TIM TALK
Head of School Tim Richards says goodbye.
ON THE HILLTOP
Campus news from January – May 2025
FACULTY & STAFF NEWS
Arrivals, departures, and other employee updates
CHAPEL TALK
Tim Richards encourages Pomfret to put love first.
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Updates from the alumni community.
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Remembering those we lost.
Baloo — Pomfret’s unofficial mascot
Photographers Continued
Charlie Fang ’25
Felicity Frazier ’27
Don Gibbs
Jim Gipe (Pivot Media)
Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership
Liz Lake P ’27
Lindsay Lehmann
Jerry Li ’27
Mwendo
Jayda Ngibuini ’28
Tina Lefevre O’Connor
Sammie Porres ’25
Corrine Szarkowicz
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By Tim Richards, Head of School
As I sit down to write this, my final entry in this space, my mind drifts back some forty-five years, to my senior year of high school — the year I first discovered American psychologist Abraham Maslow. I was taking a class in personality theory with Alexandra Kubler Merrill, and I remember feeling a spark when I read about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: the clarity, the hopefulness, the belief that human beings, if given the right support and access to proper resources, could become their most complete, most actualized selves. His focus on health rather than pathology spoke to me then, and it has stayed with me ever since, quietly shaping the way I have lived, worked, and led.
As a psychology teacher with a side gig as a French teacher who taught some philosophy at the advanced levels, I embraced Maslovian theory and shared it with my students. As I moved into administrative roles, I used his lens to help shape my thinking about the healthy functioning of not just people, but of organizations. Over the course of my career — and especially during my time at Pomfret — I have come to see just how vividly Maslow’s vision lives in the heart of this school.
At Pomfret, everything begins with the essentials: nutritious meals shared among friends, dormitories that feel like home, compassionate health care, and time for rest and renewal. These aren’t luxuries — they are daily promises that form the base of a strong and steady foundation. From this ground, students can reach for the next layer of growth: safety, both physical and emotional. In a world that often feels uncertain, we strive to be an anchor. Our counseling team, well-being programs, and caring faculty walk beside students through the storms of adolescence, equipping them with the resilience and skills to navigate life long after they leave the Hilltop.
From that sense of safety, we hope that a powerful feeling of belonging emerges — woven into every dorm room, advisory circle, playing field, and community gathering. Students are seen, supported, and believed in, and from this foundation of connection, they find the courage to lead, to take risks, and to lift others. Esteem grows through authentic effort and perseverance, reinforced by the value we place on meaningful growth. At the pinnacle is selfactualization — the lifelong journey of becoming one’s fullest self. Whether designing independent studies, launching service projects, or standing up for their beliefs, Pomfret students learn to dream boldly, fail gracefully, and succeed with humility.
As I prepare to step away from this remarkable place, I do so with a heart full of gratitude — for the students who have taught me as much as I ever taught them, for the colleagues who have lifted me up, and for a community that has never stopped believing in the power of a Pomfret education to change the world.
Maslow taught us that when basic needs are met — when people feel safe, connected, and valued — they begin to imagine new possibilities for themselves and for others. That is the sacred work of schools. We are in the business of human flourishing. At our best, we are not just preparing students for tests or transcripts — we are helping them become whole people. We are helping them discover their passions, confront their fears, and claim their place in the world with courage and compassion.
That’s what Pomfret has done for generations, and that’s what I know it can and must continue to do — for every student who walks this hilltop path in search of not just knowledge, but meaning, purpose, and love.
Thank you, Pomfret. You have changed me, too. Certa
Viriliter
“His focus on health rather than pathology spoke to me then, and it has stayed with me ever since, quietly shaping the way I have lived, worked, and led.”
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
ESTEEM NEEDS
LOVE & BELONGING NEEDS
SAFETY NEEDS
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
“This time together has been life-changing, and while it feels hard to say goodbye, don’t forget to be excited — because this is just the beginning.”
— Charlie Festini ’25
For the Class of 2025, their time on the Hilltop represents not an ending, but a launching point. The 131st Commencement marked the close of their high school experience — and the start of something new.
Elected class speaker Charlie Festini spoke of beginnings. Looking back on the journey she shared with her classmates, she recalled the moments, lessons, and transformations that shaped their time at Pomfret. “This time together has been lifechanging, and while it feels hard to say goodbye, don’t forget to be excited — because this is just the beginning.”
Charlie’s message echoed themes Head of School Tim Richards shared at the Senior Awards Dinner the night before. In one of his final addresses as Pomfret’s twelfth head of school, he reminded the class that their readiness for the future isn’t measured by what they know, but by who they’ve become. “Let us all go forward — boldly, humbly, and with open hearts — ready to grow, ready to give, and ready to begin again,” he said. That evening, the School recognized student excellence. More than thirty awards were given for academic achievement. Faculty Award of Distinction recipients Audrey Bonaventura, Neo Franco, Sev Harrington, Nika Horvath, Gus Litowitz, Zoe Lovett, Keira O’Brien, and Sean Rhatigan received special recognition for their lasting contributions to the Pomfret community.
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Second in Class Zoe Lovett
First in Class Yishen “Eason” Zhao
Pomfret Bowl Luke Corrigan & Hannah McDermott
The Chick Cole Cup Layla Miller & Jionghao “Jacky” Wu
The Cowperthwait Award Jionghao “Jacky” Wu
The Edward E. Kelley Award Kenny Donnelly
The Halleck Lefferts Award Charlie Festini
The Richard H. Randall, Jr. ’44 Award Kylie Corrigan
The Paul M. Rosenfield ’67 Cup Haynes McCoy
Mansfield Cup Carson Ames
Founder’s Medal Cal Wolanin
At Commencement, the honors continued. Eason Zhao and Zoe Lovett were named first and second in class, respectively. The faculty selected Carson Ames for The Wendell D. Mansfield Cup for his desire, drive, and determination. And Cal Wolanin received Pomfret’s highest honor — The Founder’s Medal — in recognition of his scholarship, character, and leadership.
Commencement speaker Ellie Sangree ’20 offered heartfelt advice for the path ahead. As founder and CEO of Eutrobac, a company that provides consulting and naturebased solutions to improve water quality, she spoke about the importance of curiosity and courage. She encouraged students to ask three types of questions: stupid ones, smart ones, and questions directed at authority — each a different way of seeing beyond yourself. “Ask questions because it’s the first step toward change, toward finding your talents, your interests, and how you can make your mark on the world.”
After each senior received their diploma, Board of Trustees Chair Justin P. Klein ’65, in his final Commencement as chair, made it official, “On behalf of the Board and with the powers vested in me by the State of Connecticut and by the bylaws of Pomfret School, I hereby declare the Class of 2025 to be graduates of Pomfret School, with all our warm congratulations.” The crowd of proud parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and faculty erupted in celebration as the Class of 2025 stepped forward, ready for their next beginning.
Though unseasonably rainy, cloudy, and cold weather lingered throughout Senior Week, the Class of 2025 refused to let the gloomy skies dampen their final days on the Hilltop.
The week began with Closing Sundial and the Moving Up Ceremony. The seniors took their place on the Proctor Sundial for their official goodbye hug from the School. During the Moving Up ceremony, they heard heartfelt parting words from Head of School Tim Richards and Senior Form Dean Pat Boyd before they exited the Chapel to cheers — and a few tears.
On Wednesday, they posed for prom photos outside the Bricks and Chapel before heading off to The Mansion at Bald Hill, where they danced the night away.
Trading the traditional whitewater rafting trip for warm, dry indoor adventures, they tested their mental and physical prowess in more than fifty immersive challenge rooms on their class trip to Level99 in Natick, Massachusetts.
Through all the drizzle and gray, the Class of 2025 shone brightly — carrying with them joy, gratitude, and the bond of one unforgettable week.
From early acceptances to overseas adventures, the Class of 2025’s journeys to their selected colleges and universities are a testament to determination, self-discovery, and the power of a good support team. We caught up with four seniors to talk about where they are headed after graduation and what it took for them to get there.
Ava Keeney spent the summer working on her Common App and essays, determined to start senior year strong. Wake Forest was her top choice, and she applied early through their rolling admissions process. She learned of her acceptance in September before fall mid-term grades were released. “Being accepted into my top school so early was such a relief,” she said. “All my hard work paid off.”
Focused on STEM throughout her time at Pomfret, Hailey Kim narrowed in on pharmacy by junior year and searched for schools with strong pharmaceutical programs. She received offers from several top schools, ultimately choosing the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)-Direct Entry program. “During my junior year, I was laserfocused on going to a Top-20 school with a pharmacy program, but as I looked deeper, I realized I wanted a school that specialized in
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
AMHERST COLLEGE
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
BABSON COLLEGE
BARNARD COLLEGE (2)
BOSTON COLLEGE (3)
BOSTON UNIVERSITY (2)
BOWDOIN COLLEGE (2)
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO
CHATHAM UNIVERSITY
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
COLBY COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (4)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
CORNELL UNIVERSITY (2)
DICKINSON COLLEGE
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
ELON UNIVERSITY (2)
EMERSON COLLEGE
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES
MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY
NAZARETH UNIVERSITY
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (2)
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (3)
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (2)
POLIMODA
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (2)
RICE UNIVERSITY
my field of study,” said Hailey. “I’m excited to focus on pharmacy and a purely scientific curriculum.”
Ethan Chiweshe had a strong academic interest in policy and economics, but his journey also included a passion for hockey. His search balanced two goals: finding a rigorous economics program and navigating the college recruiting process. After injuries shifted his priorities, he looked for a school where he’d thrive beyond the rink. A return visit to Cornell sealed the deal. “Their club team lets me keep playing the game I love while pursuing a great economics program,” he said.
Wulf Gooding’s journey took her overseas, where she was drawn to The University of St Andrews’ strong community and traditions — including the legendary May Dip plunge into the North Sea. After doing her own cold plunge, she knew she’d found her place. “It was a long, exhausting process,” she said, “but worth it in the end.”
As these seniors leave the Hilltop behind, they do so with courage and excitement for what lies ahead. With the support of their college counselors and a strong sense of purpose, the future is theirs to explore.
ROLLINS COLLEGE (2)
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY (3)
SAINT JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF MAINE
SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY
SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY (2)
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY (2)
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (2)
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA
TRINITY COLLEGE
TULANE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT (3)
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (2)
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND (2)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT (2)
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN — MADISON
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
VIRGINIA TECH
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY (3)
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
WHEATON COLLEGE (ILLINOIS)
WILLIAM & MARY
A growth mindset is the belief that one can develop one’s abilities through effort, strategies, and collaboration. In a QUEST session, freshmen explored the power of a growth mindset and its importance in hands-on challenges.
Some activities required them to work independently to solve tricky brainteasers before collaborating with members of their group for a fresh perspective. In others, teams built towers out of cards and competed to create the tallest spaghetti structure capable of holding a marshmallow. Between each challenge, students paused to reflect on how they approached the activity and how having a growth mindset influenced their progress.
These activities weren’t just about towers or puzzles — they were about reframing setbacks, embracing the process of learning, and turning challenges into opportunities for lifelong learning. “This QUEST session helped remind me that my mind is strong,” said Jayda Ngibuini ’28. “The games we played showed me the importance of problem-solving and thinking outside the box.”
As part of their study on using integrals to calculate the volume of solids, students in Advanced Calculus I completed a threepart project to construct physical models of the shapes they were analyzing. While most students worked with cardboard and paper, Leila Boland ’26 and Jerry Li ’27 drew on their 3-D printing experience to bring their formulas to life.
After converting their equations into printable designs, they produced their models with help from Science Teacher Brian Geyer. A few early misprints — caused by minor miscalculations — offered valuable learning opportunities and were quickly resolved.
“It’s hard to see a 3-D object when you’re doing the calculations on paper,” said Leila. “This project made visualizing what we were learning much easier.”
Walking into the Advanced Topics in American Studies classroom felt like stepping into a bustling 19th-century newsroom. Students hurried through last-minute edits, and editors called for final drafts. The stories they worked on transported readers to a nation on the brink, where every article, editorial, and obituary reflected the deep divisions of the Civil War era.
In this immersive project, students became historical journalists tasked with producing four newspapers — two set in the decade before the Civil War and two from the war itself. Each time period featured both a Northern and a Southern publication, challenging students to adopt opposing perspectives. The goal wasn’t just to summarize history but to create articles, advertisements, and political cartoons that felt authentic to the era.
“Creating a variety of articles with different viewpoints on one common issue was something that I had not done often before,” said Jay Youm ’26, who served as editor for one of the publications.
By the time the final editions went to print, students had done more than meet their deadlines. They’d brought history to life, one headline at a time.
Pomfret’s 500-acre Hilltop campus exudes New England charm. Beyond the central hub of academic buildings and dorms stretch hundreds of acres of woods, meadows, and streams, known collectively as Pomfret Woods. It’s here, in the forest — a living laboratory — where learning, conservation, and daily energy thrive.
“Our woods set us apart from other schools,” Director of Sustainability and Science Teacher Annie O’Sullivan says. “We seize every opportunity to use the forest to teach, play, and grow.”
O’Sullivan and fellow Science Teacher Jackson Lyon ’17 regularly integrate the Woods into their environmental science curriculum. Each fall, they lead students in a long-term study of Pomfret’s forest dynamics. Students identify and measure trees, analyze data, and develop a forestry management plan with recommendations for future care.
Students in Global & Sustainable Development leave their mark on the Woods through solutionary projects to benefit the Pomfret community. Recently, Charlotte Reis ’26, Anson D’Alleva-Bochain ’26, and Paul Sauter ’27 worked to make Pomfret’s trails more accessible. Recognizing that many people were unsure
where the trails led or how to navigate them, they designed and installed five trailhead signs around campus. Each sign includes a QR code linking to a digital map of the trail system.
The paths these students improve aren’t just for walking — they’re also home to the School’s crosscountry course, a beloved and challenging trail that winds through dense forest and across babbling brooks. Students maintain these trails during team bonding and community service events.
The Woods aren’t just a resource for Pomfret; they’re also a vital part of the broader community. The Audubon Society regularly holds bird banding and GPS tracking events to monitor local migration patterns. The Yale School of the Environment has studied the forest and developed management plans to increase biodiversity, control invasive species, and improve trail access.
A recent highlight was the bioblitz — a lively, collaborative effort by students and community members to catalog the species living in Pomfret Woods. The event recorded 162 species, including forty-four species of birds and ninety-three species of plants. It was a powerful reminder of how vibrant and special our natural surroundings truly are.
After successfully launching a composting initiative in the Dining Hall’s kitchen last spring, the Green Griffins — Pomfret’s student club dedicated to making the Hilltop more sustainable — expanded their efforts to include the dining room. Pomfret is now composting 100 percent of its Dining Hall food waste.
