19 minute read
alumni profile madeleine hutchins ’11
2000s
christopher mclAgAn ’00 Chris reports, “I received my diploma from Culinary Arts at Escoffier with high honors. During the pandemic, I also completed personal trainer certificates, AED and CPR certification, and online personal trainer certification, which is a business and sales certification for that field, from ISSA and the National CPR Foundation. I’m still in the process of growing my coaching skills as a health coach, which will be completed by September, with integrative nutrition at IIN and transformation specialist with ISSA, which is the psychology part of lifting to learn how to help people with emotional and physical change.”
henry Bowden ’01 Henry reports, “On April 7th, we were blessed with this incredible bundle of joy. My wife Yao and I are thrilled to have Ivy Emory Bowden as part of our family and can’t imagine life without her.”
Henry Bowden ’01 pictured with his wife, Yao, and daughter, Ivy.
lArs vercelli ’01 Lars reports, “We welcomed our newborn daughter, Lily Emilia Vercelli, to the world on July 14, 2020. We love her tremendously and can’t wait for her to meet her big brother!”
Lars Vercelli ’01 welcomed baby Lily in July 2020.
Josh hArris ’02 Josh reports, “I am a Georgia-based comedian. I wrote and released a new book on Amazon called The Lockdown Before Christmas, which is about Santa confronting the global pandemic. I had a blast collaborating on the art with Disney artist Mike Schwalm.”
mAlcolm collins ’03 Malcolm reports, “I had two more best selling (on Amazon) books this year: The Pragmatist’s Guide to Relationships and The Pragmatist’s Guide to Sexuality. I also had my second kid: Torsten Savage Collins. Finally, I have been working on starting a new type of school for parents who want to homeschool their kids: https://theforge.education.”
michAel gormAn ’03 Michael reports, “I earned a master’s degree from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago in June. I then moved to Washington, DC, to join the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, where I build tools to help transportation agencies across the country gain insight from their data.”
Michael Gorman ’03.
roger richArdson ’04 Roger reports, “I am the New Business Development Manager for Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. We have 19 shopping centers across the country, and I spend my time finding businesses their best location, whether it’s their first or simply their latest.”
pierce kuchle ’05 Pierce reports, “I got married on May 30 on Long Island. My wife, Lindsay, and my wedding party included my brother, Spencer, and two other Rectory classmates.”
spencer kuchle ’05 Spencer reports, “I was best man at my twin brother Pierce’s ’05 wedding to Lindsay Salandra on Long Island on May 30th. Other Rectory groomsmen from our class included Danny Bayless ’05 and Brad Herrick ’05.
madeleine hutchins class of 2011
The Rectory News caught up with Madeleine Hutchins ’11 who is living in Connecticut and is an aspiring writer and educator. We asked her to reflect on how the pandemic has affected her, how her experience at Rectory prepared her for life’s challenges, and about her goals as a writer after her work was published on the Dawnland Voices Indigenous writing website. Hutchins’ response, in her own words, is below:
Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been very fortunate that I have been alright. I feel slightly guilty about this, given the horror it has brought for so many, but I think the experience of the pandemic has ultimately changed me for the better.
I moved back to my parents’ house in Hampton, CT. When I wasn’t in Zoom classes, my brother and I, as well as my lovely partner, helped my parents in the garden. My mom was our “supervisor,” and we were able to donate fresh produce to the food pantry in Willimantic, which is always good but especially so with the increased food instability for many folks during the pandemic.
The pandemic has altered my vision of my life and future. I’ve been trying to let go of the illusion—because it was always just that—of having real control over what the future brings. Initially, this stressed me out; I use two different paper planners, a paper calendar, and a Google Calendar. Now, I’m finding it freeing. It gives me permission to enjoy where I’m at now, what I’m doing and the people I’m with. There are things I want from my future, but I don’t feel as frantic as often as I used to about making sure that everything I do is trained on getting to some future outcome.
