Thayer Magazine 2022-23: Issue 2

Thayer MAGAZINE 2022-23: Issue 2

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L E A D E R S H I P

A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E : A PROFILE OF ABIMBOL A COLE ’11; A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL T. ERNST ’04

THE MISSION OF THAYER ACADEMY IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC, AND PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE SO THAT EACH MAY RISE TO HONORABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD.

Thayer faculty member Jim MacVarish P ’11 captured this image of the Thayer tower reflected in a rain puddle. The photo was one of many faculty pieces on display during the Spring Faculty Art Show in the Karen & Ted Koskores ’70 P ’10, ’13 Gallery.

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

Thayer MAGAZINE

2022-23: Issue 2

Thayer MAGAZINE 2022-23: Issue 2

O N

L E A D E R S H I P

A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E : A PROFILE OF ABIMBOL A COLE ’11; A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL T. ERNST ’04

THE MISSION OF THAYER ACADEMY IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC, AND PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE SO THAT EACH MAY RISE TO HONORABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Thayer Snapshots

4-8

Letter from the Head of School

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Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

Around Campus

- Twice As Nice (Move to the Word) - Winter/Spring 2022-23 Timeline - Faculty News & Notes - Thayer Global Speaker Series - Middle School Chariot Races - James Tufts Pener Conference - Bobbi Moran Profile - New Senior Leadership - Alison Terry Profile - Talk Isn't Cheap (Speech & Debate) - Middle Schoolers' State House Visit - Pitch Perfect (Entrepreneurship Program) F E AT U R E :

LAYOUT & DESIGN Paul Kahn P ’27, ’30, CREATIVE DIRECTOR PRINCIPAL EDITORS

Alison Terry PHD, CHIEF OF STRATEGIC MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Craig Salters ’86 P ’24, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT & ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPAL WRITER

Craig Salters ’86 P ’24, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chris Bernstein, John F. Grant, Ryan Thompson CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Irvin Bailey; Tara Corcoran ’88 P ’19; Noreen Dougherty; Renee Forsythe; Wendi Happ P ’30; Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19; Marchelle Jacques-Yarde P ’29; Tiffany Macauley; John Murphy; Brad Peterson ’11; Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12; Anni Zukauskas ’94 P ’28, ’29 STUDENT CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jackson Moses ’23, Xiaoyu "Rita" Zheng ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Arthur Foulkes; Kristan Gately P ’28; Maureen Sullivan Keleher P ’24, ’26, ’28, ’29; Jessica Leaver ’00; Krysten Godfrey Maddocks; Elizabeth Rotanz; Alison Terry PHD; Timothy Whelan CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paul Kahn P ’27, ’30; Alison Terry PHD; Chris Ward P ’24 ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Adobe Stock, Adam Feeney

10 11, 13 11 12 13 14 16 17, 19 18 20 21 22

A Forward Focus

24-29

Alumni Profiles

30-33

End-of-Year Overview

34-47

Thayer Athletics

48-53

Thayer Arts

54-62

Alumni House News & Notes

63-65

Class Notes

66-77

In Memoriam

78-87

Southworth Society Profile

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The Final Word

90-91

Thayer Teaches the Building Blocks of Effective Leadership CHIEF OF STRATEGIC MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Alison Terry PHD

10-23

- Abimbola Cole ’11 - A Tribute to Michael T. Ernst ’04

30 32

- Recognition Day 2023 - Last Chapel 2023 - Commencement 2023 - College Matriculation 2023 - Senior Profiles from the Class of 2023 - “School's Out” (Poem for the Class of 2023) - Senior Stories (Max Hughes, Samson Okunlola)

- NCAA Student-Athletes from the Class of 2023 - Winter Sports 2022-23 Recap - Spring Sports 2023 Recap

- Upper School Performing Arts - Visual Arts - 5th/6th Grade Performing Arts - Middle School Performing Arts - Instrumental Arts - Upper School Spring Play

34 35 36-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-47

48-49 50-51 52-53

54-55 56 57 58-59 60 61

- Legacy photo - General's Open Tournament

63 64-65

- Tributes to Jon White P '09, '11, '15 & Highley Thompson P '20, '23 - Voice magazine Funko Pop Tribute

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T H AYER ACADEMY

2022-2023 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BOARD OFFICERS Michael Joe P ’17, ’20, Chair Leigh King P ’21, Secretary

Michael McNally P ’22, ’24, ’27, Treasurer Julaine McInnis, Assistant Treasurer Thayer Academy CFOO

On Friday, April 21, Thayer celebrated Earth Day with a schoolwide assembly on the main lawn and the planting of a Cherokee Chief dogwood tree just outside the CFA. Thayer parent Jenn SchumacherHarper P '25, '26 donated the tree).

BOARD MEMBERS Danya Abrams Sr. P ’20 Tavares Brewington P ’25 Donavan Brown ’01 James Coughlin P ’24, ’26 Guy Daniello P ’22, ’26 Elaine DeLuca P ’20, ’21 Rob DeMarco ’86 P ’19, ’21, ’26 Joseph L. Farmer P ’23 Jennifer Havlicek P ’18, ’21, ’21 Teresa Hsiao ’03 Greg Lally ’92 P ’22, ’25, ’26, ’28 Jeanine Murphy P ’24 Chris Sullivan ’95 P ’27 Kenny Carberry ’08 Ex officio as President of the Alumni Board Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28 Head of School

ERRATUM

On page 55 of the last issue of Thayer Magazine, we incorrectly identified the first student on the left in this group picture. The dancer is Arianna Williams ’24. Our sincerest apologies.

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THAYER SNAPSHOTS

Summer Perry ’24 & Eli Lukens ’24 walk to an assembly in the CFA

Juniors Chloe Pevarnek ’24, Charlie Gavin ’24, Chase Lukowski ’24 and fellow classmates compete in the "wacky walk" event during Winter Wars 2023. The seniors took home the trophy.

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THAYER SNAPSHOTS

A few Mathletes — Jake Crowley ’24, Sebastian Keleher ’24, Gavin Zhao ’23, and Razzi Masroor ’24 — chat with the team's head coach, Upper School Math Faculty Dan Forrest, outside of Glover.

This past winter Thayer Middle School students created ceramic bowls which were raffled off to raise funds for Haley House Cafe. The cafe is part of a larger nonprofit community organization based in Boston's South End.

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THAYER SNAPSHOTS

Tyler Brewington ’25 shares a laugh at the May 2023 OMEGA community dinner

Team MR8, which supports the Martin Richard Foundation, celebrated its final marathon season with the running of the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Many members of the Thayer community ran for the team or offered their enthusiastic support. From left are: Henry Richard ’20; Thayer faculty members Joe Pelletier, Skip Schneider P ’20, ’22, and John Reid; Ava O'Brien ’23; Jane Richard ’24; and Jefferson Driscoll ’21.

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THAYER SNAPSHOTS

Paige Johnson ’26 & Abbie Dupie ’26 at the Move to the Word event (see p. 10)

New Boys Varsity Lacrosse Coach Bill Daye gathers his team

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HEAD OF SCHOOL

F R O M T H E HEAD OF S C H O O L

C H R I S M . F O R T U N AT O JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

Dear Thayer Community, There is assuredly no shortage of opinions as to how to define “leadership” and whether or to what extent it can be taught. At Thayer, we resoundingly embrace an understanding of leadership that emphasizes authentic curiosity, empathy, and a courageous and unapologetic willingness to shine a light on ideas and issues that matter, even or especially when we do not agree on them. I am proud to say that Thayer is more fulsomely embarking on the teaching and modeling of leadership that our students and adult community must embrace in order to meaningfully navigate a more complex and diverse global landscape.

It starts with encouraging and empowering our community to lead with genuine questions, to seek understanding, to listen, to live through and embrace uncertainty, and to forge relationships with one another so as to investigate and tackle problems and projects that advance learning and promote the common good. This is what a great school must do, now more than ever, to upskill its students to compete, to thrive, and to lead in an information-driven future shaped in part by the growing influence of technologies like artificial intelligence and ideological and social divisions. I am grateful and energized as I look to the future because Thayer is uniquely positioned to set a new bar when it comes to what and how we teach by both grounding ourselves in values that have long defined us AND thoughtfully designing forward-thinking programs and initiatives that keep us at the leading edge of education.

Thayer’s senior leadership team and trustees recently had the opportunity to meet with leading researchers on artificial intelligence at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education as part of the kickoff of a strategic planning process. Embedded in our discussion was the driving question: How will Thayer lead? That leadership starts with understanding what skills and experiences our students most need so they can be nimble in adapting to rapid change. It was both fascinating and affirming to remind ourselves that the way we meaningfully engage our students

and prepare them for the future is to create experiences in which they discover meaning and purpose in their learning and in which they are ready to do the things that machines (no matter how sophisticated) cannot do.

Thus, we commit ourselves to building leadership skills like effective communication, sound judgment, collaborative problemsolving, ethical decision-making, and authentic relationshipbuilding that will never be replicated by algorithms and that leading colleges and employers demand. These decidedly human skills are the differentiators of the present and future and complement the content across all disciplines to which our students at Thayer are exposed. They are grounded in engagement and relationshipbuilding, which I see as Thayer’s superpowers. These skills manifest themselves across our curriculum, whether in new ventures like our entrepreneurship program or in the wealth of new and storied public speaking ventures. They are evident on our stages, on our playing fields, in far-off lands, and in communities near our campus. They inform our internships, volunteer opportunities, senior projects, declamations, and much more.

Thayer is uniquely and powerfully positioned to amplify the best of who we are and to pivot to meet the demands of a new day. That is in no small part because of the people who have created and continue to create an exceptionally engaging learning community in which students are deeply known, meaningfully connected, and thoughtfully prepared for what lies ahead. Our extraordinary teachers, staff, alums, and families form a reservoir of talent and care that empower Thayer to make a difference, or perhaps more aptly, to make all the difference in the lives of others.

As we embark on a bold vision for the future over this coming year, I invite you to engage, be involved, ask questions, and partner with Thayer as we lead the way in independent education. Thank you for all that you have done and do to craft Thayer’s legacy and future.

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AROUND CAMPUS

TWICE AS NICE

MOVE TO THE WORD COMBINES POETRY & DANCE

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BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Collaboration led to inspiration and then celebration for Move to the Word, an interdisciplinary set of performances combining the power of spoken word poetry with the power of dance.

The event, held this spring in the CFA’s Hale Theater, included readings from members of former English Faculty Caroline Kautsire’s spoken word poetry class and performances from Upper School Performing Arts Faculty John Crampton’s dance students; the words informed the movement and vice versa. Setting the tone for the evening was Dr. Joshua Bennett, a then Dartmouth professor (he has since joined the faculty of MIT as a professor of literature and distinguished chair of humanities) and scholar-in-residence at Thayer, who performed his own spoken word poetry.

“I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Ms. Kautsire, Ms. Hayman, Mrs. Dunne, and Dr. Bennett on this,” said Crampton. “Collaboration is an art form all its own, and I absolutely love it.”

Specifically, Crampton said he appreciated how each person, from students to teachers, played such an important role in getting from what he called the “What are we doing?” stage to the “How do we do it?” stage. For example, he said, when choreographing the dance performance component for Kautsire’s poem “The Calling,” those involved started by creating a long list of possibilities about how to present the story and answering several artistic questions: Who should be on stage? Who speaks when? What imagery in the poem should be emphasized? What kind of movements should be used?

“The lines between whose ideas were whose blurred and blended, as it does with the best collaborations,” said Crampton, “to create a collective vision that we could all be proud of.”

Kautsire said she loved the merging of the two art forms to create more than what would have been achieved separately.

“The collaboration physicalizes the words and spiritualizes the dance,” said Kautsire, who later added: “It was powerful to see one student write a poem and to have another student interpret it and perform it — this created true collaboration and understanding. One student embodied another student’s

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emotions, developing a deep sense of empathy, while the author of the poem got to see the potential of their art fulfilled in live performance.”

Bennett kicked off the night by performing three of his own spoken word poems: “Token Sings the Blues,” which he started writing at age 17 but didn’t finish until age 30; “Balaenoptera,” a love poem inspired by an oceanography course he once took as an undergraduate; and “Self Portrait at 17,” a new poem he wrote during his time as a resident scholar at Thayer.

That last poem, he said, offers a reflection on growing up and family but stems from his wild senior year of high school and how his father — a United States Marine and Vietnam veteran who was the first Black student to attend a previously segregated high school in Jim Crow Alabama — gave him both space and support during a difficult time.

“My father made clear that I could never get so far away that he didn’t believe he could catch me, and I just think that made all the difference,” said Bennett.

The artistic expression continued as the students took the stage. Some read their own poems, while others had their poems read by fellow students.

Dance numbers to a variety of songs punctuated the readings as dancers performed solo or in groups. There were 15 performances in all.

Student spoken word poetry included works by: Hugh Geraghty ’23 (as performed by Leo Eschauzier ’23); Emily Johnson ’23; Mary Costello ’23; Thomas Stapleton ’23; Ava Deibel ’23 (as performed by Virginia Thompson ’23); Ty Mainini ’23; Matt Miller ’23; Peter Chen ’23 (as performed by Matt O’ Connor ’24); and Izabella Amonte ’23 (as performed by Summer Perry ’24).

Student dancers included: Julia Fiorello ’24, who performed to “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift; Clare LaMattina ’24, who performed to “When We Were Young” by Adele; and Ceili Kornhaber ’26, who danced to “Pacific” by Sleeping At Last.

In addition, Abbie Dupie ’26 and Paige Johnson ’26 performed Kautsire’s poem “Small Bulletproof Messiah,” Tatiana Allen ’23 performed Kautsire’s poem “A Woman’s Flex,” and a group of students joined Kautsire to perform her poem “I Am Woman.”

2022-23

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WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

DEC

Benelli Visiting Writers Series: Kristen Joy Emack discusses life as a photographer and writer Thayer Global Speaker Series invites Patriots legends to speak about leadership (see p. 12) Academy's first five-star football recruit commits with University of Miami (see p. 47)

JAN

Thayer reflects upon the legacy of MLK Jr. with guest presenters Drs. Jesse McCarthy and William Cheng Thayer receives the College Board's AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award (see p. 11) Beneath the Waves scholarsin-residence present vital marine science research discoveries; Thayer students contribute to the scholarship

AROUND CAMPUS

FAC U LT Y N E W S & N O T E S CEDRONE NAMED UCHICAGO OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR Upper School Math and Computer Science Department Head Kevin Cedrone P ’22, ’27 was recently recognized as a 2022 University of Chicago Outstanding Educator.

The university grants the distinction to exceptional faculty who are both excellent in their field and demonstrate that they are role models by “thoughtfully approaching instruction, sharing an infectious love for learning, and caring for students both inside and outside of the classroom.”

Nominated by Arjun Sohur ’22, UChicago selects honorees from the recommendations of first-year students who are eager to acknowledge contributions their former teachers have made to their academic and personal development.

In his nomination letter, Sohur thanked Cedrone for his passion for teaching and inspiring commitment to students. “Under you, I have grown as a programmer, but I think you’re more proud of how I grew as a person,” wrote Sohur. “And that is what makes you a great teacher.”

Attorney Ivan EspinozaMadrigal leads Upper School in a civil rights discussion at Diversity Week assembly

FEB

Isokan celebrates Black History Month with a discussion surrounding Black Joy and Black Excellence Bailey-King Author Series: Kirsten King '10 shares about life as a Hollywood screenwriter

Boys varsity team win the prize at the 25th Annual Valicenti Cup (see p. 51)

Thayer Academy earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation during the 2021-22 school year. The award recognizes schools that are closing the gender gap and expanding young women’s access to computer science coursework.

Earning such recognition in the AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) category places Thayer among an elite group of schools from across the nation. In the spring of 2022, the representation of women taking the AP exam in Thayer’s highly sought-after AP CSA course rose to 50%, helping the school to achieve this important distinction.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Scan the QR code to read more about each event and watch available recordings

THAYER GLOBAL SPEAKER SERIES BRINGS THE WORLD TO CAMPUS

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BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Established in the fall of 2022, the Thayer Global Speaker Series made good on its promise to bring thought leaders, innovators, and difference-makers to the Thayer campus to engage the community in issues that matter to the world.

Five events, four held in person and one held virtually, took place this past school year. The series introduced the Thayer community to student activists, noted professors, professional athletes, news producers, planetary scientists, award-winning poets, and an international expert in crisis management and homeland security.

The series kicked off Oct. 17 of last year with a conversation between David Hogg, the co-founder of March for Our Lives, one of the world’s largest youth-led movements and one dedicated to ending gun violence, and Dr. Richard Parker, an economist and professor emeritus at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The evening’s discussion, moderated by Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy, a Harvard professor and a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, focused on how individuals and groups can identify, work for, and establish meaningful change in society.

In December, New England Patriots legends James White and Julian Edelman paid a visit to the CFA’s Hale Theater. The two shared lessons on leadership, the value of kindness, the importance of standing up to bullying, and the need to address social justice issues. Of course, there were quite a few Super Bowl stories thrown into the mix, and the night ended with White and Edelman taking turns throwing autographed footballs to 20 Thayer students in the audience who had been randomly selected for the keepsakes. Bob Socci, the play-by-play voice of the Patriots, served as moderator.

In March of the new year, CBS News Producer Erin Lyall ’97 spoke via Zoom to an Upper School audience about the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and her role covering the conflict. In February of 2022, the award-winning news producer had joined students virtually from Kharkiv, Ukraine, just as the Russian shelling began.

“It’s the biggest foreign news story we’re covering,” Lyall told students on her return visit. The award-winning journalist offered insight as to

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how things had developed in Ukraine over the past year before answering roughly a dozen questions from students.

That same month, the Middle School Forum was the site for “Planets & Poems.” There, Dr. Sarah Stewart Johnson, a planetary scientist, shared an inspiring history of the quest to explore Mars and her own fascination with “The Red Planet.” Stewart Johnson, who is the Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor at Georgetown University and a visiting scientist with the Planetary Environments Lab at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, detailed the journey from her native Kentucky to the halls of NASA and urged students in the audience to trust in themselves and their dreams.

“Follow your gut and believe that you’ll figure it out,” she said.

The “poems” portion of “Planets & Poems” came courtesy of Dr. Joshua Bennett, a Dartmouth professor and a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, who performed “Variation on a Theme by Mae Jemison.” The poet’s original work is a tribute to Dr. Mae C. Jemison, a former NASA astronaut and the first Black woman to travel in space.

In April, Juliette Kayyem, the faculty chair of the Homeland Security and Security and Global Health Projects at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, touted the benefits of preparing for disasters and expressed faith in society’s ability to learn from past mistakes and respond to crises more effectively.

While Kayyem, who served as a homeland security advisor for both Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and President Barack Obama, does believe disasters are inevitable, she said her approach is far from fatalistic. On the contrary, by accepting the reality of future crises, society can take concrete steps to minimize the damage.

“We have agency,” said Kayyem, who was joined in conversation that morning by McCarthy. Later in the conversation, she added: “I have faith in our species. We do have the capacity to adapt.”

The goal of the Thayer Global Speaker Series is to live out the Academy’s commitment to inspire students to new heights of excellence so that they become leaders who rise to honorable achievement and make lasting contributions to the common good.

2022-23

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AROUND CAMPUS

SPRING HIGHLIGHTS

MAR

Thayer Global Speaker Series: One year into the conflict, CBS News Producer Erin Lyall '97 discusses Ukraine War (see p. 12) Poetry and planetary science combine for a wonder-filled Thayer Global Speaker Series event (see p. 12)

APR

Elsa Hancock-Happ ’30 sets up her Sphero robot chariot during the 5th grade science chariot races.

CHARIOT RACES THRILL AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL The Great Chariot Race took place in March

robin-style series of three-lap races against

Crisis management and homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem shares views on disaster preparedness at Thayer Global Speaker Series discussion (see p. 12)

of 2023 at the Middle School and proved as

their classmates; an autonomous race

challenging, exciting, and rewarding as ever

where students use block programming

for Academy fifth graders.

to see whose chariot can make the fastest

Resident scholar Dr. Joshua Bennett teams up with Upper School faculty and students for Move to the Word, an evening of poetry and dance (see p. 10)

grade students in the fall of 2018, involves

Thayer Cum Laude Society admits 25 new members from the Class of 2023

The competition, which has been a tradition since the Middle School first welcomed fifth Sphero robots that pull the student creations and is facilitated by Middle School Science Department Head Jon Butler P ’25, ’28.

The students build their chariots by engaging in an iterative design process. They first investigate various design styles based on inspirations from the Chinese, Roman, Greek, Celtic, and Egyptian cultures. Using mini-

MAY

JUN

Inaugural James Tufts Pener Environmental Stewardship Conferences features keynote speaker Dr. Austin Gallagher '04 and student presentations from Brookline High School and Thayer's Upper School (see p. 14)

At Recognition Day, Thayer Middle School honors the Class of 2027 (see p. 34) Commencement ceremony honors the Class of 2023 (see pp. 36-39)

unmanned lap around the track; and a design competition where the chariots are judged on their execution of design, their overall quality, and their representation of an overall theme.

The judges for this final competition are students who have participated in the event in the past.

At the end of the day, champions are recognized and have their names forever placed on an ever-growing Great Chariot Race trophy.

prototypes, students test various materials

“My favorite part is watching how students

and decide upon the most optimal design

deal with the thrill of victory and the agony of

for the chariot’s carriage, wheels, axel,

defeat,” said Butler. “Invariably, the students

shaft, and harness. Finally, no chariot is

come together to support one another and

complete without a driver, so students select

encourage each other to keep racing and

a figurine or printed image that serves as

keep trying. Accidents happen, chariots get

their “driver” and the inspiration for their

wrecked, and hearts get broken, but learning

overall design theme.

how to deal with those failures is all part of

“Watching how the students iterate their

the learning process.”

designs as they learn more about their

In addition to being a great deal of fun, the

chariots and observe how other chariots are

chariot races introduce fifth grade students

successful is fun and rewarding,” said Butler,

to the Middle School’s Collaborative Design

who added that even on race day students

Lab (CDL); in fact, Middle School CDL Director

will make modifications and improvements to

Marie Jimenez is integrally involved in all

their chariots in search of peak performance.

aspects of the class competition. The races

Race day comprises three distinct events: a head-to-head competition where racers drive their Sphero chariots in a round

are also in keeping with an important goal of the fifth grade science curriculum, which is to introduce the processes and skills used by scientists and engineers on a daily basis.

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AROUND CAMPUS

INAUGURAL PENER CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

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BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

The inaugural James Tufts Pener Environmental Stewardship Conference offered a scholarly focus on environmental sustainability as well as practical tips to effect real and lasting change.

Held May 19 in the CFA’s Hale Theater, the conference honored the life and legacy of James Pener ’23. A rising Thayer senior at the time, Pener died in July of 2022 in a car accident in Maine.

Dr. Austin Gallagher ’04, founder and CEO of Beneath The Waves, served as the conference’s keynote speaker. The acclaimed marine biologist highlighted the organization’s efforts to study and preserve seagrass in the Bahamas and around the globe. The Thayer alum also addressed the race to explore the mysteries of the deep ocean using both high- and low-tech solutions.

Joining Gallagher that day were student presenters from Thayer and from Brookline High School, the school Pener attended before coming to Thayer. The student groups educated conference attendees on a variety of topics, displaying a depth and breadth to their presentations that spoke to their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Presenting first, Brookline High’s Ezra Kleinbaum chronicled his own journey to a diet of plant-based foods before explaining how eating lower on the food chain preserves needed habitat, decreases water usage, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

“Switching to a plant-based diet is one of the most important things that people can do to reduce their impact on the environment,” he said.

Kleinbaum also detailed how, beginning as freshmen, he and five fellow students formed an advocacy group and started an ongoing conversation

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with Brookline Public Schools and its food services vendor. Years later, Brookline schools now boast “Meatless Mondays” and will soon add vegan options at every meal. The student group also advocates for change at the state and federal level and even weighed in on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed updates to the nation’s school nutrition program.