The trash bins in the Dining Hall were replaced with composting receptacles. With the mindset of “if it grows, it goes,” only a small number of things will not be composted.
Pomfret has partnered with Blue Earth Compost to manage the School’s food waste. Scraps from the Dining Hall are collected and transported to Quantum Biopower, a licensed composting and anaerobic digestion facility. There, the waste is converted into clean, renewable energy.
“Since food waste is a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, by turning our waste into compost, Pomfret can leave a significantly smaller carbon footprint,” said Marbella Becker ’25. “It is comforting to know that our food waste is no longer a burden to the environment, instead being renewed into other forms of energy!”
On a beautiful spring morning, Pomfret students fanned out across thirty locations — from West Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island — ready to roll up their sleeves and give back during the annual Day of Service.
Many students helped the local community recover from the long, cold winter. With hands in the dirt and the sun on their backs, students refreshed flower beds, pulled stubborn weeds, and cleared away a season’s worth of fallen leaves — bringing new life to neglected green spaces. In the Pomfret Forest, they helped Quiet Corner NEMBA Bike Trails enhance their paths. At cemeteries in Putnam, they helped clean up the grave sites, making them welcoming places for visitors to reflect and pay respects.
Students also helped bring the sunshine indoors. At the Gengras Center, students volunteered with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Rhode Island Food Bank, and Community Cafe, they helped prepare meals and stocked the shelves to help feed those experiencing food insecurity.
“Day of Service is such a wonderful opportunity for our students to do meaningful work in the community,” said Director of Wellbeing and Service Coordinator Erin Fisher. “Service learning is beneficial for our students and shows them the positive impact of volunteering their time and energy.”
Using diagrams and models, students in Honors and Advanced Anatomy unraveled the complexities of the brain. They took their study to the next level when they donned gloves and picked scalpels in a hands-on dissection of a sheep brain. Tracing the cerebrum’s ridges and grooves, they examined its delicate folds and uncovered intricate neural pathways.
During the dissection, the students’ brains were fully engaged — their frontal and temporal lobes processing the pungent scent of the preserving fluid. At the same time, their amygdalae and hippocampi helped them stay composed and overcome the initial discomfort.
Once they had divided the brain’s two hemispheres, students could identify key structures that were challenging to grasp from images alone. “It was really cool to see the difference between white and gray matter,” said Keira O’Brien ’25. “We had learned about it, but it’s hard to truly understand without seeing it in person. It was also interesting to feel how soft the brain actually is — something you can’t fully comprehend without a dissection.”
In the Honors Precalculus classroom, students gathered around a table, their eyes scanning an unmarked map. They were focused on crafting a treasure hunt for their classmates to solve using their understanding of vectors and coordinates. They created clues utilizing the three methods of giving directions they had learned — polar coordinates, rectangular coordinates, and vectors with magnitude and direction. Every clue they designed guided their fellow treasure hunters closer to the prize.
On the day of the treasure hunt, the treasure hunters set off across the Hilltop, solving equations, calculating magnitudes, and adjusting their courses to follow the vectors. Excitement grew as each solved equation brought the treasure hunters one step closer to their goal.
Finally, after solving the last clue and plotting the final vector, the students uncovered their treasure — bags of candy left by the mapmakers. The treasure hunt transformed mathematical concepts into a handson adventure, making the process of exploration, problem-solving, and discovery as thrilling as the treasure itself.
At Cornell University’s High School Model United Nations Conference, a dozen Pomfret students joined hundreds of peers from around the world for four days of spirited debate, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving in the spirit of diplomacy, tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the global community.
Each student received a country assignment and committee placement in the weeks leading up to the conference. From there, the real work began — diving deep into research, preparing position papers, and practicing parliamentary procedure. Whether representing major world powers or smaller nations, delegates came prepared to think critically, speak persuasively, and work toward consensus.
“The Model UN Conference gave me the chance to meet passionate students from all over and engage in really thoughtful debates,” said Mandy Wang ’27, who represented Cuba on the Commission on Science and Technology for Development. “I loved the challenge of thinking on my feet and collaborating with others to come up with solutions.”
The Cornell Conference was the third this year for Pomfret’s Model UN club. They started the year at EmpireMUNC at New York University and attended the Yale Model United Nations Conference. These Model UN experiences deepened students’ understanding of global affairs while sharpening their negotiation, collaboration, and leadership skills — preparing them to navigate and shape an increasingly complex world.
Paul Fowler ’64 was among the many alumni and friends who volunteered to meet with the Griffin Networking group during Project: Pomfret, offering advice students took to heart.
Project: Pomfret is about more than learning new skills — it’s about discovering new perspectives, forging meaningful connections, and stepping confidently into the future. This year, over ten days, twenty-seven different project groups sought realworld answers to essential questions aligned with at least one of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our Honors Global & Sustainable Development class traveled to Turrialba, Costa Rica. There, they partnered with Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) for an inside look into the region’s environmental champions. They visited a sustainable cacao farm, a hydroelectric plant, and an upcycled fashion company. The group embraced local traditions through homestays and immersed themselves in nature while canyoning through waterfalls and exploring botanical gardens, wildlife sanctuaries, and volcanoes.
While some students explored sustainability globally, others focused on hands-on solutions closer to home.
In Vermont, a group dove into the art of design and construction at the Yestermorrow Design Build School. The organization provided the students with a hands-on educational experience that inspired them to create a more sustainable world. The group designed and built prototypes of various structures, learned to work with power tools, and built a shed.
Beyond hands-on construction and design, other students focused on building something just as valuable — connections. In preparation for life after Pomfret, the Griffin Networking group spent two weeks meeting with over forty alumni, parents, and friends — opportunities they created after building LinkedIn profiles and refining resumes and elevator pitches. After each day of networking, they journaled about their experience and key lessons they learned.
Whether through construction, networking, or sustainability efforts, these ten days push students to think differently, act boldly, and leave their mark on the world.
Aziz AbdullaZoda ’26 was named a top-10 winner in The New York Times Learning Network’s “How To” Informational Writing Contest for his essay, “How to Master the Art of People-Watching.” In his piece, Aziz explores the subtle and mindful practice of observing others in public spaces without intruding on their privacy. He describes people-watching as the art of noticing patterns, moods, and unspoken stories through body language and behavior. His essay emphasizes curiosity over intrusion, celebrating the everyday drama of human life through a thoughtful, respectful gaze.
The contest challenged students to explain how to do any task in 400 words or fewer, requiring each writer to interview and quote at least one expert. Aziz spoke with Taika Ita, a longtime café regular in New York City, who has spent years watching the city’s stories unfold from the same corner seat. From nearly 3,000 entries, Aziz’s submission was selected as one of the top ten and was published on The New York Times website.
Whether they were flying drones, staging original plays, or studying prison education reform, eight seniors participating in Pomfret’s Certificate Program recently presented the culmination of their two-year journey at this year’s Capstone Celebration.
Pomfret’s Certificate Program allows independentminded students to immerse themselves in a topic of personal significance. By completing a self-directed course of study, they earn a diploma distinction in one of six domains: Artistic Expression and Design, Character and Leadership, Global Citizenship and Awareness, Social Justice, STEM Exploration, or Sustainability.
The program emphasizes interdisciplinary study, independent learning, and real-world problem-solving, preparing students to lead and thrive in a connected, inclusive society. Students in the program showcased their learning, skills, and growth through a portfolio-based assessment and a final oral defense.
“Our seniors have spent the past two years conducting research, iterating projects, collaborating with professionals in the field, exploring new and exciting curricula, and reflecting on all the ways their learning experiences have influenced their work,” said Director of Academics Tanya Nongera-Nickerson. “I remain in awe of all they have accomplished.”
Tucked in the VISTA staircase are two striking murals. At first glance, they appear to be traditional mosaics of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein. But look closer, and you’ll see that each detail is crafted from 4,800 meticulously arranged mini Rubik’s Cubes.
The project was the idea of James Lake ’27, inspired by the Rubik’s Cube’s role in pop art and the desire to have student artwork on display in VISTA. Using two 211-page instruction guides that mapped out every twist and turn required to form the images, a team of seven puzzle enthusiasts dedicated themselves to creating the murals. “It was also great to have both current students and alumni contribute,” said James, who enjoys learning different algorithms to solve the Rubik’s Cube puzzle. Rather than solving each cube traditionally — aligning a single color on every face — the team used the guides to manipulate the cubes, focusing on achieving the exact patterns needed for the final images.
These completed murals serve as a quiet tribute to persistence, ingenuity, and the joy of problem-solving. With plans to refresh the murals a few times each year, new faces — and new challenges — await.
According to the Pew Research Center, half of Americans have listened to a podcast in the past year, and one in five of those listeners say they listen to a podcast nearly every day. These numbers reflect a growing audience and a dynamic shift in how stories are shared and consumed today — including here on the Hilltop.
After observing students’ interest and receiving repeated requests to give a crash course on the ins and outs of software and equipment, Music Teacher Mackenzie Christensen decided to launch a new project-based course on the art of professional podcast creation. The course provided hands-on experience for students to develop concepts and conduct interviews. After recording their content, students tackled all the post-production work needed to create a professional-sounding podcast.
“I enjoyed being creative and working on a project related to a topic that interests me,” said TJ Swinson ’26, who created a podcast about the NFL. Amelia Weldon ’26 developed a podcast about being a high school student, and Lily Bos ’25 and Jake Glickman ’26 recorded a food review podcast. Regardless of their topic, students explored different formats, including interviews, deep reporting, conversational, recap, and news summaries.
Heather Daly stepped onto the Hilltop with a clear mission: to listen, learn, and connect. In her first visit since being named Pomfret’s thirteenth head of school, she immersed herself in the community, meeting students, faculty, and staff and discussing the School’s future with key leaders. Her top priority is deep engagement, and her visit reflected that commitment.
Before her visit, Heather met regularly with outgoing Head of School Tim Richards, outgoing Board Chair Justin Klein ’65, and incoming Board Chair Daryle Bost ’89. Along with a group of senior administrators, Heather has been attending Pomfret’s Leadership Circle, a monthly meeting with Dr. Kristin Hoins, an expert in organizational psychology who helps school administrators cultivate cultures of belonging, collective resilience, and mission-based alignment.
Guided by the Head of School Transition Committee, Heather is taking on the challenge of fully internalizing the climate and culture of a school she is still getting to know, while representing the School with purpose and authenticity. The committee, composed of members of the Board of Trustees and senior administrators, is charged with identifying key institutional resources, including financial resources, that Heather can use to inform her strategic priorities as incoming head.
This spring, Bill Martin taught his final aquaponics class in Pomfret’s passive solar greenhouse. He is retiring after nearly three decades of teaching on the Hilltop.
For nearly three decades (1997–2025), William “Bill” Martin dedicated himself to the study and teaching of biology at Pomfret School, earning him the respect of his colleagues and the admiration of his students. During this time, Bill played a critical role in advancing science education on the Hilltop, including his founding of the Helios Project in 2015. The greenhouse is a reminder of Bill’s unrivaled capacity for teaching and learning, his steadfast commitment to the students entrusted in his care, and his unique ability to inspire excellence in others.
uring his three days on the Hilltop as the 2025 Schwartz Visiting Fellow, Bill T. Jones, the artistic director of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, captivated audiences in Hard Auditorium with his strong, commanding voice. His presence was undeniable, and though every seat was filled, the room felt unusually quiet as his voice rang out.
“Who are you?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you thinking?”
“What do you believe?”
“What do you stand for?”
“What is controlling your attention?”
“Where are you going?”
As an acclaimed choreographer, dancer, and director known for his innovative and socially engaged work in modern dance, the questions he posed weren’t new to him. He’s been exploring them throughout his more than fifty-year career,
challenging both himself and his audiences to think about identity, purpose, and human connection. Yet for many in the audience, it was a new way of engaging with art — not as passive observers, but as active participants in a deep, personal conversation about who we are and where we’re going.
Jones’s work has always blurred the line between personal history and collective memory, turning stories into powerful reflections of the human experience. His more than 140 works have shaped dance and captivated audiences worldwide.
Jones challenged the students to be authentic, to take risks, and to stand for something. “Mark this in your life, on your heart,” he urged them. “There’s no right way to do it. Try it! You don’t know if it’s going to work. You try it. Put yourself out there.”
He went on to explain that his work was never just about dance; it was about human connection and what it means to truly engage with others.
For its spring production, Pomfret School Theater staged the Pomfret Playwrights Festival, a performance featuring four new plays written by Pomfret students and alumni.
Remy Jacquet ’26, Izzy Makatura ’25, Madeleine Hutchins ’14, and Sydney Dubitsky ’20 answered Theater Director Chip Lamb’s call for submissions and had their original pieces brought to the stage by the talented young thespians.
For student actors like Lydia Warren ’26, the opportunity to work directly with the playwrights elevated the experience even further. “It’s been amazing not only getting to perform plays written by my peers, but also hearing their thoughts on how they want their work interpreted,” Lydia said. “There are always challenges in understanding a script, but this time we could go straight to the source and ask questions. That brought so much clarity, which made for stronger performances.”
The festival was a fitting celebration of Lamb’s nearly two decades of leadership before his retirement at the end of the academic year. “It’s always been an aspiration to produce studentwritten work at Pomfret,” Lamb said. “The performing arts have the power to reach beyond current students — to invite alumni and the wider school community into the process. This festival brought that idea to life.”
Each student in Advanced Photography meticulously creates and curates a unique photo series throughout the academic year. Through hands-on assignments, peer critiques, and collaborative exploration, these student photographers refine both their technical skills and artistic voices — culminating in a final portfolio that showcases their growth, vision, and creativity.
In her series, Sammie Porres ’25 revisited the late 2000s trend of sleevefacing — a playful photographic technique where a vinyl album cover is positioned in front of a person’s body to create the illusion that the image on the cover seamlessly blends with the person behind it. She brought this concept to life through artfully staged images around campus. Harry James and His Orchestra’s The Hits of Harry James and The Kiki Dee Band’s I’ve Got the Music in Me were photographed outside the Bricks, while studio portraits of Taylor Swift’s Red and James Taylor’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon were shot against a seamless backdrop. She even used the ivy-covered walls of the School Building to enhance her interpretation of Florence and the Machine’s Lungs
For her inventive and visually compelling series, Sammie was honored with the Sixth Form Photography Award at the Senior Awards Dinner — an acknowledgment of both her artistic risktaking and her thoughtful execution.
In the stairwells and hallways of Centennial Academic & Arts Center, Advanced Studio Art students have left their mark — quite literally. With brushes in hand and ladders beneath their feet, they painted self-portraits on the walls and even the ceiling. The result is bold, personal, and lasting — a living gallery that will greet future Griffins long after its artists graduate.
