In May, members of the Class of 2025 gathered on Brooks Field to celebrate their graduation from Miss Porter’s School. Having left their mark on Farmington, they are ready to build on what they have learned and apply their ethics and passion to positively shape our changing world.
Letter from Katherine G. Windsor, Ed.D. Head of School
It’s not a catch phrase … it embodies our singular and distinct focus on GIRLS.
It is how we differentiate our approach to teaching and learning at Miss Porter’s School. It’s how our transition to a mastery curriculum enables Porter’s students to focus intently on the pressing problems of the day through a multidisciplinary lens a curriculum that requires them to consider the timeless solutions of tomorrow. It is in how our GIRLS are taught to use their voices and claim their spaces. It is why our facilities are wholly dedicated to them as they work toward their individual goals, whether academic, artistic or athletic.
At Porter’s, our girls don’t just win. They thrive. We see it in their faces when they are working through an assignment or strategizing on the field. We see it in their posture as they move from one building to another and even up the hill on Mountain Day. We see it in their success as they rise above their challenges with a confidence and grace that only comes from knowing that they matter. We hear it in their voices, their thoughts, their values in their personhood, because they know they MATTER
And finally, we see it in their confidence as they cross the stage at graduation as informed, bold, resourceful, ethical global citizens.
In these pages, you will learn more about the work of our faculty and how they are engaging the next generation of young Ancients who have taken their place in the world: in architecture, in construction, in the classroom, at the podium, in the pool and beyond. You will read about how your giving is making a difference in their lives, both on campus and beyond Farmington.
Because she will and I hope you will connect with your community of Ancients who are shaping a changing world.
Profile How Ancients are reshaping our built environment.
Profile Nancy Pierce Briggs ’50, P’76
& Heard
A look at moments on campus.
MPS Endowment Investing in transformational education for girls.
How your gifts create future leaders.
Then & Now Past meets present.
A letter from Head of School Katherine G. Windsor.
What our faculty members have been learning, doing and presenting.
Peek
Katie Riccobon steers Porter’s swimmers towards success.
Cultivating creativity, confidence and character
How arts education animates girls’ agency.
Celebrating the legacy of Porter’s swim athletes.
Hamming it up for the camera at Prom 2025 made for some fun memories.
Timeless elegance was on display as members of the Class of 2025 danced the night away to celebrate graduating from Miss Porter’s School.
Beautiful sounds filled the Hacker Theater at our annual showcase of musical talent, where students hit the right notes with their voice or chosen instrument. Class Sweatshirt Day!
2025 VARSITY SPRING SPORTS AWARDS
We were thrilled to honor our top-performing athletes who excel across our diverse sports teams.
Spring Carnival
With excitement running high on the cusp of graduation, students gathered for a day of games and tasty eats.
GAME ON MPS faculty were victorious in the school’s 2nd annual dodgeball tournament.
At this year’s event at Yale University, which featured 56 school teams from across New England, two students scored sixth place for their outstanding tower.
At our annual event, students demonstrated their academic excellence across diverse disciplines to their family and friends.
In Farmington’s beautiful setting, students enjoyed fun and games in the warm spring weather.
Talent, grace and passion were on full display at the 2025 Senior Music Showcase and Dance Performance during graduation festivities.
GLOBAL EXPERIENCE: FRANCE
Students
GLOBAL EXPERIENCE: GERMANY
Students check out GRID, a kinetic installation at the Museum of Modern Art that merges the digital and physical world.
Cultivating creativity, confidence and character
A seat at the academic table
Sparking personal empowerment
How arts education at Porter’s supports students’ personal growth and sense of agency
Earlier this year, drama students at Miss Porter’s School wowed the crowd at the Gaines Dance Barn with their performance of “Proof,” playwright David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about family, sexism and mental health. Also noteworthy about the production was that the students were directly involved in every aspect of bringing it to life selecting the play, casting, choosing a performance venue, directing, acting, selecting props and costumes, and designing the set, sound and lighting, In just one trimester, they successfully brought the play from the page to the stage, fulfilling their artistic vision.
This intensive, hands-on drama lab was the focus of Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar (AIS): Play Production, a course that immerses students in the diverse aspects of the art, craft and even business of theater. The students were also involved in applying for the rights to stage the play, setting and sticking to a budget, and creating and following the production schedule.
“The students have a real sense of ownership over bringing the play to life. They get to flex a variety of muscles as they learn about leadership, collaboration, communication, marketing and more, which helps them come into their own as people,” says course developer and instructor Alexandra “Sasha” London-Thompson, who is also Porter’s theater director.
The AIS drama course is one of five theater courses London-Thompson teaches, with the others focusing on acting, directing and technical skills for stage and film; theater in the age of social media and streaming services; and public speaking. Across all courses, she engages students in identifying and setting two or three personal goals to achieve as a way to support their personal growth.
“I don’t think I teach drama first and foremost, I teach confidence. My ultimate goal is for students to graduate from my classes with more confidence,” says London-Thompson, a faculty member at Porter’s since 2014 who graduated from the distinguished Shakespearean Studies master’s program taught by King’s College, London and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. “As the students develop confidence in themselves and their theater skills, it helps them explore who they are and who they want to be in the world once they leave Porter’s.”
Self-respect, along with creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills, are among the key qualities students develop through the robust arts education at Porter’s. School founder Sarah Porter embraced education in the arts right from the start. This tradition continues through to today, with Farmington’s art academics also encompassing dance, painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, digital art, art history, music, ceramics and photography. These subjects, along with various arts cocurricular activities that students can participate in, are all organized and delivered by accomplished artists. While the art forms vary, the overarching goal is to support students in developing their authentic creative selves an approach that helps foster their self-awareness and their personal agency to shape our changing world.
Promoting authentic self-expression through movement is the objective of Tessa Hailu.
A seasoned dancer, choreographer and teaching artist who is well versed in ballet, jazz and modern, Hailu has led dance education at Porter’s since 2017
I don’t think I teach drama – first and foremost, I teach confidence. My ultimate goal is for students to graduate from my classes with more confidence.
Alexandra (“Sasha”) London-Thompson Theater Director
and was recently appointed chair of the arts department. She brings significant experience to the role, including cofounding and codirecting her own professional dance company, teaching at several dance institutions including the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and choreographing and performing internationally. Hailu also invites outside dance professionals to guest-teach ballroom, West African, Indian and traditional Chinese dance styles.
One way she has worked to make dance more accessible to students of all interests and skill levels is by creating the course Ballet for Athletes. Open to students in all grades, the course builds students’ strength, balance, coordination and stamina, which are all vital to success in athletics.
“Dance can feel intimidating for some, so I created this course at the intersection of dance and crosstraining as a way to reach a wider audience and show that anyone is capable of moving their body,” says Hailu, noting that the course’s popularity led her to introduce a level-two version.
Dance students at Porter’s practice and perform in the Gaines Dance Barn, a 3,500-square-foot room equipped with large windows that let in ample natural light, a wall of mirrors to support dance training, and a marley floor a durable vinyl surface that is slip-resistant and has cushioning properties. This is also where Hailu oversees the Dance Workshop, Porter’s audition-based dance group that trains every weekday afternoon and performs
The arts help students be resilient and inventive, evolve with the times, and take care of their mind, body and spirit.
Grier de Langley Torrence P’21, ’23 Visual Arts Director
in school shows and public events. She strives to strike the right balance between teaching students foundational dance moves and encouraging their personal exploration.
“The beauty of dance is that there is this wonderful structure, and when you get something right, it is really rewarding,” Hailu says. “At the same time, dance is such a personal experience … So I want them to learn how to tune in to their bodies and trust how they want to move.”
Porter’s students who are drawn to visual art have multiple options to learn the fundamentals of visual language and develop their original voice. Studio Art 1 builds awareness of form and content, personal imagery and identity, principles of design, and elements of drawing through collage, ink, charcoal and paint, while also touching on key art and artists throughout different cultures and civilizations. More advanced dimensions of visual art are explored in Studio Art 2 and 3, while in AIS Studio Art, students build a portfolio with a series of artworks following a single theme.
Visual arts at Porter’s is directed by Grier de Langley Torrence P’21, ’23, an accomplished and awardwinning professional artist whose paintings and drawings have been featured in multiple solo and group exhibitions. As well, Torrence was chair of the Arts Department from 2013 to 2025. He has much to share with his students about the history, forms and techniques of visual art. He engages students in discussions about foundational theories, primary methods and the accomplishments of prominent artists of the past and present.
However, Torrence understands that making art is an intrinsically personal act, and so strives to help students cultivate their own unique artistic expression.
“I try to help them be aware of themselves when creating art what their interests are, what their strengths are, what they want to explore about themselves,” says Torrence, who has been teaching at Porter’s since 1998 and is the longest-serving faculty member.
