: October 26, 2024 Ax Hayssen ’07 and Julia Van Sant: December 7, 2024 Neal Frei ’03 and Kieran Sequoia: December 31, 2024

MARRIAGES AND UNIONS

Hollis Durnan ’14 and Beth Derr: January 5, 2025

Owen Miller ’08 and Kristin Meyer: April 22, 2023

Charlotte O'Leary ’11 and Cody Bullen: March 2025

Henry Miles ’11 and Clare Durkin: June 24, 2023

BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS

Ariana Bourque ’12 and Matthew Covino: August 2023

Peter Schlech ’05 and Emily Similis: Cal Peter Schlech, May 30, 2024

Willie Ford ’05 and Caroline Nurse: September 2023

Cole Phillips ’11 and Sasha Phillips: Jackson Phillips, August 13, 2024

Hedi Droste ’14 and Cam McCusker: May 28, 2024

Jesse Straus ’06 and Madison Straus: Tully James Straus, September 18, 2024

Scott Nelson ’10 and Christie Harrison: June 15, 2024 Paul Clark ’10 and Teresa Lu: July 13, 2024

49 | Holderness School Today

James O'Leary ’09 and Mimi (Patten) O'Leary ’11: Lowe Elizabeth O’Leary, September 17, 2024

Carly (Meau) Rorick ’12 and Jake Rorick: Theodore Tyrus Rorick, September 25, 2024 Elijah Sobel (EM) and Kelsey Sobel: Baker Dean Sobel, October 17, 2024 Kathryn (Cheng) Sullivan ’08 and Christopher Sullivan: Bobby Weng-Ren Sullivan, November 2, 2024 Brendan Johnson ’16 and Alexis Johnson: Brooks Joseph Johnson, November 5, 2024 Mattie Ford DiNapoli ’04 and Vinnie DiNapoli: Daisy Ford DiNapoli, November 23, 2024 Haley Hamblin ’08 and Josh Raab: Luna Azra Raab, November 27, 2024 Elizabeth Kutch ’05 and Ives Parent: Sierra Noelle Parent, December 2024 Kristina (Weatherbie) Chaisson ’04 and Kyle Chaisson: Konrad Koad Chaisson, December 16, 2024 Craig Leach ’08 and Haley Chandler: Josephine Diane Leach, January 26, 2025 Shannon Fallon ’03 and Briar Bouthot: Finnegan Fallon Bouthot, February 3, 2025 Cecily (Cushman) Koopman ’11 and Benjamin Koopman: Harper Addison Koopman, February 9, 2025 Will Humphrey ’10 and Shae Callahan: Mae Victoria Humphrey, February 2025 Mary Robbins ’08 and Kourosh Keynejad: Cyrus Livingston Keynejad, March 27, 2025

IN MEMORIAM JAKE ANDREW ROSENCRANZ ’15 Jake Andrew Rosencranz ’15, of Denver, Colorado, passed away on June 21, 2025, after being struck by lightning while on vacation in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He was surrounded by family during his final moments at the hospital in Daytona. Born and raised in Weston, Massachusetts, Jake grew up visiting New Hampshire on weekends to ski at Loon Mountain. He developed a strong appreciation for nature and a passion for skiing from such a young age. He met his bride Leah Curtis ’15, the love of his life, in sophomore chemistry class at Holderness. The young couple, who were together ever since, married at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in 2023. They lived a life of adventure in the Rocky Mountains with their dog, Bonnie. Jake was a beloved member of the Holderness community. A dedicated alumnus, he served on the Holderness Alumni Association Council and contributed actively as a Class Correspondent. Remembered for his warmth, laughter, and kindness, Jake made a lasting impact on those who knew him. “Jake was a wonderful young man,” said Associate Head of School Tobi Pfenninger. “He could light up a room with his smile and laughter.” Jake graduated from the University of Denver in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in geography and minored in construction management, property development and sociology. He was most recently a project manager with Behm Consulting Group where he helped clients achieve the best outcomes on development projects. Jake’s older brother, Ryan Rosencranz ’12, is also a graduate of Holderness. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Leah, Ryan, and the entire Rosencranz and Curtis families during this difficult time.

All Class Notes cover the period from January 2024 to January 2025.

’47 Class Correspondent Bill Briggs alum@holderness.org

’48 Class Correspondent Rik Clark RCBCcapecod@aol.com

Bart Chase writes: “Life is good for me

2025. I always thank Rik Clark for

and my family. We have been blessed

time spent keeping our class active.”…

with our fourth great-grandchild

Despite some aging health bumps, I

whose family lives nearby. To see the

am hanging in there with less travel,

little ones grow up is a great pleasure.

no more golf, but the brain still seems

We are fortunate that our family gets

to be working. Thanks to technology

together very often. These are happy

advancements, I now hear much better.

times. As I’m not able to travel I wish

Communicating by snail mail and

I were able to get back to Holderness.

e-mail is enjoyable but no social media

I am so impressed by the growth of

or messaging. Thankful for many

my favorite school. Holderness is

blessings and for Holderness, Phil

certainly much larger than when I

Peck and John McVeigh. ~ Rik Clark

left. I wish everyone the best possible

Fall 2025 | 50

’50 Class Correspondent Frank Hammond f hammond64@comcast.net Frank Hammond ’50 writes: “Fred Carter ’51 gave me my first major ‘break’ when he body-checked me into the boards while we were playing ice hockey on a Sunday afternoon in 1949. My duration at the hospital turned out to be an unusually productive event for me, because I actually studied for upcoming semester exams and did surprisingly well. Fred felt bad about the whole thing and visited me often during my tenure. I had to remind him that it was my decision to engage in this competitive event with gifted athletes like him, and I fully bear the responsibility for my participation in a game in which I should not have been involved in the first place. For a naive teenager, I have to admit that I grew up a little bit by becoming somewhat less immature. Fred, therefore, played a major role in a moment in my lifetime for which I will always be grateful. My thoughts and prayers go to his family members, who are suffering over the loss of such an important person.”

’56

take very good care of me with rides,

first clinical trial with mice. Three

shopping, etc. I don’t drive any more.

mice are cancer free. Two saw the

I use a walker and seem to get around

tumors reduced. One died. Since they

pretty well. This is the first year I have

have just started animal trials there

been in MA for 30 years. It’s not easy

is a long way to go, but they believe

getting used to this cold weather. I’m

that they will find and kill ALL types

always cold. I guess my blood thinned

of cancer, including glioblastoma.

out in the FL warmth. I miss it. I wish

(This is the cancer that took my wife.)

you and all my classmates and their

Paul, by the way, owns a commercial

families a happy, safe, and healthy

appraisal company and a construction

new year.”…Tom Anthony responded

company. My other son, Fred, has just

to my second request for notes with

become president of DMA Industries,

this: “We’ve made all the arrangements

which makes automobile parts. Hope

to return to Vienna for another two

all is going well with you.”…Dick

weeks next May. Happily, we will be

Meyer adds: “After I requested class

getting tickets for Bellini’s Norma

notes, David Wiggins asked: ‘How

at the Vienna National Opera. It is a

many of us do you reach out to for

joyful city to visit, easy to get around

HST class news?’ I thought this might

and more to do than you can imagine.

be of interest to everyone. So here are

It turns out that my daughter Jessica’s

a few statistics: GiveCampus is the

latest book, The Most, was nominated

platform for keeping track of alumni.

as a finalist for the National Book

They provided me with 27 names for

Award. (Incidentally, my brother and

the class of ’56. This includes those

I had breakfast at the Miss Portland

who, for one reason or another, did not

Diner a half hour before we learned

finish with us in ’56. Nils Kahl is the

about the award from her at the

only one with absolutely no contact

Portland Museum of Art.) It has been

information. I have email addresses

fascinating to see what this nomination

for 15, including those who didn’t

evokes in the publishing world. I’m

finish at Holderness. This cycle, I sent

writing a fair amount of poetry and

eight snail mail letters, including one

continue projects in wood-working.

to Austria, to those without an email

The current effort is a bas relief of a

address. There were three I opted

Maine harbor, partially inspired by

not to contact. That leaves 15 who

N.C. Wyeth’s painting ‘Herring Gut.’

received email requests for notes.

And joining the rest of my classmates,

Class Correspondent

I am now 86. My perspective lengthens

Dick Meyer

and the things I thought I knew seem

h2richard419@gmail.com

to change almost daily.”…Doc Snow

Dick Endlar writes: “As they say

sends this interesting story of cancer

on the golf course, ‘at least we are looking down at the grass.’ I am in a retirement community in Needham, MA called North Hill. It’s very nice; the food is quite good. They have three restaurants. They try to take care of any problems. They have different units for different problems when they occur. I have two daughters, six grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren within 45 minutes. They

51 | Holderness School Today

research: “My son, Paul, has a friend who is a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina. The friend and other scientists founded a cancer research company. Paul became part of the company, because he provided some seed money for the research. The idea is to attach a radioactive molecule to cancer molecules. This tracks the cancer. Then a laser beam kills it. They just had their

’57 Class Correspondent Bob Backus robertbackus05@comcast.net

’58 Class Correspondent Bill Biddle billbiddle2310@gmail.com John Greenman mrjohng40@gmail.com

In my note to the class of ’58, I asked

in the fall of 2018. Our son, Chris, and

does not have to be about OR. There

them about their grandchildren’s

his family (three kids)had moved the

are a number of categories that could

activities, and several of them have

same year to Hood River, working for

be used, such as documentary, a

responded with remarks about their

Tesla. He also loved this part of the

detailed skit; could be a single person

legacy. Others have commented about

country—wind surfing, skiing,

or group. There is a teacher involved

their location. It’s good to hear news of

mountain biking along with a lot of

but only for one purpose: namely, to

the class from coast to coast. I am

employment opportunities in the tech

help to pick out a worthy historical

grateful for responses from classmates

world. We are 50 miles from Portland.

event. Afterwards, the students do all

who wrote in.…Jon Wales writes:

In late 2019 and 2020, like the rest of

the research, write the script, do

“Here’s something from my family. Our

the world, Covid turned the world

interviews, put it all together. Beckett,

oldest granddaughter is off to Ireland

upside down. The three kids were in

and two of his pals, did a documentary

for a junior semester from Wake

three different public school situations.

on the Challenger disaster in February

Forest. She’s a straight A student. Our

Each school had their own way of

1986. They qualified to go to the state

second granddaughter is a sophomore

handling closures, wearing of masks,

finals which they won. That qualified

at University of Vermont where she

different requirements for teachers. It

them to go to the national competition

excels as an equestrian. Our oldest

was very messy, very frustrating, and a

in Washington, DC. Beckett wrote the

grandson is in a PG year at Holderness

common problem across the country.

script and did the narration.” Ed note:

working hard at ice hockey. In his

Chris had been for eight years on the

This is the link to the winning

senior year at Marblehead, he and his

school board in Weybridge, VT, with

documentary. drive.google.com/file/d/1

team won the state championship. Our

the last four years as chairman, so he

Gordi concludes, “At New School, there

second grandson is headed to Union

had a good understanding of budgets,

is a strong emphasis on putting more

College where he hopes to play football.

staffing and a passion for learning.

responsibility on the students to do

As a senior at Marblehead, he had a

Chris and his wife, Eliza, who has a

more research and do a better job of

very strong year as a quarterback and

master’s in education, started talking

substantiating their position. These

as a strong defensive back. His younger

with their friends about starting a

events,” he suggests, “are all the fault of

brother is a junior at Marblehead High

middle school (grades six, seven, and

Holderness for waking up an 18-year-

School, expecting to play football.

eight). Bottom line—it happened! They

old brain (Gordi’s) to the importance of

Carol, my bride of 57 years, plays tennis

are halfway through their fourth year.

learning at any age!!!!”…Michael

twice a week and is in great shape! For

They have 50 kids, have rented a space

Kingston’s grandchildren are also

me, I have retired for the most part as

that was designed for a kindergarten,

showing inherited talents. Here’s what

CFO of Reinauer Transportation

have never lost a student, were open all

Mike has to say about them: “Of our

Companies, my position for the past 35

the way through Covid. The kids who

eight grandchildren, three have

years, although I still serve as a

have gone on to high school are doing

graduated from their respective

director for various company entities.

very well. If you are interested, look up

colleges, and three are in college. The

Before that I served nearly four years

Hood River New School, Hood River,

most recent to begin college, Annie

in the Navy (destroyers), several years

OR. Karen and I are very proud of

Pflaum, started at Dartmouth this last

at the First National Bank of Boston in

Chris and Eliza and three kids, who,

fall. She is a runner but was injured

the New England division ending up as

with great affection, we call Team

this fall so could not compete. Annie’s

a vice president of commercial lending.

Chaos!!! The second thing I wanted to

younger sister, Louisa, spent a semester

It’s been an interesting career over the

talk about is the oldest grandchild,

at the Mountain School in Vershire,

past 61 years. Still in decent shape, but

Beckett, who is 15. This story happened

VT. Reminded me of Holderness but

slowing down. All our family is here in

last year when he was in the eighth

with animals. She loved the experience,

Marblehead, so we’re pretty happy!”…

grade at HRNS. Here in OR, we have

and we likely should have encouraged

Gordi Eaton reports: “One of the very

an organization called the Oregon

her to go to Holderness. Our youngest

few advantages of getting older is your

Historical Society. It has been around

grandchild, Caroline Pflaum, who is in

mind becomes less cluttered because

for 125 years and is very active. Every

ninth grade, just ran in California’s

you forget a lot of stuff! There are two

winter, they have a state-wide event for

Cross Country State Meet and placed

things I want to discuss with you, both

eighth graders. The general assignment

sixth in her age group. She may

having to do with education. My wife,

is to pick an historical event of some

challenge her older sister at

Karen, and I moved to Hood River, OR

note that has occurred in the world but

Dartmouth.”…In other class news,

Fall 2025 | 52

Doug Rand reports: “I have lived near

northern end of the Canal—a beautiful

licensed friends, are at home, it feels,

Gallatin Gateway, in southwest

location with wonderful neighbors!”…

only to eat and sleep. Our Ipswich, MA

Montana, for the past 56 years. I built

John Greenman shares: “Last year,

daughter’s kids, younger, are hockey

our stone and timber house with my

Patty and I sold our home in

players and are driven by one or both

own hands and have been involved

Williamsburg, VA and moved to

parents several times a weekend to ice

with conservation of wildlife,

Virginia Mennonite Retirement

arenas and hockey games or

preservation of wilderness lands and

Community (VMRC)in Harrisonburg,

tournaments as far away as Plymouth,

progressive politics. We do a lot of

VA. We moved because we would be

NH, Jay Peak in northern VT, or in

camping and canoeing. I skied until

living near Patty’s two daughters and

central MA. School vacation also

two years ago when I realized I

because of my cancer diagnosis. We’re

means time to squeeze in a couple extra

couldn’t get off the ground without

in independent living in a third-floor

tournaments. These often require the

help. No grandchildren yet, but we

apartment facing east with a screened

advance rental of several motel suites

have one son and another foster son.