Students embrace this very public challenge each spring — a test of skill, vulnerability, and voice. “This self-portrait tradition is uniquely Pomfret,” says Painting & Drawing Teacher and Artist-in-Residence JP Jacquet. “Every time I look up, it’s like my previous students are back in the studio.”
JP launched the project during his second year on the Hilltop. Twenty-four years later, more than 200 portraits line the surfaces of Centennial, turning the building into a portrait hall that alumni love to revisit.
After years of admiring the portraits of those who came before them, it was time for this year’s students to leave their mark. Charlie Fang ’25 claimed the ceiling at the center of the second floor. Nearby, Sherry Zhang ’25 painted a present-day self overhead, while just below, Ginger Gooch ’25 depicted herself as a child. “I was looking back on my life and wanted to do a portrait from a moment in my life,” said Ginger.
These new works joined two decades of portraits in time, capturing identity, perspective, and presence. Each brushstroke a gift to the next generation of artists who climb these stairs, walk these halls, and find their own place in the studio.
After a winter season of dedication and grit, six Pomfret teams competed in NEPSAC postseason tournaments. From thrilling last-minute battles to dominant performances, the Griffins showed heart, skill, and sportsmanship.
Seeded fourth in the NEISA Girls D Tournament, the girls squash team secured the second-place trophy and earned the coveted team sportsmanship award.
In their NEISA Class D Tournament, the boys squash team finished fourth — their best performance in four years.
Finishing the regular season with a 20-5 record overall and a 15-3 record in Class B, the boys basketball team hosted Brooks School in a quarterfinal matchup of the NEPSAC Class B tournament. The Griffins played their hearts out, but ultimately came up short with a final score of 61-65.
The sixth-seeded boys hockey team faced off against a fast and skilled third-seeded Holderness team in the quarterfinal round of the Piatelli/ Simmons Small School Tournament. Despite their grit, the Griffins ultimately fell to the Bulls with a final score of 1-6.
In the quarterfinals of the Vaillancourt Conference Championship, the girls hockey dominated Kents Hill School with a final score of 7-0. In the semifinals against North Yarmouth Academy, two goals late in the third period ended the Griffins’ attempts to advance to the final round.
In the WEINSWA (East) Tournament, six Pomfret wrestlers earned wins. James Rice ’25 and Gus Litowitz ’25 battled to fourth place, and Brody Giblin ’28, Sebastian Lutts ’25, and Will Leary ’26 each finished fifth. Carson Ames ’25 went 3-1, battling for third place. Three wrestlers represented Pomfret at the New England Championships, with Carson placing fifth.
ollowing a competitive national search, Colin Sullivan has been selected as the next director of athletics and afternoon programs. Sullivan is the current director of athletics and physical education at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida.
“Colin is deeply experienced and stood out from a talented field of applicants,” said Associate Head of School Don Gibbs, who led the search for Pomfret’s next athletic director. “He is well-versed in strategic planning, athletic administration, and program evaluation, and he brings a record of aligning athletics and admissions to yield student-athletes who make an impact in the community, classroom, and on their teams. He has seen and done it all.”
From 2015 to 2023, Sullivan served as the deputy director of athletics at Brown University. He provided
strategic leadership and administrative oversight to thirtyfour varsity programs, while supervising and assisting head coaches and their staffs.
From 2008 to 2015, Sullivan was the athletic director at Salve Regina University, and from 1995 to 2008, he held administrative roles in the athletic department at Marist College, eventually rising to senior associate athletics director. He holds an MBA from Iona University, and a BA from the University of Mary Washington, where he ran track and cross country.
“I can’t wait to be a Griffin,” Sullivan said. “I want to spend as much time as I can attending practices, competitions, and afternoon programs; engaging with our students, players, and coaches; and getting to know our families and volunteers. Pomfret Athletics has a long and proud history, and I am looking forward to building on that legacy.”
The baseball team had a strong start to their season, returning undefeated from spring training at historic Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida.
As the spring athletic season came to a close, Pomfret’s athletes earned championships, set school records, and left everything on the court and water.
In its sophomore season, the Ultimate team went undefeated and claimed the NEPSUL Division II Championship. Game after game, they edged out tough opponents to keep their winning streak alive.
Twenty-two members of the track and field team qualified and competed at the NEPSTA Division III Championships. It was a day filled with personal triumphs, PRs, and six new school records. Gus Litowitz ’25 placed third in the Javelin, and James Tian ’28 raced to fourth in the 400 meters. Gracie Needham ’26 ran personal bests in the 1500 and 400 meters, for fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively. Rowan Lehmann ’27 soared her way into third place in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth place in the 300-meter hurdles.
After finishing the regular season with a 9–2 record, girls tennis earned the top seed in the NEPSAC Class C Tournament. In the quarterfinals against Mount St. Charles, the Griffins blanked the Mounties before dropping a hard-fought match in the semifinals.
Jacky Wu ’25 qualified for the Class A NEPSITT for the third consecutive year. The tournament features New England’s top singles and doubles players.
In crew, three boys boats qualified for the NEIRA Regatta. The first boat rowed in a tightly contested heat. In a heartbreakingly close finish, they placed fifth, just 0.202 seconds behind the fourth-place finisher.
From early morning workouts to countless hours on the field, court, ice, and water, fifteen Griffins turned their dedication into opportunity — committing to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Five of them made it official by signing a National Letter of Intent to compete in NCAA Division I programs.
On the soccer pitch, Krystal Medina Angeles will join the Columbia University Lions, and Mustafa Hassan will play for the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards.
Three Griffins will take their talents to the college basketball court. Yusuf Dakane will suit up for Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, Kenny Donnelly for Wheaton College in Illinois, and Neo Franco for Southwestern University in Texas.
In hockey, postgraduate Alexis Scherzer left Pomfret early to tend goal for the Nazareth University Golden Flyers. She’ll face former teammate Ava England when Nazareth squares off against the Chatham University Cougars. Luke Corrigan will play for Babson in the New England Hockey Conference, and Matthew Itzkovitz will compete in the NESCAC at Connecticut College.
Also heading to the NESCAC is Carson Ames, who will take the field for the Amherst College Mammoths as a member of their baseball program.
On the water, two rowers will compete at the Division I level: Sean Rhatigan for Fairfield University, and Keira O’Brien for George Washington University.
In lacrosse, Audrey Bonaventura and Max Rosenberg are set to play for Sacred Heart University, while Chase Squires will represent Dickinson College.
Together, these fifteen student-athletes embody what it means to be a Griffin — a unique blend of talent, drive, and heart. As they take the next step in their athletic and academic journeys, they carry with them the pride of the Hilltop and the unwavering support of the entire Pomfret community cheering them on.
For many Griffins, the Pomfret Experience wouldn’t be possible without financial aid. With tuition approaching $76,000, less than 3 percent of US families can afford the full price. Today, more than 42 percent of Pomfret students receive need-based support, totaling about $5 million annually.
But access challenges don’t stop at tuition. From textbooks and ski trips to DoorDash and prom dresses, it all adds up and can create barriers that separate those who can participate in “extras” from those who can’t.
To address this, the Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts launched a $250,000 challenge during Amplify: The Campaign for Pomfret School , which prioritizes access and affordability. The goal was to expand the Full Experience budget, ensuring that all students can fully participate in everything Pomfret has to offer, regardless of means. For every $200,000 contributed to the endowment, $50,000 in immediate-use funds will be unlocked, up to $250,000, to support the highest-need students.
“I’ve had so many opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible without Pomfret’s financial aid,” one student recently shared. “This community has given me so much.”
On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, students and faculty participated in workshops that explored social justice topics embracing the national theme of “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.”
Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack, the inaugural faculty director of the Newbury Center and an associate professor of higher education leadership at Boston University, served as this year’s keynote speaker. He vividly illustrated the challenges of being a “poor black person in a rich white place” by drawing from his experiences as a lowerincome, first-generation college student who relied on scholarships to study at an elite high school and Amherst College. He emphasized that while top institutions open their gates to diverse students, they often fail to create truly inclusive environments.
“Dr. Jack’s insights not only illuminated the challenges that many students face in higher education but also inspired us to think critically about the systems we participate in and the change we can drive,” said Eva Katsev ’27. “His work and dedication to justice and equality are an incredible reminder of the power of education to transform lives.”
As students pour into the School Building, their voices fill the air. Climbing the stairs to Hard Auditorium, they pass an installation of Pomfret’s Values Statement. The value on display is Community. In the auditorium, their conversations buzz until the school president calls the meeting to order. This vibrant scene of camaraderie — so ordinary now — was not always the norm.
This fall, during a School Meeting, Head of School Tim Richards shared an observation: seventeen students walking to School Meeting, eyes glued to their phones, not speaking to one another. It was a moment that sparked deeper reflection — and ultimately, action.
After more than a year of discussion and preparation, Pomfret implemented a new Cellphone-Free Environment Policy. Students must keep their phones in their dorm rooms or day student lockers during the academic day. The move reflects a growing national conversation around screen time, adolescence, and mental health.
Establishing a phone-free environment was not without its challenges. In the first week of the new policy, more than a dozen phones were collected to be returned at the conclusion of the academic day. But the community quickly adapted, with fewer and fewer violations each week.
What has emerged is a more present and connected Pomfret. Conversations now bloom — between classes, across dining hall tables, and in the hallways. At its core, the CellphoneFree Environment Policy is not just about setting boundaries — it’s about creating the conditions for deeper learning, healthier habits, and more authentic human connection.
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1) Stephanie Kerensky [Facilities 2022–present], her husband, Mitch, and big sister, Judy, welcomed Robert William Kerensky on May 8, 2025.
2) Alec Nystrom [Facilities 2022–present] and his wife, Shannon, welcomed a baby boy, named Dominic, into the world on June 18, 2025.
Nathan Adams, Maintenance Electrician
Dena Cocozza O’Hara, Boys Varsity Tennis Head Coach
Mackey Corrigan, Science Teacher
Brendan Daly, Science Teacher
Heather Daly, Head of School
Dan Dunn, History Teacher, Boys Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach
Brooke Feldman-Cryan, Theater Director
Katie Fontaine, Ceramic Arts and Sculpture Teacher
Anna Gutjahr, Nurse - RN
Allen Harris, Assistant Director of Admissions, Boys Varsity Basketball Head Coach
Lynda Houle, Nurse - LPN
Kristen Moseley, Gifts Administrator
James Pinkham ’06, Associate Director of Admissions
Gabe Qua, History Teacher
Collin Shapiro, History Teacher, Varsity Baseball Head Coach
Colin Sullivan, Director of Athletics and Afternoon Programs, Varsity Track and Field Head Coach
Stephanie Sullivan, Learning Support Specialist
Emily Tetrault, Science Teacher
Chareese Allen, Nurse - RN
Abby Anderson, Nurse - RN
Melanie Branco, School Store Manager
Andrew Bub, History Teacher, Boys Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach
Patrick Burke, Boys Varsity Soccer Head Coach
Charlie DelSignore, Carpenter
Nicole Estey, Gifts Administrator
Jake Gabriele, Assistant Director of Admissions
Mo Gaitán, Director of Athletics and Afternoon Programs, Girls Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach
Jack Hutchinson, Science Teacher
Jeremy Irzyk, History Teacher, Varsity Baseball Head Coach
Julie Kremer, Learning Support Specialist
Chip Lamb, Theater Director
Elizabeth Madzin, Leadership Giving Officer
Bill Martin, Science Teacher
Lindsey Neff, History Teacher
Anne Richards, Wellbeing Teacher
Tim Richards, Head of School
Greg Rossolimo, English Teacher, Girls Varsity Squash Head Coach, Boys Varsity Crew Coach
Ronnie Turner, Assistant Director of Admissions, Boys Varsity Basketball Head Coach
Morgan VanFlatern, Nurse - RN
Katie Watkins, Administrative Process and Collaboration Manager
The final official act of Pomfret Board of Trustees Chair Justin P. Klein ’65 was declaring the Class of 2025 graduates at the conclusion of the 131st Commencement of Pomfret School. It was his favorite part of the job that he held for eleven years. He first joined the Board in 1989 and held the roles of vice president and secretary from 2000 to 2001. After a brief hiatus, he was reappointed to the Board in 2008 and became the chair in May 2016. Justin has also served as Alumni Association president from 1987 to 1989 and class secretary from 1980 to 1997. He served on his class Reunion committee in 2010, 2015, and 2020, and was the recipient of the William Beach Olmsted Distinguished Service Award in 2015.
As Justin concludes his remarkable tenure, the Board now turns to Daryle Bost ’89 to lead Pomfret into the next chapter. A dedicated alumnus and experienced leader, he steps into the role of chair with a deep appreciation for the School’s mission and a long record of service to the Hilltop. Daryle first joined the Board in 2013, serving for eight years before rejoining the Board in 2022. In 2023 he was named vice chair of the Board. He was a member of the Amplify Campaign Committee, chaired the Head of School Search Committee, and served on his class Reunion committee in 2014 and 2019. Outside his service to Pomfret, Daryle is the associate vice president for presidential advancement at Williams College.
After nearly two decades of inspiring students through the transformative power of drama, Theater Director Chip Lamb is retiring from Pomfret. A member of the faculty since 2005, Chip has left an indelible mark on the Pomfret stage and beyond, blending artistic vision with educational purpose.
Chip has performed professionally Off-Off Broadway and in regional theaters, and has directed over seventy productions in both colleges and independent schools. At Pomfret, he has directed a wide range of student performances and written two original productions about Pomfret’s history: I’m a Master, I Believe and 70lbs of Books. He also co-wrote The Academy with Ridley Pearson ’71, which was loosely inspired by Pearson’s time on the Hilltop.
Chip has championed theater as a vital, interdisciplinary art form — one that teaches students how to listen deeply, express themselves authentically, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. He has brought professional rigor and dedicated mentorship to everything he did at Pomfret. His passion for the craft and his belief in the power of storytelling have impacted generations of students, many of whom credit him as a formative influence in their lives.
We thank Chip for the countless hours of rehearsal, the many opening nights, and the unforgettable performances — both on the stage and in the classroom.
Director of Student Activities and Form Dean Louisa Gebelein Jones P ’04 was part of Bancroft School’s inaugural class of Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. A 1974 graduate of Bancroft School, Jones excelled in field hockey, basketball, and tennis. After Bancroft, she lettered in tennis, volleyball, basketball, and track and field at Ripon College.
A lifelong educator, Jones has coached at St. Paul’s School, Cushing Academy, the Asheville School, and Assumption University. At Pomfret, she coached varsity field hockey for twenty-nine years before taking over the JV team last fall. She also coached the JV girls squash and lacrosse teams this year.
