Westminster Bulletin Fall 2018

Fall 2018

Westminster Bulletin

Launching Horizons at Westminster More Than Language Learning Soar Together to Support People and Programs

Students crossing campus.

Westminster Bulletin

FALL 2018

FEATURES

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Launching Horizons at Westminster

China – Much More Than Language Learning

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Soar Together to Support People and Programs

D R T M E N TMessage S 2 E P AHeadmaster’s

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Supporting Westminster

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From the Archives

12 Athletics

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Martlets on the Move

34 Reunion

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Class Notes

44 Commencement

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Closing Thoughts

Hill Headlines

On the cover, Eda Chen ’20 tutors a student in the Horizons Program at Westminster.

Back cover, students in Armstrong Atrium of Armour Academic Center.

Fall 2018

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Members of the Westminster Community, The martlet is such an interesting school mascot, its legend so inspiring when associated with our core values and mission. As we know, the martlet is a footless bird, always in flight, except in the chapel, which is the one place it rests. In fact, on the shield with five martlets — attributed to Edward the Confessor — over the north entrance to Andrews Memorial Chapel, you will notice that the martlet is represented with feet.

On its own, this element of the martlet’s story inspires, considering the centrality of our chapel program and the John Hay Society to Westminster School’s history and culture, especially with the increasing importance of reflection and spirituality in the context of our tumultuous world. Even further, the mythology accompanying this tireless bird emphasizes the importance of earning your place in the world and not relying on advantage or privilege. This interpretation of the hard-working martlet with a home in the chapel complements nicely our motto of Grit & Grace and our ongoing commitment to civic as they attend to the spaces in which they live and support the engagement, community service and partnership. people with whom they share a community.

As highlighted in this edition of the Bulletin, Westminster

Today, as well, we teach a civic engagement and civil began a partnership with Horizons National, a network of discourse curriculum to all Fourth Formers. This required summer enrichment learning programs for low-income children. program encourages students to reflect on their worldview and Horizons at Westminster draws on our school’s long-standing their responsibility to the community at large. Students meet commitment to greater Hartford, including a summer SPHERE weekly in sections through the fall term. In the winter term, the program on campus in the 1970s and 1980s, and, more recently, program focuses on speech writing and public speaking with the Westminster in Hartford (formerly each student preparing and presenting two WCLP) programs, including volunteer In my view, students learn short speeches; the second speech serves as work at Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, each student’s entry into a public speaking lifelong lessons as they spring break service in Hartford, Bridge to contest, and the speeches deemed best Hartford Westminster initiatives, afterqualify students to compete in front of the attend to the spaces in school tutoring and Summer Academy at entire Fourth Form during one evening Westminster. which they live and support each spring. Reflecting upon a personal Our campus located in the ethic and then developing the skills to the people with whom they articulate that ethic are lessons that will Farmington Valley, proximate to Hartford, affords wonderfully gratifying enrich a lifetime. share a community. opportunities for service, whether

Simply put, the spirit of our Martlet through community service days, mascot together with our distinguishing such as experienced by members of the Class of 2018 during ethos of Grit & Grace continues to inform our school mission. commencement week, when they fanned across Hartford County As at all great schools, our students learn many academic lessons, volunteering their time to all sorts of worthy causes, or through but at Westminster School, the lessons they learn outside of the more sustained partnership relationships, such as that cultivated classroom not only complement their classroom experience, they with Covenant Preparatory School, an independent, tuition free, provide a foundation for meaningful, fulfilling lives, where our middle school at the intersection of Asylum and Farmington alumni make a difference for so many others. avenues in Hartford for young men from underserved

I hope that you enjoy the stories featured in this fall’s edition communities. And reaching out even farther, Westminster held a of the Bulletin. Martlets Soar Together!

Hope On The Hill 5K trail run, walk and kids’ fun run in April to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

This commitment to service extends as well to our work program. Yes, students today continue to take turns serving family-style lunch, cleaning dishes and fulfilling various campus William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09 tasks, in the process sharing the work necessary to support our Headmaster school community. In my view, students learn lifelong lessons 2

Westminster Bulletin

HILL HEADLINES

Summer Academy at Westminster Marks Fourth Year The Summer Academy at Westminster School (SAWS), a partnership between Covenant Preparatory School and Westminster School, brought about 35 middle school students to Westminster four days a week from July 2-26 to attend classes in Armour Academic Center, eat lunch in Armstrong Dining Hall and enjoy recess on Commencement Lawn. It is the fourth year of the program.

Covenant Prep is a tuition-free, private middle school for boys located in Hartford, and it holds its summer session at Westminster with instruction provided by Covenant Prep faculty. Head of Westminster’s Math Department Tony Griffith also taught eighth grade math. This year, SAWS committed itself to a project-based curriculum, a retooling of its school-year curriculum that stretched Above, Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21, senior director of its teachers and students alike.

Westminster in Hartford, with SAWS students and, below, SAWS

A grant Covenant Prep received funded the arts portion of the students studying on the lawn outside Armour Academic Center curriculum (architecture, hip-hop dance, theater and music) that with a teacher in the program. was taught by Westminster architecture teacher Rebeccah TuscanoMoss P’20 and Director of Theater A-men Rasheed and two artists — dance and music — from the Hartford community. “It is a testament to the creative partnership between Covenant Prep and Westminster,” said Westminster faculty member Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21, who serves as senior director of Westminster in Hartford, of which SAWS is a part. “Talk about a two-way street.” A showcase of student arts performances, architecture work and class projects was held at the end of the program.

SAWS ran concurrently with Horizons at Westminster’s six-week summer program, a new initiative. (Please see related story on Page 16.) Thirty-eight Westminster students volunteered to help with both programs. There were also student volunteers from Northwest Catholic High School and Simsbury High School. “Ultimately, SAWS was hopping with energy and excitement this year,” said Todd.

Students Recognized in National Merit Scholarship Program Emmett de Kanter ’19 was named a Semifinalist in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. He is among approximately 16,000 academically talented high school seniors to have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships that will be awarded next spring.

Emmett de Kanter ’19

More than 1.6 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Emmett is a day student from Simsbury who has taken a rigorous course of study and earned high honors during his Westminster career. He serves as junior prefect, is co-head of Global Forum and is the recipient of the Wilbraham Bowl. He holds the school record for the 5K and 3K in cross country and track, and is the captain of the cross country, swimming and track teams.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2019 will be announced beginning next April and concluding in July.

In addition, about 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation were recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Among those are Sixth Formers Alexandra Lin, Henry Mitrano, Reese Poe and Vincent Wang.

Henry Mitrano ’19, Reese Poe ’19, Alexandra Lin ’19 and Vincent Wang ’19 Fall 2018

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HILL HEADLINES

A New Academic Year Begins

Westminster’s new academic year got off to a successful start Sept. 4-5 with the arrival of 401 students hailing from 22 states and 30 countries.

During opening days, students completed registration in Armour Academic Center, picked up textbooks in Cushing Hall, moved into residence halls, met with their advisory groups, and participated in form events and all-school activities. Classes and afternoon activities began Sept. 6.

At the first assembly of the year Sept. 7, Headmaster Bill Philip welcomed everyone and gave special recognition to all new students and the Class of 2019. Members of the Prefect Board

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then displayed the Class of 2019 flag that will signal Hill Holidays throughout the year.

Head Prefect Scott Wilson began his remarks by introducing members of the Prefect Board. He spoke about how Westminster is “a place full of kind, good-hearted people” and encouraged students and faculty to promise one thing: “be you.”

He then focused comments on students in each form. For Third Formers, he advised them to keep an open mind about their peers and to immerse themselves. “Whether you find yourself trying out for a varsity team or competing on a fourths team, try and embrace everything that Westminster throws at you because

HILL HEADLINES

opportunities like these don’t come very often,” he said.

For Fourth Formers, he told them their workload will increase and asked that they welcome all new Fourth Formers. “I trust you to welcome them and hope your sophomore year bridges the gap into your growing leadership position,” he said.

To Fifth Formers, he encouraged them to “stay on top of things” and added, “This was easily my favorite year at Westminster and can be yours, too, if you keep your priorities in check and have a little fun along the way.”

For his fellow Sixth Formers, he proclaimed, “This is our year.” He urged them to enjoy the year and to work to improve

themselves and others. “Try new things you never had the chance to do as underclassmen and, most importantly, be remembered for the right reasons,” he said.

Following the assembly, members of the Sixth Form gathered on the Sixth Form Lawn to receive their Class of 2019 pin or pendant from alumni and honorary alumni faculty. Enthusiasm for Westminster’s traditional Pin Ceremony was not dampened by light rain. After the ceremony, all new students entered Andrews Memorial Chapel where they signed the book signifying their formal entrance into school and shook hands with Headmaster Philip and members of the Prefect Board.

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HILL HEADLINES

New Appointments

Three individuals, including two alumni, assumed new positions at Westminster July 1.

Dean of Admissions Miles Bailey ’94 became dean of admissions following a 16-year tenure at Milton Academy where he worked in a number of capacities. Westminster’s previous dean of admissions and enrollment management, Jon Deveaux P’14, ’16, now serves as senior advancement director in Westminster’s Advancement Office.

After spending his first two years in Milton’s development and athletic offices, Miles was appointed director of financial aid and associate director of admission.

As director of financial aid, he managed, Miles Bailey ’94 projected and allocated an annual budget of $10.6 million over 13 grades and six tuition levels. He was the primary point of contact for aid applicants. As associate director of admission, he managed multistate territories, interviewed students and families, reviewed applications and guided families through the admission process.

Chief Financial Officer Julie Collins assumed the role of chief financial officer following the retirement of Westminster’s previous CFO, Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06.

Julie joined Westminster after a 20-year career at Deerfield Academy.

After serving as assistant controller for nine years and controller for five years at Deerfield, she was appointed director of business services where she was responsible for oversight of daily operations of the finance office, which included seven staff members and three campus store staff. She managed Julie Collins Deerfield’s budgeting process; provided data, analysis and presentations; and oversaw auxiliary programs. She also collaborated with Deerfield’s operations team, including facilities, food service, human resources, information technology and security. Among many other responsibilities, she assisted with tax-exempt bond issues, was responsible for the oversight of accounting for endowment investment activity, participated in the campus

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Miles also served as the house head for a boys’ dormitory, was an advisor, taught in Milton’s Human Sexuality and Relationships Program, and coached lacrosse and basketball. A member of the Westminster Class of 1994, Miles earned a B.A. in political science from Emory University.

“What I am most excited about in returning to Westminster is being able to partner with such an amazing leadership team and Board of Trustees in shaping the future of Westminster,” said Miles.

“The heart of a school is the student body, and I am eager to recruit the best possible candidates for admission to Westminster.

Building the legacy of Westminster is not a task I take lightly, and it is a tremendous honor to be given this directive.”

Miles and his wife, Susie, who teaches science at Westminster, live in a faculty home on campus with their daughter, Kate.

master planning process and was a liaison with the advancement office. She also took part in the Association of Business Officers of Preparatory Schools (ABOPS).

Before Deerfield, Julie spent six years as the manager of budget and decision support for Baystate Franklin Medical Center and six years in the audit division of Coopers & Lybrand. She started her career as a senior accountant for Derand Investment Company. She earned a B.S. in accounting from Boston College and certification as a CPA.

Julie and her husband, Jim, and their two sons, Ryan and Ben, live in a faculty home on campus. Their sons are graduates of Deerfield Academy and now attend college in Pennsylvania.

“I am delighted to join Westminster and excited to work with this talented and dedicated community,” said Julie. “Tom Earl’s 40-year commitment to Westminster is inspiring, and I look forward to continuing his financial stewardship and support of the school’s students, faculty and staff.”

HILL HEADLINES

Dean of Faculty Longtime Westminster faculty member Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19, ’22 was appointed dean of faculty. Greg Marco P’08, ’11, who previously served as dean of faculty, has returned full time to the classroom, coaching, advising and supervising a corridor in Gund House.

Mark, a member of the Westminster Class of 1991, began his teaching career at Eaglebrook School, and was appointed to the Westminster faculty in 1997. During his tenure at Westminster, he has served as a dorm head, a department head, director Mark de Kanter ’91 of the Westminster Teaching Initiative, director of academic technology, Ecoteam leader, head coach of three varsity sports and advisor to countless students. He has taught AP Biology for close to two decades as well as a changing mix of other core courses within the science curriculum. As director of academic technology, he implemented and oversaw academic technology platforms as well as summer

academic programs, which offer students enrichment classes and an introduction to the school’s learning management systems.

He earned a B.A. from Williams College, where he double-majored in English and biology, while competing on the varsity swimming and crew teams, and an M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University.

“I have always deeply respected Westminster’s strong sense of community and the manner in which the school strikes a healthy balance of academics, athletics and service,” said Mark. “As the dean of faculty, I seek to support the already excellent Westminster faculty as a resource for promoting professional development.”

Mark and his wife, Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22, a history teacher and executive director of Horizons at Westminster, live in McOrmond House with their son, Emmett ’19, and their daughter, Samantha ’22.

Hope On The Hill Raises Money for Cancer Research The student group Serving our Neighbors (SON) held a Hope On The Hill 5K trail run, walk and kids’ fun run at Westminster April 22 to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Westminster students, faculty and staff participated in the run and served as volunteers, coordinating setup and operations.

The event kicked off with a children’s fun run on the upper fields. Following that, Associate Head of School Nancy Spencer P’13, ’15 greeted everyone.

“Welcome to our first Hope On The Hill race to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and to bring ourselves together as a community,” she said.

Suzanne Chapman, president of the Friends of Dana-Farber Board of Directors, expressed appreciation to the participants. “Thank you for this event to raise funds for cutting-edge research,” she said. “Every dollar goes through a competitive grant process, with the majority of funds going to young

Runners in the Hope On The Hill 5K run

scientists. I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of our work. We are moving the needle at Dana-Farber and our goal to eliminate cancer.”

Sarah Boczanowski, who serves as a patient coordinator in gastrointestinal oncology at Dana-Farber, spoke about her life-saving treatment for leukemia at the institute. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” she said. “It can happen at any time.

What you are doing is so important.”

After the national anthem, participants competed in the 5K trail run and walk on campus and then enjoyed food from Kane’s Market and an ice cream truck. Musical entertainment by a DJ, face painting and a dunk tank were

also part of the festivities.

The event and a silent auction resulted in a donation of $8,119 to Dana-Farber for cancer research. The total included major contributions from the John Hay Society and Shred Kids’ Cancer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded

by Teagan Stedman ’18.

“I am extremely proud of all of the 197 students who participated or volunteered,” said Kelly Curtis, director of community service at Westminster.

“Running an event like this is not an easy task and doing it while being a studentathlete full time is challenging. They met every deadline, and went above and beyond in a mission to save lives.”

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HILL HEADLINES

Connecticut Poet Laureate Visits as Westminster Poet Rennie McQuilkin, the Connecticut Poet Laureate at the time, visited Westminster April 16-17 as the Westminster Poet for 2018. He gave a reading in Werner Centennial Center and visited English classes during his stay. In preparation for his visit, students had read “North of Eden: New & Collected Poems,” his 15th poetry collection.

“We have been extremely lucky, as a school, to have spent the last eight months reading and enjoying Rennie McQuilkin’s work,” said Lawrence Court, head of the English Department, in introducing the poet for his reading to the Westminster community. “His poetry has inspired discussions about all sorts of important issues, such as the importance and significance of history and the sacred roles that art and the artist play in our world. His work has allowed us to take a fresh look at the people, the animals, the landscapes and the relationships that we can often take for granted. His poetry has enriched and elevated us.”

During the reading, McQuilkin explained the inspiration for the numerous poems he read. “We send our poems out into the world and hope they keep,” he said.

McQuilkin’s work has been published in The Atlantic, Poetry, The American Scholar, The Southern Review, The Yale Review, The Hudson Review, Crazyhorse and other journals. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the state of Connecticut. He co-founded and for years directed the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival at the HillStead Museum in Farmington, Conn., subsequently founding Antrim House Books, which publishes Connecticut, national and international poetry. In 2003, he received the Connecticut Center for the Book’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2010, the center awarded him its poetry award under the aegis of the Library of Congress.

In English classes, students asked McQuilkin questions about the poems they had read and about his writing process.

“When I create poems, I am not very conceptual,” he said. “I kind of give into it. I don’t necessarily know where I am going with a poem.” He added that he doesn’t explain everything in a poem. “Poetry isn’t going to give it all to you; it is going to ask you to be a participant.”

In response to a question about what advice he would provide to someone looking to be an author, he told the students: “Just do it. Don’t be afraid to send a poem out to a school publication or join a writers’ workshop. Let the experience grow you.”

Allie Masthay ’21 liked meeting McQuilkin in her English class. “I always think it’s very interesting to meet an author, particularly if I’ve read his or her work,” said Allie. “It was very interesting to have some context for his writing. Mr. McQuilkin is a great poet and teacher. He’s had a lot of teaching experience, and it was amazing to be able to be taught for a day by such an accomplished poet.”

“Rennie McQuilkin was in so many ways the perfect Westminster Poet,” said English teacher Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10, who directs the Westminster Poet Series. “His poems are accessible enough for high school students, whether they are narratives or lyrics, but they are also wonderfully crafted and multifaceted. He has a very musical ear, and his poems incorporate all of the musical devices of sound available to a contemporary poet.

As a teacher, he was extraordinarily generous and forthright, too, not to mention charming and funny.”

McQuilkin and his wife, the artist Sarah McQuilkin, live in Bloomfield, Conn.

Above, Rennie McQuilkin meets with students in their English class and, at left, gives a reading in Werner Centennial Center.

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Westminster Bulletin

HILL HEADLINES

Students Earn Awards at Computer Programming Competition

Connor Seeley ’18, John Kuzminskas ’18 and Spencer Organ ’18.

Three students in math teacher Dan Aber’s P’16, ’18, ’20 AP Computer Science class last spring — Connor Seeley ’18, John Kuzminskas ’18 and Spencer Organ ’18 — traveled to Stratford, Conn., April 21 for Code Quest, an annual computer programming competition. This is the first year a Westminster team has participated in the event.

Nicknamed the Coding Cavaliers, the team worked for 2 ½ hours on challenging problems created by Lockheed Martin engineers and computer programmers. Competing in the novice division, consisting of students with less than one year of coding classes, the Cavaliers took first place, and were awarded individual medals and a team trophy.

“It was a fun and rewarding day for all three students,” said Dan.

