The Riparian - Spring 2016

Riparian T h e R i v e r s S c h o o l • s p r i n g 2 016

• The Strategic Plan: Taking Rivers to New Heights • Connecting the Classroom and the Real World • Alumni Achievements Honored

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Varsity Girls’ Soccer: 2015 ISL and NEPSAC Champions

Congratulations Red Wings: 2015–16 Champions!!!

Varsity Field Hockey: 2015 NEPSAC Champions

Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey: 2016 ISL Eberhart Division Champions ii • Riparian • Spring 2016

Vol. XXXI

Number 1

Riparian The Rivers School • Spring 2016

2 “Nonesuch Pond,”

by Aidan Porter ’18 Editor

Christine Martin, Director of Communications and Stewardship Contributor

Jimmy Kelley, Communications Assistant Photography

Jimmy Kelley, Chip Riegel, Janna Anctil, Janet Ciummei/ NortheastProPhoto De s i g n e r

David Gerratt, NonprofitDesign.com Printer

Signature Printing & Consulting, Brian Maranian ’96 He a d o f Sc h o o l

Edward V. Parsons

D i r ec t o r o f A d v a n ce m e n t

Krissie Kelleher

A s s i s t a n t D i r ec t o r o f A d v a n ce m e n t

Heather Jack

Coordinator of P a r e n t Re l a t i o n s

Amy Dunne

Se n i o r A d v a n ce m e n t O f f i ce r

Janice H. Hicinbothem

5 6 7 11 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 26 28 29 30 36

A Conversation with Head of School Ned Parsons: Excellence with Humanity for the Next Century Rivers Welcomes New Trustees In Memoriam: Life Trustee Frank Waterman ’41 Connecting the Classroom and the Real World Campus News Satter Grant Enhances the Rivers Experience Seniors Look to the Future Parents Celebrate Senior Milestone Art and Writing Honored at Globe Scholastics David Davis ’70 Leaves Legacy Eric Shapiro ’86: Alumni Excellence Award Recipient Chuck Warshaver ’78: Retirement 2.0 Alumni Art Exhibit Caps Centennial Year 2016 Young Alumni Achievement Award: Tim Geary ’02 Powers on Jillian Dempsey ’09: Two Careers, One Goal James Wolf ’07 Takes Action Class Notes, News Briefs, and Alumni Events In Memoriam

The Rivers School 333 Winter Street Weston, MA 02493-1040 781-235-9300 www.rivers.org Riparian: “One that lives or has property on the bank of a river or lake.”

The Riparian is published twice a year for The Rivers School alumni, parents, students, faculty, and friends.

To conserve resources, Rivers has consolidated multiple mailings addressed to the same household so that your home will receive only one copy. If you have reason to receive additional copies at your address, please Spring 2016 • call Riparian Chris Martin at 781-235-9300, ext. 230.

• 1

Message from the Head of School

Excellence with Humanity for the Next Century

By Edward V. Parsons

I

But excellent schools don’t stand still. They don’t rest on their laurels, no matter how strong they may be. Because the world doesn’t stand still, and our reason for being is to make sure that we live up to our mission statement’s direct mandate to “prepare our graduates for leadership in a world that needs their talents, imagination, intellect, and compassion.”

Look at where that world is going. Resource scarcity, population growth, migration, climate change—the human world around us is accelerating the challenges our children are inheriting and they will need to develop the skills and the habits of mind—and of heart—to address those challenges successfully. Technology has accelerated the pace of life and the opportunities available to our graduates. It has also enhanced the opportunities for our teachers to broaden their practice and tap into resources not available before.

New research in brain science suggests ways for teaching and learning that can enhance the experience for our students and make them more successful as they move on from Rivers. Finally, a globalized world view has taken hold and again presents challenges and opportunities for those who can lead and collaborate in an interconnected, multicultural world.

So, as our world continues to evolve, how we prepare our students must also evolve. The preparation we offer, while still rooted in the liberal arts, must be skills-based, embracing technology and creativity, with project-based and team-based approaches to problem-solving. Ultimately we want to excite our students about the opportunities open to them to use the skills they develop at Rivers to better serve a world that will need their leadership and expertise.

n September 2015 the Board of Trustees approved a new Strategic Plan to guide The Rivers School through the next five years. The Plan reflects the collaborative efforts of the entire Rivers community over the course of a year. Hundreds of alumni, parents, trustees, and faculty responded to surveys or attended focus groups to share their thoughts about the enduring strengths of The Rivers School, and about the opportunities they saw for Rivers in the years ahead. Last spring, the Board of Trustees and other members of the Rivers community reviewed the data collected and brainstormed how those opportunities could be harnessed to ensure Rivers’ ongoing evolution as a school of Excellence with Humanity. Head of School Ned Parsons talks here about the Strategic Plan and the early stages of its implementation.

What were the guiding principles throughout the strategic planning process?

Excellence with Humanity is alive and well here at Rivers, and we were determined to find our way forward from the foundation of strength we find ourselves on right now. We intend to move forward in a way that will not just remain true to that tenet, but will enhance our work with the challenge of this fast-paced, technological, globally-oriented world in mind.

Why does Rivers need a new Strategic Plan?

I was drawn to Rivers by its history of strong teaching, innovative approaches, and close relationships between faculty and students.

I saw right away a school that understands the power of joy in the learning process, and the joy of empowering young people, a school that matched my beliefs about what an extraordinary learning environment can be.

What were your goals in developing the Plan?

We approached the strategic planning process with four main goals. We wanted to solidify the foundation of the Rivers experience—to preserve the powerful student-teacher relationships that Rivers is known for and to honor the innovation and creativity that our faculty already bring to their teaching. We needed to explore, address, and prioritize the challenges facing our current

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program, operations, and infrastructure. We wanted to establish the context of our own standing in the highest echelon of Bostonarea independent schools, within the larger world of education, and beyond that, to the contemporary world our graduates will face. Finally, we needed to set priorities for the future and establish a Strategic Plan that would be both aspirational in nature and manageable in scope.

How does the Strategic Plan address those goals?

We determined four areas of focus to build the future of Rivers— to ensure academic excellence, to enrich the student experience, to expand the facilities, and to invest in the future. Each of those areas has some initiatives that we can begin to tackle right away, and each has some initiatives that will take the next five years to implement. All of them can only be accomplished with the full support of the Rivers community behind our efforts.

What are some of the strategic priorities you’ve identified in the academic arena?

We want to empower our graduates with a skills-based education that is global, multicultural, experiential, and technologically enriched. We already have a cutting-edge Interdisciplinary Studies Department and we are looking at expanding the number and types of IDS courses we offer—in fact, completing an IDS course will become a graduation requirement next year. We want to enhance our students’ skill sets in design and hands-on problem solving in every discipline and at every grade level, and will begin to add courses in computer science and coding, arts, engineering, statistical literacy, and advanced science electives.

We will work to develop partnership programs with organi- zations outside of Rivers, including businesses, higher education, hospitals, NGOs, and arts and non-profit agencies, which in turn will provide opportunities for our students to tackle guided research projects. Online learning and immersive summer programs represent new ways for us to engage students, particularly in entrepreneurship, design, robotics, and science research.

Of course, none of this will be possible unless we continue to grow and maintain an exceptional teaching faculty and provide them with the highest-quality professional development opportunities.

How will you ensure the essential Rivers experience is preserved and yet continues to evolve?

We want to enhance our core strengths—our relationships and sense of community—and provide a diverse environment and inclusive atmosphere for our students and faculty through a variety of programming. We will look for new opportunities to build on our students’ relationships with their teachers, coaches, and advisors, and to deepen our commitment to diversity and multiculturalism by celebrating our community’s differences and by attracting students and teachers to the school who bring to the larger experience a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to share with and to enrich the community. Our commitment to multiculturalism extends into the curriculum as well, where we continue to assess our materials and approaches through the lenses of diversity, inclusion, and social justice perspectives.

We also want to expand our students’ horizons by taking them out into the world, and bringing the world to them—offering them opportunities to discover and develop their talents and passions—through travel and internships, service learning, and other extracurricular programs. The more they have experienced the real world from the security of the Rivers community, the more confident they will feel as they face the future and the more likely they are to discover a passion that might drive the rest of their lives and, quite possibly, change the world in the process. Critical to our ability to engender a life of purpose in and for our graduates is having additional financial resources available so that every student has an equal opportunity to experience everything Rivers has to offer. We’ve been very fortunate to have a number of generous donors who have already stepped forward to provide endowed resources for this crucial need.

How will the Rivers campus change in the next few years?

It is clear that we need to build spaces that support—and reflect— the excellence of our programs and allow us to develop new curricular and co-curricular programs. While we are still fine-tuning a comprehensive campus master plan, the architects we consulted were able to show that even though the campus is land-locked, there are more opportunities for appropriate expansion than we originally thought. We can say that we are envisioning a bold redesign of the campus that will include new classroom,

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What resources will Rivers need to carry out the Strategic Plan?

This is an exciting moment in the school’s history, and a great opportunity to engage the entire Rivers community in building our future. We are counting on the strength of our community’s bonds, and the desire and commitment we know exists among the Rivers family, to support our ambitious plans for the next century.

While sound fiscal management and disciplined planning have allowed Rivers to begin its second century as an established and proven school, our commitment to provide our students with the best education requires significant financial investment. To fulfill the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan, Rivers will embark on the school’s first comprehensive campaign. Major objectives will include increasing the endowments for financial aid, faculty support, and academic programs; addressing key facility needs; and providing significant growth in unrestricted giving and the Annual Fund.

Meeting Rivers’ financial needs in these critical areas will enable us to flourish today and continue to fulfill our mission with creativity, excellence, and relevance for future generations of students yet to come.

laboratory, athletics, and arts spaces, as well as renovated existing spaces, in particular for the Middle School. The changes will enhance our ability to more effectively engage our students in the sciences, innovation, humanities, and visual and performing arts.

We will also be renovating the athletic fields and facilities to accommodate current and new athletic programming across divisions, and making changes to the infrastructure to enhance the functionality of the campus as a whole. Our location on Nonesuch Pond is such an asset to the school, and we want to be sure to maximize both the aesthetic and academic potential of that asset in our master plan.

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How do you envision Rivers’ future?

In the Rivers of the future, our campus is porous and connected to the world directly around us and across the globe. Our students are moving out into that world via internships and educational programs at businesses, hospitals, NGOs and social entrepreneurship spaces; through research projects with mentors from all over the world; and with educational domestic and foreign travel opportunities. And that world is moving in to the Weston campus at the same time, via teleconferencing opportunities and guest speakers, through visiting artist programming, and with participation in national and regional competitions across all disciplines.

In the school of the future, Rivers students are directly engaged with the issues facing the world today both locally and globally, and they’re designing solutions to those issues in ways that encourage and develop their problem-solving skills, their empathy, and their orientation to action for “a world that needs their talents, imagination, intellect, and compassion.”

I am inspired by the stories I constantly hear from our students and alumni about the way their lives were changed through their relationship with caring teachers and mentors. We are determined to see that we continue providing academic excellence while enabling (and encouraging!) our students to have the experiences that will change their lives—and the world they will graduate into.

I firmly believe that in the future, our students will stand before that challenging world and challenge right back. They will know the path of an idea—from heart to head to hands to the world. And they will live lives of purpose and meaning that they started right here, at Rivers.