porch and a beautiful view of the Blue

in one of which hockey players party

Both share the same birthday. If you

Ridge Mountains. The food here is

after games and in others of which

Google ‘Doug Rand is a lucky man’ you

excellent; the fresh vegetables are

their parents or chaperones party.

can read about our current goings on in

grown on an adjacent farm owned by

These are younger kids, prepubescent,

a news story. Life has been good here

VMRC. There are three restaurants in

and the parents are actually keeping a

but it is changing very fast as wealthy

house, two auditoriums, and a wellness

watchful eye on what the kids are

newcomers have taken over the elected

center with up-to-date exercise

doing—what are they going to do with

offices. This is a huge, economically

equipment and physical therapy. Postal

cookies, mylar-bagged chip snacks,

poor state with only one million people.

service and a grocery store run by

Coke and apple cider? But it’s not

It is relatively easy for a billionaire to

volunteers are also available. The staff

happening at home—or at a

‘buy’ a Senate, Congressional or top

are genuinely outgoing and ready to

grandparent’s home. When Sharon and

state office and they have shifted the

enable a thriving lifestyle for each

I were growing up in the 1950s and I

politics to the extreme right. At age 84,

resident. About one third of the

played ice hockey on the junior high

I am patiently waiting for the

residents are Mennonite. They are very

school team, and then for Newton High

pendulum to start swinging back.”…

welcoming and not concerned that we

School, the only ice for practice and

Some classmates have moved to

join their denomination. Worship is

home games was that belonging to the

locations where they can better care for

open to all, is Bible-based, and includes

Skating Club of Boston, where we had

themselves. Don Latham writes, “Jen,

lots of singing. Mennonites are also

twice-weekly practice ice at 4:00 AM,

my wife, has had a rather tough time

notable for their disaster relief work in

but the ice was nearby. Like the late

medically and we found it necessary to

VT and NC, for instance. VMRC is a

Tip O’Neill’s truism about politics in

shift our location to her parents’ former

non-profit with a section of the facility

Massachusetts, all hockey was local

house on Cape Cod, it being all on one

for those who can’t pay the full amount

back then, and kids were with the

level there—certainly less challenging

for their room and board. The latter

family for the holidays.”…Brooke

than our 1810 colonial house in New

are supported in part by funds raised

Thomas asked me to succeed him as a

Hampshire which you could safely

among about eight hundred residents.

class correspondent assisting Bill

categorize as ‘definitely NOT

We are happy here and in the city of

Biddle. Brooke and Bill brought our

handicapped friendly!’ The idea was to

Harrisonburg, home to James Madison

class notes back from zero after no one

use physical services here until Jen

University (JMU) and Eastern

wanted to follow the late and beloved

recovered sufficiently to be able to

Mennonite University (EMU), which is

Charlie Kellogg as class secretary.

move back home. However, it’s difficult

next door to us.”…Tucked into Bill

When they took over, the notes

to regain lost mobility when one

Biddle’s Christmas letter is this

bloomed, and there’s been reason to be

doesn’t commit to the work required.

abundant description of his

proud of our class contribution. Brooke

So, for the foreseeable future, at least,

grandchildren’s hockey activity. Bill

brought his drive, droll sense of humor,

it is appearing more and more likely

and Jon Wales have apparently shared

and his vision for the school’s future to

that this will become our primary

their ardor for the ice with their

this assignment. We hope he’ll

residence. But on the bright side, we

children and grandchildren. Bill

continue to share his thoughts. It’s

are located in Sandwich, MA

writes: “Our son’s children, older and

good to hear news of the class of 1958

overlooking Cape Cod Bay at the

armed with driver’s licenses, or

from coast to coast. I am grateful for

53 | Holderness School Today

responses from classmates who wrote

lecture at libraries and senior centers

snow and thinking about getting after

in ~ John Greenman

10 times a year on estate planning. My

our maple sugar project. This is an

glorious grandchildren and daughters

annual challenge which takes a little

give me immense pleasure. Following

longer every year but it definitely

their lives in college and their studies

keeps us moving and we feel better

in Germany is thrilling. Now my

for having done it. That’s the current

next job is to fill the gap in my life,

work side of living on the farm in

which I will. ~ Gerry Shyavitz…John

addition to the daily chore of climbing

Despres says: “So far, so good.” He

the hayloft ladder and throwing bales

is constantly travelling and enjoying

to our hungry cows. I’m also happy

his grandsons in college. He reports:

to report that we’ve been able to get

“I’ve continued to serve on two

away. We were invited to join our son,

philanthropic boards and roam the

Benjamin, and his family on the TX

world from our home base in Santa

seashore for Thanksgiving. The sand

Monica, CA where we’ve been lucky

was wonderful, the temperatures were

to avoid any damage from nearby

in the 70s and we found Brownsville,

fires. In 2024, Gina and I kept very

TX to be an interesting new spot that

busy traveling, mostly for recreation,

we had never visited. It is the home of

including several weeks each in Japan

SpaceX and a bustling resort area. We

and Europe; shorter trips to New

really enjoyed their new airport; not

York City, Washington,DC, Santa Fe,

very big but creatively designed with

Seattle, and Napa; and brief visits with

an amazing aviation timeline that is

our three grown grandsons at their

a fascinating piece of history. Earlier

college campuses.…My old roommate

in the fall, Pam and I surrendered to

and college pal, Alan Dewart, did have

the onslaught of Viking cruise ship

a health scare, but he is fine now and

literature and signed on for what

besides getting an email, I had a long

turned out to be a very enjoyable

telephone conversation with him. Alan

experience cruising up river on the

initially said for me to include what

Danube from Hungary to Germany,

he sent in June as he never saw it, but

although not nearly as adventurous

I was to check. I almost used it when

as Spike’s boating adventures of

’59 Class Correspondent Jerry Ashworth jashworth617@gmail.com All is well here in FL except the weather. We escaped any damage from the two hurricanes with the exception of some landscaping work. I can report on two classmates— Barndollar and Palmer—to tell you that all is going well with them. Steve is traveling the world as usual and Chris is attempting to improve his golf game. ~ Jerry Ashworth

’60 Class Correspondent Gerry Shyavitz g.shyavitz@comcast.net Well, another year has gone by and most of us are 82 and some (me) will be 83 in February. So much has changed— good, bad, wonderful and whatever— but there is still one constant, and that is we are still here. We can appreciate that our memories are still good and clear, and we can look back for the most part on Holderness of the ’50s and ’60s with fondness, as if they were yesterday. I thank those who responded to my requests for updates. For those who did not, you still have an opportunity to contact us in the future. We would love to hear from you. You are all important. Before I report on those who responded, this year has been a tough but manageable year for me. I lost my dear Pearl of almost 37 years, after her long, courageous battle, but I still landed on my feet. There is a significant gap in my life now, which still needs filling, but my focus on my legal career has expanded and I now

I got the following email from Alan.

the high seas!…Don Sokolosky, an

“Hi again, Shy!! I discovered in the

extremely loyal alumnus who always

Holderness School Today that arrived

has something to say, was a four-year

today that my update that I resent you

student like me, having lived next to

just last week has been included in

my single room ninth-grade year in

this Winter 2025 edition, so PLEASE

Niles. Soko says the following: “Hi

be sure not to reuse what I just sent

Shy! It’s been a while since I reported

you, or our classmates will begin to

anything new to you, so here goes. I

worry about you and me!”…Alan’s

sold my home a couple of years ago

twin, Brian Dewart, did respond

and decided to do ‘the bachelor thing’

but very briefly. I did ask him again

now. I even moved into a ‘retirement

to expand, but the following is all he

living’ facility with fellow seniors, but

sent. Maybe next time, Brian. You have

that got too expensive after a couple of

a long time to prepare. “Hi Shy…well,

rent increases, so I went back to ‘the

boring, but this is the best I could do

bachelor thing’ again. I’ve also stayed

:)”…I heard from Charley Witherell,

very active in my GM Lansing Social

my constant and trusted companion at

Clubas the chair of our membership

Holderness reunions, as follows: “Pam

committee, taking care of our member

and I are looking out at the blowing

database and website updates. It at

Fall 2025 | 54

least keeps my mind active. Turned

house and spent a lot of time on the

not respond, you are all important,

82 in December and it’s starting to

dock this past summer. Trust you and

and I really hope to hear from you

the family are well and busy. Good to

guys again. ~ Shy…First, from John

does not seem to hinder “Spike”

hear from you.”…And I was about to

Cleary: “I really do not have any

Hampson, as he still navigates the

end my work as a correspondent and

earth-shattering news to share with

world on his motorcycle. Anyone

send in my report when I realized, in

you and our schoolmates other than

can contact Spike to get the book he

the middle of the night actually, that

we all are facing the end of our lives as

wrote. “In November of 2023, while

I left someone out. That was Pete

our once-assumed health and mobility

motorcycling in Mallorca, I woke up

Macdonald. We certainly needed

skills would never disappear but

one night so dizzy I could not even sit

him in the backfield on our football

now slowly are diminishing. I try to

up without holding onto the bed. At the

team but now we needed to hear

reshape my current physical losses as

same time, I was suddenly deaf in one

from him and luckily I did: “I still

part of that process which makes my

ear. I had to return to UT where, over

have the farm in So. Dartmouth, MA

life a little too interesting—and now,

the winter, cataract surgeries, hearing

and we try to spend six weeks there

too expensive. Due to a mini-stroke

aids, and physical therapies improved

during the summer. I am selling my

two years ago, I now use a cane in the

my condition enough to consider

condominium in Coral Gables, FL and

dark just to remain upright because I

motorcycling again. As long as I am in

my wife, Dora, and I will be moving to

have no visual vertical and horizontal

a fixed position the remaining dizziness

Delray Beach, FL.”…Just as I was to

references. Otherwise, I flop around

does not bother me much. In late April,

mail in this correspondence, I received

like a drunken sailor. As an example of

I decided to try doing a long motorcycle

communication from Ross Deachman.

putting a smile on anyone’s face and to

trip in the far north where traffic would

I am glad I waited. Ross, although

earn my seat on Spaceship Earth each

be light. It was a success and I wrote

retired still does some legal work for he

day, I with a grocery cart (for balance)

a book about the trip. The motorcycle

is also an attorney. “Nancy and I are in

have been accused of sneaking up on

trip ended in CT in mid-October. In

Cocoa Beach for the winter. I continue

another old fart in Walmart, whether

November I returned to Mallorca to

to do light work for my son when I’m

male or female, and quietly ask, ‘Do

try to do what I planned to do a year

home. He is busy with work and his

you want to race?’ ‘We’ never do race

earlier. If all goes according to plan,

trips to the US Virgin Island to sail

but do enjoy writing an exciting script

I’ll set off for a motorcycle tour around

his boat. I will try to have more next

of what ‘we’ can or could accomplish. I

Morocco sometime in late February.”…

time.”…I thank all of you for the honor

often converse with Pam and Charley

Rick Bullock always responds, but

of being your class correspondent

Witherell ’60 over the phone, sharing

this time he is competing with Brian

and wish all of you good health

old hockey stories and our current

Dewart for a prize for the shortest

and hope to see many of you again,

physical surprises. Charley and I

response, as follows: “No news. Still

maybe at the 65th REUNION! ~ Shy

never did play directly against each other on the college level but played

here. Best regards to my classmates— hope everyone has a good 2025.”…I do not know if John Dunklee still has red hair or any hair, but he is in good health and also rides his motorcycle, like Spike. He states as follows: “All is well here on Newfound Lake. Spike Hampson dropped by this summer for a short visit. He has no home address since his place burned down a couple of years ago, but he travels instead. He was in good health and riding his motorcycle. I am still involved in town politics as chairman of the Historic District Commission and part time assistant to the town administrator. Otherwise, we built a deck on the lake

55 | Holderness School Today

’61 Interim Class Correspondent Gerry Shyavitz ’60 g.shyavitz@comcast.net From Gerry Shyavitz: As I approach my 83rd year in February, and all of you are in your 80s, here’s hoping your health is good and that you dwell on the good things in your life, with many good moments to come. As your temporary correspondent, I accept the honor. I heard from John Cleary, Rick Churchill, Peter Keene and Bill Seaver. For those who did

in the same Christmas tournament at Madison Garden. After college, graduate school and Vietnam, Jon Milne ’62 and I continued to play together in various senior leagues in southern New Hampshire and Maine. Peter Chapman ’63 played in the same league, but I don’t remember crossing paths with him. Yes, too many marvelous years of chasing stupid balls and dumb pucks. Thank you for being our class correspondent. I hope that you are faring well.”…A brief update from Rick Churchill: “Life marches on and I’m busy as ever. Still working full-time as a cabinet-maker

in New York City but now only five

to hold weekly men’s group meetings

first grade teacher who had moved up

days a week. I also work part-time for

at my house as well as Wednesday

in the college of education at MSU

the NYC Board of Elections—about

Buddhist group meetings on Zoom.”

opened the way for me to a profession.

six weeks each year—a job I find

I probably should have stayed on the

interesting, almost fun, but often

Crow Reservation but hearing

frustrating. And I continue to work for a semi-professional theater troupe in New York another 30 weekends a year building scenery. There’s a little time left over each year to visit family and friends in Canada, Germany, France, and HI, but Marianne and I hope to find more time travelling just as tourists. This year Santa brought me two precious gifts: T-shirts. Both black with large, bold, white lettering. The first: I’M TRYING TO RETIRE. The second: I DON’T WANT TO. / I DON’T HAVE TO. / YOU CAN’T MAKE ME. / I’M RETIRED. I’m wearing the first shirt today; I’ll have to wait for some future date to earn the right to put on the second T-shirt. As I said above, life marches on.”… Peter Keene writes, “Shy, I have a quick note for you. Pearl and I sold our 1825 Cape in Topsham, VT and moved to a condo in Hartford, VT; our last downsize until we push up the daisies. We enjoy a different lifestyle in that we don’t have to deal with huge gardens and old house upkeep. I hope all is well for the rest of the ’61 crew.”… And now a note from Bill Seaver: “I am finally getting results from my no salt and mostly vegan diet and they are amazing. My heart valves are healing and many of my heart issues are slowly being replaced by more normal heart functioning. This means I can now slowly resume the longer walks I was doing a few years ago. This renewed strength and exercise is addictive. I want more and there does not seem to be a reason I cannot achieve this over time. I am also learning how to safely eat out while maintaining my strict diet and attended a luncheon with local friends from my 1968 MBA class. Life is good! I continue

