Huskies Travel in Packs

Leaving Perks Behind for Others at Kents Hill

Cynthia Perkins Clark ’52

While you may not know “Perky” personally, if you’ve spent time on the Kents Hill campus recently, you’ve likely felt her impact. Cynthia Perkins Clark ’52 is one of the people who planted the tall pines that now hold up “Hammockville”— the favorite spring, summer, and fall relaxation spot sandwiched between Wesleyan Hall, Reed Hall, and the Bibby and Harold Alfond Dining Commons.

The trees were planted initially as a windbreak for the outdoor hockey rink present during Clark’s time at Kents Hill. She says, “Four of us, Frank Avantagio, Cal Hawkins, Carol, and I were taken out of class one morning and we planted that grove of trees. I was glad to see that many of them still stand.”

The campus was very different in the 1950s. Clark says, “Bearce Hall, Sampson Hall, Ricker Hall, and the Newton Gymnasium (now known as the Bodman Performing Arts Center) were the only buildings when I was a student and a teacher there.” However, though we’ve added and updated many of our buildings, alumni like Clark are still a presence.

In fact, if you’ve visited our newest dorm, Reed Hall, you may have even seen a picture of her! It is an image of the old ski room, consisting of lockers and showers that used to be in the basement of Bearce Hall. Clark was one of the first female ski team members! She says, “I am in the far left corner waxing my skis.”

Clark has many wonderful memories from her days at Kents Hill. She says, “Oh, so many memories...dorm living in Sampson as a freshman on the uppermost floor and through the years moving down a floor; waiting tables and hoping not to be assigned to Miss Coate/Miss Russell’s table because they were so particular; learning to ski and do many other sports that I never did before; movies in Ricker on Saturday nights; Head of School Dunn meeting the team bus when returning to campus and him asking, ‘Did you do your best today?’ I can still see that jolly face and him asking that question when he met you on campus. He didn’t care if we won but rather that we gave our best try in anything we did); bathrooms in the dorm that housed six shower/tubs, sinks, and toilets. Those are just a few memories and, of course the friends I made and the teachers there.”

As Clark noted, she actually taught for a time on The Hill. She says, “I taught for one year, ’56-’57, freshman and eighth grade English.”

As an alumna and as an educator, Clark’s wish for the future of Kents Hill is simple. “My hope for Kents Hill is that it remains a place where young people will continue to become good citizens, gain tolerance, and love the place as much as my brother and I did. We were fortunate to be part of a community such as Kents Hill.”

Right now Clark is looking forward to her next visit. She says, “I do hope I can return next year for my 70th.”■

Left: Perky visiting campus in June 2021 with Annette Peabody ’52.

Nelkas Kwemo ’15 Hangs Up His Cleats

We first featured Nelkas Kwemo ‘15 in the last edition of Kents Hill Today after he was signed with the Canadian Football League, playing for the Toronto Argonauts. As an update, his next step is to transition from the CFL to something new! We know that he can do it as he has earned a Civil Engineering degree and has a can-do attitude worthy of a top-tier Husky.

Nelkas was a Kents Hill athlete who played football, basketball, and JV tennis. He was also actively involved in Kents Hill News and the Student Council. In fact, he was the Student Body Vice President!

But that’s not all, he also took an independent study in film under RJ Jenkins. He says, “I learned so much about film making and Jenkins somehow built a class for me to continue making films during my senior year.” It was also from Mr. Jenkins that he was able to lean into his love of Disney more!

He had several favorite spots where you might find him during his high school years including the Alfond Athletics Center, the Akin Learning Center (where he recorded Kents Hill News), and a lesser-trafficked location: Smitty’s house! He says, “In a world where you are miles away from family, Kents Hill School is the most family-oriented place. My Coaches, teachers, and friends became my family.”

While he has been playing football professionally, he doesn’t identify himself as “just a football player.” He says, “I’m more than just football. I’ve always loved football, so people probably thought of me as a football player but there was never a point where I believed that I was just football single-handedly. I knew that football would not always be there in life and that I needed to look elsewhere for the future and the off-season. The Canadian Football League (CFL) runs from May to mid-December, which gives you January-May to do what you need to do. If you are not going to the Great Cup, you have half a year to figure out what you want to prioritize. During COVID, opportunities presented themselves, and I took the next leap.”

Congratulations from all of us on the Hill on your retirement from Canadian Football and for your next venture in Investment Banking at Scotiabank, Nelkas!■

John Chimpoulis ’17 Finds His Passion

John Chimpoulis ’17 spent his time at Kents Hill primarily athletically. Chances are you might have found him in the weight room, on the tennis courts, playing football, but you could also bet that he might be out playing with one of the campus dogs.

While at Kents Hill, his favorite teachers were some old standbys. “Smitty and Keeley are everybody’s favorites! They don’t count! Mr. (George) Dunn was really funny and easy to learn from. He made English exciting to me.”

Johnny lived in Davis Hall and loved it because of the community feel, but he felt that throughout the entire school experience. He says, “Cherish KHS for what it is. There is no other place like it. The people that live and work there don’t exist anywhere else. They are willing to do whatever it takes to help you succeed. Kents Hill is a beautiful place where you have a chance to find out who you are, and those teachers help you get to that spot. They won’t hold your hand, they will help you find your own way. KHS will hold a place in my heart forever.”

These days he spends his time saving lives as an EMT, and yes, he was working in that profession during the height of COVID-19. He says, “In life, as a paramedic, there are a lot of things you don’t want to do or see, and people that hate you for no reason, but you have to be there, do your job, and that is what you are there for. You have to give it your all.”

He continues, “The best decision was becoming a traveling medic. This was what I wanted to do and become. Now I have a goal of going on to nursing school after giving COVID vaccinations for the last few weeks.”

Soon, he will take what he has learned and take the next step in his career adventure with the fire academy. Way to go, Johnny! ■