Welcome, New Trustees

J

ay Grossman is co-CEO of ABRY Partners, where he has worked since 1996. At

ABRY he has led numerous transactions throughout the media sector, including broadcasting, cable television, satellite communications, rural telephony, data centers, and health care information services. Founded in 1989, ABRY is one of the most experienced private equity investment firms in North America that specializes in media, communications, information businesses, and business services. Prior to joining ABRY, Jay was managing director and co-head of the Media and Entertainment Group at Prudential Securities, Inc. Previously, he was a member of the corporate finance department of Kidder, Peabody & Company, specializing primarily in media and entertainment companies.

Jay has served on a number of corporate boards, including Nexstar Broadcasting, Atlantic Broadband, and RCN. He serves on the Temple Beth Elohim Endowment Committee, and was a youth baseball and soccer coach in Wellesley, where he lives.

Jay has a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has been a member of Rivers’ Finance Committee since 2013.

Jay has two sons—Lucas ’18, and Liam, a student at Tenacre.

Jay Grossman

Jonathan Paul is a founding partner of Wheelock Street Capital, a real estate private

equity firm established in 2008 with funds which have invested in more than $3 billion of properties on behalf of institutional and high net worth investors. Jon has 25 years of real estate experience investing in all asset classes including hotel, office, industrial, retail, multifamily, residential land and condominiums, as well as golf and other leisure assets.

Prior to co-founding Wheelock, he was a managing member of Rockpoint Group LLC, a real estate private equity firm he co-founded in 2003. He also spent the early years of his career at Morgan Stanley in the real estate and corporate finance areas.

Jon received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth. He serves on Rivers’ Facilities Committee. Jon and his wife Jennifer live in Weston with their four children— Elizabeth, a student at Amherst; Maggie, a student at the University of Michigan; Matt ’17; and Charlotte ’19.

Matthew Vettel is a managing partner of Great Hill Partners, responsible for transaction origination, investment policy, and the general management at the private equity firm.

His investment experience covers a diverse group of industries including software, transaction processing, education, and business services. Prior to joining Great Hill Partners, Matt was an associate at GTCR Golder Rauner, a multibillion dollar private equity investment firm, a senior associate at Accenture, and a founding member of PureSpeech, Inc., a speech recognition software company.

Matt has served on the boards of companies in the technology, healthcare, and media sectors. He currently serves as chairman of The MATCH Foundation which supports the MATCH Charter Public School, a high school that prepares disadvantaged urban Boston students to attend and excel in college and beyond. He holds a BS in industrial engineering and management from North Dakota State University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Matt is a member of Rivers’ Finance Committee. He and his wife Jenna live in Weston with their three children—Olivia ’16; Henry, a student at Belmont Hill; and Addy ’20.

Jonathan Paul

Matthew Vettei

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 5

Rivers Community Remembers Frank Waterman ’41

Frank Waterman with sons John ’69 and Sturdy ’74

T

he Rivers community lost one of its most faithful alumni with the passing of Frank S. Waterman III ’41 on October 7, 2015. Waterman attended The Rivers School on Dean Road from 1930 through 1937, then returned for a post-graduate year, becoming president of the Class of 1941.

Waterman graduated from Harvard in 1945, attended the Babson Institute of Business Administration and the New England Institute, and subsequently served as CEO and director of J.S. Waterman and Sons and general partner of Waterman Realty

Management. He also served on the boards of five other Bostonarea banking institutions. His sons John and Sturdy both graduated from Rivers, in 1969 and 1974 respectively.

Waterman remained an active Rivers alumnus throughout his life, becoming a member of the Board of Trustees in 1964 and receiving the Rivers Cup in 1977 in appreciation of his involvement in the school. He was named a Life Trustee in 1979, and continued to be a generous supporter of Rivers and frequent attendee at Rivers events.

In 1978, Waterman stepped up to fund a proper football field for his alma mater. After tearing up the “grass” on the old field, leveling it, and introducing proper drainage, new sod was installed, and the Waterman Field was born. The grass was replaced with a turf field in 2006, greatly extending the availability of the field for games and practices.

“I have great feeling for Rivers and my time there,” Waterman noted. “My two sons both graduated from Rivers in the early 1970s, and I wanted to do something for the future benefit of the school. I was very proud to sponsor the original Waterman field.”

“My time at Rivers was a pleasure because my instructors gave so much of their time in assisting everyone for the success of the student and the class,” he recollected. “The school featured small classes, with close supervision by experienced and well-educated teachers who became well-acquainted with their students.”

Waterman’s many accomplishments in life can be traced back to this observation he made in his autobiography: “As a youth it was the unwavering love and support of my parents that instilled in me…a joy for life, and an emphasis on the importance of perseverance, integrity, conscientiousness, and hard work.”

Board of Trustees 2015–2016 President: Robert J. Davis

Term Trustees Jon M. Baker, Jr. ’85 Dennis Baldwin Benjamin R. Bloomstone Robert E. Buonato ’81 James F. Carlin ’81 Louise Cummings ’98 Todd A. Dagres Howard G. Davis ’70 Ben D. Fischman Mark R. Florence 6 • M. Riparian • Spring 2016 Jay Grossman

Stephen M. Jennings Daniel A. Kraft Hongmei Li Barbara V. Ligon Deborah H. McAneny Jonathan H. Paul Daniel R. Revers Alan D. Rose, Jr. ’87 Solomon B. Roth Peter Saperstone Laurie Schoen Eileen Sivolella Andrew P. Slifka

Laurie Q. Slifka Richard L. Smith Steven J. Snider Michael P. Stansky Matthew Vettel Eric M. Wolf Life Trustees David M. Berwind Charles C. Carswell Stephen R. Delinsky Peter A. Gaines

Clinton P. Harris G. Arnold Haynes Harriet R. Lewis Thomas L. Lyons Roy S. MacDowell, Jr. Joel B. Sherman Frances B. Shifman William B. Tyler ’43 Joan A. Vaccarino Cai von Rumohr Joan C. Walter Dudley H. Willis

Honorary Trustees of the Corporation Joan T. Allison Thomas P. Beal, Jr. Marie Fitzpatrick Louis J. Grossman ’67 Joshua M. Kraft ’85 Warren M. Little ’51 Virginia S. MacDowell Deborah S. Petri Frederick G. Pfannenstiehl ’59 A. Tozzer Spalding ’62

Connecting the Classroom and the Real World

Collecting samples

I

t’s first period on a chilly Monday morning, with frost coating the banks of the brook bordering the Rivers campus. Students gather to listen to instructions from their teacher, then disperse to collect a daily water sample, record the air temperature, and note the weather. Later the salinity of the samples will be analyzed and the data used to determine the impact of a highway department salt storage facility that is located upstream.

This ongoing project, undertaken in collaboration with a professor of geosciences at Wellesley College, is not part of Rivers’ AP Environmental Science course. Rather, the project is part of Josh Shaller’s sixth grade Earth science curriculum.

“When I was approached by a professor at Wellesley to help gather data for his project, I jumped at the opportunity to get the students out in the field doing research that may ultimately impact the quality of the college’s water supply,” says Shaller.

“You can’t make our study of water any more relevant than that.”

While the collaboration may be unique to this year’s science class, the idea of offering Rivers students opportunities to connect what they are studying in the classroom to real-world issues and applications is not unique. There is nothing ivory-towered about Rivers’ curriculum, where students are frequently challenged to reflect on how the knowledge they are acquiring in the classroom plays out on a global scale.

“Today’s students are active, engaged, and eager to work in hands-on ways to solve challenging, real-world problems,” notes Head of School Ned Parsons. “They look for opportunities to build and craft multi-disciplinary responses, to perform original research, and to communicate their responses through a variety of media.”

To that end, students entering Rivers as sixth graders are immediately immersed—no pun intended—in the “World and Water,” as their curriculum has become known. From an analysis of the Roman aqueducts in Latin class, to the history and literature of the explorers in humanities, to an in-depth study of oceans, rivers, and wetlands in science, the faculty’s hands-on experiential approach to teaching draws students in and helps them make connections across disciplines.

“Their end-of-the-year ‘water walk’ is a prime example of bringing current issues alive for our students,” says Ari Kaplan, who teaches sixth grade humanities. “They fill jugs of water from Nonesuch Pond and reenact the time-consuming trek women and children in Africa and Asia make each day supplying their families with water. You can be sure that leaves a lasting impression on them.”

In the Upper School, Dave Burzillo’s Interdisciplinary Studies elective entitled The Earth, Humans, and Environmental Policy, which is cross-listed with the history department, incorporates not only Earth science, but also environmental history, a

Water walk

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Amy Enright

chair Amy Enright, who has a PhD in modern European history from Emory University.

When the history department began crafting its current ninth grade course, Perspectives in World History, six years ago, they chose a non-linear, non-chronological structure in order to better engage the questions that ninth grade students have about their world. The course is specifically targeted to meet younger students where they are in terms of intellectual and social development. Working with five broad topics, they kick off each topic with a current event that ties into the essential questions of each unit’s theme. While the students are exploring events throughout world history related to the theme, they are also developing the skills needed to become thoughtful, analytical historians—how to read a text, how to take notes, how to argue a thesis, how to evaluate sources.

“Relevance, making explicit connections between the content and skills learned in class and the students’ own life experiences, is a major focus for the history department.”

Dave Burzillo

relatively new field that is significantly changing our understanding of historical periods and events. The course draws upon a third discipline, political science, as the lens through which the students examine how public policy is made. This year, the students are focusing their final projects on the debate about global warming by researching and writing a public policy recommendation on the issue. In preparation, they watch videos docu- menting both sides of the debate, read sample policy papers to understand effective ways to present the supporting evidence they have researched, and determine how best to argue their position on a topic that is central to many environmental and economic issues today.

It’s all part of a pedagogy that asks students to think about and dissect what they are learning.

“Relevance, making explicit connections between the content and skills learned in class and the students’ own life experiences, is a major focus for the history department,” says department 8 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Moreover, the history faculty has also created more than a dozen new electives for upperclassmen, many of which tap into their own interests as historians. There are six electives explicitly focused on understanding contemporary issues around the world: Modern Russia, Modern Islam, Modern Latin America, Modern China, Modern India, and Modern Vietnam. The courses are fundamentally concerned with the last hundred years and, in many cases, the last thirty years—looking at the post-Cold War world. The goal is to give students the knowledge base to understand current events in their historical context, to see the implications of new events, and to argue about the best course for the future.

“We really want to prepare our students to read and understand the news, to visit and work around the world,” explains Enright. “Students in my Modern India and Modern Islam classes take 20 minutes each week to check in on English-language news from the country/region, which serves as a launching-pad for class discussion. In Modern India, my students write an essay evaluating the major factors in the Prime Minister’s rise to power and predicting whether his economic and social policies will help or hurt India’s becoming a global superpower. In Modern Islam, we have had long discussions about ISIS, but we have also explored a broader story of Modern Islam—rise of female lawyers in Saudi Arabia, debate on the hijab, and so on.”

Rivers’ math faculty share a similar philosophy in their approach to teaching—find the relevance to the students’ lives, and they will absorb and retain the material much more readily.

Department chair Dan McCartney, a former internet entrepreneur, and Leslie Fraser, a former lawyer in the investment business, have both come to teaching as a second career, and routinely refer to their professional background when working through new concepts in class.