I have dealt with chronic illness and pain since eighth grade and looking back, I wish that I’d done more (at Rectory) to take care of myself instead of just “pushing through it.” Remembering the kind responses of teachers when I did reach out about my struggles reminds me now that nothing is more important than taking care of one’s health.
I also think that the close relationships I cultivated with teachers set me up to have good relationships with teachers and professors after Rectory. I remember feeling like my teachers treated us like people, rather than “just kids.” It was a great feeling to be taken seriously, and it helped me take myself more seriously. My eighth-grade English teacher, Ms. [Lisette] Rimer, stands out the most to me in this way, and we remain friends today. She also helped form me as a writer, drilling in grammar and punctuation as well as helping hone my critical reading skills. The Dawnland Voices story is my first real publication. A lot of my work has been academic writing to this point, but I’m branching out this summer working on a psychological horror short-story through a writing fellowship for young Indigenous writers. I guess I’d describe myself as an eclectic writer; I’m working on a wide variety of projects.
The point of all writing for me, regardless of the genre, is to present some truth in a compelling way. Mohegan storytelling tradition, and Indigenous storytelling in general, has a large influence on my work. There are many wonderful Indigenous writers and storytellers today, and the presence of our histories, cultures, and the way we have told stories for millennia is generally present in that work. I always try to read my work aloud before it’s finished, and due to my chronic pain and illness I dictate a lot of what I write, which also helps infuse a sense of orality into the written word.
Moving forward, my main priority is serving my tribe. I am the traditional knowledge mentee to our Medicine Woman, which involves studying Mohegan history, culture, stories, and language, among other things. The past two years working with her have been wonderful and challenging, and I am looking forward to continuing that journey. Equally important is looking after my own health and encouraging others to do the same. This has become more of a priority now that I have had time to consider how that dogged pushing through, without accommodating my needs, negatively affected me and what really matters. I hope that in the future I am still writing, and maybe even getting published. I want to keep learning the Mohegan language and more of our stories so that I can communicate them to our tribe in our language. I’d love to someday be a teacher of some kind, somewhere.
To the Rectory community I would say: Slow down. Learn to trust yourself. Take care of yourself. Try not to get stuck on what other people are doing and focus on what’s right for you. We all have a lot of “shoulds” rolling around in our heads, whether they are selfimposed or coming from outside pressures. A wise friend always phrases this as, “stop shoulding yourself!”
Just as important is to never stop being curious. Keep reading and learning through your whole life. Learning new things, or about things we already know in new ways, keeps life vibrant, fresh, and enticing.
Spencer Kuchle ’05 (continued from page 38)... On July 7th, I was appointed as the Associate Director of Collections and Interpretation at the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village in Brownington, VT, and have moved to Derby Line on the Canadian border.”
Pierce ’05 and Spencer ’05 Kuchle at Pierce’s wedding.
molly mAckenzie ’08 Molly reports, “Taylor Blanchard and I have been engaged since November 22, 2020!”
Molly Mackenzie ’08 and her fiancee, Taylor Blanchard.
hAnnAh stewArt ’08 Hannah reports, “I am entering my fifth year at Rectory School, living on campus with my husband, daughter, and two dogs. Life has been busy with a toddler in the house, but we love figuring out all the new adventures each day. I am also currently pursuing my master’s degree in psychology at SNHU. I love watching my daughter, Teagan, grow up on campus the way I did!”
Hannah Stewart’s ’08 daughter, Teagan.
FrAnk west ’08 Frank reports, “My wife, Danielle, and I welcomed our first child, Matthew Parker, on July 19, 2021. The day after leaving the hospital, I accepted a new position as the Director of the Highlander Club at Radford University. It has always been a dream of mine to work in college athletics, and I’m even more excited to get to do it at my alma mater. My wife and I live in Christiansburg, VA, which is about 30 minutes south of Roanoke VA, with our son, Matthew, and pups, Gavin (Golden retriever) and Max (Saint Bernard).”
Frank West ’08 with his wife, Danielle, their son, Matthew, and their dogs, Gavin and Max.
erin white ’08 Erin reports, “After many years of floating around the world, I have recently succumbed to genetic predisposition and am pursuing a career in teaching. I currently work as a substitute teacher, but am working on teaching earth science. Big thanks to Mr. Long and Mrs. Martin for inspiring me.”