’62 Class Correspondent Randy Romaine rbromaine@kaballero.com Yes, it’s been a while since we had Class Notes here. We’re not moving as fast as we used to, after all, we’re octogenarians now, but there are still 32 of our 44 graduating class out there stumbling around. So here’s news from some of us. Len Hodgman writes: Having taken ROTC in college, I served in the Army from 1967 to 1969. However, at the height of the Vietnam War, Uncle Sam sent me to Germany after a few months at Fort Lee in Virginia. Since the Army, I have been a banker in Rhode Island and in sales in the paper industry in Vermont and Connecticut. For the last 40 years, I have run my own business shipping truckloads and container loads of paper to converters in the U.S. and abroad. And yes, at 80 I am still working part time because I don’t have enough sense to retire and I don’t golf… Charlie Bradley writes: I grew up in Montana, where I lived when I attended Holderness. I went to Colorado College. I think I got in because our headmaster Hagerman had played football with the President of CC when they were both at Dartmouth. You classmen will recall I was the audacious one in a school meeting to say I didn’t go all the way to Holderness to play football. Anyway, I majored in religion but didn’t get into a seminary. So I tried laboring in an Episcopal mission for the Lakota Indians in South Dakota. While struggling there, I got an opportunity for graduate work and training for teaching Crow Indians in Montana. My

impairment interfered with my abilities. I did write some documentary histories about the tribe, but the Privacy Act, following the Watergate scandals, closed further research for me. Knowing how the Government had tried to make homesteaders out of the Indians attracted me, or distracted me, to look out the school windows and dream of working on the land. I joined the great back-to-the-land movement of the 70s, returned to Wisconsin and proceeded to struggle on the land for 42 years. I had to work off the farm and found social work the best fit for me as I worked with individuals. I also became active in the Episcopal Church for 34 years. I continued painting, especially sail ships. My wife proved to be an excellent teacher, sheep raiser, and gardener. We raised two boys who did well in school and went on to careers. My wife and I joined an ecumenical Benedictine monastery and began learning more about prairies, one of the places where we volunteer. We sold the farm and moved to a condominium where I am enjoying a more communal existence… Fred Fauver writes: We’re hauling our Sea Sprite on the 31st, so this morning I scraped the jack stands to ready them for re-painting. Not much sailing, this summer. Most of our coast of Maine cruising seems to be happening in our rich fantasy life these days, although we’re planning on exploring Bay of Fundy in the summer with some friends (their cutter). Parked my KLR650 and my road bike (cycle) for the winter. Got the last of the winter’s firewood moved from the wood yard to the house, last week, with the help of my son Jon, ten-year-old grandson Lincoln, and seven-year-old

Fall 2025 | 56

granddaughter Frankie. Jon and family

fun and a real education! My current

spent 10 weeks in Norway as a member

just moved to Cumberland, Maine,

source of amusement has been

of the US Army Biathlon team. We

after 25 or more years in Interlaken,

introducing pickleball to the NH

were in Lillehammer, Norway, to

Switzerland. Yup, you guessed it:

Department of Corrections with three

compete in the annual military ski

outdoor adventure sports industry.

other pickleball trainers, where it has

championships with teams from NATO

More than twenty years ago, we (I and

been inculcated into the culture of the

countries. My Middlebury College

my wife, Sharon Townshend, sculptor)

men’s prison in Concord, NH. We hope

geography professor was Norwegian,

cleared what we thought was a fairly

to get into NH’s two remaining prisons

and he occasionally compared the

large space on which to build our

once their staffing shortage improves.

wealth and size of the US to his native

house. Started a small vegetable

Getting the “residents” to have fun,

land. I was quite interested to learn

garden, planted some apple and pear

follow the pickleball rules, and to apply

first-hand if the comparisons were real.

trees, and a thirty-foot-long raspberry

their newly acquired team leadership

Actually, no comparison. US size and

bed. The vegetable garden is getting

skills to prison life and their

abundant natural resources dwarfed

shaded out as the maples, pines and

communities upon release, have proven

those in Norway then and now, yet

birches to the south get taller. We’re

to be worthy objectives. Really looking

today Norway is a close ally. Take a

encouraging it to slide downhill out of

forward to reading your stories… Steve

glimpse at the Norway embassy news

the shade, and some of the shading

Rand writes: My CRS is kicking in and

articles: www.norway.no/en/usa/ In

trees are becoming firewood. The

I’m thinking that I sent in a piece about

1985 I moved from Holderness School

raspberries did great! Too great!! I

my organization in support of the

where I was a faculty member (1978–

ripped out about fifteen feet and tried

children of war in Ukraine. If not,

1985 math & computer programming),

black raspberries there, instead. Bad

please click the link below, which tells

to the upper valley region of NH and

idea. Ripped out those aggressive and

the story and explains the mission of

VT (Hanover and Lebanon, NH;

painful nasty plants, and planted

Common Man for Ukraine. This year,

Hartford and Norwich, VT). I became

blackberries instead. Huge thorns, but

we had the pleasure of being joined in

immersed in coaching young kids

at least they don’t attack. The fruit

Poland by 2 Holderness Students and 2

(grades 3–8) in the Ford Sayre cross

trees began to blossom well a few years

Holderness teachers when we went on

country programs; and in 1992 with

ago, but still haven’t given us enough

our 10 trip in September. You might

several other families started a

fruit even for a pie. Not many

have read about it in the HST. I’m

competitive program for local high

pollinators seem to find their way into

hoping to raise awareness from my

school XC skiers. Forward to 1999

our little oasis, so last spring, I hived

classmates to keep the flow of money

when we (co-coach and partner)

two swarms of honey bees. If I can get

coming ($3.7 Million so far, in three

hatched the plan to take a group of the

them through the winters, perhaps

years) to help the kids. I am the

Ford Sayre high schoolers to Norway

we’ll finally be able to make some pies,

Treasurer, Common Man For Ukraine,

for sightseeing, racing, and watching

sauce and cider. Peter Cooke writes:

a project of Plymouth Rotary

the first ever Norwegian National XC

Hello classmates. In the spirit of

Foundation. Please help us continue to

Sprint Championships. We wanted a

sharing, I retired at 75 after running a

provide humanitarian aid to orphans,

skier size greater than the 9 from Ford

small consulting business where I

refugees, and families in Ukraine.

Sayre so we invited Holderness coach,

facilitated team building, leadership

Learn more about us at

Peter Hendel (still at Holderness), to

development, diversity, and strategic

www.commonmanforukraine.org.

come along. He agreed and added 6 of

planning for mostly non-profits like

Dennis Donohue writes: Brief glimpse

his skiers to get the total to 19.

Boys & Girls Clubs and some

of the past 25 years. In August of 2024

Between 2000 and 2024 we have done

corporations like Waste Management.

I traveled to Norway with my partner, a

9 more winter group trips to Norway, 4

Next up, was serving on the leadership

trip that was a partial repeat of one we

with Ford Sayre only, then changing

team for Welcoming Manchester that

took in 1999. The repeat part was

composition to more adult skiers and

focuses on immigrant integration in

staying in the same hotel in Gran

past Ford Sayre skiers, now ‘alums’. I

NH. I have been so impressed with the

where we were in March of 2000 with

have found the more than 50-year view

new arrivals’ ambitions, their

a large group (15) of high school aged

of Norway definitely fascinating. What

willingness to learn our American

cross-country skiers, 3 adult coaches,

was once a ‘poor’ country (self-

culture, and their helping us learn the

and one parent. The back story for such

described by one of my partner’s

culture of their homelands. It has been

an adventure began in 1968 when I

Norwegian third cousins, an Oslo City

57 | Holderness School Today

council member) to a country with a

off my deficiencies, from the nationals

larger mixed English speaking

a couple of years ago—I was fifth in

population, great wealth from the North

my geriatric age group. I’m largely

Sea oil, updated infrastructure (tunnels

self-taught, so it’s fun to unlearn the

and bridges instead of ferries,

bad habits of a lifetime at this stuff.”

hydroelectricity everywhere and even

Wow! Thank you, George!…I hope

some wind turbines), more EV’s than

this opens the gates to have others send in their adventure pictures. I’m

petrol vehicles(ironic), and many people with a strongly puzzled view of the US. I still supplement my home heat with a

George McNeil ’63 at the Nationals waterskiing competition.

sending in my picture, proof that I finished the last of my 4000-footers

Norwegian wood stove (fourth one) just

in Maine and New Hampshire. That

as Norwegians do. As for your Class

was on October 10, 2024. Surely, the

Correspondent, after graduating from

rest of you, slackers all, can come

American University with Rick Taff,

up with a few things to brag about.

and before I could show up for my

Even the now-popular organ recital

enlistment in Air Force OCS, I was

will do. Maybe pictures of scars?

drafted into the Army. One year in the

Dented automobiles? Police citations?

States and the second in sunny South

ANYthing! I’ve got to run off to a

Vietnam. (You may be interested to

trails meeting on our local network in

know that at least 12 of our class served

Wiscasset here. It’s taking up way too

in the military, and 8 of those were in

much time right now. Hope you all had

Vietnam). After the Army, I got a

a good winter. Remember, send copy!

Master’s degree at Northwestern University and then went to work with

David Pope ’63 finishes the NH 4,000 footers.

Mobil Oil Corporation in New York City, and later Fairfax, VA, for 29 years, except one gap when I worked for a small company in the Middle East – Beirut, Iran and Kuwait. When Exxon bought Mobil, I spent another six years with ExxonMobil, then finally retired. I am now blessed to live with my wonderful wife on a branch of the Corrotoman River in southeastern Virginia. We’ve enjoyed lots of sailing and racing over the years, first on our Sabre 36 and then on our J24. Both now sold, but we still have a small Boston Whaler. Our two daughters live within a couple of hours of us and have blessed us with four grandchildren that we have enjoyed immensely from the cradle to now college. We’ve done a lot of remodeling and construction on our home over the years, but are now just maintaining it. We’ve also done a lot of volunteer work with our local, 360 year old Episcopal church.

’63 Class Correspondent David Pope popemaine@gmail.com Years ago (1962?), I visited Jim Drummond at his family’s summer place on Sebago Lake. He took me out on their ski boat and ran a few buoys for me. He also had his cute younger sister make a few passes through the buoys. I was mightily impressed by their skills. A month ago, I happened to sit in front of that very same sister in a movie theater. So, I knit it into a class story.…I remember our classmate George McNeil saying he has been water skiing all the years since moving to Maine. I’ve been trying to think of ways to get classmates to send a picture or recollection of something that would interest other classmates. So here is a picture of George, reluctant “to show

’64 Class Correspondent Guy “Sandy” Alexander salex88@comcast.net Terry Morse shared these thoughts last summer, but they were too late for inclusion in the July issue of class notes. “For some reason it struck me the other day that I am much closer to 80 than 70. I’m not convinced I like the idea; however, it’s clear there is nothing I can do about the fact. Rather I have begun to look more forward, wondering if I will continue to feel as good at 100 as I do now, should the ‘Age Gods’ be with me. In thinking about this a bit deeper than I am wont to dwell on such subjects, I decided that, (hard to believe), my life is not fully in my control. My early years, including the few I endured and mostly overall enjoyed at Holderness provided me with two of my life’s essential lessons: physical activity (the more rigorous, the better) and critical

Fall 2025 | 58

thinking (the more used, the better).

what actually happens. And we all

These two lessons pretty well sum up

share a common ancestry, connected

what I learned of any importance at

as one family. Here and there you’ll

Holderness. The rest, for me, was about

find reminiscences of Holderness.”

friends and acquaintances. The course of study was in the background and more or less filler. To this day I am still baffled as to how I got into Middlebury College and actually survived college academics. Nevertheless, everything that followed came from those days of skipping study hall and sneaking out on the cross-country course, only to find myself skiing up behind Mr. Hagerman and not knowing what to say other than ‘Good morning, sir,’ and getting the response, ‘Hi Terry. It’s a nice morning to be out here isn’t it? Make sure you make it back in time for French class. I don’t really want to talk to Madame Fiore about you.’ My senior year was replete with exchanges like this, both with Mr. Hagerman and with several other staff members in which I had little or no control over the final outcome after I set things in motion. Somehow though, the culture in the staff at Holderness made it safe for the students to grow into who they were at that important age. I have had

’65 Class Correspondent Terry Jacobs tjacobs@jacobswyper.com I wanted to let you know about the death of our classmate Tom Butler. He took over the class correspondent’s role from me a few years ago. He was scheduling a Zoom call for the class before Christmas, and we talked by email and he said he had not been feeling well, and then a week later he died, a complete shock. At our age things can happen quickly, so staying in touch becomes more important. This year, 2025, will be our 60th Reunion which will be held in 2026, so please keep that in mind. We met in January on Zoom and I will try to schedule more of these if there is an appetite for this which I hope there is. Meanwhile, please send me any class notes, thoughts and insights to share. ~ Terry

the good fortune of stumbling over recent graduates who have passed through Moab and have concluded that the underlying ethos has not changed much. Seems like Holderness is still an effective opportunity for young folks to express themselves and excel in a safe non-judgmental environment.”…Richard Seltzer reports on his latest publication: “My new book, One Family, is now available at Amazon. www.amazon.com/ dp/1959621211. Tangled threads of association connect history, genealogy, literature, and personal memories. We lie to ourselves and to one another, and coincidence shifts the paths of our lives this way and that. We believe what we’re ready to believe, and what we believe is more important than

59 | Holderness School Today

’67 Class Correspondent Jamie Hollis jameshollis@comcast.net

’68

’70 Class Correspondent Ted Coates Tedc33@outlook.com

’71 Class Correspondent Roger Clarkson roger@rogerclarkson.com Hannah (Roberts) Artuso is enjoying retirement, doing many things she didn’t have time for while working. She’s dividing her time between Boston and Cincinnati, OH with occasional visits to Clearwater, FL. Hannah’s daughter, Kelton, and her husband, live in Scituate, MA. Hannah and Kelton took a wonderful trip to Scotland and England last May. Hope others will send in their news!…Rob Hier chimes in: “After Holderness, Dartmouth, where I graduated as a language major (French, German, Spanish). Then one year as a newspaper editor in Lebanon, NH. Then one year as an English teacher in Paris at ESPCI (where the Curies discovered radium) and met wife Annemarie (German girl; now married 47 years) in Paris and off to International Business School in Arizona, where daughter Joanie was born. Then a series of jobs in international business: in Ohio, where daughter Katie was born, then New York, Boston, Brussels, CA, after which I cashed in my chips and moved back to the family farm in

Interim Class Correspondent

Cornish, NH. For 20 years bought/

John Coles

managed real estate property while

johncolesart@gmail.com

accumulating various ‘necessary’ heavy

’69 Class Correspondent

equipment to use on my tree farm. Last five years have been tree farming with chain saws, ATV, three tractors, forwarding trailer, skid steer, excavator

Jonathan Porter

and skidder. Am now building my

jwport9537@gmail.com

final barn and trying to stay fit to enjoy my two grandkids, Sylvie and

Fritzy, for the next score of years. As

together to ’shop talk’ about forest

you can see, everything went exactly

management.…Gardner Hall still

according to no plan. As the Doors

drives by Holderness almost every day,

so aptly sang it, ‘Variety is the spice

working as a carpenter. He has two

of life babe.’ All the best.”…From Stu

children, Brayton (36) and Katie (31),

Goodwin: “After college, short tour in

and will be a grandfather in May. He

US Navy and large retailer; spent 37

“played soccer long enough at Tufts to

very rewarding years (24 with father

kick a Harvard boy in the shins.” He

and 13 with six co-workers) in family

didn’t say whether or not the Harvard

insurance business in my hometown of

boy went to Holderness but did say

Norway, ME. Meanwhile, along with

he is still “living the dream” of being

my wife, helping to bring up two step-

on the Lakes Region Championship

children and two grandchildren and

soccer team our senior year. Neal

active with community organizations.