Torrence takes care to create a relaxed, welcoming vibe in the art studio. He regularly plays pop, folk or classical music, though students can listen to their own music. The walls in the spacious, sunlit
—Danielle da Silva Dean of College Counseling
space are adorned with creativity-sparking elements such as African masks and musical instruments. On a shelf along the wall of windows are multiple geraniums with bright red blooms.
“The way that geraniums grow is kind of mystical and amazing they can be a wonderful form of inspiration for creativity,” Torrence says.
One specific element of Torrence’s classroom that struck a chord with Jacqueline Mack ’20 was a collection of seashells. She recalls how the shiny, spiral-patterned abalone and nautilus shells ignited her fascination with both the beauty and science of nature, which animated her visual arts practice.
“I started making art at the intersection of math and science, based on the equations of the growth patterns of seashells,” Mack recalls. “This work opened the door to my interest in the physicality and materiality of art.”
What also resonated with Mack were Porter’s art history courses on 19th- and 20th-century art and AIS Museum Studies, which she says sparked her interest in historical decorative objects. After Porter’s, she went on to study at Bard College, completing a bachelor’s degree in art history and visual culture, and a master’s degree in decorative arts, design history and material culture. She is currently exploring roles in which to apply her expertise as a material historian of early modern Indo-Pacific art.
Many of Porter’s arts-focused students have gone on to enjoy rewarding careers as creators of different types, in museums and galleries, and in other related milieus. But even if a student has no interest in working directly in an art domain, Dean of College Counseling Danielle da Silva says there is still tremendous value in taking art courses, both for personal discovery and building community.
“It’s an opportunity to learn in a different way, express yourself and feel pride in something you’ve created,” da Silva says. “There’s also a lot of power in seeing how others are expressing themselves, and being able to create with others.”
As well, in her work preparing students for the journey to post-secondary school, da Silva says many colleges not just arts-focused institutions or those with robust arts programs appreciate and prioritize applicants with arts training.
“These institutions want students who are wellrounded individuals with diverse talents, and some schools weigh art experience heavily,” she says.
Reflecting on how Porter’s students benefit from arts education more broadly, Torrence links its value to how it helps us navigate our distinctly complex times with strength and stability.
“In this world, things are changing so fast,” he says. “The arts help students be resilient and inventive, evolve with the times, and take care of their mind, body and spirit.”
Arts education at Miss Porter’s School can foster once-in-a-lifetime experiences for students.
A perfect example occurred in March, when the MPS Chorus was invited by the Choirs of America music organization to perform in a national festival of top school choirs at Carnegie Hall. The students sang five songs, including American choral composer Susan LaBarr’s “Where the Light Begins,” which evokes themes of peace, hope and belonging.
The opportunity for students to sing on stage at this legendary New York City and globally recognized concert venue was made possible in part by a donation from an Ancient, who covered half of the trip expenses.
In addition to the highlight of gracing Perelman Stage, the students also received coaching and feedback from world-class conductors including Rollo Dilworth, Jason Max Ferdinand and Coty Raven Morris.
“This was a life-changing trip for our vocalists, and a landmark moment in the history of the MPS Chorus,” says Music Director Patrick Reardon, who supervised the trip.
“Two chock-full days of learning from world-renowned conductors and music educators, culminating in a performance to a full house at Carnegie Hall, is an experience that our students will never forget.”
How a new Nova Nine position strengthens the sense of agency for students at Porter’s
For the 2024-25 academic year, Miss Porter’s School introduced a new Nova Nine leadership position: Head of Academics. The role gives students a formal voice in shaping curricula, assessments and academic culture at Farmington.
The inaugural student to serve in the role was Hannah Satran ’25, who gathered and provided students’ feedback on academic matters to the Academic office, helped develop and implement new academic initiatives and led multiple celebrations of students’ academic achievements.
Here, we present an excerpt of Satran’s speech at Porter’s 2025 Spring Awards Ceremony, in which she reflected on the meaning of academic success.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about sixth grade, which was a very exciting time for me. I was sworn in as an official middle schooler. I got braces. I learned the equation for a line. I was a truffula tree in my school’s production of Seussical. I had my own locker that I kept in tip top shape with a plethora of magnets and color-coded binders.
Sixth grade was also the first time in my academic career where I received letter grades. Before that, my achievements were measured in “muy bien!” stickers from my Spanish teacher, and popcorn parties for successfully completing a deck of math flashcards. Academic competition with my classmates was a foreign concept.
You came here to learn, you came here to grow and you came to fail, and fail again, and then succeed. If any of that feels relevant to you, then you already won, and you don’t need an award to know that.
That was until the first geography quiz. I studied hard, learned the material and felt confident in my performance. When the grades were released, my best friend and I were sitting together with our laptops open to the results. I got a 96. I was thrilled. She got a 97, and suddenly, I was not so thrilled.
But why? I had worked hard, I got a great result. That one-point difference should not have undermined those positive feelings. I never even left space for two friends to celebrate their success.
Today, I can see that my disappointment was a waste of time. That tiny difference in our scores had nothing to do with my effort, ability or what I had learned. I was basing my entire self-worth on an extra character typed into the gradebook.
While competitive instincts may drive us to learn, learning itself is not a competition. Although sometimes it may feel like it, school is not an arena. It’s an open space to explore, grow and collaborate. There are no time limits, referees or scoreboards.
You did not come to Miss Porter’s to win an award. You came here to lie out on the Newell Harris patio on sunny spring days, scream hello to people from across the dining hall, knock on your friends’ doors at random hours of the night without texting first. You came here to learn, you came here to grow and you came to fail, and fail again, and then succeed. If any of that feels relevant to you, then you already won, and you don’t need an award to know that.”
To watch Hannah’s full speech:
When the distinguished Vietnamese American writer Ocean Vuong visited Miss Porter’s School in November of 2023, the excitement in the air was palpable. The literary works of the former MacArthur Fellow, which poignantly explore themes such as love, war and the immigrant experience, have gained widespread critical and popular appreciation, including among many of Porter’s students.
Over the previous summer, freshmen and sophomores had read Vuong’s first book of poems, “Night Sky with Exit Wounds,” while juniors and
seniors perused his 2022 poetry collection, “Time Is a Mother.”
That day at the Hacker Theater, the students were enthralled by his reflections on his life journey and creative process and hearing him read some of his poems. Later, about 100 of them formed a long line outside the theater’s door for the chance to say hello to Vuong and have him sign copies of his book.
Vuong’s visit was enabled by one of many philanthropic funds that enhance Porter’s capacity to organize enlightening, inspiring talks by prominent figures from diverse domains.
“Philanthropy allows us to offer students unique experiences where they hear diverse perspectives directly from people who are impacting the world in different ways,” says Timothy Quinn, chief academic officer and dean of faculty.
Multiple philanthropic funds at Porter’s sponsor meaningful keynote addresses, lectures and panel discussions that enrich
students’ school experiences. These funds have typically been established by Ancients, their relatives or their peers, and sometimes by an entire graduating class.
The philanthropic fund that enabled Ocean Vuong’s visit was the Prescott Program, which Marjorie Wiggin Prescott 1911 established in 1961 to support visits by lecturers and performers. This year’s Prescott speaker was Atia Abawi, an award-winning foreign correspondent of Afghan descent who shared about the oppression of women in Taliban-led Afghanistan.
Philanthropy allows us to offer students unique experiences where they hear diverse perspectives directly from people who are impacting the world in different ways.
Timothy Quinn Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Faculty
In 2024, the Prescott Speaker was Erin Presley, an English professor at Eastern Kentucky University, who spoke about “Demon Copperhead,” Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prizewinning 2022 novel about poverty, addiction, loss, survival and hope in rural Appalachia.
Meanwhile, a general teaching fund supported by numerous donors enabled Porter’s to invite Emmy-winning photographer and filmmaker Luca Martinez to campus in April 2024. He shared with the students about his work using visual storytelling to promote environmental conservation of the Florida Everglades, which is at risk of overdevelopment.
Another fund that supports bringing speakers to campus is the Dorothy Walker Bush 1919 Fund, which devoted family and friends established in 1994 to celebrate her faith, grace and quiet strength. The fund is used to bring speakers to school convocations and other functions, and among them has been award-winning health educator Justine Ang Fonte, whose recent addresses to students focused on boundaries and self-love.
Sometimes, an idea for a speaker originates from students, which was the case with Vuong, and Quinn says actualizing
these requests is part of the school’s commitment to centering students in the education process. A main highlight of such events, he says, is when speakers spend extra time with students afterwards answering their questions, which enriches the entire experience.
Jenna Reichen, assistant director of donor relations, says opportunities to take in the fresh perspectives of different community leaders helps prepare them for life outside of Farmington.
Says Reichen: “The resources philanthropy provides enable us to create impactful experiences where students get to reflect on timely issues, which shapes how they relate to the world.”