Singer-Songwriter Griffin House Gives Concert Singer-songwriter Griffin House gave a performance for the Westminster community April 9 in Werner Centennial Center as part of the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series. He also met with students in class.

House attended Miami University in Ohio, where he taught himself to play the guitar and write songs. Recording and performing for over a decade, he has toured with Ron Sexsmith, Patti Scialfa, Josh Ritter, John Mellencamp, Mat Kearney and The Cranberries.

House received early critical acclaim on “CBS Sunday Morning,” and his songs

Emmett de Kanter ’19, Griffin House and Liz Murphy ’19 following the performance.

have since been featured in countless films and television shows such as “One Tree Hill,” “Army Wives” and “Brothers and Sisters.” More recently, CNN Newsroom invited House to perform “Paris Calling,” from his album, “So On and So Forth.”

During his Westminster performance, House shared stories about the inspiration for some of his songs. He also explained how he got involved in music. “I kind of backed into doing music in high school,” he said. “I did sports, got involved in theater and taught myself to sing.”

Following his performance, House responded to questions from the audience including one about his favorite music.

“I listen to a lot of music and like all kinds of music,” he said. He shared that in order to make a record, he writes 50 to 100 songs and then picks the ones that mean the most to him. “Music has a healing quality to it that has always resonated with me,” he explained. He closed by saying, “It has been a real pleasure being here, and I hope I can come back again.”

Members of the Gund Family established the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series fund in 1991 in honor of Graham Gund ’59 at his 50th birthday.

Griffin House performs in Werner Centennial Center.

Income from the fund underwrites the cost of bringing outstanding artists to Westminster to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the performing arts. The visiting artists perform in Werner Centennial Center.

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HILL HEADLINES

Spring Festival of the Arts The Spring Festival of the Arts in Werner Centennial Center May 24 and 25 featured performances by the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Tower Line, Rising Sons, Dance Ensemble, The Belles, Chamber Choir and Chorale.

The festival, which takes place during commencement weekend, also included two visual arts exhibitions of student work. In the Chapel Gallery student work from art teacher Kerry Kendall’s classes was on display, and in Fearn Hall photographs

by Jane Toner’s P’02, ’21 photography classes were exhibited.

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Westminster Bulletin

HILL HEADLINES

Westminster Sponsors Seward Johnson Sculpture

Above, “One Man’s Search” near the entrance to Westminster and, right, “Midstream” on the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury.

As part of a walking art trail created by the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce for five months, Westminster sponsored a sculpture by renowned artist Seward Johnson that was located near the entrance to campus. The bronze sculpture of a student reading on a bench, titled “One Man’s Search,” was part of a townwide exhibition of 32 life-size bronze sculptures from Johnson’s “Celebrating the Familiar” series that depicts people doing ordinary things in life as well as famous people.

Sculptures were on display in various locations in Simsbury, such as the Simsbury Public Library, the Simsbury Historical Society, local businesses and Eno Memorial Hall, from May 15 until Oct. 28. They depicted such things as a mailman sorting mail, a hotdog stand, a girl waiting to cross the street, a girl watering flowers, a boy skateboarding, a man reading a newspaper, a man dining out, children eating ice cream and Monet painting. The sculptures were popular destinations for taking photos.

Johnson’s “Celebrating the Familiar” series was first exhibited in 1992 at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. He believed it would attract people who did not like traditional museums. The Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, along with local businesses, embarked on the project to promote tourism and businesses, and build awareness of all that Simsbury has to offer.

Team Takes First Place in Economics Competition A team of students in faculty member Peter Briggs’ ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07 AP Economics course competed in the National Economics Challenge Wild Card Competition last spring and came in first in the Adam Smith Division in Connecticut. The students were Albert Gao ’18, Vlad Ivanchuk ’19, John Kuzminskas ’18 and Chris Whipple ’18. Lightheartedly, they named their team To Small Too Fail.

Every year, the Council for Economic Education hosts the National Economics Challenge (NEC) in which high school students apply their knowledge of economics and work in teams. This year, 11,000 students participated in the NEC. Competitions are held at the state, national semifinal and national final levels in two divisions: Adam Smith for AP, IB and advanced students, and David Ricardo for beginners. In each competition, teams of students answer rigorous questions on microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics and current events. The Wild Card Competition is a state-level competition of the NEC.

As the highest-scoring team in Connecticut’s Adam Smith Division, the Westminster team competed in the national semifinals. Although the Westminster team failed to make it to the national finals in New York City (top eight teams only), it came in 18th in the nation in the top division (Adam Smith) against several thousand teams nationwide.

Albert Gao ’18, Chris Whipple ’18, Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07, Vlad Ivanchuk ’19 and John Kuzminskas ’18.

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///// A T H L E T I C S /////

Spring Season Highlights First Boys’ Golf First Boys’ Golf had a strong 2018 season. In regular season matches, the team compiled a 19-6-1 record, and consistently shot scores in the low-200s range. In major tournaments, the team finished fourth out of nine schools at the Suffield Invitational, fifth out of 16 schools at the Western New England Invitational and ninth out of 23 schools at the Kingswood Invitational. Captain Grant Noble ’18 led the team with significant contributions by Ned Blanchard ’20, Justin Flaks ’20, Peyton Knauf ’19 and Ian Broadbent ’18.

Grant Noble ’18

Katie Kosior ’18

First Girls’ Golf For First Girls’ Golf, the season concluded with a 4-10 team record in match play contest. The team competed hard in two medal tournaments, the Pippy O’Connor Independent School Girls’ Golf Classic and the Founders League Championship, where it placed seventh of eight teams. Unfortunately, four of the multischool matches were canceled due to inclement weather.

Competition was fierce this season with the perennial powers of Loomis Chaffee, Taft and Hotchkiss battling for league honors.

Even with some very challenging afternoons against stronger teams, Westminster displayed plenty of character as every player pushed hard to compete, to improve and, ultimately, to enjoy the wonderful opportunity provided by golf.

Demitri George ’18

First Boys’ Lacrosse First Boys’ Lacrosse had a competitive year with exciting wins over Choate Rosemary Hall, Loomis Chaffee and Williston Northampton School.

Demitri George ’18, Sal Iaria ’18 and Quinn Armstrong ’20 were named to the Western New England Division 1 All-League Team.

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First Girls’ Lacrosse The girls’ lacrosse program had a very good year. Dramatic wins included a 14-13 squeaker over Choate Rosemary Hall, a 10-9 win over Berkshire and a 10-8 victory over Kent School.

Emma Alpaugh ’18 and Blake Cote ’19 were both named to the WNEPSWLA All-Star Team.

Blake Cote ’19

First Girls’ Softball First Girls’ Softball completed another outstanding season, finishing the regular season with a record of 13-1, and winning the Founders League Championship. The Martlets have captured the league title 10 out of the last 12 years. Although the team came up just short in its quest to repeat as Class A Western New England Champions (losing a hard-fought tournament game 11-7), the season was highlighted by numerous exciting wins. In April, Westminster overcame a six-run deficit in the final inning for a victory against Taft, and the team also defeated a talented Wilbraham & Monson squad. Standout moments in May included a well-played 11-2 win over Williston and an exciting 8-3 victory over Founders League rival Ethel Walker.

Before the New England tournament, the team extended its winning streak to 12 games by rallying in the seventh inning against Marianapolis Preparatory School. Sixth Formers Ally Marenco, Katie Neilsen, Lucy Noel, Emily Samar, Hannah Stone and Ashlee White led the Martlets. Over the past four years, the team achieved a record of 59 wins and four losses and captured four Founders League titles and two Class A New England Championships. Samar and White received honors as All-Western New England. White and Stone were selected to the Western New England AllStar Team. Marenco and Gabby Nemarich ’20 were named All-Founders League.

Emily Samar ’18

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Matthew Cosentino ’18

First Boys’ Baseball First Boys’ Baseball was led last spring by an outstanding group of Sixth Formers, including captains Josh and Matthew Cosentino, Jack Stevenson, Sam Leopold and Joe Patrina.

Once again, the boys played tremendous, competitive baseball against the best teams in the Founders League and the Western New England League. Wins over Kingswood Oxford, Taft, The Gunnery and The Master’s School were team highlights, while the individual performances of Josh Cosentino and Matthew Cosentino earned them All-Founders League honors.

First Boys’ Tennis First Boys’ Tennis had a resurgent season led by a cadre of returning players and two Third Formers, Grant McCargo and James Manderlink. The team played tough against every opponent and received kudos from opposing coaches for its grit and grace. The quality of play was very high with six of the team’s opponents making the Class A New England Tournament and two in the Class B Tournament. As was typical during the season, in the close matches, the Martlets did quite well in doubles. Manderlink and Ethan Na ’19 made a strong team at No. 2, and McCargo and co-captain Nikola Kostic ’18 had a very good record at No. 3. Against Suffield Academy, the doubles point proved decisive when the singles matches split with Carl Ekholm ’19 winning a third-set tiebreaker in overtime to seal the victory. Playing No. 1 is very tough against the very best players in New England, but Azat Mukhametkulov ’19 was competitive in every match. At No. 2, Na had the most wins on the team. Sixth Formers Connor Seeley (co-captain) and Chris Whipple made a good doubles team and were always ready to spring into action in singles or doubles as needed.

Chris Whipple ’ 18 and Connor Seeley ’18

First Girls’ Tennis First Girls’ Tennis had another fantastic year, finishing the regular season at 13-3. The team placed second overall at the Kent de Villafranca Invitational Tennis Tournament and reached the New England Tournament as the No. 2 seed, making it to the finals before falling to a very good Hopkins team. But Westminster did receive the runner-up trophy for the first time in the program’s history.

Natalie Wilson ’18 and Mary Kille ’18

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First Girls’ Track First Girls’ Track ended the season with a 4-6 record. A number of those losses came by narrow margins to strong teams. Younger athletes performed very well, indicating a bright future for the Martlets. Wins came over Cheshire Academy, Miss Porter’s School on two occasions and Canterbury School.

Highlights for the year included Maya Ruffin ’19 being crowned the Founders League champion in the discus with her throw of 77-10 at the league championships and Amanda Liu ’18 taking sixth place in the pole vault at the NEPSTA Championships with a personal best vault of 8 feet.

Brandon Williams ’18

Amanda Liu ’18

First Boys’ Track The Martlets plugged away this year with a young team to finish the season at an even 5-5. A number of young athletes were asked to compete at the varsity level, and their strong performances supported a great group of Sixth Form athletes.

The regular season saw some stiff competition, but Westminster prevailed with wins over Cheshire Academy, Trinity-Pawling School on two occasions, Canterbury School and Hopkins School. Postseason highlights included Drew Brownback ’19 and Brandon Williams ’18 notching top-three finishes at NEPSTA Championships, and Teagan Stedman ’18 set a new school record in the 800m, besting a 14-year-old mark, in a time of 2:00.55.

Visit www.Westminster-School.org/page/Athletics/Athletics-Schedule for the latest game results and team schedules.

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Launching Horizons at Westminster Eighteen first-grade students from Hartford arrived at Westminster in a yellow school bus June 25 with tremendous anticipation about their first day in a sixweek summer learning program. They were members of the inaugural class of Horizons at Westminster, a new program designed to boost educational achievement and broaden access to opportunity for low-income students.

Top, Horizons students with teacher Heather Kahn walking to Armstrong Dining Hall and, above, teacher Noreen Trenchard with students in class in Armour Academic Center.

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The Westminster program is part of the national network of Horizons’ awardwinning, tuition-free, academic and enrichment programs serving low-income public school students on the campuses of independent schools, colleges, universities and charter schools across the country. Currently, Horizons has 55 sites operating in 18 states and serving about 5,800 students.

After deciding to launch a Horizons program, Westminster established a partnership with Moylan School to enroll students. Moylan is a neighborhood choice school within Hartford Public Schools that serves students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. This year’s group of first-graders will participate in Horizons at Westminster year after year, through eighth grade. And every summer, another group of approximately 15-17 students from Moylan and other Hartford schools will be added to the program.

Horizons National Network of Programs On a national level, Horizons is recognized as a transformational community-centered program proven to close the opportunity and achievement gaps for low-income children. One hundred percent of Horizons students come from low-income families, with two-thirds of the students admitted to the program performing below grade level, including some who lag a year or more behind. The program’s focus on literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming is designed to inspire students to learn, achieve and experience greater academic success.

Horizons programs are not an extension of the school year. The Horizons project-based educational model is designed to inspire a lifelong passion for learning, using a combination of high-quality academics with cultural enrichment and confidence-building activities. All Horizons affiliates embrace the same educational philosophy and customizable curriculum.

Every Horizons program includes swimming instruction, breakfast and lunch, field trips, recreation, arts and an overall emphasis on family involvement.

Students begin their participation in Horizons as early as prekindergarten and return year after year; some affiliates

serve students through high school. In addition to offering the summer program, Horizons provides additional support to participants throughout the year.

“Horizons is founded in the belief that all children should have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams, and that is not the case in our country right now,” said Lorna Smith, chief executive officer of Horizons National, last spring at a presentation to the Westminster Board of Trustees. “Starting in kindergarten, low-income children are losing two to three months of reading and math

“In six weeks of the summer session, they learn eight to 12 weeks of reading and math skills. They are going back ahead of where they left school in the spring. It makes a huge difference for their trajectory.”

Top, Executive Director of Horizons at Westminster Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22 with a student having breakfast in Armstrong Dining Hall; above, students getting ready to board the bus at Moylan School; and, above right, faculty member Scott Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12 greeting students as they arrive at Westminster.

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skills during the summer break. That accumulates year after year, so by the time they are in fifth grade, they are very far behind. It is a problem that is very difficult or impossible to rectify by the time they get to high school.” Horizons addresses the problem by bringing children in when they are young. “Not only do our students not lose that two to three months of reading and math skills, they actually gain,” she continued. “In six weeks of the summer session, they learn eight to 12 weeks of reading and math skills.

They are going back ahead of where they left school in the spring. It makes a huge difference for their trajectory.”

Horizons students boast a 97 percent high school graduation rate (compared to 76 percent for low-income children in the U.S.) and an 87 percent college matriculation rate.

By design, Horizons programs exist on independent school, college, university and charter school campuses rather than in neighborhood public schools. These facilities not only offer new surroundings, resources and relationships, they offer the opportunity to learn in a new environment, helping to increase engagement and promote social and academic growth.

Teacher Heather Kahn, Assistant Director of Horizons at Westminster Mary Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21 and Moylan School Principal Christine McCarthy observe students in class.

An Enriching Day at Westminster The newly established Horizons at Westminster program took place five days each week from June 25 through Aug. 3. A chaperoned school bus picked up the first-graders outside of Moylan School at 7:45 a.m. and transported them to Westminster to begin their day with family-style breakfast in Armstrong Dining Hall. Following breakfast, the

students attended class in Armour Academic Center taught by experienced and dedicated teachers from Moylan School: Heather Kahn and Noreen Trenchard, and Erin Doyle Luciano, who served as a reading specialist.

Most mornings, the curriculum involved studying math, including whole group instruction, small group work and some individual tutoring. This academic work was followed by swimming lessons at Hibbard Aquatic Center three days

Above, left, Simsbury Public Library Children’s Librarian Hilary Kennard P’19 reads to students during their weekly visit to the library and, above right, a student with a favorite book.

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Above and right, students learning to swim at Hibbard Aquatic Center.

a week, where the students quickly progressed in learning to swim and to feel comfortable in the water.

Later in the morning and after lunch, the students often were involved in project-based work on STEM-related subjects and English language arts in whole group instruction, skills blocks and lab work. Book club discussions about a book they had read together and “read aloud” time with volunteer tutors were regular curriculum components.

Throughout the day, the students also worked on community-building skills.

As a part of their expedition work, the students visited Simsbury Public Library Monday afternoons for readings given by Children’s Librarian Hilary Kennard P’19 and to check out books.

Other enrichment activities included field trips to Flamig Farm, Roaring Brook Nature Center and a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) fair at the Horizons program at The Ethel Walker School. Brian Kleinman of Riverside Reptiles also brought a live reptile and amphibian presentation to Westminster. And thanks to Spike Lobdell ’75, P’07, who founded New England Science and Sailing Foundation (NESS) and serves as its president, the students learned about biomimicry from a NESS employee, which aligned perfectly with their expedition on birds.

While swimming lessons and field trip activities were often mentioned as favorite activities, so were lessons in reading and STEM, as well as time spent with teachers and volunteers.

Above center, a student during a visit to Flamig Farm and, above, students visit The Ethel Walker School for a STEAM fair.

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Adding to those experiences, Brian O’Donnell ’66 came to campus Monday mornings to teach the children how to play chess, and faculty member Grant Gritzmacher played the guitar for the students on Fridays after lunch, which was also ice cream day.

Numerous Westminster students, alumni, faculty, and staff volunteered to help with the students. They extended greetings during arrivals and departures, provided math and reading tutoring, and helped with family-style breakfasts and lunches.

Before boarding the bus for their return to Hartford each day, the students gathered with their teachers and volunteers in a circle to share their favorite part of the day and to sing a goodbye song. While swimming lessons and field trip activities were often mentioned as favorite activities, so were lessons in reading and STEM, as well as time spent with teachers and volunteers.

Building on Prior Work Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22, who previously served as assistant head of school at Westminster, assumed the role of executive director of Horizons at Westminster July 1. She will continue to teach, coach and advise Westminster students and have overall responsibilities for Westminster’s civic engagement programs. Working with her on Horizons

Brian O’Donnell ’66 teaches students how to play chess in Cole Library.

at Westminster this past summer were Westminster faculty member Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21, who serves as senior director of Westminster in Hartford — formerly Westminster Crossroads Learning Program in Hartford (WCLP) — and staff member Mary Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21, who, at the time, served as assistant director of Horizons at Westminster and assistant director of Westminster in Hartford. This fall, Mary assumed the role of kitchen manager with Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen in Hartford.

Establishing a Horizons program at Westminster is an extension of the nearly

two decades of work Todd and Mary have been doing in Hartford since establishing the Crossroads Cooperative Learning Program (CCLP) and its successor, WCLP. They also initiated current Westminster in Hartford efforts, such as a partnership with Covenant Preparatory School and its Summer Academy at Westminster School (SAWS) that ran concurrently with this summer’s Horizons program; a School Year After School Tutoring program; volunteer work at Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen; Spring Break in Hartford; the Bridge to Hartford initiative; and a civic engagement and civil discourse curriculum for all Fourth Formers which

Horizons staff and volunteers with visiting Moylan School Principal Christine McCarthy: Mary Eckerson, McCarthy, Todd Eckerson, Heather Kahn, Samantha de Kanter ’22, Noreen Trenchard, Katherine Eckerson ’17, Kathleen Devaney and Eda Chen ’20.