McNealus and Geoff Bruce were also

Retirement has included speaking at

on that team coached by Ed Cayley

local historical societies on different

and Jim Page.…As for me, Roger

local subjects, some travel (including

Clarkson, I’m still in Hanover, NH

cities where my professional actor

winding down a career in real estate

brother is appearing on stage) and mid-

sales and management while my

week skiing!”…And now bits of news

youngest son takes over, and I tend

about a variety of classmates…Jeff

to grandchildren. In talking with

Little, my freshman year roommate at

some of our classmates, I detect a

Dartmouth, who introduced my wife

fondness rooted in the granite of New

and me, and was our best man, recently

Hampshire, skiing, Outward Bound,

retired from RBC. Jeff summers in

and the great outdoors. I hope some

NH and winters in FL, wherever there

of you will make it back soon for a

is a golf course or pickleball court. I

visit. Holderness is still a small school,

witnessed his spectacular hole in one

but there are new dorms, modern

in FL, after which he raced away upon

classrooms, athletic facilities, and it’s

hearing he was expected to buy drinks

co-ed! I remember having to register

for everyone in the clubhouse. Most

for the draft in ninth grade, plugging

recently he sent a picture of himself

dimes and quarters into pay phones,

taking a dive off a boat in Antarctica.

and of course the outdoor crew, pantry

Not bad for a guy in his 70s! Aren’t

crew, and the old red schoolhouse (still

we all?…Jeff invited Tony Hart, who

there). No cell phones, no computers,

manages Killington Ski Resort in

no TV (other than in the basement of

VT, down for a round of golf and Lew

Weld); how did we survive? And yes,

Hinman tagged along from the good

I still remember Jeff Little eating

life up in northern Maine. We had a

all my fresh home-baked cookies

great first nine but got rained out on

the same day they arrived each week

the back nine. Rolf and Roy Madsen

from my mom…Take care. Send news,

were supposed to join us, but they

and remember the good ol’ days!

cold in Delray Beach, FL and enjoying

’72

Bay of Boston. I am still traveling to

wimped out in anticipation of the rain.…Have also talked with Scott Dorwart (he talked, I listened) who is still an avid skier and a professional bike racer. He ran a country inn in Stowe, VT and is a craftsman, having built his own authentic antique home. Scott and Rob Hier recently got

Class Correspondent Dwight Shepard shepdb@comcast.net

Toby June ’72 on his ranch.

Communication from you guys started off well this time when I got the following email from Nat Mead in Norway. “January 2023 marked a revolution in time with a rendezvous of two distant and dear friends,” Nat wrote. “Gary Circuit and I reconnected, first through Facebook and then through a generous invitation to visit in his homeland. Traveling from winter homeland Norway to his forever summer land Mexico was a treat. Most enjoyable was the reconnection with Gary and meeting his dear Cecilie, children, and grandchildren. We had five years together from 1966 to 1972, starting at Eaglebrook and on to Holderness, bonding through soccer and lacrosse, as roommates and in free time activities. Fifty years passed and the reconnect showed the friendship bond was still strong. Thanks, Gary, for your friendship and warm and generous hospitality! May our paths cross again.”…Isn’t it great when we can reconnect with old friends we haven’t seen in years!…From FL, Chuck Kaplan writes: “Still alive and well living the snowbird life escaping the the warmer months living in the Back Asia now that the Covid era is basically over, making textiles for most of the major athletic footwear companies.”… Toby June chimed in: “Hello Dwight! Well, here I am. Shame on me for not being a good correspondent. You

Fall 2025 | 60

and Dan Murphy have ‘shamed me’

may recall that Peter’s late dad, Lewis,

my cardiologist four days before

into it. In all honesty—thank you

was our graduation speaker in 1972.…

all of this happened. She had been

for that. All is well and we’re retired

Now I’m going to talk about myself a

watching a heart valve that she said

(Beth was a career educator, and me

little bit, not because I want to, but in

would probably have to be replaced in

an old hotel and conference center

the hope that I can help someone dodge

the next five years. She ordered some

guy), still plodding along in Texas.

a bullet like I did last fall. One mid-

tests for me to be done the next week,

We still live in The Hills, outside

September afternoon I was walking my

and I went home thinking everything

Austin. However, we only spend about

best canine friend, Razzo—a beautiful

was fine, and that it would be five

half our time there. We also have a

white golden retriever—when I felt

more years before I’d need surgery.

small ranch about 85 miles away, in

something funny in my chest. It was

There was no indication of any other

literally a one flashing light town (less

a little bit of pressure on the right

blockages. The Plymouth hospital

than 1,000 people) called Waelder,

side, not terribly bad. Because it was

held on to me overnight and the next

that we’ve had going on 30 years.

on the right—not the left—I didn’t

morning at 5:00, they transported

That is where we spend the balance

think about it too much, especially as

me to Boston where I met a surgeon

of our time. In the last two years I

it went away after a few minutes. Two

who told me I was going to need triple

have transitioned the property from

nights later, the same thing happened

bypass surgery. He said I had three

having cattle to maintaining a land

again, only this time it was a little bit

arteries that were 80- to 90-percent

and wildlife management plan. Both

more noticeable. I started wondering

blocked. While this was a Monday, he

activities provide for an agricultural

whether I should call 911 or go to the

said he could not operate until Friday,

discount which saves close to 70%

ER. My wife was due home in a few

so I had a very nice stay in a first-class

on taxes. (However, truth be told, if

minutes, so I decided to wait and see

“hotel” in the Fenway section of Boston.

I added everything up it might come

what she thought. When she got home,

Since I had to have bypass surgery, we

close to breaking even. But I don’t add

she said, no question, I should call 911,

agreed to replace the aortic valve at the

it up because deep down I don’t think

which I did. I felt a little bit foolish,

same time to avoid having two invasive

I want to know). I have turkey feeders

but because that feeling was not going

surgeries in five years. They told me

and deer feeders to maintain, multiple

away, I didn’t feel totally stupid.

recovery would take eight to 10 weeks.

birdhouses spread around the property to inventory and clean each year, and a constant level pond to maintain for an approved wildlife water source. Additional ongoing projects include annual clearing of parts of the land and replanting with native grasses. I also regraded a portion of the property and created a catch basin/pond for erosion mitigation. Another less glamorous, but HUGE problem, is the feral hog population. Dispatching the hogs and keeping a record for the county is a much-appreciated activity. Next (maybe this spring), I want to try to do a section of flowering plants for bees and butterflies.”…Had quick shout outs from Dave Nicholson in FL and Will Graham in CA, both of whom just wanted to check in and let us know they are well. But I was sorry to hear of the passing of Peter Kimball’s mother, Lee, in October in Chatham on Cape Cod. She was such a lovely lady. You

61 | Holderness School Today

When the paramedics from the Duxbury (MA) Fire Department arrived, they said they were going to transport me to the emergency room at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. I was able to walk out of my house to the ambulance and was put on a gurney. Once in the ambulance, one of the emergency medical technicians said it me, “It’s a good thing you called us. We have seen too many cases like this not end well.” Wow, that got my attention. They gave me nitroglycerin in the ambulance, and the sensation in my chest left. When I got to Plymouth, they said they would probably be able put a stent in up any artery from my leg which would take care of the problem. But after trying to do that they said the blockage was too great and I was going to have to go to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston for a more aggressive solution. I had been to

It took 10. But I am happy to report that I have been doing well. I had some mild pain for a few more weeks, but it eventually left. I am a little distressed that some of the medication made me feel lightheaded. The good news is I did not have a heart attack. But I was on my way to having one, and the fact that I called 911 despite just a little bit of discomfort may very well have saved my life. Why am I telling you this? Not because I really like sharing this story, but in hopes that, since we are all about the same age, you will say something if you feel something. Since that time, three friends here have had heart attacks. Fortunately for them, none of them had to have open-heart surgery. But their heart attacks did some damage to their hearts, which I was able to escape, even though they had to open me up. Stay safe, my friends. I am planning on many more years to come, and I hope you will,

too. Well, that’s it for now. If you’re

those long-ago high-speed ski crashes

visit to my middle son and his wife

ever near Duxbury or Dennis, give me

back in my teens and twenties. Well, it

in Denver, and a nostalgic trip back

a shout out. Both communities are on

was fun while it lasted. We’ve another

to Nantucket, which I hadn’t visited

Cape Cod Bay, with Duxbury being on

grandson on the way come July,

since our family summered there in

the mainland and Dennis on Cape Cod.

bringing the extended tribe of littles

the late sixties and early seventies.

to six under six! Winter in Jackson

My wrap up plans in the New Year

remains disappointing with lots of cold

are a February trip to ski Sun Valley

but very little real snow. Anyway, here’s

in ID, and the hopeful overuse/abuse

to the unknown challenges and joys

of my IKON ski pass this winter with

of 2025!”…Mike Mixter writes that

planned trips to VT, NH, and up to

he regrets not being able to make our

Sugarloaf, ME, where I haven’t skied

50 th. Maybe next time around. He adds,

since college. Might even get in a

“The big news in Mixterland is steady

trip south to do some hiking in the

progress toward retirement. Additional

central Appalachians in May if all the

time allows me to cycle, hike, and do

body parts are in working condition

Durango recreational things. Also, as

after ski season. Best to all, Dick

’73 Class Correspondent Dick Conant rconantjr@msn.com I hope 2025 is off to a good start for all of you. As of mid-January, I have gotten some skiing in at Loon, Sugarbush, and Stratton and we are finally expecting substantial snow here in Mystic after a couple dud years. I apologize for the short fuse call for notes. I neglected to put the due date into my calendar and, well, my impending senility is always a wildcard; however, a number of you answered the call!…Scott Morrison sent a quick note and photo from Bridger Bowl in MT. He is heading up to Red Mountain in British Columbia for a month. I don’t know if he is fleeing the current U.S. administration or maybe spearheading the takeover invasion of Canada! Inquiring minds want to know.…Geoffrey Klingenstein sent on word of his adventures in the Atacama Desert. Klinger writes: “Alix and I wanted a bit of warmth over Christmas, so we headed south, waaaaay south, to the Atacama Desert in Chile. Actually, it was only warm part of the time. One day we visited the geysers. By the time we got to the geysers, which were on a plateau at almost 15,000 feet, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. But the temperatures there at that altitude were in the mid 20s. The only people appropriately dressed were those who had come from a tour in Antarctica!”… Tim Scott writes: “I am coming off a fall of complicated shoulder surgery, which brings that insistent reminder of

I phase out of live music performing, I spend more time recording and archiving music in my home studio. Otherwise, it’s nice to have plain old unstructured time after so many years of external demands. This is an interesting, reflective time of life. Where did the time go?”…And finally, Matt “Matayo Kama” Kamarck checked in. He reports the sad news that his older brother, Jonathan, passed away last month. Jonathan did not go to Holderness himself, but three of his siblings are Holderness graduates. Matt’s grandparents were old friends of the Hagermans.…As

Alix and Geoffrey Klingenstein ’73 waiting for a cab ride in the middle of the Atacama Desert. Que Gringos!

for me, in turning 69 years of age this past May, and as I anticipated—maybe loathed—my upcoming 70th birthday this May, I planned out a year of adventures. I kicked off last May with a visit to my eldest son and his girlfriend in ID and then did a technical climb

’74 Class Correspondent Cindy Maclean cynthia.maclean56@gmail.com

to the summit of Mt. Hood in OR with my son and a guide. Following on the heels of that adventure was our very enjoyable 50th anniversary at Holderness, a bacchanalia with Class of ’74 members Bryce Muir, Bill Guild, Jim Miller, and Kris Friedrich over in Old Lyme, CT (I am hoping to host the next get-together later this year for all local Holderness diaspora

Rodger Wolf ’75

at my place in Mystic), a long overdue

Fall 2025 | 62

Michael, debilitated from the initial response to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, receives a new generator.

Ted McElhinny ’75 on his sailboat in the Bahamas.

was diagnosed with Bulbar onset ALS.

being back on the East Coast. Having

To quote Kurt Vonnegut ‘And so it

met each other in Charlotte back in

goes.’ See, Mr. Snyder, I was listening.

’85, it seems appropriate to be settling

I leave you with two axioms: 1) you

down here. While she happily retired

look, but do you see? 2) you hear but do

at the end of 2023, I was very lucky

you listen? My Holderness experience

to find a job as a hospice community

honed those skills that served me well

liaison and am extending the previous

even to this day. Having been forced

10 years of marketing in healthcare.

into retirement I get to reflect on my

Our only child got married in October

life and listen to music (axiom 2) and

2024 in Minneapolis where she and

I think Stephen Stills said it best in

her now husband have lived for two

the song ‘Judy Blue Eyes’: ‘Don’t let the

years. It was a wonderful celebration

past remind us what we are not now.’

even though I cried like a baby for most

Many of us have regrets over decisions

of it. I have recently restarted my role

we made in the past. Be honest, we all

as a volunteer to help Holderness with

have!”…As for me, George Fox, I spent

fundraising after a couple of years

another two months in Ukraine over

hiatus. It’s been a blast catching up

the holiday season, mostly 19 miles

with classmates and your contributions

from the Russian border in Kharkiv.

are appreciated regardless of amounts.

There are amazing networks of loose-

Stay in touch as our 50 th Reunion

knit but dedicated volunteers assisting

is right around the corner. Had a

this extraordinary citizenry in every

fun time at the last one. Cheers!”

way imaginable: delivering food aid to regions affected by aggression,

’75 Class Correspondent George Fox georgesfox@msn.com Ted McElhinny writes: “Left my home in the Chesapeake Bay in October. Sailed down to the Bahamas and I’m hanging out there all winter. Cruising around all over the islands checking things out and enjoying my retirement. Perfect weather, beautiful waters and friendly people. Takes me an hour now to travel the same distance that it took me one minute in the Airbus when I was working for American Airlines.”… Barb and Hunter Ten Broeck welcomed their first grandchild in 2024. They have now lived in NM for almost 42 years.…Sun Valley hosted the FIS World Cup finals March 22-27, and Baird Gourlay worked for SV company as a lead and section chief for all races.…Alexander S. Hoes writes: “After a four-year medical odyssey, I

63 | Holderness School Today

transporting residents, foreign nationals and military personnel, relocating rescued animals, preparing food in soup kitchens, teaching foreign languages, stitching together camouflage nets that conceal frontline logistical elements, to name a few.

’77 Class Correspondent

Bob Bohner ’77 with his wife Jennifer and grandson Milo.