Arts Department Chair and Dance Director Tessa Hailu is the co-founder and artistic director of Immix Dance Project, a professional contemporary dance company. This spring, the company debuted its new evening-length work called the “Nth Degree” at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford.
In the spring of 2024, Cathie Hillian P’25, ’27, associate director of counseling, was formally invited to serve a three-year term on the School Growth and Collaboration Commission of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). The commission generates, leads, supports
and moderates programs for CAIS educators. Commissioners also create programming that responds to perceived needs in the education community, or to showcase the work of CAIS schools.
Maureen Lamb, chair of the Language Department and Latin teacher, is a recipient of the inaugural GenerationAI Luminary Award from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The award recognizes visionary educators who are revolutionizing their classrooms through the use of innovative AI applications. Lamb was one of 10 educators who were presented with the award on June 30 at ISTE’s annual conference in Texas.
Mathematics Teacher Eileen Mooney had her paintings displayed in a solo exhibition from April 6 to May 10 at the Mark W. Pottery Gallery at The Taft School. Called “Recent Work,” the show reflected how Mooney expresses diverse dynamics of being objects, landscapes, light through her perception as well as her experimentation with abstraction.
At the Institute for Global Learning (formerly the Global Educators Benchmark Group) annual conference in April in Miami, Director of Porter’s Center for Global Leadership and Auxiliary Programs Sophie Paris facilitated a panel discussion about developing leadership competencies and skills through global learning. She also announced the winners of the Global Educator of the Year and the Salmon Prize awards.
In January, Timothy Quinn, chief academic officer, dean of faculty and humanities teacher, was one of five Connecticut teachers named a Morehead-Cain Impact Educator for 2025. This award celebrates K–12 educators worldwide who are shaping tomorrow’s changemakers and are recognized by exceptional high school seniors for their positive influence on students’ lives and leadership development.
In April, Quinn was a guest on the Public and Private radio show by Brian and Company. He spoke about artificial intelligence; teachers; diversity, equity and inclusion; and the future of education.
In February, Academic Dean Elizabeth Simison, Dean of Curriculum and Humanities Teacher Nelle Andrews P’22 and Director of the Institute for Global Education and Spanish Teacher Santiago Enrique P’28 presented “Creating Mission-Driven Global Programming Through Institution-Wide Collaboration” at the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools in Nashville.
In April, Simison and Santiago presented “Global Education Redefined: The Transformative Impact of Curricular Innovation” at the annual conference of the Institute for Global Learning in Miami.
At the annual conference of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools that took place in Philadelphia in June, Simison delivered multiple presentations. Two were with Nelle Andrews: “Empowering Global Citizens: Collaborative Programming in Girls’ Education” and “Mastery, Not Metrics: Reducing Stress and Redefining Success in Girls’ Education”; and one was with Director of Counseling Amanda Kice ’93: “Foundational Kool-Aid: A Recipe for Inquisitive, Healthy and Reflective Learners.”
Meanwhile, Simison was also a contributor to the Skills for the Future Progression Education Team organized by Lyons Assessment Consulting and the Carnegie Foundation. Her role involved reviewing and revising research progressions for educators and students.
Grier de Langley Torrence P’21, ’23, visual art director and the Margaret How Wallace ’27 Teaching Chair, had his painting “Main St Rising” featured in the Castles in the Sky show at the Hill-Stead Museum over the summer.
Tune in to learn more
AsMiss Porter’s School prepares young women to shape a changing world, its mission is supported by numerous champions whose philanthropic gifts help make transformational education possible. Making the best use of these donations requires strategically growing the school’s endowment, which is designed to support the sustainability of Porter’s in perpetuity. The endowment ensures Porter’s students of today and tomorrow have every opportunity to explore their interests, develop their strengths and blossom into impactful changemakers.
“The endowment, which exists because of the generous philanthropy of our Ancients and other supporters, ensures we have the resources to make the best decisions for students, and to grow as an institution,” says Michael Bergin P’19, chief financial and operating officer.
Porter’s endowment is currently worth about $178M, an increase in value of more than 350% since it was established three decades ago. The school
draws on it to cover 25% of its annual operating costs, which include conventional expenses such as salaries and benefits, dining services and utilities. It is also vital to student access and development, such as global learning experiences, financial aid and spending money accounts for learners with socioeconomic need.
Helping Porter’s to optimize this resource is Offit Capital, a leading investment advisory firm based in New York City and Los Angeles that oversees $20 billion in assets, including endowments for many private schools. In keeping with Porter’s focus on uplifting and empowering girls, the school deliberately chose to work with Offit research partner Jessica Lin who, as a senior executive who is an Asian woman, is a rarity in a field still dominated by white men.
Guiding Offit’s work is an investment policy statement featuring Porter’s values and priorities that the team co-created with members of Porter’s investment committee. Part of the school’s board of trustees, the investment committee consists primarily of Ancients who work in investment management. Functioning
The endowment ensures Porter’s students of today and tomorrow have every opportunity to explore their interests, develop their strengths and blossom into impactful changemakers.
“I love this part of the job … It makes me feel good to help these young women understand that you can make it as a woman and a minority in the financial services industry.”
JESSICA LIN Partner at Offit Capital
as an outsourced chief investment officer for Porter’s, Offit has full discretion in deciding how to allocate the school’s assets a model that allows enough flexibility for making timely investment decisions amid fast-evolving market conditions. Lin and her colleagues meet with the investment committee three times annually to review the endowment’s activity, and Bergin facilitates the process. Offit also provides Porter’s with monthly performance reports.
Offit is charged with growing the endowment, which entails generating a long-term return that exceeds Porter’s yearly draw from the fund and the yearly inflation rate. Offit also strives to ensure the endowment’s investments outperform certain financial market benchmarks over the long run. Offit has consistently succeeded in meeting these goals for Porter’s, and ensures the endowment weathers market fluctuations caused by politics, war and other forces.
“There is always something happening in the world that will disrupt markets,” Lin says. “But if you have a long-term investment horizon and the right asset allocation in place and this endowment does you can ride out those periods of volatility and increase the chance of achieving the return target.”
Understanding Porter’s goal to live its values through its investment activities, Lin strives to prioritize high-performing funds led by women and minorities.
Whenever Lin visits Porter’s to provide an update on the endowment, she always carves out time to talk with students interested in learning about her career.
“I love this part of the job,” Lin says. “It makes me feel good to help these young women understand that you can make it as a woman and a minority in the financial services industry.”
With its eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool, ample spectator seating and wall of windows overlooking the Farmington River, the sunny, modern-designed Porter’s Pool and Squash Building is an inviting setting for swimming and diving training and competitions, cheering on athletes or just going for a leisurely dip.
But for Katie Riccobon P’24, the facility is also part of her “office” and that’s not only because she coaches Porter’s varsity swimmers. A lifelong swimmer who competed on three USA Swimming teams, broke records on the varsity swim team of Saint Joseph College (now the University of St. Joseph) and co-founded the distinguished West Hartford Aquatic Team (WHAT) Swimming club with her husband, Riccobon says she feels more at home at a pool than almost anywhere else.
“I feel like I’m always at a pool!” says Riccobon, aquatics director, head varsity coach of swimming and director of risk management, whose official office is near the pool. “Swimming has always been an important part of my life. It gives me a sense of comfort and connection with others.”
A resident of West Hartford who joined Porter’s in 2010, Riccobon has passed her passion for swimming on to her daughter, Ruthie, a 2024 Ancient, and her son, a 2025 graduate of Avon Old Farms School both now compete on their colleges’ swim teams. When not poolside, the family enjoys vacationing with relatives out West.
01 GOGGLES
Katie’s favorite goggles for her “fit and fabulous” journey!
02 MEGAPHONE
A gift to Katie and her brothers from their swim coaches when her family moved from California to New Jersey.
03 SWIM CAP
A memento that belonged to her daughter, Ruthie ’24, who competed on the Porter’s swim team.
04 STOP WATCH
In her capacity as director of risk management at Porter’s, Riccobon also works to maintain a safe campus environment. The role involves developing thoughtful policies and response plans to ensure the well-being of the community in the event of accidents, severe weather or other risks to safety.
Meanwhile, back at the pool, Riccobon has skillfully built up the school’s swim program with her extensive knowledge of swimming techniques and her dedication to success. Her holistic approach nurtures each athlete’s physical, mental and emotional growth and fosters a sense of belonging. The result: Porter’s swimmers often earn top scores at regional swim competitions.
“Winning a championship is truly a team effort, and we succeed as one cohesive unit,” Riccobon says. “Achieving that level of success requires the dedication, hard work and unity of the entire team.”
In the pool, as in life, timing is everything!
05 OFFICE VIEWS
Katie’s office is right next to the Porter’s swimming pool which is her “happy place”!
06 PORTER’S SWIM SWAG
One of her original Porter’s swim sweatshirts where it all began! #GirlsSwimHere.