“I find that my previous experience has affected the way I teach in several ways,” says Fraser, who has a BS in math from Bucknell as well as a JD from Boston University. “First of all, the approach to thinking about problems when you’re working in the business world is to figure out a way to break them into smaller manageable problems. And that is exactly how we teach students to solve math problems—stressing that when something’s very challenging and difficult to start by breaking it into segments that are more manageable. So that’s what I emphasize on the strategic end.”

On the practical side, Fraser references a lot of the things she actually did in her previous career, like how you figure out investment returns or how long it will take to save for college. “We do all kinds of projects in the classroom that are based on real life situations—maybe extrapolated to a simpler level than what I did professionally—but the similarity is there, and the kids recognize that,” Fraser says.

Helping students find the relevance in what they’re studying is essential for learning, and the math department has certainly employed this philosophy to great success.

“I don’t want kids asking, ‘So what? Why should I care?’ in the math classroom,” says McCartney, who has a BS in electrical engineering from Tufts. “We have to cover the content, of course, but any time we can take it into an area where they care about it, they get so excited. For instance, the other day we were talking about exponential growth and what it really means to take a company and grow the sales by 20% a year for three years.

The kids call those discussions ‘going off topic’ or ‘going on a tangent,’ but it’s really not. It’s taking the mathematics and bringing it to life.”

Fraser does a similar project in her Algebra II class.

“Students choose a depreciation project or an exponential growth project,” says Fraser. “Over the years some of the kids have gotten incredibly creative. I had a girl whose passion was the cello and the violin. She said, ‘I actually want to see what would happen if I owned a Stradivarius for 10 years.’ So she did a whole project on how the value of the Stradivarius grew exponentially.

And she got so into it that she compared it to the stock market and ended up showing that the violin actually outperformed the stock market.”

This year, Fraser is teaching an Interdisciplinary Studies elective called Financial Investment Analysis. She introduces students to the structure, purpose, and return profiles of basic investment categories, and invites guest speakers with expertise in each area to share their experiences. Students then explore actual investment decisions by debating case studies and preparing written analyses of investments.

Leslie Fraser

Dan McCartney

“I love math, but I also love history and English,” says Fraser.

“I found in my previous job that you need all those skills and they all intersect. In this class, the students have to consider many different questions—what distinguishes each type of investment, how mathematical modeling is used to assess investments, can we predict investment behavior and returns based on past history?

But we also talk about larger issues. What role do investments play in our economy and society? What do we hope to do when we create these things? These discussions all tie into larger ethical issues across several disciplines.”

For those students with an interest in applied science beyond a basic science curriculum, Rivers’ Engineering and Robotics courses provide an opportunity for a hands-on, project-based exploration of topics using a “top-down” approach to problem solving.

“We are essentially teaching a way of thinking, of identifying a challenge or goal, then breaking it down into simpler pieces, Spring 2016 • Riparian • 9

solving each piece, then reassembling the problem,” explains Yoshi Fujita, echoing Fraser’s approach to her math classes. “It’s a universal skill to develop that will serve students no matter what they do.

“Through a series of design challenges, students are exposed to the different disciplines of mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, and systems engineering, as well as the skills required by those disciplines,” says Fujita, who has a BS in electrical engineering from Brown. “The Engineering syllabus was developed a few years ago by the University of Texas’ Engineering and Education departments in association with the National Science Foundation and NASA. Rivers was invited to test the prototype for the curriculum and we continue to fine tune it.”

Students range from those who are interested in taking an additional science course to those with a serious interest in engineering as a career. They collaborate in teams on a long-range project each trimester, brainstorming, building prototypes and circuitry, analyzing data and programming as they work through each design project.

This year’s Robotics class, which Fujita also teaches, is structured around a series of design challenges. Students start with pre-built robots equipped with sensors that they program to accomplish increasingly sophisticated tasks, from drawing a letter, to sensing obstacles, to navigating a maze. Students with more advanced backgrounds in robotics can tackle more complex projects. Two students are currently building and programming a quadcoptor robot, with components they’re creating on Rivers’ 3D-printer. The students’ enthusiasm for these projects is palpable, as is their understanding of the concepts being explored.

“The students learn how robots take in data and process it, how to break down a complex problem into what a robot can do, how to program the smaller steps and build from the simple back

Josh Shaller

10 • Riparian • Spring 2016

to the complex,” says Fujita. “We give them the analytical skills to do that, to work efficiently and productively.”

This year the Robotics class switched from using a LEGObased system to the Arduino system which is popular with hobbyists and prototype builders. The new system allows the students much more flexibility and independence, including the option of buying compatible components online. They’re able to tackle a wider variety of challenges and gain very real-world skills.

Students can research the technologies available and then learn how to program the parts they’ve bought.

“Robots will always do what you tell them to do,” Fujita says, “but not necessarily what you want them to do.”

The Upper School Robotics Club, led by Fujita and science colleague Sarah Freeman, has also adopted the new system.

They’ve set for themselves the goal of staging 3-on-3 robotic soccer matches during the year. The popular Middle School Robotics Club, led by math teacher Sam Vandergrift and humanities teacher Ari Kaplan, still relies on the LEGO system to introduce the students to the basics of constructing and programming robotics.

“Engineering is a way of thinking, an approach to problem solving that can translate to many other disciplines,” concludes Fujita. “Even beyond the fields of engineering and robotics, it’s a very useful way to look at the world.”

No matter the discipline, finding new ways to look at the world has always been the ultimate goal of a Rivers education and a major tenet of the school’s mission, which states that “Rivers is dedicated to preparing its students for leadership in a world that needs their talents, imagination, intellect, and compassion.”

“A sense of relevance is a key component of an engaging educational experience,” says Head of School Ned Parsons. “Students crave the opportunity to put their newfound skills to work in meaningful ways.”

Yoshi Fujita

Campus News

The Laramie Project

Nonesuch Players Present The Laramie Project

The Nonesuch Players presented Moises Kaufman’s The Laramie Project in October in the Black Box Theater. The play is a series of monologues based on interviews Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project conducted in Laramie, Wyoming following the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998.

“I’ve been thinking about The Laramie Project for a long time now, but this year a couple of things fell into place which led me to choose it,” said play director and English teacher Juliet Bailey. “These instances of senseless violence and hate in our country have reached epidemic proportions, particularly after the events in Charleston this summer. I also felt I had the cast for it. This was a very deep, committed group of actors that really did the subject matter justice.”

“This play demonstrates that truth is multi-dimensional,” Josh Polanco Calderon ’17 added. “There is more to truth than one specific fact or one specific opinion, and that is something that we, as a society, need to learn and understand.”

Jazz Ensembles Honored at Berklee, Mingus High School Competitions

The Big Band and Select 1 Combo were recently recognized at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival and the prestigious

The Big Band at Berklee

Charles Mingus High School Jazz Competition.

Both ensembles travelled to the Berklee School of Music along with more than 250 other ensembles from across the nation for its annual festival in February.

Ensembles competed for first, second, third, and honorable mention prizes in classes which are determined by a school’s enrollment.

The Big Band received the third-place prize in its class and Michael Manasseh ’19 received the Judges’ Award for his performance with the band. The Select 1 Combo received honorable mention in its class and Joseph Nedder ’18 received the Judges’ Award for his contribution to the ensemble.

The Big Band then attended the annual Mingus competition in New York where they were one of three finalists chosen from a nationwide audition of 150 bands. While they did not return with any hardware, being chosen as one of the top three jazz ensembles in the country is honor enough for Big Band Director Philippe Crettien.

“The Mingus Competition only awards the top band in the country, and while we did not win the award we played some of the best music I have heard in my time at Rivers,” Mr. Crettien said.

“I am extremely proud of these students and happy they were able to play at their very best on the national stage”.

Cinderella

Nonesuch Players Present Cinderella

The Rivers Nonesuch Players staged a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella in February at Regis College’s Fine Arts Center.

The cast, led by Director David Tierney, included both seasoned Nonesuch Players as well as new faces and voices.

Chris Holownia was the assistant director and music director, while Cassandra Lovering was the choreographer and Judy Weiner oversaw costumes. Students Grace Monaghan ’17 and Kate Knight ’17 managed a stage crew of nine, more than a dozen students sang in the chorus, and members of the Upper School orchestra performed in the pit.

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 11

Campus News

Students Honored

by Massachusetts Music Educators Association

Six Rivers students participated in the Senior District Music Festival sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association in January at Boston Latin School—Alex Clay ’18, clarinet, band; Silvia Curry ’16, clarinet, orchestra; Michaela Francesconi ’18, soprano, chorus; Nazeli Hagen ’17, alto, chorus; Joseph Nedder ’18, trombone, jazz band; and Victoria Nedder ’16, clarinet, band.

Silvia, Nazeli, and Joe also received All-State recommendations, and after further auditioning, Silvia was chosen to perform with All-State Orchestra at the All-State Festival at Boston’s Seaport/ World Trade Center and Symphony Hall in March.

Rivers ninth graders Ella Caggiano ’19, Natalie Hall ’19, and Rebecca Statchel ’19 earned spots in the Junior District Festival Chorus while Simonida Spasojevic ’19 was chosen for the Junior District Orchestra. Simonida, a flutist, received the highest score of the 78 students auditioning, earning her the distinction of first flute, first chair in the orchestra for the Junior District Festival at LincolnSudbury High School in March.

Students Recognized at Model UN, Debate Conferences

The Debate Team participated in the annual Junior State of America’s Fall State Conference in Boston alongside more than 800 other students from throughout the northeastern United States. The conference’s theme, “Opportunities and Obstacles: Fulfilling the American Dream,” challenged Rivers’ junior statesmen and stateswomen to see both sides of topics currently facing our country.

These topics included public financing for campaigns, direct election of federal judges, and whether or not Donald Trump is the true face of the Republican Party.

Jacob Levin ’16 (Pro, Federal judges to be selected by direct election), Joe Nedder ’18 12 • Riparian • Spring 2016

“Box of Fears” by Anna Donlan ’19 Charlie Watkins ’16

The Model UN Club in NYC

(Con, Donald Trump is the face of the Republican Party), and Emily Shen ’18 (Pro, that the government deport all children of illegal immigrants) all won Best Speaker in their respective categories despite the challenges posed by representing their assigned point of view.

The Model UN team travelled to the University of Connecticut Model UN Conference in November where students were placed in delegations, assigned a country to represent, and then put through simulations created by UConn students.

These simulations were meant to incorporate world events, and the conference’s emphasis on finding non-violent solutions was particularly timely given the terrorist attacks in Paris that took place during the conference. Robert D’Alessandro ’16 won Best Delegate for his performance in his counter-terrorism committee while first-time conference attendee Natasha McMillan ’19 was recognized with a Most Improved Delegate award for her role as Israel in a disarmament and security committee.

In January, the Model UN Club attended the annual Columbia Model United Nations Conference & Exposition, joining students from throughout the country for a weekend of debate grounded

in real-world crises and in some of the most popular fantasy environments. Robert D’Alessandro ’16, Lincoln Zaleski ’16, Silvia Curry ’16, Omar Frometa ’17, and Natasha McMillan ’19 were each considered among the finest delegates in their committees and earned awards from Outstanding Delegate to Honorable Mention.