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includes speech writing and public speaking as a part of the curriculum.

“Horizons at Westminster is a natural outgrowth of all the partnership work that has been done previously in Hartford,” said Kathleen. “The goal of Horizons at Westminster is to develop relationships with families in Hartford and to help the students we enroll close the summer slide in reading and math, and increase their involvement with books and Teacher Noreen Trenchard with students. learning over the summer. We hope to grow that relationship into an eight-year commitment as the students opportunity for our students,” she move from first through eighth grade said. “Being immersed in a culture and during their summers at Westminster, and tradition of excellence and service to we involve them throughout the year in others is something that will have lasting some Saturday academies or after-school effects on our students. They are receiving tutoring.” high-quality academic instruction in a

“Horizons is a way to deepen the small group setting for six weeks. They work begun by CCLP and WCLP and are playing chess with mentors, learning ensure that it continues at Westminster to swim, going on amazing field trips, and in the future,” said Todd. “Great schools working with Westminster students, staff have an obligation to do things like and faculty. They are truly being accepted Horizons, especially in this day and age.” as part of the Horizons at Westminster

Kathleen, Todd and Mary credit family.”

Moylan School Principal Christine

She thinks the students will also have McCarthy for helping to make Horizons an impact on other students at Moylan. “I at Westminster a reality. Christine is in her believe that the confidence these students fifth year at Moylan and has worked for are gaining through the Horizons program Hartford Public Schools for more than 15 will carry through to the school year,” years. she said. “These students will grow to be

“I am all about opportunities leaders among their peers, and that will that will benefit our students,” said have a tremendous ripple effect at our Christine. “Often my team and I are school.” seeking out opportunities and looking

In anticipation of the start of the for partners who can support our work Horizons program at Westminster, some and our students, like our partner, Boys Westminster students, under Mary’s & Girls Club Hartford. In this case, the direction, began tutoring students at opportunity was brought to me. I listened Moylan School this past spring. “When to what Horizons was all about and saw we decided to begin this program with the value. There is no way that I was Moylan, we thought we would try to going to say no. It was never about if establish a presence in the building,” we were going to do it, it was just about said Mary. “On Wednesdays, I brought working out the how, or the logistical a few Westminster students over to tutor pieces. I knew our students could benefit kindergarteners and first-graders with greatly from this partnership.” their reading. We even met some of the

Christine sees many benefits for children who participated in our Horizons the students participating in Horizons program over the summer. This was part at Westminster. “Just the experience of of our School Year After School Tutoring attending a program outside of Hartford, initiative that also involves tutoring at on this beautiful campus, is an amazing Covenant Prep.”

Involving Others A board of directors was formed for Horizons at Westminster that will serve in an advisory capacity. The members are former Westminster CFO Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, Trustee Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20, and faculty members Todd Eckerson, Amy Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12 and Shannon O’Shaughnessy. As part of her responsibilities, Kathleen will be spearheading fundraising efforts to support the program’s operation.

“What was so inspiring is that, after we announced our decision to build this program, so many people at Westminster came to me and said they wanted to be involved with Horizons at Westminster,” said Kathleen. “There was clearly a community interest for involvement in this new initiative.”

A student working on an assignment.

“They are receiving highquality academic instruction in a small group setting for six weeks. They are playing chess with mentors, learning to swim, going on amazing field trips, and working with Westminster students, staff and faculty.”

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Coming Full Circle, Twice When Westminster was looking for a school in Hartford with which to affiliate Horizons at Westminster, it considered Moylan School. With the help of former CCLP participant Eli Joseph, who serves as a behavior technician at Moylan, the partnership was eventually cemented.

Eli and his brother, Elijah, and sister, Joslyn, all attended the CCLP summer program held at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford when they were students at Hartford Public High School. Eli stayed in touch with the Eckersons in the subsequent years which took him to Kent School for a postgraduate year, Temple University to earn his bachelor’s degree, the NFL for two years, and most recently to Moylan to serve as a behavior technician. He also works in real estate and recently wrote the memoir “The Book of Eli: A Story of Purpose and Perseverance.”

Eli says being a part of CCLP years ago helped him gain more insight about school, taking the SAT and being in a position to go to a private school for a postgraduate year. “I don’t know how life would be without those two years at CCLP and a year at a private school,” he said.

Eli was unfamiliar with Horizons when Todd approached him about helping to find a school in Hartford with which Horizons at Westminster could affiliate.

“If Todd is on board, I am on board, just

Students, teachers and volunteers gather in a circle to share their favorite part of the day.

knowing him,” said Eli. Eli facilitated the conversation about a possible partnership with Moylan Principal Christine McCarthy.

“Eli Joseph was the one who brought this opportunity to us,” said Christine, who was unfamiliar with Horizons previously. “If he did not have a relationship with the Eckersons, our school would not likely have been selected for this opportunity. When he introduced me to the Eckersons, I knew immediately

Eli Joseph with students as they arrive at Westminster.

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I wanted to partner with them. They so clearly share our vision for our students.

They and Kathleen felt like part of our crew right away.”

Eli helped smooth the transition for the Moylan students during the first two weeks of the Horizons program by providing a familiar presence to the students on the bus rides to and from Hartford and while they were on Westminster’s campus.

Another full-circle aspect of

Faculty member Mitch Overbye P’05, ’09 with a student during family-style breakfast.

establishing the Horizons program at Westminster is that Horizons was originally created by the late George Stevens P’81, GP’07, ’09, ’12, ’16, ’19, ’21, former headmaster of New Canaan Country School, father of current faculty member Scott Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12 and his brother alumnus Jed ’81, P’16, ’19, ’21, and spouse of former Trustee Jill Stevens P’81, GP’07, ’09, ’12, ’16, ’19, ’21, a Westminster Fellow.

In 1964, George had the idea to open the campus of New Canaan Country School in the summer months to low-income students so they would be inspired through project-based academic experiences. He also envisioned a longterm commitment to the students. The program was eventually named Horizons, and it flourished. Today, Horizons at New Canaan Country School has grown from a summer program working with 20 students to a year-round program that serves more than 400 students in grades K-12 each year, primarily from Stamford and Norwalk, Conn. As Horizons grew into a national movement, it expanded within Connecticut as well. There are now Horizons programs operating at eight independent schools, colleges and universities in the state, including Westminster.

“Given my family’s long-term involvement and commitment at Westminster, the arrival of Horizons at Westminster seems just so right for the school and a natural extension of my father’s original vision,” said Scott. “I have no doubt that my father, an educator to his core, would be very excited for both programs. As kids, my two brothers and I lived on the New Canaan Country School campus, so our summer lives were always intertwined with the Horizons program as we interacted with participants, especially in outdoor activities. Learning to swim has always been an essential element of the Horizons mission, so I recall lots of fun afternoon pool time with Horizons kids as they worked to achieve that important goal. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching Horizons’ growth from afar, yet I never imagined that from its humble local origins it would become a national organization. I am quite sure that when my father, along with the New Canaan Country School’s progressive faculty and trustees, conceived the idea of Horizons, they had no idea of the program’s potential impact and success that would emerge in the 21st century at Westminster and beyond.”

Looking Ahead Principal McCarthy visited Westminster during the summer to see the program in operation. The students welcomed her warmly, and she had a chance to confer with the teachers and Horizons staff. About her hopes for the future of Moylan’s partnership with Westminster, she said: “I feel 100 percent confident that this program will flourish. My greatest hope is that all of the families stay invested in Horizons and continue to send their children back each year. I know that if that happens, success for these students will follow. I believe that the crew at Westminster is invested in the success of our students, and I trust that they are putting 100 percent of their effort into creating a rich and sustainable partnership.”

Kathleen was delighted with how well Westminster’s first summer program for Horizons went. “It was a success on so many levels thanks to the work of our students and teachers, and our volunteers,” said Kathleen. “We look forward to seeing our program and our first group of students grow and develop in countless ways.”

“It was a success on so many levels thanks to the work of our students and teachers, and our volunteers. We look forward to seeing our program and our first group of students grow and develop in countless ways.”

Students walking to swimming lessons at Hibbard Aquatic Center.

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A Trip to

C H I N A Much More Than Language Learning

By Cara Hugabonne, Head of the Westminster Language Department, Chinese teacher and international student advisor

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Replica of historic bridge at Dujiangyan in Sichuan

On June 6, eight Westminster students and their incredibly supportive parents assembled in the departure terminal of Bradley International Airport. With all the enthusiasm that could be mustered at 5 a.m., the students and I prepared to embark upon the 24-hour journey that would bring us halfway around the world to the People’s Republic of China.

Our group was comprised of six rising Sixth Formers who study Mandarin, three of whom are taking our inaugural AP Chinese course this fall, and two rising Fourth Formers who had never studied Chinese. Thanks to the generosity of a Westminster alumnus, Westminster was able to award a travel grant to cover the full cost of the trip for one of our participants, a very deserving student who receives financial aid and has studied Chinese diligently for several years. All of the students brought with them a healthy sense of adventure and of wonder, which made them excellent international travelers.

In fact, our two Rustic Pathways guides commented daily on how well our students conducted themselves, and how much they appreciated working with our group.

I chose to partner with Rustic Pathways for this trip because their company ethos was completely in line with my goals for my students. Rustic is committed to bringing travelers into contact with the culture, history and people of China directly and meaningfully. Where other tour companies have provided private buses to whisk our students from landmark to landmark within a city, for example, Rustic guides taught us how to navigate the metro systems used by thousands of Beijing and Shanghai residents each day. Getting around became part of the adventure, instead of time to tune out or retreat into our individual comfort zones of Snapchat stories or music playlists while waiting to be delivered to the next point of interest. We logged miles of walking through each city and town, and by the end of a few days there, students began

to develop a sense of the scale and scope of a place, and could see how they might get around independently when they come back again in the future.

Our trip brought us to two of the largest cities in the world, as well as into the lush foothills of western China. We began our journey in Shanghai, a city of mind-boggling proportions for most of us, home as it is to 24 million people.

Students who had been in Advanced Chinese the year before particularly enjoyed making connections between a novel they had read in class, which was set in Shanghai, and the geography, history and landmarks they were now experiencing directly.

On our first day in the city, we went to the People’s Park, which is famous for its “blind date corner.” Retirees come to the park each day to advertise their eligible (but aging) children or grandchildren. They post their signs on open umbrellas and often bring home a phone number or résumé in hopes of making a love connection. It was a fascinating cultural phenomenon and a stark example of the changing times and their effect on intergenerational relationships, and our AP students will surely reflect upon that afternoon as they prepare for the exam. However, what impressed my students most in that moment was how warm and welcoming the Chinese people were. Conversations were struck up, smiles were exchanged and we were asked our opinion on

Feeding enormous carp at Yu Garden in Shanghai.

everything from current events to learning Chinese. In this way, our experience in the park brought China to life for our travelers and set a wonderful tone for the trip.

Another highlight in Shanghai was the small but impactful Propaganda Poster Art Center, an independent museum run in the basement of an apartment building by Yang Pei Ming whose collection dates back to the early days of the revolution. Several students who are now taking AP Comparative Government in the current academic year were particularly fascinated by the ways the propaganda depicted tumultuous events in American contemporary history to demonstrate the superiority of communism. The museum store was a surprising treasure trove of relics from the cultural revolution, such as handbooks with written annotations by the Red Guards who used them during the Cultural Revolution.

Our native guide, Wang Ping of Rustic Pathways, shared his own family’s history with the group to give our students a powerful sense of how government policy in 20th-century China affected people’s everyday life.

Above, faculty member Cara Hugabonne at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Top left, Great Wall at Mutianyu.

Below, students who participated in the trip at City Wall in Dujiangyan: Natalie Rubin ’19, John Clofine ’21, Justin Schuster ’19, Carson Roth ’19, Matt Norris ’19, Adena Ajike ’19, AJ Paladino ’21 and Sofia Morales Alvarado ’19.

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Cleaning enclosures at Dujiangyan panda base.

After leaving Shanghai, we journeyed into the bamboo forests of Sichuan, home of China’s treasured giant pandas. Almost every panda alive is from this single small region of the world, and all pandas in zoos around the world are considered to be on loan from the Chinese government, even those born and bred in captivity abroad. There are four conservation bases working to raise awareness and increase the population of these animals, of which we visited two. Our first destination, Dujiangyan, is a charming riverside town of only about 650,000, which seemed positively provincial after Shanghai.

Home to a large population of Tibetans, one of China’s 55 minority peoples, the Dujiangyan town square hosts traditional Tibetan dancing each evening. They encouraged our attempts to join in, and I believe we made up in enthusiasm for our lack of skill! Students also enjoyed browsing the shops in town, which few non-Chinese frequent. They found the shopkeepers as eager to chat as they were to make a sale.

The panda base in Dujiangyan was busy with tourists and volunteer groups, mainly Chinese school groups but some westerners as well. We were issued staff shirts and identification cards to distinguish us from those merely touring,

and rubberized gloves for practical purposes. Since pandas are generally solitary animals, each panda had its own outdoor habitat as well as an indoor area where it could be fed and examined by keepers when necessary. Our job was to clean the animals’ enclosures inside and out, after which we carried eight-foot bamboo stalks up the side of the hill to be transplanted in a spot where the existing plants had died. Finally, each student had the job (more of a reward at that point) of hand-feeding a panda bamboo stalks,

Carson Roth ’19 feeding a panda a carrot at the panda base at Wolong.

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as well as carrots and “panda bread” to supplement its diet. Coming eye-to-eye with a panda this way was a powerful experience for all of us, and gave us a sense of investment in the preservation of this unique creature and its environment.

The following day, we volunteered at Wolong, perhaps the best-known panda base. We arrived just as the morning mists were rising from the bamboo blanketed mountainsides. Wolong was severely damaged by the devastating 2008 earthquake and has since been rebuilt into an impressively modern, spacious and clean facility. Our duties here were similar, but more demanding. Wolong’s more remote location meant that we were the only volunteers on-site that day. We put in a morning of hard work cleaning up

Justin Schuster ’19 and AJ Paladino ’21 sampling exotic food from Beijing’s night market.

Transplanting bamboo saplings for replanting in Dujiangyan.

Dujiangyan

Scale model of Shanghai in the city planning museum.

after several of the pandas housed there.

It was not glamorous, but we were glad if our work freed up some of the keepers to do more important jobs. Since Wolong houses the breeding facility, we were also rewarded with the chance to watch the “panda kindergarten” during feeding and playtime!

The final stop on our trip was Beijing, China’s bustling capital city and home to 20 million. Steeped in history, Beijing was where we visited many of China’s most iconic landmarks: the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. What imbued these historic sites with modern relevance for the students on the trip was the fact that several of Westminster’s newly minted alumni from China were eager to join us on our visits

to them. Seeing school friends in their home context, recognizing their pride in their culture and enthusiasm for sharing it, taking their advice on what dishes to order for lunch were all powerful new perspectives for our students.

On our last evening in Beijing, we gathered as a group in the dining room of our traditional-style hutong hotel and talked about everything we had experienced. I appreciated hearing the students’ individual views on what surprised them, what challenged them and what delighted them over the 10 days we spent in China. Most gratifying was hearing that each participant looked forward to returning to China at some point in the future, to improve their language, to meet more people or to share

Sofia Morales Alvarado ’19 with Mary Su ’18, who lives in Beijing.

An after-lunch break to play majiang.

what they had learned with family.

Providing meaningful opportunities for young people to immerse themselves in a way of life different from their own is important for more than just language learning. It also changes one’s way of thinking and broadens one’s ability to understand and empathize. Westminster students are among the future leaders of this world, so I feel especially privileged to facilitate this kind of travel experience for them and to be on the ground with them as they take in and process the reality of Chinese society and culture.

These students, in particular, represented Westminster with absolute grit and grace every day, and I was proud to be traveling with each one of them.

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What is the overarching goal of the campaign?

We are focusing on what is most important for Westminster School, which are the students and their experience, and the faculty who teach them, coach them and advise them.

How will the campaign support students?

Soar Together to Support People and Programs Westminster School recently announced the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history to raise money for students, faculty and programs. Headmaster Bill Philip shares his thoughts about why the campaign, titled Soar Together Campaign for Westminster School, is so important to the future of Westminster and its graduates.

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We need to ensure Westminster will be able to attract top students from all different circumstances and perspectives who come together in a vibrant school community and learn from each other and learn together. Because of those daily interactions, our students gain comfort going out and interacting with people from around the country and the world, in college, in work and in life.

One of the highest priorities of the campaign is adding resources for financial aid, so we will be able to compete successfully for students who are best able to take advantage of the opportunities that Westminster offers. We have students from 22 states and 30 countries. That multiplicity of life experiences requires financial support because it is not the case that every student can afford to pay our tuition.

We also hope to enhance student access to enrichment opportunities such as leadership initiatives, the public speaking program, the Davis Scholars program, independent study opportunities, summer immersion programs and study abroad.

Why is faculty support important?

Everything we do at Westminster is intended to enhance the experience of our students, and the faculty are critical to that.

We want to attract and retain faculty members who are fully committed to the life of the school and for whom this passion is vocational and not transactional. These are not faculty members who arrive at 8 o’clock in the morning and leave at 3 o’clock in the afternoon after classes. These are faculty members who are devoting their lives to students and, in the process, enriching the experience of students.

We need to nourish faculty who wish to make that vocational commitment by increasing the availability of resources that will honor them and inspire them. This includes increasing funds for such priorities as professional development, endowed chairs, sabbaticals, travel grants and the Westminster Teaching Initiative.

“These are faculty members who are devoting their lives to students and, in the process, enriching the experience of students.”

How does the campaign build on what has been accomplished in recent years?

How does Westminster’s endowment compare with schools with which it competes?

The trajectory of Westminster has been so affirming over the last three to five decades. More immediately, in the last decade and a half, the school has made a real commitment to facilities in terms of the places we teach, the places we live, the places we play games and the places we perform, which was necessary. In order to attract the best students and the best faculty, you need to dignify their work by providing them the facilities where they can excel. Faculty members who are coming with their families to Westminster now live in circumstances their families will find comfortable. And teaching spaces are places where teachers can feel affirmed in their lessons and students can be energized in their learning.

The physical transformation of the campus in recent years was intended to underscore and put in bold the values that define Westminster and make a difference for students.