This year’s Nova Nine student leaders are building a welcoming community with creativity, passion and collaboration. Their collective vision for the 2025 – 26 academic year is to ensure that all students feel included and can thrive academically, athletically, socially and in all other aspects of life at Porter’s.
HEAD OF SCHOOL Princess-Larrine Moore
HOMETOWN
Bloomfield, Connecticut
ON BEING HEAD OF SCHOOL
I’ve always dreamed of being in a role where I can amplify the voices of the people I love and care about. Every one of them is driven by a passion to make the world a better place, and I hope to be someone who will be there to support them on their journey.
HAPPINESS IS …
The sun makes me beyond happy; when it’s out I know everything will be okay!
FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS
I love the Greene House. I find the water to be a very grounding experience, and I go there whenever I need to find my calm.
SECOND HEAD OF SCHOOL
Arianna Vasson
HOMETOWN
Dallas, Texas
ON BEING SECOND HEAD OF SCHOOL
I'm incredibly excited about this position that bridges Ancients and current students. The opportunity to host combined events and contribute to both communities is something I’m truly passionate about.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
The community I’ve found at Miss Porter’s has connected me with lifelong friends and taught me to become a better leader and version of myself.
HAPPINESS IS … I have a strong passion for building relationships and learning from others across all walks of life.
HEAD OF MAIN
Melissa Ma
HOMETOWN
Nanjing, China
ON BEING HEAD OF MAIN
Through fun activities like the Halloween Banquet as well as internship opportunities, I’m committed to helping everyone find joy and meaning through various creative expressions.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
I am endlessly grateful for this community so far away from home and for being treated with such love and kindness. It has helped me grow into someone I never imagined I could become.
HEAD OF NEW GIRLS
Addy McNear
HOMETOWN
Darien, Connecticut
ON BEING HEAD OF NEW GIRLS
I’m beyond excited to welcome each New Girl into our amazing community and contribute to creating a space where every new student feels supported, valued and connected.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
From thought-provoking class discussions to late-night dorm conversations, I’ve learned just as much about the world as I have about myself.
FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS
My favorite place on campus is the art studio. I love the big windows, the stacks of old magazines and coming with my friends on a weekend to create anything from school projects to scrapbooks!
HAPPINESS IS … My family, friends, the beach, museums, music, concerts and traveling.
HEAD OF ACADEMICS
Anya Kumar
HOMETOWN
Avon, Connecticut
ON BEING HEAD OF ACADEMICS
I will work collaboratively with the school on academic programming and solicit the input of the student body regarding academic curriculum, teaching practices, assessment and feedback.
HAPPINESS IS …
Hanging out with my friends: Game nights in the library, karaoke and volleyball in the gym, or in a classroom learning.
HEAD OF ATHLETICS
Katie Cashel
HOMETOWN
North Palm Beach, Florida
ON BEING HEAD OF ATHLETICS
I want to help keep Porter’s loud with spirit, where traditions shine bright, and every single student feels proud to be part of a community that cheers them on and inspires them to grow.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
What stands out to me most about my time at Porter’s is the incredible sense of sisterhood and support I’ve experienced. From spirited traditions to quiet moments with friends, this community has truly made all the difference.
HEAD OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Bea Kibler
HOMETOWN
Los Angeles, California
ON BEING HEAD OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES
The job is to help create fun memories and strong bonds within the Porter’s community. I look forward to doing this by planning exciting and unique activities that appeal to all students!
ON THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
The most special part of Porter’s is the community. In 20 years, I am sure I will remember not only my best friends but also the girls with whom I struggled through group projects, shared meals in the dining hall and stayed up with watching movies past lights out.
HEAD OF DAY STUDENTS
Fiona Foulois
HOMETOWN
Washington Depot, Connecticut
ON BEING HEAD OF DAY STUDENTS
I am committed to reinforcing the connections between day students and boarders so we can all enjoy and learn from each other.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
Whether in the traditions, in the classroom or on the fields, I am surrounded by laughter, support and kindness. I love these girls like my sisters and will carry them with me forever.
HAPPINESS IS …
Spending time with my friends and family, my cats, ice cream, traveling, summer, my house and Porter’s!
HEAD OF DIVERSITY
Genesis Lewis
HOMETOWN
Bridgeport, Connecticut
ON BEING HEAD OF DIVERSITY
I see this role as a key to ensuring a sense of belonging for all students on campus. I plan to do this by meeting with affinity and alliance heads … and working with faculty and student leaders to ensure we are working to make a change with the right intentions.
THEIR PORTER’S EXPERIENCE
In 20 years from now, I will remember the passion and grit within the student body, especially in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion.
BYthe end of the 2024–25 school season at Miss Porter’s School, the aquatic athletes had much to be proud of. Earlier this year, the swim and dive team won the two major varsity competitions among regional independent schools: the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Swimming and Diving Division II Championship and the Founders League Championships. Their outstanding performances perfectly embodied the school’s informal motto of “Girls win here!”
“It’s been incredible to see how swimming has evolved into a serious, respected sport on campus. We win, we break records and we can hold our own against other top schools,” says Katie Riccobon P’24, aquatics director, head varsity coach of swimming and director of risk management.
This evolution to the apex of varsity swimming among New England independent schools has been shaped by Porter’s promise of transformational education, which enables the pursuit of greatness not only in the classroom but also in diverse domains including in the pool. By recruiting
top-tier swim coaching talent, building a state-of-the-art pool facility and significantly expanding training time for its roughly 30 swimmers and six divers, Porter’s has cultivated a consistently high-performing swim and dive team that has given rise to many successful collegiate-level athletes.
Porter’s introduced its swim team in the 1978–79 academic year with the arrival of Claire Sutherland ’81, a competitive swimmer from Wilton, Connecticut. Sutherland had won first place in the 50-yard backstroke for participants ages 12 and under in the New England championships, and she and her family were keen to maintain her momentum in the pool. Back then, swim team members practiced at the nearby YMCA pool in Plainville, Connecticut, which had four lanes that were 20 yards long, which is 5 yards short of a standard shortcourse competition pool.
“We didn’t win a lot in those days, but we had a lot of fun together,” recalls Sutherland, who later swam for four years as the lead backstroker on the varsity team of St. Lawrence University in New York while completing a bachelor’s degree in English literature.
Like Sutherland, Constance “Stacey” Dettmer Russello ’81 also valued the opportunity to build on the progress she had made in her younger years as a breaststroke swimmer in the Amateur Athletic Union. On the Porter’s team, she was able to hone her abilities in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 500-yard freestyle, and she recalls the thrill of earning a podium finish at regional swim championship. What most stands out for Russello about her experience on the team was how their coach entrusted her and Sutherland, both very competent swimmers, to help teach the others.
“Claire and I were encouraged to teach everyone what we knew, and I remember being really happy that I had something I could contribute, and seeing the swimmers take my suggestions and improve,” says Russello, who in recent years was actively involved in U.S. Masters Swimming.
“They learn a lot about teamwork, accountability, time management and resilience — skills that are great not only in the pool but also in the real world.”
— KATIE RICCOBON, aquatics director, head varsity coach of swimming and director of risk management
Making a splash on the Porter’s swim team starting in 2002 was Farmington native Kathrine Fugge McNamara ’06, who became the school’s most accomplished swimmer. She broke seven of the team’s records, achieved USA Swimming’s All American Swimmer status in three swim events, and was named the New England Prep School Swimmer of the Year. In 2018, McNamara became an inaugural inductee to Porter’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
McNamara remembers with gratitude how the swim coach took extra care to organize team members’ study time and meals around evening swim practices, which at that time took place in the pool of Trinity College in Hartford. She also appreciated how the coach cooperated with her external swim instructor to create a cohesive plan for her swim skills development.
“They collaboratively came up with a program for me, which was really helpful in my development as a swim athlete,” says McNamara, who later enjoyed an illustrious tenure on the Division I swim team of Northeastern University.
The next wave of progress in Porter’s swimming took place in 2007 with the opening of the state-of-theart Pool and Squash Building. This almost 30,000-squarefoot modern facility includes an eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool and two 1-meter diving boards. The pool water is maintained at 78°F, the standard temperature for competition pools.
Three years later, Porter’s made the game-changing decision to hire Katie Riccobon as its swim coach. A record-breaking varsity swimmer at Saint Joseph College (now the University of St. Joseph) who competed on three USA Swimming teams across the country, she is the co-founder with her husband of the West Hartford Aquatic Team (WHAT) Swimming club in Connecticut. Since launching in 2007, the club has trained many swimmers who have gone on to compete at the national and Olympic levels.
In addition to bringing a wealth of expertise in proven swim training methods to Porter’s, Riccobon also
helped shift the school’s sports culture: In 2010, Porter’s welcomed WHAT Swimming to operate out of its pool, allowing the school’s swimmers and divers to train year-round. Riccobon’s coaching style involves cultivating a cohesive team culture her office, where she always keeps a stash of snacks, is a regular hangout spot for athletes and building trust and rapport with individual swimmers in order to elicit their best performances.