“I think there were a lot of very challenging committees this year, but a lot of them matched up very well with our students’ interests,” said club advisor Bill McGinty, who also teaches history.

“Lincoln Zaleski, for example, is very passionate about Armenian heritage and was placed in an Armenian committee so that was a perfect match and that really showed in his performance.”

Anna Donlan’s Ceramic Piece in National Exhibition

A ceramic work by Anna Donlan ’19, entitled “Box of Fears,” was selected by jurors for inclusion in this year’s Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Kansas City, MO in March. Her piece was chosen from among 1344 entries for this

Campus News

Time out for robot repairs

Grade 7 Science Night

year’s exhibition which was open to visitors from all over the world, many of whom attended the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.

Patent Pending: Charlie Watkins ‘16 Designs Medical Robot

Charlie Watkins ’16 completed a summer internship in the Surgical Navigation and Robotics Lab at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, and as a result of his work on a revolutionary project he has been named on a patent application currently awaiting approval. Charlie created a prototype for a device that would improve the precision and safety of percutaneous needle insertion in abdominal ablation surgeries, specifically cryoablation in cases of renal carcinoma.

“I attended a regular kidney cryoablation procedure without any robotic aspects, just hand-guided needles, to get an idea of what the workflow looks like in a typical procedure, and then I was able to build off that information in designing my device,” Charlie said. “I also met with clinicians who perform these procedures —doctors, nurses, physicists. People come from all kinds of different backgrounds to work on medical robotics.”

Charlie went through five rounds of 3D-printing specific parts and components of the device and then another three rounds of printing the final device and its parts. In order to design those parts,

Robotic soccer

he had to familiarize himself with the industry standard measurements and specifications for each of the parts and then marry those components into a device that was uniquely his.

Seventh Grade Science Night Showcases Innovation

Seventh grade science students have been busy designing their own solutions to real world problems and recently presented their findings at Science Night in the Kraft Dining Hall. Students investigated ways to combat beach erosion and coral bleaching, design an eco-friendly bicycle and solar glider, and protect arctic wolves and emperor penguins, to name a few.

Rivers’ Robots Score with Soccer

Rivers’ Upper School Robotics Club staged a series of intramural 3-on-3 soccer matches this winter during Thursday club block.

Led by science teachers Yoshi Fujita and Sarah Freeman, the teams continued to fine tune—and repair—their one “goalie” and two “players” throughout the season.

PoCC, SDLC Conferences Encourage Students, Faculty to “Listen to Learn”

In December, a group of students and faculty participated in the National Association of Independent School’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and People of Color Conference

(PoCC) in Tampa, FL. The theme of this year’s PoCC for educators was “Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn: The Art of Dialogue and the Science of Living Justly.”

Faculty members Matt Akers, John Bower, Jen Dalton, Leslie Fraser, Nicole Guynn, Katie Henderson, Ari Kaplan, Chris Love, Feryal Sacristan, and Andrea Villagran attended, and Bower and Dalton led a workshop for fellow educators.

Gabriela Romero ’16, Isabel Sharpe ’16, Josh Polanco Calderon ’17, and Jianna Voghel ’17 attended the SDLC which aims to provide students with an opportunity to engage in a curriculum that will deepen their own cultural perspective, which they can bring back to their own schools.

“This conference was a once in a lifetime experience that allowed students who attend independent schools all over the United States to connect,” Gaby said.

“We discussed issues related to race, gender, and injustices we see. Although everyone went in as strangers, everyone came out feeling like part of a family.”

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 13

Campus News for how the world will respond to them.

A group of Rivers students also honored the legacy of Dr. King by taking part in a service day in January at Brandeis University, organized by the Massachusetts Service Alliance. They helped package more than 14,000 meals for food-insecure families, and then explored an educational justice fair with workshops about homelessness, racial justice, food security, and multi-faith dialogue.

At the PoCC/SDLC Conference

Thought-provoking Diversity Programs Presented

Rivers welcomed Dr. Michael Fowlin to campus for the final presentation in the Centennial Speakers Series in November.

Dr. Fowlin delivered a riveting one-man performance to the entire school that focused on race, discrimination, violence prevention, and personal identity. His mission is to “create an atmosphere of worldwide inclusion, not just tolerance, towards all people.”

Dr. Fowlin combined his acting skills with his degree in clinical psychology to create a series of characters whose personal stories provided examples of the identity challenges adolescents can face in their daily lives. He ended his talk with a call to action—to do small acts of intentional kindness every day in order to make people feel included in, rather than excluded from, whatever community they are a part of.

The 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly was a particularly memorable one, thanks to guest speaker Clint Smith, a doctoral candidate at Harvard University and a renowned spoken word poet. Mr. Smith’s poems detailed his childhood in New Orleans; his years working with underprivileged youth as a teacher in Prince George County, Maryland; and the realities of being a black man in America today. “How to Raise a Black Son in America” describes the way black parents are forced to educate and prepare their sons 14 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Field Hockey, Girls’ Soccer Claim New England Titles

It was a banner day for Rivers on November 22 as both the girls’ varsity soccer and field hockey teams claimed NEPSAC New England Championships. Wins over Middlesex and Pingree earned the soccer team a shot at their fourth New England title, and they defeated Tabor Academy 2-0 for the honor. The Red Wings also won the ISL championship.

The varsity field hockey team also entered postseason play as the No. 1 seed

having weathered a formidable Independent School League schedule. After toppling Ethel Walker and Newton Country Day, the Red Wings took aim at Kimball Union Academy and won their second straight NEPSAC New England Class C title.

Boys’ Ice Hockey Named ISL Eberhart Division Champions

The boys’ varsity ice hockey team wrapped up one of its most successful seasons with an ISL Eberhart Division Championship by way of a 3-2 overtime victory over Brooks, earning the No. 1 seed in the NEPSAC Piatelli/Simmons Tournament in the process. The Red Wings (19-5-4) won big game after big game this season, including a massive 6-5 victory over Belmont Hill on February 6, and entered postseason play on a 12-game unbeaten streak (10-0-2). They went on to defeat the Canterbury School 4-2 in the quarterfinals and Dexter 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals, before falling to St. Mark’s in the finals, 3-2 in overtime.

Left: Kaitlyn Wood ’17 below: Brooke Heinsohn ’16

Liz Webber ’16

Campus News

Satter Grant: Enhancing the Rivers Experience

J

ack Satter was a true American success story. Born and raised in Boston, the World War II veteran began his career on the loading docks at Colonial Provision Company and ended up the company’s owner a quarter of a century later.

His love of baseball extended from the concession stand, where he introduced the beloved “Fenway Frank,” to the boardroom as part owner of the New York Yankees.

Along with his life-long dedication to his business and baseball, he was generous philanthropist, donating to synagogues in Newton, where he resided for many years, as well as the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Through his long-time connection with Rivers trustee and alumni parent Eric Wolf, he also supported Rivers’ annual fund for a number of years.

Shortly after his death in 2014, the Satter Foundation was established in order to continue his support in perpetuity of the institutions he valued, and Eric Wolf and his wife, Mary Lou

Liz Webber ’16, Brooke Heinsohn ’16, Kaitlin Wood ’17, Coach Susanna Donahue Earn National Recognition

Liz Webber ’16, one of the most dominant defenders in the ISL for the past four years, was named a National Soccer Coaches Association All-America and Massachusetts State Player of the Year.

Liz was also named a Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic, NSCAA AllState and All-New England, and was the unanimous ISL Player of the Year. This is Liz’s second All-America recognition and she becomes the second Rivers girls’ soccer player to be named NSCAA Massachusetts State Player of the Year after Maclaine Lehan ’14 won it in 2013. Liz will attend Williams College in the fall.

Joining Liz on the NSCAA All-America, All-New England, All-State, and All-ISL teams was goalkeeper Brooke Heinsohn ’16. In February she was also named the Gatorade State Player of the Year, joining former boys’ soccer standout and current professional soccer player Charlie Rugg ’09 as Rivers’ other recipient of the honor.

Cocci, were named trustees of the foundation. Rivers applied for and was awarded a very generous grant of $500,000. The grant is earmarked for student expenses above and beyond what is covered by tuition.

“There is a very real need for resources to enable every student to have access to the full Rivers experience,” said Head of School Ned Parsons. “In fact, this became a key goal in the Strategic Plan, and the impetus for applying for this grant. We already have an endowed auxiliary aid fund—The Gainie Fund—and a process for identifying and funding student needs, whether it be purchasing textbooks or a laptop so a student can work at home, providing transportation to school, or paying travel expenses so a student can participate in the Model UN trip.

“Now the Satter Foundation grant will greatly expand our resources for auxiliary aid over the next five years and allow us to reach out to even more students who are eager to participate in all Rivers has to offer.”

Brooke will continue her soccer career next fall at Duke University.

Field hockey’s Kaitlin Wood ’17 was named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association/Harrow Sports All-American, an honor that places her among the top 48 high school field hockey players in the country. Kaitlin scored 10 goals and added 15 assists for the Red Wings this fall and claimed the NEPSAC Class C Tournament MVP award for her postseason performances. She was also named to the NFHCA All-Region, the ISL AllLeague, and NEPSAC Class C All-Tournament teams following a strong postseason performance.

Girls’ soccer head coach Susanna Donahue was named the National Soccer Coaches Association New England Coach of the Year after leading the Red Wings to the program’s first outright Independent School League Championship and fifth NEPSAC New England Championship.

Coach Donahue has posted a record of 171-49-29 since coming to Rivers in 2002 and was the recipient of the 2006 Massachusetts State Coach of the Year.

Julia Thissel ’16

Julia Thissell ‘16 Nominated for 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game

Julia Thissell ’16 was nominated for the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game, the fifth Rivers girls’ basketball player to be nominated for the annual showcase, joining Clare Sullivan ’11 (Holy Cross), Emilee Daley ’13 (Boston College), Jen Berkowitz ’14 (Yale University), and Kristen Daley ’15 (University of Pennsylvania).

Julia, who earned All-League honors as both a sophomore and junior, signed a National Letter of Intent this fall and will continue her playing career next winter at Providence College.

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 15

Campus News

Seniors Lo ok to the Future

M

ore than a dozen Rivers alumni ranging from the Class of 1977 to 2009 returned to campus in November to share insights into their careers with the Class of 2016. The evening began with a panel of four alumni who discussed their Rivers coursework, college experiences, and the pros and cons of past jobs. After the panel, the alumni fanned out throughout the Campus Center, holding more intimate roundtable discussions in smaller groups, on topics ranging from social media to resume building to networking and interviewing skills. After 15 minutes, students rotated into a second discussion, focused on industries such as education, finance, or healthcare, gaining valuable personal advice along the way.

“We wanted to get the seniors engaged in thinking about career choices even while they’re at Rivers,” said panel moderator Gregory Stoller ’87. “We want them to understand they can go into a lot of different industries, and there are a lot of possibilities for them in the future.”

Senior Ashley Brown enjoyed the experience, noting the diverse learning opportunities. “My first session was on entrepreneurship. The message was less about making money and more about choosing a job around something you love. It’s great that Rivers alums are doing this for us.”