Peter Grant pete@grantcom.us Bob Bohner writes: “Still enjoy some rec skiing with the family out in Washington when time and conditions allow, often followed by a couple cold beers. Also having fun with our grandson!”…Jody Collins reports: “In January, my wife, Michelle, and I celebrated our one-year anniversary of living in North Carolina after 35 years in St. Louis. While it’s been quite an adjustment at our young age, we really love being by the ocean and for me,

Jody Collins ’77 and daughter at a father-daughter dance, which began with Shooter by Lil Wayne into Comes a Time by Jerry Garcia.

’78 Class Correspondent Luther Turmelle lturmelle@sbcglobal.net After 34 years with The Sheridan Group, most recently as executive vice president for strategic solutions, Paul Bozuwa retired on May 1st. Boze describes his job as a good gig running printing companies producing great books and journals that inform, educate, and entertain. “I was reading the Holderness School Today issue on leadership and realized how much I learned in that system that I was able to employ in my career,” Paul writes. Paul and his wife Colleen are living in Norwich, VT, not far from classmate Jay Mead.…As for your loyal class correspondent, I celebrated my 27th year in Connecticut journalism at the end of last year. I’m working as a reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media’s statewide business desk. My wife, Joan, and I are happy to have our youngest son, Jacob, back at home living with us as he tries to launch his career as a professional photographer after a stint living in Israel. Our oldest son, Zack, continued to work as a teacher at Dobbins Vo-Tech in Philadelphia. ~ Luther Turmelle

’80 Class Correspondent Jack Dawley jdawley@northlandresidential.com

’82 Class Correspondent Chris Pesek chrispesek7@gmail.com

’84 Class Correspondent Craig Westling

extremely successful. Cheers to the class of 1986 and to all of our collective ups and downs.”…Caroline (Bloch) Jones writes: “When Beautycounter

cwestling@gmail.com

sadly closed its doors in April 2024 due

’86

and jumped in with both feet into the

Class Correspondent Chris Zak chriszak@gmail.com From Massachusetts, Laura (Cooper) Page shares: “This year is bittersweet as after nine years of having a Holderness student, my youngest is a senior and heading to Wake Forest next Fall. My middle is heading to Madrid for her spring semester and then back for her final year at Bucknell. My sister Sarah’s twin girls are freshmen at Bucknell; both on the soccer team. All of her five kids are currently living on the east coast, so I am seeing her a lot more. My oldest is a college graduate, living and working in SLC so my husband and I have plans for some Utah skiing this winter.”…Kelly (Keating) Trinkle reports: “My husband, Danny, and I live in Bedford, NH and we pass by Holderness School frequently, en route to our ski home in North Woodstock, NH. We spent the past three years raising our granddaughter ‘Seven,’ who was born with a rare genetic disorder. We dove into genetics, chromosomal deletions, and spoke to countless scientists around the world to help her, but ultimately the science is just not there yet. Our granddaughter, who passed away in my arms a week before her third birthday, taught us next-level compassion, patience, and love. Just as life presents its challenges, it also grants us reasons to smile again. A few months ago, our youngest daughter, Jordan, a former ski racer, launched a women’s ski apparel company called JORDE out of Stowe, VT that has been

to a VC nightmare, I switched gears world of travel, a lifelong passion of mine. I joined The Travel Boutique (thetravelboutique.net) and became a luxury travel advisor and I’m having a blast. These are the years we all should be traveling the globe, staying active, and learning. I just got back from exploring the Christmas Markets of Europe with one of my daughters, drinking in WWII history and too much Glühwein! This has been a fun career change for me now that all the kids have graduated from college and are on their own. There is so much of this world I can’t wait to discover!”… Matt Reynolds reports: “I’m still in Atlanta and recently celebrated 30 wonderful years of marriage with my wife, Jennifer. We’re proud parents of four daughters: Ivy (23), Isabel (21), Madeline (19), and Evelyn (13). Ivy and Madeline are overlapping at UVA, which is great as my wife and I met there and enjoy regularly revisiting our stomping grounds! I continue to work with adolescents and young adults in my private psychotherapy practice—The Launchpad ATL—in midtown Atlanta. Because my office is near to Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Beltline, I spend more time outdoors with clients, which way beats sitting on a couch. Unfortunately, the mental health crisis continues to grow, and young adults seem particularly hard hit by suicide. As such, I have become more involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which does great work! As the years roll by, I find myself reflecting more often on the formative experiences and people that shaped who I am today, and I’m reminded of how pivotal a role

Fall 2025 | 64

Holderness played. With that in mind,

the annual Holderness boys Jackson

I’m hoping to see my ’86 classmates

ski trip as it was Jess’ 50th birthday

at our 40 reunion in 2026!!” Elise

month extravaganza which included

Mott writes: “I have so many memories

St. Barths into Art Basel. Shattered my

of Holderness, but some of my best

collar bone at Stratton on day one and

memories were of Out Back. It was my

had to get it plated so no skiing until

first immersion into the woods, and

late February which is making me a

is the first time I realized how much

little cuckoo but it’s probably good for

work. Lots of love.”…Through a quick

I loved the backcountry. That March trip with Phil Peck and Colby Coombs ’85 as our leaders was epic. They were

Matt Reynolds 86 and family in Atlanta GA.

correspondence with Jenny (Alfond) Seeman I learned she has a side

incredible leaders—down to earth,

hustle of teaching Mahjong, which is a

knowledgeable, and hilarious. During

new obsession of mine. If you haven’t

our solo, I remember feeling confident about getting my fire going and boiling the lobster. When we got back together as a group, we heard many rumors

’88 Class Correspondents Christina “Nina” (Bradley) Smallhorn

of folks eating their entire lobster,

nsmallhorn@me.com

shells and all. We also heard that

It has been a quiet response from

another friend sat in a tree with their backpack, strategically dropped their pack on a squirrel and cooked it up for dinner! Whether these tall tales are real, I am so grateful for our time out there. And thank goodness our first few days we weren’t withdrawing from our technology!”…Geoff Bride wishes everyone a great 2025. “Got my wife, Meg, skiing at Cannon Mtn this year after 20 years!” he writes.…As for me, Chris Zak, with my daughter now a sophomore in college in Chicago and my son a senior in high school, my weekends are starting to free up. I’ve taken some awesome fishing and hunting trips with friends—mostly catching stories and missing fish, but it’s always a great time. I’m also enjoying building a small cabin with my sister on some land we own in Shrewsbury, VT. The true highlight of my fall/winters, though, is Fantasy Football with Blake Swift, Andrew McDonnell ’85, Braden Edwards ’85, and Cort Pomeroy and our kids. I think I’m still waiting on a few pizzas from my league victory this year?

’88ers. Personally, I am still smiling and scrolling the photos from the fun we had at reunion (by the time this goes to print it will be a year ago). Time is flying. I’ve been thinking about our Los Angeles classmates and wishing love, healing, and safety. The fires have been devastating to witness from afar and I can’t imagine living through the horror. I don’t have any big news from SC but it was an exciting football season for the Clemson Tigers. Tom and I went to every home game and are working on our tailgating skills. Our daughter, Sophie, spent the semester in in London which made for a fun visit in November. It was perfectly festive. Our youngest, Serena, was accepted to Bucknell for fall 2025. We are thrilled for her and her next chapter. Good news for me is that Sarah (Cooper) Connell ’87 and Laura (Cooper) Page ’86 have daughters there, so we will have a mini Holderness reunion in Lewisburg, PA next September. Can’t wait! Again, wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2025!…Chris Stewart, a.k.a Stewie, writes: “Great music action with U2 and Dead & CO at the Sphere, Goose with Baja & Espo at Spac, Phish at MSG. Missed

65 | Holderness School Today

played, I highly recommend it.…The most exciting class news goes to Ali (Christie) Paysee who is going to be a grandma in April! Congratulations!

’89 Class Correspondent Brad Greenwood brad@greenwoodbiz.com Kimberly Gannett writes: “Next chapter of my life is beginning! My twins graduated last spring and I had a fantastic European adventure with them and their ninth-grade sister for five weeks last summer!”…Chris Davenport shares: “Konichiwa from snowy Japan. I’m ski guiding here for six weeks both in Hokkaido and on the main island of Honshu. I got to connect with Kat Alfond ’90 and her family for a week at Lotte Arai which was amazing. And my oldest son, Stian ’19, came and joined me for a week.… As for me, Brad Greenwood, things at the Greenwood house are busy as ever with both Cora (16) and Charlie (14) in high school and doing well both in classes and sports. Our business is booming with the much-welcomed snow and cold this season and we hope that trend continues through the rest of the winter! We have been skiing at Jay Peak a bunch and see some Holderness peeps now and then who show up to chase the pow, like Ezra Cushing ’14.

Brad Greenwood ’89 and Ezra Cushing ’14 at Jay Peak in VT.

Kimberly Gannett ’89 enjoyed a European adventure with her twins and their 9 th grade sister for five weeks last summer.

Tracy McCoy Gillette ’89 had fun meeting up with these Holderness friends in Vail!

’90 Class Correspondent Pepper deTuro Pepper@woodwinds.biz “After spending eight years in S. FL (yuck!), my wife Brandi and I are planning to move to New England in the spring/summer,” reports Joel Nields. “Our oldest son, Will, is

attending Florida Atlantic University,

and ethnically diverse providers in our

Gus ’26 is a junior at Holderness, and

hospital adds a level of gratification

Dan is applying to Holderness for the

I missed from my work in Chicago.

2025–2026 academic year. I palled

I had the opportunity to compete in

around with alumni Sarah “Soupy”

Italy this past fall in the Dragonboat

Campbell and David Gerasin ’91

Club Crew World Championship races

while visiting campus for Holderness

and travel in Croatia with my mom

functions last year and see Geoff

afterwards. It’s not as if everything is

Perham and his wife, Meghan, every

perfect, but I’m grateful for the life I

summer in Maine. Go Bulls!…“Things

get to live. My husband and I welcome

are good here in Brunswick, ME,”

visiting Holderness friends if you’re in

writes Geoff Perham. “We have a

the Burlington, VT area!”…“Working

daughter at Providence College and

in Toronto, living in Richmond, VA but

our son is playing junior hockey in New

in ME in the summers. Married for

Hampshire. Weather has been good for

24 years, three kids—one in Australia,

skiing, pond hockey, and lounging by

one in Boulder and one still at home.

the fire. We are embracing the winter

If anyone is in Richmond, Toronto,

and looking forward to springtime

or ME in the summer would love to

and warmer weather. Best to everyone

catch up,” reports Miguel Martin.…

out there, even Pepper and Nate

“Life remains busy and full down in

Beams!”…Chris Haigh notes, “Jenn

Maryland, says D. Miles Barnard.

and I are currently living in southern

“Had a fun exchange with my 14-year-

NH (Pelham), but spending summers

old grandson, Henry, who is looking

up at our place in Maine. Working as

at high schools in Baltimore where he

a sales engineer for a cybersecurity

lives. At the school fair, Holderness

firm where I’ve been for five years now.

was one of the schools and he was very

Just picked up a boat docked in the

excited about the idea of skiing every

Boston area (Winthrop) and working

day in the winter and of course playing

on it on the weekends. Anyone around

lax which is his main sport. He has

Boston looking to do some deep sea

gotten to know New Hampshire pretty

fishing late spring/summer let me

well with many trips to my folks’ place

know!”…Courtney Fleisher writes,

on Lake Winnipesaukee, and visiting

“I just finished reading the HST cover

summer friends on Squam Lake, so

to cover, something I haven’t done for

it all seemed quite feasible to him. It

a while. I’m forever grateful for the

won’t happen, but it was a fun idea. He

humble, wise, community-focus of our

loaded up on stickers and merch and

little school in the White Mountains

gave me a sheet so I’ve been flying the

and amazed at the incredible people it

Holderness flag down here in the Mid-

turns out including my 75 classmates

Atlantic. Here we are on a recent ski

of the class of ’90. In my corner of

trip to Telluride a couple weeks ago.”…

Vermont, I continue to try to do my

Ben Eaton is “still making art out of

part, caring for the emotional health

iron in Crested Butte Colorado. Flying

and well-being of children in our

a paraglider is my thing these days. It

region admitted to our hospital or

keeps me young and forces me learn

being treated by our medical specialty

new skills. It’s hard to believe it has

teams, while training the next

been over thirty years since I have seen

generation of psychologists. Getting

most of you amazing people. Peace and

to do more health equity work and

love to my Holderness family!”…As for

taking part in initiatives to increase

me, Pepper deTuro, daughter Corley

recruitment and retention of racially

is in grad school in Florida. Daughter

Fall 2025 | 66

Bailey is working in private equity for

point of the year was my mom passing

just saying that. She’s in South Africa

Black Rock in Manhattan. Son Pepper

away back in August. That was a very

all of January. Visit her IG gallery @

is a junior at Denison and enjoying

difficult time since both my parents have

ph0ebe.art to see her work. 2025 marks

another great hockey season. Son

now passed on. However, she passed

my 30-year anniversary with Kristin.

Locke is in sixth grade and playing a

peacefully in her sleep with my brother

We travel a lot and hit The Phish tours

plethora of sports. I keep in touch with

and me at her side. I hope you are doing

when we can, just like we did back in the

Perham, Queenie, Beamer and speak

well and again, thanks for taking over

early ’90s. 2024 was a good fishing year

with Miles on our mutual birthday,

the correspondent position.”…Michael

with juicy cuttyrainbrowns, tarpon, and

but he ghosts me the rest of the year.

Brogna reports: “2024 was a year filled

snook. Still trail-running the Boulder

Hope all is well with the Class of ’90.

with adventures, with more on the

foothills. Drew Hyde introduced me to

docket for 2025. From a MotoGP race

trail running back in the late ’90s and

in Italy to snowmobiling in Canada,

I never quit. This year marks my 21st

this fall and winter I’ve been spending

year in the real estate biz. I moved to

every available moment hunting with

Compass here in Boulder in February

Nina (Barker) Brogna ’89 and my good

and never looked back. My biz is refined

friend Job Roach ’93—chasing ducks in

and vibrant and fun as hell. Yep, living

the marsh, geese in the fields, and grouse

the good life at the Sigma Oasis! Find

in the woods. The post-hunt meals are

me @hatchbaak on the Gram or by

always the most fun, and Nina’s favorite

email jon.hatch@compass.com.”…As

dish is goose Milanese. Nina and I

for me, 2024 and 2025 so far have been

are heading back to Argentina in May

excellent. Tristan is now a sophomore

for a mixed bag of duck hunting and

at Holderness and loving his life full of

fishing, with a few days spent absorbing

independence and spreading his wings.

the culture of Buenos Aires. We hope

He made varsity soccer this fall, is

to see more classmates in 2025.”…

having fun on the slopes on the varsity

Jamie Barbour writes: “I have been

ski team and is laser-focused on making

enjoying Tahoe, still getting lost in the

the varsity lacrosse team at some point

backcountry. Thank God for the snowcat

in his Holderness career. Neve is soon to

driver at Vail who saved me and David

be an eighth grader in Kittery, ME and

Gerasin in 1992 after David convinced

doing well in life as she keeps me very

me to duck a rope that led to five hours

much on my toes. Henry, my two-and-

of hiking uphill in waist deep power.

a-half-year-old little guy, is our “cherry

Haven’t talked to him since, but I guess

on top”. Watch out, Holderness classes

I am willing to forgive him now. I got

’31 and ’40, Neve and Henry, coming at

out of the outdoor industry in 2016

you. I am still getting as much time on

and for the past eight years I’ve been

the hill as possible. I might have to retire

doing architectural and ornamental

later with 22 years of tuition payments

metalwork and selling some sculpture

staring at me in the face. But I won’t be

on the side. I love to make music in my

able to ski this hard when I am 70+, so

home studio and just started baking

I might as well pull some retirement

my own bread. Check out this fresh

fun (and funds) forward at this point.

loaf.…“YEP! Still livin’ in The Bubble or

Professionally, I transitioned Steel Street

The Republic whatever you want to call

Capital into a registered investment

it,” reports Jon Hatch. “Almost 30 years

advisor in September 2024. After 20

now here in Boulder. My kids are 23

years of being affiliated with large firms,

and 20 years old. Ethan graduates from

either as an employee or an independent

CU engineering in spring 2026. Phoebe

advisor, I could not be happier. I focus

graduates from Rhode Island School of

on investment management and tax

Design in Providence around the same

strategies for high-net-worth, high-

time. She is an amazing painter. I’m not

earning individuals and families with

Jamie Barbour ’91’s fresh loaf of bread.