“I like getting to know them on an individual level what works with each one, where I can push and where I can’t,” Riccobon says. “Cultivating these relationships is one of the biggest factors in our success.”
Under the leadership of Riccobon and Assistant Coach Julie Zurolo P’27, ‘29, who is also a science teacher at Porter’s and was an awardwinning swimmer at Brown University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Porter’s swimmers and divers have repeatedly achieved strong performances at Founders League, with the school’s first win in 2020, and NEPSAC DII—the team won previously in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2024. This year, the outstanding performances of team member Savannah Bowers ’27 in the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter freestyle earned her All American status from the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
Among the most recent swimmers at Porter’s is Sara Omar ’25, who participated on the team for all four years of her time at the school and served as one of three senior captains in her last year. At the 2025 NEPSAC DII competition, Omar achieved podium finishes in the 500-meter freestyle and the 200-meter freestyle relay, and she earned All NEPSAC Honors.
Cheering on Omar at almost every swim meet was her mother, Reem Nouh P’25, who served on Porter’s parent
STATE-OF-THEART POOL AND SQUASH BUILDING:
30k square feet
25-yard eight-lane competition pool
2 1-m diving boards
leadership committee for four years and was its chair for the last two years. For Nouh, it has been heartening to observe how Omar’s participation in a swim program so well structured to promote excellence transformed her into a stronger swimmer with increasingly faster times.
“The quality of the coaching is so high, it’s beyond the high school level. They are deeply committed to building the girls up,” Nouh says. “Being part of the team, Sara gained so much confidence and leadership ability.”
Finding her stride as a Porter’s swimmer, Omar was recruited to swim at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she now competes at the collegiate level while pursuing a degree in nursing.
For Jaya Magavi ’23, her aquatic sport of choice was diving. Previously involved in gymnastics, she felt she was well positioned to transition to diving with its focus on completing complex body maneuvers with flexibility and balance. Benefiting from the expert guidance of Diving Head Coach Ellen Niedomys, who was a record-breaking diver at the University of New Hampshire, Magavi made significant strides in the 1-meter dive, scoring first place in the event at Founders in 2023 and at NEPSAC in 2023 and 2022.
After Porter’s, Magavi enrolled at Wellesley College to study neuroscience. She was a member of the school’s Division III varsity dive team last year, where she performed strongly in multiple competitions against other schools. In 2024, she was named an Individual Scholar All American by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America.
While she no longer dives so she can focus full time on her studies, Magavi cherishes her memories of diving at Porters, especially getting to be part of a supportive, tight-knit team.
“What I liked most about the sport at Porter’s was the community being surrounded by people you look up to and who can help you grow,” Magavi says. “Your teammates and coaches are there for you, which is quite special.”
Witnessing the personal and athletic growth of Magavi, Omar and the many other swimmers who have gone through Porter’s swim and dive program is one of the highlights of the job for Riccobon.
“The way the swimmers develop physically, mentally and emotionally, how they grow as individuals and humans it’s amazing to witness,” Riccobon says. “They learn a lot about teamwork, accountability, time management and resilience skills that are great not only in the pool but also in the real world.”
In the United States, lack of diversity in STEM fields continues to be a serious issue, including in architecture and construction. Data from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards shows that in 2024, only 25% of practitioners were women, and just 1% were Black women. In the construction industry, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that women made up 11.2% and Black people accounted for 6.5% of its workforce in 2024.
But we can find inspiration in some graduates of Miss Porter’s School who are beating the odds to find success and distinction in the field.
Among them is Ancient Candace Seda ’11 , a Virginiabased project architect at Craig Gaulden Davis | PBK, an award-winning architecture and interior design firm focusing on arts, civic, education and commercial projects in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic United States.
Seda, who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology, is particularly interested in developing learning spaces with biophilic design, which incorporates natural elements plants, sunlight, wood and stone materials, nature patterns, curved lines, water features into built environments. The approach has been found to promote well-being, and recently, she has been applying it to a new master plan for a historic Catholic elementary school.
“My firm does a lot of research on how the class environment itself can be a learning tool,” says Seda, who has also provided freelance architectural services to small business owners, community centers and other “overlooked” organizations. “The data shows design can have a calming effect on occupants and improve learning outcomes.”
Aware of the persistent obstacles that racialized and female architects face in their career progression, Seda has volunteered for the National Organization of Minority Architects and currently helps lead VANOMA, which champions diversity within design professions.
“It’s really important that as women of color in the industry, we’re constantly impressing on other women of color to join the industry,” Seda says.
ess
“Jane”
Construction consultant Goodness “Jane” Olayiwola ’10 is acutely aware of the need to create more space for minorities in her industry. Having worked in estimating, project management and field supervision roles at multiple companies throughout the United States, she recalls many meetings where she was the only woman and only person of color in the room.
’10
“There’s a dearth of representation for people who look like me,” says Olayiwola, who earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies with a minor in architectural engineering at Tufts University, and a master’s degree in project management at Northeastern University.
“Over the past decade, the representation of women in the industry has increased … but a lot of them hit a glass ceiling early on and plateau in their career.”
In 2023, Olayiwola found a workaround to this problem by establishing her consultancy, ConstructionJane LLC, which provides business analysis and project management services to residential and commercial builders. She also provides consulting services to nonprofits. Working her way through the complexities of each project, she keeps her eye on the prize.
“Even though the process of creating a building is intensive and all-consuming, the reward comes when the end user gets to live and work in the space and feel at home that is an indescribable feeling, and makes the arduous work worthwhile,” she says.
To sustain her professional growth and help level the professional playing field for other minority women, Olayiwola engages with the National Association of Minority Contractors and the National Association of Women in Construction.
Goodness Olayiwola contributed to the building for Community Servings, a center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts that helps those with chronic illness and nutrition insecurity.
ieJolivert ’07
New York City-based architect Nathalie Jolivert ’07 is also carving out her own path in creative ways. Having worked for a variety of architectural and engineering firms in New York and California, Jolivert is currently an assistant project manager at CANY, an envelope consulting company providing sustainable design for existing and new buildings to remain water-tight and weather-tight, from their foundations to their roofing structures.
For Jolivert, it is also important to weave her values into her journey as an architect. She took part in an Architecture for Humanity mission to restore École Élie Dubois, a girls’ school in her birth country of Haiti that had been ravaged by a devastating earthquake in 2010. She has also volunteered to research development in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans following its destruction by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Jolivert is also interested in pushing the envelope of architecture by exploring the use of bamboo as a building material. As a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in both architecture and fine arts, she studied the use of bamboo for ecological construction at an eco-tourism center in Colombia and designed her own building
prototype. Her outstanding efforts earned her the prestigious National Diversity Award from global architecture firm Gensler.
“Bamboo is a material that can withstand seismic activities very well, so I’m interested in exploring its potential for architectural projects in North America,” says Jolivert, who in 2018 was invited by Porter’s to serve as its leader-in-residence, where she presented to students on her professional journey.
Over her time in architecture, Jolivert says she has seen more Black women make inroads in the profession, and she was encouraged by the 2023 appointment of distinguished architect Kimberly Nicole Dowdell as the first Black female president of the American Institute of Architects. She anticipates further such progress shaped by women who re-envision what it means to excel in the field.
“It is still hard for women, and especially Black women, to pierce through,” she says. “That being said, sometimes I don’t think we have to practice architecture the way it has always been practiced to feel successful.”
As we look back on another incredible year in Farmington, I want to take a moment to extend my gratitude to our community of Ancients, family, friends, faculty and staff, and students for your compelling support. Whether you served as a volunteer for your class, joined us as speaker on a panel, hosted an event, served on a committee or made a financial contribution to the school, you have made a profound impact on our students, faculty, spirit and the overall mission of your school.
Miss Porter’s School is thriving because generations of volunteers and donors continue to make the success of young women a priority and they care about this institution’s longevity. This community embodies the understanding that philanthropy is essential to our current and future success. We had a record-breaking year of giving and we look forward to spurring you and others to participate in the coming year. We hope this report will catalyze you to reach out to someone you know and share why you know investing in Miss Porter’s makes a difference. Thank you for being an undeniable part of the Power of Porter’s. Take a look at the impact of our shared success!
Christine M. Pina, Ed.M. Chief Advancement Officer
*Donors who make gifts of any size to Porter’s for at least five consecutive years.
**Recognizes individuals who have included Porter’s in their estate plans.
PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION
$14.4M
TOTAL RAISED
1,720
TOTAL DONORS
Learn about the impact of philanthropy in action at MPS
LOYALTY GIVING SOCIETIES
650
IVY SOCIETY MEMBERS*
6
NEW MOONBEAMS CIRCLE** MEMBERS, GROWING OUR COMMUNITY TO >220
$1.78M
TOTAL RAISED IN REALIZED MOONBEAMS CIRCLE BEQUESTS
The Annual Fund comprises up to 13% of the Porter’s operating budget and supports academic and extracurricular programs, financial aid, faculty salaries, global travel and the maintenance of our historic campus. In this fiscal year, our supporters gave so generously that we enjoyed a record-breaking year of fundraising.