“You have so much power to make change,” said Kleinbaum.

Brookline High’s next presenter, Emma Eisenhauer, advocated for the use of new technology to promote sustainability and combat climate change.

Specifically, she touted digital twinning — creating a virtual model of a physical object — as one way to create simulations using real-time data.

She pointed to Destination Earth, billed as the flagship initiative of the European Commission, the politically independent executive arm of the European Union, as one large-scale example. The project seeks to create a highly accurate digital model of the Earth and its ecosystems to better understand and predict “the interaction between natural phenomena and human activities.”

Eisenhauer also discussed ChatGPT and showed audience members how she used the artificial intelligence chatbot to create EarthGPT, a prototype which walks people through the various ways of helping the environment.

“We can use that technology (ChatGPT and digital twinning) for good to help our planet,” she said.

The Thayer students were equally as informative and impassioned.

Katelyn Sentnor ’24 and Charlotte Murphy ’24 discussed the topic of ecotourism and examined its potential as an alternative to less sustainable mainstream tourism options. They cited the three pillars of sustainability

Scan the QR code to watch the full program from the inaugural James Tufts Pener Environmental Stewardship Conference.

— planet, people, and profit — and offered data showing that businesses which prioritized all three pillars were more successful in the long run.

The students highlighted one ecotourism destination in Mexico where the tour guides employed by the business are former commercial fishermen who can no longer do that job due to overfishing. The new model is good for the environment, good for the business and its clients, and good for local residents.

“All three pillars are prioritized,” said Murphy.

For Thayer’s Rebecca Rudolph ’24, Charlie Denomme ’23, and Sam Taylor ’23, the topic was the loss of eelgrass in New England; the trio urged an increase in the utilization of public transportation and a decrease in the use of fertilizers as two of their many brass-tacks suggestions for preserving eelgrass, a key ally in the fight against climate change because of its ability to effectively store carbon.

“We need to decarbonize our atmosphere by recarbonizing our biosphere,” said Rudolph.

Diego Teixiera, Eli Kream, and Ty Mainini updated conference attendees on the revival of sustainability efforts at Thayer and the resurgence of the Academy’s Sustainability Club. Accomplishments include a significant increase in the amount of recycling at the school, the 20 filtered water bottle filling stations which dot the campus and eliminate any need for single-use plastic water bottles, working with Chef Doug and his team to make composting “second nature” at Thayer, and recent volunteer cleanups along the South Shore.

Pener, the students noted, was himself a member of the club and planned to study environmental science in college after taking an AP course in the subject here at Thayer.

“This is something he would have wanted,” said Mainini. The group ended their presentation with a slide reading “Run free,” a tribute to their friend, a gifted athlete who excelled in cross country.

Delivering his keynote address, Gallagher put much of the focus on underwater seagrass meadows, which he said are 15 times more efficient than the rainforest at capturing carbon and thus combating climate change. He referenced Beneath The Waves’ recent discovery of the world’s largest seagrass meadow — 32,521 square miles, or roughly the size of Maine — which is found across the banks of the Bahamas.

“This is the new ’lungs of the planet,’” said Gallagher, referring to the moniker given rainforests as an acknowledged sine qua non in addressing climate change. “It’s just underwater.”

AROUND CAMPUS

The major seagrass meadow discovery came about because the Beneath The Waves team had been studying Tiger Sharks and noticed that the sharks spent significantly more time in areas where there are seagrass meadows, a crucial feeding location. Trying to better understand the connection, researchers outfitted the Tiger Sharks with 360-degree cameras; the sharks then successfully scouted out the ecosystems for the scientists. The Beneath The Waves team then mapped out the extent of the seagrass meadow with the help of satellites.

“It’s the largest carbon sink on Earth,” said Gallagher.

Gallagher ended his presentation on an encouraging note: these seagrass meadows and other “blue carbon” assets represent a vital tool in the battle against climate change. He pointed out that the discovery occurred because researchers wanted to learn more about the ecosystems on which Tiger Sharks depend.

“If you can protect the sharks, you can protect the people,” he said.

For their efforts at the conference, student presenters from both schools received one-year memberships to The Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit which cares for roughly 47,000 acres of land across Massachusetts. They also received a copy of Blue Natural Capital, co-written by Gallagher and Dr. Carlos M. Duarte, a member of Beneath The Waves’ science and policy advisory board.

In his remarks, Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 said those gathered at the inaugural conference did so “in scholarship, in community, and in remembrance.” He thanked all attendees for making the conference so impactful but singled out the yeoman’s work of the event’s planning committee: Upper School Science Faculty Don Donovan P ’10, ’13; Upper School English Faculty Joe Pelletier; Upper School Math Faculty Justin Maloney; and Upper School Science Faculty Skip Schneider P ’20, ’22.

Mark Pener P ’23, James’ father, had the honor of welcoming guests to the conference which shared his son’s love of nature and passion for meaningful change.

“It means so much to us that you’re here today,” said the elder Pener, who spoke of his son’s caring and compassion as well as his loyalty to those he loved. James, said his father, was a proud member of the Adirondack 46ers, having climbed all 46 major peaks of New York’s Adirondack Mountains by the age of 14. He then urged listeners to embrace their passions with that same kind of intensity.

“Find your mountain and climb it,” he said.

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CAMPUS PROFILE

Thayer Academy Athletic Director Roberta “Bobbi” Moran wasn’t looking to change jobs, but after meeting with Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and learning about his vision for Thayer athletics, she and her family made the move from New Jersey. Moran started as the Academy's athletic director in July 2023.

“What’s special about the Thayer community is the people,” says Moran. “When I was applying to Thayer, I heard it over and over again, but it’s true. It’s warm and welcoming. Colleagues are eager to inspire children. Kids are smiling and happy and understand the value of kindness."

Moran has always been a team player. A three-sport athlete in high school, she went on to play college field hockey and has spent more than 20 years in sports leadership roles. Moran served as athletic director at Kent Place School in New Jersey for six years and coached field hockey there. Before that, she was the associate athletic director and sports information director at the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut.

And that love of sports extends to her family. A mother of four, Moran and her husband enjoyed watching their children evolve as players. Two daughters became college athletes; her youngest daughter worked for the National Football League before taking a job at TED (the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization responsible for TED Talks).

R E A DY T O LEAD THE CHARGE N E W AT H L E T I C D I R E C T O R E M B R A C E S D I V E R S I T Y, T E A M W O R K

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS

She’s also helped Big Ten, Ivy League, and NESCAC college teams improve their focus to boost athletic performance. A certified yoga instructor, Moran believes student-athletes and coaches need to understand the mental aspect of sport so they can better visualize success.

"How do we work with the mind to help it harness the best of who we are and challenge ourselves in places where we run up against ourselves?" she asks. "I love teaching athletes from middle school through college how to do that. When they realize it works, it's like flipping on a light switch."

Winning teams also understand how to grow and inspire “the middle to the end of the bench.” It’s essential, she says, for coaches to connect with individuals to prepare them for the next level while still valuing where they are in their learning process. At Thayer, she adds, all students have the opportunity to grow — whether they want to play sports in college or accomplish individual goals. Moran says that for students interested in competing beyond high school, Thayer coaches and Athletics Department staff are well equipped to help them navigate the college recruiting process, be that at a Division I, Division II, or Division III program.

“Our coaches are experts in their fields, and the academics at Thayer prepare our student-athletes for what they will face in college,” she says.

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AROUND CAMPUS

As a female athletic director, Moran feels she can serve as a role model for young women. She believes her experience as a leader in a traditionally male space has taught her about respect, responsibility, and the importance of owning your story and respecting other peoples' stories.

NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP 2023-24

“Each student brings their uniqueness to the table,” she says, “and by embracing that diversity, you can create incredible teams.”

Every student-athlete, says Moran, is somebody’s child and unique even if that child doesn’t know it yet.

"I want every single kid I've had the privilege to interact with to understand that they matter, are enough, and have a gift to share in the world,” says Moran. “Sports are an amazing medium to explore that — and it’s not the only medium."

Supported by eight staff members in the Athletics Department, Moran says she feels grateful to lead such an experienced athletics team that manages everything from scheduling to transportation to equipment. She regularly interacts with the Admissions and the Advancement & Engagement departments as well as student-athletes and their families; she looks forward to continuing to build relationships with the Thayer community.

According to Moran, Thayer’s bright athletics future is a direct result of the investments made before she even stepped foot on campus. She credits the Thayer Board of Trustees and the Academy’s administration for constructing the Thayer Sports Center, which opened on Thayer’s South Athletic Campus in the fall of 2019. The center boasts Thayer’s first on-campus ice rink as well as multisport playing surfaces for sports like basketball and tennis. There’s also the recent renovation of the Fish Center for Physical Fitness, a project which provided students with upgraded strength and conditioning equipment. The improvements allow Thayer coaches to attract and train student-athletes in state-of-the-art facilities.

"I'm excited to build the future of Thayer athletics but want to acknowledge the incredible foundation laid by the alumni and the amazing people who’ve held the athletic director position before me,” she says. "I'm eager to meet more kids who want to be a part of Thayer. It's a great time to be a Tiger, and I’m excited to lead that charge."

Peter Brooks joined the Thayer community in the summer of 2023 as the Academy’s inaugural assistant head of school for academics. In that role, Brooks brings his wealth of experience as both a teacher and an academic administrative leader to advance Thayer’s student-centered instructional work with a critical focus on supporting, developing, and celebrating the Academy’s faculty.

Before joining the leadership team at Thayer, Brooks served for 12 years in several administrative and teaching roles at the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill where he served as the dean of faculty as well as a department head, a teacher, and a coach. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and a master’s degree in independent school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Brooks and his wife Erin live in Milton with their two children, Nate and Emilie.

Thayer Academy welcomed Jeff Dwyer in the summer of 2023 as its new director of enrollment management. With a commitment to fostering successful team cultures and leveraging research to inform enrollment plans, Dwyer and his team play a central role in recruiting and enrolling a talented and diverse array of students to both the Middle School and Upper School.

Dwyer previously served for more than 10 years as director of financial aid and associate director of admissions at St. George’s School in Rhode Island. There, he also served as head coach of its boys varsity hockey and golf teams as well as a dorm head and academic advisor.

Dwyer earned his bachelor’s degree at Yale University before obtaining an MBA from Brown University. A former professional hockey player, Dwyer also has experience in the hockey world as both a scout and a coach.

He and his wife Kathy have three children: Declan, Gordie, and Frankie.

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CAMPUS PROFILE

For Dr. Alison Terry, Thayer Academy’s chief of strategic marketing and communications, the main focus is storytelling — telling the stories of Thayer’s students, faculty, and staff.

“We share our students’ and educators’ triumphs and learning moments and help our readers get to know the many faces of our community,” she said.

Terry began her career as a professor before shifting her focus from teaching to educational consulting and, later, communications. She joined Thayer in July 2022 as its interim communications chief before accepting the permanent role in November of that year. Terry is excited to blend her education, research, and marketing background to have a more direct impact at Thayer. But most of all, she enjoys working with the faculty, staff, and students who make up the campus family.

“I fell in love with Thayer within a week of taking on the role [as an interim],” she said. “It’s not about the place; it’s about the people and their heart for its mission.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University and a doctorate in psychology from the University of California, Davis, Terry taught developmental psychology and leadership at the University of Maine at Farmington and Worcester State University. Terry’s interest in leveraging educational technology in the classroom led to recruitment by Apple to work in their education field marketing division.

GETTING THE WO R D O U T C H I E F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S O F F I C E R W R I T E S N E X T C H A P T E R AT T H AY E R

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS

"The iPad had been on the market for about a year when I joined the faculty at Worcester State,” she said. “I started researching how apps could be thoughtfully incorporated in the education space, and it attracted Apple's notice. Apple offered the possibility of transforming education across the United States."

As an Apple development executive, Terry worked with university and K-12 leadership to strategically utilize digital textbooks, educational apps, and productivity tools, helping schools reimagine teaching and learning. Terry saw firsthand how these resources helped struggling students make positive learning gains.

“I saw students who had been failing science class [before iPads were introduced to the school] excel by using new tools like 3D anatomy apps to study and learn,” she said. “Students were understanding difficult concepts more easily and improving their study techniques, so faculty could expand what they were teaching — and ask more of their students.”

When Terry left Apple to become a digital learning consultant, she became more deeply engaged in the branding and marketing plans for clients.

“We were seeing significant improvements in academic outcomes,” she said. “It was important to get the word out and show what the schools had to offer students.”

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AROUND CAMPUS

Terry stepped away from consulting to complete a three-year stint as a communications director for a multi-site nonprofit agency; there, she developed its overarching communications strategy and facilitated website redesigns for the organization and its branches. Her consulting work ultimately introduced her to Thayer, and she hasn’t looked back.

“Thayer is deeply committed to its educational mission, and it has its own secret sauce for helping students discover — and grow into — their best selves,” she said. “The stories we tell are not just about students winning awards; they’re about students being truly challenged and then supported by their teachers, coaches, and peers. Here, students learn as much about who they are and who they can become as they learn about academics, athletics, and the arts.”

Since Terry began her tenure at Thayer, she's been laser-focused on communicating how special — and multidimensional — the Thayer experience is. She has doubled the rate of Thayer’s social media storytelling, and her team is investing heavily in photography and videography to better tell those stories.

Internally, Terry and her team are working to shape a shared language for the campus community, refining the internal messaging about what makes Thayer unique.

NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP 2023-24

Maureen Sullivan Keleher P ’24, ’26, ’28, ’29

Kristan Gately P ’28

Two familiar faces at Thayer will take on greater responsibilities this fall as Upper School Dean of Faculty Maureen Sullivan Keleher P ’24, ’26, ’28, ’29 and Upper School Dean of Students Kristan Gately P ’28 will partner to lead the Upper School.

Together, the two will assume the various duties of the Upper School’s previous position of director, which had been held by Highley Thompson P ’20, ’23 until his departure at the end of the

“From Admissions to Advancement to Athletics, we can apply a common language about how our students are known by the faculty and staff; feel connected to their peers, teachers, and coaches; and are prepared for where they’re going in the next stage of their educational journeys,” she said.

2022-23 school year, his twelfth year leading the division.

That educational mission, Terry said, cascades throughout the Thayer community, making it easier to present a strong, unified message.

Thayer’s senior leadership team.

"Many schools seem to just want to grind out high performers," she said. "And we do send students to the Ivies and world-renowned schools for arts and athletics. But for Thayer, success also means that our graduates are healthy, grounded, compassionate, and kind individuals who are agents for good in their communities — wherever they choose to go in life.”

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 praised the collaborative spirit and talent that Keleher and Gately will bring to their new roles supporting Upper School teachers, department heads, and

Both women boast more than 20 years of experience at Thayer.

Keleher, who has taught both Latin and English at Thayer, is a graduate of Harvard Radcliffe College and the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English Masters program. Gately has served as dean of students for years while also teaching history, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in American history from Harvard College and a master’s degree in world history / US government from Boston College.

When not on campus, Terry enjoys gardening, traveling, and cooking foods from around the world.

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AROUND CAMPUS

TALK ISN'T CHEAP

WHEN IT COMES TO EMPOWERING STUDENTS, S P E E C H & D E B AT E C O A C H K N O W S W O R D S M AT T E R

T

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

The problem with public speaking is that the speaking is so … well … so public.

But Upper School Math Faculty Justin Maloney, the head coach of Thayer’s Speech & Debate team, would like to talk to you about that.

“The number one fear in the world is glossophobia — the fear of public speaking — so to be able to do it with any degree of skill or prowess gives you an advantage over most people in the world,” says Maloney, who founded the team last spring. The squad now boasts roughly 20 team members during its “busy season” of fall and winter tournaments, but team size ebbs and flows. Maloney, a former practicing attorney with a law degree from Boston College Law School, is fine with that; he welcomes any and all, from the committed to the curious.

And, despite the fact that Thayer recently earned the Deborah E. Simon New School Award, given to the top-scoring new team in the Massachusetts Speech & Debate League, the team isn’t about accolades or ability, but exploration and experience.

“I don’t care if they win, lose, or draw,” Maloney says of his padawans of persuasion. “I do care that they have the opportunity to do it.”

If it sounds like Maloney is proselytizing, he most certainly is. First introduced to debate as a high school student — “plucked from obscurity” by a caring and attentive teacher is how he puts it — the young Maloney never looked back.

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“I was obsessed with Speech & Debate as a kid, and it changed my life,” he says. “Everything that I’ve ever done in my life has been informed by my ability to speak with composure, clarity, and confidence.”

While most focus on the “debate” aspect of Speech & Debate, Maloney points out that tournaments have about 20 events in which students can showcase their rhetorical skills. There are Reading Events, which involve the use of a manuscript; these include Play Reading, Poetry Reading, and Children’s Literature. There are Public Address Events, which involve memorization; these include Declamation and Original Oratory.

There are Interpretive Events, combining the creativity of Reading Events and the memorization of Public Address Events, like Dramatic Performance and Humorous Interpretation. And there are Limited Preparation Events, which can take the form of Extemporaneous Speaking — discussion of a topic with 30 minutes of prep time — or even Impromptu Speaking, in which the speaker chooses one topic from an envelope of three topic choices and then opines for a maximum of six minutes. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is – and that’s the way Maloney likes it. He explains, “I never know where a kid will find her voice, so the more avenues for exploration, the better.”

Thayer’s debate bread-and-butter, Public Forum Debate, is a team of two students pitted against another team of two students where a “resolution,” aka the debate topic, is discussed. Prior to the debate, teams research and prepare two cases, both the pro and the con, to be ready for anything. This develops not only a deeper understanding of the topic at hand but an awareness of differing points of view.

AROUND CAMPUS

Seamus Healey ’27, Austin Archabal ’27, Cavan Finnerty ’27, Aaravsinh Vaghela ’27, and Middle School History Faculty Danny Seymour

STATE HOUSE VISIT A REAL TRIP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS “Debate is about making an argument that is both cogent and compelling,” says Maloney. “It’s the ability to disagree respectfully, an increasingly necessary and rare skill in today’s day and age.”

One popular misconception about public speaking, Maloney says, is that the “public” component must include a crowd of hundreds or even thousands. But the audience can be an audience of one, he says, so long as there’s a degree of difficulty, an element of sweaty palms, rapid heart rate, and the like.

“Public speaking isn’t about the size of the audience. It’s about speaking persuasively in an uncomfortable or pressure-filled situation — a place where you’re vulnerable,” he says. “When you go to your boss and make the case that you deserve a raise, that’s public speaking.”

And being comfortable in those uncomfortable situations is one reason Maloney believes that untying one’s tongue offers a big leg up.

“Public speaking gives you the skills you need to change the world,” says Maloney, “and I promise you that it will change your world.”

The coach takes a breath, but only one.

“That’s my sales pitch,” he says.

Middle School students working on a civics lesson got more than they bargained for when State Senator John Keenan, D-Quincy, invited them to the Massachusetts State House for a discussion and tour.

In the fall of 2022, explained Middle School History Faculty Danny Seymour, students in his class decided to advocate for a state bill which would have prohibited the use of Native American mascots in Massachusetts public schools. The students began by calling legislators who had sponsored and/or supported the bill. During one of those calls, an aide to Keenan extended the invitation.

“The look of genuine joy on their faces when the aide mentioned we could visit them was priceless,” said Seymour, who added that this was the first such invite in his years of teaching this particular civics activity.

The students took a field trip to the State House in November where they met with Keenan and his staff for over an hour. The students were ready, having prepared questions in advance, but they also asked follow-up questions depending on where the conversation went. Keenan then provided a personal tour of the State House, including both the Senate and House floors.

The students also got to see then Governor-Elect Maura Healey walking with several of her staff.

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AROUND CAMPUS

PITCH PERFECT

T H AY E R E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P P I L O T P R O G R A M L E A D S T H E WAY

T

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

The 18 members of the Thayer Entrepreneurship Pilot Program didn’t just step up to the plate; they built the ballpark.

Cedrone also thanked the entire Thayer community — from the

“Your legacy is intact,” Upper School Computer Science and Math

In addition to Cedrone and the student entrepreneurs, in attendance

Department Head Kevin Cedrone P ’22, ’27 told the students, all members

of the Class of 2023, at a May 22 pitch competition which served as the course’s culminating event. “You started this program.”

Led by Cedrone, Thayer launched the eight-week pilot this winter to expose students to the building blocks of entrepreneurship, from product opportunity identification and ideation to prototyping, competition analysis, team building, and business model fundamentals. As part of the program, supported by faculty from both Babson College and Bentley University, the students met Monday nights during the spring semester; they did so for zero academic credit.

“I promised them engagement,” said Cedrone, who thanked the students for co-creating the program with him. “This was pure interest from second-semester seniors, and that’s pretty special.”

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administration to trustees to parents and guardians — for supporting such an ambitious effort.

The program’s final event, the pitch competition, was held in Glover 205. were Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Steven Brand, a global entrepreneur strategist and a visiting assistant professor of practice in entrepreneurship at Babson College. Brand consulted with Cedrone and students throughout the pilot.

The pitch competition saw four groups of students make five-minute pitches to a panel of outside judges followed by 10-minute questionand-answer sessions with those same judges. The five volunteer judges included: Jen Ognibene P ’23, ’26; Paul Ognibene P ’23, ’26; Joe Farmer P ’23, a current trustee; Jen Havilicek P ’18, ’21, ’21, a current trustee; and

Michael Joe P ’17, ’20, the board’s current chair. While there were no sharks in these waters, the judges asked probing questions on topics such as product cost, scalability, market share, branding, target consumers, and regulatory hurdles. They offered constructive criticism and suggested next steps for the four groups.

Group 1 — Andrew Guilfoyle, Alena

The BLUBS team noted that the device

program and Cedrone’s efforts to build one.

Mulhern, Austin Ngo, and Maddie Stearns

would cost roughly $40 and be attachable,

“Thayer will continue to take important and

— pitched RE-MULCH, a product which

meaning that it could be used for new cars

bold steps to amplify student engagement

would use the harvesting byproducts

or used cars, expensive cars or cheap cars.

by connecting students to people,

of cranberry farms to create an organic,

The team also showed a video of the device

institutions, ideas, and opportunities that

arsenic-free, and sustainable alternative to

in action courtesy of Hughes’ own car, on

inspire and excite them to lean into their

traditional fertilizer. Judges lauded the team’s

which he’d installed a working prototype.

curiosities and passions,” Fortunato said

presentation and also the idea itself, which

St. Jean told judges that the plan would be to

that night. “The enthusiasm around Thayer

came from Stearns, who lives on her family’s

market to consumers but eventually partner

entering into the entrepreneurship space

cranberry farm in Carver.

with the insurance industry.

is palpable, and I’m grateful for Kevin Cedrone’s leadership as we incubate new

Group 2 — Kylie Bogar, Charlie Cao,

ideas and programs like this one.”

Peter Chen, Daniel Cherry, and Amanda Fogel — pitched GLESS, a spring-loaded glass-breaking device which can be installed in any car at the point where the window rolls down into the doorframe. The product would allow prompt, safe exit during an accident when a car is submerged in water.

“You’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” explained Bogar when asked about the frequency of such accidents. The team presented its plan to

As a surprise to the seniors and via the newly

Building upon this spring’s pilot

created Thayer Entrepreneurship Fund, the

program, Thayer is offering a full-year

night included several prizes to recognize

entrepreneurship course in the 2023-24

Group 3 — Tommy Bi, Caroline Driscoll,

student ideas and their efforts to bring them

academic year. Beyond business model

Will Kourafas, and Conor Mannion —

to fruition. Group 3, aka the FLOBAG

fundamentals and prototyping, the course

pitched FLOBAG, a water-resistant bag

team, earned the team prize of $2,500. The

fosters communication skills, relationship

that is both floatable and GPS-trackable.

funds can be distributed to anyone who

building, and perseverance. The course is

The product would be marketed to the

wants to keep working on the project, either

being further developed in partnership with

water sports industry as “a mental insurance

with Professor Brand or through a similar

Scholars-in-Residence from MIT Sloane,

policy” for those who want to canoe, kayak,

program in college.

and is open to juniors and seniors.