These spaces underscore the community ethos of the school. In Armour Academic Center, students and faculty are interacting throughout the day, and in Armstrong Dining Hall, we have family-style lunches together as a school. With these community spaces completed, we now intend to focus directly on the people who make up our school community. We seek scholarships for students so that we can invite students to join this school community with less of an emphasis on their capacity to pay the tuition, and we seek to attract and retain the best faculty.

Westminster competes with arguably the best schools in the country and the world. If you look at our peer schools in the Founders League — for instance, Choate, Taft or Hotchkiss — any of those schools, by any definition relative to other boarding schools or day schools in the country or around the world, would absolutely be included among the best schools in the world. We are competing with those schools in athletics in the Founders League, and we are also competing with those schools in admissions, for faculty and in every element of our institutional purpose. We also are in competition with many great independent and public day schools. Many communities around the country have wonderful independent day options, but sadly, not as many have

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“The names and the faces may have changed, but the institutional continuity of faculty members who have devoted their lives to Westminster remains.” wonderful public options. But there are many good public schools, one of which is here in Simsbury. Our aspiration is to offer students at Westminster School nothing less than the best possible experience as they learn and grow.

If we are going to compete successfully with the best schools anywhere, we can’t do that with resources that are a fraction of the resources of other schools. The best-endowed schools have endowments of about $1 million per student. At a school with 600 students, there might be an endowment in the neighborhood of $600 million. Our endowment, while robust, certainly in the context of Westminster School’s history, is around $100 million, and we have about 395 students. Measured in terms of wellendowed schools, it is a fraction of where it needs to be in order for us to be able to compete for the best students and the best faculty, and make the difference we aspire to in the lives of our students.

How has Westminster been able to be so successful without the underlying endowment enjoyed by its peer schools?

A major reason for Westminster’s success is there is continuity in mission, core values and people.

Twenty current faculty members have been at the school 20 years or longer. A lot of the institutional memory and practice of the school is sustained through the faculty as well as many loyal alumni. When I arrived as a young faculty member at Westminster in 1983, there was a cohort of senior faculty who had been here for 20 years or longer who literally and figuratively put their arms around me and taught me. In many respects, I really saw it as my graduate work and that has been sustained. Those faculty members who taught and nurtured me have retired and some have passed, but through subsequent iterations of faculty that experience continues to exist. The names and the faces may have changed, but the institutional continuity of faculty members who have devoted their lives to Westminster

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remains. At some schools, that continuity has been lost for one reason or another.

Another factor has been stability in leadership. I am the eighth head of school at a school that has been around for 130 years. Added to that, this has been a school where the weight of governance has been lifted by alumni. It is not to say that there are not valuable contributions to the school made by parent trustees, but the leadership in governance has rested with alumni.

The first board chair I worked with as headmaster was John Armour ’76, and his successor was Tread Mink ’77, P’11, who was succeeded by Brad Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20. And our vice chair, Moy Ogilvie Johnson, is a proud member of the Class of 1986. There is also a generational piece. Those first two board chairs were from classes in the 1970s and now there is a board chair from a class in the 1980s.

That alumni legacy continues in the same way with the faculty. Our new dean of admissions is Miles Bailey ’94, the director of advancement is Newell Grant ’99, the director of athletics is Tim Joncas ’00 and the new dean of faculty is Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19, ’22. Added to that are Jake Cahill ’12, who teaches math; Aileen Daversa ’90, who serves as director of alumni relations; Kelcie Finn ’14, who is assistant director of admissions; Cris Gomez ’10 who is assistant director of leadership gifts; Whit Powel ’11 and David Pringle ’05, who each serve as associate director of admissions; and Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, P’11, ’16, who teaches math and science.

Across all levels of leadership at the school, there is continuity and there is a sustained commitment to the school’s ethos. These are people who are devoting their lives to Westminster as students and, subsequently, as volunteers or as alumni faculty members. The school is a lifelong mission for them, and they devote more time, energy, and sweat and tears than one would ever conceive of asking them to devote. That spirit makes a big difference.

Is Westminster’s current disadvantage in endowment resources sustainable?

The question is what do you mean by sustainable? Can the school get along for the foreseeable future? Sure. But, as with any institution, getting along, which means not trying to improve, just doing the same thing year after year, is actually falling back, step by step, every year. If the idea by sustainable is maintaining the momentum that Westminster has enjoyed so as to be able to continue its ability to compete with the very best schools in the country and the world, yes. Then you need more resources because goodwill and passion only take you so far.

The fact is that 70 percent of our students are paying the full tuition. And on the other side of that equation, it is absolutely not the case that 70 percent of the country’s or the world’s population could imagine paying our tuition. If our idea is to continue to attract the best students who can take advantage of the opportunities offered by the school, we need to do a better job of providing the financial aid to support them.

And the same would be true with faculty. I would put our faculty up against any faculty at any school in terms of the difference they can make in a youngster’s life in that transition from childhood to adulthood, from age 14 to 18. Sure there might be another school that has a more accomplished physicist on the faculty and that is great. But for us, we are looking for faculty members who are entirely committed to the arc from childhood to adulthood and, yes, they teach physics and they teach it very well, but the students are their passion.

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What has been achieved to date by the campaign?

We have raised $62 million in a very quiet manner over four years. It is more financial support for the school than has ever been raised in its history. Our intention over the next few years is to be more public and share much more with the full school community about what the aspirations for Westminster are with the hope that this will be inspiring and elevate everyone’s ambition.

How can people address their interests and passions through the campaign?

The menu of opportunities for support is as vast as the breadth of the school’s program and the people who are part of it. If you are a person who feels passionately about scholarship, there are opportunities for you to support financial aid. If you feel strongly about a particular teacher or teachers who made a difference for you while you were here, there are opportunities for you to support teachers. If you care about particular programs that you were involved in when you were a student or new programs that have been established since, you can underwrite and sustain them.

What will be needed to make the campaign a success?

When I am at an admission reception and talking to prospective students and their families about Westminster, I do not present Westminster as the best school for everybody. We are not trying to be all things to all people. If prospective students are looking for a school that is going to challenge them to get fully involved in the life of the community, Westminster is the right place for them. If they are looking for a school where they will be able to do one thing and do it very well and that is all they are going to do, there is probably a better school for them to be at. We are asking for students to really stretch themselves and to do things very, very well but also to be open to trying new things and, fundamentally, to fully invest themselves in our community.

The same would be true for faculty. When interviewing prospective faculty members, we are not looking for a faculty member who just does one thing and does it very well and does not intend to be involved in the school community in any other

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way. We are looking for faculty members who are willing to commit themselves to the breadth of the school’s program and the students. We want faculty members who teach their classes, coach their teams and then sit with students at family-style lunch and have that shared experience of the school community in common.

If this ethos of involvement is necessary for students and faculty, it is also necessary for our alumni, parents and friends of the school. In order for Westminster to make the next move, we need everybody in the game. We need all alumni, we need all parents and we need all friends of the school fully committed in every way to the school by volunteering, by visiting campus and by philanthropy. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.

What is the significance of “Soar Together” in the campaign’s name?

As a small school, Westminster can’t compete with schools that have many more alumni and many more parents and all the resources that accompany that unless all of us are going to get involved. The students sometimes conclude remarks in chapel or in other spaces with the phrase “Martlets fly together,” which is a very powerful phrase in Westminster’s world because it really does capture the idea of our school community working together.

Martlets can accomplish many great things in the context of this campaign.

Community has always been a defining element of Westminster School. The fundamental challenge of this campaign is to extend what we mean on a day-to-day basis by community.

And by community, historically that has always meant students and faculty on Williams Hill. If this Martlet is going to soar and everybody is going to get involved, what we mean in very real time about community has to extend beyond Williams Hill to alumni and parents and friends of the school around the country and around the world. That has to be the community that is going to lift Westminster and that takes a lot of work. It will require a lot of conversations and people saying, “For me at this time, Westminster is my top priority.” If everyone is supporting their passion to the best of their ability, Westminster will take off like a rocket. We don’t know how high Martlets can soar.

We have an ambition, an aspiration, for Martlets to soar to truly unexpected heights.

The Soar Together Campaign focuses support on the people and programs that are critical to the future of Westminster School: Academics

Community Service

• • • • • • • •

• School year and summer partnerships with Hartford • Service programs • John Hay Society

Faculty endowed chairs Independent study Professional development opportunities Public speaking program Sabbatical program Travel grants Westminster Teaching Initiative Classroom technology

Financial Aid • Scholarships • Need-based financial aid programs

Student Life • • • • • • •

Study abroad Chapel program Leadership initiatives Summer immersion programs Student clubs and organizations Health education Attendance at Hartford cultural events

Arts • Dramat programs • Guest performers and speakers • Off-campus visits to arts exhibitions and venues

Athletics • • • •

Program or team underwriting Endowed chairs for coaches Training equipment Athletic trainers

Visit www.soartogether.org to learn more about the campaign.

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WESTMINSTER

REUNION

2018

WES_ShieldRibbon_PMS123_C.eps

Members of classes ending in 3 and 8 returned to Westminster for reunion May 11-13 where they caught up with their classmates, saw some former teachers, coaches and advisors, and visited new campus facilities.

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REUNION 2018

Activities began Friday evening with the sixth annual Alumni Art Exhibit and reception in Armour Academic Center.

The exhibit, which took place in Baxter Gallery, featured digital photography by Jeff Crandell ’73, an oil and acrylic on mirror by Alex Eagleton ’98, a pen-andink drawing by Kurt Godiksen ’73, and oil paintings by Will Sillin ’73. A portion of the sale of artworks from the exhibit went to Westminster’s Wilde Fund, which provides supplemental support to families receiving financial aid.

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“It is great to see you all back on campus,” said Headmaster Bill Philip in welcoming everyone to the art exhibit and reunion. “A big shoutout to the 50th reunion class for its high turnout.”

Following his remarks, members of the Class of 1968 sang the “Westminster Fight Song” before heading to Adams Dining Room for their class dinner.

Other class dinners were held at a variety of locations on and off campus.

Five members of the Class of 1958 participated in their 60th reunion, and

three members of the Class of 1963 were back for their 55th reunion. Those classes met for dinner in Keyes Study in Cushing Hall.

Jane Porterfield ’78 hosted her class’s 40th reunion dinner at her home in West Simsbury. Members of the classes of 1973, 1983, 1988 and 1993 celebrated their respective 45th, 35th, 30th and 25th reunion dinners in Brockleman Student Center joined by former Headmaster Don Werner P’79, ’82 and hosted by Jenny and Bill Philip, while the Class of 1998 held its

dinner at the Iron Horse Pub in Simsbury.

The classes of 2003, 2008 and 2013, returning for their respective 15th, 10th and fifth reunions, met for dinner at the Old Well Tavern in Simsbury.

Coren Caisse Moore ’93, who serves on the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association, said she and her classmates had a great time looking at old yearbooks during dinner in Brockelman Student Center. Katherine Howard ’03 attended her reunion five years ago and was excited to see how classmates had changed.

The chapel service and memorial

service for alumni began Saturday’s schedule of events. The chapel speaker was Chanler Miller ’18 who spoke about how the idea of home and place is one of the most important aspects of his life.

A resident of Hanover, N.H., he said he calls Hanover his home and can now call Westminster home. “When all is said and done, spending four years of my life at one place feels like home,” he said. “Home doesn’t have to be one place.” Looking ahead, he added, “I can always come back to this school on the hill and know I am home.”

Director of Alumni Relations Aileen Daversa ’90, along with members of the John Hay Vestry, read the names of 28 alumni who died in the past year and members of the Chamber Choir sang “You Are the New Day.”

During his headmaster’s welcome in Adams Dining Room, Bill Philip talked about the journey students take in their personal growth while at Westminster.

“That experience, from childhood to adulthood, defines Westminster and is what shapes many of the programs that Fall 2018

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REUNION 2018

extend outside of our classes.” He spoke about the benefits of family-style lunches in the dining hall that give students the opportunity to share a meal with people from different circumstances and different places, helping them inform their worldview. He also shared that applications for admission to the school remain strong, as do college admissions, and that Westminster is involved in a campaign to advance support for students, faculty and programs. “We hope to continue to make a lot of momentum 38

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in the year ahead, as alumni, who understand the difference this school made in their lives, leave that legacy for future generations.”

He added that Westminster is an exciting school to be a part of. “This is one of the great schools in the country, and to be a part of that and watch the school continue to grow, thrive and flourish is really energizing.”

He closed by talking about the school’s community. “The Westminster community extends to all of those places

that have alumni, parents and friends of the school, and it is that community that we need to energize and involve as we move the school forward.” He then answered questions from alumni.

Lunch followed in Gund Dining Room. Eleni Tebano ’13 and Alli Devins ’13 sat together and visited with faculty members. “It is great to be back and see teachers who were so much a part of your life,” said Eleni. “Changes on campus are extraordinary. I appreciate coming back and seeing people.” Alli added that she

50th Reunion The Class of 1968 held its 50th reunion dinner in Adams Dining Room.

Headmaster Philip welcomed members of the class, as did reunion co-chairs Porter Berry ’68 and Hunter Smith ’68. Several classmates offered reminiscences, and Porter shared a video he and his wife, Georgianne Snowden, had prepared that incorporated every member of the class. Alan Brooks ’55, P’89, ’91, ’96 offered a few words before dinner ended.

Porter was delighted with his class’s reunion attendance. “Having 90 percent of your class back at 50 years is really indicative of a class that loved this place and each other,” he said.

Bill Anlyan ’68 was visiting from North Carolina and was last on campus for his 45th reunion. “We have a special class and have always been close,” he said.

“Everyone is very supportive of each other.” As a student, he lived in Cushing and Memorial halls. He recalled attending study halls in Memorial that were supervised by faculty member Ron Michelini. He said they were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Westminster was a great experience in my life, and I am glad it is doing so well,” he added.

felt “back at home” and that everyone in her class was excited to see everyone else.

Following lunch and class photos, alumni attended home games and took campus tours. They returned in the evening to Armstrong Dining Hall for a cocktail reception where members of the student band Tower Line performed and the Black and Gold Dinner Dance, which took place in Gund Dining Room and Hwarang Lobby. Members of the Class of 2013 opened their five-year time capsule.

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REUNION 2018

Class of 1958

Class of 1963

Arthur Lemkau, John Stratton, Dick Adams, Mike Fiske, Bart Lewis and Shep Wilde

Loftus Jestin and John Lavieri

Class of 1968 First row, Paul Tobey, Porter Berry, Peter Dailey, Tim Cottrell, John Golia, Keith Barrand and Doug Griffin Second row, Al Floyd, Ridge Beale, Hunter Smith, Walter Teagle, Charles duPont, Jake Horne, John Tucker and Steven Kane Third row, Al Dorr, Charlie White, Frances Lee, Tom Hilliard, Gordon Book and Bill Anlyan Back row, Ty Goss, Jock Tate, Patrick Lee, Pug Boger, Geof Sargent, Clint Burr, Jim Hoyt, Quique Lefevre and Bill Baer 40

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Class of 1973 Bill Downer, Silas Witherbee, Gene Atwood, Lee Carlson, Scott Coburn, John McGrath, Franklin Morton, Bill Sillin, Hank Merriman, Bentley Boger and Dick Stout

Class of 1978 Kneeling, Bob Jaffray, Jock Danforth, Mike Hanley and Phil Ohler Second row, Deidre Duffy Donohue, Barry Bruyette O’Laughlin, Kathy Scanlon Rawden and Tyler Youmans Madden Back row, Dave Kassey, Dave Hovey, David Welsh, Tim Armour, Tom Murray, Tyger Nicholas, Lithgow Osborne, Chick Buffum, John Falk and Beth Anderson Coogan Missing from photo: Charles Gill, Tricia Beard Mosher, Jane Porterfield and Larry Wagner

Class of 1983 Front row, Woods Fairbanks, Heidi Eysenbach Rayden, Wendy Sieglaff Baker, Charles DeLana, Richard Gould, John Christakos, Leslie Kirschner and Elizabeth Briggs Couch Back row, Suzanne Sargent Jones, Andrew Sanford, Rod Ward, Greg Hyde, Elizabeth Crawford Van Duyne and Doug Burdett

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REUNION 2018

Class of 1988 Jane Kessler Lennox, David Wilkins, Joe Goldsmith, Sarah Rutledge and Tim Dwyer

Class of 1993 Front row, Catherine Friedman Schneider, Ellen Gutierrez, MarySumpter Johnson Lapinski, Elizabeth Carstensen Genung, Coren Caisse Moore and Curt Wilcox Back row, Kurt Sommerhoff, Will Steck, Jamie Childs, Demond Simmons and Derrick Logan

Class of 1998 Front row, George Thompson, Dave Rush, Leila Mountain Shaw, Mike Innes, Rory Cameron, Josh Gladding, Kirsten Sichler Webb, Roy Lynam and CC Corvieau Alexander Back row, Elisabeth Gailun Baird, Alexis van der Mije McAndrew, Parker Corbin, Sandy Bryant, Hillary Lavely Corbin, Luke Earl, Brandt Hastings, Jack Kennedy, Tim Gerges and CJ MacDonald

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Class of 2003

Class of 2008

Front row, Sandi Gollob

Jordan Dewey, Cam Keady, Sarah Marco, Andrew Nitkin, Dorothy Brown, Kate Sullivan Carolan, Andy Polio, Lisa Cavazuti and Will Phifer

Back row, Katharine Howard, Elisabeth D’Agosto and Jules Stafford

Class of 2013 Front row, Will Mayer, Sean Orlando, Charlie Beck, Greg Jarvis, John FitzPatrick, Alastair Smith, Peter Briggs (class dean), Preston Miller, Curtis Brackett, Eleni Tebano and Maggie Garrison Middle row, Cullen Matt, Madison Caan, Caitlin Pittorie, Sydney Rivers, Lindsay Hanau, Alex Regan, Eliza Worcester, Alli Devins, Annie French, Nia Francis, Connor Janson, Julie LeBlanc, Madeline Purdy, Shani Rosenstock, Heather Frew, Michela Gozzi, Alex Colon, Bridget Gorham, Dana Niland, Noah Zempsky, Xavier Morin and Vincent Gisonti Back row, Ryan Mowery, Charlotte Gould, Ryan Hallisey, Caty Pooley, Ethan Holdaway, Daniel Parsons, Laura Tingley, Sam Matlick, Emma Conlon, Drew Leach, Alec Dunn, Evan Yenor, Christian Barral-Arteta, Will O’Donnell, Gage Kennie, Charlie Januszewski, Ashlee Robinson and Herbert Cheng Fall 2018

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Commencement 2018

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At commencement exercises held May 26, 113 members of the Class of 2018 were celebrated, those who made their graduation possible were thanked and those who excelled in different areas of school life were saluted.