$3.16M
TOTAL RAISED
70%
DONORS GAVE $1-$500 GIFTS
Donors hailed from 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 24 countries
$128K
TOTAL RAISED BY THE CLASS OF 2025 AND THEIR FAMILIES
158 FIRST-TIME DONORS
1,695
TOTAL DONORS
149
RECURRING GIFTS
100% participation by Board of Trustees, Alumnae Board, and class of 2025
Funds raised by the class of 2025 were used to support Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Global Intensive courses, which allow students to travel and learn abroad.
21% increase in dollars raised year over year
Additionally, Second Head of School Anna Risoli ’25 and her fundraising committee initiated a giving tree on Farmington Give Day. For each gift, a ribbon was placed on the tree offering a powerful visual reminder of how students have agency to positively transform MPS and the world.
“The work we do in collaboration with Alumnae and Development enables us to inspire and lead the next generation of Miss Porter’s Ancients. We strived to educate and guide the class of 2025 as they learned how to be philanthropic contributors who stay connected to Porter’s. This helps us to actively live the Miss Porter’s School mission to shape a changing world.”
—Anna
Risoli ’25, Second Head of School Committee
Awarded to class of 1974 for achieving the most participation in the Annual Fund during a non-reunion year this class achieved a 56% participation rate.
Awarded to class of 1999 for achieving the largest increase in class participation over the previous year in the Annual Fund this class achieved a 20% increase in participation.
Each year, members of the MPS community come together for the school’s single largest fundraising day of the year. We are proud that 2025 Farmington Give Day was recordbreaking in both dollars raised and the number of donors!
Awarded to the class of 1975 for achieving the highest level of participation in the Annual Fund in its reunion year this class achieved a 55% participation rate.
Amounts raised in the last five fiscal years:
The MPS Endowment works to ensure the financial sustainability of the school in perpetuity and much of it supports specific purposes.
FY25 ENDOWMENT SPENDING
$3M $2.4M
$178M
CURRENT MARKET VALUE OF THE ENDOWMENT (As of June 30, 2025)
$27.5M (15% UNRESTRICTED)
$150.9M (85% RESTRICTED)
$10.2M IN GIFTS ADDED TO 34 ENDOWED FUNDS
Miss Porter’s School has an annual operating budget of $28M, which reflects our mission in numbers. Our Mission by the Numbers
These 5 new endowed funds, established in fiscal year 2024–2025, support financial aid, global education and student life enrichment:
Global Education Program Fund
Janet & Sam Bailey Scholarship Fund
Janet’s Daisies Fund
Mrs. Ho, L.P.W. Memorial Scholarship
The Lucy Kim 1980 Memorial Scholarship Fund
Over our 2024–25 fiscal year, many volunteers partnered with the Alumnae and Development Office to strengthen connections with Ancients and uphold our strong sense of community. They combined creativity, technology and tradition to engage classmates. From virtual thank-you videos and digital outreach to hosting events in Farmington and around the world, Porter’s volunteers demonstrated the powerful synergy of modern tools and timeless values.
22
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
58 REUNION AMBASSADORS
38 PARENT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
26 ALUMNAE BOARD
30% of Porter’s $5.3M financial aid budget is powered by endowment funds that are restricted for scholarships.
122 EVENT HOSTS, SPEAKERS, & PANELISTS
357
TOTAL VOLUNTEERS
81 CLASS REPRESENTATIVES
8 SECOND HEAD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
“I volunteer as an Ancient because I want to help inspire and empower the next generation of young women with the same support and opportunities Porter’s gave me.”
—Ashley Dorin ’97, P’29 Alumnae Board 2025–2026 recording secretary
Reaching the remarkable milestone of their graduation from Miss Porter’s School, members of the Class of 2025 celebrated with their family and friends under a beautiful tent on Brooks Field. Joyful about their achievement and excited about the future, they embark on their next chapter with wisdom, confidence and the enduring connection of their Porter’s sisterhood.
Over the summer, Miss Porter’s joined with Ancients, parents and friends around the country to celebrate the school community. It was a time of connection and gratitude as we reflected on recent Porter’s activities and accomplishments as well as our vision for continuing to prepare young women to shape a changing world.
We are thankful to our generous hosts this summer:
• Margaret Fennebresque ’25 and Jolee and John Fennebresque P’25 of Charlotte, North Carolina
• Pippa ’72 and Robert Gerard of Southampton, New York
• Lisa McCormick Mannix ’90, P’23, Matthew Mannix P’23 and Annika Mannix ’23 of Watch Hill, Rhode Island
• Delaney Nwachukwu ’20, Anthony Nwachukwu P’20, Sydni Scott ’18 and Kimberley J. Scott P’18 on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
• Kate Hebard ’25 and Leigh and Charlie Hebard P’25 of Osterville, Massachusetts
• Franny ’64 and Daniel Zilkha of Proust Neck, Maine
• Helen Sharp ’24 and Eliza and Matt Sharp P’24 of Islesboro, Maine
In January, The Morgan Library and Museum in New York City came alive for a celebration for Miss Porter’s school leaders, Ancients, parents, grandparents and trustees. Talks about the value of a girls education, art and the big ideas of our time provided an opportunity to reflect and connect. Porter’s is grateful to our key event sponsors, Offit Capital and Edgewood Management, and for the generous support of Clarkston Capital Partners LLC, Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Fiduciary Trust International, Flik Independent School Dining, Impactive Capital, Income Research + Management, SurgoCap Partners LP and Spyglass Capital Management LLC.
Celebrating our 2004 varsity softball team Student-athletes at Miss Porter’s School consistently achieve and inspire in their respective sport and our 2004 varsity softball team was no exception. Guided by their superbly skilled head coach, Melanie Knox, the players on this team excelled at the plate, on the field and on the pitcher’s mound. As a result of their exceptional talent and effort, they enjoyed an undefeated season of 17-0. They also won the Western New England Prep School Girls’ Softball Association’ Class A Championship and the Founders League Championship.
We were pleased to announce at Reunion 2025 in October the induction into our Athletic Hall of Fame of head coach Knox and assistant coach Melissa Courtmarche and the following team members:
Elizabeth M. Bohinc ’06
Aubre M. E. Carreón Aguilar ’04
Alexa G. David ’06
Caroline B. Ewing ’06
Sharifah S. Holder ’06
Ashley F. Jones (Martin) ’05
Regina Cesaro Leckie ’04
Catherine Lindroth ’04
Abigail J. Martin ’04
Bailey Sanders ’06
Jessie M. Sanders ’04
Sarah Jenkins Skeete ’05
Stephanie Chetelat Webb ’06
A special celebration for these athletic trailblazers will take place on Feb. 4, 2026, which is National Girls & Women in Sports Day. #GirlsWinHere
Burger Donaldson ’51
This year, we are pleased to bestow Ancient Elizabeth “Liz” Blake ’69 with one of Miss Porter’s School’s highest honors, the Evan Burger Donaldson ’51 Achievement Award.
Blake, a resident of Atlanta, has a long and illustrious track record as a community volunteer and business executive. From 2006 to 2014, she served as senior vice president of advocacy, government affairs and general counsel at Habitat for Humanity International, a role in which she advanced progress in the developing world in areas such as land rights, women’s inheritance rights and water access. Prior to joining Habitat for Humanity, Blake held senior leadership roles at major companies, including US Airways and General Electric. She serves on the board of organizations such as Westminster Schools and the Marcus Autism Center and was previously on the board of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, among others. Miss Porter’s School will honor Blake during our Founders Day celebration in February 2026.
The EBD Achievement Award is presented biennially to an Ancient with an exemplary service record who has worked to better the changing world we share and shape. It was established by William H. Donaldson to honor Ancient and former trustee Donaldson, who served organizations such as Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the New York Women’s Foundation and the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy.
Gratitude for sparking a passion for history, sustaining a meaningful family tradition and helping girls succeed: These are the reasons Nancy Pierce Briggs ’50 consistently supports the Miss Porter’s School promise of transformational education.
Briggs is distinguished among the school’s community of friends for being the longest continuous donor to its Annual Fund. This record makes her a member of the Ivy Society, which recognizes donors who have donated to Porter’s for at least five consecutive years. Contributing up to 13% of the school’s annual operating budget, the fund supports everything from academic and extracurricular programs to financial aid to faculty salaries to school maintenance.
Briggs is also a member of Moonbeams Circle, which means she has chosen to include Porter’s in her estate plan. Her generosity has extended to investing her time and talent to organizing several reunion celebrations for her class and serving on the school’s fundraising campaign council from 2005 to 2011 with her husband, Joe, who died in 2021.