Two students, Mulhern and Sharpe, based

Cedrone said his department was hoping

upon their strong engagement with the

to have 16 students sign up for the full year

pilot, earned individual prizes each worth

course; instead, the department saw 59

$2,500. The students can use the funds to

student sign-ups.

market to consumers, especially worried parents of new drivers.

or boat but want to bring along their medicines, phones, cameras, and the like.

Kourafas, a sailor himself, called the product a real improvement to traditional dry bags, and team members noted that the FLOBAG would be made in bright colors to make it even easier to spot.

Group 4 — Max Hughes, Jackson Reardon, Owen Sharpe, Addi St. Jean, and Katie Wipf — pitched BLUBS, which stands for “Blinking Light-Up Braking System.”

The device allows car brakes to blink; more importantly, it allows them to blink faster or slower depending upon the speed with which the driver applies the brakes. The product is intended to address the 1.7 million rearend collisions in the United States alone, presenters said.

take an entrepreneurial course or to use as seed money if they join an entrepreneurial

“There seems to be a great deal of interest,”

venture group in college.

he said.

Lastly, each of the 18 seniors received a $100

The goal of the course, said Cedrone, is to

Amazon gift card as a token of the Academy’s appreciation for their work in bringing to life

ensure that Thayer students know enough to be entrepreneurial leaders when they

Thayer’s nascent entrepreneurship program.

enter college.

While he was an engaged audience member

“We’re walking them toward the next step

during the pitch competition, Fortunato also joined several students this past January at the inaugural Bentley Entrepreneurship

to be impactful in college and beyond,” the veteran teacher said. “We want them to be ready from Day One.”

Panel event at Bentley University. There, he expressed his appreciation for the pilot

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FEATURE STORY

A F O RWA R D F O C U S

T H AY E R T E A C H E S T H E B U I L D I N G B L O C K S O F E F F E C T I V E L E A D E R S H I P

L

BY TIMOTHY WHELAN & ALISON TERRY

Long before Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 arrived at Thayer Academy as the head of school in 2021, he had a revelation.

“To more effectively teach leadership, I had to stop talking about the word (which means vastly different things to people) and instead focus on building the suite of skills that empower students to lead and grounding the work in love: love of learning, ideas, progress, and – most importantly – people,” said Fortunato.

With that insight in mind, Fortunato brought ideas regarding the shared attributes, building blocks, and experiences of good leaders to bear when it came to teaching and learning at Thayer in and beyond the classroom.

“The operative questions for me are: what are the skills and experiences that will allow our students to meaningfully take advantage of the rapidly changing opportunities that are out there for them here and beyond campus and, second, what will help them confront the shifting challenges associated with what’s out there?”

Fortunato said. “We are arriving at an inflection point in education. We are living at a time when technologies like artificial intelligence will force educators to better “future-proof ” students with skills that cannot be replicated by algorithms. Moreover, ideological and other divisions in society are undermining our sense of common humanity and interfering with the teaching and learning missions of schools. More than ever, we Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28

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are called to train leaders capable of leading with empathy, curiosity, and resilience.”

FEATURE STORY Manny Chikwendu '27 on stage during the 2023 Middle School Declamation

The public speaking curriculum starts with Declamation, a 37year tradition during which eighth graders present a memorized passage to their peers. Every student takes part in the program, and in the culminating event, 16 students recite their selection for the entire Middle School.

“Once you get to that point, it’s a showcase of everyone’s grit and courage,” said Middle School English Faculty Brian Cibelli, who oversees Declamation and also serves as the Middle School’s director of studies. “Middle School is largely about finding out who you are and what you’re passionate about. It’s a first step toward becoming a leader.”

In ninth grade, one of the seminal English assignments is the sTAnd speech. Students consider their most salient experiences and carefully craft speeches that articulate what those moments have taught them about who they are and what they “stand for.”

The culminating event is the spring Grand sTAnds, when the class gathers in the CFA’s Hale Theater to hear the top sTAnders.

At Thayer, there’s a quadrant of emphases — effective

In 10th grade, students use a favorite personal photograph as the

communication, collaborative problem-solving, ethical decision-

starting point for their essays and speeches, and a handful of those

making, and building relationships across lines of difference —

students share their work with peers at theTalking Pictures event

that help provide a framework by which leadership can be taught.

at the end of the year.

Consider these parts of Thayer’s “suite science,” a formula of

“I’m always impressed by what these young people are willing

four to help bring students where they want and need to be (and

to offer up,” said Upper School English Department Head Kate

where colleges and employers will expect them to be beyond their

Hayman. “They take chances, share vulnerabilities, and receive

Thayer graduations).

enthusiastic support from their peers in return. In that reciprocity of giving and receiving, everyone grows a little closer and a little more confident.”

Effective communication From eighth to 12th grade, students are guided through key communication skill-building steps. Over the course of the multiyear, interdisciplinary curriculum, students discover what stories resonate with them and begin to shape their own narratives. Along the way, students sharpen their writing skills and have opportunities to learn vocal and movement techniques to strengthen their public speaking prowess. Classroom culture is carefully constructed to allow students to be vulnerable, to share, and to gain confidence in who they are becoming as young adults, their identity development occurring in parallel with the construction of their personal stories. Vulnerability, as noted researcher Brené Brown writes, is the birthplace of creativity and innovation, and it often begins by telling stories.

And so the work continues in smaller and larger settings: class discussions and club debates; personal essay coffeehouses in AP Language and Composition; and the sharing of Ted Talk-style speeches and leadership stories in Fortunato’s Art of Communication elective, taught in collaboration with Dr. Timothy McCarthy of the Harvard Kennedy School, one of Thayer’s Scholars-in-Residence.

Perhaps the most anticipated event within the public speaking curriculum is Words That Changed the World, during which five senior finalists each deliver a famous speech to which they feel personally connected in front of the entire Upper School.

Students, faculty, and staff vote on the best speaker and speech.

Standing ovations are common, as are tears and cheers.

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FEATURE STORY

“ More than ever, we are called to train leaders capable of leading with empathy, curiosity, and resilience.”

-- Chris M. Fortunato P '26, '28, Head of School

“The event drives home how words can effect profound and pervasive change,” said Hayman.

Team-based problem-solving From effective communication comes working as a team. Many

“Powerful speeches raise awareness, inspire movements, change

curricular offerings and special events at the Academy are developed

hearts and minds on a global scale. Words That Changed the World

in collaboration and are interdisciplinary in nature. Additionally,

helps students consider more deeply not only the words of famous

faculty model and teach collaboration to students.

folk, but also how they can use their own words and voices to make an impact within their own lives and communities.”

A scene from Move to the Word - see p. 10

“We are being thoughtful in how we teach kids to navigate through uncertainty, vulnerability, and even disagreement in order to effectively leverage the talents of the people around them’” said Fortunato. “To create ideas, teams, products, or performances that truly matter, our students must learn how to engage with, rely on, and trust their classmates, teachers, coaches, and others whose partnership opens new doors to creativity, productivity, and purpose.”

Thayer teachers are continually focused on carefully creating the conditions for students to exercise their collaboration skills, whether through Collaborative Design Lab projects in the Upper and Middle Schools, jazz combo practices, computer programming breakout groups in the Glover lounge, “Contributing Citizens” strategy discussions in the Middle School, or prototyping and pitch meeting

This fall, Thayer has embarked on a new public speaking program:

sessions in Thayer’s new entrepreneurship class.

TA Talks, a weekly event that showcases remarks on a wide range of topics from students, faculty, and staff.

One focus has been to bring people, ideas, and disciplines together to create something new. For example, Upper School Theater Director

“Not all communicators are great leaders, but it’s very unlikely that

Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19, Upper School English Department Head Kate

you’ll find a great leader who is not a great communicator,” said

Hayman, former Upper School English Faculty Caroline Kautsire,

Fortunato. “So we’re looking at: how do our students develop the

Upper School Performing Arts Faculty John Crampton, and Upper

skills to be effective communicators across all kinds of media, across

School Hale Learning Center Director Erica Dunne P ‘27 helped

all kinds of circumstances? Can they sit across from someone and

develop Move to the Word, an event in May of 2023 in which

move them, make them feel and think and be excited and interested

performances combined the power of spoken word poetry with the

in what they have to say? Can they be in front of 500 people, can

artistry of dance. Groups of Kautsire’s spoken word poetry students

they do it on Zoom, can they do it in their writing? We’re being very

joined Crampton’s dance students to create innovative performances.

intentional about how we craft experiences so our students get the exposure to be able to do that.”

Joining in the collaboration was Dr. Joshua Bennett, Thayer’s 202223 scholar-in-residence on spoken word poetry. Then a professor at Dartmouth and now a professor of literature and Distinguished Chair of the Humanities at MIT, Bennett looks at communicating in a group as in large part a trust exercise, both with the audience as well as one’s self.

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FEATURE STORY Teddy Cohen '24, at left, created a mentorship program for Middle School students with the help of fellow students like Nate Austin-Johnstone '24 and Cate Devaney '24.

“What I’m trying to teach is that trust works, even when trusting someone doesn’t work,” Bennett said. “That trust is about leaving room for people to surprise you. We trust each other every day, and you have to learn to trust yourself. As a student, you can get up there and sing a Bruno Mars song, do your thing, and people might clap, laugh, cry, might tell you afterward, ‘That was awesome’ — trust is required for that moment to take place.”

Bennett performed three spoken word poems at the celebration and then watched the students’ teamwork in action. The resulting interdisciplinary work was more than the sum of its parts.

“That was incredible to see,” he said. “I was a dancer before a poet. It requires you to remember you’re a human being in a body.

Music is incredibly powerful.”

Like her Upper School performing arts colleagues Crampton and Hines, Middle School Theater Director Tara Corcoran ’88 P ’19 sees firsthand how large a role collaboration plays in making stage magic happen. Corcoran involves students in each part of the production, from the roles on stage to work on lighting, costumes, choreography, and set painting behind the scenes. And while staging a production is the end goal, students learn invaluable skills along the way, whether they realize it or not at the time.

“They’re tenacious. They’re problem solvers,” said Corcoran.

In total, 125 students contributed to this spring’s Showstoppers production, a Broadway and Disney musical revue featuring songs and dance numbers from hits such as Les Miserables, A Little Princess, Bye Bye Birdie, and others. Such a large number of students prompted Corcoran to move the show to the CFA’s Hale Theater two weeks before the performance date as it dawned on her that the students’ families wouldn't all fit in Thompson Hall.

“There are so many offerings in the Middle School, and as the school has grown and been more creative in what we’ve done with kids, the kids have had to adapt and be malleable,” said Corcoran.

“It’s a lot to juggle, and you learn life skills. You have to be an

Ethical decision-making With moral and intellectual integrity essential to the Academy’s mission, there are curricular innovations that not only prepare students to be ethical leaders now but also in college and throughout their adult lives.

As the Academy’s first assistant head of school for student engagement and well-being, Jed Wartman P ‘30 helped to usher in The Good Project. This curricular innovation is from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Business; it considers dilemmas and decision-making through a lens of three Es: ethics, excellence, and engagement.

In a once-a-week, ungraded course, Wartman and Fortunato gave students practice in skills that will prepare them for college and beyond. Twelve students were involved in The Good Project, including Teddy Cohen ’24, Katelyn Sentnor ’24, and Tessa Harper ’26.

advocate for yourself.”

“I've found that its lessons have been deeply impactful and have influenced the way I make decisions, grapple with dilemmas, pursue meaningful relationships, and find purpose in my work and personal life.” -- Tess Harper '26 re The Good Project

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FEATURE STORY

“The affinity and alliance groups are important to affirming students’ identities as well as building relationships across difference.” -- DEIB Director Matt Ghiden

“It means a lot to me because a lot of the talk nowadays is about

“Leadership can be an

student mental health and well-being, and I think this program was

experience itself, but leadership

very much about taking action on that,” said Cohen, who founded

happens in the context of

a Middle School mentoring program at the Hale Learning Center,

community,” said Wartman.

which provides additional support to students who face academic

“And community is a

challenges. “Thayer does a great job at getting students involved in

construction of perspective

all aspects, but especially in The Good Project. I’m appreciative that

and experience and stories.

I can discuss how I feel on topics.”

So the more space we allow people to hear each other’s

Among the ethical dilemmas Cohen recalls from the class was one

voices and stories, the better

involving a fictional teacher dealing with grade inflation at a school

our community will be, the

and reckoning with how to adequately reward his students while

more opportunity we have

upholding his and the school’s integrity.

to understand each other.

Leadership happens in

“He wants his students to do well, but he is a harder grader,” Cohen

that context.

Assistant Head of School for Student Engagement & Well-being Jed Wartman P '30

said, “so the dilemma is there. It sparked a lot of perspectives from people in the class.”

“The development of empathy, of perspective – the listening skills associated with all of that; The Good Project is a space where kids get

Sentnor, the Student Government president for 2023-24, saw her

to practice that.”

own introspection meet with challenging conversations in the class.

“For me The Good Project allowed for a great environment to learn about my own ethics, priorities, and goals while also connecting and discussing with fellow students,” she said. “It was interesting to discover similarities between students' values and how those came into play through scenario-based discussions.”

Harper, a co-founder of the most recent iteration of the Thayer Academy Film Festival, is proud to have been part of an initiative that allowed her to reflect deeply on her own values, two of which are curiosity and creativity.

“The practical implementation of a class like The Good Project compared to a class like science, for example, may seem hard to realize, but I've found that its lessons have been deeply impactful and have influenced the way I make decisions, grapple with dilemmas, pursue meaningful relationships, and find purpose in my work and personal life.”

Wartman sees the program as serving the greater, well, good.

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Building relationships across lines of difference Thayer has continued to keep its focus on providing a place to prepare students to engage with the world around them, to educate students on everything from the vocabulary to the contours of everyday issues.

In that spirit, two social justice-oriented courses were added to class requirements in recent years.

“Because these elements of life touch on every discipline, they are woven into our curriculum,” said Fortunato.

Anti-Racism: An Introduction is a course all 9th graders take while The Common Good: An Introduction to Social Justice is a broadbased public policy course for 10th graders that introduces in an ungraded seminar format a variety of public policy issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, ableism, and more.

Fortunato said he hopes to refine the Common Good course to include more of an action component in addition to its learning component.

FEATURE STORY

“Social justice courses are important for discussions across lines of difference,” said Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Director Matt Ghiden. “Critical thinking is essential to those classes in that we introduce different resources and evidence and history. We provide those to students and allow them to have a dialogue instead of telling them what to think.”

Additionally, there are a number of affinity, interest, and alliance groups on campus as well as other resources for students to think through issues while also feeling supported by adults in the community.

“The affinity and alliance groups are important to DEIB Director Matt Ghiden

affirming students’ identities as well as

building relationships across difference,” said Ghiden, who

Leading Thayer forward Through communication, collaborative problem-solving, ethical education, and building relationships across differences, the Academy approaches leadership in an all-hands-on-deck manner. It’s a four-pronged approach that gets away from the mythology of leadership and allows students to take control of the journey.

“I would contend that everybody is leading something,” Wartman said. “Some people might define that as citizenship.

Everybody in a community is responsible for themselves in that community. That’s a form of leadership. So how do we help everybody at Thayer be aware of and reflective upon what they contribute to the community, what they want to contribute to the community? And if there’s a space between those two things, how do you close the gap so that you’re closer to your aspirational self, your better self, more consistently?”

Those are questions to which the Academy will tirelessly continue to pursue answers.

noted that this especially applies to the Upper School’s student alliance group OMEGA (Organization for Minority Enrichment, Growth & Awareness).

Jaden Smith ’24, Jessica Sack ’24, Hannah Gondelman ’24, Rebecca Rudolph ’24, and Teri Homicile ’24 at an OMEGA community dinner

In 2022, Thayer launched a DEIB Student Leadership Group which includes student leaders from all the affinity and alliance groups. That fall, there was an inaugural leadership luncheon with resident scholars McCarthy and Bennett in attendance. At the luncheon, the scholars encouraged the students to support each other in different identity student groups as well as to use their influence as student leaders to create positive change.

There is always a place at Thayer where a student can discuss the day’s issues, inviting a variety of opinions which inform but don’t tell students what, or whom, to believe.

“Schools are wonderful places to open people up to the things they know and the things they don’t know they don’t know; to shine a light on those things,” said Fortunato. “Listening to the people they trust both in and outside of schools, kids can make up their own minds.”

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ALUMNI PROFILE

F O RWA R D P R O G R E S S ABIMBOLA COLE ’11 KNOWS WHERE SHE'S BEEN, WHERE SHE IS, AND WHERE SHE'S GOING

A

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Abimbola Cole ’11, PharmD, MPH, doesn’t believe she’s making a difference in this world.

Cole grew up in Roslindale and is a proud past member of the

She knows it.

access, navigate, and graduate from college. Steppingstone partners

“Find your ’Why,’” she told Thayer students in March of 2023 as the guest speaker for the Middle School’s Science Cafe series, an initiative which seeks to introduce science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics to interested middle schoolers.

A pharmacist by training, Cole is now a director within Safety Evaluation & Risk Management (SERM) for GSK, a global biopharma company based in London. Her role, she told students, is pharmacovigilance, i.e. drug safety, as she tracks any adverse effects during clinical trials and after drug approval. But her “Why” is engaging in her lifelong passion for public health, playing a part in cutting-edge research and the relentless push for new and better treatments, and the development of drugs which, ultimately, will serve the public good.

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Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

Steppingstone Scholars Program, a Boston-based nonprofit which prepares students from historically marginalized communities to with Thayer as well as other independent schools to place qualified students, and Cole began Thayer as a sixth grader in 2004. She credits Thayer for helping her to find her voice, both literally and in the larger sense of the word.

In the Middle School, Cole participated in plays and loved Declamation, the schoolwide public speaking celebration. In fact, she still remembers her three declamations: Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech to the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio; A monologue from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; and “Phenomenal Woman,” a poem by Maya Angelou. Cole lauds Declamation as a process which taught her the soft skills of communicating with individuals and/or groups who might not necessarily be like her or think like her.

ALUMNI PROFILE

A student of color whose previous schools had all been diverse, Cole also found her voice by speaking up at a time when Thayer was far less diverse than it is today and far less inclined to see that as an issue.

“I had two choices: I could remain silent for seven years or I could speak up,” said Cole. She did so by working with teachers who she felt understood the situation; together, they worked to educate classmates on Thayer’s lack of diversity and what she called the school’s more suburban attitude.

Cole said she also respectfully challenged assumptions and engaged in debate when possible.

A New Age Towards Combating Cancer Call her optimistically cautious or cautiously optimistic, but Cole believes the

Cut to March of 2023, when Cole visited with Middle

world is in the beginning stages of a new

School students of color prior to her Science Cafe

age — similar to “the age of antibiotics” or

appearance.

the “the age of heart health” — where it addresses the scourge of cancer head-on.

“That never would have happened in my day because there wasn’t a recognition of racism as a systemic issue,” said Cole, who described today’s students of color as dealing with the same societal issues but having better tools with which to address those issues. “The first step is awareness.”

During her Science Cafe visit, Cole highlighted several key milestones in the history of public health. After that, Cole and the students engaged in a spirited discussion about

“It’s a very smart disease,” she said of cancer. “However, we’re at a point, especially with the increased use of technology, where we can begin to think not only about caring for people with cancer but curing them.”

Until that milestone is achieved, however, Cole urges a proactive approach.

hypothetical drugs and their possible pros and cons. That discussion ended with half of the students developing one

“Public awareness definitely plays a role

hypothetical drug while the other half served as regulators,

in the push for cancer solutions,” she said.

asking pointed questions about efficacy and possible side

“Patients should work with their doctors

effects before deciding “yea” or “nay.” The well-attended session allowed students to understand the importance of drug safety and get a glimpse of the various stages of drug

and make every attempt to catch it early.

But people should stop — and they are — treating cancer as a death sentence.”

development.

Cole, who described her education at Thayer as stellar, has two older sisters who are also pharmacists, so the profession was always on the radar. That said, her career goals took on a more international perspective during her experience in Thayer’s Model United Nations.

“I wanted to go into something that would help people globally,” she said, “and healthcare is one of the best ways to

OMEGA Model UN Track & Field Environmental Club Concert Choir High Honor Roll

do that.”

Cole's senior photo from the 2011 Black & Orange

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ALUMNI PROFILE

“YOU COULD JUST RELY ON HIM...”

FALLEN NAVY SEAL REMEMBERED AS A GOOD MAN WHO PUT OTHERS FIRST

C

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Chief Special Warfare Operator Michael T. Ernst ’04 earned many honors, citations, and medals during his Navy SEAL career, including the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest military decoration for valor in combat.

But those who knew him best say the proud Cohasset native cared not one whit for the external honors. Instead, he cared about the man or woman next to him — be that a family member, a teammate, or a fellow sailor — and that’s what those who love him remember most.

“Si monumentum requiris, circumspice (If you seek his monument, look around),” wrote Luke Ernst ’11 in a Memorial Day social media post honoring his big brother, who died Feb. 19 of this year in a parachute training accident in Arizona. The decorated veteran is survived by his wife Megan and their two children; his parents, Bob and Mary P '04, '06, '11; siblings Greg, Callie ’06, Peter, Luke, and Maggie; and many nieces and nephews.

“A Navy SEAL is not who Michael was; it was just what he did,” continued Luke Ernst’s remembrance. “Michael was the consummate human being — a loving father, a devoted husband, a genuine friend, and the best brother, uncle, and son that anyone could hope for.”

In a similar post, Callie Ernst said her big brother knew the risks of being a Navy SEAL but did the job anyway because he was “110 percent committed” in everything he did.

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“If you were lucky enough to know him, then you were lucky enough,” she wrote. “To have him as my big brother, I’m the luckiest.” This summer she ran the Aspen Marathon, her first, in honor of her brother.

Megan Ernst, who met her husband when they were both students at Denison University but didn’t date him until years after graduation, recalled a man with almost boundless energy who somehow managed to balance a successful career with being present for his family and friends.

“He had two loves: me and the kids, and the love for the team,” she said, referring to his fellow Navy SEALS. “That was his purpose.”

Founded in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy but with roots in the “frogmen” underwater demolition teams of World War II and the Korean War, the Navy SEALS (Sea, Air, and Land) are the nation’s elite special operations forces. Highly trained and highly respected, the Navy SEALS take on missions that are incredibly dangerous and often classified.

But as exemplary as her husband’s naval career was, said Megan Ernst, it shouldn’t overshadow the impact he had on others simply by connecting with them.

ALUMNI PROFILE

“Mike’s legacy was the way he lived his life,” she said. “He was a good person. He cared about people and had an amazing ability to make people feel seen.”

MacVarish P ’11, himself a 25-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, during an Upper School assembly shortly after the Feb. 19 tragic accident.

deal to him. She remembered one of their first trips to the Boston area while they were dating when he brought her on a tour of Thayer’s campus.

She said her husband was deliberate in his work, often taking on the less glamorous tasks such as inventory or communications projects, and finished promptly so that he could be there to pick up the kids from daycare.

And Bob Ernst, Michael’s father, echoed comments that his son felt a strong sense of purpose in serving his country as a Navy SEAL.

“He took me all around Thayer and showed me all the buildings, pointing out which new buildings hadn’t been there in his time,” she said, “and he pointed out the places where he hung out with his friends.” At Thayer, Michael Ernst was a solid student and standout athlete, playing on the football, hockey, and lacrosse teams while also participating in Choir and Jazz Combo. He played lacrosse in college before enlisting in the Navy; he joined his first operational naval special warfare unit in 2012.