Headmaster Bill Philip welcomed family members and friends of the graduates and spoke about the school’s extraordinary year. “This year, our Admissions Office processed over 1,000 applications for 120 openings,” he said. “In College Counseling, 85 percent of the members of the Class of 2018 were admitted to colleges ranked in the “most” and “highly” selective categories in Barron’s Profiles of Colleges and Universities.”

He also recognized the longtime and numerous contributions to the Westminster community by economics teacher Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07 and Chief Financial Officer Tom Earl

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Headmaster Bill Philip

Jessie Schuhlen ’18

P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, who were retiring at the end of the school year. “Combined, they have served Westminster School for 84 years,” he said. Peter, who served 43 years on the Westminster faculty, introduced economics courses to the curriculum, served as a dean of students for 24 years and coached a number of sports, including 43 years of hockey and 29 years of tennis. Tom, who served the school for 41 years, transformed the school’s business operations, coached hockey for 30 years and chaired the school’s Construction Committee during a time of major enhancement to the school’s physical plant.

Salutatory In her Salutatory Address, Head Prefect Jessie Schuhlen, a Sixth Former from Longmeadow, Mass., expressed appreciation to the Westminster community in the form of an open letter.

“My time here at Westy has truly been something special,” she said. “It’s been four years that have shaped who I am, and ones I can definitely tell you I will never forget.

Looking back on my freshman self, the growth that has happened in my life due to Westminster is incredible. I owe a lot to this school, and while I know, like many of you, I am ready for the next chapter, I will miss and always have a special place in my heart for Williams Hill.”

Connor Seeley ’18

Kendall Hoyt ’89

Outstanding Scholar Address

Keynote Address

In his Outstanding Scholar Address, Sixth Former Connor Seeley, a resident of Avon, Conn., advised his classmates to “get lost” and explained its various meanings. “If you don’t wander outside your normal routine, how can you expect to change?” he said. “College is big and it’s scary, but you need to just throw yourselves out there. Get lost in the clubs, friendships and support waiting for you.” He encouraged them to “take what you love, in college and beyond, and go with it and succeed in it. Chances are someone is going to witness your greatness and be inspired to better themselves because of it.”

The keynote speaker was Kendall Hoyt ’89, assistant professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and lecturer in the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. After graduating from Westminster, Kendall earned a B.A. in English and a Certificate in Undergraduate Neuroscience from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in the history and social study of science and technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Subsequently, she was a fellow in the International Security Program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School

of Government. Prior to obtaining her graduate degree, she worked in the International Security and International Affairs division of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; the Washington, D.C., office of McKinsey and Company; and the Center for the Management of Innovation and Technology at the National University of Singapore. She is the author of “Long Shot: Vaccines for National Defense.”

Kendall’s father, Richard Hoyt ’61, and her uncle Stephen Hoyt ’64 are both alumni.

In her remarks, Kendall shared advice with the graduates about how they can make the next four years at college transformative. “I teach at Dartmouth, so I see firsthand what it looks like when students are making the most of their experience and when they are not, so I am going to tell you three things I wish I could have said to all of my students before they started.” She cited “beliefs are hypotheses to be tested not treasures to be guarded,” “the world deserves your long-form attention” and “discover what lights you up.” She said that throughout her career, she has paid attention to the ideas, problems and questions that are so compelling that they don’t feel like work.

“Those lights or ‘stars’ when they appear offer a fixed point for navigation, and that has served me well. College will reveal an entire constellation of stars for you. When you encounter something that knocks your socks off, pay attention to that, even it if wasn’t part of your original plan.”

Awarding of Diplomas Headmaster Philip and Chair of the Board of Trustees Brad Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20, with the assistance of Director of Studies Bill Sistare, presented diplomas to members of the class. The graduates then recessed to the Sixth Form Lawn to participate in the Westminster tradition of passing diplomas. They formed a circle, and at the signal of the head prefect, passed the random diplomas they received during the commencement ceremony until they received their own diploma. They then stepped out of the circle signifying their graduation.

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THE LAWN CEREMONY Members of the Fifth Form and the Sixth Form gathered by the Sixth Form Lawn the night before commencement for the Westminster tradition of the Lawn Ceremony. Sixth Formers pulled Fifth Formers onto the lawn. At the end, members of the Prefect Board pulled on next year’s members of the board: Souley Ballo, Drew Brownback, Blake Cote, Giovanni Hamilton, Julia Krys, Georgia Swank, Nate Swift and Celenah Watson.

The remaining two Fifth Formers to be pulled on were the new junior prefect, Emmett de Kanter, and the new head prefect, Scott Wilson.

Also brought onto the lawn as honorary members of the Class of 2018 were faculty members Dan Aber P’16, ’18, ’20, Sara Anderson P’14, Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22 and Amy Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12.

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Class of 2018 College Matriculation Simon Christopher Aber

Northeastern University Emma Sutton Alpaugh

Trinity College

Dallis Victoria Alvarez

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alexander Parker Biedron

Tulane University

Steven Andrew Bray

Wesleyan University

Maxwell Rogers Brigham

Trinity College

Ian Gasper Broadbent

Southern Methodist University Hannah Renee Buckley

Elon University

Elizabeth Foley Casey

Colgate University

Hayden Cougar Cathcart

Wake Forest University Dong Keun Chey

Spencer Walker Epps

Katelyn Ann Kosior

Elisabeth Claudine Morin

Mia Kelci Stevens

Fiona Fan

Andrea Kostic

Lauren Ashley Nam

John Cushman Stevenson

John Patrick Feingold

Nikola Kostic

Katherine Tyler Neilsen

Calum Euan Stewart

Michael Robert Fiorini

Ă–zlem Kutluel

Isabelle Alden Niles

Hannah Stone

Alexander John Gadowski

John Patterson Kuzminskas

Grant Kelly Noble

Wenwei Su

Fritz John Gale

Emma Marie Lange

Lucy Katherine Noel

Ryan Michael Szykowny

Sixiang Gao

Riley Daniel Larsen

Spencer William Francis Organ

Zachary Johann Tarazi

Sophia Belle Gasser

Jagger Hudson LeClair

Elton Edwin Paintsil

Rebecca Jane Gavel

Dong Ju (Ryan) Lee

Joseph Alexander Patrina III

Demitri John George

Seung Ki (SK) Lee

James Plumb

Porter Westbrook Girty

Nadia Lee

Amelia Lee Poling

James Edward Barnett Hajdukiewicz

Elizabeth Melbourne Lennox

Ethan Jameson Puhala

Samuel Adam Leopold

Ilaria Leonor Quentin

Amanda Wang Liu

Michael Joseph Riberdy

Jiaxi Liu

Sean Richard Ryan

Kate Stephanie Lovas

Gabrielle Alexandra Salgar

Donatella Grazia Mancinone

Emily Harrington Samar

Alexandra Katherine Marenco

Jessica Lynn Schuhlen

Indira Leslie Marzbani

Cameron Ryan Eric Scott

Santa Clara University University of California, Berkeley Georgetown University Concordia University, Montreal Pennsylvania State University Marist College

Carnegie Mellon University University of California, Davis Furman University

Quinnipiac University

University of Richmond

University of Toronto Peter Charles Hall

Brown University

University of Colorado at Boulder

Jordan Lucien Keali’i Clapprood

Abigail Erin Hoglund

Skidmore College

Joshua Brunette Cosentino

College of the Holy Cross Matthew Cosentino

Northeastern University Ian Alexander Lyons Dardani

Dickinson College

Emma Beth Davis

Princeton University Patrick Ryan Dawson

Sacred Heart University Ryan Michael Doolin

Gap Year

Andrew Dennis Doucette

Wesleyan University

Gabriella Reale Drumm

Syracuse University

Madison Persida Grace Dwyer

Elon University

Boston College

Lillian West Holmes

University of Vermont Mason Vandervoort Horrigan

University of Richmond Anastasios Housakos

University of Ottawa

Abigayle Morrison Hovey

University of California, Los Angeles Ashton Howey

College of Charleston Salvatore Peter Iaria

University of Vermont Margaret Mary Kelly

University of Richmond Mary Elaine Kille

Babson College Justin Kooi

Fordham University

Middlebury College Boston University

Georgetown University Trinity College

Northwestern University

College of the Holy Cross Wesleyan University Miami University, Oxford University of Michigan Pepperdine University The George Washington University Tulane University Gap Year

Occidental College New York University Pennsylvania State University Northeastern University Hamilton College, N.Y. Boston College

Kate Grace Maxon

University College Dublin Stacia Siobhan McBreen

Tulane University

Paul Vincent McNamara II

Boston College

Caroline Susanna Miller

Lafayette College

Chanler MacIlvaine Miller

Colgate University

The University of Tampa Hamilton College, N.Y. University of Denver Denison University Bowdoin College

Bentley University

Middlebury College

Quinnipiac University

University of Richmond Boston University

College of the Holy Cross John Cabot University

University of Connecticut University of Chicago Boston College Bates College

University of Virginia

Lehigh University

Wake Forest University

University of St Andrews Lindenwood University Boston College University of Richmond

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Aly Hesham Tolba

Trinity College

Max David Torrez

Babson College

Liam Henry Tucker

Trinity College

Noah Jennifer Echat Vieux

American University

Marshall Alexander Watts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Nicholas Wee

Brown University Christopher Douglas Whipple

Boston College

Ashlee Rose White

Trinity College

William Tucker Wieber

Endicott College

Brandon Michael Williams

Baruch College

Natalie Warren Wilson

Skidmore College

Gap Year/Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Tanner Avery Wood

Chloe Sealy

Hao Zhang

Connor Logan Seeley

Xinyi Zhang

Rosemary Esty Sieglaff

Daniel Alexander Zlatopolsky

Wesleyan University Dartmouth College

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Hobart and William Smith Colleges Tufts University University of California, Davis University of Georgia

Teagan Stedman

Harvard University

Gap Year

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FACULTY PRIZES

STUDENT PRIZES

Twenty-Year Service Pin

Gretchen Hupfel ’82 Art Purchase Prize

Sara Anderson P’14 Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22 Amy Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12

Nadia Lee ’18

Cowing Art Award Amanda Liu ’18

Lewis J. Powers Photography Award Ilaria Quentin ’18

Excellence in Dance Jessica Schuhlen ’18 and Chloe Sealy ’18

Edward Scull Jr. ’71 Award for Excellence in Architecture Porter Girty ’18 Sara Anderson P’14

Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22

Amy Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12

Excellence in Science Teagan Stedman ’18 and Sixiang Gao ’18

The Walter Edge Jr. ’35 Master Chair

Excellence in Physics Sixiang Gao ’18

This chair is awarded every five years to a “distinguished teacher whose performance sets a standard of excellence for others.”

Joyce Wilson Prize for Excellence in Mathematics Sixiang Gao ’18

Mary Pat Gritzmacher

Peter Briggs Award for Excellence in Economics The Swayze Award

Mary Pat Gritzmacher

Class of 1941 Peter Mars Memorial History Prize

Presented annually in honor of distinguished alumnus, trustee and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Townsend Swayze ’55, this award is given to a member of the faculty for outstanding contributions to the life of the school.

John Kuzminskas ’18

WALKS Constitutional Essay Finalists Yuna Lee ’19 and Sofia Raymond ’19

Dramatic Award for Service and Leadership in Theater Jordan Clapprood ’18

Paul Kendall Paul Kendall

Design Award for Service and Achievement in Technical Support Özlem Kutluel ’18

The O’Brien Award This award is presented annually in honor of Marianna and Junie O’Brien P’81, who devoted their lives in service to young people and to schools. It recognizes a member of the faculty who has, over the course of the year, been especially selfless and generous with time and care in the nurture and support of students and whose extraordinary, ongoing personal commitment to young people sets an example to the Westminster community.

Sixiang Gao ’18 and Vlad Ivanchuk ’19

J. Lawrence Gilman Award for Achievement in Music and Participation in Musical Activities Michael Riberdy ’18 and Xinyi Zhang ’18

Gordon McKinley Award for Excellence in English Sixiang Gao ’18

Burdett Prize for Excellence in the Study of French A-men Rasheed

Michael Fiorini ’18

Moncada Prize for Excellence in Spanish Sean Ryan ’18

A-men Rasheed

Sixth Form Prizes for General Scholarship First in the Sixth Form: Sixiang Gao Second in the Sixth Form: Connor Seeley Third in the Sixth Form: Michael Fiorini and Teagan Stedman

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Butler Bowl The faculty presents this award to a member of the Third Form for character and leadership.

Simonne Ponce ’21

Brian T. Bruyette ’77 Senior Athletic Award This award is given annually to the Sixth Form boy and girl who best exemplify excellence in athletics and who contributed to the character of the team. It is given in memory of Brian T. Bruyette ’77, who in his enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represented all that is best in this school.

Emma Lange ’18 and Teagan Stedman ’18

Outstanding Scholar Award This award is presented to the Sixth Former who, in the opinion of the faculty, is the outstanding scholar of the class. The award is not necessarily determined by rank in class but is based, rather, on the attributes of the true scholar: curiosity, imagination, power to associate new observations with prior experience, thoroughness, appetite for ideas rather than for grades as an end in themselves and the ability to move easily in the realm of concepts.

Connor Seeley ’18

Adams Bowl This award is presented annually to a member of the Fourth Form who best embodies the qualities of Richard and Barbara Adams, who gave devoted service to Westminster for over 40 years, showing outstanding personal qualities and concern for the community and unwavering dedication to students. Barbara served on the faculty from 1995-2011, and Dick served on the faculty from 1970-2013.

Eda Chen ’20

Wilbraham Bowl This award is presented annually to a member of the Fifth Form who best embodies the qualities of Geoffrey Wilbraham, who gave distinguished and loyal service to Westminster from 1958 to 1994: high personal standards, consistent respect for others, unswerving commitment to the common good, steady insistence on fair play and abiding human decency.

Paul Winship ’35 Alumni Book Prize This book prize is awarded to a Sixth Former who has made an unusual commitment in both breadth and depth to the school’s programs and activities.

Michael Riberdy ’18

Emmett de Kanter ’19

Keyes Bowl

Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award This award is given annually to a member of the Sixth Form who exemplifies dedication to academics and loyalty to the school.

Established by the Class of 1966 and recognized as the school’s most prestigious commencement award, the Keyes Bowl is presented annually to a member of the Sixth Form and recognizes the qualities of loyalty, courage, leadership and humility.

Lucy Noel ’18

Teagan Stedman ’18 Fall 2018

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New Trustees Join Board Three new trustees and three ex officio trustees were named to the Board of Trustees at its September meeting.

Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21 has served in marketing management positions with Johnson & Johnson, John Hancock Financial Services and Fidelity Investments. She earned a B.A. in political science with a minor in French from Hamilton College and an MBA at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a volunteer tutor with Covenant Preparatory School in Hartford, and held volunteer leadership positions with KIPP North Star Academy in Minneapolis and the Blake School in Minneapolis. She has also served on the Westminster Parents Committee. Renée lives in Edina, Minn., with her husband, Michael, and their children Lily ’19 and Charlotte ’21. Renée, who enjoys tennis, has numerous family ties to Westminster including her brothers R.J. Lynch ’81 and Jeff Lynch ’85; nieces CC Lynch ’15 and Ally Lynch ’17; and nephew Will Lynch ’20.

Jacqueline J. Ferro P’20 is president of Ferro Farms Hard Cider and a former Chicago Public Schools teacher. She received her B.S. in elementary education from Michigan State University and her M.Ed. in education administration from DePaul University. She has served on the Westminster Parents Committee and is vice chair of the Executive Committee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago and a trustee of Latin School of Chicago, where she co-chaired its $50 million endowment campaign. She has also served as chair or co-chair of numerous Chicago-area fundraisers. Jacky resides in Chicago with her husband, Michael, and their three children, Trey, Olivia and Chloe ’20.

Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21

Jacqueline J. Ferro P’20

Susan M. Ryan P’12 is president of Central Semiconductor Corp, where she has served in leadership positions since 1985. She studied English and business at Hofstra University and Stony Brook University (SUNY), and has earned various human resource certifications. She lives in Smithtown, N.Y., with her husband, Neal, and their son, Dietrich ’12. Susan has held various officer roles with the Board of Trustees of Harbor Country Day School in St. James, N.Y., where Dietrich is also an alumnus, including serving as its current vice chair. Her interests include travel, meditation and Ayurveda.

Susan M. Ryan P’12

Three Ex Officio Members As co-chairs of the Parents Committee, Joan A. Nolan and John A. Nolan P’20 joined the board as ex officio members. They also served on the Parents Committee last year. They live in Wayzata, Minn., and are the parents of Grace, Olivia, Mac and Georgia ’20.

Joan earned a B.A. in history at Princeton University and serves on the Board of Trustees of Blake School, where she is an alumna. She previously served on the Board of Trustees of Walker Art Center and the Parents Committee of Taft School, where she is also an alumna.

She enjoys travel, skiing and community involvement.

John is the owner of Nolan Properties Group, a real estate development firm that operates in Minneapolis and Boston. He earned a B.S. in finance at the University of Vermont where he also played hockey. He previously worked in banking in New York City. Outside of work, John participates on a variety of boards and committees of schools, nonprofits, community organizations and business organizations. Through the years, he’s also coached his children’s various athletic teams. His interests include skiing, travel and hockey.

Joan A. Nolan and John A. Nolan P’20

As chair of the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association, James H. Oldershaw ’92 serves as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees. Jamie has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2015 and was a reunion committee member for his 25th reunion. He is general manager at DealerRater and vice president of reputation strategy at Cars.com. He earned a B.A. in government at Bowdoin College and an MBA at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. He has served as a mentor with The Founder Institute and a volunteer coach with Lexington Sports Club.

He enjoys the guitar, traveling and biking. He lives in Lexington, Mass., with his wife, Michelle, and their children, JJ and Luke.

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James H. Oldershaw ’92

Sara L. Whiteley ’91 Presented Distinguished Alumni Award Trustee Sara L. Whiteley ’91 was presented the 2018 Alan F. Brooks ’55 Distinguished Alumni Award at An Evening on Williams Hill dinner Sept. 21. The award, which was established in 2011 by the Class of 1966, is given annually to a former student who exemplifies in thought, word and deed Westminster’s mission and its core values of community, character, balance and involvement.