“Joe and I believed that it was important to support the institutions that we had attended,” says Briggs, who also established the Nancy Pierce Briggs ’50 Fund after her 50th class reunion. “We have been fortunate, and so we are happy to support the organizations that gave us our start.”
For Briggs, her start at Porter’s was enhanced by the captivating lessons of her history teacher, who inspired her lifelong interest in reading books about the past. After Farmington, she attended Pine Manor College, then a women-only private college in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, that is now part of Boston College.
P’76
Life after college for Briggs was a shared journey with her husband of building a family and seeking adventure. After marrying, they settled in his hometown of Rochester, New York, where they raised one son and two daughters.
“We have been fortunate, and so we are happy to support the organizations that gave us our start.”
In their later years, the pair enjoyed sailing, and at one point crossed the Atlantic Ocean for a yearslong adventure in Europe and Britain. All along, they regularly donated to organizations and programs that improved people’s lives. Today at 93, joy for Briggs is being with her large family, which includes 11 great-grandchildren.
Porter’s is meaningful to Briggs not only for laying the foundation for a joyful and fulfilling life but also because of its formative role in three generations of her family. She is the daughter of Ancient Anne Bristol Pierce ’26 and the mother of Susan Kitchen ’76. As well, an aunt, a niece and her mother-in-law all attended the school. Each experienced what Briggs sees as the distinct benefit of an all-girls education at Porter’s, and she is keen to support this valuable opportunity for girls.
“An all-girls school has some advantages for developing women’s confidence,” Briggs says. “Education is important, and the school needs the consistent support of its alumnae.”
DEADLINE
February 2, 2026
DELIVERING PHOTOS
Please submit your digital photos at the highest possible size and resolution. Photos must be sized 1 MB or larger.
BY EMAIL
Share your note via email: classnotes@missporters.org.
THINGS TO NOTE
If emailing from your phone or computer, make sure that the software doesn’t shrink or compress your photos. Lowresolution or low-quality photos may not be included.
Digital photos are preferred. Prints may be mailed, but we cannot return them.
Please provide the full names of every Ancient in the photo (from left to right) and the date and location of the occasion. Include your name, your year and a caption for every image.
This March, Sandra Taylor Goodwin ’70 captured this photo of Nancy Bryan Taylor and Molly Slocum Harris meeting up at John’s Island in Vero Beach, Florida.
Grace Lee Jordan is delighted by the arrival of her new great-granddaughter, born in April. Grace, who lives in Kansas, is also thrilled to be able to spend more time with her new granddaughter, her two-year-old big sister and their parents as the family has moved back to Kansas from New Hampshire.
Julie Buddy de Wolff writes: “We have been 54 years in Portugal after stints with duPont in Geneva, Switzerland, Düsseldorf, Germany, London, England and Lisbon, Portugal, of which the last 18 were shared with our retirement six months a year at Kendal Crosslands in Pennsylvania.” Julie enjoyed multiple milestones this year, including her 90th birthday in July and her 60th wedding anniversary in February with her husband, Harold. The family marked the anniversary with an August celebration on Martha’s Vineyard. Julie also takes pride in her grandson Thomas, who graduated this year from Dartmouth College, and now works for the Ways and Means
Committee in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, her granddaughter Catherine will pursue pre-med studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dede Carol P.T. Austin lost the love of her life six years ago, and now has a kind, old/new male friend whom she met many years ago when they were teenagers. She also reports that her life is filled with music: at age 40, she decided to become an opera singer, and spent 10 fascinating and productive years completing two diplomas at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This milestone also happily coincided with her son’s tenure at Harvard University. She has performed in many benefit concerts, sings in a choir and coaches singers in an acting group through her church. Dede’s three adult children and their children are an important part of her life. Last year, she went on a cruise on the Mississippi River, and looks forward to an upcoming river cruise from Boston to Quebec City.
Missy Foote Cunningham writes: “MPS is full of history, and students should realize they are making it as women and write it down because you’ll forget a lot.
Especially the ‘transition’ years of the 1950s and 1960s when women went from being debutants and prospective wives and mothers with no necessity of having a serious job because our husbands would ‘take care of us’ to our breaking out (the birth control pill helped) and entering the workforce.”
Leslie (Powell) Siggs writes: “Ron and I have 17 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren (come February)! It’s hard to keep track of everyone! Life is good. We continue to split our time between Tucson, Arizona and Seattle, Washington. Golf is still our favorite pastime.”
1963
In July, Sheila Coy, Lornie Perkins Rawls and Brandy Cravens celebrated Lornie’s 80th birthday in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
1964
Missie Rennie Taylor writes: “Keeping engaged. I am still involved with Vassar College and Teachers College Columbia University, several of my organizations which work in Asia, and the U.S. Tennis Association Foundation. So I keep busy.
“We had a great 60th Farmington reunion with a small but great group. Frances ‘Frannie’ Rogers Zilkha and I drove to NYC together and I saw Carol Moon Cardon in Florida for the second time since graduation. I am lucky to see Joanne Fleming Hayes, Barbara ‘Barbie’ Hanson Pierce and Sally Dodge fairly regularly. I have learned through life that everyone is related to someone who went to Farmington.”
1966
NancyBell Coe writes: “I got to jam on my double bass with mandolin superstar Chris Thile at our old-time music jam when he performed as the soloist for the Music Academy of the West’s gala in July. He dropped by our jam for about 45 minutes: he was lovely and I had loads of fun!”
1969
Michelle Blake wrote a new book of poems called “How We Enter the Palace,” published in March by Green Writers Press.
Katrina Vanderlip writes: “I am living full time in Sagaponack in the Hamptons and have a guest room ready if any of you are heading this way.”
She adds that she enjoys gardening, painting watercolors, sewing and playing golf with her husband, Edward Perlberg. She also cares for 10 runner ducks and three hens “that keep us supplied in eggs and entertainment”; Natasha, a Havanese dog; and a bright blue fish called Bhumibol.
Her son, Eric, has written two high fantasy novels, while her daughter, Alissa, works with Crisis Group in London. Alissa and her husband, Marcus, have a little girl, Laura, who is “pure joy.”
Eliza Twichell writes: “Really enjoying being back east (from Santa Fe) and seeing more of my kids. I live in Millerton, New York. Still painting and building things, hooking rugs and teaching Chinese Mahjong. Finally finished my book on it: “The Mahjong Workbook: Chinese Mahjong for the Western Mind.” Spent the summer in the Adirondacks at my camp with various children and grandbuddies visiting. Life is good!”
Lindsay Bloomfield is happily retired and lives in Park City, Utah, where she enjoys wine tastings, dinner events, book clubs and spending time with her brother, Brooks. She is an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, for which she organizes a ladies’ monthly dinner at members’ homes.
In August 2026, she is planning the 50th class reunion of her Institute of European Studies (IES) Year in Vienna in Santa Barbara, California. Meanwhile, in September 2026, she and a close friend are planning a reunion for their 1969 class at Renbrook School.
The Reverend Jane Milliken Hague writes: “Who says being 70 is too old to find new happiness? Recently, my beloved partner, Arlene, became my beloved wife. The three-tiered wedding cake I had at 26 years old morphed into the quiet joy of a cupcake with a candle. I am also retiring as a full-time Episcopal priest and we are looking forward to making our home in Maine and traveling the world.”
Polly Lyman has joined the Advancement Office at Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, as the director of gift planning. She says her non-work hours are filled with the delights of her three grandchildren, and another is on the way. “Don’t we all hope that our granddaughters (if we are lucky enough to have them) might apply to MPS down the road?”
In May, Katharine “Mima” Nason Tipper published her first novel for young teens, “Kat’s Greek Summer,” a timely, uplifting story about a 14-year-old girl who risks it all for family, love and self-truth over one sun-drenched summer in Greece.
Julia Wilcox Rathkey and Daryl Brown Uber and their spouses joined Tracy Cooper Drippé in celebrating her daughter’s wedding at Wee Burn Beach Club in Rowayton, Connecticut, on May 17, 2025.
Debbie Atkin Haggerty writes: “Living in Dedham, Massachusetts. Also spending time in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Annabel ’19 will attend The Courtauld Institute of Art in September for a master’s degree in art history and Maeve ’22 is going into her senior year at the University of Vermont. I’m retired with time for visitors so let me know when you’re nearby!”
Sarah Burgess Reed is general counsel at RA Capital, the most active life science investment fund in the United States. She writes: “I had the pleasure of spending a few months over the summer with Katie Guyer ’19. Katie is pursuing law and business degrees at the University of Michigan. During her internship at RA Capital, Katie worked on everything from autoimmune investments to Afghan immigration issues.”
Natasha (Reed) DeVoe and Fiona Clark collaborated to create a children’s picture book about bees, which was published by RaniDae Books. Fiona’s beautiful artwork and Natasha’s beekeeping expertise combined to create a perfect balance of story, facts and lush images.