“He loved being a dad,” she said, recalling how much he cherished engaging in sword fights (using foam swords) with his son, now age 3, or helping his daughter, now age 5, reach the monkey bars on the jungle gym or practice backbends for gymnastics.

Megan Ernst also recalled sorting through the mail one day to discover that her husband had been named sailor of the quarter or perhaps sailor of the year; she honestly can’t remember because he always downplayed his athletic, academic, or military accomplishments.

“He said it was no big deal, but it was a big deal,” she said. “They held a ceremony.”

Recently, she said, her husband earned a one-year MBA from MIT. As part of a team-building exercise, he and a few other classmates were tasked with building a raft, something he knew how to do quite well, but he let his classmates take the lead for the good of the project.

“He was always a good guy,” said Megan Ernst. “He was never the guy who put himself before you.”

Make no mistake: the 36-year-old Ernst was a warrior and made multiple deployments overseas to Afghanistan and elsewhere in support of the Global War on Terror mission.

“We as a nation should be proud of the man he went on to become and the selfless service and sacrifice he rendered,” said Upper School Science Faculty Jim

“He went to the bad places, and he really wanted to get the bad guys,” said Bob Ernst. “He was proud of his team and the good that they did.”

But what Bob Ernst remembers most are the more personal stories, like when his son absconded with a rickety old family trailer only to rebuild it and return it as a gift for Christmas.

“I didn’t notice when it was gone, and I didn’t even notice when he brought it back,” recalled Bob Ernst with a laugh.

One time, when his son was taking classes at MIT, Bob Ernst offhandedly mentioned that he’d like to add some gutter guards to the house; a few days later, he discovered that he suddenly had them.

“He didn’t say a word,” said Bob Ernst.

“He just did it.”

Yet another time, it became apparent that plows and other vehicles were ripping up the front edge of the Ernst family lawn, so one day Michael Ernst simply picked up eight large stones, each weighing well over 100 pounds, and carried them to the edge of the grass.

“It looked like something from the World’s Strongest Man competition,” said Bob Ernst. “When he had finished, he just said, ’Hey, Dad, how’s that?’”

Megan Ernst said that her husband had friends from all walks of life, including some from grade school, and that the friends he met at Thayer meant a great

In his Memorial Day remembrance, Luke Ernst offered a few of his big brother’s own words: “When faced with what seems to be insurmountable odds, you can either do nothing, or you can do something. I have found that doing something has always seen me through to the other side.”

But Megan Ernst’s words also tell the story: “You could just rely on him,” she said. “If something went wrong, you could always call him. He was always there.”

And then there are the words of Bob Ernst.

“It was great having him around,” he said.

“Trust me.”

Honor Roll Men's Choir Jazz Combo JV Football Varsity Football JV Hockey Varsity Hockey Varsity Lacrosse Varsity Track

Ernst's senior photo from the 2004 Black & Orange

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END OF YEAR 2023

RECOGNITION DAY 2023 Thayer Academy’s Class of 2027 ended their Middle School careers in style as 78 eighth graders received certificates of promotion June 8 in the CFA’s Hale Theater.

Kristina Macauley, Middle School science faculty member, gives the Guest Speaker address.

Nina Mathelus ’27 leads the Pledge of Allegiance.

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Middle School Director Galen Hamann congratulated the proud families who filled the theater to celebrate the big day. Chosen by the class as its guest speaker, Middle School Science Faculty Kristina Macauley called it an honor and privilege to address the gathering.

“Your achievements have paved the way for your bright futures filled with endless possi-

Austin Archabal ’27 gives the welcome address.

bilities,” Macauley told students.

Co-Top Scholars Isabella Kahn ’27 & Compton Jones ’27 offer their joint remarks.

As top scholars in the class with identical GPAs, Compton Jones ’27 and Isabella Kahn ’27 delivered the farewell address jointly.

Austin Archabal ’27 offered the welcome address while Nina Mathelus ’27 and Aaravsinh Vaghela ’27 offered the day’s invocation and benediction, respectively.

Aaravsinh Vaghela ’27 gives the invocation.

The Middle School Choir and Ensemble perform "Best Day of My Life."

F A C U L T Y AWA R D S

L-to-R: Compton Jones ’27, Brandon Kwok ’27, Dillon Driscoll ’27, Caeden Mullin ’27, Teddy Gilman ’27, Quentin Brown ’27, Sidney Schneider ’27, Kristianna Masiello ’27, Zoë Rudolph ’27, and Isabella Kahn ’27 jump for joy following the official end of Middle School.

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Faculty award winners included (from left) Middle School Registrar / Asst. to the Middle School Director Teresa Tenney (We Are All Tigers Award), Middle School World Languages Department Head Angela Toussaint (20 years of service), and Middle School CDL Director Marie Jimenez (Swain Chair for Excellence in Teaching).

END OF YEAR 2023

LAST CHAPEL 2023

Renee Martel ’25 & Catherine Woods ’25 sing "America the Beautiful."

Breanna Kunkel ’25 receives an award.

“With all due respect to the Founding Fathers, you shouldn’t pursue happiness. Happiness cannot be sought and gained, but instead is a byproduct. A byproduct of a life well-lived, a byproduct of a self freely expressed; it cannot be imbibed, inhaled, or ingested. The closest thing we have to that is Double Stuf Oreos, and even they don’t entirely get the job done. You have to find and pursue your passions, and only then will you find yourself, almost by accident, approaching real happiness.”

Those were the words of Upper School Math Faculty Justin Maloney, chosen by the Class of 2023 to serve as the faculyt speaker at Last Chapel, which was held June 9 in Alumni Gym. By turns humorous and profound and sometimes both at the same time, Maloney eschewed inkhorn phrases for a sincere address to graduates.

Upper School Math Faculty Justin Maloney gives the faculty speaker address

Upper School History Faculty Larry Carlson P ’02,

’05, ’10 sings "Thayer, Thayer Forever" to seniors as

they depart Alumni Gym.

“Be yourselves,” he told the Class of 2023, "because who you have become — who you are — is more than enough.”

(L-to-R): Matt Fortunato ’26, Cailyn Hsu ’26, and David Morisset ’26

Steven Branfman P ’00, ’02 lauded for 45 years of service at Thayer

Last Chapel ceremonies saw awards presented to all Upper School grades, recognition of faculty and staff service milestones, and a farewell to departing faculty and staff, which this year included Upper School Director Highley Thompson P ’20, ’23 and Admissions Director Jon White P ’09, ’11, ’15.

Steven Silvers ’25 receives an award from Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28.

(L-to-R): Sam Taylor ’23, Andrew Guilfoyle ’23, Axel Foss ’23, Tyler Fico ’23, and Sam Hisenberg ’26

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END OF YEAR 2023

T

COMMENCEMENT 2023

Thayer Academy’s 145th Commencement saw sunny skies June 10 as 124 members of the Class of 2023 received diplomas during exercises held on the Academy’s main lawn.

“Stay appreciative of those who support you,” Valedictorian Peter Chen ’23 told classmates before offering a special thanks to his parents.

Senior Speaker Conor Mannion ’23 urged fellow seniors to cherish the memories made at Thayer and to “keep that tiger on your chest.” Emily Pierre ’23 and Addi St. Jean ’23 offered the invocation and benediction, respectively.

Dr. Joshua Bennett, an award-winning poet and scholar as well as a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, served as Commencement speaker.

“Friends are the family you get to select,” said Bennett who, in honor of the graduates, performed his poem “Directives,” delivered in an electrifying style crafted from Bennett’s years of experience in spoken word poetry.

“Remember that you have all the grace that you could ever need,” is one of the final lines of the poem (see p. 38).

Scan this QR code to watch the 145th Thayer Commencement ceremony in its entirety.

Surrounded by friends, Christine Oar '23 displays her new diploma.

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Millie Smith ’23 with her mother.

END OF YEAR 2023

Axel Foss ’23 and Jack Snyder ’23

Xiaoyu Zheng ’23 with faculty member Gloria Blanco P ’04, ’05, ’08, ’11 Emily Pierre ’23 gives the invocation.

Peter Chen ’23 gives the valedictory speech.

Senior Speaker Conor Mannion ’23.

Addi St. Jean ’23 gives the benediction.

Cam Dirico ’23

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END OF YEAR 2023

A P O E M BY C O M M E N C E M E N T S P E A K E R D R . J O S H UA B E N N E T T

Directives

— with a line from Toni Morrison A Time Capsule for the Thayer Academy Class of 2023

Praise the laughter. Praise the summer -time graduation ceremony outside and the celebrations after

and love and love and did I mention love? Remember to love, and not just to fall in it but to rise in it, cherish your heart, for this is the prize, and isn’t that some

Praise the games, and the goals, not the grades, but the soul of a thing that makes it sing. Praise the music

glorious, invincible truth? Remember truth is more lovely, more liberating, than a lie, Remember the children that each one of you were, and still are inside

of everyday miracles: freestyling with your friends at lunchtime, pulling bars from the air like my lexicon is luminous / and this love I have is ludicrous / the sunset is fine, but my grandmother’s eyes were the beautiful -lest / And I remember her

Listen to that voice, when doubters try to crush your conviction, call your wisdom youthful naiveté nonsense nothing worthy of attention

Remember memories that make the ordinary magnificent Remember teachers who opened the world with poems and experiments, sprawling equations and trips through history

enough, at least this morning, also trumpets, loud enough to shake light from the sky Remember your praiseworthy mind, praise what reminds you that you are indisputably alive, that the bright red fist drumming in your chest is also

Remember history, which does not repeat, but half-rhymes, sometimes, and not always on-beat So remember to improvise, with the ones who made your favorite days come soaring to life, remember bonds you’ve built to withstand the pull of time, remember time is not promised, but promises are how we fortify the future in language, so promise one another something meaningful each day and mean it, promise to honor your genius, in lecture halls, and on dance floors, and on the stages throughout your life you will fill with light and life and love

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a moment to sit still and appreciate the sheer breadth of the breath in your lungs which are also, interestingly

a compass, that you are endless, cherished, and that the care which carried you here, like a wish on a windswept ship, shaken but still intact, is enough to get you wherever you need to be. Remember to rest, and to relax, and to sing about the good times, sometimes. Remember that you have all the grace you could ever need. Remember to dream.

END OF YEAR 2023

COMMENCEMENT PRIZES 2023 THE NANCY DINATALE TAYLOR AWARD: Aoibhe Gormley THE THAYER ACADEMY OUTSTANDING MALE ATHLETE AWARD: Samson Okunlola THE MAUREEN E. BUCKEN GIRLS ATHLETIC AWARD: Antonia Ierardi

THE PHOEBE LEE HOSMER WORLD LANGUAGE PRIZES: Conor Mannion (French) Amanda Fogel (Latin) Jessica Fisher (Hispanic language and culture) Amelia Compson (Chinese language/culture) THE LEIGHTON S. TOWER HISTORY PRIZE: Caroline Gelina

THE THOMAS J. BERRY III AWARD: Jackson Reardon

THE LOUISE E. SAUL AWARDS FOR ENGLISH: Sofia Skop (literature) Jessica Fisher (writing)

THE GILBERT A. BOOTH AWARDS: Emma Dahl Alena Mulhern

THE MAURICE R. SEYMOUR PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS: Max Hughes

THE WARD S. DONNER AWARDS: Sichao (Tommy) Bi Virginia Thompson

THE CHARLES R. MANGAT-RAI PRIZE FOR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: Madelyn Stearns THE HELEN ALDEN BREEN DRAMATICS AWARD: Isabella Rivera

THE E. IONE LOCKWOOD MUSIC AWARDS: Tatiana Allen Leo Eschauzier THE JOHN M. RODOCANACHI ART PRIZES: Alenka Cetkovic Samuel Taylor THE NATHANIEL AUGUSTINE THAYER SCHOLARSHIP: Olivia Walker THE JOTHAM B. SEWALL PRIZE: Jiajun (Peter) Chen THE WALTER AND PRUDENCE ABELL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS: Andreia Soares Madelyn Stearns THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARDS: Jiajun (Peter) Chen Caroline Driscoll

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Thayer Academy

CLASS OF 2023

Class of 2023

2

College Matriculation

39 Massachusetts

3

Vermont

12 New York

2

Washington, D.C.

9

Connecticut

2

Georgia

9

Rhode Island

2

Maryland

6

Colorado

2

Maine

5

California

2

New Jersey

5

Pennsylvania

2

Texas

4

Ohio

2

Washington

3

Florida

1

Illinois

3

North Carolina

1

Michigan

3

South Carolina

1

Utah

3

Virginia

1

PG Year

2

Junior Hockey

American University (1) Assumption University (1) Babson College (5) Bentley University (1) Boston College (7) Boston University (3) Bowdoin College (1) Brown University (2) Bucknell University (1) California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) (1) Case Western Reserve University (1) Champlain College (1) Clemson University (1) College of Charleston (1) College of the Holy Cross (4) Colorado College (1) Columbia University (1) Connecticut College (1) Davidson College (1) Denison University (3)

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5

Eckerd College (1) Elon University (2) Endicott College (1) Fairfield University (2) Florida Institute of Technology (1) Georgetown University (1) Harvard University (3) Ithaca College (1) Johns Hopkins University (1) Lafayette College (1) Lehigh University (1) Marymount Manhattan College (1) Massachusetts College of Art and Design (1) Massachusetts Maritime Academy (1) Merrimack College (1) Morgan State University (1) Northeastern University (3) Northwestern University (1) Norwich University (1) Penn State University (University Park) (1)

2 3 39

12

1 5

2

9

2

4 1 1

9

2

3

6

3

3 2 2 3

Pitzer College (1) Princeton University (1) Providence College (6) Quinnipiac University (1) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1) Roanoke College (1) Sacred Heart University (1) Salve Regina University (1) Santa Clara University (2) Savannah College of Art and Design (2) Seton Hall University (1) Southern Methodist University (1) Stonehill College (1) Stony Brook University (1) Syracuse University (4) Texas Christian University (1) Trinity College (4) Union College (1) University of Colorado Boulder (1) University of Denver (4)

University of Maine (1) University of Massachusetts (Amherst) (2) University of Miami (1) University of Michigan (1) University of Puget Sound (1) University of Richmond (1) University of Rochester (1) University of South Carolina (1) University of Southern California (1) University of Utah (1) University of Vermont (1) University of Washington (Seattle Campus) (1) Utica University (1) Villanova University (1) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1) Wellesley College (2) Woods College for Advancing Studies (1) Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2) PG Year (1) Junior Hockey (2)

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41

Seniors 2022 Senior Profiles

Isabella Rivera ’23 Global Scholar; Theater; Swim & Dive - Captain; Jazz Combo; Voice Magazine; OMEGA; Tour Guide Hometown: Hanover Attending: Princeton University

of the unique things about Thayer is its philosophy “ One that students should be encouraged to pursue a diversity

of interests. During my time at Thayer, I was encouraged to try new classes in subjects that challenged me while participating in athletics and the visual and performing arts.

”

Peter Chen ’23 Student Government - Co-President; Coding Club - Co-President; Cross Country - Captain; Special Olympics - Captain; Peer Advisor; Mathlete; Entrepreneurship Pilot Program Hometown: Beijing, China Attending: Harvard University

taught me how to work with other people. Whether “ Thayer in student government, group projects, or even founding a

club, I’m always finding myself working with other people.

Having supportive and trusting collaborators is instrumental to everything I do.

”

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Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

2022 Senior Profiles

Daniel Cherry ’23 Class Officer; Future Problem-Solvers - Co-President; Football; JV Hockey; Peer Advisor; Help-A-Hero - Co-President; Challenger Sports; Lead Tour Guide; Entrepreneurship Pilot Program Hometown: Milton Attending: Boston College

“

Thayer has allowed me to branch out in so many areas, allowed me to excel in what I’m good at, challenged me in all arenas, and pushed me to want to do better. Thayer has taught me the immense value of building strong relationships and simply giving your best effort to what you’re doing every day.

”

Addi St. Jean ’23 Challenge Success Team; Computer Science Teaching Assistant; Special Olympics; Challenger Sports; Peer Advisor; Peer Tutor; Entrepreneurship Pilot Program Hometown: Duxbury Attending: Boston College

has helped me expand my definition of success. “ Thayer Success isn’t measured by one accomplishment or grade but by who we are as people and how we can contribute positively to the world.

”

See more senior profiles from the Class of 2023 (as well as past years) at: thayer.org/studentprofiles

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

43

d where day, we en

egan

we once b

re! w we’re he bottom no e th m o fr started Tigers, we for Thayer I spit bars hool is out! knowing sc n a runway ies. s parade o rd o w t our legac se e Th s that flaun w o fl h it w ard fashion forw rk one the wo d We—have e effort th harnessed We—have bean done Mem We—have plete.

Present ork is com we are ALL ly All homew te a G s.

M arade please tell ts on this p Somebody lass or bea c g in p ip be no sk There will es t sick rhym as I presen air back I slick my h oulders irt off my sh Brushing d ior class! use cts for sen notes beca Speaking fa take some to rn tu r u ff, it’s yo Faculty, sta r our future h promises fo ilt u b ve a h Mr. Murp h We— heck in wit c to t e rg , ever fo e Teardrop We—will n wns, past th la n o h rt Stepping fo ractions Hurrah e Main—att for our Last th rs a to in te d g n in a ag Dropp American fl of photos s near the slideshow g up the stair in sh a fl a my right—is Where—to s. ma Mia! ter to sport From thea jam to Mam to a n u rt o F ot to see We even g ill miss seats we w in y d a e st t We si isce sweet, And remin gh subjects so in st re , and Keou te n in ne, Forrest ro d our sudde e C ly complex h it acting w ds creative o tr b th e su m d n — a rs atte Adding scientific m nd adoring a g n ri lo xp E wonders ss.

Worlds and te to proce eds a minu e n n phors va o n iles—meta Even Do smooth sim g in m im sk , We slay at any sense on’t make d t, rs fi t a Which

To

Delivered May 5 by Tatiana Allen '23 at the final Friday Morning Assembly for the Class of 2023

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Thayer CLASS OF 2023

School's Out a poem for the Class of 2023 by former Upper School English Faculty Caroline Kautsire

but when you think of carefully crafted curriculums Classes with teach ers like Cramer, Ku hlmann, and King, Well, each student comes alive driven by daring dreams—t Or maybe we create hink Martin Luther King our own rendition of “16 Ba rs for Ke We decode history ndrick”—think Josh ua Bennett. with Dixon and Midd lebrooks While we write our own Thayer history, navigating World La nguages With Rando and Le e Conjugating verbs with Burke and Gilm ore Yo, we chant Latin like a league of wa rriors Slipping some sauc e to summon team spirit.

Diverse in our devic es, we dive deep in as Global Scholars An educational reali ty that allowed Sump ter and Dunne to sp But there was also ark greatness in us time to just chill an . d BE–in one DEIB space: Finding peace when the sign on Miller’s door reads “Come Or when we gathe In!” r in Ghiden’s dimly lit office Coming up with cle ver concepts for the CFA stage and beyo For we are Tigers, nd.

Tigers, burning brigh t In the hallways of ou r minds.

Bars so boss, and memories, of co urse: We tip our hats for Mr. White and Mr. Th ompson We part ways know ing we have built an everlasting bond We—have found a way to connect—a way to belong crossing paths tha t pave the way to ex cellence Enlightened, energiz ed, and elevated We thank you, Thay er, for being our trib e We thank you, Thay er, for being our ho me .

Thayer, Thayer, for ever!

Something to build on there.

Our school bell jus t rang We have locked in our legacies Again, we have do ne the work We end where we once began.

So, Class of 2023, sc

hool is officially ou

t!

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

45

CLASS OF 2023

The Sky’s the Limit THAYER STUDENT CONTRIBUTES TO RESEARCH ON MORPHING AIRFOIL

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Helicopters move very well vertically but can’t travel long distances. Airplanes travel long distances but can’t move vertically.

Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft promise the best of both worlds, but optimally transitioning from stop-rotor (helicopter) to fixed wing (airplane) presents a formidable engineering challenge.

Max Hughes ’23 accepted that challenge and spent a good deal of the summer before his senior year trying to square that circle. For those efforts, the newly minted grad, who is attending Northwestern University this fall, earned second-author status on a research paper and a trip to an international scientific conference this spring.

As part of his Independent Science Research (ISR) course, Hughes, then a junior, obtained

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an internship in the BioInstrumentation Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Working with doctoral student Kristan Hilby of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Ian Hunter, Ph.D., the Hatsopoulous Professor of Mechanical Engineering and head of the BioInstrumentation Lab, Hughes worked on the novel design of a morphing airfoil — in layman’s terms, figuring out the best way to get a helicopter-type blade to change between rotation and fixed configurations.

Hilby, Hughes, and Hunter then authored “Design and Analysis of a Novel Reversible Airfoil Mechanism,” which was presented at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Aerospace Conference this March in Big Sky, Montana.

“It went well,” said Hughes, who was there to support the team in their presentation.

“People showed up, and they asked really great questions.”

One of the few high school students at the conference, Hughes said one highlight was meeting many of the technicians from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who work on the Mars rover missions: that group included those working with Ingenuity, the small helicopter drone which accompanied the rover Perseverance to Mars and has completed more than 50 flights above the red planet.

Hughes said he enjoyed the new experience of the conference but tried to keep his role on the research paper in perspective.

“This is an entire Ph.D. thesis of which I’m only one small part,” said Hughes, who explained that he had one specific task: designing and then testing the mechanism which essentially swaps out the thin and thick sides of a blade/wing as efficiently as possible; Hughes described it as “changing Shape X to Shape Y.” Inspired by a wooden roll-out chair, Hughes came up with a folding-slat design which, when tested, worked. He was quick to credit Hilby, the paper’s lead author,

for encouraging his efforts on the mechanism design.

He also thanked the university for allowing him to participate so fully during his internship.

“The people at MIT had no reason to believe that I could contribute anything of value, and yet they took me on,” said Hughes. “I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

Specific or not, Hughes’ efficient design could eventually prove a game changer in the world of VTOLs, and the young man is 100 percent certain why that game needs to change.

“We’re going to need clean-fuel electric transportation.

That’s not even debatable,” said the Cohasset native.

“To do that, we’re going to need ideas like this one, which combines the best properties of a helicopter with the best parts of a plane for a great increase in efficiency. It could save massive amounts of electricity.”

OKUNLOLA CHOOSES UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Hughes credited the Academy’s ISR program — which introduces students to primary research opportunities in scientific laboratories to prepare them for summer internships in lab settings — for helping him to understand what scientific research looks like; he called reading the dense language of research papers “an acquired skill.” Hughes also credited the program for teaching him how to define his useful skills for wouldbe employers and dealing with the frustration when some of those would-be employers decline the offer.

“I wouldn’t have known that this (the MIT internship) was a possibility if I hadn’t taken the ISR course,” said Hughes, “and I wouldn’t have persisted in getting the internship.”

“It was hard to get to my decision, and it involved many hours of going back and forth with my family,” said the highly recruited offensive tackle, who stands six feet, five inches tall and weighs 305 pounds, “but now that I’ve picked up that hat and said the words ’I’m committing to the University of Miami,’ I feel somewhat relieved.”

But Upper School Science Department Head Don Donovan P ’10, ’13, who runs the ISR program, gave the lion’s share of the credit to Hughes himself.

“To have a high school student not only contribute to this research but also to be invited to present is a big deal,” said Donovan. “Max is such an amazing person and an incredible and personable academic. I think he and this accomplishment should be celebrated by all of the community.”

When not designing next-gen aircraft, Hughes can be found engaging in his passions for robotics, history, and reading. At Thayer, Hughes was a member of the Game Club and the Coding Club; in fact, he cofounded the latter. He served as a peer advisor and played electric guitar in one of the Academy’s jazz combos. At recent Commencement exercises, Hughes received The Maurice R. Seymour Prize for Mathematics.