’91 Class Correspondent David Gerasin davidgerasin@gmail.com Lots of news from our class! Brent Radcliffe and his wife live in Lexington, MA with their three children and would love to connect with others nearby.…Peter Christensen writes: “Hi David! Thanks for taking over the class correspondent role. Overall life is very good up here in the frozen tundra of WI! Work is going great with our ever-growing company expanding into KS and OH; triathlon racing is rocking along with me winning a national championship in Daytona, FL this past December; and a 13 place finish racing th

the Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI back in October. My daughters (freshman and junior) are thriving in school and are even taking up lacrosse (the freshman) and cross-country and track (the junior). Finally, Lindsay and I are excited for a trip to Spain in April and I’ll be traveling to Marbella, Spain in November for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. The low

67 | Holderness School Today

an acute focus on entrepreneurs. As I’ve been saying, my wings are now unclipped and I can now soar like an eagle, baby. Just before Christmas, Mark Mezzanotte and his wife, Krista, hosted a few ’91s: Brendon Donnellan, Brent “Rads” Radcliffe, and Elliott Visconci. I see Mezz pretty often and it’s always great to see him. I have seen Brendon a few times since graduating; it was always good to see him, but it was really nice to reconnect with Rads and Elliot, neither of whom I have seen since our senior gig tour. I also get to see Zofi (Samborski) Meffert often and it’s always great to see that big smile. I also stay in touch with Michael Brogna, Charlie Smith,

Jon Hatch ’91 shares his catch.

’92 Class Correspondent Nici Ash Niciash12@gmail.com

Wolf, who hit a few bumps along the

’93

way but made for some unforgettable

Class Correspondent

stories. While so many years have gone

Lindsay (Dewar) Fontana

by, seeing everyone and celebrating

linds_dewar@yahoo.com

Rob Wolf, and the forever famous Erv

some holiday cheer made it seem just showing at our next Holderness Class

’94

of 1991 Reunion in 2026. Stay in touch,

Class Correspondent

like yesterday. I would love to see a good

Class of ’91. davidgerasin@gmail.com.

Jay Tankersley ’96 and Allison Megroz ’96 met at the Colorado mountains last winter.

Ramey Harris-Tatar rameyht@yahoo.com

’95 Interim Class Correspondent Amanda (Knox) Hoffman ’96 bostonknox30@gmail.com

Britta Waters ’96, Katie Waltz Harris ’97, Koren Cargill ’96 met up for lunch outside of NYC.

’96 Class Correspondents Heather (Pierce) Roy Heatherbpierce@hotmail.com Amanda (Knox) Hoffman bostonknox30@gmail.com 2024 was an incredible year to reconnect for the Class of ’96. Nick Kaulbach (Montreal) and Jon Conant (Rockport, MA) continue to see each

Maggie, Samantha and Peter Christensen ’91 and Lindsay Barber pose at the beach.

other regularly, taking their kids surfing, mountain biking, and climbing adventures all over; Jon with four boys under the age of 11! The Jackson Hole crew connects regularly on the slopes. Lydia (Griffin) Hudacsko, Ethan Valenstein, Sam Pope ’97, and Andy Tankersley ’97 met up with 96/97 Classmates came together to celebrate the life of Adam George in 2024.

David Gerasin ’91 and family: Tristan ’27, David ’91, Henry, Laura Mooney, Neve.

Zach Pritchett ’95 in January 2025 (picture). We are still reeling that Bo Surdam and Will Richardson are brothers-in-law, evidenced by the large family photo with the Rick ’94, Kate ’99, Patrick ’01, Anne Richardson ’06

Fall 2025 | 68

clan. The Jackson Hole crew regularly

CT with her four boys. She is co-owner

lot of time to reflect on Adam since

sees Augusta (Riehle) Comey (Salt

of a new gym: Levlup Family Fitness.

April, what has been made clear from

Lake City, UT) for ski races with

One of her triplets is hoping to attend

all who knew him is that he was an

her daughter. Lydia ran into Trina

Holderness next fall.…Our 30th reunion

amazing father, husband, son, and

(Hosmer) Saxe in the Portland, OR

is around the corner next year! Let’s

friend to many who is going to be

airport last year. Will is making the

hope to see everyone back on the Pem.

missed dearly. His humble strength and personality made him a sought-

rounds with classmates, seeing Dave Flynn, Kris Langetieg ’97 and me at the EMA Admissions Conference last September 2024 in Boston.…I’m currently working in admissions at Bancroft School, a pre-k–12 school in Worcester, MA. Will has his own education advisory company out of Kittery, ME helping families find the right boarding school for their child. While Flynn continues his 8th?? year as director of enrollment management at Holderness! FUN FACT: Flynny is finally going on Out Back in March!!… Alison (Megroz) Chadbourne and Jay Tankersley met up (picture) and hope to see each other more at ski races.… So wonderful to hear from Carolyn Campbell who’s living in Philly with her family.…Sage Kiedaisch is living in NH (and we won’t mention where her daughter is in high school in NH (New Hampton) and shared her story about how the Outdoor Chapel was built our senior year for senior project!…When my daughter and I toured Holderness last year, I ran into Sam Daigneault who is living the dream at Holderness, teaching and coaching basketball with three of her four kids there now.…Other classmates’ children are the daughters of Amanda Knox Hoffman and Reece Spinney Dahlberg—both class of ’27—along with Flynn’s daughter, Molly ’28.…Loved hearing from Katie (Waltz) Harris and Bjorn Franson out of the NYC area. Waltz recently met up with Koren (Cargill) Wall and Britta (Waters) Pemberton in CT. (Pic)… Liz (Fox) McGlamery is doing great in FL with her family of two boys, and visited Lydia in Teton Valley, ID last year (pic). They had a blast catching up!…Stacey (Eder) Smith is living in

69 | Holderness School Today

’97 Class Correspondent Putney Haley putneypyles@gmail.com A new year begins again. We are only shortly into January, and my kids are already recovering from the flu and pneumonia. And now we’re trying to stay cozy in these freezing northeast

after mountain guide in the Alps. He was a professional at the top of his game who figured out how to make the most beautiful mountains in the world his office. Holderness had a big part in setting this path for Adam and I am looking forward to working with the Holderness community to honor him appropriately at the school.”…Be well, ~ Putney

winter temps. My youngest (3.5) will spend more time on skis this winter and will be hard to miss in her bright pink helmet—we live Frozen and all things pink and purple right now. She’s the youngest but keeps us all laughing. It’s never a dull moment. I have been in this role for quite some time, and I genuinely have enjoyed the chance to stay connected to classmates over all these years. The updates were few this

Photo courtesy of Ben Dulac ’97.

time, but a very thoughtful one came from Ben Dulac which is shared below. Undoubtedly Adam George has been on the minds of so many over the last year. Thanks to Ben for putting this update together…He writes: “I have three high schoolers now, and they are thriving in Marblehead. I am cherishing every sporting and extracurricular event they have! This has been a difficult year with the loss of Adam George. Several of us have been working closely with classmates, Bruce Barton and Mark Sturgeon, and Caroline (Adam’s wife) on ways to honor Adam at Holderness. We are still working through a handful of options and hope to have a plan ironed out in the near future. We will be sure to reach out to friends and alumni once we finalize a path forward. I have had a

’98 Class Correspondent Zach Antonucci zach.antonucci@gmail.com Greetings from Andover, MA where we moved six years ago following the ritualistic suburbs migration from South Boston. 2024 was a great year with trips around the country and the Caribbean. However, we still found plenty of time for the NH Lakes Region where I grew up. Our son, Greyson, is in second grade. He is an avid reader when he’s not playing basketball, hockey, or lacrosse. I’m in my third year of coaching Andover Youth Hockey; to be determined how much longer I’ll last! I’ve been able

to reconnect with a few classmates,

Ally (Keefe) Collins writes: “Our

“At some point last summer I stumbled

most recently with former roommate

2.5-year-old daughter (Harper) is

into John Lockwood while visiting a

Erik Dane. I’m hoping this quick

growing quickly and learning to ski.

local restaurant in Beverly—turns out

update breaks the seal and we get

She seems to have the need for speed

he moved to the North Shore within

more Class of 1998 updates rolling!

and always tells us to ski faster when

the last few years and we aren’t too far

All the best ~ Zach. Cell 617.851.8230

she is between our legs on the bunny

away. Late in the summer, when Anna

hill! We also finally went on our

was up visiting, we all got together

honeymoon nearly three years after

for lunch in Marblehead which was

our wedding. We had an amazing

great (see pic below). Otherwise, I

time skiing in Austria and hope we

enjoy regular conversations with Dave

can make it back there someday!”

Madeira, Murph, Bob Low P ’25,

’00 Class Correspondent Andrew “Sully” Sullivan MyIreland20@gmail.com

’01 Class Correspondent Karyn (Hoepp) Jennings KarynPJennings@gmail.com I recently accepted a position at Harvard University as a marketing lead at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Professional Programs Department. I am currently managing the K-12 Superintendents/ School and District Leaders Portfolio and so far I am loving the job and the people I’m working with. I get to go into Cambridge a few times a month for meetings to observe the programs and it’s been an amazing experience. We’re still skiing at Ragged Mountain every weekend; our daughter, Avery (8), is on the ski team there, and it’s been fun running into some Holderness alums! I’ve seen Andrew Everett ’02 with his family a bunch, and I ran into Jon Nichols in the lift line one day. My husband is always amazed at how, for such a small school Holderness is, we meet people from there everywhere we go! Hope everyone is doing well! ~ Karyn

’02 Class Correspondent Betsy Pantazelos b.pantazelos@gmail.com

Simon and a bunch of other lax guys

’03 Neal Frei is delighted to share that he and Kieran Sequoia tied the knot on New Year’s Eve 2024 in Santa Fe, surrounded by family and friends. “The night was filled with so much amazing love, joy, and celebration, marking the beginning of our journey

talking shop about youth lacrosse coaching. My kids are 7 and 10 and both playing lacrosse and I have gotten involved with coaching which has been a lot of fun. I also just got back a month ago from visiting Emily (Noyes) Grunow in FL for a long weekend. We make a point to get our families together each year. That’s it for now!”

together. Kieran and I feel incredibly grateful for the love and support that has surrounded us as we embark on this new chapter. We were so thrilled to have so many Holderness alumni, employees, and friends to share in the amazing evening. Alumni included: classmate Matt Sopher and his wife Debbie, Andrew Sheppe ’00, Rebecca and CJ Vincent ’06, Fred Harbison

Jay Connolly ’03 with Anna (Lockwood) Kelly ’03 and John Lockwood ’03.

’89, Jennifer Crane ’01, Meredith Peck ’09, Johanna Peck ’08 and of course Tori and Landry Frei ’08, Ziad and Lauren (Frei) Sleiman ’05, and parents Gary and Vicki Frei. Faculty and staff past and present in attendance: Phil and Robin Peck, Peter Durnan and Kristen Fischer, Abby and Mark Sturgeon, Caroline Davenport, John and Marilee Lin, Margot Riley, and Jiabao Mei and Marco Coderoni.”… Matthew Sopher and his wife recently relocated to the Burlington area from NYC to rejoin the family business, InTrack Investment Management. Matthew says: “Please reach out if you are in the area, we’d love to grab dinner or go skiing!”…Jay Connolly writes:

Neal Frei ’03 and his wife Kieran Sequoia.

Fall 2025 | 70

(6). Mattie works at Kimball Union Academy in admissions and is the ski coach. The family lives in Meriden, NH and is fully into all the sports and activities in the area.…Marta (Heinen) Robinson writes: “I was sad to miss the reunion last summer. Holderness is looking very beautiful with all the new updates I see on social media! My Neal Frei ’03 and Kieran Sequoia tied the knot on New Year’s Eve 2024 with many Holderness friends in attendance.

husband, Justin, and I are living in Michigan in the town where I grew up. My kids, Lucy (11) and Tommy (8), go to the same schools I went to; maybe Holderness will be in their future too. I

’04 Class Correspondent Kate (Kenly) Tith kate.tith@gmail.com Dave Campbell writes: I live in Crested Butte, CO with my wife, Audrey, and our three daughters (Tilly—6 years, Addy—3.5 years, and Leni—8 months). We enjoy life in a small mountain town—spending lots of time skiing, biking, hiking, and enjoying the beauty of the Colorado Rockies. I’ve worked at Gusto for the past 5.5 years—a platform that helps small businesses manage their payroll and teams—where I lead the development of consumer financial products. I continue to support Lacrosse the Nations and our international sports programs as a Board Member. Carling Bennett Thanks for doing this… Hope you and the family are doing great. I just got back from an incredible 10 day ski trip in Hokkaido Japan with my brother (Sean Delaney ’03), sister and dad. We skied incredible powder on 5 different resorts and hiked several days in the backcountry. It was epic! Mattie Ford DiNapoli and her husband, Vinnie, welcomed Daisy Ford DiNapoli in November 2024. Daisy has two older siblings, Emerson (8) and Rocco

71 | Holderness School Today

would love that for them. My husband is in property management and I’m a preschool teacher. We are having

Mattie Ford Dinapoli ’04 with husband Vinnie and 3 kids, Emerson, Rocco and Daisy.

fun while the kids try out all the team sports and the calendar is always full. I’m very proud of my little family :) I often think of my time at Holderness and the safe, supportive environment it provided for me. I seriously miss meals together and only having to walk down the hall or across the quad to a best friend’s room! I pray for those classmates who are no longer with us and for their families. They are forever young in my memory. Hoping 2025 brings happiness and good health for everyone. As for me, I loved seeing many of you at reunion last summer!

