ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Weekend 2021 : A Return to Campus Alumni returned to campus in person and via Zoom on June 12 to celebrate a year of record-breaking giving, tour the campus in all of its spring splendor, and honor the newest Hall of Fame inductees and two Alumni of the Year (for 2020 and 2021). While more modest in scale than previous Alumni Weekend celebrations, this year’s gathering gave Highlanders the opportunity to just be together in a place that will always be home. “On behalf of the alumni office, I’d like to express our gratitude to all of
will continue to focus on the priorities outlined in the current Strategic
you for being here,” said Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer,
Plan and refine the Campus Master Plan, beginning with a science,
who welcomed alumni and guests from the stage of the Tisch Family
math and technology center that will become a hub for innovation and
Auditorium in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center.
sustainability, great science and math programs, and the IDEAS Lab,
“We’re particularly thankful for those of you in the Os and 5s who hung
which encapsulates courses in engineering, robotics and science.
in there with us and waited patiently for a reunion one year later.”
2019 by a $100,000 matching grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation,
Brown noted that two weeks earlier, on May 30, students in the
Class of 2021 had been inducted into the Alumni Association as the
is now entering its third year of helping to prepare students to be
first graduates of The Frederick Gunn School, following the school’s
active citizens in the model of Frederick Gunn. That ongoing work,
historic name change in July 2020. Six days later, on June 5, the newest
which is part of every student’s experience, is aligned with the school’s
inductees — from the Class of 2020 — were welcomed into the Alumni
commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. At the same time the
Association as the last graduates of The Gunnery. “Like several of you, the
school is preparing to launch an entrepreneurship program to equip
Class of ’20 waited a year to celebrate,” he said.
students with a mindset to engage the world proactively and creatively
Campus Update
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The Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, kickstarted in
with problem-solving skills, Becker said.
In addition to all of this, the school hired a new Chief People
Head of School Peter Becker provided a campus update, noting that
Officer, Amanda Colarusso, who has joined the Leadership Team, and a
from an enrollment standpoint, the school has seen incredible growth
new Director of Outdoor Programs, Dan Fladager. With his experience,
year-over-year in what continues to be an incredibly competitive
the school expects Gunn Outdoors, which is already a cornerstone of
market. Fundraising remains strong, and many alumni have been
the student experience, to become a preeminent high school outdoor
asking — from even before the Arts and Community Center was
program, Becker said.
completed — “What’s next?” In response to that, Becker said the school
The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin
The current list of college acceptances is yet another indicator