One of the greatest football players to ever wear a Thayer uniform, Samson Okunlola ’23 made use of an on-campus “reveal” celebration to announce his decision to play college ball at the University of Miami. The signing event — held Dec. 15, 2022, in Memorial Gym — was attended by family, friends, and Okunlola’s fellow classmates and teammates. Guests of honor included Okunlola’s parents, Jomel and Monica Okunlola P ’22, ’23.

The day featured a silver dollar pancake bar in a nod to Okunlola’s nickname, “The Pancake Honcho.” The senior graciously signed customized football cards for anyone who asked, including students in the Middle School.

A Brockton resident, Okunlola possesses not only explosive power but also incredible quickness for someone that size. He is thought to be the first five-star high school football recruit to come out of Massachusetts.

The senior standout’s list of college finalists included a “who’s who” of the nation’s elite football programs; along with the University of Miami, that list included: Michigan State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Alabama.

Okunlola’s football accomplishments are numerous. He was named All-ISL and ISL Lineman of the Year during his junior season as well as AllNEPSAC and NEPSAC Class B Lineman of the Year. A captain his senior year, Okunlola was again All-ISL and All-NEPSAC in addition to earning the ISL’s Darren Gallup League MVP award and the NEPSAC Player of the Year award.

The coveted prospect was also one of only 100 players selected from across the nation to play in the 2023 All-American Bowl, which took place Jan. 7, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas.

The Pancake Honcho’s older brother, Samuel “Sammy” Okunlola ’22, was also a Tiger captain and a standout on the gridiron. He currently plays football at the University of Pittsburgh.

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NCAA Student-Athletes FROM THE CLASS OF 2023 These 31 student-athletes will play college sports across the country.

ATHLETICS

I Z AB E L L A AM O N T E

CALLIE AHER N

Track & Field SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY

GIB S O N AKO H

Lacrosse

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Lacrosse STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

Football MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

B EAU CHO U INARD Lacrosse

CAM E R O N DAY TO N

HOLY CROSS

Baseball QUINNIIPIAC UNIVERSITY

EMMA DAHL Basketball

ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY

ANNA DEMBOW SKI Lacrosse

CHARLIE DENOMME Baseball

TU CKER CHANENCHU K

UNION COLLEGE

AXE L FOSS

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

CO N N O R FOLEY Lacrosse

Baseball WORCESTER POLY. INST.

AOIBHE GORMLEY

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Basketball BOSTON UNIVERSITY

M A R GUERITE GR EENE Field Hockey

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WELLESLEY COLLEGE

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S O PH I A H AN S E N Track & Field

TRINITY COLLEGE

RYA N H AW L E Y Baseball

BABSON COLLEGE

Thayer CLASS OF 2023

S C OT T LOWE Lacrosse RENSSELAER POLY. INST.

ANTONIA IERARD I Field Hockey

Lacrosse

MERRIMACK COLLEGE

ENDICOTT COLLEGE

AL I X M AD D E N Lacrosse SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY

CONOR M E E H AN

COLE M ATLACK

Rowing

B R O DY M ACD O N AL D

Baseball

NORWICH UNIVERSITY

B R ADY M O N T UR I O

BROWN UNIVERSITY Lacrosse

DENISON UNIVERSITY

AL E N A MU L H E R N

SAMSON OKU NLOLA

WELLESLEY COLLEGE

Softball

Football

S HEA O' NEILL Soccer / Track

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

G R ADY R US S O TRINITY COLLEGE

Football

POMONA-PITZER COLLEGE

M AD I S O N R I CH M AN Ice Hockey

LILA SHEA

UTICA UNIVERSITY Ice Hockey

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

JA A DEN SI M P KINS Football

STONEHILL COLLEGE

JAC K S NY D E R Lacrosse

ROANOKE COLLEGE

S AM UE L TAVI T I AN Lacrosse MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

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Athletics WINTER 2023 SPORTS

Shaanveer Gupta ’28

Caitlin Berardi ’26

Cassidy Mullin ’26

Middle School Girls Basketball A Team Mary Fideli ’25, Lucy Sullivan ’25 & Ava Thomas ’25

Charlie Cao ’23 & Isabella Rivera ’23

RECORD BREAKER!

’

Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Mike Jones ’03 PHOTO BY JACK REGAN ’24

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Harry Salters ’24

History was made at St. George's School when Peyton Knightly '24 not only broke her own Thayer school record in the 100-yard freestyle but also broke the St. George's pool record. Knightly's time (53.92) bested the 2010 record of three-time Olympian and medal winner Elizabeth Beisel.

Congratulations, Peyton!

Athletics WINTER 2023 SPORTS

Girls Varsity Hockey Coach Brandy Fisher-Bailey P ’28, ’29

Sabrina Garcia ’24

W I NT ER WONDERS

The efforts of Thayer coaches and student-athletes resulted in a winter sports season filled with both team accomplishments and individual achievements.

Led by All-NEPSAC players Emma Dahl ’23 and Aoibhe Gormley ’23, the girls varsity basketball team enjoyed a great season and advanced as far as the NEPSAC Class A semifinals.

The boys varsity hockey team finished the year in strong fashion and earned a 6-1 victory over St. Sebastian’s in the 25th annual Valicenti Cup. Both Martha Arends ’23 and Conrad Langenhagen ’24 earned two All-New England medals for their performances in Giant Slalom and Slalom at the NEPSAC Championships.

And, after making the podium at both the Graves-Kelsey ISL Championships and the New Englands, Gibson Akoh ’23 competed in the 87th annual Prep Wrestling Championships held in Maryland. Job well done, Tigers!

Scan the QR code to read more about the winter sports season.

The boys varsity team beat St. Seb's to capture the 2023 Valicenti Cup

X ’XX & Y ’XX

Gibson Akoh ’23

L-to-R: T.J. Zukauskas ’29, Junior Conover ’28, Joey Fisher ’27, Will Freeman ’27 & Jayden Gibson ’28

L-to-R: Matty MacDonald ’26, Brady Erickson ’24 & Tyler Moschella ’26 PHOTO BY JACK REGAN ’24

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Athletics SPRING 2023 SPORTS

Toni Ierardi ’23

Ryan Noreke ’24

Ryan Mottau ’24

SPR ING LE A N I N G The girls varsity track & field team once again had an outstanding spring season; the squad finished with a 17-0 regular season record before winning the ISL Championship for the 22nd consecutive year and then winning the NEPSTA DI Championship for the second straight year. (It should be noted that prior to that, the girls had won 22 straight NEPSTA DII championships.)

Led by Sascha Robinson ’24, the boys varsity golf team won the Hendricken Invitational in Rhode Island, and the boys varsity lacrosse team rode a sixgame winning streak to a #6 seed in the ISL playoffs.

Martin Nyagilo ’24

Girls varsity lacrosse earned a winning record while enjoying a mid-season trip to Northwestern University and an 8-7 victory over Brooks on Senior Day. The girls varsity tennis team showed grit in a thrilling victory over a strong Rivers squad. Congratulations to all our spring coaches and student-athletes!

Scan the QR code for more about the spring sports season.

Steven Silvers ’25 Seneca Wallace ’24

Sascha Robinson ’24

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(L-to-R): Elsa Landy ’25, Sophia Casagrande ’25, Sasha Ward ’24, Cate Devaney ’24, Lindsey Bennett ’24 & Anna Dembowski ’23 PHOTO BY CHRIS WARD P ’24

Austin Ngo ’23

Athletics SPRING 2023 SPORTS

Alena Mulhern ’23

Declan Harrington ’25

Brooke McHugh ’25 & Varsity Softball Coach Laura McDonough

Girls Varsity Track & Field Coach Jeff Browne P ’04, ’05

Thayer's boys varsity crew shell glides across the water.

Sophia Hansen ’23 & Shea O'Neill ’23 finish strong.

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Arts

Thayer Academy Upper School Theater Arts Proudly Presents:

MAMMA MIA!

MAMMA MIA!

Thursday, Friday & Saturday

The Musical

N OV EMB E R 1 7, 1 8 & 1 9, 2 0 2 2 Thayer Academy Center for the Arts Hale Theater | 7:00 p.m.

Tommy Bi ’23

The Fall 2022 production of Mamma Mia! in the CFA's Hale Theater brought disco balls and neon-bright attire to the forefront — along with some faculty participants!

Johnny Cronin ’23 Jane Richard ’24, Isabella Rivera ’23 & Cat Sheehan ’24

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Arts INTO THE WOODS

Virginia Thompson ’23 & Leo Eschauzier ’23

Alexa Hartman ’24

Sondheim's Into the Woods, Thayer Upper School's winter musical, awed

L-to-R: Amanda Fogel ’23, Catherine Woods ’25, Anna Dembowski ’23 & Summer Perry ’24

and inspired the packed Hale Theater for two nights in February with a magical melange of song and choreography; a twisted spin on fairy tales; and one ingeniously crafted puppet of a dairy cow.

L-to-R: Leo Eschauzier ’23, Alexa Hartman ’24, Matt O'Connor ’24, Ashley Johnson ’24 & Isabella Rivera ’23

Jack McCarthy ’24 & Tommy Bi ’23

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Arts FINE ARTS

Jaden Smith ’24 | Watercolor

Timmy Curran ’30 | Mosaic

Eliana Soares ’26 | Pen & Ink

Charlie Gavin ’24 | Pencil/Charcoal

Katie Holmes ’24 | Charcoal

Clare Hayes ’24 | Watercolor

Tess DiGregorio ’23 | Watercolor & Ink drawings

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Madi Richman ’23 | Charcoal

Arts 5TH & 6TH GRADE PERFORMING ARTS

Ms. Currie's 5th Graders

The Thompson Hall stage came alive with productions from Thayer's 5th & 6th Grades.

Sam Query ’29

Ms. Gordon's 5th Graders

Reese Haskell ’29

Thayer's fifth graders performed The Final Dress Rehearsal while sixth graders took part in Greek Myths plays — complete with masks they made themselves.

Chris Hainsselin ’29

With masks on and off - L-to-R: Emily Sullivan ’29, Chatham Walsh ’29, Taylor Currie ’29, Atlas Card ’29 & Ella McDonnell ’29

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Arts SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL

The fall production at Thompson Hall was Seussical the Musical complete with Horton and Thing 1 & 2 and a whole assortment of silly characters and songs.

Matthew McGuirl ’30

Hannah Currie ’28

Elsa Hancock-Happ ’30

Claire Kelly ’28, Abby Concannon ’28, Hadley Butler ’28 & Katie Fortunato ’28

The Who Citizens sing "Here on Who"

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Jack McDonough ’27

The Wickersham Brothers (L-to-R): Andrew Hernandez ’28, Antonio Lazzari ’30, Isaiah Kahn ’30, Micah Wartman ’30, Xavier Ardayfio ’30, Charlie Doyle ’29, Aaron Baker ’28, Calvin Jacobs ’29 & Owen Haskell ’29

Arts SHOWSTOPPERS

Maisie Martin '29

Manny Chikwendu '27

Vanessa Horne ’29 & Hannah Keleher ’29

Hannah Currie ’28 & Isabella Chikwendu ’30

Showstoppers returned with a bang this year as Middle School students from all grades took part in the beloved tradition, a fun mix of "showstopping" favorites from Broadway, theater & film.

Isabella Kahn ’27

Dominic Borges ’29 & Brendan Curran ’29

The full cast of Showstoppers.

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Arts L-to-R: Marguerite Greene ’23, Summer Perry ’24 & Sofia Skop ’23

AMUSIC MIDSUMMER III & IV NIGHT'S CONCERTS DREAM

Isabella Chikwendu ’30

L-to-R: Mia Matos ’23 & Isabella Rivera ’23

L-to-R: Emily Tormey ’29, Anne Suwastawan ’29 & Calvin Jacobs ’29 L-to-R: Connor Keleher ’28 & Aashrita Joga ’27

L-to-R: Eli Lukens ’24 & Ryan Noreke ’24

L-to-R: Jane Richard ’24 & Alexa Hartman ’24

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Arts A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

A N I G H T’S

D R E A M

A Thayer Academy Upper School Theater Experience

By William Shakespeare | Adapted by Steve Dooner

Directed by Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19 & Caroline Kautsire

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023 Cat Sheehan ’24

Paige Johnson ’26 & Leo Eschauzier ’23

Alexa Hartman ’24

Virginia Thompson ’23

L-to-R: Ashley Johnson ’24, Lucky Eschauzier ’23, Tommy Bi ’23, Eli Lukens ’24 & Sofia Skop ’23

Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19

Conceived by Upper School Theater Director Kelly Hines P '18, '19 during the pandemic and three years in making, Upper School students performed a multi-location, openair performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream this past April.

Luke Driscoll ’25 (with Maeby)

The full cast & crew

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Don't forget to check out what's happening on ThayerNetwork, our very own networking community!

The ThayerNetwork platform allows you to connect with fellow alums who have similar interests, careers, and locations; promote your business; search for job opportunities; and join a mentoring program.

Sign up today at ThayerNetwork.com 62

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

Alumni N E W S & N OT E S

2 0 2 3 T H AY E R L E G A C Y P H O T O FRONT ROW GROUPS (L-R): Christiane Fallon-Bacardi ’23 & Joyce George Bacardi ’57 GP ’23, ’26; Lesley Leibowitz Snyder ’93 P '23, '25, '28, Jack Snyder ’23 & Josh Snyder ’93 P ’23, ’25, ’28; Andrew Guilfoyle ’23 & Todd Guilfoyle ’92 P ’23, ’25; MIDDLE ROW GROUPS (L-R): Tony Amonte ’89 P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’23, Izabella Amonte ’23 & Laurie Pfeffer Amonte ’89 P '16, '18, '19, '23; Cameron DiRico ’23 & Jack DiRico ’76 P ’18, ’18, ’23; BACK ROW GROUPS (L-R): Dan Greene ’89 P ’23 & Marguerite Greene ’23; John Costello ’89 P ’23, ’24 & Mary Costello ’23; Madelyn Stearns ’23 & Will Stearns ’91 P ’23, ’26; NOT PICTURED: Daniel Cherry ’23 & Gregory Seymourian ’54 GP ’23, ’24

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

63

THAYER ACADEMY

GENERAL’S OPEN

2 8 T H A N N U A L G E N E R A L' S O P E N

28th Annual General's Open Tournament Winners WINNING FOURSOME:

Jarrad Glennon ’97 Brad Dunn ’99 Rob McMenimon ’98 Paul Sheerin ’99 TENNIS CHAMPION:

Mark Sloan P ’25, ’27

PICKLEBALL CHAMPION:

Lisa Fideli P ’21, ’23, ’25

38Michael Joe P ’17, ’20, Kevin Gill Jr., Matt McGuirk ’92 L-to-R: 64

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

Alumni G E N E R A L' S O P E N

Lisa Fideli P ’21, ’23, ’25 & Ellie Fideli ’21.

Mark Sloan P ’25, ’27

Jim Pickel P ’91, ’95 GP ’22, ’26

On May 15, alumni, parents, guardians, grandparents, and friends gathered to support Thayer Academy at the 28th annual General's Open. The sun was shining, spirits were high, and more than 175 people joined together as a community to raise funds for Thayer's financial aid program.

Whether you sponsored the event, golfed, played tennis or pickleball, purchased raffle tickets, or attended the cocktail reception, your participation helped raise over $113,000! These funds will directly benefit Thayer's financial aid program and have a significant impact on the lives of deserving Thayer students.

A special note of thanks to our Golf Event chair Kevin Caulfield ’96, our Tennis and Pickleball Chairs Ruth McGee P ’23, ’27 and Jerusha Shatzkamer P ’26, ’26, and committee members for their leadership and outreach that greatly contributed to the event's success.

L-to-R: Brooks Orpik ’98, Andrew Orpik ’05 & Dave Hymovitz ’92

Glenn Baker P ’28 won the Putting Contest.

L-to-R: Ryan St. Clair ’20, Tommy Gaffey ’20 & Grant St. Jean ’20

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

65

Class Notes NEWS FROM THE THAYER COMMUNITY

(Front Row L-to-R:) Marilyn Dixon Jackson, Diane Rochelle, Ann Driscoll Beaumont, Sue Rose Spurling, Mary Burke Terpak, Patty Commoss

(Middle Row L-to-R): Judy Grossman Molinsky, Linda Claff Bailit, Meg Tinney Harding, Fred Harding, Joyce DiBona, Beth Nightingale

(Back Row L-to-R): Dick Beaumont, George Nightingale, Art Rochelle & Ken Commoss

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1958

1954

Mark Michelman ’58

Robert Belin ’54 Bob and his wife, Jo, attended the Thayer Red Sox Spring Training event in Fort Myers, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2023, and the

Mark and his wife, Susan ’58, attended the Thayer Red Sox Spring Training event in Fort Myers, Florida.  73

PAGE

SEE DiBona ’59

Red Sox won!  66

PAGE

CLASS OF

1959 CLASS OF

1955

Joyce DiBona ’59 Joyce and classmate Sally Donner Briers ’59 organized a Zoom meeting for

Barbara Lee Litzen ’55 See Anne McCusker Peirce ’55, below.  66

some classmates to meet Bobbi Moran,

Anne McCusker Peirce ’55 GP ’25, ’28

Bailit ’59, Barbara Cicchese Goldson ’59,

PAGE

Anne and classmate Barbara Lee Litzen ’55 attended the Thayer Red Sox Spring

Training event in Fort Myers, Florida.

PAGE

 66

Thayer’s new athletic director. Linda Claff and Judith Grossman Molinsky ’59 joined

SEE Belin ’54

Sally and Joyce for a great conversation.

Lots to look forward to in the girls PAGE

athletic programs!  66

Joyce also joined classmates in Plymouth for a fun lunch at the Plymouth Public

66

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2



House.  PICTURE AT TOP

SEE Hirschberg ’65

SEE Peirce ’55

THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1960 Nancy Beaton Grassilli ’60 Nancy writes: "In May, I had a great time at the Museum of Fine Arts along with some classmates" (L-R): Susan Parsons Wolfe ’60, Nancy Beaton Grassilli ’60, Mary Ciani Saslow ’60,

1965 Lois Hirshberg ’65 Lois and her wife, Janice Hank, attended

C L A S S N OT E S : 1 9 5 0 s - 6 0 s

Alumni

the Thayer Red Sox Spring Training event PAGE

in Fort Myers, Florida.  66

Harriet Faunce Egan ’60, and DeeDee Dunn ’60.



SEE Grassilli ’60

 CLASS OF

1966

CLASS OF

1962 John MacLennan ’62 John writes: "Success spotting 24 species of birds, some just beginning their migration north. Will do more bird watching with Jon Robbins ’62 when I move to California in

December. 

Paul writes: "Just checking in. I was pleased that the Valicenti Cup is vibrant and strong. I still work currently at the Milton Council On Aging. Donna is doing well, and our son John ’99 is busy living his



life in Portland, Oregon, with his lovely wife and two adorable children (If I do

On another note, the Naples golf course is an SEE MacLennan ’62

Paul Samuelian ’66

Audubon-certified golf course with all native plantings, careful use of fertilizers, and keeping as close to natural environment as possible. Van

say so myself ). I hope to see many of my classmates at the next event Warren Pierce ’66 sets up. It’s always a great time. Thanks,

Warren."

Whisnand ’62 and I went out at 0700 to spot

30 species of birds!"





CLASS OF

1968

Frank Tenore ’62 Classmates Jeff Ross ’62 & John MacLennan ’62 visited Frank in Florida and had a tour of

Frank's "Thayer Corner" of his home.





Christopher Tingus ’68 Christopher writes: “It’s been 55 years since our graduation! Oh my, how quickly

SEE MacLennan ’62

Van Whisnand ’62 See John MacLennan ’62 note, above.

CLASS OF

1963 Donald Badger Jr. ’63 P ’98, ’01 Don attended a Thayer varsity baseball scrimmage earlier this spring where Thayer Head Coach Jim Pierce ’03 faced off against

Life passes … we have so many cherished memories, and as the Class of ’68, how fortunate we are to still share notes, communicate every once in a while, and see fellow classmates get together for a luncheon whenever possible! Certainly miss our Thayer days. Stay safe and vigilant and enjoy these precious moments.

Exercise! Hoping we can all get together for our 75th!"

Archbishop Williams Head Coach Bill Berman ’85!

SEE Tenore ’62

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

67

Alumni THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

Dale Valicenti ’77

1975

On Feb. 24 Dale spoke to the Thayer hockey families and fans at this year's Valicenti Cup reception to continue his

Ron Valicenti ’75 Ron and his wife Janet, along with his children Morgan ’10 and Olivia ’14, joined Thayer fans at the Thayer Sports Center on Feb. 24 for both the girls and boys varsity hockey games to continue the PAGE

tradition of the Valicenti Cup.  75

father's legacy.  75

PAGE

SEE White ’77

Bradford White ’77 Brad and classmate Brian Gallagher ’77 left Stuart, Florida, to head to

Scituate in his new ride, a Sabre 38.

They passed through Charleston headed to Georgetown and then up the PAGE

Intracoastal.  68 CLASS OF

1976 CLASS OF

1980

Paul Jackmauh ’76 Paul writes: “Hey, Class of 1976 … where have the years gone?! I am 65 years young and still going strong. I worked at the Marriott Long Wharf for 40 years as head bartender and now have moved on to the Delta Sky Club at Logan Airport.

My wife, Joanne (BC 1980), has been a

SEE Welsh ’80

Robert Welsh Jr. ’80 Bob traveled to Thayer from Arizona for a campus visit and ran into an old football teammate, Jeff Toussaint ’82.

PAGE

 68

reading specialist in Chelsea for 25 years.

She is retiring soon. She received the Reading Specialist of the Year Award from

CLASS OF

1982

the Bush Administration. My son, Paul Jr. (UMASS Amherst, Commonwealth College ’09), lives in Northampton and is the wine & liquor manager at River Valley Coop in Northampton. He’s 37.

My daughter, Brittany, is completing her master’s degree in animal behaviorism.

She’s 35 and a University of Maine graduate. She will bring her skills as a psychiatrist for animals to the Portland, Maine, area. All is well in Winthrop by the Sea on the North Shore.”

SEE Miller ’83

Charles Downey ’82 In April Chuck joined Thayer students, alumni, parents, and friends for the Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical produced by PAGE

Thayer alum Matthew Salloway ’96.  71

Jeff Toussaint ’82 See Robert Welsh Jr. ’80, above.

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1983

1977 Brian Gallagher ’77

Lisa Miller ’83

See Bradford White ’77, in next column.  68

friends from the Class of 1984 this

PAGE

SEE Rando ’88

Lisa had a great time meeting up with spring.  68

PAGE

SEE Tuthill ’88

68

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1984

1987

Maria Heavey North ’84

Andrew Burmeister ’87

Maria writes: "Great seeing the high school

In April Andy joined Thayer students,

crew! Looking good, girls! Fun times as

alumni, parents, and friends for the

usual!"  68

Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The

PAGE

In April Kelley joined Thayer students, alumni, parents, and friends for the Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical produced by Thayer alum Matthew Salloway ’96.

PAGE

 71

C L A S S N OT E S : 1 9 7 0 s - 9 0 s

Alumni

Neil Diamond Musical produced by Thayer alum Matthew Salloway ’96.  71

PAGE

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1989

1985 CLASS OF

1988

Bill Berman ’85 See Donald Badger Jr. ’63 note on p. 67.

Stephanie Rando ’88 P ’18, ’20 Stephanie's daughter, Sam Rando ’18, CLASS OF

1986 Jennifer Lally Kent ’86 P ’13 Congratulations to Jen (assistant coach),

graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering with a minor in Spanish. Photo (L-R): Marc Rando P '18, '20, Sam Rando '18, Stephanie & Eva Rando '20.  PAGE 68

Callahan Kent ’13 (graduate assistant), Brooke McLoy ’22, Elizabeth Kirk ’21, Emily

Kelley Tuthill ’88

English ’21, and the entire Boston College

Kelley has been appointed the new

women's lacrosse team on winning the ACC

president and CEO of Catholic Charities

Championship - the first in program history.

of Boston. Congratulations, Kelley!