She was previously inducted into the 1991 Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame and recognized as the 1992 AFHCA Division 2 National Coach of the Year while coaching field hockey at Assumption.
School Counselor Brittney Stanley successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in April. Her defense was the final component of her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy program with a specialization in attachment and bonding at Northcentral University. Her original quantitative research focused on how adult attachment influences relationship progression and satisfaction in long-term partnerships.
Dr. Stanley holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and an executive master’s in healthcare leadership from Brown University. She has over ten years of clinical experience and has specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, internal family systems, advanced Gottman Method practice, and recovery from addictions and complex trauma. In addition to working with students in Pomfret’s Health and Wellness Center, Dr. Stanley runs a private practice.
After twenty-eight years in a Pomfret classroom and countless miles on the trail, river, and road, Bill Martin has retired. Since joining the faculty in 1997, Bill has left an indelible mark on our science program, the afternoon Outdoor Adventure program, and student experience.
Bill began his teaching career in 1984 at the Gow School, a boarding school for dyslexic boys, where he taught biology, chemistry, and physics, and served as department chair. At Pomfret, he led the Science Department for a decade and championed the transition to a Physics First curriculum to strengthen foundational learning in the sciences.
An educator, innovator, and outdoorsman, Bill has always looked beyond the textbook. He founded the Helios Project, a studentdriven aquaponics initiative housed in a passive solar greenhouse. In the afternoons, he led the afternoon outdoor adventures on hiking, camping, kayaking, and climbing expeditions across New England.
As he steps away from the classroom and into his next adventure, we thank Bill for his years of service, his unrelenting curiosity, and his deep commitment to student-centered learning.
By Tim Richards, Head of School
A reflection on choosing love as a way of leading, living, and shaping a better world.
It is a pleasure to stand before you and share my thoughts in this majestic building one last time. The first time I stood here behind St. George back in the fall of 2010, I was almost paralyzed with anxiety. I was shaking like a leaf with fear that I was going to bomb this part of my audition, which could have ruined my chances of being Pomfret’s twelfth head of school, the role, which for the past fourteen years, has been the most profound honor of my professional life.
While I haven’t been nervous behind St. George in nearly fifteen years, today my emotions are in a very different place.
About three weeks ago, I had an interaction with a colleague that I’d like to share with you. I had just made the deeply sad announcement about the passing of our friend Mr. Jeremiah Jones. The audience was filing out, and I was waiting for everyone to leave the auditorium before I returned to my office. This colleague was still sitting by the stage, and he caught my eye and signaled for me to come over and sit down next to him. He gently took me by the arm and asked me how I was doing, how I was feeling, how I was holding up, and how I was being taken care of. I paused, dumbstruck by this awesome act of kindness, and I began to tear up. Yes, I was primarily sad about the news I had just had to share, but my emotions caught up with me
not only because of that sad message, but also because I was deeply touched by this singular act of grace, compassion, and love on the part of a colleague and friend. And I thought to myself, “This is Pomfret.”
We didn’t say “I love you” much in my family when I was growing up. I don’t believe our household lacked love; rather, we simply didn’t express it explicitly. Perhaps we hesitated to say “I love you” because we worried that speaking it aloud might be seen as a sign of weakness or vulnerability. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. As I have grown — as a son, a father, a husband, a sibling, a friend, and an educator — I have come to realize that expressing love genuinely and openly is not, in fact, a sign of weakness, but is rather one of the greatest strengths of all. During my time at Pomfret, I have begun to fully understand and appreciate the power of accessing my heart more completely. My siblings and I now say “I love you” to each other, which is a wonderful development. Because love, in the end, is the foundation of everything that truly matters.
In 1967, arguably the greatest rock ’n’ roll band of all time sang into the hearts of millions across the globe a truth both exquisitely simple and yet deeply profound: “All You Need Is Love.”
“When you choose your path, what you want to do with your lives, choose with your heart. Let love for the work you do be the light that leads you forward.”
It remains a subject of some debate whether The Beatles wrote this song for a planned television program called “Our World” or if it was something that John Lennon was already working on. That’s really not important. What is important is that the band was asked to perform something for the show that would provide a message of hope for the world. It was released during the Summer of Love as an antidote to the tremendous social and geopolitical upheaval of the 1960s. The Vietnam War, the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation, the Civil Rights struggle, and uncertainty about the future loomed large. Yet that five-word message, delivered in that most universal language of music, reminded us — and reminds us still — that love is a choice, an action, a way of being, and a powerful foundation upon which we should build our lives. As John Lennon sang: ‘‘There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done / Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung / It’s easy; all you need is love.’’
Much like in 1967, we find ourselves once again living through difficult and turbulent times. Across the nation and around the world, conflict, distrust, division, hatred, violence, and uncertainty dominate the headlines. We witness suffering and struggle on a scale that can leave us feeling powerless, fearful, and, at times, even hopeless. Rates of anxiety and depression are surging, and humanity faces mounting threats to both our individual and collective well-being.
Where, then, do we find refuge from all this turmoil? What is the cure for those existential threats that are undermining our humanity, sowing division, and heightening our stress and fear?
Singer-songwriter Natalie Taylor wrote these lyrics: “If you’re looking for a sign / Something to carry you back into the light Love is the answer.”
The great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Anne and I ultimately decided to accept the invitation to come to Pomfret because our experience during our interview process made it clear to us that this was simply a different kind of community, one defined in many respects by love. Pomfret was and is much more than just a school. At its best, it is a place where young minds and hearts grow, where values are shaped, and where the seeds of kindness, empathy, and love are planted and subsequently thrive.
During our time on this Hilltop, I have witnessed love in action every single day. I’ve seen it in students rallying around
friends during moments of real hardship, and in hugs exchanged after great artistic or athletic performances. I’ve heard it in laughter echoing through hallways and around dining hall tables. I’ve noticed it in the dedication of teachers who go beyond their duties to ensure that every student feels seen, valued, and cared for. And I’ve observed it in the quiet, steadfast work of our incredible staff, whose behind-the-scenes efforts strengthen this community in ways both large and small.
I felt it in the way this community rallied around my family and me when my sister and then my parents passed away, and when I was battling cancer. I’ve heard it expressed so beautifully in too many memorial services for colleagues and students who have left us far too soon. I’ve been struck by it in countless Senior Chapel Talks when seniors say “I love you,” without hesitation, or fear, or embarrassment in their gratitudes.
The love I have witnessed and felt here has led me to my final message to you, and it’s really quite simple.
When you choose your path, what you want to do with your lives, choose with your heart. Let love for the work you do be the light that leads you forward.
This morning, as I have pretty much every day for the past forty years, I threw my briefcase over my left shoulder as I prepared to head over to school. As I have for the past thirty-six years, I kissed Anne goodbye and told her I loved her before I left. And this morning as I stepped out my door, no matter what would come, good or bad, I once again felt a deep sense of joy that I would get to do, rather than have to do, everything that today would bring. I loved being a teacher, coach, and advisor, and now, I quite simply love being a head of school.
But it’s important to add a candid qualifier: I have not loved every moment of this work. There have been mornings when I woke up questioning whether I had the strength to meet the demands of the day. There were times when the challenges seemed to outweigh the solutions, when meetings yielded more confusion than clarity, and when problems I believed should have been solvable stubbornly remained beyond my reach. I’ve had to make really hard decisions that had significant and difficult consequences for members of this community. There have also been days when I got home and wondered if I had done anything right all day and if I was any good at this job.
And yet my love for being an educator has never wavered. I especially love what we do here at Pomfret, the way we do it, and the amazing people with whom I have the privilege to do it. Above
all, I cherish the countless moments — big and small — that have brought joy and meaning to my life within this community. So while I suspect that you won’t savor every part of what you do every day, if you find work you truly love, it won’t feel like work most of the time — and that love will give you the strength to overcome the inevitable hardships that will come your way.
So make sure you find a spark in whatever you choose to do. Forty years ago, I found that spark in the classroom as a teacher, and it still burns in me today. How lucky am I?
The world needs love now more than ever. It needs people who love and are passionate about their work and who can rely on the grace of love to confront the significant and growing difficulties our world is facing. And it starts with us — right here, right now.
In his book, Tuesdays with Morrie, author Mitch Albom shares this piece of wisdom from his friend, Morrie Schwartz, as Morrie confronts old age and death: “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
Purpose and meaning. This is precisely what Pomfret’s mission statement hopes you will find in your lives. And as his ultimate piece of wisdom, Morrie offers this: ‘‘The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.’’
Loving others and allowing love into your life, he suggests, are fundamental to leading a fulfilling and happy life.
As we prepare to leave this Hilltop, my deepest hope is that each of you will carry love as a guiding force in your own lives and in the life of Pomfret. I urge those of you who will continue to call the Hilltop home to ensure that Pomfret remains not merely a school, but a place that fosters kindness, embraces understanding, radiates empathy, and nurtures deep, lasting relationships. Seniors, as you set out toward new horizons in just a few weeks, take this spirit with you. Bring the very heart of Pomfret into your next communities, and let it shape the world around you.
The Dalai Lama once said: “Love is a necessity, not a luxury. Without it, humanity cannot survive.”
In that spirit, and because it’s all the rage with you kids these days, I would like to share a few gratitudes as I wrap up. All of them have at their core an abiding sense of love.
First, to the trustees of Pomfret School: Fourteen years ago, you entrusted me to lead this school, and you have been by my side, supporting me and this institution relentlessly through both good times and moments of real challenge. My appreciation for all you do for Pomfret is endless.
To the faculty and staff of Pomfret: You are kind, compassionate, and tremendously dedicated people. You are the heart and soul of this school, and I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to work alongside you.
Students: I see in you the capacity for so much light, so much goodness, and so much love. You bring a smile to my face every time you stop in for candy, or greet me with a “Hey TR,” or when you pause to scratch Baloo’s ears. I thank you for bringing Anne, Baloo, and me so much happiness.
To my friends beyond the Hilltop: Thank you for keeping me grounded and for allowing me to let my hair down from
“Put love first. Allow love to enter into your lives. And love what you do in this one life you have with all your heart.”
time to time. Your support and love have provided me with energy and so much laughter. I look forward to spending more time with you soon.
To my siblings, Laura, Chris, and CC: It’s been just the four of us now for too many years, but I consider myself so lucky that you are my family. I am grateful to you for your support and for keeping me humble. I love you, just as I loved Pammy, Dodo, and Poppi.
To our three amazing children, Max, Molly, and Lucy, and to our daughter-in-law, Diana, and our granddaughter, Maddox: I don’t have enough words to tell you how proud I am of who you are. More importantly, I will never be able to express just how much I love you.
Finally, to the love of my life, Anne Richards: Almost forty-four years ago, in August of 1981, I saw you smile, and I was smitten. Six weeks later, in a fit of youthful exuberance, I told you that one day we would be married. You laughed at me, told me to get lost, and some time later asked me to drive you to Boston to see your boyfriend. Which, of course, I did, so sure was I that I knew how this play was going to end. For almost thirty-six years, you have been my most honest critic, my best friend, my most vehement defender, my caretaker through illness, and my inspiration for leading with love. Your kindness knows no limits, and your wisdom guides me every day. In every smile, every embrace, and in every quiet act of devotion, you have shown me what true partnership means. I am endlessly grateful for your presence, your patience, and your profound grace. I love you to the moon and back.
So Pomfret, put love first. Allow love to enter into your lives. And love what you do in this one life you have with all your heart.
Soon we will leave Pomfret, humbly hoping that it is in at least some small way better than we found it. We certainly leave with hearts full of gratitude, and more importantly, full of love.
STORY BY Corrine Szarkowicz
PHOTOS BY Lindsay Lehmann
New York. London. Sydney. Amsterdam. And for three unforgettable nights — Pomfret. Hadestown, the Tony and Grammy Award–winning musical that has captivated audiences around the world, came to the Hilltop in a production that blended professional ambition with student passion.
The story of Hadestown deals with big questions, and kids want to grapple with those questions. They want to ask them, think about them, and tell a story that explores them.
— Chip Lamb, Theater Director
Gen X had Rent . Millennials had Wicked Gen Z has Hadestown . Members of Pomfret School Theater have been enamored with the musical since they saw the show at The Walter Kerr Theater in March 2022. They wanted their shot to stage the production on the Hilltop, but the rights were unavailable to professional theaters, let alone high schools — until they were.
It felt like fate when, in April 2024, Concord Theatricals announced that Hadestown: Teen Edition was available for licensing. The full-length adaptation of the Tony Award–winning musical had been modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences, with vocal arrangements adjusted to accommodate teen voices and a flexible, expandable chorus.
“This show is extremely popular with young people, and the producers did a clever thing by releasing the rights to high schools,” said Theater Director Chip Lamb. “They are cultivating an audience.”
Nathan Kikonyogo ’25 was overjoyed when he heard the announcement. Soon after, he and other members of Pomfret School Theater started petitioning Lamb to perform Hadestown on the Hilltop.
“The story of Hadestown is something that young people need to hear right now,” said Nathan. The show explores the tension between nature and industry, using themes of climate change to mirror today’s environmental challenges. “Telling the story of how the world could be as opposed to how it is will hopefully have the audience thinking inward.
They need to understand that the world is changing really quickly,” said Nathan.
A modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown reimagines the story through the lens of American folk music and Depression-era industrialism. In the musical, Eurydice descends into Hadestown, the industrial underworld ruled by Hades, the god of the dead, in search of an escape from poverty and the cold. She becomes one of the countless workers trapped in relentless labor, toiling under Hades’s rule in a mechanized, factory-like world. Determined to save her, Orpheus journeys to Hadestown, but Hades refuses to let her go. Moved by Orpheus’s song and the pleas of his wife, Persephone, Hades offers them a chance to leave, under one heartbreaking condition: Orpheus must lead Eurydice out without ever looking back.
Originally conceived as a concept album by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown
It was my favorite show that I have performed at Pomfret.
— Nathan Kikonyogo ’25 It may be the best high school musical I have ever seen.
— Tim Richards, Head of School
evolved into a Broadway phenomenon, winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Its music, infused with New Orleans jazz, folk, and blues, forms a nearly continuous score of more than thirty songs that push performers to think like musicians and storytellers.
Lamb agreed that Hadestown is something young audiences should see and selected the show as his final winter musical before his retirement. “The story of Hadestown deals with big questions, and kids want to grapple with those questions,’’ said Lamb. “They want to ask them, think about them, and tell a story that explores them. It’s how we, as human beings, find community.”
In early December, the cast got to work learning more than thirty-five musical numbers. Nearly the entire production is sung. It was challenging for some who enjoy performing in plays, but the story began to resonate with them once they approached the lyrics as poetry. Once they mastered the lyrics, they made the show their own.