QuAdry Anderson ’09 Quadry reports, “Wow, it’s hard to believe I’m heading into year three as a faculty member. Looking forward to a productive school year with more faces on campus. I spent the summer on the sideline coaching AAU basketball, traveling to tournaments throughout the northeast region where our student athletes got to showcase their talents in front of college coaches. We were thrilled to help four of our student athletes find a college where they can continue to achieve their goals on and off the court. We took a major leap this summer as we expanded the program adding two more high school level teams. Follow our program @ppabroncos.”
JAmel torrence ’09 Jamel reports, “I attended Suffield Academy and Baruch College where I earned a BA in Digital Marketing and minored in Business, Law & Film. I currently serve as the Creative Strategist at CSM Sports & Entertainment where I recently received the Cynopsis Media Rising Star Award for my work in social media campaigns.”
STAY UP-TO-DATE ON ALUMNI HAPPENINGS: rectoryschool.org/ alumni-Notes
2010s
ryAn FrAzier ’10 Ryan reports, “I recently honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard after my four-year enlistment. Currently, I am a graduate student candidate at Boston College.”
sunghyun “Justin” kim ’10 Justin reports, “I graduated from CWRU School of Dental Medicine in May 2021. I will be starting residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.”
sArA mArkes ’10 Sara reports, “I have been working with (and doing research on/with) veterans (especially senior vets) with PTSD, and am very passionate about the field and subject! I mentor middle school and high school girls, and facilitate dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) sessions for both kids and seniors. I’m passionate about teaching mindfulness, communication, and emotional regulation as pillars of mental health, and I hope to return to Rectory in the future to speak with students about this!
I am living in Santa Monica, CA, and have recently discovered the joys of cooking Korean food (especially tteok-bokki), and am eager to learn more!”
shAilyn lineBerry ’13 Shailyn reports, “I graduated from the University of Denver with a BA in International Studies and Spanish in June 2021. Currently, I am working for the University of Denver as the Digital Marketing Coordinator in the Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science. In the fall, I’m starting my coursework for my MA in International Studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies as a recipient of a faculty nominated scholarship. In my free time, I am enjoying all that Colorado has to offer! I love to hike, roller blade in the park, go to concerts at
Red Rocks, paint, and catch up with family and friends. I’ve even taken up fly fishing. Shout out to Ricardo Menendez ’13, who I saw in Vail this ski season, and Joaquín Matienzo ’13, who visited me in Denver a few months back!”
Shailyn ’13 and Maia ’14 Lineberry at Shailyn’s graduation from the University of Denver.
Class of 2011: 10th Reunion
JAckson lArrABee ’11 Jackson reports, “I look back fondly on my MELP trip down to Big Bend National Park. I still find myself getting into a canoe from time to time. However, I have upgraded from loading wannigans and duffle bags to loading giant cargo ships!”
cArlin testA ’12 Carlin reports, “I am currently entering my second year as the Athletic Trainer at Rectory School. I live on campus along with my significant other, who is a teacher’s assistant in the elementary school. During our free time, we love taking our 1-year old Australian Shepherd, Bear, on walks through campus. I am also in the process of applying to medical schools to hopefully pursue an Orthopedics specialty in the future.”
cAleB Bowen ’14 Caleb reports, “I am now Second Lieutenant Bowen. I graduated from Norwich University on May 1, 2021 and Commissioned into the U.S. Army on May 2nd.”
Second Lieutenant Caleb Bowen ’14 on his Army commissioning day in May 2021.
sArAh pAsQuAletti ’14 Sarah reports, “I will be starting my master’s program in Molecular and Cell Biology at UCONN in the fall!”
grAhAm sweetnAm ’14 Graham reports, “I just graduated from Stonehill College in Easton, MA, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration marketing degree. I am moving up to Brookline, MA, and I have a job at a tech company called TechTarget where I am a project manager.”