Tony & Laurie Amonte ’89 P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’23

Tony and Laurie's daughter Izzy ’23 signed her NLI to play lacrosse at Boston University.

Randy Babson ’89 Randy was promoted to associate director, IT Oracle Fusion P2P Workstream Leader at Johnson Controls.

CLASS OF

1991

PAGE

 68

Alison Losordo Daye ’91 Alison's husband, Bill Daye, was named Thayer's director of boys lacrosse and head coach of the boys varsity lacrosse team.

CLASS OF

1992 Patrick Gerety ’92 Pat recently started a new position as sales manager, South Shore Massachusetts for Mighty Dog Roofing.

SEE Kent ’86

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

69

Alumni THAYER CLASS NOTES

Anni McDonough Zukauskas ’94 P ’28, ’29

Anni, head coach of Thayer’s girls varsity lacrosse team, traveled with her team to Northwestern University to visit with Kelly Amonte Hiller ’92, head coach of

NU’s women’s lacrosse, and her team.

Rachel Bello ’94 See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.

PAGE

 68

Jessica Scheller Holmes ’94 Jessica finished first in the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

SEE Amonte Hiller ’92 / Amonte ’21 CLASS OF

1994

Kelly Amonte Hiller ’92 Congratulations to Kelly and the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team on winning the 2023 NCAA lacrosse championship with



an 18-6 win over Boston College. 

Amy Ryder Pickel ’94 P ’22, ’26 Amy and fellow castmates from the 1993 production of Into the Woods joined together

Kelly has also been named as head coach of the

for an alumni gathering before the 2023

U.S. Women’s U20 team that will represent the

production. (L-R): Jeffrey Pickel ’95, Stephanie

country in the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s

Lane Stein ’94, Anthony Emma ’94, Britt

U20 Championship in Hong Kong, China.

Soderberg Pena ’94, Amy Pickel ’94, James O'Keefe ’94, Donna Luther, and Rachel Bello ’94.

Thayer's girls lacrosse team was able to visit



with Kelly and the Northwestern women’s lacrosse team this spring.

CLASS OF

1993 Lauren Fish Lowing ’93 Lauren was recently recognized along with fellow co-chairs of the Norwell Summerfest Event as 2023 Citizens of the Year by the Norwell Chamber of Commerce.

Joshua Snyder ’93 P ’23, ’25, ’28 & Lesley Leibowitz Snyder ’93 P ’23, ’25, ’28

celebrated their son, Jack ’23, and his commitment to Roanoke College to play lacrosse.

PAGE

 49

SEE Pickel ’94

70

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

SEE Holmes ’94

THAYER CLASS NOTES

James O'Keefe ’94 See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.  70

PAGE

Britt Soderberg Pena ’94 PAGE

See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.  70

Stephanie Lane Stein ’94 See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.  70

PAGE

the first from Boston since his North End

Erin Lyall ’97

predecessor, Sal DiMasi. He was key to the

Erin spoke to Upper School students,

passage of the state’s new sports-betting law

faculty, staff, and families via Zoom for a

and will have a big say in what taxes you

Global Speaker Series event entitled “The

pay next year."  71

Ukraine War: One Year Later.” Marking

Matthew Salloway ’96

Ukraine, Erin was recently featured in 60

Following a visit to campus in February

Minutes Overtime segment about what it

where he attended some classes and invited

takes to report from Ukraine.

PAGE

students for a Roundtable discussion,

CLASS OF

1995 Jeffrey Gulko ’95 Jeff is a publicist and tour manager currently on a 35-city arena tour with Old Dominion and his artist Frank Ray. Jeff works for BMG Nashville / Broken Bow Records whose roster includes Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, Dustin Lynch, Jelly Roll, Jimmie

the one-year anniversary of the war in

Matthew hosted a Thayer event in

Kristin Cotter ’97

New York City. He is a producer of the

Kristin returned to Thayer this past fall as

Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The

an Upper School Spanish faculty member.

C L A S S N OT E S : 1 9 9 0 s - 0 0 s

Alumni

Neil Diamond Musical. Students, alumni, parents, and friends gathered for a fun lunch at John’s Pizzeria followed by the

CLASS OF

1998

show and a "Talk-back" in which Matthew spoke to guests and answered questions. 

Courtney Eldridge ’98

Allen, Parmalee, and others.

In April of 2022 the University of Iowa men’s basketball program named Courtney

Jeffrey Pickel ’95

to the position of assistant coach. From PAGE

See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.  70

2017 until 2019, he served the Hawkeyes’ program as its video coordinator. From 2019 until 2022, he served as the

CLASS OF

program’s director of recruiting and player

1996

development.

Anthony Emma ’96 See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94.  70

PAGE

CLASS OF

SEE Salloway ’96

1999

SEE Michlewitz ’96

CLASS OF

1997

John Samuelian ’99 See Paul Samuelian ’66 note on p. 67.

John Ambrosino ’97 John was in Chicago this summer at the

Aaron Michlewitz ’96 Congratulations to Aaron for making the 150 Most Influential Bostonians by Boston magazine: "Never underestimate the power of the state’s purse. Michlewitz chairs the

Goodman Theatre's 30th anniversary revival of The Who's Tommy, which was

CLASS OF

2002

performed in the Chicago company's Albert

Steven Gaziano ’02

Theatre. John played Uncle Ernie.

Congratulations to Steven on his promotion to senior vice president at Morgan Stanley.

Ways and Means committee, and it’s widely believed that he will be the next Speaker —

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

71

Alumni THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

2002 Kendra King ’02 Kendra, vice president of the Alumni Board, volunteered with the Thayer community for the Town of Braintree's Beautification Day.

William O'Dwyer ’02

imagine endless opportunities, is consistently

Kristie Gillooly Dean ’06

woven into my work and practice," D'Lynn

Kristie is the founder and director of

says. "Open Horizon's practices and principles,

The Soul Project. Her Soul Stories

as well as its commitment to focusing on

gallery is now featured in the East Lobby

the wants and needs of community partners,

of Newton-Wellesley Hospital giving

being explicitly anti-racist, identity-affirming,

women a safe space to be seen, heard,

and pro-choice, align beautifully with my

and celebrated.

core values and leadership philosophy, and inform my embracing of the role of executive director."

CLASS OF

Billy served as head coach of Thayer's girls

Tracy Wong ’03

varsity basketball team which had a great

Congratulations to Tracy. In May,

season and advanced to the NEPSAC Class A semifinals.

Billy was also one of three recipients of the Eric Swain Head of School Prize at Commencement.

2007

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and

Nicole Carter ’07

Health Sciences presented Tracy with the

Nicole recently started as senior director

President's Commitment to Diversity Award.

of media services at The National

This recognition is awarded for exemplifying

Basketball Association.

cultural competence in relationships with patients, families, peers, and the community.

Kristen Vassalotti Slusarz ’07 Congratulations to Kristen on her career move to Hey Dude shoes.

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

2003 James Pierce ’03 Congratulations to Jim as he was named head coach of Thayer's varsity baseball team. See also Donald Badger Jr. ’63 note on p. 67.

D'Lynn Jacobs ’03 Open Horizon recently announced the hiring of D'Lynn as its inaugural executive director. Open Horizon is committed to improving communities and individual

2004 CLASS OF

2008

Michael Greeley ’04 Mike and his brother, Tom ’06, created a podcast "Welcome to Good Dirt:

Roberto Cordero ’08

Conversations with Leaders in Real Estate &

Roberto attended the Alumni Fall Social

Beyond." The podcast features interviews with

at Central Wharf on Tuesday, Nov. 22,

some of the most interesting and respected

2022, along with Kenny Carberry ’08,

players in the commercial real estate industry,

Tim Lesinski ’08, and Connor Henley ’08.

with a focus on investors, developers, and equity allocators that are shaping the built



world around us. Mike and Tom are not only brothers but teammates within the Newmark capital markets platform.

lives through expanding opportunities, experiential learning, capacity building, and policy change.

CLASS OF

2006

In the role of executive director, D'Lynn will work to ensure the fulfillment of

Thomas Greeley ’06

Open Horizon's mission during its next

See Michael Greeley ’04.

phase of growth. "The hope that all individuals and communities have access to an open horizon, where they can

SEE Cordero ’08

72

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

THAYER CLASS NOTES

Kenneth Carberry ’08

Margaret Flatley ’08

Congratulations to Kenny on his

Robert Johnson ’08

promotion to Vice President, Business

Rob and his wife, Brenna, welcomed their

Reinders at SoWa Power Station on Nov.

Development, North America,

daughter, Miriam Anne Johnson, on April

12, 2022. Margo had Caroline Quincy ’08

Research & Clinical Development.

30, 2023 in Washington, D.C. 

and Allie Burak ’08 as bridesmaids.

See also Roberto Cordero ’08 note on p. 72. 

Margo Flatley got married to Crosby

C L A S S N OT E S : 2 0 0 0 s - 1 0 s

Alumni

PIC AT BOTTOM

CLASS OF

2009 Maura Carberry Stoeckle ’08 Maura and her husband, Matt,

Jonathan Culpepper ’09

welcomed Alice Mary Stoeckle to the

Jonathan and his wife welcomed their

world on May 4, 2023.

second son, Johnny Timothy Culpepper.

CLASS OF

2010 Kirsten King ’10 Kirsten was the guest author at Thayer's Bailey-King Author Series where she had

Tim Lesinski ’08 PAGE

current students perform a table read of

See Roberto Cordero ’08.  72

her film, Crush, for the audience

Harrison Slutsky ’08

Morgan J. Valicenti ’10

At the Thayer Red Sox Spring Training

Morgan and his sister, Olivia ’14, carried

game on Feb 26, Harrison, director of pro

on the tradition of the Valicenti family

scouting for the Red Sox, joined Thayer

Connor Henley ’08

by awarding the Valicenti Cup to the

guests under the tent for a nice barbecue

winning team. This year the Thayer boys

See Roberto Cordero ’08 note on p. 72.

and to speak about the start of the season.

varsity hockey team came up victorious, 6



(L-R): Robert Belin ’54; Harrison Slutsky ’08;

to 1, against St. Sebastian's.  75

PAGE

Mark Michelman ’58; Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28; and Lois Hirshberg ’65.



SEE Slutsky ’08

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

73

Alumni THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

2011

CLASS OF

Chris and Carly welcomed a new baby.

Tate Hope Tasiopoulos was born on June

Abimbola Cole ’11

2012

Christopher Tasiopoulos ’11

14, 2022.

Abimbola was selected as the 2023 Last

Cassandra Mahar ’12 Cassie is engaged to marry Chris De Thomas. Their wedding will take place on

Hurrah! alumni speaker. She welcomed the

Martha's Vineyard this fall.

seniors into the Thayer Academy Alumni Association and gave words of encouragement

Sean Kennedy ’12

as the seniors embarked on the next chapter

Chippy and Sydney Packard ’15 were guest

of their lives. Read the alumni profile on

speakers for a virtual event hosted by current

Abimbola on pp. 30-31.

Thayer coding students. Topics included the transition from Thayer (and Thayer’s computer science program) to college to work; the intricacies of business and healthcare; and how the two have navigated their professional careers.  

Charles Finnegan ’11 Congratulations to Charlie on his

Brennan Murray ’11 Brennan recently earned a Master of International Business from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and joined the Tufts University Investment Office as an

marriage to Whitney Hartmeyer on September 24, 2022, at St. John's Church of Cold Spring Harbor followed by a reception at Piping Rock Club in Matinecock, New York.  

SEE Kennedy ’12

Bryn Boucher ’12

investment associate. He credits his time

Bryn joined the Thayer’s coaching staff

at Thayer for inspiring him to pursue

in spring 2023, assisting the girls varsity

international studies in college and graduate

lacrosse team.

school.

Harry Bacon ’12

Michael Vazza ’11

In April, Harry joined Thayer students,

Mike and his wife Emma welcomed Brooks

alumni, parents, and friends for the

William Vazza on February 22, 2023.

Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical produced by Thayer alum Matthew Salloway ’96.    71

PAGE

Hannah Cooper ’11 Hannah and her fiancé Patrick welcomed their baby boy, Matthew Danger Fay, on Jan. 13, 2023.

SEE Bacon ’12

74

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

THAYER CLASS NOTES

Melissa Piacentini ’12

Danielle Vazza ’13

Melissa was named an assistant coach for

Congratulations to Danielle as married Rob

Team USA women’s hockey at the 2023

Kiska on July 21, 2023, in Newport, Rhode

International University Sports Federation

Island.

2015 Sydney Packard ’15

(FISU) World University Games in Lake

Adam Pearson ’13

Placid, New York.

CLASS OF

See Sean Kennedy ’12 note on p. 74.

Adam recently announced that he is the

Arianna Tosi ’15

curriculum manager at The Coding School.

Arianna attended the Alumni Fall

Alexandra Vitulano Schutzer ’12

Callahan Kent ’13

Alexandra married Harrison Schutzer

See Jen Lally Kent ’86 note on p. 69.

C L A S S N OT E S : 2 0 1 0 s

Alumni

Social at Central Wharf on Nov. 22 of last year.

in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on July 9, 2022. Rachel Liss ’12 was a

CLASS OF

bridesmaid.

2014

CLASS OF

2016

Olivia Valicenti ’14

Colin Cramer ’16

Olivia and her brother, Morgan ’10, carried

Colin joined the Thayer coaching staff

on the tradition of the Valicenti family by

this year, assisting the boys varsity

awarding the Valicenti Cup to the winning

soccer team as well as the boys Middle

team (Thayer over St. Sebs 6 to 1).  

School basketball and lacrosse teams.

L-to-R: Dale Valicenti ’77; Marie Shadduck; Janet Valicenti P ’10, ’14; Ron Valicenti ’75, P ’10, ’14; Van Whisnand ’62; Boys Varsity Hockey Coach Dave Hymovitz ’92; Head of School Chris M. Fortunato P ’26, ’28; Athletic Director Bobbi Moran; Olivia Valicenti ’14 & Morgan SEE Valicenti ’14

Valicenti ’10

CLASS OF

2013 Elizabeth Johnson ’13 Lizzy celebrated her wedding day with friends from Thayer. Back Row: Stephanie Van Fleet ’13, Abby Hogan ’13, Rob Johnson ’08, Kevin Olson, Liv Baker ’13, and Shane Gallagher ’13. Front Row: Alyssa Creager ’13, Amy MacDonald ’13, Olivia Lau ’13, Emily Weinberg ’13, Lizzy Johnson ’13, Emily Thoi



’13, Meg Riley ’13, Michelle Blanken ’13,

and Kenny Carberry ’08. 

SEE Johnson ’13

Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

75

Alumni THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

2017 Casey Carreau ’17

James O'Brien ’18

Devin Fitzpatrick ’19

See Tristan Amonte ’18 note, previous.

Devin celebrated her Senior Day for Vanderbilt University women's lacrosse.

Samantha Rando ’18 Congratulations to Sam for becoming

John Murphy ’19

an ensign in the United States Navy this

Jack, a member of the Saint Anselm men’s

of the ECHL.

May. She graduated from the U.S. Naval

hockey team, was named a semifinalist

Academy with a bachelor's degree in

for the Joe Concannon Award, which is

Braden Joe ’17

computer engineering with a minor in

awarded annually to the best American-

Spanish.

born NCAA Division 2/3 hockey player in

Casey signed his first professional hockey contract with the Kansas City Mavericks

Braden writes: "I'm beyond thrilled to announce that this past fall I joined the team at Compelling Pictures as a producer and manager of development. I'm working with our partners to develop and produce some incredible projects across premium unscripted, narrative TV, and feature films. I can't wait to share what we're up to this year."

New England. His team went on to win the Sam will work in the Computer

NE10 Championship.

Engineering department and with the Navy women's rugby team until October.

Moses Flowers ’19

She will then move to Charleston, South

Playing for St. Bonaventure University,

Carolina, for six to nine months to

Moses surpassed 1,000 points for his

attend nuclear power school as part of her

collegiate career in January. He was also

training to serve as a submarine officer.

a 1,000-point scorer during his time at

Photo below shows her shaking hands

Thayer.  

with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the graduation ceremony.    68

PAGE

CLASS OF

2018 a

Aidan McDonough ’18 Congratulations to Aidan for signing a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks and making his NHL debut

SEE Flowers ’19

on March 26, 2023, against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Brittany Raphino ’19

SEE Rando ’18

Cole Roland ’18

CLASS OF

After earning his bachelor’s degree at

2019

Dartmouth, Cole used his extra year of eligibility as a graduate student at Wake Forest. As a member of the pitching staff for the Demon Deacons, Cole had some electrifying moments on the mound during their College World Series run in June.

Dylan Amonte ’19

Brittany was a guest on New England Soccer Journal's "The Goal" podcast. The former Thayer star was named to the United States U-23 women’s youth national team roster for the Thorns Preseason Tournament,

Congratulations to Dylan and the

which featured three matches against

Northwestern University women's lacrosse

NWSL teams over seven days from March

team on winning the 2023 NCAA lacrosse

12-18. Brittany, who will utilize an extra

championship with an 18-6 win over

year of eligibility in 2023 that was granted

Boston College.  

to players due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

Tristan Amonte ’18

has been named one of Brown's team

Tristan, along with teammate Jay O'Brien

captains for the 2023 season. She is a

’18, made it to the 2023 NCAA Frozen

two-time All-American and the back-to-

Four with the Boston University men’s

back reigning Ivy League Offensive Player

hockey team.

of the Year. Her 24 points led the team in 2022 as she became just the second player in program history to record back-to-back SEE Amonte ’19

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Thayer Magazine /// 2022-23: Iss. 2

20-point seasons.

THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

2020

Lindsey Wilmot ’22 Congratulations to Lindsey and the

Henry Richard ’20 Henry completed 26.2 miles with Team MR8 for their final Boston Marathon

University of Denver's women's lacrosse program for becoming the Big East regular season champs and the only undefeated

season.  7

team in the country. The Denver Pioneers

Molly King ’20

in history.

PAGE

C L A S S N OT E S : 2 0 1 0 s - 2 0 s

Alumni

made it to the Final Four for the first time

Molly was named to the NFHCA AllAcademic Team for the Trinity College field

Do you know of fellow classmates who are doing interesting or amazing things?

hockey team.

Gabriella Grattan ’20 Gabby earned ALL-NESCAC recognition

Do you know of Thayer friends who continue to inspire others to excellence, or who are contributing to the common good?

for track & field at Trinity College.

CLASS OF

2021

Any life updates to report to the Thayer community?

Michael Marshall ’21 Mike broke the high jump record at Bryant University with a height of 1.99 meters. He also currently plays on the men's basketball team.

SEE Wilmot ’22

Elizabeth Kirk ’21

Let us know so that we can feature them in these pages!

CONTACT US:  magazine@thayer.org

See Jen Lally Kent ’86 note on p. 69.

Emily English ’21 See Jen Lally Kent ’86 note on p. 69.

CLASS OF

2022 Brooke McLoy ’22 See Jen Lally Kent ’86 note on p. 69.

Zachary Gondelman ’22 Congratulations to Zac on being featured as this year's TEDx Brandeis University program speaker. The title of his talk was Belonging." 



"Today's Torah: Rabbinic Lessons on SEE Gondelman ’22

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77

In Memoriam

1941 Jane Ker ’41 Jane Doble Ker, 99, of Brewster, passed away peacefully at home on March 14 overlooking Upper Mill Pond. She was a beloved wife, a loving mother, and a cherished grandmother, affectionately known by her grandchildren as "JG" (Janie Girl).

Born August 30, 1923, to Ralph Nelson Doble and Blanche Louise Becker Doble, Jane was a lifelong learner. At Thayer, she was the Vice President of Theta Alpha, and played tennis and basketball, while also participating in the glee club. She then attended the House in the Pines, New York School of Interior Design, Sarah Lawrence College, and continued her studies in recent years at Cape Cod Community College.

Growing up in Hingham, Doble Ker felt life was simple and safe in a tight-knit community, but she always felt destined to walk her own path. In 1943, she enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. She was stationed at Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune, NC,

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and attained the rank of Sergeant. In 1949, Jane met her husband of 62 years, Robert "Bob" Walker Ker Jr., also a WWII Veteran, and fellow resident at Trinity House in Brooklyn Heights. They married in Hingham in October 1950. They first lived in Pasadena, CA, and returned to New England in 1954. Save for a one-year excursion to the top of Lookout Mountain, TN, they resided in New Canaan, CT, where they raised their three children. In 2001, they moved to Brewster.

Bob preceded Jane in death in 2012. She was also predeceased by her brother, Frank Dearing Doble, and sisters, Blanche Louise Doble Weston and Betsy Doble Ward. She is survived by two sisters, Nancy Doble Berbrick and Sylvia Doble Stringer; her daughters, Andrea Ker Hutter and Marla Nelson Ker; son and daughter-in-law, Robert "Rab" Walker Ker III and Elizabeth Old Ker; seven grandchildren: George Rice Hutter, Hilary Hodges Hutter Stone (Patrick), Avery Ker Cohen, Greer Doble Cohen, Madeleine DuVal Ker, Abigail James Ker, and R. Walker Ker IV; and many nieces and nephews.

1943 Esther Braun ’43 Esther Althea Kaplan Braun, 96, died on November 26, 2022, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Born March 4, 1926, she was the fourth child and only daughter of Annie Sabin Levenson and Jacob Joseph Kaplan of Dorchester. Her original middle name was "Alma," which she later changed to Althea in honor of her dear maternal grandmother, Esther Alta. Her family moved to Jamaica Plain in 1931. Kaplan Braun attended the Seeger School in Jamaica Plan for grades one through three, and the Agassiz School for grades four through six. She started at Girls’ Latin School in the seventh grade before transferring to Thayer Academy.

At Thayer, she discovered her love of math - and later, organic chemistry, too - and her ability to thrive academically when taught in a positive - not punitive - educational environment. She graduated Cum Laude from Thayer and was incredibly involved,

In 1943, she attended Wellesley College and went on to graduate in 1947. It was while at Wellesley she also met a young naval officer and Harvard graduate, Mort Braun. They married in June 1947, and she continued to work in a blood chemistry lab until her pregnancy with her first child. She became a full-time at-home mother with the birth of her first child, Peter, in 1949, then David in 1950, while Mort started his career in housing and city planning. They moved first to Boston, then Brookline, and then into a house Mort designed for them in Newton.

Daughter Charlotte joined the family in 1953, and son Alan in 1957.

In 1959, they bought a property in Lincoln.

After graduating from a six-year, parttime teaching program at Northeastern University in 1969, Kaplan Braun was hired by the Lincoln Public Schools. She taught there until her retirement. Long before she retired, though, she started teaching a unit on the native peoples and prehistory of the Northeast. This resulted in a joint effort with her second son, a professional archaeologist, leading to their publishing a book, The First Peoples of the Northeast, in 1994. It has sold out multiple printings.

Her life with Mort from the 1960s through the 1990s included trips to the Caribbean and, in later years, travel around the US to see their increasingly widely scattered children and grandchildren. In 2001, she and Mort moved into an independentliving townhouse in Bedford after Mort was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Mort died unexpectedly six months after they moved in.

She is survived by her four children and their spouses, Peter and Diane, David and Ruth, Charlotte, and Alan and Dara; her five grandchildren and their spouses, Doria and Curtis, Jake and Amy, Luke and Karla, Alanna and Tyler, and Brandon; and her four great-grandchildren, Ariana, Kai, Maya, and Matilda Esther.

June Delory Desmarais ’43 June Delory Desmarais, 96, of Kings Way, Yarmouth Port, 96, died February 19 at Liberty Commons in Chatham.