In presenting the award, Alan Brooks ’55, P’89, ’91, ’96 said: Sara Whiteley ’91 with Alan Brooks ’55, P’89, ’91, ’96 “Sara has always been there for Westminster. Boston receptions, Black and Gold activities, school celebrations, Sara shows up. She

Sara was appointed to The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod’s has supported the annual fund every year since her graduation, Board of Directors in 2014 and previously served as a corporator increasing her gifts over time. Invited in 2007 to the Westminster beginning in 2008. She lives in Chatham with her daughter, Chloe.

Today program, she attended; asked to call her classmates for

“The true measure of a great school is the extent to which their reunion or alumni for annual fund leadership gifts, she calls; that school touches souls and changes people requested to give a talk, she steps up; invited for the better,” said Alan. “But we know it to serve on the Alumni Association Executive works the other way as well. The school is Committee, she serves; called on to support touched for the better by people like Sara, and an important school program, Sara gives that, too, is part of Westminster’s greatness.” thoughtfully and generously. It seems whenever

Sara thanked the Westminster community Westminster needs her, Sara says, ‘I’m here.’” for the award, saying: “I try to live our core

Sara entered Westminster as a Fourth values every day, and I do so in a way that Former from Chatham, Mass. She played on is uniquely my story. The words community, First Girls’ Ice Hockey and Second Girls’ Field character, balance and involvement are more Hockey, for which she served as captain, and than words. They are the foundation of who I competed in figure skating. She also was editor am and because of them, I have found success, of the yearbook, served on the John Hay Vestry, happiness and coherence in my life in ways I was an officer of the Outing Club, tutored never would have anticipated as a student here elementary children in Hartford, and was a Sara giving remarks at the nearly three decades ago.” member of Black and Gold. “Sara distinguished dinner.

She described how she constantly strives to herself with her selfless concern for others both find the balancing point between opposing within the school community and in the Greater energies and how a desire for balance is an incubator for Hartford area,” said Alan. character development.

Sara earned a B.S. in civil engineering at Tufts University

“The Westminster community planted and continues to and served as a geotechnical engineer with Hayley and Aldrich water the seeds of courage, integrity and good judgment in in Cambridge, Mass., for projects such as the Central Artery me,” she said. “You have heard it before. This place is different.

Tunnel Project, also known as the “Big Dig,” and numerous That intangible we always talk about. We embrace differences, foundation restorations in the Back Bay area of Boston. In 1998, diversity and challenges, and encourage each other to constantly she returned to Chatham to join the family business of W. Vernon push beyond the comfort and safety of the known, not just for Whiteley Inc., where she serves as vice president. She is part of academic or athletic achievement but also to connect with our the third generation of ownership of the business, which is a fullintrinsic character. The community constantly supports that service plumbing, heating and air conditioning installation and growth by rewarding successes and turning failures into learning service company. opportunities. And while I am not sure that self-awareness is Sara has served on the Westminster Board of Trustees truly possible as a teenager, I’d like to believe that Westminster, since 2010. She is the former chair and a current member more than anywhere else on my life path since, instilled in me the of the Faculty and Students Committee and also serves on core beliefs and values required for the continual evolution of my the Committee on Trustees. She previously served on the self-awareness.”

Advancement and Marketing Committee.

In closing, she added, “My community may be small, but

Earlier this year, Sara stepped forward with a commitment my goal is to create a ripple effect of energy that intensifies as it for interim bridge funding of the school’s sabbatical program flows outward through people and spreads to other communities for five years. She has also contributed to Westminster’s capital with an amplifying effect.” program, supported the Westminster Teaching Initiative and is a member of the Thring Society.

Fall 2018

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Supporting Westminster

An Evening on Williams Hill Members of the Williams Hill Society, trustees, current parents, alumni, faculty and guests attended An Evening on Williams Hill Sept. 21 that featured refreshments at Pratt House and dinner in Armstrong Dining Hall.

During the evening, Trustee Sara L. Whiteley ’91 was presented the 2018 Alan F. Brooks ’55 Distinguished Alumni Award, and Headmaster Bill Philip gave remarks about Westminster and where the school is going. He began by sharing highlights about the event-filled opening of the new school year, the 401 students enrolled, new faculty colleagues and the 20 faculty members who have been at Westminster 20 years or more. Looking ahead, he said that Westminster is in the middle of a campaign that the school is announcing publicly this fall called the Soar Together Campaign for Westminster School. He shared progress to date, how the campaign’s focus is on the difference people make on Williams Hill, and the need for support for

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students and faculty, and the programs that distinguish the school. “All schools, particularly the great schools, are moving forward,” he emphasized. “We cannot be complacent. Even though Westminster is doing so well and we are sitting in this beautiful space, we can’t take it for granted.”

He discussed the campaign’s theme, Soar Together, and “the idea that together you can really lift this school in all sorts of exciting ways.” He outlined the importance of participating in The Westminster Fund, attending school events around the country and the world, spreading the word about the experience at Westminster, multiyear gifts to support programs, and the opportunity for leadership gifts.

“A huge thank you to all of you for sharing your time with Westminster this evening and for caring so much to come to Williams Hill,” he said in closing. “I hope you enjoyed each other’s company, and I hope you consider all the different ways that you can continue to support Westminster School.”

Fall 2018

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Supporting Westminster

Wanting the Same Experience for Others The distance between San Francisco and Simsbury is more than 3,000 miles. From her first visit to Westminster School, Chrissy Droessler ’00 found a warm and welcoming community that felt like home and alleviated her concerns about attending boarding school so far from her parents.

Throughout her time on Williams Hill, Chrissy relied heavily on her dorm parents, faculty like Dave Werner and Dennis Daly, as her own parents weren’t able to travel to campus often. “The faculty were really caring,” she recalled. “They held you accountable while still supporting you. Considering all they do to maintain the sense of community, they have to be such passionate people.”

Chrissy joined the Thring Society in 2017 when she included a bequest while updating her will. Her lawyer asked all of the appropriate questions including if there were causes she wanted to support. “For me, education is the most important cause right now,” she said.

With a young family, Chrissy isn’t in a position to make a large gift right now, but she feels better knowing her intentions are in writing. Her bequest will benefit the Westminster faculty, who were so instrumental to her own growth. “I just want that experience for other people,” she said. “I hope this gift will help retain talented faculty and attract exceptional new people to the school.”

You can support Westminster faculty or another priority of the Soar Together Campaign. If you’d like to explore the options, contact: Jennifer Keyo Director of Gift Planning (860) 408-3039 jkeyo@westminster-school.org

Westminster is on Alumnifire, a career networking community powered by Westminster alumni.

• Build your professional network • Search and post job opportunities • Share your industry experience • Gain local knowledge in a new city • Reconnect with classmates

Keep the momentum going!

We are close to 500 members.

Sign up and encourage other alumni to join at westminster-school.alumnifire.com AlumniFirePoster.indd 1

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5/8/18 9:38 AM

Westminster Bulletin

Sixth Form Dinner Members of the Class of 2018 gathered for their Sixth Form dinner May 18 in Armstrong Dining Hall. After “mocktails” on Ekholm Terrace, they enjoyed dinner in Adams Dining Room. The guest speaker was Ashley Jeffress ’09 who held an informal chat with the students by responding to questions.

She addressed the importance of the students staying in touch with one another after graduation, that they are extremely prepared for college and that they should take full advantage of the values instilled by Westminster.

Ashley is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and serves as program manager for Women@HubSpot, where she creates innovative digital content, events and strategy for women in the workplace. As a class agent and reunion committee member, she played a pivotal role in making her fifth reunion a success.

Guests at the dinner included Aileen Daversa ’90, Shawn Desjardins, Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22, Cris Gomez ’10, Newell Grant ’99, Colleen and Tim Joncas ’00, Whit Powel ’11, Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, P’11, ’16 and Emily Walsh ’09.

Following dinner, members of the class received their Sixth Form blankets.

The class agents for the Class of 2018 are Dallis Alvarez, Hannah Buckley, Elizabeth Casey, Mike Fiorini, Sophia Gasser, Paul McNamara, Lucy Noel, Jessie Schuhlen, Jack Stevenson and Zach Tarazi.

Clockwise from top, students with their Sixth Form blankets, Ashley Jeffress ’09 responds to questions and dinner in Armstrong Dining Hall.

Fall 2018

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ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

Young Alumni Networking Reception Trustee Jeff Kelter P’12, ’14, ’19 hosted a young alumni networking reception at the rooftop office of KSH Capital in New York City July 16. Those gathered learned more about Alumnifire — a career networking community powered by Westminster alumni — networked with mentors and enjoyed casual conversation.

Aileen Daversa ’90, Rob Horsford ’89, Rosie Williams ’12 and Abby Pribble ’09

Peter Michailidis ’10, Jack Kreitler ’10, Cole Pinney ’01 and Newell Grant ’99

Laura Tingley ’13, Lia Petersen ’14, Claire Egan ’14 and Julie LeBlanc ’13

Alumni networking mentors: Front row, Sarah Lobdell Ginsberg ’07, Kelsea Wigmore ’07, Lisa Cavazuti ’08, Caitlin Romaniello ’07 and Cam Scott ’06 Back row, Cole Pinney ’01 Dan D’Addario ’06, Alex Lavoie ’06, Elsie Swank ’07 and Drew Malbin ’04

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ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

One Year Out Some members of the Class of 2017 returned to Westminster for commencement and a one-year-out reception in Brockelman Student Center that followed.

Matthew Swenson, Sarah Minella and Yilun Zheng

Sydney Autorino, Elizabeth Mahoney, Annie Hicks and Nicole Armour

Artur Szopa, Alex Wolf ’19, Joel Groves, Delando Clarke and Anissa Joseph

Young Alumni Gatherings

Westminster alumni attending Hamilton College and Colgate University attended a dinner March 28 hosted by Alfred and Carol Matt P’13 at their home in Clinton, N.Y. Jordan Gabiddon ’17, Cris Gomez ’10, Kaitlyn McCausland ’16, Anne Mayer ’15, David Lemire ’86, George Crawford ’15, Sydney Autorino ’17, Cullen Matt ’13, Stina Ladd ’15, Katherine Ogden ’16 and Madie Bologa ’17

Colby students Lily von Stade ’17, Jake Kirby ’17 and J.P. Schuhlen ’16 had dinner with Aileen Daversa ’90 Sept. 23 at the Silver Street Tavern in Waterville, Maine.

Director of Alumni Relations Aileen Daversa ’90 visited Martlets currently attending Bowdoin College Sept. 24. Aaron Rubin ’15, Aileen, Emma Stevens ’16, Lucy Noel ’18 and Ellen Gyasi ’16 met at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Topsham, Maine.

Alumni attending Middlebury College got together with Aileen Daversa ’90 for dinner at Two Brothers Tavern in Middlebury, Vt., April 29: Philippe Morin ’15, Vincent Gisonti ’13, Hallie Feibel ’16, Connor Lloyd ’16 and Griffin Price ’16.

Fall 2018

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ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

Asia Receptions Headmaster Bill Philip and Director of Advancement Newell Grant ’99 were in Seoul, South Korea, and Hong Kong in June to visit alumni, parents and students.

SEOUL Euny Kwon and Hae Young Lee P’18, ’20 hosted the annual dinner of the Korean Parents Association June 19 at the Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel.

Front row, Bill Philip P’06, ’09 and Newell Grant ’99 Back row, Chul One Chey P’20, Jungwook Kim P’19, Sang Jun Chun P’19, Hae Young Lee P’18, ’20, HyungRok Lee P’19, Oh Sang Kwon P’21 and Dong Yun Kim P’20

Front row, Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Jessie Kwon ’21, Geena Kim ’20, Rachel Ha ’21, Yuna Lee ’19, Michelle Kim ’20, Eugene Kim ’19, James Chun ’19 and Newell Grant ’99 Back row, Ian Lee ’21, Scott Lee ’20, Jimmy Chey ’20, Matthew Park ’21 and Eddie Shin ’21

Front row, Michael Kim ’97, Alex Song ’98, Sang Duck Lee P’12, ’14, ’17, Newell Grant ’99, William Philip P’06, ’09, Hae Young Lee P’18, ’20, Eunhee Kwon P’18, ’20, Hyun Joo Lee P’12, ’14, ’17, Jiyoung Kim P’19 and Joolie Kim P’19 Second row, Chul One Chey P’20, Chang Yong Ha P’21, Chong Kap Lee P’21, Daniel Chey ’18, Kevin Choi ’15, Eunice Lee ’16, Jessie Kwon ’21, Geena Kim ’20, Rachel Ha ’21, Yuna Lee ’19, Michelle Kim ’20, Eugene Kim ’19, James Chun ’19 and Sook Jin Han P’20 Back row, Eddie Choi ’97, Min Cheol Park P’21, HyungRok Lee P’19, Won June Kang ’16, Julia Lee ’12, Ryan Lee ’18, Yuseoung Kim P’20, SK Lee ’18, Jinwoong Shin P’21, Ian Lee ’21, Sang Jun Chun P’19, Scott Lee ’20, Byung Jin Lee P’18, Jimmy Chey ’20, Jungwook Kim P’19, Matthew Park ’21, Eddie Shin ’21, Eun Lee P’21, Jaehee Kwon P’20, Yumi Wang P’21, Hyun Jin Lee P’21, Grace Shin P’21, Yong Gang Kwon P’21, Sang Hee Yun P’18, Seungyuhn Yoo P’20 and Sungyun Lee P’19 60

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ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

HONG KONG Eva Fang and David Lie P’17, ’19 hosted a reception June 22 at the Dynasty Club in Hong Kong.

Cindy Jeong ’17, Eva Fang P’17, ’19, Edward Lie-A-Cheong ’19, Justin Kooi ’18 and Lori Kaye P’19

Hannah Kaye ’19, Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Michael Kooi P’18 and Clara Kooi P’18

Front row, Emma Liu Hu P’19, Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Eva Fang P’17, ’19, Lori Kaye P’19, David Lie P’17, ’19 and Patrick Kaye P’19 Back row, Newell Grant ’99, Michael Kooi P’18, A.J. Harper ’88, Alex Hu’19, Justin Kooi ’18, Edward LieA-Cheong ’19, Nadia Lee ’18, Cindy Jeong ’17, Hannah Kaye ’19, Linda Fang P’18 and Clara Kooi P’18

The Hartford Golf Club, West Hartford, Conn.

Buz Kohn ’66, P’92 hosted a Westminster golf outing June 13 at The Hartford Golf Club.

Front row, Chris Burr ’69, Bob Barnes ’65, Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Roberta Bolduc GP’19, ’21, Chris Beck P’08, ’13, Mark Wallace ’78, P’07 and Hilly Ebling ’69 Back row, Tad Ebling ’66, John von Stade ’84, P’17, ’21, Buz Kohn ’66, P’92, Ellen Brockelman Bailey ’90, P’21, Bob Bolduc GP ’19, ’21, Sprague Simonds ’82, Curt Brockelman ’86, P’19 and Peter Ulrich P’09, ’10 Fall 2018

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From the Archives Cushing Hall has been at the center of campus life at Westminster since it opened Oct. 17, 1900. At the time, it was called Main Building, and it accommodated a school community of 34 boys and six masters, and their academic, residential and dining needs. Main Building was later named Fearn Hall.

According to “By Grit and Grace: The First One Hundred Years of Westminster School,” the name of the building was a difficult issue as observed in a 1939 issue of the Bulletin: “Main Building has of recent years come to be called Fearn Hall. Fearn Hall is properly the name of one room only, the central common room which Mrs. Walker Fearn decorated in memory of her son, Hewitt Fearn, Class of 1891. … It would seem appropriate to give the name Cushing House to the Main Building.”

In 1941, the school’s original building was formally rededicated as Cushing Hall, a memorial to the school’s founder, William Lee Cushing. Over the years, Cushing Hall has undergone structural modifications to meet evolving school needs, but it has always remained a hub of school activity.

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Above, Cushing Hall circa 1923-1936; bottom left, circa 1936; and bottom right, Mrs. Cushing outside the building, on left, circa 1910.

Circa 1956

What is now called Fearn Hall in its original form.

Mailboxes inside the building, circa 1920s-1938.

Porch circa 1936.

2001 Fall 2018

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Writing a Memoir About a Cancer Diagnosis and Recovery Sometimes fate intervenes. For CC Webster Marrone ’05, author of “So, That Happened, A Memoir,” dining solo at a sidewalk table on Seventh Avenue in New York City put her in the right place at the right time to find an editor for her personal story of diagnosis and recovery from a rare lymphoma.

CC was associate director of business development for Omnicom Health Group, a global health care marketing and communications firm, when she was diagnosed with cancer at 29. “I had climbed the corporate ladder and navigated all the politics, but when I returned to work after treatment for my illness, my head just wasn’t in it,” said CC. She resigned from Omnicom in spring 2017, putting the brakes on a pharmaceutical media planning and buying career that had taken her from London to New York.

“I had never quit a job before,” she said. “I took myself out to lunch a week later with no idea what to do next.” Sitting at the next table was a health and wellness editor who was considering hosting a party to recruit first-time writers. “Naturally, I eavesdropped,” said CC. “I thought that if I didn’t say something, I’d regret it for the rest of my life, so I leaned over my breadbasket and said that I would come.”

Speaking up paid off. The editor at the next table was Stephanie Gunning, a publishing consultant who has guided dozens of authors to publication. CC had been keeping a diary of her experiences undergoing cancer treatment, and with Gunning’s advice on publishing strategy, CC transformed her recollections into her book in seven months.

Since the release of “So, That Happened” in January, CC has been busy with speaking engagements and discussion panels, and has been featured on multiple health blogs and newsletters while continuing her consulting work, which started near the end of the writing phase of her book.

“Most recently, someone my age that I sat on a panel with was diagnosed with breast cancer,” said CC. “She told me when she read my story, she knew that she was going to be OK.”

As the process of completing the book was coming to an end, CC continued her work as an independent marketing consultant and business strategist for health-, wellness- and healing-focused brands and businesses. “I found that I was still in demand,” she explained. “I feel invested in the work that I do. I’m working for people, businesses and movements that will change lives.”

CC earned a B.A. in communication and studio art with a minor in creative writing at Denison University in 2009. She credits Westminster with giving her the foundation she needed to follow her passion and skill set. “I always thought that being a writer was the coolest thing,” she said. “It allows you to put a piece of yourself out in the 64

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CC Webster Marrone ’05

world in a way that impacts others.”

CC came to Westminster as a Fourth Former from the Agnes Irwin School in Philadelphia, where she found the curriculum to be limiting. At Westminster, she was able to pursue her interests in the arts and writing. “When I learned that I could follow something I was passionate about at Westminster, it was life changing for me,” she said.