Nathan played Hermes, the messenger of the gods and narrator of the tale, seamlessly guiding the audience between worlds. Kylie Corrigan ’25 starred as the vulnerable and independent Eurydice. Aiden Blow ’25 played an idealistic and courageous Orpheus. Lars Han ’27 was a cold and commanding Hades. Wulf Gooding ’25 played a strong and independent Persephone. Rowan Lehmann ’27, Ming McCarter ’25, and Sabrina Salazar ’28, who played The Fates, were omnipresent forces that shaped the characters’ destinies and offered cryptic wisdom to both the audience and the gods.
Behind the scenes, the crew worked to recreate the show’s iconic world. On Broadway, scenic designer Rachel Hauck used a rotating stage to symbolize the endless cycle of life and death. Lacking Broadway mechanics, Pomfret’s team leaned into choreography. Director of Dance Nina Joly designed circular movements into the staging, while Lamb and Artist-in-Residence JP Jacquet constructed a dynamic set that echoed the show’s industrial edge.
The three-night run of Hadestown in February generated buzz across the Hilltop and drew guests from the surrounding community. The sixteen-member ensemble delivered a compelling visual and musical journey — one that felt both ancient and urgently relevant. “It may be the best high school musical I have ever seen,” said Head of School Tim Richards.
For the cast and crew, the experience transcended their performance. “It was life-changing,” said Kylie. Nathan agreed. From backstage, he watched as the audience leaned in, fully immersed in the show. “It was my favorite show that I have performed at Pomfret.”
As the lights dimmed on the final night, the audience remained still for a moment longer — a breath held between worlds — before erupting into applause. Hadestown had come to Pomfret, and for a few magical nights, the Hilltop became a place where myths were sung, hearts were broken, and stories were reborn.
STORY BY Garry Dow
INTERVIEW BY Corrine Szarkowicz
Placed carefully among the old photographs, well-worn books, and school memorabilia you might expect to find in the office of a man who has dedicated his life to education, is a simple wooden sign inscribed with the words “It takes a village.”
The Village is what first attracted Tim and his wife, Anne, a partner in every sense of the word, to Pomfret. “It was the people who brought us here, and it is the people who have kept us here,” Anne says.
At the same time, Tim understood that the world was changing, and he told the trustees who hired him that Pomfret would need to change with it. “We are a more nimble school than we
were in 2011 — more adept at and accustomed to change. If that turns out to be my legacy, I am okay with that.”
In June, Tim and Anne said goodbye to fourteen remarkable years at Pomfret, and forty incredible years in education. And while they remain humbled to lead this place they love so much, they are ready for a new adventure.
“I have always believed in the value of change, and that is true for school leadership as well,” Tim says. “We’re leaving because it’s time — and because we believe deeply in the team that will carry this work forward.”
The head is important, but so too is the heart, and sometimes the heart knows in an instant what it can take years for the head to understand.”
— Tim Richards
THE WAY TIM TELLS THE STORY, it was love at first sight. The way Anne tells it, not so much.
The pair first met during freshman orientation at Connecticut College in 1981. “I saw her from across the room and I was struck,” he remembers, a small crack appearing in his otherwise steady voice. Not long afterward, he told Anne that one day they would be married. “I remember laughing it off at the time,” Anne says with a smile. Tim and Anne got married in 1989 and have been married for the last thirty-six years.
Even then, the two had a lot in common. Tim and Anne both came from families with deep roots in education. Anne grew up in Harvard housing, the daughter of a Harvard professor. Tim was a faculty brat who spent his youth traipsing around Phillips Andover Academy.
“We only knew the world of education,” Tim says. “I’m a fourth-generation teacher. Both my grandfathers were educators, my great grandfather was an educator, my parents were educators. It’s kind of a strange way to grow up, but that’s how I grew up, how my parents grew up, and how our kids grew up.”
At Connecticut College, Tim was a French and psychology double major, and for a while, he thought he might become an organizational psychologist. “Anything but teaching,” the eighteen-year-old famously and emphatically declared when he was asked about his career aspirations.
Then, in the summer of 1984, just before his senior year of college, Tim accepted a job as a teaching assistant at the
Andover Summer Session. “The head is important, but so too is the heart,” he says. “And sometimes the heart knows in an instant what it can take years for the head to understand.”
After three years at two other schools, in 1988, Tim was offered a teaching job at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island. At St. George’s, Tim and Anne settled into boarding life. They lived in the dorms and hosted advisory dinners. Tim taught French and psychology, and coached squash and football. Anne got a job teaching fourth grade just down the road at St. Michael’s Country Day School.
After a few years, they had their first child, a boy named Max. Then came Molly. And finally, Lucy. They spent summers at Squam Lake, nestled in the foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
One of the gifts of their tenure at St. George’s was the opportunity to raise their children in a school community. “Our kids were surrounded by mentors, teachers, and friends who knew and loved them,” Anne says. “They got to see their parents doing work that mattered.”
In 1997, Tim was named dean of students. A few years later, he became assistant head of school. Before they knew it, twenty-three years had flown by. About a year before the head of school opening at Pomfret became available, Tim remembers Anne giving him the nudge he needed. “Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?” she had asked. He thought about it for a while, and then replied, “No, I think I have something more to offer.”
— Tim Richards
TIM’S FIRST FORMAL ACT as Pomfret’s twelfth head of school was to delay the opening by a week. “Right before we were supposed to start school, a massive storm hit campus and we didn’t have generators,” he remembers. “We didn’t have power, couldn’t refrigerate food — welcome to the world of making big decisions.”
Tim describes his first year as an intensive crash course in “How to Become a Head of School,” with extensive travel to places like Asia, and a focus on getting to know the community, especially the Board of Trustees. “I had been exposed to these things as an assistant head at St. George’s, but actually being the head was a whole different level of challenge and responsibility.”
Their daughter, Lucy, who was entering Pomfret as a freshman, helped Tim and Anne find their footing. “The first year was really good for both of us,” Anne says. “Having Lucy as a freshman allowed us to put down roots right away.”
Not long after his arrival, Tim began outlining a new and bold approach to teaching and learning that would eventually become Pomfret’s 2013 strategic plan, The Pomfret Purpose “Historically, education happened in a very individualized fashion,” Tim says. “The teacher dispensed information, and it was the job of the student to retain and then parrot back what the teacher had said.”
“What I wanted to do was make the teaching and learning happening inside the classroom look and feel more like the work happening in the world outside of the classroom. At a fundamental level, I wanted to put student agency front and center.”
It was a promising vision, but one without a clear path forward. Then, in the summer of 2013, Tim took a long bike ride with the man who had hired him. Peter Grauer P ’02, ’10 had stepped down from being board chair a year earlier, but he and Tim had stayed in touch. During the bike ride, Grauer asked, “So, what do you need to get your vision off the ground?”
Tim said he needed a “campus resource” — it didn’t have a name yet — run by someone with the expertise, energy, and drive it would take to operationalize the boldest parts
of the strategic plan. Not long after that conversation, Peter and Laurie Grauer offered to fund the creation of a new academic center: The Grauer Family Institute for Excellence and Innovation in Education.
Since its establishment in 2013, the Grauer Institute has led to a slew of cascading improvements: longer class blocks for deeper learning, a move away from advanced placement classes, cornerstone initiatives like experiential travel and competency-based learning, the freshman and sophomore humanities programs, and limits on cell phone and social media use.
When asked to share some other accomplishments, Tim mentions Cosmic Bandana Days right away. These “free days” are chosen by the head of school and announced when the fabled cosmic bandana appears somewhere on campus. Over the years, the bandana has shown up in all kinds of places, from the top of the flagpole in the front circle to the neck of Tim’s dog, Baloo. Today, the School has one Cosmic Bandana Day per term, which gives students and faculty the opportunity to slow down, unwind, and decompress. “To me, Cosmic Bandana Days are akin to group mental health days,” he says. “I try to announce them when I feel like the community needs a break.”
The School’s rivalry with Millbrook is another highlight. The Battle for Route 44 — so named because both schools are located on the same road, 150 miles apart — is one of the biggest days on the school calendar. The daylong competition includes field hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, and football, culminating in the raising of the William PeckEdward Pulling Trophy, named after the founders of the two schools. Since formally establishing the rivalry in 2021, Pomfret has won all four times.
“The choices we’ve made are not whimsical or fadbased,” Tim says. “There’s good science behind each of them. Change is difficult for any organization, but at the same time, we must continue to put student well-being and student outcomes at the forefront of our decisionmaking process.”
Tim and Anne make their first trip to Asia.
Tim begins shaping a long-term vision for the School.
Anne establishes Pomfret Power Packs, a weekend program to serve nearby school children experiencing food insecurity.
The Grauer Institute is created.
Tim takes over as the twelfth head of Pomfret School.
Anne begins volunteering at TEEG and offering yoga classes to students and faculty.
The Pomfret Purpose is released.
The Health and Wellness Center opens.
The COVID-19 pandemic hits. Tim guides the School through remote learning and reopening, emphasizing calm, compassion, and resilience.
Change Makers and Problem Solvers is released.
Anne helps open a food pantry on campus, further expanding the Pomfret Power Packs program.
Amplify campaign launches.
Anne helps launch the Wellbeing Department.
Tim establishes the Battle for Route 44.
Tim announces his plans to retire. Leadership succession planning begins.
VISTA opens.
Heather Daly is announced as Pomfret’s thirteenth head of school.
Pomfret’s largest fundraising campaign successfully concludes with more than $82.5 million raised.
Tim and Anne retire after fourteen years at Pomfret and forty years in education.
Well-being is about learning how to take care of yourself so that you can take care of the people around you.”
— Anne Richards
WHILE TIM WAS DEVELOPING The Pomfret Purpose and launching The Grauer Institute, Anne was defining her own role within the School’s future. A longtime yoga practitioner, she began offering yoga classes to students and faculty not long after arriving on the Hilltop. “In the beginning, I think my role was just to be present,” she says. “To listen, to show up, and to help hold things together.”
Around the same time, Anne also began volunteering at a nearby social service agency called TEEG. “I ended up working the front desk,” she says, “answering the phone, helping out in the food pantry, just kind of getting involved.”
Slowly but surely, Anne began bringing some of what she was experiencing at TEEG back to Pomfret. “I’ve always believed you should do service close to home. So that was a huge piece for me, wanting to teach kids the value of looking around the neighborhood and realizing that there are people in need right here.”
During Project: Pomfret, Anne started a group called The Cinderella Project, inspired by the national nonprofit initiative which provides prom dresses to local high school students in need. A few years later, Anne established an on-campus pantry that provides weekend food bags called Pomfret Power Packs to nearby school children experiencing food insecurity.
Anne was also instrumental in launching Pomfret’s newest academic department, the Wellbeing Department. Today, the department offers a long list
of popular courses, including Bigger Than Ourselves, Becoming Kinder, Mindfulness, the Happiness Project, and Y Yoga?.
“Well-being is about so much more than health,” Anne says. “It’s about learning how to take care of yourself so that you can take care of the people around you.”
The physical embodiment of Pomfret’s commitment to well-being is the Tim & Anne Richards Health and Wellness Center, which opened its doors in the fall of 2018. This state-licensed facility features four single bedrooms with private baths, a multi-bed observation room, intake and consultation rooms, and three counseling rooms. Across campus, Strong Field House is home to a multi-use wellness studio, named the Anne Richards Yoga Studio, where students can take yoga and meditation classes.
The project was made possible thanks to the generosity of Greg Melville ’68 and his wife, Susan Fox. Together, they contributed $2.975 million to make these spaces a reality. To date, Greg and Susan have donated more than $10 million to Pomfret, making them the most generous donors in the School’s history.
“I am so grateful to Greg and Susan,” says Tim. “We now have three full-time licensed counselors, a full-time APRN who serves as our clinician, and a whole team of RNs. Our ability to better address student mental and physical needs is light years ahead of where we were just fifteen years ago.”
ROOTED IN THE TIMELESS, HARD-WON TRUTHS of an institution more than a century in the making, Pomfret recently completed Amplify: The Campaign for Pomfret School, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in school history. The campaign, which was chaired by Melville, took shape following the release of Pomfret’s newest strategic plan, Change Makers and Problem Solvers, which sought to reimagine what a boarding school can and should be.
“Too often, the problems we face can feel intractable, the magnitude of the change overwhelming,” Tim says. “But I have always been, and always will be, an optimist. I take it as an article of faith that one small school really can make a difference.”
Amplify generated more than $82.5 million in capital, endowment, and operating support. “An $80 million campaign is huge for us,” Tim says. “It means our endowment has almost twice as much power as it did when we arrived fourteen years ago. It means we have more available financial aid to support students
in need. It means we have more resources to support our faculty in their professional growth. And it means, after decades of conversation, we finally have a new science center.”
The science center, VISTA, is the newest addition to a large list of capital improvements made to campus under Tim and Anne’s leadership. Opening in the fall of 2024, the three-story, 22,000-square-foot facility is double the size of the science building it replaced. The centerpiece is an airy space called the Hamilton Hub, with expansive windows stretching two stories, bathing the space with natural light. Beyond the Hub, the building branches into a labyrinth of classrooms, labs, and community gathering spaces.
“VISTA has exceeded our hopes and expectations,” says Anne. “It has been enormously gratifying to see so many people rally around this missing piece of the puzzle. The opening of VISTA really has been a high watermark for us.”
Serving
Pomfret’s twelfth head of school has been the single greatest professional honor and privilege of my life.”
— Tim Richards
BACK IN JULY 2023, Tim and Anne took a trip to South Africa with some of their oldest, closest friends. “We were away from school, away from technology, in a place and time that allowed for deep reflection,” he recounts. That was when Anne suggested, for a whole host of reasons, that it was time to start thinking about life after Pomfret.
Six months later, Tim officially announced to the Pomfret community: “Thirteen years ago, Anne and I arrived with our daughter Lucy to start a new chapter of our lives on the Pomfret Hilltop. As I reflect on the time that Anne and I have spent here, I am beyond grateful for the incomparably wonderful experience we have had at this special school.
“Serving as Pomfret’s twelfth head of school has been the single greatest professional honor and privilege of my life. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have worked with as supportive a Board of Trustees as a head of school could ever hope for. Add to that the wisdom, compassion, and guidance I have received from my senior leadership team, and the fact is that I have been truly blessed.”
In October 2024, after an extensive search, Heather Daly was named Pomfret’s thirteenth head of school.
Since then, Tim has been effusive in his praise of and support for the incoming head. “She brings energy. She brings charisma. She brings a deep love for working with teenagers. I’m really confident that she’s going to be that dynamic leader that Pomfret needs right now.”