The alumni participants and the topics they addressed were: Moderator: Greg Stoller ’87 Education: Sara Masucci ’94, Jason Medeiros ’01 Entrepreneur/Business: Charlie Abrams ’88, Matt Tobin ’90 Finance: Alan Breitman ’88, Mike Crowley ’02 Healthcare: Dana Amsbary ’05, Jeff Lowenstein ’77, Caitrin Tesch (former trainer) Technology: Bryan Ginsberg ’09, Doug Wooldridge ’90 Nonprofit/Social Sector: Dean Bragonier ’91 Internships: Jack Birger ’08 Resume Building: Emily Creedon ’09 Social Media/Social Branding: Michelle Davis ’08 Networking/Interviewing: Brad Karelitz ’04

16 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Mike Crowley ’02, Brad Karelitz ’04, Michelle Davis ’08, Emily Creedon ’09, Jack Birger ’08

Matt Tobin ’90 and Charlie Abrams ’88

Sara Masucci ’94 and Jason Medeiros ’01 with seniors

Michelle Davis ’08 on all things social

Dean Bragonier ’91

Parent News

Parents Celebrate Senior Milestone

T

he parents of the Class of 2016 gathered at a reception this fall, hosted by Ned and Lisa Parsons at the Head of School’s house, to reminisce about Rivers and look ahead to the highlights of the coming year. Assistant Head of School Jim Long shared words of wisdom about the challenges facing their children as they finish out their Rivers careers and begin to chart a course for the future.

Mark Florence and Jeffrey Heuer Sylva Yeghiayan, Jennifer Wirkala, Pam Florence

Beth Freeland, Rachel Solomons, Renee Levin

Jim Long with Melissa and Stephen Webber

Steve Jennings with Susan and Jamie Carlin

Ned Parsons with Monica O’Neil, Pam Willsey, Laurie Schoen

Monica O’Neil, Steve Jennings, Donald Marsjanik, Joy Denomme

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 17

Art and Writing Honored at Globe Scholastics

T

he 2016 Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition recognized Rivers students with a total of 36 awards: 29 art awards and seven writing awards. The school received six Gold Keys, six Silver Keys, and 24 Honorable Mentions, with four students receiving multiple awards. Chosen from more than 15,000 art entries and 2,500 writing entries, the winning work was reviewed by more than 50 judges on the basis of three criteria: originality, technical skill, and personal vision.

Rivers’ students earned honors for artwork in a variety of 2D and 3D media arts categories in the competition, including ceramics, sculpture, drawing, photography, printmaking, painting, and digital art. All of Rivers’ arts faculty members had at least one student recognized, and all of the art disciplines Rivers offers were represented. Writing awards were in the poetry, dramatic script, and science fiction/fantasy categories. Gold Key winners’ art work was featured at an exhibition at EF Education First in Cambridge in March before their work went on to New York to compete for National Medals against other Gold Key work from around the country.

“It is great that both Middle and Upper School students were honored for their creative efforts in this year’s art competition,” said Visual Arts Department Chair David Saul. “We believe that all students can cultivate and articulate a creative vision in the supportive environment of our art studios.”

Mike Young ’17, Ceramics, “Pizza Stand”

Hunter Corliss ’17, Photography, “Latent Journey”

Joshua Polanco Calderon ’17, Photography, “Journey”

Gold Key Winners Hunter Corliss ’17, Photography, “Latent Journey” Sophie Jacobs ’18, Poetry, “Promises to My Future Lover” Sophie Jacobs ’18, Dramatic script, “Anxiety” Grace Lees ’16, Printmaking, “The Tempest” Joshua Polanco Calderon ’17, Photography, “Journey” Mike Young ’17, Ceramics, “Pizza Stand”

18 • Riparian • Spring 2016 2011 18

Grace Lees ’16, Printmaking, “The Tempest” (Just announced: National Silver Medal Winner)

Silver Key Winners Maggie Barrow ’20, Ceramics, “Red Lobster” Ashley Burgarella ’18, Science fiction/fantasy, “Return the Car.” Cara Callahan ’16, Sculpture, “Circle Clock” Kate Eselius ’20, Photography, “Cracked Under Pressure” Jacob Harris ’16, Sculpture, “Band Saw Box” Jake Letterie ’16, Photography, “Culinary Collection”

Maggie Barrow ’20, Ceramics, “Red Lobster”

Honorable Mention Winners Callie Bloom ’20, Photography, “Charlotte’s Web” Ashley Burgarella ’18, Science fiction/fantasy, “Memories” Ashley Burgarella ’18, Poetry, “After Buildings Crumble” Ashley Burgarella ’18, Poetry, “I Stood Once More” Kate Eselius ’20, Photography, “Cracked Under Pressure”

Ross Carter ’16, Ceramics, “Covered Jar” Audrey Connelly ’20, Photography, “Pangea” Vanessa Edgehill ’16, Printmaking, “Bridge” Abby Finn ’16, Sculpture, “Yin Yang Box” Caroline Grady ’19, Sculpture, “Plaster Carving”

Jacob Harris ’16, Sculpture, “Band Saw Box”

Nick Hardy ’20, Photography, “Carver” Lauren Heuer ’16, Drawing and Illustration, “Big Sky Country” Tommy Kantaros ’20, Photography, “Serpentine”

Jake Letterie ’16, Photography, “Culinary Collection”

Pat Lawn ’20, Photography, “Cool Bubbly Day” Elizabeth Magnan ’16, Drawing and Illustration, “Dancers” Alexandra Masiello ’16, Ceramics, “Variation” Alexandra Masiello ’16, Photography, “Family Adventure” Victoria Nedder ’16, Photography, “Seven By Seven” Victoria Nedder ’16, Photography, “Soaring Through Space” Aidan Porter ’18, Drawing and Illustration, “Nonesuch Pond” Brett Rahbany ’17, Sculpture, “Sleigh” Gabriela Romero ’16, Photography, “Everlasting Friendship” Cara Callahan ’16, Sculpture, “Circle Clock”

Jasen Voghel ’16, Ceramics, “Ridges” Maya Wasserman ’18, Ceramics, “Tea For Two”

Spring Spring 2016 2016 • Riparian • 19 19

Alumni Profile

David Davis ’70: Leaving a Legacy at Rivers “

R

ivers was a formative time of life for me. Wesleyan was a great experience, but I’m not connected in the same way.”

And there lies the crux of the matter—the reason why David Davis ’70 has chosen to support The Rivers School for so many years, in so many ways, and why he recently made the ultimate commitment by naming Rivers the beneficiary of his estate.

“Rivers has changed so much since I was here,” said Davis who serves on the Board of Trustees. “The ‘humanity’ aspect of Rivers’ mission really means a lot to me—the school has become a place where each student can be their best self.

“There is a better understanding of kids now,” Davis continued. “When I was a student there were no arts. We had to fight for an Art History class, but there were no visual art classes, no music or performing arts—I actually had to give up piano in order to fulfill my athletic requirements. Art teaches a different way of looking at things.

Theater teaches you how to present yourself—who knows, one day it may help you do better at a board meeting.

“I really got involved with Rivers again when the Conservatory Program was launched [in 2003],” said Davis, who was the founder and director of The Schoolhouse Center for the Arts in Provincetown at the time. “Then I established an annual scholarship fund and supported a student each year for 10 years, but I felt like that was paying rent and I wanted to pay a mortgage toward something that would last.

So I established two endowed funds.

Now with a planned gift, I can keep my legacy going when I can no longer write the check!

20 • Riparian • Spring 2016

“I want to increase the sense of inclusiveness and provide opportunities to explore the issue for the faculty and students, so that we mirror the real world. School is a place to be exposed to all viewpoints, a place to teach kids that you need to respect the opinions of others. It’s not right to think that if you don’t agree with someone, they are wrong. Kids need to be exposed to all different types of people and experiences and then make their own decisions. The media has a tremendous influence on kids today. They get the impression from adults and media that it’s OK to be hateful. We need to teach inclusivity and tolerance.

“What really opened my eyes was a panel of students who talked at a recent Board meeting,” Davis commented. “I don’t have a lot of contact with students and was surprised by their view of diversity which really was more socio-economic than racial. Students seem more colorblind now, but they are keenly aware of

the haves vs. the have-nots. I was surprised by how much the focus was on that.

“So one of my funds is meant to provide the resources necessary to ensure that equity and inclusion are understood and practiced by the Rivers community. [The other fund is for financial aid.] Funds may be utilized in a number of ways, including professional development for faculty, education opportunities for students, conferences and speakers, special student projects, and non- tuition curricular and cocurricular needs.

“I realized what a disadvantage some kids might be at. Their tuition may be covered but they can’t afford the electronics they need or the trips that are offered—the extra costs are considerable. It’s not right to be given these opportunities but only be able to afford to participate in some of them.

“Had I won the $1.5B Powerball, this would have become The Davis School!” joked Davis, then continued on a more serious note. “Something like the lottery inspires people to dream about what they can do to help others. The inclination to give is strong, but people don’t feel they have the capacity. A planned gift allows you to act on the inclination and make a gift, the value of which need not immediately be determined, but determined by how your later life unfolds.

“A planned gift is a gesture you can make to satisfy the desire to give and really do something for the school. Knowing your gift will go on in perpetuity is very satisfying.”

Build Your Legacy and Build Rivers’ Endowment

B

uilding the endowment has always been a strategic priority for The Rivers School. Rivers’ financial future is greatly enhanced by strengthening its endowment to provide resources in perpetuity—for financial aid, for faculty support, for professional development, and for curricular development.

The challenge in 2016 is to increase the number of Nonesuch Society members who will provide for Rivers in perpetuity.

Please join in being one of 100 new Nonesuch Society members over the next five years in honor of Rivers’ Centennial.

We invite you to help secure Rivers’ future by making a planned gift to the school. You can play a significant role in providing extraordinary opportunities for our students while ensuring Rivers’ financial well-being.

By taking advantage of tax laws that encourage philanthropy, your planned gift to Rivers can help significantly reduce your estate tax burdens. Rivers offers a variety of mutually beneficial arrangements that provide benefits to the donors, including lifetime income, capital gains tax savings, and income tax deductibility: • Bequest: a gift made through your will or testamentary trust, in the form of cash, securities, real estate, tangible personal property, or other assets, for a specific amount or for a percentage of your estate • IRA: designation of Rivers as beneficiary of your IRA or retirement account, for the residue or a percentage of the plan’s value • Life Insurance: designation of Rivers as beneficiary of a paid-up whole or universal life insurance policy For more information about making a planned gift to Rivers, please contact Senior Advancement Officer Jan Hicinbothem at 339-686-2231 or j.hicinbothem@rivers.org. All inquiries are confidential.

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 21

2 0 1 6 A l u m n i Ex c e l l e n c e Award R e c i p i e n t

Eric Shapiro ’86: Innovator and Entrepreneur

I

f there’s an entrepreneurial gene, then it’s in Eric Shapiro’s DNA. Shapiro is the latest in a long line of entrepreneurs and businessmen who have recognized—and responded to—the cultural demands of their times, and in the process are leaving an indelible mark on society.

This spring, the Rivers Alumni Association will honor Eric Shapiro ’86 with the 2016 Alumni Excellence Award in recognition of his pioneering work as a technology innovator and entrepreneur, and for his philanthropic efforts to advance the use of technology in education.