The daughter of the late J. Edwin and Madeline (Weeks) Delory, she was predeceased by her husbands Paul V. Jason and Charles Desmarais and her son Paul V. Jason, Jr. A graduate of Thayerlands and Thayer Academy, Delory Desmarais participated in Theta Alpha, yearbook, verse speaking, dramatics, current events club, and Spanish club. She then went on to Katharine Gibbs School of Boston.

Delory Desmarais lived in Osterville and Cummaquid for many years before moving to Yarmouth Port. She enjoyed travel and horseback riding. After moving to Kings Way she became an avid player of mahjong and spent many happy hours playing with her friends.

She is survived by her son Edwin D. Jason of Dennis, her daughter Carole E. Jason of Maine, and her son Patrick R. Desmarais of Barnstable Village.

Church, serving in numerous roles that included deacon, Sunday school teacher, capital fundraising, hosting church fairs, and supporting the consignment center. They were longtime members of the Cohasset Golf Club and Tequesta Golf Club in Florida. Bud worked with his father in the wool business and as an agent manager for Quincy Mutual Insurance before purchasing Sampson Insurance Agency in 1972. His desire to have a family business was fulfilled when his sons joined him for over 30 years and his daughter for five years.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s

serving on yearbook staff, Theta Alpha, glee club, verse speaking choir, dramatics committee, scribbler's club, bowling club, and field hockey.

Bud was predeceased by his brothers Charles, Robert, Jack, and Donald. He is survived by his sisters, Barbara Trainor ’46 of Hingham and Patricia Cooley of Marshfield.

Bud and Connie are lovingly survived by their children, Bruce and wife Maureen of Hingham, Craig and wife Lauri of Scituate, and Susan Rego and husband Peter of Pembroke. As well as grandchildren, Brian, and wife Sarah, Alex, Connor, Abby, Kathryn and husband Michael, as well as great-granddaughter Hannah, and greatniece Lianne ’08.

1945 1944 Paul Thompson ’44 Paul (Bud) and Constance of Hingham, formerly of Juno Beach, FL, peacefully passed on November 22 and November 24, 2022, respectively. They had a loving, devoted marriage of over 72 years.

Bud was born in Boston in 1927 to the late Charles and Winifred Thompson and raised in Milton. Bud and Connie started their love story when they met at Thayer Academy.

Bud was the B.A.A. vice president and was a three-sport athlete, playing baseball, hockey, and football.

After Thayer, Bud served in the United States Navy in World War II. Connie graduated from Tufts University, and Bud attended Middlebury College. They married in 1950 and moved to Hingham in 1954 to start their family. They were devoted parishioners of the Hingham Congregational

Constance Thompson ’45 Constance and Paul (Bud) Thompson of Hingham, formerly of Juno Beach, Florida, peacefully passed on November 22 and November 24, 2022, respectively, surrounded by their loving family. They had a loving, devoted marriage of over 72 years.

Connie was born in Quincy, in 1927 to the late Harvey and Mildred MacArthur and raised in Braintree. Bud and Connie started their love story when they met at Thayer Academy. Connie was very involved at Thayer, participating in yearbook, student council, Theta Alpha, glee club, cheerleading, current events club, bowling club, dance committee, chapel choir, and softball while also serving as class vice president and G.A.A. vice president. The attraction was immediate between the athlete and the cheerleader.

Connie graduated from Tufts University, and Bud attended Middlebury College. They married in 1950 and moved to Hingham

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In Memoriam

in 1954 to start their family. They were long-term, devoted parishioners of the Hingham Congregational Church, serving in numerous roles, including deacon, Sunday school teacher, capital fundraising, hosting church fairs, and supporting the consignment center. They were longtime members of the Cohasset Golf Club and Tequesta Golf Club in Florida, enjoying years of golf and friendship. Their extensive volunteer efforts reached throughout Hingham, including town committees, beautifying town gardens, coaching and cheering their children's teams, and Whitcomb Ave. neighborhood events.

Connie raised her children and was a substitute teacher in the Hingham school system with a focus on special needs students. Connie is survived by her sister Ruth Briggs ’47 of Hingham. Bud and Connie are lovingly survived by their children, Bruce and wife Maureen of Hingham, Craig and wife Lauri of Scituate, and Susan Rego and husband Peter of Pembroke. As well as grandchildren, Brian and wife Sarah, Alex, Connor, Abby, & Kathryn, and husband Michael, as well as great-granddaughter Hannah, and greatniece Lianne ’08.

1946 Martha Shafer ’46 Martha Elizabeth Svenson Kelly Shafer, 94, of Arkport, New York, and Duxbury died Nov. 26, 2022, at Updyke's Willow Ridge in Hornell, NY. She was born on March 6, 1928, to Carl L. and Dorothy M. (Slader) Svenson in Milton. Shafer was raised in Milton and Duxbury. She spent 90 wonderful summers at her beloved family beach home in Duxbury with family and friends. In 1976, she married Herbert H. Shafer, who predeceased her. Besides her husband, Martha was predeceased by her parents and cousin Marjorie Anderson ’48.

Shafer was educated in Milton public schools and was a proud graduate of Thayer, where she played basketball and tennis while serving on Theta Alpha, arts club, and dramatics club. She graduated from Simmons College and furthered her

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education at Pennsylvania State University before receiving a master's degree from Alfred University.

Beginning her teaching career in Rhode Island, Shafer taught home economics at Arkport Central School after moving to Western New York. She ended her teaching career at the Wildwood Campus of Steuben-Allegany BOCES in Hornell.

Shafer enjoyed teaching her students the arts of cooking, sewing and other hand crafts. Active in school including Yorkers Club and community events, she was involved in the Arkport Presbyterian Church, especially after her retirement.

A talented seamstress who enjoyed knitting and crocheting, Shafer loved to decorate her homes, to garden and to entertain family and friends especially at her beach house.

Shafer is survived by close friends and caregivers Beverly Crowell and Maribeth Crowell, cousins and friends that include her former students.

Mary Wales ’46 Mary Lee (Harding) Wales, 94, died November 24, 2022 in Beaverton, Oregon, after a long illness.

Born in 1928 in Boston, Wales grew up in Braintree, spending childhood summers with her family on Woods Pond in Bridgton, ME, a place she returned every year to rejuvenate through nature and rural simplicity. She graduated from Thayer Academy and served as class vice president and secretary while also participating in Theta Alpha, yearbook, dance committee, glee club, chapel choir, G.A.A., field hockey, soccer, and archery.

Wales then went on to graduate from Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1950. She trained for two years in New York City, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1951, she married Donald B. Wales, and the couple made their home in Milton, where they raised their two sons and in later years lovingly cared for elderly parents. In 1987, they retired to Salem, OR, to be closer to family.

Wales was a faithful member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Milton for

32 years; a source of strength and prayerful peace that sustained her through good and challenging times. After moving to Oregon, she continued her faith journey at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salem for 34 years, working with parish charities and knitting for the disenfranchised members of her community. During her long life, Mary Lee committed herself to her loving family, her faith, public health, Red Cross charity work, and her life-long friends that she developed and retained from the age of 3 to the end of her life.

A good listener who kept a warm, gracious smile for everyone, Wales is preceded in death by her husband Don ’42 (2007), and her brother, John W. Harding ’43, and survived by her two sons, Donald B. Wales Jr. ’71 (wife Marne), John H. Wales ’73 (wife Jean); five grandchildren: Ellen (husband Aaron), Sarah (husband Scott), Sandra (partner Ashley), Nicholas, and Joseph (wife Katie); and by five greatchildren: Parker, Levi, Hudson, Mila, and Alden.

1947 Enders Robinson ’47 Enders Anthony Robinson, 92, of Venice, FL, died on Dec. 6, 2022.

Born in Boston on March 18, 1930, to Doris Goodale Robinson and Edward Arthur Robinson Sr., he grew up in South Weymouth.

Robinson entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1947, going on to earn his PhD in Geophysics in 1954. In the 1950s, he gained international prominence as his research led to the digital revolution in geophysics several decades later.

The most honored scientist in his field, he is known as the "Father of Deconvolution."

During his 50-year career, Enders divided his time between oil exploration and universities. He established the Geophysical Analysis Group at MIT and was a founding member of Digicon. He was a professor at a number of colleges, including University of Wisconsin, Uppsala University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Tulsa, and Harvard; in 2000, he retired as Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, where he held the Maurice Ewing and J. Lamar Worzel Geophysics Chair.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Edward Arthur Robinson Jr, and his sister Doris Robinson Dick.

He is survived by his beloved wife Joyce Robinson, his devoted children, Anna Robinson Quigley and husband Brian Quigley; Erik Robinson and wife Ashley Robinson, and Karin Robinson Koga and husband John Koga. His stepchildren are David McPeake and wife Heather McPeake and John McPeake and wife Alex Singal. His grandchildren are Christina Quigley, Kelli Quigley, Chloe Robinson, Bjorn Robinson, Ashtyn Robinson, Maile Koga, and Mark Koga. Step-grandchildren are Paul McPeake and wife Kate McPeake, Ian McPeake, Hannah McPeake, Liam McPeake, and Max McPeake.

1949 Joyce Cressler ’49 Joyce Elaine Cressler, 91, passed away in Rockport, ME, on Jan. 13. Cressler was blessed to live the last 20 years of her life with her daughter at her farm in Burketville, ME, until her passing after a brief stay at The Sussman House.

Born Joyce Elaine Fouche in Holbrook on July 8, 1931, Cressler was one of three children of Pauline and Justin Fouche. Joyce attended Thayer Academy, where she enjoyed her schooling and participated in chorus. It was at Thayer that Joyce met her future husband, Richard Cressler. They married in 1949 and had five children: Curtis, Bonnie, Lorraine, Peter, and Daniel. As a young mother, Joyce loved music and teaching piano, baking, collecting antiques, enjoying nature, dancing, and being involved in Girl Scouts. Cressler was very close to her mother and they were both

devout Christian Scientists. She became a Christian Science nurse at the Benevolent Association in Chestnut Hill, working there for over 20 years.

After leaving BA, she continued to be very passionate about helping people through her faith. After retiring, Cressler moved to Appleton, ME, to live with her youngest daughter, Lori, on her family farm. She adored her home and space here, staying involved with her granddaughters' activities of basketball and horseback riding. Cressler loved attending her granddaughter Meg's basketball games throughout high school and college and keeping up with her granddaughter Matia's horse shenanigans. Cressler was an active member of her local church in Camden, attending every Sunday dressed to her best, and truly loved her church family. Her other true passion was gardening. Joyce sold bouquets and was very proud to be on the Georges River Land Trust garden tour. She continued to enjoy baking, making cakes for birthdays and special occasions, knitting, sewing, and being a homemaker.

Cressler was predeceased by her infant son, Peter. Surviving are her other four children; four granddaughters, Megan Cressler, Matia Cressler-Dow, Danielle Duenas, Sarah Marshall, and one beloved great-granddaughter, Isla Faylene Hannibal.

John Merna ’49 John Ash Merna, 92, died April 25, 2023, after a long and adventurous life.

Born on October 31, 1930, in Quincy to parents Thomas Francis Merna and Katherine Cecelia Ash Merna, Merna was a proud graduate of Thayer Academy, where he participated in glee club, baseball, and basketball. He then attended Boston College, graduating with a degree in History and Government. He later pursued and earned a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California.

The man known lovingly to many as "Boston John" served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957 and then dedicated himself to a 40-year career as a Department of Defense civil servant. His career took him across the globe to include

places such as Iceland, England, Cuba, Newfoundland, Vietnam and Germany.

It was in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he met his beautiful wife, Sibylla, and that is where their 66-year love affair began.

John and Sibylla traveled the world and raised five children. John retired from his final posting at Ft. Monroe, VA, making Hampton, VA, their permanent home.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s - 50s

Among his many interests, Enders enjoyed genealogy, Shakespeare, nature, water sports, and especially being with his family and friends. He took joy and pride in his grandchildren, spending memorable time at the beach and having ice cream outings with them. Also, he relished traveling for both work and pleasure, exploring the United States and many other countries, including Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and nations in Europe.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Pauline Hendler; and brother, Thomas Merna. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sibylla J. Merna; his children, Katherine M. Merna, John G. Merna, Regina S. King and her husband, Spencer, Christine M. Merna and her husband, Fitzgerald Lawrence and Sibyll M. Jones; his grandchildren, Tessa Merna, Meredith Merna, Elizabeth Merna, Chadwick King, Stephen King, Jacob Lawrence, Tyler Lawrence, Drew Lawrence, Michael Lawrence, Kristina Canady, Madelyn Jones, Sarah Jones, Taylor Jones, and four great grandchildren; brothers Richard Merna and Robert Merna; as well as many nieces and nephews.

1950 Mary Bristol ’50 Mary Bates Bristol, 90, of Weymouth, passed away peacefully with loving family by her side on May 1, 2023.

The youngest daughter of Russell T. and Gretchen (Walker) Bates of Quincy, Bristol graduated from Thayer Academy as Theta Alpha president. She also participated in play committee, G.A.A., glee club, basketball, hockey, softball, badminton, and cheerleading. She then attended UMass Amherst, where she met Jim Bristol Jr. They were married in 1954.

Bristol is described by all who knew her with one word: "sweet." Her passion was her love of family and her involvement in the community. Bristol was a pioneer in education, forming a board at Old South Union Church in the 1960s to create the first local kindergarten, housed in the church, before public kindergartens were available. This went on to become the nursery school it is today. Mary also taught children in the public school at Seach Elementary School in Weymouth.

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In Memoriam

Bristol loved life and time with her family more than anything else. Mary and Jim enjoyed several vacations to St Maarten and Tortola with family and friends. The Bates Room at The Range in Hingham was dedicated on her 90th birthday for her lifelong commitment to the family's quarrying and sand & gravel businesses, Bates Bros. Seam Face Granite Co. and JF Price Co. Bristol will be forever cherished and loved by her children, Mary Jo Gregg and her husband Brad of NH, Janet Bristol and her partner Frank Snow of Scituate, Amy Webb and her husband Greg of Norwell, James Bristol III and his partner Beth Durant of Weymouth, and David Bristol and his wife Joanie of Hanover, grandchildren Kaitlin, Bryan, Amy Beth, Brittany, Emily, John, Heather, Curtis, Gretchen, Ryan, Jake, Steve, Chase, Sam, and James, and her greatgrandchildren, Elliot, Christopher, Kokoro, Asa, Lilah, Leo, and one more, arriving soon. She is also survived by her sister, Betty McCord ’48, of CO. She was predeceased by her sister, Lois Bates Green ’46.

Marilyn Hansen ’50 Marilyn "Peach" (Almeda) Hansen, 90, a longtime resident of Plymouth, died peacefully on March 16 at Newfield House with her loving family at her side. She was the beloved wife of the late Donald H. Hansen.

Born to the late Walter and Ruth (Scott) Almeda in Chicago on April 17, 1932, Hansen attended Thayer Academy and was involved in the dance committee, glee club, basketball, archery, field hockey, and softball.

She went on to Endicott College, where she received her bachelor's degree in education.

A longtime teacher in the Cohasset school system, she was active in the Plymouth community, being involved with the Garden Club and the Antiquarian Society. She enjoyed spending her summers in Bow Lake, NH, and spending time on the farm with all the animals. Known for her great cooking and as a great hostess, she was a kind and generous person and always thinking of ways to help others.

She is survived by her loving daughter Judy Hansen and her partner, Chuck Lopes of Plymouth, her cherished granddaughter

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Stephanie Sperry and her husband Brian Santos of Plymouth, and her great grandson, Joe Santos. She was the loving mother of the late Missy Sperry.

Nancy Lundquist ’50 Nancy D. (Sterling) Lundquist, 89, of Kearsarge, NH, passed away with peace on March 19, 2021.

Lundquist was born in Quincy on December 22, 1931, to the late James Victor Diamond Jubilee and Ruth (Payzant) Sterling. Lundquist grew up in Wollaston in a house built by her Grandfather Payzant, attended the Wollaston Grammar School and the Baptist Church, and spent summer vacations in Brewster, Cape Cod, with a summer job at Chatham Bars Inn. Her absolute love for social and service clubs likely began with the Bluebirds group, then the Campfire Girls, and she was even selected by the Wollaston Garden Club to a be a junior hostess. For high school she felt fortunate to attend the Woodward School for Girls, which always held a special place in her heart, leading to 50th reunion honors. After, she attended Thayer Academy for a post-graduate year and then Boston University in the Medical Secretarial Program, especially being invited to the Kappa Omega sorority and meeting lifelong friends.

As a college student, she joined the Prospectors Ski Club in Waltham where she first met Roy. Years later, while working as a secretary at the New England Baptist Hospital, she started to date Roy on New Year's Eve of 1959 at the new lodge of the Prospectors in North Conway, New Hampshire. They married on September 9, 1961, and settled in Bedford.

The Lundquists planted new roots in Kearsarge, New Hampshire, 28 years ago and were welcomed heartily to the community.

Lundquist left behind her loving husband and best friend of almost 60 years, Roy Alan Lundquist, son Eric and wife Debra of Boxborough, and daughter Kristin and husband Michael Montemagno of Littleton.

She was a dear sister to the late James Victor Sterling, Jr., and to Susanne (Sterling) Howard of Middleboro; grandmother to Kyle, Hannah, Brendan, Kathryn, and Karalyn; and an aunt and great aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Robert Mower ’50 Robert Ellis Mower, 90, died in Charlottesville, Virginia, on February 21, 2023.

Born in Burlington, Vermont, on May 12, 1932, to Edna Rush Mower and E. Curtiss Mower, Mower grew up and lived in Braintree. He was married for 51 years to his wife, Eleanor Sequeira Mower, who survives him.

At Thayer, Mower was the 1949 recipient of The Harvard Book prize. He was also class president, captain of the football team, active in student government and sports, and a member of Braintree All Souls Unitarian Church until his graduation in 1950. He attended Dartmouth College as a member of the Class of 1954 for three-and-a-half years before transferring to Harvard University and graduating in 1955. He was a member of The Ripley Society of Dartmouth College until his death.

After graduation he worked in Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Times. Mower then moved back to Massachusetts and worked in advertising in Cambridge. He gravitated toward an appreciation for and love of antiques and fine arts, which he was involved with for the rest of his life. Buying, selling, and appraising. He owned The Hobby Horse Antiques in Marion for close to 50 years, moving to Rochester, Massachusetts, upon retirement.

Mower is also survived by his son, Marshall C. Mower and wife, Lila of Honolulu, Hawaii; daughter, Melissa B. Mower of Santa Rosa, Calif.; son-in-law, Richard B. Drumm of Barboursville, Virginia; and daughter through marriage of 51 years, Lisa M. Hall, who he loved as his own and her husband, Jim. He is predeceased by his parents; sister, Cynthia Mower Leggett ’53; brother-in-law, Alan C.F. Leggett ’48; daughter, Melinda A. Mower; stepdaughter, Susan B. Drumm; and stepson, Robert W. Bishop, III. Survived also by his niece, Stephanie Leggett Rando ’88 P ’18, ’20, nephew, Glenn Leggett ’85, two great-nieces, Samantha Rando ’18 and Eva Rando ’20, and grandchildren, Victoria Drumm, Miranda Drumm Champlain, Robert Bishop, and Lee R. Hall; as well as five great-grandchildren; eight nieces and nephews.

Richardson "Dick" Reid, 91, of South Dennis, passed away peacefully on December 20, 2022, surrounded by his children and his loving wife, Nancy Thacher Reid.

He was born in Fall River on June 25, 1931, to Rev. William Reid and Ada Florence (Baker) Reid. Dr. Reid, B.A., B.D., M. Ed., D.D, was an alumnus of Thayer Academy where he was involved in the senior middle play, glee club, ski trip, football, basketball, track, and baseball.

He also attended Colgate, Harvard, Bridgewater, Tufts and St. Lawrence Universities.

Dick was ordained as the minister of the Universalist Church in 1955, and served for over 50 years in churches in Dighton, Taunton, Malden, Provincetown and Plymouth. He served for 15 years as a probation officer in the Orleans District Court, retiring in 1990. Throughout his career he was devoted to the support and care of the mentally ill, serving as president of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and on the National Board as chairman of the Committee for the Prevention of Mental Illness, and on the State Department of Mental Health committee for the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill.

Dick and Nancy recently celebrated their 70th anniversary. Nancy is the author of Dennis, Cape Cod: From Firstcomers to Newcomers - 1639 to 1993, a history of her home town. In his retirement he enjoyed sailing and shellfishing, and most recently his favorite pastime was walking his beloved dog Missy.

He is survived by four children, David (and wife Carol), Matthew (and wife Charissa), Katharine Peace, and Peter (and wife Barbara), and by 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His sons Steven and Mark, and grandson Steven Jr, and his sister Betty Jane (Reid) Wheeler, predeceased him.

committee, newspaper, Theta Alpha, glee club, tennis, and French club secretary.

She was an avid reader and loved her crosswords. Her smile always lit up a room.

Carolyn Murray ’53

She is predeceased by her brother, Dean Pillsbury ’50. She is survived by her four

Carolyn Smith Murray, 87, of Larchmont, NY, died on December 27, 2022.

Born in Quincy to Margaret (Riley) Smith and Carlisle Smith, Carolyn grew up in Braintree.

Driven by the sacrifices and aspirations of her parents, Murray attended Thayer, where she developed many lifelong friends, earned some serious shin bumps playing field hockey, and, later, multiple undersized mugs and water bottles from reunions she loyally attended. At Wellesley College, she majored in zoology, formed more lifelong friendships, mysteriously lost her Boston accent, and fortuitously met her future husband, Alan, a Dartmouth grad, then a graduate student at Harvard. She loved reading and working in the Lafayette College library, where Alan was a professor and where they were dorm parents.

Carolyn and Alan shared the most loving of marriages, one lasting 63 years. Having met in Boston, the couple subsequently lived in Georgetown, Washington D.C, Bethesda, MD, London, England (while Alan was at the London School of Economics), finally settling in Larchmont, NY, where they lived for 54 years.

Murray is survived by her husband of 63 years, Alan, and by sons Thomas (Dana), Jonathan (Bettina), and Peter (Severina), and grandchildren Emerson, Caroline, Matthew, Alexandra, and Michaela.

1954 Helen Cox ’54 Helen P. Cox, 86, of Needham, passed away peacefully on January 15, 2023, surrounded by her family.

She was the beloved wife for 63 years of Gilbert W. Cox, Jr., a lifelong resident of Needham. Cox was a graduate of Thayer Academy and Brown University. At Thayer she participated in yearbook, play

children and their spouses, Gilbert W. Cox, III (Donna Cox) of Bow, NH, David R. Cox and (Angela Cox) of Needham; Carol T. Brown (Glenn Brown) of Medfield; and Elizabeth A. "Betsy" Cox of Atlanta, GA. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Stephanie Cox of Bow, Allison Cox of Denver, CO; Delaney Cox, and Cameron Cox of Needham; Tori Brown and Becca Brown of Medfield; Lindsay Brown of Denver, CO; and Kaley McPherson and Brody McPherson of Atlanta, GA.

IN MEMORIAM: 1950S

Richardson Reid ’50

1953

Mary Lee England ’54 Mary Lee England, 86, of Logan, OH, died on July 23, 2022.

Born May 6, 1936, in Quincy, she was the daughter of the late George Gracie and Helen Beatrice (Bannon) Pace.

She loved spending time with her parents and family at their beloved cottage on Silver Lake in Harrisville, NH. She graduated from Thayer and was involved in the play committee, newspaper, Theta Alpha, verse speaking choir, and glee club. She also played field hockey, basketball, softball, and badminton.

England earned her bachelor's degree in education from Bowling Green State University and was a retired elementary teacher for Columbus Public Schools. She was a member of St. John Catholic Church in Logan, OH, and former longtime member of St. Timothy Catholic Church in Columbus, OH. England was a devoted wife and mother and loved all of her family. Besides her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Ned Robert England (2011); sister, Barbara (John) Henry; and her in-laws, Bob and Leona England.