Kate Tith ’04 and family at Cardigan Mountain School with new Cardigan 7th grader Liam, daughter Sophie and husband Michael.

Since then, things have been busy for our family. My son, Liam, started seventh grade at Cardigan Mountain School. Julia Ford ’08 is one of his dorm parents and I see Chris Day ’97 often on campus. My nine-yearold daughter, Sophie, is a competitive swimmer and she’s learning to play hockey! My husband, Mike, works in advancement at St. Paul’s School and I am the vice president, head of global clinical operations at Dyne Therapeutics; we are developing therapies for people living with neuromuscular diseases ~ Kate Tith

Phoebe and Trey Larkin, the children of Joy (Erdman) Larkin ’04, with Lucy and Payson Nordblom, the children of Todd and Amy (Laverack) Nordblom.

in June was an absolute blast and it was great to meet more of the Holderness community that weekend! I still keep in touch with as many Holderness people as I can, especially Haley Hamblin!! I can’t wait to meet Haley’s first child, Luna, very soon!!! Ashley Healy ’04 the Director of Development at the David Krempels Brain Injury Center (KBIC) connects with Robbie King ’99 at The King Challenge. The King Challenge, named in honor of Robbie’s family, is a fundraising event to benefit KBIC, a Portsmouth NH-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with brain injury.

Baby Luna is all smiles for the camera! Photo courtesy of Haley Hamblin ’08.

’08 Baird (Meem) Anderson

Class Correspondent Brie (Keefe) Healy healy.brie@gmail.com

’06 Class Correspondent Casey Gilman clgilman5@gmail.com

bairdmeem@gmail.com Jessica White white.jessica.madigan@gmail.com company, Create Awesomeness, continues to fund his lifestyle of outdoor adventure sports and PC gaming. He currently lives with his significant other in the Back Bay of Boston. He is considering getting another cat.…Greg Ramey writes: “Excited to see tons of Holderness friends at my wedding in June. I’ll

shaping up to be a big year for our

continue to bounce around NYC but

family. We will be welcoming a baby

am officially moving to Bermuda full

girl in June, and couldn’t be more

time this year. I’ve got a spare beach

excited to grow our family. I recently

chair for any Holderness visitors!”…

completed my securities licensing to

Josh Raab and Haley Hamblin moved

become a registered representative

back to New York in September and

with New York Life. This is a step

welcomed their daughter Luna Azra

on my journey towards investment

Raab on November 27! Haley reports:

advisor as part of my full financial

“Everyone is doing great, staying cozy,

offerings. Life is good in Vermont!”

and happy to be back in the city after

Class Correspondent Taylor James taylorveronicajames@gmail.com Matt Tomaszewski mctomaszewski@gmail.com

Allison (Stride) Lloyd James O’Leary joleary129@gmail.com

’10 Class Correspondent Elise (Steiner) Hacker eliseshacker@gmail.com

Brett Phillips had a good year. His

Rory Clifford reports: “2025 is

’07

Class Correspondent stride.ally@gmail.com

Class Correspondents

’05

’09

a few years away. Luna can’t wait to meet her auntie Baird and dance up a storm!…As for me, Baird (Meem) Anderson, I’m still a preschool teacher at Spruce Street Nursery School in Boston and live in Cambridge, MA. I started DJing kids parties in early January 2024 and I’m still doing it as a fun side gig! Holderness reunion

’11 Class Correspondents Cecily (Cushman) Koopman cncushman@gmail.com Jamie McNulty jamcnulty20@gmail.com Samantha (Devine) Roy shares: “We had a baby at the end of June 2024. His name is Enzo Christopher Roy.”… Casey Powell writes: “Hey everyone! I am currently living in Brooklyn, NY and am a health, wellness, and sex educator for an independent K-12 school. I love it! I am basically Carol Dopp. My boyfriend and I just adopted a sweet German shepherd mix puppy named Ralph. I’m fully obsessed and yes, he is our child and yes, I have a million photos, thank you for asking. I hope everyone is doing well and thriving doin’ whatever you’re doin’.”… McKinley “Chuckie” (Carbone) Crowley notes: “Life has been full and rewarding as I enjoy the stay-at-home mom life with my two kids, Cully (2),

Fall 2025 | 72

and Ev (4). My days are filled with swim lessons, school programs, and all the joyful chaos of raising little ones. In my free time, I’ve found a love for pickleball, competing in two small tournaments—and winning both! My husband, Adam, and I are looking forward to an exciting 2025, especially celebrating Charlotte Noyes’s wedding this summer. Wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead!”…

Enzo on the swing! Photo courtesy of Samantha Roy Devine ’11.

“This past September, George and I got

’12

married. MJ (Germanos) Negroski

Class Correspondents

Jaclyn (Vernet) Embiricos shares:

’10 and Cecily (Cushman) Koopman ’11 honored me as bridesmaids. We are still living in New York City and I am finishing up my degree from Parsons School of Design in May.”… And finally, my update. My husband, Ben, are living in Marblehead and love seeing many Holderness alums around town, especially Alex Gardiner and Katie (Leake) Parker ’12! ~ Cecily (Cushman) Koopman

Class of 2012 alums Sara Mogollon, Erica Steiner, Kristina (Micalizzi) Venemies, Samantha (Cloud) Spencer, and Julia Potter (from left to right) at the wedding of Kristina Micalizzi Venemies ’12 and Tommi Venemies in Kefalonia, Greece.

Kristina (Micalizzi) Venemies kmicalizzi08@gmail.com Stephanie (Symecko) Veilleux ssymecko@gmail.com Eliza Cowie writes: “Hello! I am still living in Salt Lake City where I get to see Holderness people everywhere. This past Thanksgiving, Jamie McNulty ’11 hosted a bunch of us for a big Friendsgiving. I continue to work in the environmental policy space, writing for outdoor magazines on the connection between skiing and climate, consulting on brand and marketing for outdoor companies, and spending a lot of time outside riding bikes, skiing, and playing in whitewater. If you’re ever in Salt Lake, let me know!”…Kristina (Micalizzi) Venemies got married this past summer in Greece and was thrilled

Chuckie, Everly and Cully snowboarding at King Pine this winter.

to have fellow class of 2012 alumnae Sara Mogollon, Erica Steiner,

Kristina Micalizzi Venemies ’12 and Tommi Venemies at their wedding in Kefalonia, Greece.

Samantha Cloud, and Julia Potter make the trip to celebrate along with the couple’s family and friends from Finland, Greece, and the US.…Haley Mahar reports: “I recently moved to South Burlington and opened a New England office of New West Building Company in Stowe, VT! We’re a general contractor that focuses on multifamily and custom homes construction. I love being able to go from the construction Casey Powell ’11 and pup Ralph.

73 | Holderness School Today

site to the slopes in the winter or the hiking trails in the summer.”

’14 Class Correspondents Alexandrea “Allie” Solms solmsallie@gmail.com Mikaela Wall wallmikaela@gmail.com

’16 Class Correspondent Chris Sargent

Carson Holmes ’15

I’ve been working in wind for four years. Below I added some photos of me at work fixing the blades of the towers off the coast of Block Island,

christopher.t.sargent@gmail.com

RI. The snowboard picture was taken

’17

built in the Sisters Mountain range.

last week on a backcountry jump I

Class Correspondent Elizabeth Johansson ecjohansson17@gmail.com

’15

’18

Class Correspondents Hope Heffernan hopeheffernan@gmail.com Jake Rosencranz (deceased) jrosencranz1@gmail.com Leah (Curtis) Rosencranz lcurtis1330@gmail.com Carson Holmes writes: “Over the past year, I turned my passion for photography into a thriving personal business, focusing on weddings and lifestyle sessions. What started as a small hobby in 2023 quickly grew into something far greater than I had imagined. By 2024, I surpassed all of my goals, balancing the demands of running a successful photography business while still maintaining my fulltime 9-to-5 job. Currently, I’m servicing the New England area and have had the privilege of capturing countless special moments for my clients. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue growing and expanding my business—setting my sights on offering wedding photography services out west over the next year or so. It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come in such a short time—proving that with dedication and passion, growth knows no limits.”

Class Correspondents Stuart Clifford stugclifford@gmail.com

’19 Class Correspondent Lilly Patterson lillypatterson555@gmail.com

Noah McIntire ’20 at work fixing the blades of the towers off the coast of Block Island, RI.

’22

’20

Class Correspondent

rstorey@bowdoin.edu

Ellie Page ellie.l.page@gmail.com Noah McIntire reports: “I moved to Bend, OR three years ago in the neverending search for powder. I work part time at Mt. Bachelor in the terrain parks. I have gotten into split boarding and recently bought a snowmobile to

Rachel Storey

’23 Class Correspondents Evan Plunkett eplunkett31@gmail.com Terry Zhu terry961616@126.com

get deeper into the backcountry. In the summer months I travel the country fixing wind turbine blades for a small sub-contracting company called Rope Partner. I use ropes to access the blades and fix them using fiberglass.

’24 Class Correspondent Sammy Edwards samantha.edwards@hws.edu

Want to connect with your classmates? Scan the QR code and submit a class note online today. Or consider becoming a class correspondent by contacting us at alumni@holderness.org for more information.

Fall 2025 | 74

POSSIBLE DE A

HOL

Sofie Romasko ’26 hugs Director of Out Back Randy Houseman upon her return from Out Back last March.

SS F U N D

75 | Holderness School Today

WE’RE PROUD TO INTRODUCE THIS LOGO, WHICH CELEBRATES PROGRAMS—LIKE OUT BACK—MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROSITY OF DONORS TO THE ANNUAL FUND.

SCAN FOR DONOR AND VOLUNTEER LISTS— OR VISIT WWW.HOLDERNESS.ORG/ROA.

REPORT OF APPRECIATION 2024–2025

he Holderness community remains strong thanks to the tremendous support we received this year from you—our alumni, parents, and friends. Your support in fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025) helped us recruit tremendous faculty members, provided world class learning opportunities for our students, helped host thought leaders on campus, and allowed our artists and athletes to thrive. In the fall of 2024 we welcomed six new faculty members, including a former pro cyclistturned filmmaker, a reverend and lacrosse coach, an art therapist, a French teacher who has led environmental field lessons and overnight wilderness trips, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship recipient, and a lawyer who once worked on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ninth-grade biology students engaged in a long-term study of our campus snowmaking pond, measuring turbidity (how clear the water is), temperature, depth, mineral concentration, and plant life. Students learned about data collection, hypothesis

testing, and analysis, and applied classroom concepts in the field. Last year’s data will serve as a foundational baseline, enabling future classes to monitor and understand the pond’s evolving ecosystem. Dino Ambrosi, founder of Project Reboot, came to campus to speak on a topic that is at the top of many people’s minds: how we can build healthier relationships with technology. He challenged students to ref lect on how their use of devices, social media, and gaming affects their mental well-being, relationships, and the ability to be present. Jake Thibeault visited campus in March of 2025. Jake’s life instantly changed on Labor Day weekend of 2021. During a hockey game, a devastating hit sent the 18-year-old crashing into the boards, paralyzing him from the waist down. His talk offered a firsthand perspective on the power of a positive mindset to persevere through life’s toughest challenges. Students and teachers left with a renewed appreciation for resilience and the reminder that setbacks

can become springboards for new opportunities. Students also learned about avalanche safety with mountain guide Jordan Cargill ’11; performed “Mean Girls: The Musical” in the Kistler Family Auditorium; spoke with NASA astronaut Suni Williams aboard the International Space Station via a live video chat; the boys golf team won the Lakes Region Championship; Gina Mulcahy ’25 won the USASA Nationals 17–18 Junior Women Slopestyle National Championship; and both the girls and boys lacrosse teams competed in the Lakes Region Championships. These opportunities to learn and grow are made available thanks to the support Holderness receives from donors on an annual basis. For that, I thank you! With gratitude,

Mark Sturgeon Executive Director of Advancement

Fall 2025 | 76

A YEAR IN GIVING Endowment

Capital Funds

$621,928

$2,176,200

Total Year Giving $4,745,723 Holderness Fund

$1,878,692

Restricted Funds

$68,903

Alumni

Total Donors

1,209 Donors

2,079

Past Parents

352 Donors

Current Parents

218 Donors

Grandparents, Students, Employees, & Friends

300 Donors

These numbers represent gifts receivced between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

77 | Holderness School Today

YOUR IMPACT Access to a Holderness Education

$4,955,875 Total Financial Aid Awarded

$44,647 Average Aid Awarded

36% Student Body Receiving Aid

A Freshwater Ecology & Management class conducts an electrofishing survey of a campus stream with NH Fish & Game.

Attracting & Retaining Faculty

12 Years

6:1

76%

Average Faculty Tenure

Student:Faculty Ratio

# of Faculty Support Funds

Faculty with Advanced Degrees **12% with PhDs

Developing the Students the World Needs

19 7,562

Funds supporting academics, programming, the library, and educational technology Community service hours completed

“HOLDERNESS HAS TAUGHT ME SO MANY THINGS INCLUDING LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY. THIS SCHOOL GIVES ME OPPORTUNITIES EVERY DAY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW! ” – Student, Class of ’24

Fall 2025 | 78

57 YEARS OF GIVING By Greg Kwasnik

ric Werner ’62 has one heck of a streak going. Of the more than 2,000 people who made a gift to Holderness last year, he’s one of a small handful who’ve given to the school for more than 50 consecutive years. “Some people are very generous on a one-time basis and that’s great,” Eric says. “But if I can be consistent about it, I think it’s something that’s valuable.” Eric made his first gift to Holderness, a $10 donation, just before Christmas in 1968—and he hasn’t let up since. His first gift came right around the same time that he and his wife, Karen, began giving to Colby College, where the couple met. “We gained a lot from our education in both places,” Eric says. “I felt that it was appropriate to be a consistent donor.” It’s thanks to that kind of consistency —or persistence, in his case—that Eric was able to attend Holderness in the first place. A native son of the town of Holderness, Eric attended Holderness Central School and then spent two years at Inter-Lakes High School in Meredith. But his parents, who ran a business renting lakeside cottages to tourists, wanted a better education for their son. His mother petitioned Headmaster Don Hagerman three

79 | Holderness School Today

times before he admitted Eric, despite the boy’s lackluster entrance exam scores—and the fact that he would be the first student from the town of Holderness ever to attend Holderness School. “My mother insisted and finally he relented and said ‘We’ll give it a try,’” Eric recalls. Eric seized the opportunity and took full advantage of his Holderness education. He thrived at the school, where he played hockey, excelled in his Spanish classes, and eventually graduated cum laude. He says some of his most impactful Holderness experiences happened in Don Henderson’s history classes, where the hard-driving ski coach pressed his students to live up to his own high standards. “You look back and say, who, other than your parents, really inf luenced you? For me, he would be near the top of that list,” Eric says. “You remember things from people who demand a lot of you, whether they’re coaches or teachers or headmasters.” Eric carried those lessons far beyond Holderness. His drive and dogged persistence led him to become an officer in the Navy, where he spent four years as a ship’s navigator— among other roles—in the South China Sea. Much of that time was spent managing a crew of 600 sailors and guiding his vessel across the immense Pacific six times. It was during one of those tedious, threeweek voyages that Eric had time to truly ref lect on how Holderness shaped him. “I didn’t think much about my college experience at Colby, but I did think quite a bit about the experience that I had at Holderness,” Eric says. “As I thought about that, a lot of my thinking came back to Don Henderson. Here was a guy who was demanding of his students that they first show an interest and second that they prepare, just like he did with his skiers.” Those lessons about preparation and engagement served Eric well throughout this life. After leaving the Navy, he earned an MBA from

Western Michigan University and then began a successful career in finance and investments. Throughout his life, whether he was an officer in the Navy or a CEO leading American International Group’s London office at the end of his career, Eric was focused on managing large groups of people and motivating them to achieve and succeed. Don Henderson would have been proud. Today, Eric is focused on motivating his fellow Holderness alums to give back. As a Class Agent, he periodically reaches out to his classmates from the Class of 1962 and asks them to make a gift to the school. Sometimes, he succeeds. At other times, he’s rebuffed by classmates who don’t see the value of giving to Holderness when so many other charities need help. He recalls making a pitch to one reluctant classmate who figured Holderness didn’t need his money. “I said that part of my reason for contributing, modest as it is, is basically to give back what was given to me as part of my education,” Eric says. “I said, that has to be worth something.” In a way, Eric’s yearly gifts to Holderness are a way of honoring his mother—and Don Hagerman—for giving him the opportunity to excel at the school. “I owe something to Don Hagerman for a career path that I probably wouldn’t have had if he hadn’t relented because of my mother’s insistence,” Eric says. “Between the two of them, I gradually appreciated over time that other people had a role in my success.” And he still remembers what Don Hagerman said to his parents the day he graduated from Holderness some 63 years ago. “Don Hagerman congratulated my parents on being so insistent,” Eric says, with a chuckle. | Eric—and 1,050 other donors—are members of The 1879 Society, which honors those who have given for five or more consecutive years.