Shapiro is the CEO and co-founder of ArcTouch, a leading mobile design and development studio that creates custom apps for Fortune 500 companies and top consumer brands. A deeply knowledgeable technologist, Shapiro founded ArcTouch in 2008, shortly after the introduction of the first iPhone. Since then, he has built a team of more than 100 product strategists, designers, and engineers who create engaging experiences for phones, tablets, and other smart “things” you hold in your hand, wear on your wrist, and use in your home and car. ArcTouch was recently acquired by Grey, one of the world’s most successful advertising and marketing agencies, and will continue to operate as an independent company under Grey’s umbrella.

ArcTouch is the seventh technology company that Shapiro has founded, including the three he started in his parents’ basement while at Rivers. Shapiro had just hit his teens when he launched his first technology venture—the Moonware Company produced a flashcard software program that he wrote for students learning Latin, French, and Spanish vocabulary words. Shapiro also co-started two other

22 • Riparian • Spring 2016

companies while he was at Rivers: one that provided software tools to IBM, and one that sold computer paper and floppy disks to his friends, family, and Rivers classmates.

However, when Shapiro enrolled at Rivers in 1980 as a seventh grader, virtually nobody had his own computer, and the school had only a handful of Apple II and Radio Shack TRS-80s. Everyone took turns in the computer room, trying out the latest software, writing papers using early word processors, and even playing games on school time.

What Rivers lacked in equipment, it made up for in faculty members whose innovation and enthusiasm for new technology matched that of students like Shapiro. Math teacher Michael Polakoff was one of Shapiro’s earliest mentors, and the two worked together on several software programs, including one called Bookworm, which was used for many years by the school library to track borrowed books.

Another mentor—science teacher Christopher Smick—found that Boston

University was offering a televised introduction to computer science class, broadcast on PBS. He and Shapiro both took this class remotely, watching the instruction and traveling to BU to take the final exam. Then in 1986, the first year the AP computer science class was developed, Shapiro took it as an independent study; Smick also took the class along with him.

The course wouldn’t be offered as part of the curriculum at Rivers for another five years.

After Rivers, Shapiro went on to get his BS in computer science and engineering from Tufts University and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University.

He worked as a product manager at Apple before founding Zero G Software (acquired by Rovi), Caustic Graphics (acquired by Imagination Technologies), and AppGlu (now part of ArcTouch).

Shapiro never forgot the encouragement he received from his Rivers mentors to pursue his passions, and in 2010 he established the Eric N. Shapiro ’86 Technology Fund to help finance cutting-edge technology for Rivers classrooms. Funds were initially used to purchase 20 iPads for the Rivers language department, to allow students to access international newspapers and streaming video, and have direct contact with students from around the world.

Most recently resources from the Shapiro Technology Fund helped Rivers to launch its 1:1 iPad program in which every teacher and student has access to an iPad for schoolwork. Through thoughtful integration of technology with traditional teaching methods, teachers have another valuable teaching and learning tool at their disposal.

Shapiro currently lives in San Francisco with his wife, their two children, and two dogs.

Alumni Profile

Chuck Warshaver ’78: Retirement 2.0

W

hen Chuck Warshaver sold his manufacturing company in July 2010 and decided to “retire” in Scottsdale with his wife Shari, he never imagined he would end up as executive director of a non-profit.

“In order to get entrenched in our new community, I volunteered with non-profits that I had been involved in back east, like Special Olympics, the ADL, and Big Brother,” said Warshaver.

“In addition, I joined our local YPO/ WPO chapter and was looking for potential for-profit board work in addition to my nonprofit work. Then in June 2012, a LinkedIn request for the executive director position for Playworks appeared on my feed. After a quick search and discussion with their founder, I decided to apply and within a few weeks was hired as the new ED for Arizona.

“This all happened by great fortune,” Warshaver continued. “I wasn’t looking specifically for a nonprofit job or even a job at all, but when I saw this position and all the good Playworks does in the community I was hooked.”

Playworks is a national nonprofit that reduces playground bullying and conflicts and improves school climate through fun, healthy, inclusive games and physical activity. As executive director, Warshaver’s primary responsibilities include fund raising, networking, brand building with both investors (their donors) and customers (the schools that use their programs).

Under his leadership, Playworks has grown from serving six schools with 4000 low income K-8th grade students to 28 schools and 18,500 students.

His goal is to serve more than 150 schools and 100,000+ students by 2020.

“Running a successful nonprofit is no different than running any business,” commented Warshaver. “Deliver a great product; manage, train, and motivate your people to execute; and make sure your process is scalable for growth. Our product is teaching kids the life skills they will need to be successful adults and we do this through play—making the school climate safe for them and their teachers. Bullying is a major problem everywhere and if a child is bullied he or she will have significantly less chance of success. I see the low income kids we serve come to school with behavior patterns that need to change and we do this by teaching them conflict resolution techniques, the rules, respect, and empathy. Our people are rock stars who are passionate about our mission. And our process to recruit new schools, assess them, and deliver perfect programming has allowed us to grow super fast.

“There’s really no difference between marketing a product or a program,” he continued. “We are marketing and networking all the time so that the Playworks brand is top of mind for both the schools and investors. We are fortunate that most

of the major foundations in the Valley now know Playworks and many are now supporters. The local sports team supports us, and many corporations are sponsoring our schools. Now that most of the schools have heard of us, setting up a meeting to discuss what we do and why we do it is relatively easy.”

The best part of his transition from east to west is that his whole family has relocated there.

“We never in our wildest dreams thought both our daughters would follow us out here,” said Warshaver, “but they did and it’s been great. Ally [Rivers’ Class of 2007] now works for a large furniture installer/designer in sales after working with Merrill Lynch as a client associate. And Liza [Rivers’ Class of 2009] works for American Express in B2B after a year with the Phoenix Suns in sales.

“Working at Playworks has been and continues to be a gift and definitely is my new passion,” Warshaver concluded.

“I tell people this is Chuck 2.0.”

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 23

Alumni Art Exhibit

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C a p s C en t enn i a l Y e a r

ivers’ 2015 Centennial calendar concluded with an Arts Celebration in late October that included an evening concert with Upper School ensembles and a gallery reception with alumni artists in Bell Gallery. The Select Combo, Men’s and Women’s Choruses, Chamber Orchestra, and Big Band performed music ranging from jazz compositions by Charles Mingus to traditional American folk songs to a selection from Aaron Copeland’s “Rodeo.”

During intermission there was a reception in the gallery with an opportunity to talk with the two of the featured artists— John Cyr ’99 and Cate Mathers-Suter ’97— whose work was exhibited along with sculpture by Gary Haven Smith ’68.

John Cyr, a New York-based photographer and assistant professor of photographic imaging at Suffolk County Community College, returned to Rivers for his second exhibit in a decade. Cyr earned his MFA from the School of Visual Arts and his work has been featured in various publications including the New York Times, BBC News, ARTnews, and TIME. His photography is represented in many notable public and private collections, including George Eastman House International Museum of Photography, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and the New York Public Library.

Cyr’s exhibited work included a number of photographs from his “Developer Trays” series. “I am photographing available developer trays so that the photography community will remember specific, tangible printing tools that have been a seminal part of the photographic experience for the past hundred years,” said Cyr in his artist’s statement. Other works included photographs of New York’s Gowanus Canal and its polluted oil slicks, as well as commercial sites and urban landscapes

24 • Riparian • Spring 2016

surrounding the canal. Finally, there were three silver gelatin prints, “rendered to a point of maximum, readable density in order to force a moment of image discovery upon their viewers.”

Cate Mathers-Suter’s visit was also a homecoming of sorts—she substituted for former Rivers teacher and mentor Jeremy Harrison during his sabbatical in 2008.

After Rivers, Mathers-Suter earned a BFA at Rhode Island School of Design, then received grants to live in and create art in Cuba, before moving to Madrid to work as an artist. In 2007 she received her MFA from the Slade School of Fine Arts in London and was a finalist for the Celeste Prize. Her one-person-show, “Naturally Man-Made,” was acclaimed by the Boston Globe as “otherworldly” and “satisfyingly enigmatic.”

Her exhibited work “explores the relationship between environments created by

Swept Away by Smith

Gowanis Oil Slick 1 by Cyr

man and those that exist in the natural world,” according to her artist’s statement.

“I experiment with this dynamic in landscape as well as in still life.” Three pieces were still life drawings of organic matter restrained by cubic and rectangular prisms.

Her second series was created during artist residencies in northern Iceland, Wyoming, and Vermont. The last two images were from a series of collections.

“I have always been fascinated by the things the average person collects and the things he discards. I am not sure which says more about who we are. For the past two decades I have gathered and sketched small objects that I find evocative of people, places, and experiences from my life.”

Gary Haven Smith’s imposing, yet graceful sculpture filled the center of the gallery.

After Rivers, Smith received his degree in fine arts from the University of New Hampshire in 1973. He has earned numerous awards, including a Pollock-Krasner Grant, and was awarded a Lifetime Fellowship from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Smith exhibits with galleries in New England, New York City, and Japan; his works are also included in private and public collections nationally and inter- nationally.

“My interest lies in an engagement with art that connects ancient natural materials with our present day technological lives,”

Awesome!

Organic Arch by MathersSuter

he stated. “My early carving was done using only hand tools and this process has evolved to using diamond technology, computer imagery, and elaborate mechanically driven systems designed to help cut the stone in elaborate ways. Lately, I have become enthralled with working with glacial boulders that I find in gravel pits.

These boulders that have been rolled and tumbled by the glaciers and then buried have their own wonderful legacy. I help continue their journey by interacting with them by cutting and carving them.”

Jon Cyr and Cate Mathers-Suter at the reception

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 25

2 0 1 6 Y o u n g A l u m n i A c h i e v e m e n t Award

Tim Geary ’02 Powers On

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he Rivers community welcomed alumnus Tim Geary ’02 back to campus in January to honor him with the 2016 Young Alumni Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech at all-school meeting, Geary credited his successful business career to lessons he learned at Rivers—knowing how to build a team, define goals, and earn trust.

Geary is president of Weld Power Generator, the largest independent generator company in the Northeast, specializing in selling and repairing emergency power systems that provide electricity to mission critical facilities throughout New England and New York. While hurricanes and winter storms may put the company to the test, in reality they spend the entire year installing and maintaining generators so their customers are ready for such emergencies. The company services everything from mountain-top cell towers on the Canadian border to high-rises in Boston and New York City, including 32 major hospitals, more than 900 nursing homes, four international airports, as well as many commercial buildings and data centers.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to come back to Rivers and share how my experiences here prepared me for life,” said Geary. “I consider myself incredibly lucky to have gone to school here, and most of my best friends today walked these halls with me. Everyone I met at Rivers excelled at something. Some excelled at athletics, some at music, others at theater. And all were accepted into this great, tight-knit community.

“As captain of the varsity hockey team senior year, I learned to lead by example, to defend my teammates, and to be the voice of my team,” Geary continued.

“However it wasn’t the lessons I learned on the ice, but rather my experiences with 26 • Riparian • Spring 2016

the Rivers Mountain Club that probably had the greatest impact on me. My Mountain Club experience taught me the value that clearly defined goals and vision bring to an organization. The other great skill I learned through the club was the ability to build and lead teams.”

Geary’s passion for the outdoors led him to enroll in business school at the University of Colorado after Rivers. Then immediately after graduating from college, he founded Boston Bucks, Boston’s first city-wide campus meal plan, which he sold in 2008 to a national student service provider. The sale coincided with an opportunity for him to return to the familyowned generator company where he had often worked as a teenager.

