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Putting Pen to Paper
Another year, another tradition—and this tradition is surely one to write home about!
Maddy Lamoureux ’24 was paired as a pen pal with Sandra Bentley Nelson '52 (pictured with article title above). Here’s Maddy wearing her freshman beanie and holding Sandra’s from when she was a student.
This past school year, nearly 40 students and 40 alumnae were paired together to form pen pal relationships. Specifically reaching alumnae who were isolated during the pandemic, students were excited to share part of their Nerinx experience with someone who has walked in their shoes. Take Nora O’Connor ’24 and Joan Dickhaus Burtelow ‘48 for example. The two formed an instant bond — one that may not have been forged without putting pen to paper. After receiving her first letter, Joan said, “I was so pleased to receive Nora’s letter, and answering it brought back so many memories of Nerinx. I hope she shares my letter with her classmates because it contains a bit of NH history.” Nora also felt a similar close connection to Joan. “The Pen Pal experience allowed me to make an unexpected friend—I genuinely care about Mrs. Burtelow and look forward to reading her letters and writing my own,” she said.
Nora O’Connor ’24 was paired as a pen pal with Joan Dickhaus Burtelow ‘48.
Joan Dickhaus Burtelow ‘48
Like Nora and Joan’s, several other relationships really took off. The strong bond between Katarina Hertell ’24 and Mary Howard Paletta '46 serves as just another example. After writing back and forth, Katarina even made Mary a hat for Christmas through her involvement in Nerinx’s Knitting Club. “I have enjoyed writing letters to Mrs. Paletta. She graduated in 1946 and I find her stories about her Nerinx experience to be very intriguing,” Katarina said. It’s clear the art of letter writing is not completely lost. Hopefully this tradition will make its mark on the Nerinx community for years to come.
Katarina Hertell '24 was paired as a pen pal with Mary Howard Paletta '46.
Mary Howard Paletta '46