DARIELLE MATTHEWS ’18 Putting a Face on Your Gift to Holderness By Greg Kwasnik Photo courtesy of Darielle Matthews ’18

hen Darielle Matthews ’18 shared the good news on LinkedIn that she had received the Hon. Dorothy T. Eisenberg Woman in Law “Trailblazer” Award, she was overwhelmed by the response she received from her Holderness network. Her phone and inbox were f looded with congratulatory messages from former classmates and teachers—and she even received an encouraging email from the new head of school, whom she’d never met. “Every text message I received and every email truly meant a lot to me because my Holderness community is still so supportive of me after all these years,” Darielle says. It’s no surprise that Darielle continues to receive support from the Holderness community, which has closely followed her impressive accomplishments in college and law school. Those accomplishments are many: just last spring, she earned her law degree from the Maurice A.

Deane School at Hofstra University, where she received the school’s Outstanding Law Student award; served as academic chair of the Black Law Students Association; became an associate editor of the Hofstra Law Review; volunteered as a Pro Bono Scholar for the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County; and received the 2024 AMISTAD Scholarship Award from the Long Island Bar Association. She took and passed the February 2025 New York Bar Exam and was recently sworn in as an attorney to practice law in New York State. This fall, she will begin a prestigious federal clerkship with the Hon. Craig T. Goldblatt of the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Delaware. If anyone is surprised by Darielle’s meteoric rise through law school, then they probably didn’t know her at Holderness. A native of Long Island, Darielle—who was recruited to play basketball for the Bulls—made huge contributions to Holderness on and off the court. A four-year recipient of a Holderness Fund Scholarship, Darielle was an integral part of the school community: she acted in plays and musicals, became a three-sport athlete, and served as a job leader her junior year and house leader during her senior year. Her impact on Holderness was so great that, as a senior, she received the Marshall Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the school. If Darielle had a big impact on Holderness, the school had just as big an impact on her. Whether she was traveling across China on a school trip, persevering through the rigors of Out Back, or challenging herself during her yearlong Capstone project, Darielle found countless opportunities to learn and grow at Holderness. “To be able to have these experiences—which definitely pushed me to not only expand my horizons, but pushed me to my

limits as an individual as well—was super impactful,” Darielle says. Those experiences would not have happened if not for the Holderness Fund Scholarship, which awarded Darielle $25,000 each year to offset the cost of attending the school. Without that kind of support, her transformative Holderness experience would most likely have been out of reach. “I get emotional thinking about Holderness because it was such a special moment in my life where I was really able to gain that independence and learn how to be fearless in every endeavor I was able to take,” Darielle says. “I would just say thank you for allowing students to support their dreams. By giving to the fund, you’re allowing students to have the whole world open up to them even more than they had thought possible.” While a Holderness Fund Scholarship gave Darielle an excellent education, it also gave her a network of lifelong friends and mentors—the same people who reached out to her after she received the Dorothy T. Eisenberg Woman in Law “Trailblazer” Award. They were there for Darielle during her years as a Holderness student, and they’ll be there for whatever successes her future may bring. “Holderness is still such a big part of my family and such a big part of my life,” Darielle says. “To have these people who were such a big part of my life still so proud and still so supportive of me just means the world.” |

A Holderness Fund Scholarship is a named, current-use scholarship that supports a student through their four years at Holderness. To learn more, contact Mark Sturgeon, Executive Director of Advancement, at msturgeon@holderness.org.

Fall 2025 | 80

DAVID PARKER ’78 Balch Legacy Society Planned Giving By Greg Kwasnik

f you were a student at Holderness School in the 1970s and wanted to escape the watchful gaze of your dorm parents, there’s a good chance you absconded into the surrounding forest with a shovel and some scrap lumber and built a fort. “The fort building was all about having a warm safe place to drink and smoke pot and do all this stuff you’re not supposed to do,” said David Parker ’78, one of the era’s chief fort architects. “I mean, it was the ’70s, right?” It took a few decades, but David and his secret fort were finally found out. When Holderness student Erica Ashby ’18 contacted him several years ago for a book she was writing about that era’s craze for campus fort building, he agreed to talk. “She interviewed me and I was more than happy to reveal all,” said

81 | Holderness School Today

David, who recalls digging a cozy Hobbit-like burrow—complete with a fireplace—by the lower fields with roommate Henry Fletcher ’78. “I’m not going to get kicked out now.” While David’s subterranean fort was short-lived (he found it demolished when he returned to school one fall) his latest contribution to Holderness is sure to stand the test of time. As one of the newest members of the Balch Legacy Society, David has joined the ranks of donors who have made generous planned gifts to Holderness. “I had to create a will and when I was working it out, I asked myself ‘What do you want to do with your money when you die?’” David said. “I wanted to give back to Holderness, for sure.” For David, Holderness was about far more than unsanctioned fort building. Ultimately, he said, the school gave his life direction. “I was hard to handle as a kid, you

know—ADHD, I had my own mind,” David said. “I think my parents just felt like it would be good for me.” His parents were right. At Holderness, David learned discipline, developed his love of literature and theater from English teachers like Jay Stroud and Parkman Howe, and discovered a lifelong passion for the outdoors. “Holderness was a big part of my love for the outdoors,” David said. “They were very, very formative years, and I think they definitely got me in the right direction.” He credits the Out Back program then called Outward Bound - with having the biggest impact. While he grew up skiing at Sugarloaf in Maine, Outward Bound gave David —who went on to become a rock climber, alpinist, backcountry skier, and sailor—a far more expansive vision of a life lived outdoors. He recalls his two-week Outward Bound experience as a thrilling bushwhack through the White Mountains that

David Parker ’78 enjoys an active outdoor life, and counts skiing, mountaineering, and sailing among some of his favorite pursuits. began near campus and ended somewhere near Littleton. “The joke was that Fred Beams, who ran the program when I was there, took a map of New Hampshire and gave his son a crayon and said ‘Here, draw a line,’” David said. “Then we had to go out and follow it.” One of his favorite Outward Bound memories happened under a full moon, when his group, trying to make up time, hiked long into the night. As they trudged their way through the snow along an old forest road, David and Kirk Siegel ’78 volunteered to drag the group’s heavy toboggan, which they’d nicknamed ‘The Pig.’ When they came to a long downhill stretch, the two boys decided to use gravity to their advantage. They jumped on The Pig and proceeded to blaze down the hill at full speed before frantically digging their heels into the snow to halt their slide, just feet from a snowbank. Had they hit the snowbank at full speed, they would have launched into the middle of a paved road. “We had one hell of a sled ride in the middle of the night,” David said. “It’s kind of funny how these things stick with you for the rest of your life, you know?” The rest of David’s life has followed a similarly adventurous path. After graduating from St. Lawrence

University with a degree in English, he packed up his car and drove West to become a ski bum at Deer Valley in Utah. When friends invited him to visit Bainbridge Island on Puget Sound several years later, he realized he’d found the perfect location to indulge in his love of skiing, alpine climbing, and sailing. After moving to Bainbridge full time in 1989, David married, had a child, and built a successful career as managing broker at Windermere Real Estate. Today, David is still living the outdoor life. He officially retired last November, and now follows his outdoor passions with the seasons. Each winter, he and his partner Deborah live and ski at their home in Whitefish, Montana; each summer, they spend several months piloting their 40-foot sailboat along the Inside Passage between Seattle and Alaska. In between, they travel. On one such journey this spring he reunited with Prescott Smith ’78 and Don Whittemore ’78 to watch a Dead & Company concert at The Sphere in Las Vegas. And after classmate J.D. Hale ’78 received this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award at Commencement, he and his classmates started a giant email chain to offer kudos, reconnect, and reminisce about old times—and old forts.

As David looks back on his years at Holderness, he’s happy to be giving back to the school with his generous planned gift. The school gave his life direction, and he hopes his gift will help other students find their own unique path through life. “By giving back to the school you’re going to be helping somebody else who might need that same direction,” David said. |

The Balch Legacy Society honors a group of forward-thinking individuals who have included Holderness in their estate plans. Their investment ensures that future generations of Holderness students will be able to benefit from all that Holderness has to offer. Thank you to the 55 current members who are thinking ahead for Holderness! For more information, contact Tim Scott ’73, Advisor to the Balch Legacy Society, at tscott@holderness.org or visit holderness.planmygift.org.

Fall 2025 | 82

HEART OF THE HERD: Alumnae Volunteers Carry Holderness Forward F or Amanda (Knox) Hoffman ’96 P ’27 ’29 and Laura (Cooper) Page ’86 P ’20 ’22 ’25, the spirit of Holderness didn’t end at graduation—it deepened. Both alumnae, now parents of current or recent Holderness students, have continued to stay engaged with the school in meaningful ways. Their stories remind us that giving back doesn’t have to be grand or complicated—it simply starts with a desire to be part of something bigger. Amanda’s commitment to service began early—literally at sunrise. As a sophomore, during one of the snowiest winters in New Hampshire history, she was up at 5 a.m. shoveling the walkways in front of Livermore Hall. “One day I was grumbling about having to get up early, and my job leader said, ‘You’re getting up to shovel so the pantry can get to the kitchen on time to cook and serve food for everybody for breakfast,’” Amanda recalls. “I was like, okay,

83 | Holderness School Today

I can stop complaining. There are a lot more people involved in keeping this school running. I think something shifted in me when I heard that. I realized that this is what makes Holderness special.” Decades later, Amanda continues to make a positive impact in our community. She volunteers as a Class Correspondent, hosts events at her Vermont home, and serves on the Parents Association. For Amanda, it’s all an extension of the values she absorbed as a student.

“The experience instilled a set of values in me that I still utilize today that are still really important to me: get outside every day, work with integrity, treat people how you want to be treated, and be a part of a community that you give back to,” she says. “Those core tenets are what I’ve carried with me since graduating.” Laura’s journey at Holderness began in a different climate. Growing up in Bermuda, she had only seen snow

a few times before arriving in New Hampshire. But that didn’t stop her from diving into life on campus.

“I think I had only skated once or twice before, but it was great,” Laura says of joining the hockey team with her sister, Sarah (Cooper) Connell ’87. “Holderness opened up so many opportunities for me: the New Hampshire wilderness, Outward Bound—so many things that, on a small island, you’re not going to have offered to you.” Now a Class Agent, Laura takes pride in staying connected to her classmates and encouraging participation in Day of Giving and Reunion. For her, it’s a way to stay grounded in a place that profoundly shaped her and her family. “For me, nothing has felt better than feeling like I’m giving back to something that has meant so much to me,” Laura says. Neither Amanda nor Laura equates giving back with making

a large financial donation. Both emphasize the importance—and the impact—of simply showing up. “People can be intimidated because they think the only way to give back when you’re an alumnus is financially,” Amanda says. “I would hate for folks to feel that was a barrier to getting involved in the school. It can be as simple as sending a letter to your Class Correspondent sharing about what you’re doing in your life and how Holderness made an impact on the place that you’re at now.” Laura agrees. “You don’t have to have any kind of special skill. You just have to have the compassion and love for the school,” she says. “A lot of it is just time and caring, and many hands make light work.” For both women, the true reward is watching the next generation thrive in the same environment that helped shape their own lives. “They all thrived, and they’re three completely different people,” Laura says of her daughters, all Holderness graduates. “Holderness isn’t just for one type of person. It definitely does attract those amazing downhill skiers. But you don’t have to be a skier to come here. You can be an incredibly smart kid and take all the AP classes and honors classes. Or you

Amanda (Knox) Hoffman ’96 P ’27 ’29 with her daughter Charlotte ’27 and husband Tyler on campus during Fall Family Weekend. can do something with theater. Or you can be a three-sport varsity athlete. There’s something for everyone.” Amanda feels similarly as she watches her daughters, Charlotte ’27 and Lilly ’29, discover the same sense of belonging and growth she experienced. “The school’s ethos hasn’t changed in the 30 years since I went there,” she says. “The core values of the people who attend

Laura (Cooper) Page ’86 P ’20 ’22 ’25 during a visit to campus last spring.

this school are very similar, and the community fabric is just as strong.” Holderness thrives because of volunteers like Amanda and Laura. Whether you’re interested in writing class notes, mentoring a student, helping with Reunion, or making phone calls on Day of Giving, there’s a place for you. “There will always be something—I think Holderness will always find an opportunity, a way for you to help,” Laura says. “And I find it incredibly gratifying.” |

Thank you to the 200+ alumni and parent volunteers who shared their time, talents, and Holderness spirit during the 2024–25 school year. Our community is stronger because of you! Ready to join? We'd love to have you! Volunteer as a Class Agent or Correspondent, pitch in with the Parents Association, or help at events like Homecoming and Reunion. Email Carolyn Soucy, Director of Parent and Alumni Engagement, at csoucy@ holderness.org to learn more.

Fall 2025 | 84

NONPROFIT US POSTAGE Holderness School P.O. Box 1879 Plymouth, NH 03264-1879

PAID MANCHESTER, NH

PERMIT NO ###

Senior leaders prepare to welcome new students to campus on September 3, 2025.

Holderness School Today | Fall 2025