By the age of 24, Geary was named president of Weld Power Generator, the youngest person to hold this position in the company’s history. The company has been recognized by INC magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America for the past three years in a row.

“When I started, Weld Power was a small company with 13 employees,” he commented. “We had a solid, but small, service department. Our territory was central Massachusetts with a handful of accounts in the Boston area. We were a Mom and Pop shop. Today, eight years later, we are the largest independent generator company in the Northeast.

“I credit my success to the preparation I received at Rivers,” said Geary. “I knew that I needed to set a clear vision for the company, which was to build a company that was an industry leader in the service and maintenance of emergency power systems for the most critical facilities across all industries. To achieve that vision I knew I also needed to hire, develop, and retain the most experienced and talented

power-gen professionals I could find, a team that would believe in the vision and help achieve my goals.”

The company now has 36 employees, with a sales force of four, and a technical team made up almost entirely of veterans from the armed services.

“I am committed to hiring returning United States military veterans. Over the past eight years, I have hired 20 battletested military veterans. American veterans go above and beyond, because they are trained in a culture that values loyalty, hard work, and achieving goals above all else. They take pride in being part of a highly-skilled team that is dedicated to excellence.

“In one case, a Marine veteran toiled for eight hours in the freezing cold clearing roads of fallen trees with his chainsaw so that he could get to a nursing home which had been without electricity or heat for 12 hours. No other emergency police, fire, or electric utility team could respond.

He was able to repair the generator and keep it running for another four days before the commercial power was restored.

I strongly advise working with our military veterans whenever possible—it is the right thing to do, and I assure you will not regret it.”

Tim Geary and Ned Parsons

“I would like to leave you with three pieces of advice regarding leadership that I hope will help you both at Rivers and in your future careers,” concluded Geary in his talk to students.

“First, whether you are planning a climbing trip or starting a company, make sure you build a team of people with strengths that offset your weaknesses.

“Second, if you are going to be an effective leader, you need to do exactly what you say you are going to do. Your team needs to trust you. It is OK to not have

all the answers. But never tell someone what they want to hear just to get by the moment.

“Finally, when leading a team, clearly define goals and your vision, but do not micromanage the process of achieving your goals.

“Again, I would like to thank the Rivers Young Alumni Achievement Committee and the entire Rivers community for this award. I am truly honored and proud of this recognition.”

A second Alumni Achievement Award will be presented to Cara Nicoletti ’04 in April 2016. The Young Alumni Achievement Award was established by the Alumni Council in 2014 to recognize a recent graduate who models the spirit and values of The Rivers School, is a living example of Excellence with Humanity through professional, academic, and/or volunteer roles, and has demonstrated leadership, excellence in his/her chosen career, and an interest in and commitment to serving others.

Starting Young

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ach year the Alumni Association invites Rivers seniors to volunteer as student representatives to the Alumni Council.

With their unique perspective as current students, they provide insights into Rivers’ myriad programs and activities—some of which alumni participated in during their days at Rivers, but many of which are new and exciting additions to the Rivers experience.

This year’s representatives are Marcie Lowenstein, Alexandra Masiello, Olivia Vettel, Madelyn McEachern, and Katherine Everett.

Lowenstein, Masiello, and Everett are daughters of Rivers alumni, bringing an added dimension to their role. Together the representatives cover a broad range of interests, ranging from athletics to Red Key to the yearbook. They are all involved in service learning projects, including teaching soccer to mentally challenged children, volunteering at a temporary home for families of wounded servicemen, and advocating for gun control legislation. After graduation they will continue to serve the Alumni Association as class agents.

Marcie Lowenstein, Alexandra Masiello, Olivia Vettel, Madelyn McEachern, and Katherine Everett, all Class of 2016

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 27

Alumni Profile

Jillian Dempsey ’09: Two Careers, One Goal

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illian Dempsey ’09 is making history as a forward on the Boston Pride team during the National Women’s Hockey League’s inaugural season, but that’s only half of her story.

By day, she’s a second grade teacher at Community Day Arlington School in Lawrence, MA, as a member of the Teach for America program.

Dempsey finds that the common denominator in these radically different careers is the opportunity to be a role model for youngsters, either on or off the ice.

During her time at Rivers, Dempsey was a star hockey player, earning numerous awards including an ISL MVP, the Bruins’ prestigious John Carlton Award (given to the best high school hockey players in Eastern Massachusetts), and a gold medal with the USA Women’s Hockey Under-18 National Team at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship.

Dempsey’s impact on the Rivers community went well beyond athletics —she was awarded the highly-esteemed Faculty Prize in 2009. At graduation, she was recognized for “being our role model and for showing us what character truly means.”

Dempsey went on to have a stellar career at Harvard University, where she led the team as captain to a No. 2 ranking and the 2013 Ivy League championship. She was named a finalist for the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award by the USA Hockey Foundation and finished up as the ninth leading scorer in Harvard Hockey history. She was an ECAC All-Academic squad selection all four seasons. She will receive her master’s in education from Boston University in June.

“The only thing I can control is how hard I work,” Dempsey noted during

28 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Jillian helped the Boston Pride win the NWHL’s first ever Isobel Cup.

her keynote talk at Rivers’ 2013 Varsity Awards night. “I first dreamed of skating for Harvard in the sixth grade and set that as a goal that I believed in my heart I could achieve. All you need is preparation and confidence.”

After an unsuccessful bid for a place on the U.S. Olympic team in 2013, Dempsey joined the Boston Blades in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and began coaching a U12 team based out of New-

ton, running on-ice skills sessions and giving private lessons. She was named CWHL Rookie of the Year in 2013– 2014 and helped the Blades win the Clarkson Cup in 2015.

The Boston Pride recruited her in 2015 for their inaugural season and she has quickly made her mark—she was named Player of the Week in December, and has since had a .8 goal/assist average per game.

Looking back, Dempsey commented, “My incredible teachers and coaches at Rivers empowered me to pursue and ultimately achieve my academic and athletic dreams.”

It’s easy to imagine Dempsey’s students and fans one day thanking her for that same gift of empowerment.

Alumnae Hockey Players Return for Practice Front: Abby Burke ’13, Elizabeth Hitti ’12, Janelle Ferrara ’12, Nicole Ferrara ’11, Melissa Maffeo ’14 Back: Molly Eden ’15, Alexa Holmes ’14, Kayleigh Rahbany ’15, Lyndsey Smith ’15, Ali McEachern ’14, Erin Connolly ’15, Jordan Cross ’15

Alumni Profile

James Wolf ’07 Turns Loss into Action

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hen James Wolf ’07 lost his close friend and bandmate to suicide in 2010, he decided to turn his feelings of sadness and helplessness into action. He and his fraternity brothers at Vanderbilt University launched A Celebration of Life: A Tribute to Kyle Craig, using their mutual love for music to organize concerts to benefit Minding Your Mind.

Since 2011, the concerts have raised nearly $100,000 for the nonprofit, which sponsors programs in colleges and schools to help fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Wolf, a senior analyst at Ernst & Young in New York, was recently awarded Minding Your Mind’s inaugural “Emerging Minds” award for successfully hosting the first annual A Celebration of Life: New York event in September 2015. The event raised $130,000 to support the nonprofit’s activities in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area. Wolf is one of a number of Rivers students, past and present, who have committed themselves to causes that have touched their lives in very personal ways, raising awareness about cancer, diabetes, anaphylaxis, and autism, to name a few.

“Kyle and I were in a band together,” said Wolf, who graduated from Vanderbilt in 2011 with a dual major in economics and Spanish. “The closest thing we shared was our passion for music and from the very beginning we knew we should honor him with a concert.

We were extremely lucky to connect with Minding Your Mind and that the event became the success that is has.

The fraternity continues to throw the event every year, with some auxiliary help from myself, other alumni, and Minding Your Mind. It is actually amazing to see college students—

James Wolf with classmates Shoban Pothula, Anna Crystal, and Alexandra Byer

not always the most motivated—take such hold of the cause, not ever having known Kyle.”

Minding Your Mind’s mission is to “reduce stigma and destructive behaviors associated with mental health issues while promoting help-seeking behavior in youths through education.” They offer free mental health education programs to middle school, high school, and college students, as well as their teachers, parents, and caregivers. The goal of these programs is to normalize the conversation around mental health issues so that struggling students feel comfortable asking for help. Additionally, students learn to recognize warning signs and how to assist a friend in crisis.

The programs focus on prevention through education rather than crisis-based response.

During the past five years, the money raised through the concerts at Vanderbilt has funded speakers—often young people suffering from mental illness— at the university and surrounding high schools to bring the issue of depression and mental health concerns into the open. The organization, based in Pennsylvania, offers programs throughout the mid-Atlantic region, and as far away as Louisiana.

“We decided this year to host the NYC event because many who hold the event so close to our hearts, including Kyle’s friends and family from New Jersey, could not attend the Nashville concert each year,”

said Wolf. “So New York was the best venue we could imagine. Furthermore, New York and the general work hard/ play hard culture it promotes is a key demographic. I just wanted to help Minding Your Mind expand their presence. We created a 12-person committee, a mix of Vanderbilt alumni of all ages, Minding Your Mind speakers and employees, Kyle’s friends, and his brother and sister. The guest list was comprised of everyone from co-workers to cousins. We were able to get more than 300 people to attend on a Wednesday night. We hope the success allows us more budget and space for next year!

“My key advice is talk about it,” said Wolf. “There is nothing wrong with saying ‘I’m depressed/upset/sad.’

Even more important is saying ‘Hey, are you OK? Do you want to talk about it?’ when you notice a friend is clearly struggling. It’s something I hold very dear as I did not have the courage to say it myself. Be the person who’s not afraid to ask those questions and openly talk about your feelings with your friends and those around you. You can be the one to save a life, simply by having a conversation.”

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 29

Student Alumni News News

Insights from the Financial Sector

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ivers’ Career Development Committee hosted its second interactive panel discussion at the offices of Bain Capital in October. Moderated by committee chair Gregory Stoller ’87, the panel of four speakers—each with a Rivers connection— shared insights from their vantage point in the financial sector.

Jared Perry ’95 of Bain Capital was the host of the event. Ben Bloomstone, a Rivers parent, trustee, and a founder of Cross Shore Capital Management; John Porter, a Rivers parent and managing director at Seaward Management; Peter Saperstone, a Rivers parent, trustee, and Fidelity Investments portfolio manager; and Dennis Marasca, Rivers’ controller, each provided remarks to initial questions, and then responded to follow-on queries by Stoller and the audience, regarding different aspects of the financial markets. Each panelist also provided networking tips at the end, focused on advice for Rivers alumni interested in pur- suing financial careers.

“It’s nice to see the momentum building with alumni, both on and off campus,” commented Stoller. “We changed to an extended Q&A format for the breakfast, and there was some nice buzz in the room, even after the panel concluded. Jared remarked that it almost had the feel of a Sunday morning TV talk show.”

John Lynch, Mike Hoban, and Lars Carlson, all Class of 1985

Peter Saperstone Moderator Greg Stoller ’87 (back) with Charlie Abrams ’88, Jonathan Garcia ’11, and host Jared Perry ’95

John Porter and Dennis Marasca

John Gaines ’94 and Colin Murdock ’96

30 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Student Alumni News News

Red Wings Flock to Thanksgiving Social

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ozens of Rivers alumni in town for the Thanksgiving holiday gathered in Boston’s Back Bay for what has become an increasingly popular tradition. They hung out for hours at Lir, trading news and holiday plans.