Graham Sweetnam ’14.
ABigAil dustin ’15 Abigail reports, “I’m a junior studying biology and landscape studies at Smith College in Northampton, MA. I hope to infuse my skills in art, music, and writing with my passion for science as I move through my undergraduate degree. Currently, I’m pursuing natural science illustration, building my portfolio painting plants, animals, birds, and ecological scenes. I designed a series of interpretive panels about beaver pond ecology for the West Thompson Lake in Thompson, CT, when I worked as a park ranger during my gap year in 2020-2021; I’m also currently working on a mural about scat and tracks at Smith’s Archibald Macleish Field Station.
In pursuit of my passion for communicating science, for the last two months I have been traveling alone cross-country, immersing myself in as many environments as possible. Through this trip, I hope to build a greater awareness of the American landscape and the incredible ecosystems we harbor, while also practicing my field sketching and observational skills. I’ve also made a lot of friends, played my own music for people, and gone on some crazy hikes. Ultimately, I’ve been incredibly inspired, both by the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met. I’m writing this from Oregon, just north of the redwoods, and will be returning to the East Coast in the next two weeks. I’m excited to begin working at the Smith Botanic Gardens, delve into classes like Plant Ecology, and return to music groups such as Amherst College Concert Choir and Smith’s Celtic ensemble, the Wailing Banshees. I also hope to begin recording my own album and continue painting from the references and photographs I have taken on my trip.”
reBeccA rowlAnd ’15 Rebecca reports, “I am going into my first year of my graduate year at Maplebrook School in Amenia, NY.”
noAh gArdos ’19 Noah reports, “I continue to fence and was recently invited to join the high level competitive team at my fencing club.”
JAy montgomery ’19 Jay reports, “I am planning on majoring in Finance at West Virginia University in the fall of 2022. It’s an excellent program that allows for many research opportunities.”
Jay Montgomery ’19 with his mom on the campus of West Virginia University.
sAntiAgo olAzABAl ’19 Santiago reports, “It’s been a bit. How time flies! I remember the first time I went to Rectory School as a freshman in the 2018-2019 school year. I was very nervous and now am a young man that just turned 18 entering my last year of high school at Forman School. I am ready to take the next step in life! I will always take the good memories I made at Rectory School and how it prepared me for my future.”
nAtAlie perkins ’19 Natalie reports, “I am finishing up at the Gunnery and looking at colleges in Boston and New York.”
2020s
chuFAn “JuliAnne” Jin ’21 Julianne reports, “:D”
BoyAo “leon” kong ’21 Leon reports, “It has been a year of hardship, but I am trying to keep up the hard work and persevere. I hope to enjoy my high school years at Deerfield.”
eric liu ’21 Eric reports, “I enjoyed my summer and started high school.”
yuping “nessA” tAng ’21 Nessa reports, “I spent the summer preparing for the start of high school.”
zitong prAJnA wAng ’21 Prajna reports, “I am starting at a new school!”
yoyo zhAng ’21 Yoyo reports, “Currently on my fourth year studying abroad, I am exploring many new opportunities at my high school. Some hobbies picked up from Rectory remain: running cross country, writing for the school newspaper, and organizing student events. Never before did I realize how important the skills you learn from junior boarding school are. Sometimes I even miss the hustle from meals to class, the chatter in the locker room before sports, and the suppressing silence after lights out. Nostalgia hits in the weirdest ways.”
Yoyo Zhang ’21.
zhonghAo “stAnley” zhAng ’21 Stanley reports, “I hung out with some of the Rectory students and alumni during summer break.”
XiAnyAng “mAX” zou ’21 Max reports, “I returned to China and met a lot of my friends from my previous school. It was really fun.”
we would love to hear from you!