Victoria (Tori) DeNino of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, is a critical care nurse at Hartford Hospital, where she fixes structural defects in hearts, implants new valves and helps heart attack victims. She transitioned into nursing after working for more than 20 years as a paramedic and emergency medical services instructor. She has a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology, and is now completing a Master of Science in Nursing Education degree. “To this day, I credit MPS for my time management and study skills, as I am lucky to be able to juggle full-time hours plus overtime along with school demands.”
Tina Tong recently returned to the United States. After living in Hong Kong and Canada, she has settled in Chicago. She works as the grants manager for immigrant justice at The Resurrection Project in Chicago. “At this moment in our country’s history, I am grateful to be working for immigrant justice a cause close to my heart as an immigrant myself.”
Darien Hsu Gee writes: “Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii, which has been our home for the past 25 years, where all of my three kids were born and raised. Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made attending reunions challenging, but I reconnected with former roommate Charlotte DuHamel Licholai after my daughter moved to Rhode Island. I’m taking a break from fiction and poetry to work on “Fortune Cookie” for Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series a narrative nonfiction title exploring the fortune cookie as an immigrant story of adaptation, identity and the American dream.
One of the best ways to connect with me is on Substack (writerish.substack.com), where I teach the art of micro prose (300 words or less) for telling personal stories.”
Melissa “Missy” Grey and her husband, Richard Stephens, moved to East Greenwich, Rhode Island, in July to be closer to family and her roots. She works for Johnson & Johnson as a learning execution manager in the immunology division.
Keli Ilene Lemoi completed her master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine at the New England School of Acupuncture. She is taking courses to complete her doctorate and will graduate in May 2026. Keli and “Bunz” recently moved back to southeastern Connecticut, where they tend a loving garden with eggplants and other assorted vegetables.
Nydia Durand Shipman: On June 22, Sabrina Smeltz married Rich Bratton in Stratford, Connecticut, and was pleased to celebrate with many of her MPS classmates.
Erin Gates wrote her third book, “Elements of Timeless Style: Creating Your Forever Home,” which was published on Sept. 30 by Simon & Schuster. She will tour throughout the United States this fall; check @elementstyle for details.
Tina Johnson writes: “I have left the Boston area after 24 years and am in Far Hills, New Jersey, caregiving for my parents. I am very active at St. John on the Mountain in Bernardsville where I am in fellowship with Ancient Jeanie Marckwald Chapin ’56. I send my best to my classmates and I am so happy to hear of awesome things in our group chat. They have been there for me while I have been navigating caregiving for two years. We have been supporting each other through texts for years and I’m truly thankful for my sisters.”
Anya Strzemien lives in Madison, Connecticut, with her husband, Colin, their 5-year-old daughter, Niko, and their 8-year-old son, Milo. She continues to work as an editor for the Styles section of The New York Times. She says she appreciates her education and experience at Miss Porter’s more and more with each passing year, and sends love to all.
Like both of her parents, Morgan Acheson has found tremendous joy in teaching visual art to children. She will enter her 11th year teaching art to students in grades 5 to 12 at Friends Seminary in New York City, where her daughter, Hazel, is in second grade. Morgan and husband Andrew Noble welcomed their second daughter, Iris, in the spring of 2023. They live in Ridgewood, Queens, with their rambunctious golden retriever, Sunny.
Mei-Ling Wong and her husband welcomed a baby boy this past July and made Peggy Cadbury ’66 a grandmother for the first time!
Kaitlin Faticoni married the love of her life, Alfredo “Eddie” Mesiti, on Memorial Day weekend surrounded by family, friends and many of her Miss Porter’s School colleagues. She was honored to have an abundance of Ancients in attendance, eight of whom were part of her group of 12 bridesmaids. “It was the best day of my life!”
Caroline Welles and her husband, Harrison Hart, welcomed their first child, Hugo Edward Welles-Hart, on July 8, 2025.
Lillian Corman is the director of Inspiring Girls USA, a nonprofit dedicated to raising the aspirations of girls by connecting them with incredible female role models to help break gender stereotypes across industries. Ajayi Scott-Robinson volunteered as a role model for the organization by sharing about her career and educational journey, which has included conducting clinical research and exploring policy and women’s health.
Rabbi Emma Dubin received rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College. She now serves as assistant rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in New York City.
Lesa Redmond received her Doctor of Philosophy in History with a specialization in African and African American studies from Duke University. She will begin working as an assistant professor of African American history at Wake Forest University in the fall.
This August, Jed-Joan S. Edziah completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
On May 24, Jacqueline Bashaw Fairweather married Joseph Fairweather in Farmington, Connecticut. Emily Madore Sumner was her bridesmaid, and many Ancients and Porter’s people from her time working at school were in attendance.
Anna Rodis writes: “My sister, Alexandra (Allie) Rodis ’07, is the new principal at Drayton Hall Elementary School in Charleston, South Carolina! Prior to this new position, she was the assistant principal at James Island Elementary School.”
Emily Wogelius and Connor McNerney joyfully celebrated their engagement on June 6, 2025, in Kennebunkport, Maine. The couple first met as student athletes on the track and field team during their time at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Emily notes she keeps her Porter’s ring on her right hand to “always have my girls close to me even in special moments like this!”
Connor McNerney and Emily Wogelius celebrate their engagement.
Cydney Hambrick graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with her Master of Science in History of International Relations. She is currently working with the city of San Antonio as a management analyst.
Anna Foster earned her bachelor’s degree of veterinary medicine and surgery from the University of Edinburgh in July 2025. She works as a veterinary surgeon in Sheffield, England.
is very sorry to learn of
We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends.
Nina Bartram Griswold ’48 | 3/15/2025
† Mary Sheppard Bartram 1925 Mother
Elizabeth Howe Shannon ’49 | 6/15/2025
† Louise Pratt Howe 1920 Mother
† Denison Howe Scharfman 1946 Sister
Suzanne McCarter Tifft ’50 | 6/24/2025
† Ellen McCarter Doubleday 1916 Aunt
† Madeleine McCarter Kelly 1922 Aunt
† Madeleine Violett Martin 1940 Cousin
† Ellen M. Violett 1941 Cousin
† Mary Young Mason 1942 Cousin
† Madeleine Kelly 1951 Cousin
† Edith Kunhardt Davis 1955 Cousin
Elizabeth P. McCarter 1974 Cousin twice removed
Virginia Lasell Westgaard ’50 | 1/15/2025
Glenny Dunlop Bartram 1983 Niece
Katrina Kanzler MaxtoneGraham ’52 | 6/17/2025
Emily Thompson Walker ’52 | 1/20/2025
† Anne Elliott Raynor 1926 Mother
† Julia Elliott Wells 1920 Aunt
† Barbara Scott Elliott 1933 Aunt
† Phebe Thompson Burke 1950 Sister
Susan Thompson Buck 1956 Sister
Ann Elliott Blanchard 1960 Cousin
Suzanne Walker Buck 1989 Niece by marriage
Anne Sibley Kennedy ’53 | 2/7/2025
† Anne Sibley Cannon 1930 Aunt
Jennifer Livanavage Grigoli 1989 Cousin
Celina Moore Barton 1989 Cousin
Judith Rawle Neilson ’56 | 6/13/2025
Frances Gillmore Pratt ’56 | 1/30/2025
† Eleanor Ames Powell 1924 Aunt
† Polly Powell Hincks 1945 Cousin
Leslie Powell Siggs 1957 Cousin
Carol Gillmore Tiffany 1960 Cousin
Luette Close Bourne ’57 | 3/31/2025
† Susanne Close Broer 1926 Aunt
Pamela Millikin Richards ’58 | 6/9/2025
Carter Millikin Frank 1961 Sister
Nancy Adams Downey ’59 | 7/10/2025
Nancy Pell Hayden ’59 | 6/12/2025
Alice N. Pell 1965 Sister
† Lucy Jeffcott Pell 1935 Aunt
Rosalind Lawrence
Hunnewell ’59 | 1/27/2025
† Rosalind Rogers Lawrence 1937 Mother
† Gretchen Harwood Rogers 1908 Grandmother
Anne Hawes Gray 1968 Cousin
Susan L. Rogers 1969 Cousin
Martha Hamm Spencer ’63 | 1/13/2025
Julie Hamm Finley 1955 Sister
† Blair Butler Bellis 1945 Cousin
Patricia Taggart Bellis 1980 Second cousin by marriage
Elise McIlvaine Strawbridge ’64 | 7/16/2025
Leonora P. Prowell ’66 | 4/26/2025
Beth Haller LaSala ’75 | 3/10/2025
Jody Haller Drake 1973 Sister
Julie Westcott ’75 | 5/26/2025
Sally Westcott 1977 Sister
Kathleen A. Daley ’83 | 4/11/2025
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