She is survived by four daughters, Pamela (Carl) Olson of Logan, OH; Kathleen (Danielle) England of Haddonfield, NJ; Robbin (Bob) Koerner of Columbus, OH; and Nancy (Dave) Henderson of Hemlock, OH; one son, Douglas (Susan) England of Amanda, OH; six grandchildren, Nicholas England, Alex (Ashley) England,

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In Memoriam

Megan (Ben) Berghaus, Rachael Kinney, Jennifer Koerner, and Julia Koerner; three great-grandchildren, Cameron, Abigail, and Sophia; three nephews, Timothy, Michael, and George; one niece, Ellen; her beloved dog, Ralphie; and her cat, Freddy.

Walter Packard ’54 Walter H. Packard, of Duxbury, passed away on February 28, 2019, at the age of 83.

Beloved husband of 60 years to Marilyn (Comeau) Packard and loving father of Michelle Packard of Waltham, Scott Packard and his wife Jeanne of Needham, and Adam Packard and his wife Karyn of Duxbury. Cherished grandfather of Charles ’12, Sydney ’15, Genevieve ’14, Caroline and Kathryn and loving brother of Jean Hirtle and her husband Phillip of Braintree, Nancy Crowley of Uxbridge, and the late Wallace Packard.

1956 Charles Dyke ’56 Charles Dyke, 79, died at his home in Doylestown, PA, on February 21, 2018.

Born in Boston in 1938, Dyke went on to Thayer and to receive his bachelor's degree from Brandeis University and his PhD in philosophy from Brown University in 1965. He taught philosophy at Temple University for 50 years, from 1965 to 2015. A highpoint in his life was his appointment to teach for two years at Temple’s campus in Rome, Italy.

For the rest of his life, he enjoyed solving crossword puzzles in Italian.

In retirement, he turned to sculpture. He was also a dedicated gardener.

Dyke is survived by his spouse, Linda Ferguson; his sons, Carl (Rachel), and Alex (Patti); and his grandchildren, Eric, Lucas, and Shannon.

1957 David Elliott ’57 Colonel David R. Elliott, 83, of Naples, FL, died January 16, 2023.

Elliott resided in South Weymouth and graduated from Thayer Academy. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1961, majoring in civil engineering, and obtained a master's degree from Central Michigan University in personnel management.

Col. Elliott was a professional soldier in the U.S. Army, twice decorated for heroism and wounded in combat in Vietnam where he commanded paratroops. Col. Elliott served 30 years in the US Army at all levels from battery to Headquarters, Department of the Army in Washington D.C. Colonel Elliott's more than 25 decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal of Heroism (3 oak leaf cluster & "V" device), the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for Heroism.

He then was a human resources manager for Inland Paperboard and Packaging and later moved to Naples in 2000. Col. Elliott was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, the Military Officers Assoc. of SW Florida, the Elliot Clan Society, and the Military Officers Assoc. of America.

He was married to the former Judith McKeag for 55 years. He enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. visiting family and friends, traveling to other countries, working on family genealogy, taking German classes, and participating in many church functions.

Eliott is survived by his wife, Judith, and three sons: Douglas, Donald, and Robert, as well as eight grandchildren, a niece, and nephew. Col. Elliott is preceded in death by his parents and sister.

Simon George ’57 Simon Antoon George, 84, of Milton, passed away on February 14, 2023.

George was a 57-year resident of Milton and a graduate of Thayer Academy, where he played on the golf club and served on yearbook.

Born in Quincy, George lived there until moving to Milton in 1965, having designed and constructed his home on Ford Ranch Road, where he raised his family and lived until his death. He was the owner of Quincy Ornamental Ironworks, a multi-generational family business in South Boston, until it was sold. He then became a consultant to other leading ironworks companies in the Greater Boston area. His passions were his family, business, and cars, and he was a great lover of the Boston Red Sox, watching their games religiously.

George leaves his beloved wife, Judy, of 61 years. Devoted father to Robert A. George ’80, 60, and Simon A. George ’81, 59, both of Florida, and William J. George, 56, of Auburn, and Jennifer M. Cedrone, 55, of Quincy. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and was the loving brother to Joyce Bacardi ’57, also of Milton.

Judith Lyons ’57 Judith "Judy" Q. Lyons, 81, of Marshfield, died August 3, 2021, at the Plymouth Rehab in Plymouth.

Lyons was born in Boston on August 16, 1939, daughter of the late Dr. Leo R. McKinney and Jane (Quigley) McKinney Sweeney. She was raised in Brockton and attended Thayer Academy, Regis College, and then Lesley College where she earned her master’s in early childhood education.

At Thayer, she was a member of the newspaper staff, play committee, Theta Alpha, and art club. She also played field hockey, golf, tennis, basketball and soccer.

Judy made her career as a reading specialist at Manomet Elementary School. Following retirement, she continued to tutor for various collaboratives on the South Shore.

Lyons leaves behind a legacy of knowledge and astounding accomplishments. Her

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Lyons took after her father, a veterinarian, in loving and caring for each animal she came across. Her daughter, Kathaleen, and granddaughter, Morgan, both were able to grow up around Lyons’ beloved German shepherds, bichons, kittens, and even Harriet the goose.

Lyons is survived by her daughter Kathaleen Q. Lyons ’82 of Falmouth, granddaughter Morgan Q. Murray, also of Falmouth, as well as a niece, many cousins, and lifelong friends. She was predeceased by her brother Richard McKinney, and her ex-husband H. Terence Lyons.

1958 Ann Cooke ’58 Ann M. Cooke, 79, died on April 6, 2020.

A resident of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, Cooke was an educator at the Deep River Elementary School. She was born in Brockton on September 27, 1940, the daughter of Roland Howard Marden and Shirley Dow Marden.

Cooke lived in Randolph until her marriage in 1968 to Durgin W. Cooke, who died in 1994.

Ann graduated from Thayer Academy in 1958 where she participated in Theta Alpha and played tennis. She received a bachelor's degree from Bridgewater State College and a master's degree from Central Connecticut State College.

For 34 years, Ann enjoyed teaching children in their early years. Upon retirement she continued to mentor students in the Deep River School for ten more years.

Cooke leaves behind her brother, Richard D. Marden of Randolph, and is further survived by her cousins: Sandra J. Linehan of South Easton; Judith A. Marden of Greene, ME; Dana F. Shave of Chapel Hill, NC; Robert K. Blanchard of Rye, NH; Diane M. Cahill of San Mateo, CA; Donna J. Walsh of Sun City, FL; and Christopher J. Blanchard, of Kennebunk, ME. Ann is also survived by her dear friends Wendy Beni and Peg Lieberman, both of Chester, CT.

Gookin of Brooklyn, NY. He is predeceased by his two uncles, Vincent Gookin ’36 and Roger Gookin ’47.

IN MEMORIAM: 1950s - 60s

greatest love, pride and joy was the day her granddaughter, Morgan, was born. They were inseparable from the moment they met. Morgan considers her grandmother an "inspiration" and a "once-in-alifetime woman.” Morgan follows in her grandmother's footsteps by attending the same colleges and with the same career choices.

1960 Pearl-Ellen Gordon ’60

1959 Sylvester Gookin ’59 Sylvester "Kim" J. Gookin, 78, passed away peacefully September 5, 2018, at the Life Care Center of Attleboro. He was the beloved husband to Jane (Hathaway) Gookin.

Born on August 16, 1940, in Quincy, he was the dedicated son of the late Sylvester R. and Ruth M. (Cashman) Gookin.

Sylvester attended Thayer Academy and Tufts University. He worked for many years as a mechanical engineer, spending a majority of his career at C.I. Hayes, a company from which he retired, where he primarily specialized in thermal and material processing. He was a member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), where he enhanced his skills as an Amateur Radio Operator.

Sylvester was able to embark on many travel adventures through his work as an engineer.

He will be remembered for his outgoing and fun attitude and also for his caring heart towards animals. Sylvester truly enjoyed every moment he spent with his family, especially his dear wife, Jane. From the first moment they met, they both knew they had found the love of their life.

In addition to his wife, Sylvester is survived by his cherished step-children, Alicia Hartman of Attleboro and Donald Hartman of Perris, CA; his brothers, Richard Gookin and his wife Susan of New Haven, CT, and Vincent Gookin and his wife Linda of Brooklyn, NY; his nephews, Joshua Gookin and his wife Heather of Wallingford, CT; Daniel Gookin and his husband Matthew of East Haven, CT; Mark Gookin of New Haven, CT; and also "Little" Vincent

Pearl Ellen (Clayman) Gordon, 80, of New York City, died on February 10, 2023.

Brilliant, kind, and compassionate, Gordon was a noted psychoanalyst, beloved by her legends of patients. Gordon graduated from Thayer Academy with high honors and was involved as a member of student council, yearbook, newspaper, Theta Alpha, art club, debate club, and dance committee. She also played tennis, field hockey, and softball. Despite her talents, accolades, and reputation, she always remained just P.E. to family and friends. Many friends called her as they faced the challenges of children, spouses and life. They all marveled at her understanding and calm sage advice.

“Auntie P.E.” was the greatest of great aunts - who would spend hours on the phone with her nieces and nephews, take their questions and studies seriously, know precisely the latest teenage and preteen fashions, and shower them with treasured gifts. Modest, elegant, and charming, she was all those things. Her only fault was clothing; she loved to shop and her closets, and living room, were bursting with clothes.

Gordon was the beloved mother of sons Adam (Oleksii) and Timothy (Rachel), grandmother of Benjamin and Tatum, Lilly, and Noah and sister of Charles (Dee) Clayman.

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1963

1966

1976

Priscilla MacMillan ’63

Marcia Konkel ’66

Thomas Richardson ’76

Priscilla “Wiesy” MacMillan, 77, of Duxbury, died on March 21, 2023.

Marcia Jennings Konkel, 74, of Santa Rosa, CA, passed away on January 27, 2023 after a five-year battle with cancer.

Thomas "Tom" William Richardson, 65, of Freetown passed away unexpectedly on April 19, 2023.

Born in Brockton on December 28, 1945, the daughter of Dr. Ernest Edwin and Doris Lake Wiesner, she was the youngest of three, having two older brothers, Edwin Wiesner and Dr. Kenneth Wiesner ’61, whom she admired greatly.

Konkel was born on February 2, 1948, in Boston to the late Marjorie (Briand) Jennings (Allen), and the late Edward W. Jennings of Braintree.

At Thayer Academy, she was nominated as the most likely to succeed as an artist. She also served on yearbook, glee club, dance committee, Theta Alpha, and art club.

However, she ultimately went on to study occupational therapy, first graduating with a bachelor's from Tufts University and later obtaining her master's degree from Wheelock College. She went on to work in education, helping children of all ages.

She had a loving and creative spirit and was a talented artist and writer with a love for telling stories. She cared deeply about her family and friends. She enjoyed her many beagles, gardening, singing in the choir, taking beach walks, and collecting rocks.

She was the mother of Erin Bryn Kelley and her husband, Jonathan Kelley, and Alice Anne MacMillan. She was the proud grandmother of Jack Rider Kelley and Casey Bay Kelley.

She leaves her brother, Dr. Kenneth Wiesner of Carmichael, CA; ex-husband, J. Lawrence MacMillan; and many nephews and a niece.

She was preceded in death by her eldest brother, Edwin Wiesner.

At Thayer, she was very involved in the art club, debate club, Latin club, Theta Alpha, play reading, and G.A.A. Marcia also played basketball, field hockey, softball, and tennis. She attended Syracuse University and graduated from Boston University in 1970. She taught grade school in Quincy and she worked as a travel agent in South Weymouth.

After moving to Santa Rosa in 1982, she worked as a travel agent at Flying Dutchman Travel and Flamingo Travel in Santa Rosa.

Konkel had been a majority member of the Braintree Assembly of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls and she became a member of Santa Rosa Rose Valley Chapter No. 33, Order of the Eastern Star. She served as worthy matron in 1994. She also served as mother advisor to Santa Rosa Chapter No. 156 of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls. She was also a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa.

Konkel had a lifelong interest in photography, and she enjoyed the visual experience of 3D photography. She was able to "free-view" stereo images. She was a member of the National Stereoscopic Association. She was creative, enjoyed art, and she especially liked needlework, including machine embroidery.

Konkel is survived by her husband, Eckhard Konkel, of Santa Rosa, CA. They were married for 54 years. She is also survived by her daughter, Melissa Konkel, of Santa Rosa; her brother, Mark Edward Jennings ’68 (Barbara) of Rochester, NH; her cousin, Bonnie Steele (Hank), of Indio, CA; her cousin, Robert Briand, of Tigard, OR; and nephews, Mark E. Jennings of Downingtown, PA; Joshua Jennings of Stratham, NH; and Zackary Jennings of Auburn, NH.

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Born January 2, 1958, in Weymouth to the late Gerald and Ann (Dugid) Richardson, Richardson went on to Thayer, where he participated in photography, drama, and journalism. A resident of Freetown since 1992, he worked for Factory Paint, and most recently, from 2000 to present, was a loyal employee of Paramount Rug Company in Brockton.

Richardson will be remembered for his quick wit, off-the-wall sense of humor, and his loud laughter. He is lovingly survived by his daughter Randi Richardson and her fiancé James Levy of Assonet, his sister Jane (Richardson) MacDonald, and his many friends and colleagues.

1986 Richard Clancy ’86 Richard J. Clancy, 55, died May 3, 2023.

From Winthrop, Clancy attended Thayer Academy and Boston College. During his time at Thayer, he was involved in yearbook, drama club, the school musical, track, and football.

He worked as a vice president & financial advisor at Morgan Stanley.

He is preceded in death by his father Robert W. Clancy, his mother Nancy Clancy, and his brother Robert Clancy, Jr. Clancy is survived by his daughters Imogen Clancy and Iris Clancy, his ex-wife Angeline Clancy, his sister Laura Drigo, his brother-in-law Gary Drigo, his niece Mackenzie Drigo, his stepmother Suzanne McHutchison, and his stepsisters Jennifer Koopmans and Heather McHutchison.

John Gallagher ’90 John Cullinane Gallagher III, 51, of Milton and Pelham, NY, passed away on March 1, 2023, following a courageous fourmonth battle against a rare form of cancer.

Born in Boston on January 22, 1972, John was the cherished son of John and Mary Alice Gallagher of Milton. John will be forever remembered for his love of family, his kindness, his gentle nature, and his sense of humor. One of his favorite quotes was from The World's Most Interesting Man: "It's never too late to beef up your obituary."

John lived a full and interesting life. A collegiate runner who completed the New York City Marathon, John was a lifelong athlete. He was a graduate of Thayer Academy, Saint Anselm College and Suffolk University Law School. At Thayer, he played baseball, ran track, and was captain of the cross country team.

John worked as a corporate attorney, started his own small law practice, was a town administrator, opened a successful restaurant, worked in sales, and wrote two novels under his pen name, John Cader. His second novel was finished days before his death.

The beloved husband of Alyne Gallagher, he was the proud father of John IV "Chip,” William, and Brooke Gallagher of Pelham. He was adored by his siblings: Cate Hoff ’93 (Charley) of San Diego, CA; Molly Lewis ’98 (Scott) of Milton; Michael Gallagher ’04 (Rebecca) of Erfurt, Germany; and Jimmy Gallagher ’07 (Heidi) of Peterborough, NH, and by his nieces and nephews: Calvin and Audrey Hoff; Owen and George Lewis; and Finley Gallagher.

Richard O'Connell ’90 Richard J. O'Connell, 48, beloved son, brother, and nephew, died on December 3, 2020.

O’Connell attended Thayer Academy, where he was a varsity athlete, participating in football and wrestling.

He then went on to Emerson College, earning Magna Cum Laude honors.

O’Connell enjoyed playing all sports and excelled at wrestling, mountain biking, and snowboarding. His passion for music led him to attend many Grateful Dead concerts.

Working for over 25 years as an IT professional in diverse industries, Richie was considered a valued employee who developed many relationships with clients, colleagues, and peers, especially in his last position at Lincoln IT in New York.

Other military decorations received include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, and the NATO Medal.

IN MEMORIAM: 1960s - 90s

1990

The decorated veteran is survived by his wife Megan and their two children; his parents, Bob and Mary P ’04, ’06, ’11; siblings Greg, Callie ’06, Peter, Luke ’11, and Maggie; and many nieces and nephews.

For a special tribute to Michael, see pp. 32-33 of this issue.

O’Connell is survived by his loving parents, Richard and Mary (O'Connor) O'Connell of Boca Raton, FL, devoted brother Dennis of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Richie donated his organs to several recipients as a final gift.

2004 Michael Ernst ’04 Chief Naval Special Warfare Operator Michael T. Ernst, 36, passed away on February 19, 2023.

While growing up in Cohasset, Michael attended Thayer, where he was an honor roll student, a member of both the men's choir and jazz combo, and a captain of the varsity lacrosse team. He also played varsity football, hockey, and track. Michael went on to graduate from Denison University in Ohio.

Michael enlisted in the Navy and became a Navy SEAL three years later.

Among his many military awards and decorations is the Silver Star, awarded for valor in combat.

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SOUTH WORTH SOCIETY ALUMNI PROFILE

A CHANCE T O G I V E BAC K

ALUM SETS UP REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST

BY ARTHUR FOULKES Thayer Academy gave Gillian McPhee ’89 the skills to achieve academically and professionally, which is why she has included the Academy in her estate plan through a revocable living trust.

The opportunity to study Latin for four years in high school is what turned Gillian’s attention to Thayer. At the Academy, she discovered a broader love of languages and gained the education and determination that would lead her to a rewarding collegiate experience and a successful professional career. After graduating magna cum laude from Yale University, McPhee earned her J.D. from the University of Texas Law School; she then launched a corporate law career in Washington, D.C., which spanned more than 20 years.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had a great career and a great life,” says McPhee, who recently retired from her full-time law practice and now lives with her husband, Gregory DiCostanzo, in scenic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. “One reason for making the gift to Thayer is that I feel strongly about paying back to future students some of the good fortune that we’ve had in our life.”

While at the Academy, McPhee participated in arts and music programs, including one summer program in France — all enriching experiences she would like to help future students enjoy.

“Everyone should be able to get a first-rate education,” she says.

McPhee hopes fellow alums will consider the benefits they received from the Academy when making their own estate plans.

“It’s never too early to plan these things,” she says. “It’s the prudent thing to do.”

THE

SOUTHWORTH SOCIETY

P L A N N E D

G I V I N G

AT

T H AY E R

ACA D E M Y

We invite you to consider planned giving as a means to supporting Thayer while creating a personal and meaningful legacy.

Planned gifts can often provide valuable tax benefits and, in some cases, income for life to the donor. Whether you use cash or other assets, such as real estate, artwork, or stock, the benefits of funding a planned gift can be significant. By including Thayer in your estate plans, you can help strengthen Thayer while preserving your existing assets.

Individuals who make a planned gift to Thayer are welcomed as members of The Southworth Society. Planned gifts can be tailored to the unique circumstances of each donor, and some typical options include bequests, charitable trusts, annuities, or a life insurance policy with Thayer as the beneficiary.

To find out more about how you can benefit from including a planned gift to Thayer in your financial planning, contact Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29, Director of Advancement & Engagement, at 781.664.2501 or mforger@thayer.org or Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12, Associate Director of Advancement & Engagement, at 781.664.2504 or rvassalotti@thayer.org.

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The Final Word FAREWELL TO JON & HIGHLEY

JON WHITE

HIGHLEY THOMPSON

As its admissions director for 30 years, Jon White P ’09, ’11,

During his 12-year tenure as director of the Upper School, Highley

’15 was instrumental in creating and shaping the Thayer

community.

During his three-decade tenure, Jon literally interviewed thousands of student applicants. For each interview, he took the time to really know the prospective student and learn that student’s unique story. By truly listening, Jon and his team were able to see that something special in every new Thayer student and recognize the qualities those students would bring to Thayer.

In addition to leading the Admissions Department, Jon dove into life at Thayer. He oversaw the Academy’s Financial Aid Committee, served as a freshman advisor, and even coached tennis at the Middle School. In all these endeavors, he brought his intelligence, thoughtfulness, kindness, and empathy — not to mention his trademark laugh, which was known across campus. In all things, Jon proved honest and approachable, a man of great integrity.

Through his work and his ever-present optimism, Jon stayed true to Thayer’s mission to “inspire a diverse community of students to moral, intellectual, aesthetic, and physical excellence so that each may rise to honorable achievement and contribute to the common good.”

Jon's legacy is evident, and he will certainly be missed.

BY KRISTAN GATELY P '28 & MAUREEN SULLIVAN KELEHER P '24, '26, '28, '29

Thompson P ’20, ’23 endeared himself to the Thayer community because he always put people – students, families, faculty, and staff – first. He led with steadfastness, vision, and humor and regularly told all members of our community that he loved them; more importantly, he acted upon those words each and every day.

With sensitivity and humor, Highley made decisions based upon how they would affect the individuals involved and the community as a whole. While he adeptly worked through the directorial tasks of discipline, hiring, and curriculum, he most enjoyed his time with students.

Let the record state: Highley Thompson knew how to take a joke.

He laughed when students made T-shirts emblazoned with “Highley Doubtful” on them; he laughed when students inundated the campus with prank business cards, which, if you look carefully enough, you can still find behind certain bulletin boards; and he laughed when seniors hired a bagpipe player to follow him around for the lion’s share of the day. It was all part of his plan to be both serious and fun, to bring purpose and joy each day.

At each Last Chapel, Highley would recognize certain faculty and staff for this or that achievement or milestone, and he would share anecdotes and interesting details about each individual. We faculty and staff listened in gratitude, knowing that he had paid attention to all of us.

Just as Highley told the Upper School “I love you” at nearly every class meeting, we echo those words here: Highley, we will miss you, and, more importantly, we love you.

Turn the page to see a senior's creative tribute to Jon & Highley



BY JESS LEAVER '00 & LIZ ROTANZ

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89

The Final Word FAREWELL TO JON & HIGHLEY

STUDENT’S MAGAZINE COVER ART HONORS THOMPSON & WHITE A recent graduate, Eschuazier was a staff

professional contributions to the lives of

member of Voice, Thayer’s award-winning

students, faculty, parents, and alumni!

student magazine, and a student in the

As dedicated and valued members of the

graphics design classroom of Audio Visual

Thayer community, the benefits are count-

Director and Upper School Arts Faculty

less, memories priceless, and lessons of

Diane Haigh, who also serves as the mag-

kindness, patience, empathy, and leading

azine’s faculty advisor with Upper School

by example, irreplaceable.”

English Faculty Bo Cramer. Eschauzier

It’s a question we all ask ourselves at some point: what would I look like as a Funko Pop collectible figurine?

Former Upper School Director Highley Thompson P ’20, ’23 and retired Admissions Director Jon White P ’09, ’11, ’15 no longer have to struggle with that uncertainty thanks to the thoughtfulness and creativity of Lucky Eschauzier ’23.

90

designed the front and back covers of the

Eschauzier painted both covers digitally,

May issue. The covers feature Funko Pop

using reference photos to match the Pop

versions of Thompson and White, who

Funko figure look. She said that she and

this summer concluded their tenures at

her dad are both big fans of the popular

Thayer after 12 and 30 years of service,

collectibles, which is how she became

respectively.

inspired to salute Thompson and White in such a clever and lighthearted fashion.

Eschauzier presented the framed cover art to Thompson and White as keepsakes.

“I think it’s really important to recognize

Voice staff and advisors, she said, knew that

the work that Mr. Thompson and Mr.

the departing duo must be honored in the

White have put into the Upper School,”

magazine in some way. In an appreciation

said Eschauzier, who is attending the

she penned in that same May issue, one

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

paragraph reads: “Congratulations to

(MassArt) this fall.

both of you on the many years of your

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Vol. 2022-23: Iss. 2

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