CC says she particularly appreciated Bryan Tawney’s English class, where Eminem rap lyrics were studied alongside Shakespeare and Homer. “It was such a progressive education,” she said. “Westminster recognizes the strengths, interests and drives of individual students and takes that into account.”

While at Westminster, CC played squash and lacrosse, and was named the No. 2 goalie in New England and a Futures Athlete while playing varsity field hockey as a two-year team captain. She was a corridor proctor and a member of the Multicultural Student Union, Student Activities Committee and Serving Our Neighbors. She also was an avid horsewoman showing on the A-Circuit in hunter/jumper divisions and volunteered at a rehabilitation riding center for the disabled.

CC remains close to her Westminster classmates, particularly her best friend Adelaide Harris ’05, with whom she worked at Omnicom.

CC, who is married to investment banker James Matthew Marrone III, likes to play golf and tennis. “From a social aspect, I also enjoy organizing dinners with interesting people and lunches with people I have been on panels with or met in New York City’s young entrepreneur circles,” she said.

With her cancer in remission, CC’s mission is to have a healthy balance of personal time, fun, friends and professional life.

Fortunate to Have Many Choices Mtu Pugh ’89 was recently named director of corporate strategy for global industrial manufacturer Ingersoll Rand, where he leads strategic development for the company’s Trane brand of residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Mtu, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., travels throughout the U.S. to visit manufacturing plants, distributors, dealers and customers. His secondary focus is the company’s business in Latin America, where air conditioning is far less common than in North America. “The next big piece of my work will be around emerging markets,” said Mtu. “In Latin America, only 10 to 15 percent of homes have air conditioning.” By comparison, he says that 94 percent of new homes constructed in North America are built with central cooling.

Mtu joined Ingersoll Rand after more than a decade with national retailer Family Dollar, where as vice president of strategy and business development, he headed the company’s internal and external strategy, and analyzed markets for expansion.

Mtu came to Westminster his Fourth Form year after being recommended by his guidance counselor at his Newark, N.J., public high school for A Better Chance (ABC), which places top scholars in college preparatory middle schools and high schools across the country. “At some point, someone thought I was gifted and talented,” said Mtu. “When I tell my story, I say that guidance counselor in Newark is the single guy who changed my life. One person can make a big deal.”

Mtu visited several schools before selecting Westminster, but the decision for him to leave Newark was contentious for his family. “My mom was all for it, and my dad was against it,” he recalled. “My mother won out.

I stayed out of it.”

Mtu says his three best friends from Westminster are still his best friends now: Rob Horsford ’89, Hector Gordon ’89 and Will Beckford ’89.

“We all had similar backgrounds,” said Mtu. “We were the only AfricanAmerican guys in our class. We clung to each other, and those guys helped me through.”

Mtu credits several faculty members with introducing him to new experiences. “David Hovey shoved a lacrosse stick in my hand and said, ‘Now spin it and watch out,’” said Mtu. “Steve Young taught me squash.

Tom Earl, Martha Kurtz, David Werner ’80 and Peter Newman ’80 were awesome. We had the best times just talking about what we wanted to be.

They recognized that this was new for us and taught us what doing well can look like.”

As a student, Mtu was a member of Black and Gold, the John Hay Society, and SPHERE. He also played football, basketball and baseball, and participated in track.

By his Fifth Form year, he knew that his childhood desire to attend Yale University could be a real possibility. “During my math classes with Mike Jackson ’49, it dawned on me that intellectually, I could get in,” said Mtu. “I built confidence when I saw other students had done it.”

Mtu earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Yale in 1993. A researcher he met during a summer internship inspired the selection of his major. At Yale, Mtu participated in intramural sports, was a member of the Black Student Union and was inducted into the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

He began his career as a process engineer and later a department manager with Procter & Gamble, where he stayed until 1998. “I wanted to be part of the group making decisions, and I knew the fastest way to do

that was to leave Procter & Gamble and attend graduate school,” said Mtu.

He earned an MBA in finance and strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2000. For the next three years, he worked for a venture capital firm specializing in technology startups. When the company stopped investing in early-stage companies, Mtu left to become engagement manager at national consulting firm McKinsey & Company. “It was the other end of the spectrum,” he said.

“You hire McKinsey when you have a hard problem you can’t solve yourself.

McKinsey provides high-end consulting services to multibillion-dollar companies. I got a different view from the C-level.”

By 2006, Mtu was married with a 2-year-old and another child on the way. He left McKinsey for Family Dollar. “I loved the work at McKinsey, but not the lifestyle,” he said. “Four days a week on the road was getting old.”

His schedule is now largely centered on his three children: Clayton, 14; Lauren, 12; and Ian, 2. “The older kids are competitive swimmers, so we spend a lot of time at the pool,” he said. “Practices start at 6 a.m., and we travel out of state four to five times a year for competitions.” Swim travel is a family affair that includes Mtu’s wife, Lisa, whom he met in graduate school in Chicago, and young Ian.

Mtu is a marathon runner and prioritizes distance running. “The trick right now is to wake up earlier,” he said. “If I get up at 5 a.m., and run four times a week, it’s been a good week.”

Mtu visited Westminster in 2009 for his 20th reunion, and he looks forward to returning next year for his 30th. “I was fortunate to have so many choices coming out of Westminster,” he reflected.

Mtu Pugh ’89 and his wife, Lisa, with children Lauren, Ian and Clayton.

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Working in the Senate

Lane Bodian ’06 with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.

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Lane Bodian ’06 spends his days working in the U.S. Capitol as foreign policy legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a fourth-term Democrat from New York and leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Lane’s responsibilities with the senator have changed and grown over the past seven years.

Lane joined Sen. Schumer’s staff in February 2011 as special assistant to the senator. As special assistant, Lane traveled with Sen. Schumer wherever he went in New York state. “Sen. Schumer travels to all 62 counties in New York every year,” Lane explained. “The senator takes every opportunity to hear from his fellow New Yorkers, whether it is on the sidelines of a St. Patrick’s Day parade on Long Island or the State Fair in Syracuse, with roasted corn in hand.” Seeing the devastation after Hurricane Sandy with Sen. Schumer and the resilience of the people of New York left a lasting impact on Lane.

In 2013, Lane moved to Washington, D.C., to work on Sen. Schumer’s legislative staff as a legislative aide for banking and housing policy. Soon after, he began expanding his portfolio to include foreign policy.

When Sen. Schumer was named minority leader in 2016, Lane became the foreign policy legislative assistant working in conjunction with the senator’s national security advisor. “I’ve been privileged to work in a great office, for a hardworking and dedicated leader, and with smart, dedicated public servants,” said Lane. Lane recently traveled through the U.N. Refugee Agency to visit Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. He has also been to the Democratic Republic of Congo with the International Committee of the Red Cross, and on trips to Taiwan, Israel and Jordan.

Lane was active in student government at Franklin & Marshall College, where he earned a B.A. with a double major in American studies and government. “I was very involved in soccer, but also got a lot of pleasure working

with folks in the Lancaster community on a college board and planning events for my class with local businesses,” he recalled. “Lancaster is a great place and the story of its economic development is fascinating, and I got to experience some of it in real time.”

His first taste of national politics also came during his time at Franklin & Marshall. When then-Sen. Barack Obama was campaigning in 2008, Lane volunteered at a campaign stop in Lancaster County. Lane also served as an intern in the office of former Sen. John Kerry and on special projects and community events at the office of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

At Westminster, Lane was elected head prefect and served as a form officer the prior three years. “Student government was another way to help classmates,” he said.

“What I remember most was organizing class events like dances, a sleep-out on the senior lawn and bagel feeds.

Alex Lavoie ’06 would drive to Brookside Bagels to get bagels for the entire school, and faculty member Elliot Dickson ’98 made super-fan T-shirts to help us raise money.”

Lane was a member of Black and Gold, the John Hay Vestry, the Jazz Band and Dramat. He played varsity baseball and was goalkeeper for varsity soccer, serving as captain his Sixth Form year and as a member of the WNEPSA All-Star Team.

Since then, Lane has served as a class agent and a reunion committee member, and remains close to many of his Westminster classmates. “I see Alex Lavoie, Will Lent ’06, and Charlie Lent ’08 regularly in D.C., and I still see Hunt Eldridge ’06 and Courtney Edwards ’06, who both attended Franklin & Marshall with me,” he said. “I hope to visit Andy Gomez ’06 in Colombia.”

“Westminster is everywhere,” said Lane. “When Headmaster Bill and Jenny Philip came to D.C., we had lunch together at the Capitol. And last year, when the History Department faculty visited, I was able to set up a tour for them.

Sen. Schumer’s national press director, Justin Goodman, is a good friend and the nephew of one of my teachers at Westminster, Dan Aber.”

Lane still plays recreation league soccer in D.C., and expects to complete a master’s degree in December 2019.

He is among a select number of civilians admitted to the Master in Strategic Studies degree program at the U.S. Army War College, where students, primarily rising military leaders, prepare for senior leadership assignments and responsibilities. This summer, Lane completed the residency component of the program at the school’s Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania.

An Early Sense that Music was the Path After four years of studying in Germany and Austria, Eliza Mandzik ’09 returned to the United States to complete her master’s degree in music from the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

“I always had the sense that music was the path for me,” said Eliza. “I took voice lessons and grew up singing jazz and standards in the style of Judy Garland. Music helps me connect to people. They would say that my performances touched them and that is a gift that can’t be taught.”

Eliza earned a bachelor’s degree in music (voice performance) and political science with a research focus in xenophobia and identity politics in Central Europe from Providence College in 2013. “Providence was generous enough to offer me a full-tuition scholarship,” she said. “I was able to create opportunities for study: doing workshops, learning arias and art songs, studying abroad in Vienna for a semester and focusing on research projects.”

Eliza went on to study opera at Prayner Konservatorium in Vienna, and earned an Artist’s Diploma in Classical Operetta from Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien in 2016.

“When I first studied abroad in Vienna, a private teacher invited me to join her studio,” explained Eliza.

“It was a really big deal to be asked. I moved to Austria, worked with her intensively and became fluent in German as quickly as I could. The classes at the conservatory were held entirely in German.”

Eliza says opera is part of the cultural identity in Europe. “In Austria, you can go to an opera every night for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. There are three worldclass opera houses in Vienna. There is so much opportunity.

Opera is part of the cultural identity and connects with people there in the same way a jazz standard could connect with someone in the United States.”

Opera performance is a serious career that requires much discipline: studying language, history and physiology, among other topics. Eliza was awarded a fellowship at the A.J. Fletcher Institute after completing professional engagements that included performances in Austria and Germany. “My international experience allowed me to get a full scholarship with a stipend and guaranteed roles,” she said. Her performance experiences are supported by advanced studies in voice, language, diction, operatic and vocal literature, acting, movement work, body awareness work, stage combat and career enhancement strategies.

At Westminster, Eliza’s interest in opera studies was facilitated by faculty member David Chrzanowski. Together they developed an independent study course in music in which they watched, discussed and analyzed both standard and infrequently performed operas. “It was so beneficial,” she recalled. “I was exposed to fantastic performers and

conductors.” Among the performances they viewed was “Pelléas et Mélisande,” a version of which Eliza would later be cast in as Mélisande at the Fletcher Institute. “My previous study of the opera at Westminster enabled me to more richly realize the character of Mélisande,” she added.

When Eliza was looking at independent schools, Westminster stood out. “The minute I came to campus, I felt like I was part of the community,” she said. “At public school, I kept to myself. At Westminster, I could be the person I was supposed to become.”

As a Westminster student, Eliza participated in the Dance Ensemble and Dramat, was an editor of The Westminster News, was president of the Chamber Choir and Chorale, and participated in Belles. Though her overseas travels have left her unable to attend reunions, she stays in touch with Andrew Marco ’11 and Annie Ulrich ’09, and hopes to return to Westminster in the future.

She is currently teaching English to Chinese students via a Chinese online education firm, and previously taught voice and piano lessons in Austria. “That’s how I met my partner, Sam,” she said. “He just completed his master’s in organizational communication at the University of Colorado Boulder.”

Eliza recently performed at the Vocal Arts Festival at the Opera Theatre of the Rockies in Colorado and is preparing for upcoming engagements this fall and winter.

“There is a vibrant opera audience in Winston-Salem,” she said. “Creative people are drawn to the area; my landlord comes to all my performances. I’ll be very sorry to leave, but I am looking forward to embarking on the next chapter.” After her graduate studies are completed in 2019, Eliza and Sam are considering returning to Vienna.

Eliza Mandzik ’09 performing as Mélisande in the Fletcher Opera production of “Impressions de Pelléas” at the DeMille Theater in April.

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In Memoriam

1932 William S. Beinecke died April 8 in

Manhattan at the age of 103. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Yale University and a law degree from Columbia University. He joined the U.S. Navy just before the United States entered World War II and went on to serve on destroyers in the Atlantic and Pacific. He left the Navy as a lieutenant commander.

After the war, he practiced law for a short period of time before joining Sperry & Hutchinson as general counsel. He later became the company’s chairman and chief executive and took the company public.

Bill also led efforts to create a business school at Yale and finally succeeded in 1976. His philanthropy was extensive. He served as the first chairman of the Central Park Conservatory, trustee of Yale University, founding member of the Hudson River Foundation and on the boards of the New York Botanical Garden and the American Museum of Natural History. The Prospect Hill Foundation that he and his wife created in 1959 has supported programs in the environment and nuclear nonproliferation, among other causes. He served in other volunteer leadership roles at Yale and, along with his father and two uncles, created the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. He was awarded the Yale Medal in 2000 for his exemplary service to the university.

Bill was active until the end of his life. The New York Times reported that his daughter Frances said that on the day he died, he had a bow tie selected for his weekly bridge game at the Yale Club.

Bill is predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth (Betty), of nearly 70 years.

He is survived by his four children, including John Beinecke ’65, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

1938 John K. Ormond Jr. died in Oregon

May 24, 2017. Jack attended Princeton University, but World War II intervened

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after his junior year, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served as first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot. He flew about 900 missions in the South Pacific, bringing supplies and men to and from the battle zones. After the war, he returned to Princeton and graduated with a degree in engineering.

Near the time of his retirement, Jack met and married Fran. They moved to Cambria, Calif., where Jack was involved in The Follies, an annual talent display.

He was “elected” mayor of Cambria on the basis of the amount of contributions solicited and obtained by him for a Youth Center for local teenagers. He was a proud Lion and member of the local VFW. When local groups started a “march” in San Luis Obispo to support victims of sexual assault and raise awareness, Jack was an enthusiastic participant even in his 90s. His image, displayed in the media, became one of the hallmarks of the annual event. Everyone who knew Jack was touched by his humility, kindness and cheerfulness. Jack was preceded in death by his wife, Fran, his youngest son, his sister and his brother. He is survived by four of his five children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

1942 Thomas Clark Moseley Sr. of Woods

Hole, Mass., died Sept. 16. While at Westminster, he was captain of the hockey and baseball teams, as well as co-most valuable player for football and a school prefect. He attended Harvard where he was a member of the AD and Hasty Pudding, played football and hockey, and served as quarterback for an undefeated junior varsity football team. He declined an offer to play professional hockey for the Boston Olympics.

Tom served in the Third Army during World War II, earning the Combat Infantry Badge and three Battle Stars in the Battle of the Bulge, Belgium, and Germany (France). Tom’s father was in WWI in the same 76th Division as Tom.

Tom became a corporate executive of Union Carbide. He was a longtime resident of Darien, Conn.; Naples, Fla.;

and Woods Hole, Mass. He served on the boards of Windstar Country Club in Naples; Woods Hole Golf Club; Harvard Clubs in Connecticut and Florida and a member in New York City; New Canaan Winter Club; Wickham Rise School; National Art Museum of Sports; Dubois Crisis Center; and Darien Winter Club. He was co-founder and president of Morningstar Association and Windstar Golf Association and a cofounder of the club. A frequent volunteer, he worked with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Yale Career Services, Meals on Wheels and coached, refereed and umpired sports. Tom initiated an Audubon Sanctuary, culminating in an Audubon International Award, as one of 200 environmental courses in the United States.

Tom was an incredibly well-read, informed person, and a source of great advice and wit. His quest for learning and adventure never waned and his fierce competitiveness was unmatched.

He played men’s hockey into his 50s, including participating in the hockey senior Olympics, sailed competitively for many years on Long Island Sound, and played on golf and tennis teams.

Tom leaves his wife, Elizabeth, of 67 years, three children, 12 grandchildren (including Margot Hahn ’14), and six great-grandchildren. His nephew William Mosley ’80 and grandnephew Tyler Mosley ’10 attended Westminster. He is predeceased by his son Tom ’75.

1946 Henry Dwight Sedgwick died April 22

in Essex, Conn. He grew up in Dedham and Groton, Mass. Harry graduated in 1951 from Harvard where he played football and hockey. He then attended the Centre d’Etudes Industriel in Geneva, Switzerland. After working a decade with the Aluminum Company of Canada in Montreal, he became a New York City Democratic district leader. He later went into venture management, eventually starting his own company, Sedgwick Associates.

Harry is survived by his wife of 32 years, Robin, his children, stepchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

1949 Robert Eells Nettleton of Clinton,

Conn. died Feb. 14. A graduate of Yale University in 1954, he was employed as a mortgage banker at the Lomas & Nettleton Co. in New Haven. He also attended Northwestern University for his MBA. He taught real estate and property management. Robert was on the President’s Advisory Council for the Small Business Administration. He enjoyed swimming, figure skating, camping and sailing with his family; and acting and singing in several groups: Cheshire Community Theater, Cappella Cantorum, The Choral Club of Clinton and Shoreline Chorale. He and his wife of 63 years, Jane, have five children, 13 grandchildren and a great grandson

1950 Warren Kingsland Hay of New York City died Feb. 3. Classmate Hi Upson writes:

“Warren was an honest man, open as the sunrise. He had a tireless curiosity and a willingness to try new ideas. What I remember most was his penchant for pricking sacred cows on campus, his sardonic wit and self-effacing reserve.

Warren’s most enduring quality was his kind and gentle manner. Authentic. Plain fun. Never careless about other people.

Warren was really good at just being himself. His many friends will miss him.”

1952 Félix Serrallés Jr. died in May. During his

tenure as CEO of Destilería Serrallés, from 1981-2017, he focused his efforts on the consolidation and expansion of the family business through significant investments and modernization. Under his guidance, Don Q rum returned to the U.S. after a decades-long hiatus, expanded its range of products, and adopted environmentally conscious production methods that have made a positive impact on local

ecosystems. Following his retirement, he continued to serve as chairman of the board of directors.

