Alumni Faculty Appreciation Award

LA Trustee Rick Tyson ’87 presented the Alumni Appreciation Award to Rob Moore, twelve years after the award was given to Laura Moore, noting in his remarks that “many of us who have been so fortunate to be near you, Rob, are connected by the thread of your caring, your compassion, and your friendship.” talk about current events happening around school that perhaps we didn’t quite understand. Maybe one of us would hang back to talk to Rob about what might be difficult at the moment, what might have been happening at home, what might have been keeping us awake at night. Rob listened. He guided us.

Rick continued: “I’ve worn a number of hats here at Lawrence Academy: student, graduate, Alumni Council Member, and, currently, member of the Board of Trustees. Lawrence Academy is special to me, but it takes second place in my heart, just behind Rob and Laura Moore.

“Out of all of these capacities, the one that makes me feel the warmest on the inside is being a member of Mr. Moore’s FIRST advisee class, founded upon Rob’s and my arrivals in 1984, when I was a freshman and Rob had recently arrived as a Spanish teacher, a dorm parent (in Spaulding, God help you), a soccer coach, and, yes, thankfully, my advisor.

“Rob, we don’t have enough time today for me to share how much you mean to me, that all these years since I shook hands with you in line at graduation, I think about you and Laura often.

“Without you in the role of advisor, coach, and always a friend, for me, especially during that time of my life, I would not be standing here in front of you serving in my leadership role with LA today. I’m not sure if it would have all worked out without you.

“I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and it is my honor and my pleasure to present you the Alumni Faculty Appreciation Award as the sun sets on your remarkable career at LA.”

“Advisee meetings began early before classes three days a week. Being brand new to LA, Rob was awarded an advisee group of all boys. Was this Ben Williams’ idea of hazing the new guy? We were all good kids, but getting teenage boys to share anything of substance, not to mention at 7:30 a.m., is not for the faint of heart.

“That said, Rob kept an eye on us. We would hash out what’s going on in our classes; where did we need help? We would

Established in 1997 by Suzanne Schiller Loonie ’88 and voted on by the alumni, the Alumni Faculty Appreciation Award is given annually at Reunion to a current or past faculty member for his or her commitment and dedication to the students of Lawrence Academy. LA alumni are asked to submit their nominations throughout the year, and the highest cumulative vote recipients are presented to the head of school for final determination of the recipient.