hornick dorm At Suffield, it is clear that the relationships formed in the dorms are reminiscent of families. Jono Nelson’ 14, who lived in Hornick his freshman and junior years, commented on how living with faculty members Joe and Lisa Hernick and their two children was the best experience he could have asked for. “The Hernicks are like a second family to me. And this year the Caginalps are just as phenomenal.” Director of Academic Technology Joe Hernick reflects on his five years as dorm head of Hornick with a great sense of pride and nostalgia. “We weren’t prepared for how much we enjoyed moving into the dorm and working with the boys.” Over the years, he, like so many other dorm parents, has kept in touch with students after graduation. “Seeing them leave Suffield and become successful in their lives makes us proud.”
nathena fuller house, tompkins dorm, rockwell hall & kotchen dorm Creating a family atmosphere in the dorm helps when there are small children living there. Max Depelteau, son of Brooke and Jeff Depelteau, often runs down the hallway before study hall and yells, “Time to study!” Brooke, who has been dorm head of Nathena Fuller since 2009, says that the environment they create in the dorm is supportive and welcoming. “We want each girl to be her best self and have her best year ever, so we work hard to make that happen.” With only 10 girls in the dorm, she and Jeff are able to spend quality time with each one. Faculty member Liz Warren, who lives with her husband Ricky and their two children in Tompkins, follows a similar model to dorm parenting. She wants the girls to know they can come to her for anything, saying, “I treat the girls how I’d want other people to treat my kids. I think of my own family values and try to offer that to the girls.” Tompkins resident Cecilia Arntzen ’16 adds, “My dorm parents bake us treats, give us snacks, help us with homework, and make sure we are happy. They are the best…you always have someone that you can go to, no matter what.” Faculty member and dorm head Tom Dugan lives with his wife Heather and their two children in Rockwell Hall. He says that his kids absolutely consider the girls a part of the family. “My three-year-old son drew a picture of our family, and in it he drew me, my wife, his sister, and then included all of the girls in the dorm. So yes, they’re our family. Our door is always open and we’re always cooking and baking together.” Justin Pepoli, who lives with his wife Megan and their daughter Lucy in Kotchen, is in his fourth year at Suffield. He says that it all comes down to teaching the girls in his dorm how to care for one another. “We all share a living space so it’s important to respect the space by keeping it clean and treating one another how we would want to be treated. I know that sometimes it’s the smallest things that can have the biggest impact on someone’s life.”
“Brewster is an awesome dorm most of all because of how close it is to everything on campus, especially the dining hall and student union. Because it’s a small dorm, it has allowed us to become really close to one other. We’re like a big family.” -Will Robidoux ‘16