He leaves behind his wife, Daiana; three sons, including Roberto ’85; two daughters; and several grandchildren including Kassandra Meyer ’06. He is also survived by his cousin Alberto Torruella ’51. He was predeceased by his brother Juan ’56 and cousin Guillermo Torruella ’50.

W. Stewart Roberts Jr. died Aug. 4 leaving

behind his wife, Barbara, and his sons W. Stewart III ’77 and Alexander. He was predeceased by a son and stepson.

Charles Lawson Willard III died June 1.

Lawson was born in New York City and grew up in New Haven, Conn. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1956 and the University of Virginia Law School in 1959. After graduating from law school, he practiced law at Kelly, Dry, Newhall, McGinness & Warren in New York. He subsequently joined the legal department of Mobil Oil and developed expertise in international agreements. He lived in Saudi Arabia for several years while working for Mobil.

Upon his retirement, Lawson lived in Stonington, Conn., and London, England.

Among his favorite pastimes were cruising on his motor yacht Curlew off Stonington Harbor, particularly crossing to Fishers Island Club for a round of golf and hosting floating dinner parties for his many friends where he would go out to sea and float back with the tide, enjoying the sunset from the stern of his beloved boat. He was a great raconteur and conversationalist, an avid reader of history who was happy to share his joy in the Flag of Stonington with anyone who would listen. He was an active supporter of many organizations in Stonington and London including Mystic Seaport, Mystic and the American Friends of Royal Museums Greenwich Inc., Greenwich, England. In addition to the Fishers Island Club, Lawson was a member of the Stonington Country Club and the Wadawanuck Club, both in Stonington,

and the Union Club in New York City. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, stepchildren and brothers Sherwood Willard ’59 and Anthony Willard ’65.

1956 Gilbert Ahrens of Suffield, Conn. died

June 21, 2017. Gil graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, where he was a member of the Mask and Wig Club. He was employed for many years with the Hartford National Bank before retiring. He was an enthusiastic fan of modern jazz music and loved playing the drums. He enjoyed sports cars, was an avid fisherman and an expert stamp collector and, more recently, took up oil painting with gusto. Gil was a member of the Suffield Rotary Club, the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association, the Suffield Historic Commission, a former member of the Fox Hollow Gun Club and was on the board of trustees for the Wightman Camp. He was a lifelong member of Second Baptist Church.

Besides Christine, his wife of nearly 56 years, he is survived by his brother John Ahrens ’41, a son and a daughter, as well as grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his brother Leavitt Ahrens ’37.

Charles Griffith writes: “Gil was an

active Martlet who came to school as a Second Former. He participated in many sports and was a member of the first club soccer team. This was the start of soccer at Westminster. A member of John Hay, and assistant editor-in-chief of the yearbook, he was a loyal donor to The Westminster Fund.”

1957 Robert Adams died Aug. 21. Classmate Peter Palin writes, “Both Rob and I came

in as Fourth Formers, and I really didn’t know him well in school since he was among around 35 classmates. But over the years, I became much more familiar and friendly with Rob as we attended numerous reunions. That is where I really got to know him, particularly at our 55th and 60th reunions. One good Fall 2018

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In Memoriam memory at the 60th reunion was touring around campus with Newell Grant ’99, Joel Palmer and Rob to see the expanded athletic facilities at Westminster. While on the tour, Rob ran into a Westminster student-athlete from New Canaan who was from the immediate neighborhood where Rob grew up. They had a great time comparing notes because they had lived so close to each other. Rob was also a good friend of Joel Palmer’s.

“I was able to visit Rob, who was experiencing health problems at the time, on June 1 in Ormond Beach and spent the night. We went out to dinner and breakfast and had another great time discussing memories of the school and great friends.”

1960 Gilliat Schroeder died Dec. 24, 2017, in

Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Wawa, Pa. After graduating from Westminster, he began college at the University of Pennsylvania, left for three years to serve in the U.S. Navy, then returned to Penn and received his B.A. in 1967.

His professional career began in banking before he joined Smith Barney in Philadelphia. In 1974, he and his family moved to the Seattle area where he continued his long career with Smith Barney until 2006, when he retired as senior vice president investments/senior portfolio manager. During that time, Gil was very involved in a number of community organizations and held board positions with the Seattle Aquarium Society, Lifetime Advocacy Plus, Pacific Northwest Research Institute and Seattle Kiwanis. He was also a member of the University Club and the Sons of the American Revolution. Over the years, the education and welfare of young people became a primary focus of both Gil and his wife, Sherry; support was provided to the Seattle Children’s Museum, Issaquah Schools, Bellevue College and Central Washington University.

After retirement, Gil and Sherry spent the winter seasons at their Palm Desert home at Silver Sands Racquet Club. Gil enjoyed playing tennis with his 78

Westminster Bulletin

Silver Sands’ neighbors and then became passionate about golf. He joined several golf clubs.

During the last few years, Gil took a particular interest in the future of California State University San Bernardino, Palm Desert campus. He provided seed money for the development of a neurofeedback program for learning difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was also a major sponsor for the development of a hospitality management program at the campus.

Gil had a passion for learning and was a voracious reader. He also loved the outdoors and shared his enthusiasm with his family and friends who learned not to trust his sense of direction. He enjoyed fly-fishing, hiking, camping, cross-country skiing and spending time at the family cabin in the Teanaway Valley. He also enjoyed gardening, bridge, cooking and travel.

Gil is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sherry, his adult children, his five grandsons and his sister.

1968 Peter Michael Dailey of Sarasota, Fla.,

died Sept. 22. He was born in Mexico City and grew up in New Canaan, Conn.

Peter is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Conway School of Design, where he obtained a master’s degree in urban design. Peter was a land planner for the entirety of his professional career, working for the Girl Scouts of America and Wiles Pronske (which later became Wiles, Dailey, Pronske) in Washington, D.C., and Sarasota, respectively, before establishing Dailey Design Group.

Peter enjoyed playing golf and gathering with friends, particularly around sporting events. His first love and top priority, however, was anything to do with his children. Peter is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lisa Dailey; his son, Austin Michael Dailey, and his spouse, Kayla; and his daughter, Caroline Beckwith Dailey.

Classmate Porter Berry writes: “We were blessed to have our beloved classmate and brother Peter Dailey attend

our 50th Class of 1968 Reunion this last May. His golf team won, and he was most proud. Peter was brilliant and one great athlete. He lived and died with enormous grit and grace. He will be missed but never forgotten.”

1978 Lawrence Collier Gilman of Delta

Junction, Alaska, died Aug. 11 of a heart attack. Born April 16, 1960, in Hartford, Conn., Larry was the son of Ann Gilman and the late J. Lawrence Gilman P’78, ’80, both longtime Westminster faculty members.

Larry attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Gettysburg College before enlisting in the U.S. Army where he served for more than 20 years as platoon sergeant, first sergeant, drill instructor, school chief instructor and operations noncommissioned officer. In 1990, he began a tour at the Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Greely, Alaska, and he completed his service as the Battalion S-3 noncommissioned officer-in-charge, 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry. Larry received numerous decorations, including four Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Commendation Medals and two National Defense Service Medals.

Larry met his wife, Susan Apling, while stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. They married in 1988, and Larry adopted her son, Aaron, as his own. Larry was a talented carpenter and enjoyed gardening, hunting and caring for his numerous pets. He was intelligent, funny, generous and honorable, and was a devoted husband and father.

Larry is survived by his wife, Susan, of Delta Junction; a son, Aaron Apling Gilman, of Girdwood, Alaska; his mother, Ann Gilman, of Simsbury, Conn.; a sister, Suzanne Gilman, and her spouse, Gena Taylor, of New York, N.Y.; aunt Anne Collier and cousins Matthew Collier and Elizabeth Collier, all of Wakefield, Mass., and cousin David Collier of Wildomar, Calif.; sister-in-law Nancy Morgan and husband Jerry Morgan; and brothers-inlaw Kevin Apling of Fairbanks, and Ike Apling and his wife, Jeana Roy Apling,

of North Pole, Alaska.

A funeral service was held at his home in Delta Junction Aug. 26.

Memorial donations may be made to the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation at www.chriskylefrogfoundation.org.

1981 Steven Krutt of Lake Worth, Fla.,

formerly of West Hartford, Conn., died in Boca Raton, Fla., Aug. 2. He graduated from the University of Hartford and then worked as a landscape contractor. Steven is survived by his father, former wife, son and two sisters.

Alex Durrell writes: “Best friend senior year at Westminster. These six words bring back fond memories for most, if not all readers of this magazine.

Senior year, my best friend was Steve Krutt. Steve and I shared many priceless memories that year: driving around in his infamous Kruttmobile to various places in town and elsewhere, traveling to Bermuda with seemingly half our class (after a Grateful Dead concert in Boston following winter exams), sharing our yearbook page and performing pranks on various

students (and teachers). Even though we had not communicated in many years, his sense of humor remains vivid in my mind, and I still think of him when I hear certain phrases. Although we were not the most popular students in the Class of 1981, I never felt lonely with his friendship always there for me. I was lucky in that I was able to share one of the happiest years of my life with him. Although Steve is no longer with us, his friendship will remain with me forever. Ave atque vale (hail and farewell).”

Peter Buckey writes: “Steve Krutt was an original member and cornerstone to our West Simsbury carpool sophomore, junior and senior years. During that time, we formed a tight bond to which only fellow carpoolers can relate: seeing each other first thing in the morning, last thing in the evening, nine months of the year, including Saturdays. We had a front seat, and sometimes back seat, in watching and witnessing each other’s journey through high school. Steve, fondly referred to as Captain, was one of the more dependable members in our West Simsbury group of four.

“Always on time in his red, fourspeed manual Fiat four-door, Steve would

get us up and down Westledge Road to campus, around the hairpin turn and to the front door of the old Baxter Academic Center before 8 a.m. and then back home again twice a week.

“Typically on the quieter side, Steve had a kind, if at times, mischievous smile and a wry, if at times, irreverent sense of humor. These rides, Steve’s company and our conversations during the 30-minute round trips I will never forget. Thanks Captain for the memories.”

Lou Shipley writes: “Steve was a fellow day student, and I remember spending many hours in Baxter studying and waiting for rides home with him, Peter Buckey, Deb Payne and Kevin Kelly.

Steve was a quiet, thoughtful person, with a dry, droll wit. Quietly confident, I remember him as an excellent, diligent student.”

Frank O’Brien writes: “I was saddened to hear of recent news of Steve’s sudden passing. I was exchanging with several classmates remembering what a good man he was and how he loved to laugh and enjoyed being part of our close Westminster class. Steve you will be missed! Fondly, Frankie”

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Closing Thoughts

Living the True Life

By Charlie Griffith P’11, ’14, ’17 History teacher and Director of the Westminster Teaching Initiative

As I look ahead to my 25th year at Westminster School, it is as good a time as any to reflect on my time at this special place. Although nine members of my family, including my own three children, are proud Martlet alumni and my family’s relationship with the school reaches back to 1953, I did not attend Westminster. After high school in New Jersey and earning a degree in economics from Middlebury College in 1986, I then spent five years as a banker in New York City. In 1991, I left New York, got married and moved to New Haven with my very understanding wife to study history at Yale. In 1994, my family and I were delighted to accept Headmaster Graham Cole’s invitation to join the Westminster faculty. Since then, I’ve served Westminster in a variety of roles: the traditional triple threat of teacher-coach-dorm head, department head, dean of the Class of 2010 and now as director of the Westminster Teaching Initiative (WTI).

I am often asked why I left New York and became a teacher.

A formative experience for me as a boy were the many summers I spent at a camp in Maine. That camp was staffed by independent school teachers from across New England, and I admired them for the community — the family — they built and which had welcomed me among those towering pines and alongside that crystal-clear pond. As rewarding as my life in New York was, there was always something missing, and somehow I knew that I could find it again in the right school community.

At Westminster, I’ve been able to combine my interest in history with the opportunity to work with bright and engaging young people. But being a part of the school is much more than that. My wife and I have raised our children here. We enjoyed our many years on corridor; coaching remains a great and satisfying passion. As director of WTI, my professional attention has turned to teaching and learning, including everything from best classroom practices to recent research in educational psychology to the physiology of the brain and the complicated processes driving the growth and development of the students we work with. The goal of WTI is to enhance the faculty’s appreciation of the ever-changing pedagogical landscape and help create the very best educational environment possible. WTI meets weekly, communicates frequently with the faculty on pedagogy, facilitates ongoing discussions and hosts an annual Westminster Teaching Symposium for Westminster faculty as well as teachers from area schools.

An important byproduct of WTI has been a close examination of all that we do as faculty and why we do it.

Schools like Westminster face tremendous pressures: the impact of technology and social media, the relentlessness of ever-

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Charlie Griffith P’11, ’14, ’17

increasing expectations from the very best colleges, and longterm economic and demographic trends that require schools to think anew about programs, faculty and facilities. This is on top of the challenges young people have always faced: growing up, developing a strong sense of self, and finding meaning and direction in their lives. WTI has been an important forum for faculty to talk about all of this, and it has made us all better teachers, coaches, advisors and mentors.

Young people benefit enormously from living in a community and embracing an ethos larger than themselves. This requires a self-conscious humility in suppressing their adolescent egoism and recognizing that others have much to offer them; it also means appreciating that the world is a complicated place, full of wonder. WTI provides a thorough grounding in current pedagogy and adolescent psychology that affirms our school’s program and timeless core values of community, character, balance and involvement. WTI has reinvigorated the faculty’s thinking not only in terms of our commitment to the long tradition of a holistic, liberal arts education, but to what Westminster School is.

WTI has been an invaluable opportunity for me to think about my own teaching and to contribute to a school that has meant so much to me and the Griffith family. Westminster is more than bricks and mortar; it is, in the end, about students and teachers. When I wrote a history of Westminster in celebration of its 125th anniversary in 2013, I chose the title “The True Life,” a phrase I borrowed from the Rev. Edward Thring. Thring was the legendary 19th-century English headmaster who inspired William Lee Cushing to found Westminster School in 1888, and the “true life” was for Thring, and Cushing, the spirit of any great school.

After two-and-a-half decades on Williams Hill, my modest hope is that my efforts at Westminster and with WTI have contributed to the realization of Thring’s — and William Lee Cushing’s — vision of a school that lives the true life.

TRUSTEES 2018-2019 John S. Armour ’76 Emeritus Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Elisabeth M. Armstrong P’04, ’06, ’07 Emerita Dallas, Texas Stephen W. Bailey ’89, P’21 Alexandria, Va. Beth Cuda Baker P’09, ’12, ’15 New Canaan, Conn.

William D. Brewer P’17, ’21 New York, N.Y. Curtis F. Brockelman Jr. ’86, P’19 Greenwich, Conn.

Zooey Brown P’15 Batesville, Va. Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21 Edina, Minn.

Abram Claude Jr. ’46, P’71, ’80, ’84, GP’02 Emeritus North Salem, N.Y.

John A. Cosentino Jr. P’00, ’18, ’18 Simsbury, Conn.

Edward V. Dardani Jr. P’14, ’18 Waccabuc, N.Y. John H. Davis P’05 Emeritus Longmeadow, Mass.

Lori P. Durham P’13, ’15 Denver, Colo.

William C. Egan III ’64, P’92, ’95, ’00, ’02 Emeritus Jackson, Wyo. Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20 Greenwich, Conn.

Colin S. Flinn ’82 Sanibel, Fla.

T. Treadway Mink Jr. ’77, P’11 Emeritus New Canaan, Conn.

Heather Frahm ’86 Boston, Mass.

Joseph L. Gitterman III ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90 Emeritus Washington Depot, Conn.

Powell W. Holly III ’82 Fredericksburg, Va. Robert T. Horsford ’89 New York, N.Y. David H. Hovey Jr. ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14 Simsbury, Conn.

Joan A. Nolan P’20 Ex officio Wayzata, Minn.

John A. Nolan P’20 Ex officio Wayzata, Minn.

James H. Oldershaw ’92 Ex officio Lexington, Mass.

Martin R. Irani ’83 Encino, Calif.

William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09 Headmaster Ex officio Simsbury, Conn.

Moyahoena Ogilvie Johnson ’86 Vice Chair of the Board Bloomfield, Conn.

C. Bradford Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20 Chair of the Board New York, N.Y.

Jeffrey E. Kelter P’12, ’14, ’19 Locust Valley, N.Y.

Susan M. Ryan P’12 Smithtown, N.Y.

Bernhard L. Kohn Jr. ’66, P’92 Bloomfield, Conn.

Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20 Seoul, South Korea Jane Kessler Lennox ’88, P’16, ’18 New Albany, Ohio

Thomas D. Sargent II ’77, P’10 West Hartford, Conn.

John Sherwin Jr. ’57, P’83, ’89 Emeritus Willoughby, Ohio

Douglas F. Londal P’17, ’19 Bronxville, N.Y.

Samuel Thorne ’46, P’74, ’76 Emeritus Bedford, Mass.

Bryan Martin ’86 Larchmont, N.Y.

Kirsten Sichler Webb ’98 Greenwich, Conn.

Thomas W. McCargo ’82, P’21 Sewickley, Pa.

Andrew D. McCullough Jr. ’87 Houston, Texas

Sara L. Whiteley ’91 West Chatham, Mass.

Benjamin D. Williams IV ’81 Carpinteria, Calif.

Jacqueline J. Ferro P’20 Chicago, Ill.

Westminster Bulletin FALL 2018

Published by:

Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06070 (860) 408-3000 This magazine is produced twice a year by the Marketing and Communications Office.

Address Class Notes to:

Aileen Daversa ’90 Director of Alumni Relations Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06070 Or submit via email: alumninotes@westminster-school.org To update contact information: spierson@westminster-school.org In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry and/or disability.

Editor

Darlene Skeels Director of Communications and Publications dskeels@westminster-school.org Director of Marketing and Communications

Jeff Kennard P’19

Class Notes Coordinator

Aileen Daversa ’90 Director of Alumni Relations Photography

Seshu Badrinath, Richard Bergen, Yoon Byun, Newell Grant ’99, Cara Hugabonne, Jeff Kennard, David Newman, Stephanie Riefe, Chip Riegel ’90 and Darlene Skeels

Design

John Johnson Art Direction & Design Collinsville, Conn.

995 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury CT 06070

www.Westminster-School.org

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