As retirement approaches, it’s clear that Tim and Anne’s impact will long outlast their tenure. “It’s not just about what we built,” Anne says. “It’s about who we built it with — and who we built it for.”
In their final days on the Hilltop, Tim and Anne didn’t speak much about policies or programs. Instead, it’s the people they wanted to talk about — faculty who became more than colleagues, students who challenged them to become better teachers, trustees who offered wise counsel, friends and family who walked with them through joy and challenge.
When asked what they will miss most, Tim pauses, and then smiles. “If you’re an educator and you’re leaving education, the thing you’re going to miss most is kids. I always wanted what was best for kids. If there’s a throughline to this story, that’s it.”
Twelve miles off the coast of Maine lies a magical island waiting to be discovered.
Upon his arrival at Arches National Monument in the late 1950s, the late great cantankerous writer and naturalist Edward Abbey wrote: “This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.”
Twelve miles off the coast of Rockland, Maine, sits another one of those right, true places. It’s called Hurricane Island.
For more than forty years, the remote outpost was home to the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School (HIOBS), known for its rock climbing, ropes course, sailing, and pulling boat programs. In 2006, Outward Bound moved inland, and in 2009, the Hurricane Island Center for Science & Leadership was established by Peter and Ben Willauer with the help of several former HIOBS instructors.
Since 2018, small groups of Pomfret students have been coming to this low-lying granite outcropping dotted by spruce and fir to immerse themselves in a course called Marine Ecology and Climate Change on the Maine Seacoast. Measuring a mere 125 acres, the
island is one of more than 200 small privately-held islands dotting Penobscot Bay. “Hurricane Island is an ideal learning laboratory for Pomfret students and educators,” says Associate Head of School Don Gibbs, who leads and manages the program.
Gibbs is no stranger to experiential education. During his twenty-plus years at Pomfret, he has traveled with students to study geology in Hawaii, Islam in Morocco, colonization in the Sacred Valley of Peru, and biogeography in the Galápagos.
On Hurricane, part of the Fox Island archipelago, budding marine scientists get the opportunity to learn the tools of the trade directly from a team of professional educators, trained biologists, visiting scientists, and guest lecturers. The course is for credit and counts toward the pursuit of a certificate in STEM or Sustainability. Our certificate program gives motivated, independentminded students the opportunity to gain deep exposure to a specific area of study during their time at Pomfret. Certificates are diploma distinctions that appear on a student’s transcript.
‘‘I was interested in a carnivorous gastropod called a dog whelk. An abundance or deficit of a single species can have such a big impact on the ecosystem.”
— Owen Schmidt ’26
Over ten days, students working in small teams live and work here, learning key measurement and core sampling techniques used by the island’s resident researchers to assess the health of the marine environment. In the process, these student-researchers come to understand the ecological and economic impact that climate-related changes are having on local and regional communities in the Northeast.
On his trip to Hurricane, Edward King’oo ’26 studied the effects of energy intensity on intertidal species density. “Many species — including crabs, clams, and other marine invertebrates — live in the intertidal zone. I was able to show how different energy levels created by wind, tide, and waves impact where they choose to live within that zone.”
Hurricane Island is the linchpin in a network of ocean monitoring stations called the Northeast Coastal Stations Alliance (NeCSA), which was formed to investigate and document coastal change in the Gulf of Maine. The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest-warming bodies in the world, warming faster than 99 percent of all other marine waters on the planet. The implications for biological communities, ecosystem services, and coastal cities and towns are significant and still largely unknown.
“I was interested in a carnivorous gastropod called a dog whelk,” says Owen Schmidt ’26. “An abundance or deficit of a single species can have such a big impact on the ecosystem. In my research, I learned that an abundance of dog whelks
often leads to a decline in the mussel population.”
Studying (and eating!) shellfish is an important part of the Hurricane Island experience. To the north of the island, the Center maintains a three-acre aquaculture farm where students spend time exploring scallop beds and other multitrophic research projects. The work is funded through the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ Maine Sea Grant Program Development, and the goal of the initiative is to understand how local populations respond to rotational management efforts.
“The whole student experience culminates with a marine ecology symposium in which students describe the scope and methodology of their studies and share the results,” says Gibbs. “When students return to Pomfret, they host an information session for other students who are curious about the experience.”
The beating heart of Hurricane Island is the central campus, a spartan collection of sturdy, utilitarian buildings that include five cabins, one bunkhouse, a yurt, a full-service kitchen, a mess hall, composting toilets, a shower house, a flowing-seawater lab, a dock, two classroom spaces, and a new, sustainably-built field research station. Electricity is generated by solar arrays, and hot water is warmed with solar heaters.
This June, Pomfret’s island roots got a little deeper when it launched a new credit-bearing experience focused on the campus itself. The Certificate Program in Sustainability
Leadership is a week-long intensive course open to high school students from across the country and the world. The program is accredited by Pomfret School and taught by the Center for Science & Leadership’s resident researchers.
Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, program participants monitor the Center’s electric and water usage, maintain the compost, and help keep the galley clean; they interact with research scientists and sustainability professionals; they consider new ways to improve the island community’s commitment to sustainability; and they determine how these innovations can be applied back home. “It exposes students to emerging technologies and solutions that hold promise, need investment, and could be implemented at various scales,” says Gibbs.
Students enrolled in the program also become part of the
team that makes the island tick. “On the island, wastewater from the bathrooms is filtered through plants and then used to water the vegetable garden,” says Nyx McIvor ’27, who studied on Hurricane Island last summer and is headed back again this August. “It taught me to be more mindful. Maybe I don’t need to take a hot shower for half an hour? Maybe I just need to have a quick rinse and come out.”
Of course, the Hurricane Island experience isn’t all work and no play. For many students, what they remember most, what tends to burrow deep down inside of them, is the way the island makes them feel.
“The island — its atmosphere and scenery — are magical,” says Nyx. “Just the opportunity to escape technology and be immersed in nature is amazing. I really loved walking around the island during the day. But, for me, what I’ll never forget are the stars at night. Hurricane Island is just an incredibly special place.”
“The island — its atmosphere and scenery — are magical. Just the opportunity to escape technology and be immersed in nature is amazing. Hurricane Island is just an incredibly special place.”
— Nyx McIvor ’27
Recently, Alex ter Weele has reconnected with Peter Tower ’54. Pete is doing well, walking every day on a path near his Wellesley home. Despite having taught secondary school history most of his life, he continues reading to polish up on his knowledge. He and Alex have been reading Arnold Toynbee (The Rise and Fall of Civilizations) and exchanging views on whether the US is on the upside of the curve or the downslope. Once they come to a conclusion, they will let the rest of us know! Alex tells us his newest publication, Sir Alex Talks Soccer, is a must-read ahead of next year’s World Cup games here in the States.
George Morgan wrote, “I attended my 60th reunion at Rollins College [in April], greatly enjoying the four days and three nights of seeing just how much the campus and its curricula have changed over the years. It seems in many respects it’s an extension of Pomfret’s own course of study, with even more opportunities for personal creativity and group problem-solving. I do wish that my wife, Marilyn, whom I met at Rollins in early February 1964 and married in August 1966, could have been with me, were it not for her untimely passing a year ago. Going forward, my goal in life is to be a centenarian while enjoying the years left to me. Hard to believe that my son, Scott, is about to turn fiftyfour and my two grandkids are about to turn twenty years old. Glad to see so many of our class are still with us. We graduated sixty-four years after Pomfret was founded, about the same difference in time now between when we graduated and the Pomfret Class of 2025!”
Mark Simon, a founding principal of Centerbrook Architects and Planners, recently garnered two new awards for his work on the renovation and expansion of the Yale Peabody Museum: the international Green Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and the Blue Ribbon Award, the highest honor given by CREW Connecticut at their Annual Connecticut Real Estate Awards Gala in April 2025.
Dan Church reported, “After a thirty-year escape from journalism, last year I submitted a local piece on the health effects of train horns (behind my house). The editor submitted it, and the article won a state award for investigative reporting.”
Paul Fowler wrote, “A number of us from 1964 returned to the Pomfret campus for the wonderful celebration of Jay Milnor on Saturday, April 26 — Steve Cook, Charlie Potts, Barbie Lazear, Charlotte and Mark Constantian, Vip vanVoorhees, and myself. We were joined by John Griswold, Dick Fates, and Carlie Fleischmann from 1963, along with faculty family members from our times: the Coles, Geissingers, and Milnors. Brad Hastings ’68 returned as well. A single chapel service brought together forty years of Pomfret’s headmasters/ heads of school. I think some of my classmates babysat for the Milnor children, as they were young during our time. It was a good turnout, with many others tuning in virtually. The service brought back fond memories stirred by reflections from Head of School Tim Richards, the Milnors, Caroline Sloat, and Peter Murkett ’65. Besides being my tennis coach, Jay gave an elective course in public speaking that was the best course I took at Pomfret (maybe because there were no grades). Today, every senior gives a Chapel Talk standing behind Sir Gallahad, one of many changes with Pomfret’s focus on innovation in education to help students navigate this changing world. On a personal note (so excuse the appearance of bragging … okay, it is flat out bragging), March 22nd celebrated the twenty-fifth year since the founding of the Fairfield County Platform Tennis League (FCPTL). I was the League’s president for ten years, starting with its founding. I am honored to have the end-of-year tournament named for me. It is the largest one-day paddle tournament in the country, with 350 players, and is called The Paul Fowler Invitational.”
Class notes featured in this issue were received prior to May 30, 2025. Notes received after this date will be published in the next issue. Class notes are appreciated and may be submitted via your class agent, the Pomfret School website, or by e-mail to:
Debby Thurston, class notes editor, at dthurston@pomfret.org.
We encourage and welcome appropriate news items and photographs from all alumni and friends. Please note that not all submissions are guaranteed to appear based on subject matter, photo reproduction quality, and space availability. Also, we reserve the right to edit for consistency and style, but we will give every consideration to each author’s individual writing style.
The dynamic duo of David Woodrow ’64, VISTA environmental science lab donor, and Pomfret Science Teacher Annie O’Sullivan
Connie and Jock Dix ’64 on the Duoro River last year. They flew to London, then traveled to Scotland to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 17, 2025.
Art Dielhenn ’65 and his wife, Sakel, on their wedding day.
Art Dielhenn was pleased to announce that he was married to Sakel Chomsuai from Bangsean Beach, Thailand, on October 3, 2024. His second book, Addiction is a Family Disease, was released in February 2025 and illustrates the impact of addiction on families.
Members of the Class of 1965 gathered to celebrate their 60th reunion. L-R: Michael Glick, Bill Saunders, Peter Murkett, Donald Gibbs, Nat Clymer, Dean Moss, Derry Allen, Jim Seymour, Rick Findlay, Bill Whipple, James King, Don Robinson, Mark Hildebrand, Robert Orr, Buzz Yudell, and Steve Crane. Missing from photo: Justin Klein, Seaver Leslie, Tom LeVeen, Matt Matthews
Jack Viertel wrote, “I’m still in the trenches after all these years. My musical, Let The Good Times Roll, will premiere in Phoenix, Arizona this August, and a thriller I wrote with my son, Josh, will be published in early September. It’s called The Glass Eel and takes on black-market eel trappers in coastal Maine, with suitable mayhem occurring. I’ve also just become a grandfather for the first time. Gabriel Parekh Viertel was born on December 17, 2024, weighing in at three pounds (yikes) and seven weeks early. He’s growing up, though. Greetings to all classmates, I hope you’re all well and just as active as you want to be.”
Robert Shasha and Gordon Wheeler enjoyed dinner together on December 27, 2024, during Robert’s visit to Washington, DC.
Shasha and Lenny
March 13, 2025.
Arthur Diaz and Alex Diaz ’12 attended Red Sox Fantasy Camp in Fort Myers, Florida, this past January. Arthur first attended back in 2011 to celebrate his fiftieth birthday, and he decided to return this year because Alex had just turned thirty, the minimum age for participation. Arthur and Alex shared a great week at the Red Sox spring training facility, playing baseball on a team coached by former major leaguers. Alex was named to the camp all-star team, and Arthur made it through the week without embarrassing himself.
In 2003, Dr. Jessie Stone ’85, a whitewater kayaker and physician, was paddling the Nile River when a teammate contracted malaria. Despite taking precautions, he became ill — a moment that shifted Stone’s life. While treating him, she discovered that many local Ugandans lacked basic knowledge about malaria and had no access to mosquito nets. That realization led to the founding of Soft Power Health, a nonprofit providing primary healthcare and health education in Kyabirwa, Uganda. Blending her two passions — medicine and kayaking —
Stone opened a clinic in 2006 and launched outreach programs focused on malaria, nutrition, family planning, domestic violence, gardening, and physiotherapy. “Starting the clinic felt like paddling an unknown river. You don’t know what’s around the bend or what kind of rapids are coming next,” she said. “There are calm stretches where you catch your breath, but something always comes up.” Her team now treats 35,000 patients annually, with another 20,000 reached through education. She’s proud of building a sustainable model that empowers local communities and employs more than 100 Ugandans.
In 1991, the Alumni Association of Pomfret School established the William Beach Olmsted Distinguished Service Award. The award was created to recognize and honor distinguished, sustained, and dedicated service to Pomfret School. It is named in honor of the Reverend William Beach Olmsted, who served as headmaster for thirty-two years until his death in 1929.
Greg is Pomfret’s first eight-figure donor and chair of the Amplify campaign. He has spent his life building deep connections through philanthropy and service. A trustee, volunteer, and champion of scholarship aid and faculty development, Greg has made a transformational impact on the School. Guided by a sense of responsibility and humility, Greg continues to shape communities and inspire change across generations.
The Pomfret School Alumni Award is given annually to an alumnus or alumna who has achieved distinction in his or her chosen profession and has demonstrated ongoing interest, loyalty, and commitment to the School.
Monique has built a career grounded in athletics, community service, and corporate leadership. A standout basketball player at Pomfret, she went on to play at Temple University and later coached youth and high school teams. Monique manages the Adaptive Sports Equipment program at The Hartford, helping provide access to specialized gear for athletes with disabilities.
The Pomfret School Alumni Association Achievement Medals are presented each year to alumni who have graduated in the last twenty-five years and have demonstrated outstanding service to society and/or excellence in their endeavors.
Alison is a former federal prosecutor with deep experience in white-collar enforcement, internal investigations, and high-stakes litigation. She spent over seven years as an assistant US attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), where she also served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. At SDNY, she led major cases involving public corruption, cybercrime, and money laundering, including the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The S. Prescott B. Clement Cup, given in memory of Pres Clement ’40, is awarded to that class agent who has demonstrated exemplary effort in sustaining communication with classmates and maintaining above-average class participation in the Pomfret Fund. This award was established in 2007 to honor a current class agent who exemplifies the spirit in which Pres Clement performed his class agent duties for sixty-seven years, demonstrating dedication to his classmates and Pomfret School.
