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ABBOT HOOPS A SLAM DUNK

“Where’s the basketball court?” students ask as they walk around campus in a short video produced by Izzy An and Nathan Bechard, both Class of 2024. The pair presented their video in a pitch to the Abbot Academy Fund (AAF) for a grant to build Andover’s first outdoor basketball court. Bechard and An thought an outside court would be a good place for the campus community to gather and enjoy a spontaneous game of basketball.

“Our idea was to create a place with a low-key environment to have a good pickup game with friends, with faculty, with faculty kids, or with anyone who wants to play,” says An.

During the two-year process, An and Bechard communicated with faculty advisors, found the best location on campus (near Phelps Stadium), researched builders, negotiated with vendors, and pitched ideas to the AAF board, which eventually approved a $52,700 grant.

The students credit the “power of the Abbot Grant” for the success of this project. “I learned a lot from the process, such as planning out a spreadsheet with finances and tracking each dollar amount,” says An. “I thought it was a great way to get your feet wet in terms of pitching an idea to a board.”

Bechard agrees. “The biggest part about this,” he says, “is knowing that we could put our minds to improving and expanding the school and that, with the Abbot Grant program, we could get it done. That is something really special about this school. Hopefully this will encourage other students to see what’s possible.”

The “Abbot Hoops” court opened in September and included remarks of appreciation for the AAF and a three-on-three basketball tournament with six teams and gift card prizes. So far, the new court has proven popular. “I haven’t yet walked by the court and found it empty,” says Bechard.

—NANCY HITCHCOCK

JOHN GILLOOLY

the BUZZ

Eliot Sykes ’97 will once again call Andover home. The son of emeritus teacher Elwin and former associate head of school Becky Sykes P’92, ’97, ’01, Eliot was recently chosen after a nationwide search to become the next director of the (MS)2 outreach program. He starts his new role in January. Dr. Helen Egger ’79 has two titles at her company, Little Otter, which she founded with her daughter, Rebecca. The Mom in Residence and Chief Medical Scientific Officer provides personalized mental health care for children up to age 14 at Little Otter. Egger was recently recognized by Forbes in their “50 Over 50” list.

LOUIS ARÉVALO T he Andover Alumni Award of Distinction (AAAD) is not only a recognition of graduates’ distinctive service to the Academy and exhibited leadership in their fields of endeavor, but also an opportunity for the recipients to connect with students and faculty in a meaningful and impactful manner.

The 2022 recipients—Torrence Boone ’87, Loyce LaShawndra Pace ’95, and Sandra Urie ’70—were honored October 20 at All-School Meeting and with a series of special events.

The vice president of Global Client Partnerships at Google, Boone was involved in dance, music, and theatre at Andover, a place that “opened the aperture on my view of the world so expansively and motivated a hunger for exploration and discovery,” he said in a 2017 Andover magazine interview. During Boone’s career, he has focused not only on media and technology, but also on how he can positively impact and advocate for ethnic diversity and inclusion in education and business.

While on campus for the AAAD ceremony, Boone dined with students from the Office of Community and Multicultural Development, toured the Addison Gallery, and met with students in the Ethics of Technology class. “Values will be your compass, your GPS,” Boone said to the gathered assembly at All-School Meeting. “This award exemplifies the core value we all hold so dear—non sibi.” Pace, who was recently named to a four-year term on Andover’s Board of Trustees and is the assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was moved to be back on campus. “No matter how long it’s been,” Pace said, “coming back to this campus just brings back all kinds of great memories.” But Pace also shared difficult memories of Andover: of missing home, feeling lost on campus, and being confused by the slight of a friend. “I think it’s important to be honest about all the roads that I took to be here today, she said. “It’s important how we tell our stories.”

When visiting the class African Environmental History Since 1800, Pace had the opportunity to speak with students and see “how they work together to unpack tough materials,” shared Keri Lambert, instructor of history and social

science. Lambert said that Pace served as an inspiration for the students, especially in her work to expand vaccine access globally and combat health inequities. Pace also met with students in the Ethics of Medicine class. “Andover is rich in opportunities across so many dimensions. Jump in and tap into this richness.”

—SANDRA URIE ’70

Urie describes her experience at Abbot Academy as both foundational and transformational. “The Abbot community fostered intellectual curiosity, rigorous study, collaborative learning, and collective responsibility to others,” she said. Through the years, Urie has served the Academy in many ways: as an Andover teaching fellow in Russian, admission officer, development associate, and charter trustee. She currently volunteers for the Knowledge & Goodness campaign through a regional committee and for the Abbot Academy Fund. Urie—who retired from the financial consulting company Cambridge Associates as chairman emerita—plans to visit campus at a later date and was able to share words of wisdom via email. “I would advise current students to be bold and be kind—get outside your comfort zone and, while doing so, welcome the opportunity to engage with people from different backgrounds and different viewpoints than yours.”

—ALLYSON IRISH

JESSIE WALLNER Back row: AAAD Committee members Rob Barber ’68, P’03; Darryl Cohen ’92; Murrey Nelson ’80; and Emily Bernstein ’86, P’21, chair; 2022 awardee Torrence Boone ’87; Christopher Savino ’24; and AAAD Committee member David Constantine ’97, vice chair Front row: AAAD Committee member Anstiss Agnew ’67; Karen Wang ’23 holding the award for Sandra Urie ’70; awardee Loyce LaShawndra Pace ’95; and Nigel Savage ’23