Contact John Xeller, Alumni Relations Manager/Special Events Coordinator at 860.963.6740 x338 or john. xeller@rectoryschool.org.
in memoriam
The Rectory School community extends its deepest sympathy to the loved ones of recently deceased alumni and friends.
richArd r. wright ’57 October 11, 1943–September 10, 2020 (Age 76)
henry soper ’58 March 10, 1945–November 5, 2020 (Age 75)
rev. John t. AdAms ’61
June 2, 1945-June 20, 2020 (Age 75)
herBert J. wright ’63 November 8, 1948–April 1 2020 (Age 71)
cApt. howArd m. Fry iii ’78
November 19, 1962–May 11, 2020 (Age 57)
eric B. kronholm ’81 February 27, 1966–April 28, 2021 (Age 55)
chArles (chArlie) peterson iii ’83 Oct 1, 1967–Nov 15, 2020 (Age 53)
george t. heery sr p’84 June 18, 1927–January 21, 2021 (Age 93)
williAm m. shoptAw ’92 February 24, 1997–March 11 2020 (Age 43)
hirsch p. hArt ’09
June 6, 1993–June 29, 2021 (Age 28)
williAm e. hAskell ’09 June 14, 1993–February 11, 2021 (Age 27)
BIGELOW SOCIETY
Plan Your Legacy.
Father Frank and Mabel Bigelow
Members of the Bigelow Society play an important role in
ensuring sustainability and success for future generations of Rectory students and faculty. Established in 2002 in memory of Rectory’s founder, Father Frank Bigelow, the Bigelow Society recognizes all who have chosen to include Rectory in their long-term plans by naming Rectory as a beneficiary in their will or trust.
Ways to make a planned gift:
• Remember Rectory School in your will. • Name Rectory School as a beneficiary of your retirement plans, IRAs, bank or brokerage accounts, or life insurance policies.
If you are interested in learning about ways you can provide for Rectory’s future, or if you have already made the decision to include Rectory in your will or estate plans, please contact: Fred Nagle, Director of Development fred.nagle@rectoryschool.org 860.963.6740 ext. 340
Together, we can...
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
CHANGE LIVES Build Community
together, we can make a difference.
The Annual Fund for Rectory
A donation to the Annual Fund for Rectory allows us to make a difference in the lives of Rectory students every day. Please join this year’s community of donors.
Your gift will change lives!
WAYS TO GIVE BY MAIL: Use the enclosed envelope BY PHONE: 860.928.0204 ONLINE: Visit www.rectoryschool.org/give, or use your phone camera to scan the QR code
Thank you!
For more information about the Annual Fund for Rectory, contact Marcia Williams,
Associate Director of Development 860.963.6740 x343 mwilliams@rectoryschool.org
The Campaign for a Century provides Rectory with the opportunity to secure the programs and values that have defined our school for a century. This ambitious fundraising endeavor will strengthen Rectory for decades to come. The success of the campaign requires the engagement of our whole community and will provide critical funding for faculty, academic programs, high-priority facilities, student programs, financial aid, and the Annual Fund.
Campaign for a Century Goal: $40 Million
Achievements
Annual Fund $8.20 Million
Facilities $7.95 Million
Endowment $9.48 Million
$40
million
campaign for a century
Goals
• Annual Fund $4.00 Million
• Dormitory
Construction $3.25 Million
• Gymnasium Expansion, $4.75 Million
• Scholarship Funds $2.30 Million With the support of our community, Rectory’s Campaign for a Century will: •Grow and expand the Annual Fund for Rectory. •Construct a state-of-the-art dormitory in the heart of campus. •Complete the Colhoun Gymnasium
Expansion to provide greatly expanded and improved athletic facilities for our players and coaches. •Renovate the John B. Bigelow Academic
Building to upgrade classroom spaces and enliven learning for our students. •Grow the endowment in support of named Scholarship Funds, granting access to a Rectory education for highly qualified students.
528 Pomfret Street, P.O. Box 68, Pomfret, CT 06258
“To work well, to play well; to think clearly, to speak truth; to win without pride, to lose without rancor; to have courage, and to be kind. This is the goal for the greatest: It is a goal that the least may reach. To teach this is the whole purpose of schools. To know this is the whole
meaning of life.” -John Bigelow’s “Purpose of Schools”