Dan is a current trustee and longtime volunteer for Pomfret, and has served as a class agent since 2000. He served as the vice president of the AAEC and an ad-hoc trustee from 2016–2020. Previously, he served as the secretary of the AAEC from 2012–2016. This year, thanks to his engagement, the Class of 1995 raised more than $35,000 on Day of Giving.
Tom Sperry ’91 has never taken the conventional route. An unexpected internship at Microsoft in the video game group launched his career.
After years in the gaming industry — including leading venture-backed companies — he shifted to investing, founding Rogue Venture Partners. His firm stands out by supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and startups in emerging markets in the United States as well as internationally in North Africa and the Middle East. Sperry’s definition of success goes beyond financial return;
he looks for founders who are humble, visionary, and driven to solve real problems with integrity.
To recharge, Tom runs ultramarathons. He has raced across deserts in Namibia and Chile. “I enjoy being in extreme environments for days at a time — completely disconnected from the business world,” he shares. “Pushing my limits helps me find clarity and renewal. After completing a race, I always feel recharged and refreshed.”
Mary Paganelli wrote, “Fifty years ago, I met a Japanese exchange student, Takayoshi Kamei ’75, at Pomfret. I first encountered Tak at the ping pong table in the gym, where he was absolutely smashing any and all players. As a new student coming into the fourth form, I didn’t know anyone, and the boarding school experience was brand new. My parents lived over 5,000 miles away in the tiny country of Qatar, and my sister and I were newbies on campus. Tak and I instantly bonded, both so far from home and excited about new experiences. Tak was interested in everything: perfecting his English, playing American football, soccer, crew, singing, and musicals. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he was always up to learning and doing something new. Pomfret was, and is, a place where friends and memories are made. Tak has always been a big part of these Pomfret memories. There were very few of us who were so far from home, and, much like the students in the recent film, The Holdovers, we often remained on campus for long weekends and holidays. After his graduation in 1975, Tak went back to Tokyo, and I continued at Pomfret, graduating in 1976. We lost touch after a while, moving on with our lives — Tak to a stellar career in international finance and me to various stints in New York City, Tucson, Arizona, and now Portland, Oregon. Fast forward to 2023. I was planning a long-awaited dream trip to Japan with my family, and immediately thought of Tak — could I find him? Should we meet, reconnect, and catch up? Would he even remember me? I reached out to Pomfret and placed a note in the magazine, hoping to track him down. In November 2024, we met in Tokyo for dinner with our families, and it was like no time had passed. We had aged (like fine wine), and we now had spouses and kids, but our connection was still strong, and the memories fresh of our shared days at Pomfret, which had created an enduring friendship.”
Carolyn Sharp is a nationally recognized relationship expert, therapist, and coach, as well as a columnist for Psychology Today and YourTango. She is also the author of Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship. The book was published by Flashpoint Books and was released in January 2025.
A new book by Carolyn Sharp ’88
Members of the Class of 1980 (and a few friends from 1981) were excited to be celebrating their 45th reunion. Front row, L-R: Jeff Schimmel, Elizabeth Stanton, Martha Murphy, Paul Tucker, Monique (Lowery) Foster, Kim (Carlson) Benner, Brian Clark. Back row, L-R: Scott Craig ’81, Peter Howard, Kate Van Slyck ’81, Bill Taylor, John Read, Jay Marshall, Will Porter, Eric Foster ’81, Joe Cochran ’81, Pete Alworth, Henry Ijams
Dacque Tirado wrote, “I enjoyed a lovely spring break this past March, seeing the Iberian Peninsula. We drove from Lisbon, Portugal, to Madrid, Spain, taking in the sights, culture, food, and history. Most enjoyable was the stay in the Sant Gervasi neighborhood of Barcelona before flying back to the Maryland/ DC area. If there are any 1992ers in the Bethesda, MD area, please reach out! Go Griffins!”
F
or nearly two decades, Tom Garrison ’96 has explored the jungles of Guatemala, uncovering the hidden world of the ancient Maya. Best known for pioneering the use of LiDAR technology in archaeology, Tom digitally maps ancient structures buried beneath dense jungle canopies, revolutionizing how scholars understand Maya civilization. His work has gained international recognition, including features in National Geographic documentaries like Lost Treasures of the Maya Snake King. Despite the physical hardships of fieldwork — snakes, bugs, and the heat — Tom continues to lead large excavation teams and pursue new discoveries.
Recently, Tom began a new project in northeastern Guatemala. He is examining the origins of the region’s kingship. “I hope to generate the same level of public interest that National Geographic brought to my previous work.”
With gift planning, you can provide longlasting support for Pomfret School while enjoying financial benefits for yourself.
Get started at pomfretlegacy.org
The Pontefract Society honors all those who have taken the special step of including Pomfret School in their long-term plans through a bequest provision, life-income gift, or other deferred giving arrangement. Members of The Pontefract Society have demonstrated a loyalty, foresight, and generosity that will benefit Pomfret and contribute to its excellence for generations to come.
On March 18, 2025, Kip Hale, currently chief of staff to the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine, spoke to students at Odessa High School in Townsend, Delaware. The senior elective Protest Literature class was exploring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) when Steve Davis, former Pomfret director of diversity, invited Kip to share how his work is guided by the UDHR. Kip has led investigations of atrocity crimes in conflict zones across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Most recently, he served as investigation team leader for the United Nations fact-finding mission on Libya. Students were eager to learn from his experiences and posed insightful questions, including what it is like to be in an active war zone and how effectively UN member countries uphold the principles of the UDHR. Kip’s presentation was both concise and engaging. He balanced grave truths with moments of levity, making the discussion impactful and memorable.
Members of the Class of 2005 gathered to celebrate their 20th reunion. Front row, L-R: David Still, Camille Byars, Laura (Dunn) Cona, Sarah Sweet, Whitney (Miller) Kauranen, Lizz (Poulos) Fuller, Alison Moe, Anila (Mahadeo) Young. Back row, L-R: Mike Albert, Elizabeth (Sadler) Loring, Tim Deary, Josh Rich, Mallory (Jaffe) Sorkin, Lily Barrett, Becky (Dash)
Steve Ferdman became the proud father of a baby girl, Jade Yin Ferdman, on January 3, 2025. Congratulations, Steve!
Rebecca (Dash) Sperber has been a physician associate since 2013, starting her career in emergency medicine and transitioning to critical care medicine in 2017. She is now married with twin boys and an adult stepdaughter. Rebecca most recently had the opportunity to buy a business called Au Paradise, a matching service for au pairs and host families. Since taking ownership, the company has grown significantly, gaining international recognition.
Amy and Steve Cargill welcomed another baby boy to their family. Thomas “Tommy” Cargill was born on January 31, 2025. He joins big brother Peter, who is almost two years old.
L-R: JP Garzone, David Rogers, Brem Stoner, and Brandon Luckino celebrated their 25th reunion together. Missing from photo: Hilary (Gerson) Axtmayer
Together with colleagues, family, and friends, Tim and Anne Richards celebrated their forty-year career in education.
Meg Hecker and her husband, Stuart Lotz, welcomed a baby girl on January 25, 2025. Meg said, “Her name is Loulie McDowell Lotz, and we are so in love with her!”
And congratulations to Samantha Slotnick Stanton and her husband, David, on the birth of their baby girl, Valentina, in early March 2025.
Erinn (Sullivan) Lloyd reported, “I married my husband, Peter, in September 2023. He is a fourth-grade teacher, and I’m currently a pastry chef, and we live in South Portland, Maine. We just welcomed our first baby, a girl named Rowan, on March 12, 2025!”
In July 2024, Alida Bernhardt and Jay Farrell ’13 held a celebration in Wayne, Pennsylvania, in honor of their upcoming wedding. Pomfret friends in attendance were L-R: Julian O’Neill ’13, Lindsay (Koss) Culbertson ’13, Olivia Hoden, Alida Bernhardt, Sabrina (Kortlandt) Sapienza, Helen Day, and Jay Farrell ’13
Joseph "Tripp" Pritchard III, son of Joe and Ali (D’Agostino) Pritchard ’08, was welcomed on June 29, 2024.
Erinn (Sullivan) Lloyd with her husband, Peter, and baby daughter, Rowan.
Members of the Class of 2015 came back to Pomfret to celebrate their 10th reunion. Kneeling, L-R: Abby Horst, Talia Gulino, Spencer Whitmire, Lucy Richards, Chase Hollingsworth, Juliette Lawless. Middle row, L-R: Sophia Clarke, Maddy West, Grace Keenan, Abbey Haggerty, Taylor Crompton, Thomas Wheatley, Shawn O’Loughlin, Josh Liebhaber. Back row, L-R: Eddie Staten, KC O’Hara, Joey Staten, Olivia Lyon, Tory Read, Jake Canepari, Colby Breault, Lixo Vargas, Harry Robinson, Scott Tallas, Henry Karmen-Tuohy
Over the past ten years, Day of Giving has inspired thousands of donors to contribute nearly $4.5 million to the Pomfret Fund. This year, 1,136 donors contributed a whopping $918,594 — a testament to the enduring strength and generosity of the Pomfret community.
To kick off the day, a group of challenge donors pledged $300,000 if 1,000 people gave during the event. The Board of Trustees launched the effort with a $200,000 challenge for the first 500 gifts. Heather and Sean Rhatigan P ’25, ’29 followed with $100,000 for the next 500. Inspired by the momentum, Cai Von Rumohr ’62 and his wife, Sally GP ’28, offered a $500
match per donor during the final two hours, contributing $50,000. Throughout the event, the community responded with additional challenges and matches, ultimately helping Pomfret raise more than $900,000 for the Pomfret Fund.
“Day of Giving is an incredible testament to the Pomfret community,” said Director of Annual Giving and Constituent Programs Emily Morrison. “We are so grateful to all the donors and volunteers who came together on this one day to ensure Pomfret continues to have the resources it needs for current and future Griffins.”
Stanford University recently announced that Olivia Raykhman, a cadet from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, allowing for continued study at the University following her graduation and commissioning on May 24, 2025. At West Point, Olivia was a Russian language major with minors in terrorism studies and cybersecurity. She led research on election security, the impact of emerging technology on the international order, and how disinformation threatens democracy. Olivia will commission as an information operations officer in the US Air Force and pursue an MA in journalism at Stanford University.
After honing her skills in graphic design at the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Livia (Skelly-Dorn) Roustan ’98 P ’28 dove into the world of package design at Hasbro and Mattel. For over two decades, she has mastered the art of creating packaging that is both functional and visually captivating, carefully balancing brand storytelling, consumer engagement, and industry regulations to bring toys to life — before they’re even unboxed.
She is now a director of package design at a leading global toy and family entertainment company home to some of the world’s most well-known and beloved brands, including Barbie, Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, and MEGA. “I love working at a toy company,” says Livia. “The industry is full of outstanding and fun people. We’re all adults, but a part of us never grew up. We can have fun and play, and it’s acceptable because it’s our job.”
Members of the Class of 2020 returned to Pomfret to celebrate their 5th reunion together. Kneeling, L-R: Keegan Fales, Juliet Mankin, Danielle Weitzman, Devin Woodson, Julia Klok. Middle row, L-R: Trina Madziwa, Emmy Smith, Eva Steinitz, Sarah Miller, Grace Arsenault, August Aldenberg, Teagan O’Hara. Back row, L-R: Julian Igwebuike, Blake Hamilton, Rieley Jessie-Gerelli, Jeffrey Gibbs, Ian Haley, McKinley White, Xan Skillen, Lily Fernsell Missing from photo: Nisan Korkmaz, Colin Kroll
As raindrops poured, spirits soared at Reunion 2025. Not even the on-and-off showers throughout the weekend could dampen the joy of being back on the Hilltop. More than 200 alumni from two dozen classes returned for the annual gathering, with special celebrations for classes ending in 0 and 5 as they marked milestone reunions.
For many, Reunion offered a chance to reminisce and rekindle old friendships. For others, it marked a poignant farewell. outgoing Head of School Tim Richards addressed the alumni community for the final time, receiving a standing ovation after presenting this year’s Alumni Association awards. Earlier that day, he introduced incoming Head of School Heather Daly in a heartfelt on-stage conversation moderated by Alumni Association Executive Council President Etienne Vazquez ’04.
The weekend also marked the final curtain call for Theater Director Chip Lamb, who retires after nearly two decades
directing productions in Hard Auditorium. Alumni gathered to celebrate his remarkable career and enjoy a performance of one of his original short plays, a fitting tribute to his creative spirit.
Alumni returned to the classroom for an open studio hour with Artist-in-Residence JP Jacquet and explored the natural beauty of the Pomfret Woods on an environmental science walk and talk with Science Teacher Annie O’Sullivan. They toured VISTA — the School’s long-anticipated new science building — and uncovered hidden history inside the beloved Clark Memorial Chapel.
Rain or shine, Reunion 2025 was a weekend to remember — a heartfelt celebration of Pomfret’s past, present, and future, and a powerful reminder that the Hilltop continues to shine brightly, even under gray skies.
In a heartfelt ceremony, Pomfret School formally dedicated the Tim & Anne Richards Health and Wellness Center and the Anne Richards Yoga Studio, celebrating their lasting leadership and transformative impact on the school community.
DELIVERED BY Greg Melville ’68, Trustee on Friday, May 2, 2025
In2014, the early days of Tim and Anne’s tenure, when they and I were — speaking metaphorically — shiny and new, I was lucky to join the head and his gracious partner over wonderfully lively dinners at their home with a table of students, a faculty or staff member or two, and my attentive host and hostess. I saw them then, as I do now: two kind, energetic, curious, and deeply caring teachers. And, I knew then that the days ahead would be good, though not always easy, as I would soon learn when I came onto the Board that fall. I, for one, strove valiantly to get my arms around a new approach to pedagogy, one which firmly took the teacher down from his or her pedestal and placed the student’s curiosity and initiative at the center of learning.
Tim was patient with us, his students, and we slowly came to appreciate more fully how his and Anne’s “radically different” view of education provided a surer foundation for not only adolescents’ intellectual growth, but their social and emotional growth, as well.
It was about the same time that my wife, Susan, and I came to understand that Tim and Anne had identified as a priority the need for a vastly-improved health center, which was then housed in the basement of the Main House, and which, in my day, was known as Pyne Infirmary, and located where Centennial now stands.
While the School had, yes, looked after the physical health and mental well-being of its students diligently and with compassion, the facilities they’d inherited were cramped, dark, and dated. With a single examination room and limited quarters for intake, treatment and observation, the center necessarily lacked many of the services of our peer schools.
