alumni events
Alumni enjoyed a guided tour of The Revers Center with faculty members Sequoyah Reynoso, Nicole Winters, Tim Clark, and Doc Meropol.
Callie Bullion ’10, Max Maguire ’07, and Dave Donohue ’03 were part of a Veterans Day panel.
Staying Close While Staying Distant
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t takes more than a global pandemic to keep Rivers alumni apart. This year, despite all the challenges, the alumni office presented a full slate of remote opportunities to connect, engage, and catch up with classmates and the latest news from campus. Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights. Veterans Day, November 11. Veterans Day at Rivers is typically a solemn observance welcoming to campus members of the community who have served in our armed forces. This year, for our virtual event, we had well over 300 alumni and members of the Rivers community join us. Our keynote speaker was Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Tom Kelley, who spoke with Head of School Ned Parsons about his military service. In addition, an alumni panel including Dave Donahue ’03, Max Maguire ’07, and Callie Bullion ’10 discussed the day as seen through the younger generation’s eyes. Maguire and Bullion are both currently serving, and Donahue is a former Marine. (See page 36 for more on Bullion, a recipient of our Young Alumni Achievement Award.) Young Alumni Trivia Night, December 17. More than 40 alumni gathered to take on one another and eight of their former teachers in a fastpaced virtual trivia contest. Hats off
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to our winners from the Class of 2007! Book Club with Mac and Meghan, January 14. The first virtual Rivers book club event took place over the winter. More than 15 alumni joined veteran English faculty members Mac Caplan and Meghan Regan-Loomis as they chatted about the book Open by Andre Agassi. The event was so well received that a follow-up event was scheduled for late April, with Caplan and Julian Willard discussing Aravind Adaga’s The White Tiger. Art History: An Evening with Jack and Ben, January 21. Close to 150 alumni tuned in to hear Jack Jarzavek and Ben Leeming take a trip down memory lane. The fabled art history course turned 50 back in 2018, and Jack and Ben have been the only two teachers to teach this course. The two veteran educators took people back in time and discussed the scope of the class today. Rivers Connect: Life Beyond Winter Street, February 4. The alumni office hosted this virtual event for the senior class. Twenty-eight alumni joined us that evening to share stories of how their Rivers education influenced their life experiences, career aspirations, and pursuits. They offered valuable advice on the transition to college, developing and
articulating a personal brand, creating an effective job search strategy, making the most of your network, and life after Rivers in general. This is an opportunity for seniors to start building their Rivers networks and connecting with alumni who can make a difference in their lives. The keynote for the event this year was Ali Grabler Stein ‘01. The Revers Center: A Year Later, February 25. During this live-streamed conversation, science department chair “Doc” Meropol P’03 and visual arts department chair Tim Clark, along with two of their newest faculty members, Nicole Winters and Sequoyah Reynoso, shared thoughts and anecdotes about what it’s been like to teach and learn in this impressive new facility. The opening of The Revers Center marked an important milestone in the ongoing evolution of our school. This program provided a compelling look at how that evolution is reshaping and enhancing the Rivers experience. In addition to these events, alumni groups met several times over the course of the year to discuss racial justice at Rivers and beyond. Dozens of alumni welcomed this opportunity to join the conversation and make their voices heard. � R