Courtney Griffin ’09, Steph McCartney ’08, Cathleen Connors ’09, Julia Bateman ’08, Carolyn Fishman ’08, Lindsay Bloom ’08

Erik Simon ’10, Emily Burlingham ’11, Andy Furman ’10

Kelsey Young, Emily Snider, Amanda McGuinness, Brooke Stoller, all Class of 2012

Jake Whiting ’08, Colin Butler ’06, Evan O’Brien ’06, Scott Barchard ’06

Emily Snider ’12, Kelsey Young ’12, Danny Walsh ’12, Mike McAneny ’10

Taylor Hoffman ’07, Dan Bloomstone ’06, Anna Crystal ’07, Amanda Korff ’07 Rebecca Iafrati, Jaime Pearlstein, Ashley Weir, Kelsey Bacon, Pheobe Melnick, all Class of 2012

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 31

Student Alumni News News

Herb Holtz, Bennet Heart, Richard Watkins, all Class of 1979

Court Dwyer ’66 received the 2016 William Gaston Alumni Service Award from the Georgetown University Alumni Association, in recognition of his outstanding service and leadership across many university activities.

Ed Goldberg ’69 sporting his Rivers jacket

Jack Williams ’70 emailed with news of his first granddaughter, born in November 2015.

Jennifer Taylor ’00 and Shaun Kessler

Mark Kelly ’71 is finishing his 20th year as the Head of School of Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, TX. Annunciation Orthodox is a co-ed private day school of 685 students, grades preschool through grade eight. “During my time as head, the school was one of the first schools in Houston to add lacrosse teams for both boys and girls.”

Stephen Salny ’73 recently made a gift to the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University of 48 works on paper created by some of today’s leading contemporary artists, including 11 lithographs

by Ellsworth Kelly. He is also giving a lecture in Boston in April to the New England Institute of Classical Architecture and Art about his recent book William Hodgins Interiors.

Herb Holtz ’79 held a mini reunion with classmates Bennet Heart and Richard Watkins at his home in Key West this winter, where “excellent Cuban rum encouraged better story telling than usual. Needless to say, Dickie, ever the handsome class stud, refused sunscreen and has taken to hair product. In all respects, it was an escape of renewal with really great friends.”

Bill Bullard ’86 was promoted to fire chief of the Graton Fire Protection District in January. He has been with the department for 18 years and

Alumni Ben Donahue ’06, Jemea Goso ’04, Will Thorne ’04, and Gregory Taylor ’07 met with Heather Jack, Susanna Donahue, and Ned Parsons in Washington, D.C. 32 • Riparian • Spring 2016

Student Alumni News News

Red v. White: The Rivalry Continues

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he last alumni hockey game of the season in the MacDowell Arena in late February might just have been the fiercest. Red v. White, odd v. even, 80 minutes of non-stop play left the Red Team on top, 11-9. The players joined family and friends for lunch in Hutton Commons before heading back to the ice for a more relaxing free skate.

Future Red Wings

The Red team takes a break

Steve Valiar ’02 Philippe Moufflet ’94 and son Luc

Kevin Walor (aka the Ref) and Scott Bartfield ’96

Red v. White

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 33

Student Alumni News News

New Yorkers Enjoy Rivers Evening

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ivers alumni from the New York area gathered in February at The Wren in The Bowery to catch up on the latest from Rivers with Heather Jack and Janna Anctil from Rivers’ Alumni Office.

Mary Wheeldon, Emily Thompson, Adin Heller, Rachel Morris, all Class of 2002

Ellie McIntyre, Anna Crystal, James Wolf, Alexandra Byer, all Class of 2007

Lauren Fink ’05, Tim Choate ’04, Nicki Hunter ’05

The NYC gang

34 • Riparian • Spring 2016

John Whalen ’99 and Anthony Burzillo ’11

Student Alumni News News

Katelyn Landry, ‘08, Julia Williams, ‘10, Allie Page ‘07, Jacqui Bouchie ‘10

Jen Keefe ’08, Katelyn Landry ’08, Allie Page ‘07

Steve Valair ’02 with Chris Valair ’00 and their parents

Matt Dunne ’08 performing at Boston’s Hard Rock Café

served as deputy fire chief for the last 13 years.

He continues to enjoy being a scoutmaster with his twin boys, who turned 15 last year.

Steve Raisman ’91 has been practicing dentistry in Framingham, MA. for the past 12 years.

He and his wife, Jill, have three boys.

Jennifer Taylor ’00 married Shaun Kessler on September 5, 2015 in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Jennifer works as a client services advisor for Vistage Worldwide, and Shaun is in the United States Navy. They currently live in San Diego with Mason, their Yorkie; Kenya, a rescue pit bull; and Jack, Jennifer’s horse.

Caitlin Tierney ’02 and Casey Hurley

Steve Valair ’02 was selected to represent the Massachusetts State Police on February 22 during the Boston Bruins’ annual First Responders Night. Steve received a State Police Life Savers Award for breaking and jumping through the rear window of a moving vehicle to assist a woman having a seizure in March 2015. He was able to place the vehicle in park, extract the victim, and provide her with medical treatment until Boston emergency medical services arrived on the scene. He was treated at MGH for injuries received jumping into the vehicle. Joining Steve at the presentation before the Bruins game were his brother Chris Valair ‘00 and their parents.

Caitlin Tierney ’02 was married to Casey Hurley on December 5 in Manchester, VT. Sam Yazdanseta ’02 was actually one of the two officiants, and Julia (Williamson) Robinson ’02 was also there to celebrate with Rivers classmates.

Rivers welcomes Class Notes from alumni about their jobs, travels, weddings, and births, but does not print information about engagements and pregnancies. Rivers assumes submissions come from the alumni claiming responsibility for them and that they accurately communicate personal news.

Spring 2016 • Riparian • 35

Student Alumni News News

Maggie Petri ’04 emailed, “I moved to Singapore this past July to take on a new position within my company’s growing Asia-Pacific business. I’m excited to be travelling everywhere I possibly can in the region over the next few years.”

Derek Stenquist ’06, Harvard Medical School Class of 2016, was presented with the 2016 Albright Scholar Award at the annual Hollis L. Albright, MD ’31 Symposium at Harvard Medical School in March. The Albright Award is presented to an outstanding medical or surgical student at HMS. Derek is currently applying to residency training programs in orthopedic surgery.

Jen Keefe ’08, Katelyn Landry ’08, and Allie Page ’07 enjoyed Sunday morning brunch together at Tavern on the Green in NYC. Allie has moved to NYC where Jen has been living since 2012, and Katelyn lives in Boston.

Katelyn Landry ’08, Julia Williams ’10, Allie Page ’07 and Jacqui Bouchie ’10 attended the Travis Roy Spring Fling fundraiser at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in April 2015.

Luke Flood ’12 will graduate this spring from UMass Amherst with a bachelor of music degree in piano performance. While at UMass, he was the recipient of several departmental awards, including the Howard Lebow Memorial Scholarship, the Eugenie M. May Piano Award, the Out-

Rivers alums at Bowdoin: Matt Dias Costa ’13, Emily Snider ’12, Connor Rooney ’14, Jake Stenquist ’15, Nick Revers ’15 standing Sophomore Award and the Undergraduate Accompanist Award. He also performed as soloist with the UMass Wind Ensemble on Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Starting in the fall of 2016, he will be working towards his master of music degree in orchestral conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. At CCM, he will also serve as a graduate

Mini-reunion of the Class of 2012: Front: Kelsey Young, Meghan McAneny, Brooke Stoller, Julia Taylor. Back: Sam Birger, Will Duffy, David Feldman, Dave Nagelberg, Jack Rautiola

assistant in their musical theatre department, often rated one of the finest in the country. Recently, he has subbed on the national tours of “Kinky Boots” and “Sister Act,” and played in many productions at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. Brooke Stoller ’12 had an incredible senior year to end her soccer career at George Washington University. The team went from last place in the A-10 division her freshman year to first place with a perfect record (10 wins) her senior year, and set a record in D1 women’s soccer with 12 consecutive shutouts and 13 consecutive wins.

Brooke logged the most minutes this year and earned most of these awards for the first time in Colonial history: NSCAA Scholar All American (third team), Eastern College Athletic Conference Second Team Honors, All-Mid Atlantic Region First Team, Atlantic 10 Defender of the Year, Atlantic 10 First team. Brooke has accepted a position with TJX in their merchandise development program after graduation. She interned with TJX for two summers—one in Framingham and one in their NYC buying office. She plans to be a buyer upon completion of their training program.

Student News In Memoriam Robert Carter ’54, October 21, 2015 Douglas A. Sprenger ’75, October 1, 2015 Frank S. Waterman ’41, October 7, 2015

36 • Riparian • Spring 2016

RIVERS’ 2015–2016 ANNUAL FUND

What’s Your Reason to Give?

What made your experience at Rivers so special? Your teachers? Your classes? Your coaches? Your teams? The clubs you joined? The trips you took? The plays you were in?

Each of you has a different answer, but they all add up to your Rivers experience.

You can ensure that today’s students get the most out of their Rivers experience.

Whether it’s to support academics, the arts, music, athletics, or technology, every gift to the Annual Fund makes a difference in the lives of today’s students and faculty.

To make a gift to the 2015–2016 Annual Fund, go online to www.rivers.org/ giveonline or mail your check or credit card information to: Advancement Office, THE RIVERS SCHOOL, 333 Winter Street, Weston, MA 02493.

Questions? Contact Annual Giving and Campaign Director Nicola Leiter at n.leiter@rivers.org or 339-686-2233.

Can’t Wait for Spring?

Put Monday, May 9, 2016, on your calendar for a great day of great golfing for a great cause.

Join fellow alumni, parents, and friends for the 16th Annual Rivers School Golf Tournament to Benefit Financial Aid at Charter Oak Country Club.

Foursomes and individual players welcome.

Sponsors and auction donations still needed.

Check www.rivers.org/Page/Golf-Tournament for event details or contact tournament coordinator Meg Speranza at 339-686-2246 or m.speranza@rivers.org.

“Rivers had an enormous impact on me and now we are thrilled that our daughter is thriving at Rivers.

Her teachers and coaches challenge her in the classroom, help her develop her leadership skills, and encourage her to find what she is really passionate about. We know what an important role they play in our daughter’s life and we want Rivers to have the resources to hire them and support their professional development once they are here.”

—Allison and Charlie Abrams ’88, P’18

The Rivers School

333 Winter Street Weston, MA 02493-1040

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Boston MA Permit No. 10

Rivers admits academically qualified students of any race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally available to its students. Rivers does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, color, ethnic, or national origin in our admissions policies, educational policies, financial aid and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Please notify us if your phone number, mailing address, or email address changes so that Rivers can stay in touch with you and your family. Contact Cheryl Malcolm at 339-686-2239 or c.malcolm@rivers.org.

Alumni Day and Reunions S AT U R DAY, M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 6

Lunches, Games, Dinner and Awards Register at www.rivers.org/page/Alumni-Day Contact Heather Jack at h.jack@rivers.org if you have any questions.