With the same foresight and vision Tim and Anne brought to the nature of secondary school pedagogy in the twentyfirst century, they made the care and development of students’ physical health and emotional well-being — as well as of their intellects — central to a Pomfret education.
A new health and wellness center would be a statelicensed infirmary, providing twenty-four-hour care with four single bedrooms with private baths, a multi-bed observation room, a nurses’ station and open work area, and three counseling rooms to accommodate additional consulting mental health professionals.
Finally, the addition of two apartments on the top floor of the new center would provide much-needed housing for faculty. And, with credit to Anne’s vision and her passion for and dedication to community well-being, there was the important addition of a multi-use studio space in Strong Field House for yoga and meditation classes.
So, when Tim finally approached us to help make real their vision for a more holistic approach to physical health and mental well-being, we were honored and pleased to help the School meet the financial challenges of constructing the latest exciting chapter in the School’s health and well-being facilities — and housing.
It was with great pleasure and pride that we were then able to stand alongside Tim, Anne, and Board Chair Justin Klein on Saturday, October 20, 2018, for the official opening of Pomfret’s new, stateof-the-art Health and Wellness Center.
And, as it turned out, not a moment too soon — as the Covid pandemic of early 2020 would bring an unexpected threat to the health of the entire School community — and far beyond. In the wake of its devastating effects, Covid would also bring dramatic changes to students’ mental and emotional health — as well as School operations, for
It is only thanks to a clear-eyed vision by Tim and Anne of a plan for the future in the form of this marvelous health center and yoga studio — as well as to the trustees, staff, and building and facilities committee’s efficient perseverance in the face of a myriad of challenges — that Pomfret stands better off today, caring for our charges and our community.
A little over a year ago, when Justin sought the input of our colleagues, Susan, and me on a way the Board and School might honor this extraordinary couple who have courageously led through difficult times, while also facing daunting physical and emotional challenges of their own — all while keeping their eyes on providing a better, healthier future for students and the larger School community here on the Hilltop — we could think of no better way to celebrate them than by naming both this signal facility for health and well-being they brought into being, after them, and the yoga studio in Anne’s honor.
Thank you, Tim and Anne Richards.
Pomfret alumni, parents, and friends gathered on March 19, 2025, at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, Florida, to celebrate the final leg of the Amplify Campaign. L-R: Lineker Ono, Candice Mahadeo ’08, Marjorie Mayrock ’07, Lauriston Segerson, Parker Cook ’06, Tom Kopf ’89, Anne and Head of School Tim Richards P ’15, Claire Wille ’23, Director of Advancement Will Mitchell ’84, Brian Wille P ’23, Associate Director of Advancement Ashley Goethals, Donna Fales, Emerson Fales ’86, Jim Edwards ’69, former staff member Vassar Pierce, Deb Edwards, Lenny Klein ’69, Svetlana Wise, Gordon Fales ’55
As the director of Heated Research and Development at SharkNinja, Chris Martin ’05 is one of the lead engineers behind some of Ninja’s most versatile kitchen appliances. From improving legacy products to pioneering new ones, Chris has played a central role in transforming the company’s cooking line — most recently by leading development on the Ninja™ FlexFlame™, a first-of-its-kind propane-powered outdoor cooking device.
Chris works in the fast-paced, food-filled world of Ninja’s product testing lab, where engineers work alongside chefs to refine designs based on real recipes and high culinary standards. He leads multiple projects at a time, ensuring smooth workflows and anticipating challenges before they arise. While he once specialized in indoor appliances, his recent work has focused on mastering propane-powered grills — a new frontier for the brand — and creating products that reflect both technical innovation and customer needs.
Seeing his creations on store shelves and in homes has brought a new sense of personal fulfillment to Chris’s career. Whether he’s cooking smash burgers on his own FlexFlame or repurposing shipping crates into furniture, Chris approaches every challenge with a maker’s mindset.
In the fall of 2022, Pomfret launched Amplify: The Campaign for Pomfret School, with the ambitious goal of raising $80 million to build a new science center, advance teaching and learning, and expand access and affordability, all while strengthening the Pomfret Fund.
In an extraordinary outpouring of generosity, Pomfret alumni, families, faculty, staff, and friends joined together at every level and in every way to raise more than $82.5 million in support of students and faculty.
Through this campaign, we constructed a state-ofthe-art science facility, boosted faculty compensation and professional development, increased financial aid, invested in new ideas, and supported the health and wellness of our students.
$82.5 MILLION TOTAL RAISED
Campaign Progress
To request a printed copy of full-detail alumni obituaries, call the Advancement Office at 860.963.6129.
Theodore R. Boardman ’49 June 12, 2024
John J. Huss ’55 May 19, 2025
John T. Hoyt, Jr. ’49 February 2, 2025
Z. David Patterson ’55 April 3, 2025
Lammot du Pont III ’50 April 28, 2024
David V. W. Schaeffer ’55 April 2025
Judson H. R. Morris, Jr. ’52 January 18, 2025
J. William W. Harsch ’56 January 10, 2025
December 29,
Wendy C. Gibbons ’94 April 26, 2025
December 22, 2024
Chang Hyun Park
March 22, 2025
History/Headmaster, 1951-1973 Biology, 2005-2013
Joseph K. Milnor December 28, 2024
Donald J. Mott January 6, 2025
March
December
History/Admissions 1964-1975
Samuel L.
February 5, 2025
Mathematics 1994-2003
April
“Dear friends, we know that life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind.”
— HENRI-FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL
John Jay Huss ’55 passed away on May 19 after a brief illness. John entered Pomfret in the fall of 1952, and from that point on, his love for the School never wavered. Among his many activities at Pomfret, John was editor-in-chief of the Pontefract , a dorm assistant, and a member of the Literary Society. John served as a dedicated class agent for countless years and was writing letters and emails to classmates right up until the time of his death.
John’s love for Pomfret only grew when his sons John ’94 and Rob ’96 enrolled at the School. Pomfret quickly became a deep and meaningful connection point for John and his sons, as well as for John’s beloved wife of fifty-four years, Sally. John and Sally served on the Parents Committee, and in addition to attending many Pomfret reunions, they were fixtures at John and Rob’s soccer games and crew races.
Despite not being particularly religious, John’s favorite spot on campus was the Chapel, and his most cherished Pomfret tradition was the Service of Remembrance. So, it’s particularly fitting that his name was read during Reunion Weekend with the other alumni who have left us. He will be missed.
Michelle Bourgeois ’72 was known as Pomfret’s first true longterm female boarder and as one of the “Original Six of ’68” — female students who enrolled on the Hilltop in the fall of 1968 and graduated from Pomfret after attending for all four years.
Michelle was an Army brat who enrolled at Pomfret while her father served in Vietnam. After her freshman year, her family relocated to Washington, DC, and Michelle lived with the Geissingers and the Sloats. She was a member of the Key Club and soccer and ice hockey teams.
After graduating from Pomfret, Michelle earned her bachelor’s from Georgetown University, master’s from the University of Washington, and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She was an internationally acclaimed behavioral scientist in the field of communication sciences and disorders, known for her pioneering research and development of therapies for dementia patients and their caregivers.
In 2021, she retired from the University of South Florida to spend time with her husband, Howard Goldstein, and her children and grandchildren.
7/11/1923 – 12/28/2024
It is with sadness that we share the news of the death of Joseph (Jay) Kirkbride Milnor, who died peacefully at Salem Hospital on December 28, 2024, at the age of 101. Jay was a man of unwavering integrity, warmth, discipline, a wry sense of humor, a strong belief in fairness and what is best and right, and a deep commitment to education and family. He lived a life that deeply touched the lives of many.
Jay was born in 1923 and spent his early years in Ridgewood, New Jersey. In 1938, Jay entered his beloved Kent School (Connecticut). It was the school’s founder, Father Pater, whose profound influence and steady tutelage shaped Jay’s lifelong values, and it was at Kent that his remarkable life began to take shape. Jay was appointed Kent’s sacristan, a prestigious honor that carried responsibilities for the chapel. He was elected president of the Glee Club and captained the baseball team. His experiences at Kent were precursors to the leadership roles to which he aspired and later held. He went on to attend Princeton University (BS, 1948), and Trinity College (Massachusetts).
During WWII, Jay served courageously in the US Army Air Force as a gunner and member of the 725th squadron of the 15th Air Force. In 2019, the French Consulate General in Boston awarded him the French Legion of Honor in a private, stateside ceremony recognizing his service toward the liberation of France.
After the war, Jay returned to Princeton to finish his degree in history, and it was then that his courtship of Anne Stockton took place. In 1948, he married Anne, the one and only love of his life. Together, they built a loving family, raising four children with warmth, wisdom, and a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world.
It was at his wedding reception, through a whisper in his ear, that Jay heard of a teaching position at Rectory School in Connecticut, where his distinguished career in education began. While he taught and coached youngsters, Anne assumed the school’s nursing duties. A few years later, Jay accepted a position at the nearby Pomfret School, where he continued his career in private secondary school education, teaching history, and coaching baseball, football, and hockey.
It was Anne who, seven years later in 1957, encouraged Jay to take the position of principal of the American School, Robert Academy in Istanbul. After three formative years in Turkey, he returned to Connecticut to assume the
headmastership at Pomfret School. Under his consequential watch (1961-1973), Pomfret admitted its first African American students and made the strategic leap to coeducation. His was a transformative reign, burnishing a legacy of character-building, mentorship, inspiration, and innovation. He believed strongly in the power of education, and the strength of community to influence and change lives.
Jay’s work in education extended beyond his retirement from Pomfret School. He worked for SPHERE, a program which provided supplemental educational reinforcement and enrichment for inner city students of need in Hartford, Connecticut. Later he worked at Carney, Sandoe & Associates in Boston, providing consulting services to secondary schools across the nation. Putting an exclamation point on his career, he then served as the interim head of Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California.
In his personal time, he enjoyed travel, gardening, historical non-fiction, a good murder mystery, and classical music. A passion of his was sports, most notably the New York Yankees in his youth, and all things Boston later on, which he particularly relished watching with one or both of his sons.
His favorite thing — always — was spending time with family, especially at Anne’s family home on Martha’s Vineyard. Here is where he felt most at home and at ease, escaping from the pressures of the day. Summer vacations were spent with family and friends swimming at the beach, throwing the ball, or watching his kids catch the golden ring on the merry-go-round in Oak Bluffs.
In their later years, Jay and Anne moved to Brooksby Village, a wonderful retirement community where they built a warm and welcoming home for family and friends. He still enjoyed his daily hot tea, and just being with Anne. He remained remarkably healthy, autonomous, and independent until he was almost 100 years old. He reluctantly moved from a cane to a walker, and even more reluctantly moved to a wheelchair at the very end.
Jay is survived by his four children: Nancy, Scott, Arthur, and Susette ’74, and their spouses Stefan, Marcela, Elaine, and Rick; his five granddaughters: Kirsten, Carolyn, Menemsha, Sarah, and Elise; and five great-grandchildren. He leaves behind a family and community who loved him, and a legacy of accomplishment and inspiration from the extraordinary life he lived.
Baloo is a proud American Kennel Clubregistered Labrador Retriever. His sire, Triton’s Black Box Warning, and dam, Breckin Hyspire Vegas Baby, gave him notable pedigree, but it’s his gentle nature and affectionate spirit that truly define him and have earned him his unofficial title: Pomfret’s resident good boy.
Born at Breckin Labradors, a small hobby kennel in Western Massachusetts, Baloo hails from a line known for exceptional temperaments and loyal dispositions. He brought those same steady, warm qualities to the Hilltop. Over the years, he was adored by more than 1,000 Pomfret students. That’s a lot of love for one lucky dog.
Before Baloo stepped paw on the Hilltop, there was Echomoor’s Morgan — Baloo’s older cousin and the Richardses’ original campus canine. Morgan paved the way, charming students and faculty alike, and setting the gold standard for four-legged companionship at Pomfret.
After arriving on the Hilltop in the summer of 2014, Baloo wasted no time staking his claim. He quickly mastered the art of finding hidden treat stashes and identified every student willing to offer a friendly scratch behind the ears — which was, of course, his favorite kind of welcome.
If there’s one thing Baloo’s known for — aside from his soulful eyes and impeccable campus presence — it’s his uncanny ability to sniff out snacks. A sandwich left unattended? Gone. Pastries in the faculty room? Vanished. During his final week on the Hilltop, Baloo stayed true to form, sniffing out and swiping a muffin straight from a student’s backpack. A fitting farewell for our most lovable food thief.
While the Griffin holds Pomfret’s official mascot status, Baloo has happily claimed the title of unofficial mascot — a four-legged symbol of warmth, playfulness, and community. He’s cheered from the sidelines, snoozed through Chapel Talks, and shamelessly inserted himself into many a School Meeting. As he heads off with his family, campus won’t be quite the same — but his legend (and the stories of a few mysteriously vanished sandwiches) will surely live on.
1997
Wheeler (Simmons) Griffith
Katharine (Carnes) Petrycki
Hadley (Weiss) Rosen
1998
Buzz Evans
Kip Hale
Toyin Moses
Livia (Skelly-Dorn) Roustan
1999
Lindsey (Boardman) Duerr
TJ Patrick
2001
Caitlin (Rogers) Connelly
Cooper Hastings
Libby Wood
2002
Christina (Galanti) Dickson
Jo Anna (Galanti) Fellon
Colton Riley
Chris Watkins
Bill Wentworth
2003
Saleem Ahmed
David Barrett
Chelsea (Weiss) Baum
Laura (Keeler) Pierce
Chris Pike
Mackie (Pilsbury) Spadaccini 2004 Rob Saunders
Laura (Dunn) Cona Tim Deary
Alysia LaBonte-Campbell
Davinia (Buckley) Selfridge Bona Yoo
Michelle (Gilmore) Castiglione
Caroline (McLoughlin) Davis
Young Hoon Hahn
Greg Jones
Katy (Winogradow) Munno
James Pinkham
Chris Golden Else (Ross) Griffin
Travis Holloway
Holly Lorms
Shawn McCloud
Darren Small
Emily (Detmer) Taylor
Steve Harkey
Emily Johnson
Alexandra (D’Agostino) Pritchard
Molly Downey Katie (Kramer) Paddock
Hall Kayla Sheehan
Samantha (Slotnick) Stanton Ryan Wainwright
O’Hara
K.C. O’Hara
Ettore
Linhares
Kroll Sarah Miller
O’Hara
Gengras
Lee
Nsubuga
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Charmaine Chinodakufa Ethan Choi Kelly Jin
Isabelle Makatura
Sean Rhatigan
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